SAN DIEGO – San Diego State volleyball head coach Deitre Collins-Parker and recruiting coordinator Melanie Greene proudly announce the signing of Aziah Buckner to a National Letter of Intent.
A prep star at Briarcrest Christian High School in Eads, Tennessee, Buckner will be eligible to compete for the Aztecs in time for the 2020 campaign.
"Aziah is a dynamic 6-rotation outside hitter and we are excited for her to come in and make an immediate impact on our program," said Collins-Parker. Azaiah plays with a lot of emotion and excels at the net and in her defensive play. We are fortunate to add another exceptionally talented student-athlete to our outside hitting corps."
Buckner recently led Briarcrest Christian to its second consecutive Division 2-AA state championship and third in the last four years, as the Saints compiled a 79-6 record over the past two seasons. During her senior campaign, the 5-11 outside hitter recorded 366 kills (3.2/set), 232 digs (2.0/set) and 50 blocks (0.43/set) with a .261 hitting percentage to earn prep volleyball player of the year honors from the Daily Memphian.
In the Division 2-AA state finals, Buckner posted a match-high 21 kills to go with 10 digs, two block assists and one service ace, as Briarcrest Christian defeated Knoxville Catholic High in four sets on Oct 24.
Buckner, who is the daughter of former NBA player and assistant coach Greg Buckner, also garnered all-state, all-region and all-metro accolades during her prep career. Additionally, she received Under Armour All-America honorable mention in 2019 and twice merited all-district honorable mention in 2016-17.
Not to be outdone, Buckner earned MaxPreps Player of the Match distinction on seven occasions over the past two seasons and was listed among the top 20 Memphis-area volleyball players to watch by the Commercial Appeal prior to the 2019 campaign.
As a junior, Buckner hit .287 with 239 kills (2.3/set), 275 digs (2.6/set), 54 blocks and 39 service aces, according to MaxPreps. She capped off that season with 15 kills, 16 digs and five total blocks (2 solo) in a four-set triumph over Chattanooga Baylor High in the state championship match.
Buckner plans to pursue an undergraduate degree in biology at San Diego State.
The Aztecs (14-13, 7-9 MW) will wrap up their 2019 campaign on the road this week when the travel to Utah State on Thursday, Nov. 21, followed by a clash at Boise State on Saturday, Nov. 23.