Temple University Athletics
Nikki Saito Joins Volleyball Recruiting Class
1.16.19 | Women's Volleyball
PHILADELPHIA -- Temple volleyball has announced the addition of Nikki Saito to the 2019 list of signees. Saito will join Naomi Jantzke and Kayla Spells as part of the Owls' class of 2023.
QUOTABLE: Head Coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam
> "We're very excited about Nikki's commitment to Temple and her decision to join our program. She is a very good character kid with a great work ethic. She's strong academically, and she possesses a lot of good qualities that we look for in our recruits."
> "Nikki has a ton of potential on the volleyball court and we're really looking forward to her joining us. We can't wait to work with her to maximize her potential and become the best volleyball player she can be."
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
> A 5-3 lefty defensive specialist, Saito plays high school volleyball at Maryknoll School.
> She has played club volleyball with both the Aloha State Volleyball club team and the Rainbows Volleyball Club.
> In 2017, Saito's squad won the gold medal in the 18s open division at the AAU Honolulu Grand Prix. She also played on the Aloha Region National Youth Team in the gold medal bracket at the the High Performance Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Quotable: Nikki Saito
> "My club coach, Gabby Matautia, was a big influence in my choosing Temple University. She was the first player from Hawaii to play at Temple and she shared stories of her great experience in Philadelphia."
> "I also chose Temple because of the connection I felt with the coaches. They were always there to help me with the process and I knew that I wanted to play for them."
> "I have always wanted to go to a good college on the mainland and Temple has a great curriculum and an excellent medical school."
QUOTABLE: Head Coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam
> "We're very excited about Nikki's commitment to Temple and her decision to join our program. She is a very good character kid with a great work ethic. She's strong academically, and she possesses a lot of good qualities that we look for in our recruits."
> "Nikki has a ton of potential on the volleyball court and we're really looking forward to her joining us. We can't wait to work with her to maximize her potential and become the best volleyball player she can be."
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
> A 5-3 lefty defensive specialist, Saito plays high school volleyball at Maryknoll School.
> She has played club volleyball with both the Aloha State Volleyball club team and the Rainbows Volleyball Club.
> In 2017, Saito's squad won the gold medal in the 18s open division at the AAU Honolulu Grand Prix. She also played on the Aloha Region National Youth Team in the gold medal bracket at the the High Performance Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Quotable: Nikki Saito
> "My club coach, Gabby Matautia, was a big influence in my choosing Temple University. She was the first player from Hawaii to play at Temple and she shared stories of her great experience in Philadelphia."
> "I also chose Temple because of the connection I felt with the coaches. They were always there to help me with the process and I knew that I wanted to play for them."
> "I have always wanted to go to a good college on the mainland and Temple has a great curriculum and an excellent medical school."
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