Wahlin lands full ride volleyball scholarship to Weber State

SANDPOINT — Weber State coach Al Givens came to Spokane recently to watch Sandpoint volleyball standout Piper Wahlin play in person, and immediately liked what he saw.

Shortly thereafter, the Weber State volleyball team got a chance to scrimmage with Wahlin when she took an official recruiting visit, and they too liked what they saw in the powerful 5-foot-9 outside hitter.

But most importantly, Wahlin liked what she saw at Weber State, from the picturesque campus at the base of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains to the coaches and players. Wednesday she signed a full-ride scholarship to play volleyball next season for the Wildcats of the Big Sky conference.

“Everything was perfect,” said Wahlin, who was also recruited by Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington and Idaho State. “The girls, the coach, the campus was lovely. I couldn’t turn it down.”

Weber State just recently learned about Wahlin, after the Montana coach was unable to offer a scholarship and told Givens there was a player he should look at. Givens scouted Wahlin at the Pacific Northwest Qualifier in Spokane, and new he had the player he wanted, one who could excel at all six postitions.

“When I first scouted Piper I was impressed with how easy she made it look. She possess excellent skills, great footwork and vision and has a variety of shots in her arsenal,” he said, calling her a savvy player who makes everyone around her better. “Because of her skill package I am confident she will find a way onto the court, and I project her to come in and compete right away for one of our outside hitter positions.”

Wahlin was a four year starter at Sandpoint, leading the Bulldogs to two state championships during that time. An explosive jumper with great timing, she was arguably the Inland Empire League’s best outside hitter all four years.

Sandpoint head coach Karen Alsager, who starred at Idaho and knows full well what it takes to succeed at the college level, believes Wahlin is more than ready for the college game.

“She’s ready to be pushed. She’s gone so long being the very best, now she has a whole other level and that’s exciting,” said Alsager, saying she’s incredibly proud of Wahlin. “I still don’t want to let her go. We won’t be replacing her, that’s for sure.”

Wahlin is the second Bulldog senior to land a full ride, joining friend and teammate Koko James, who signed with Montana, in the Big Sky Conference. While it will seem odd, the two will most likely face each other many times over the next four years, a notion Wahlin described as “weird.”

When she’s not hammering spikes, Wahlin hopes to study art and interior design at college. She admitted that she was nervous for the first time in her volleyball career when she scrimmage with the college players during her visit, demonstrating some volleyball chops that left a quick impression.

“The coach got texts all night from players saying ‘you’ve got to get her,’” recalled proud dad Joel Wahlin. “He loved Piper and really cares about his players.”

Had Wahlin been 6-foot-2, the bigger schools would have surely come calling. It’s something Wahlin has grown used to, and it’s never been an obstacle to her dominating on the court. She’s always had success against bigger players, many of whom will play at major colleges.

Givens was able to see that in person, something Alsager and club coach Jack Dyck have been seeing for years.

“We finally got him (Givens) to come up here and he was very smitten,” said Dyck. “Until you watch her in person, you don’t get it.”