Dynamic Middles Joining the Ducks

EUGENE, Ore. – Marking the start of the national signing period, UO head coach Matt Ulmer and the Oregon volleyball team have added a pair of standout middle blockers. The newest Ducks are Anaya Thrower (Vacaville, Calif.) and Mia Tvrdy (La Vista, Neb.)
 
Anaya Thrower
MB | 6-4 | Vacaville, Calif.
Vanden HS
 
Thrower ranked second in the state of California and top 50 nationally with 157 total blocks during a standout senior season. Averaging 1.87 blocks per set for Vanden HS, she had five outings with 10 or more blocks including a 14-block performance against Vacaville (Oct. 10). In the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division 3 playoffs, Thrower had 10 kills and 12 blocks in a win over Sierra (Oct. 24).
 
In a show of her offensive prowess, Thrower tallied 258 kills and hit .439 in her final prep season, an efficiency figure good for 14^th in the state. She reached double-digit kills in 11 matches and posted a season-high 20 kills (.500) against Rodriguez in early October.
 
Thrower amassed 560 kills coupled with a .433 hitting percentage and 302 total blocks over the final three seasons of her career at VHS.

??NEW DUCK ALERT??

Anaya Thrower
MB | 6-4 | Vacaville, Calif.
Vanden HS

No. 2?? in the state of California in total blocks during senior season.#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/CvORoY7B0M

— Oregon Volleyball (@OregonVB) November 8, 2023

 
Ulmer on Thrower: “Anaya plays way above the net. She has elite length and jump, and can attack at angles that you don’t see very often. Opposing attackers are always aware of where she is because of her blocking presence. Anaya is a very caring teammate and will be a positive influence in our locker room.”
 
Mia Tvrdy
MB | 6-1 | La Vista, Neb.
Papillion-La Vista HS
 
Named to the 2023 AVCA Girls HS All-America First Team, Tvrdy was among the top 35 in Nebraska in total blocks (16th/102), hitting percentage (25th/.332) and kills (33rd/395). She averaged 3.73 kills per set in her role as a middle blocker, recording 10 or more kills in 19 matches with a season high of 21 in four sets against Millard West (Sept. 5).
 
Tvrdy helped Papillion-La Vista HS to a runner-up finish in the 2023 NSAA Class A playoffs, a run that featured an upset of top-seeded Papillion-La Vista South in the quarterfinals. In victory, Tvrdy had 19 kills (.400) and three blocks. She had a season-high nine blocks against Papillion-La Vista South in a matchup earlier in the season.
 
During her prep career, Tvrdy registered 1,169…