Kaitlyn Knab, a native of Escondido, Calif., has signed a national letter-of-intent with Pacific Union College to play women’s basketball starting with the 2011-2012 season. The announcement was made by Pioneers head coach George Barcenas.

Knab, a 5-foot-6 guard, was a four-year starter and a two-year captain for Escondido Adventist Academy. This past season, Knab averaged 12 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three assists per game as a point guard.

Knab has received numerous individual tournament awards and recognition throughout her high-school career, including All-Citrus League-West First-Team honors. In addition to her success on the court, Knab has displayed the same commitment and achievement in the classroom. 

“I am excited to join the Pioneers and do all that I can to help take the program to the next level,” Knab said in a press release.

Barcenas said Pacific Union, a small NAIA school in Angwin which plays in the California Pacific Conference, is expecting big things from Knab.

“She is a fiery competitor that should add a nice mix of enthusiasm and skill to our program,” said Barcenas. “We look forward to seeing her on the court in the fall.”

Assistant coach Doug Wilson said, “Kaitlyn is the kind of student-athlete that we want in our program. She is hard working both in the classroom and on the court. She’s a natural leader with a great attitude.”

Pacific Union also announced the signing of volleyball player Jenna Glantz, a 6-1 middle hitter from Angwin, who led the Pacific Union College Prep Falcons to a 25-3 record this past year. At PUC, Glantz will play for coach Brittany Brown.

Glantz helped lead the Falcons to the CIF North Coast Section Division VI championship match, where they eventually lost to Anderson Valley. She was named to the All-Napa County Second-Team this past season and was a four-year starter and captain of the Falcons for the past two seasons.  

“I feel great about my decision to join the Pioneers,” said Glantz. “Volleyball is one of my passions and I am thrilled to be able to continue playing. The girls on the team made me feel welcome and accepted me into their group. The values that the coaches instill in their players really make them something special on and off the court. This greatly influenced my decision and I am proud to say that I am a Pioneer.”

Glantz played on four straight NCS playoff teams for PUC Prep.

Brown added, “PUC is lucky to have a quality athlete like Jenna come through our program. With her exceptional athleticism and height, she will bring PUC volleyball to a new level. I look forward to coaching her and seeing her excel as a Pioneer.”

Glantz was also named All-Napa County honorable mention in basketball for PUC Prep after averaging 11.0 points per game this past season as a forward.