Head Utah Valley University volleyball coach Sam Atoa announced Monday the signing of two future Wolverines to scholarship agreements during last week's early signing period. Izzie Hinton (Fort Worth, Texas) and Bailey Nixon (Pleasant Grove, Utah) will graduate high school early and join the UVU volleyball program in January.
"Izzie and Bailey are just quality individuals. They are both very, very good athletes that have enjoyed successful high school careers," Atoa said. "The addition of the two of them to our program will help continue to propel us to where we are working towards. I see great things ahead in our future with the addition of these two girls."
Hinton was a standout prep volleyball player at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time district utility player of the year. The 6-foot-2 right side hitter was also a four-time academic all-district selection and a two-time District 4-6A First Team selection. During her senior season, Hinton recorded 457 kills and a .345 hitting percentage. She also tallied 1,169 kills during her high school career and helped lead North Crowley to a district title in 2014 with a 13-1 record.
Nixon, who was sidelined for her senior year (2015) with a knee injury, helped turn the Pleasant Grove High School volleyball program into a dynasty with back-to-back-to-back state championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The 6-1 outside hitter was tabbed the 2014 Utah 5A Volleyball MVP as well as the region MVP that season after leading the state in aces during her junior campaign (76) and putting up 566 kills, a .269 attack percentage, 32 blocks and 166 digs. Besides leading the Vikings to three-straight state titles, Nixon also helped guide Pleasant Grove to a pair of consecutive region titles in 2013 and 2014.
Hinton and Nixon come from athletic families, as Hinton's father Jay played baseball at UVU as well as at South Utah University and Nixon's father and mother played basketball for the Wolverines. Nixon's mother, Stephanie, was a two-sport athlete during her career as she also played volleyball at UVU, while her father, Kevin, went on to finish his collegiate career at BYU. Nixon's brother, Dalton, also plays basketball at BYU while Hinton's brother, Jay, plays baseball at Dixie State.
James Warnick is an assistant sports information director at Utah Valley University. For more information about Wolverine athletics, visit WolverineGreen.com.