February 10, 1999

Villanova, Pa. - With three scholarships to offer, head coach Heather Hoehn had to find the perfect fit for 1999, to do that, she didn't have to venture far. Villanova has signed local standout Erin Birunas, from Hempfield High School in Lanscaster, Pa. Among her many honors, Birnuas, was honored with first team all-league and second team all-district selections, while being named to all-tournament teams at Manheim, Central Dauphin and Hempfield.

Coming off a 12-16 campaign in her first season, Coach Hoehn will be looking to add some much needed firepower on offense, to help junior Breen Eddinger (Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) who's 384 kills leads all returners and junior Tina Zitterich (Ames, Iowa/Gilbert), who tallied 168 kills and led the team with 47 blocks.

"Erin has the type of competitive personality that will compliment our existing team philosophy," said head coach Heather Hoehn. "She is a raw athlete and will add a new dimension to our offensive attack. I look forward to utilizing her left hand on the rightside."

With two scholarships remaining, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to replace Elizabeth Jones and Megan O'Brien, who will graduate this spring. Included in the 1999 Wildcat schedule are tournaments at Virginia Tech, Montana State, Texas Christian University and the Villanova Invitational.