Dec. 5, 2001

Manhattan, Kan. - Head women's volleyball coach Suzie Fritz announced Tuesday the signing of Jamie Perkins to a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Kansas State, beginning the 2002 season.

"Jamie is an excellent all-around volleyball player," said Fritz. "She possesses exception ball-control skills and back row defensive skills as well as the ability to be a terminal attacker. She is not only a fine volleyball player, but an exceptional student with aspirations of pursuing a medical career. She is an outstanding addition to our program."

A 6-foot middle blocker at Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Perkins was a four-time Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 3A all-state selection, including a first team honoree in 2001. As a senior, she ranked third in the state with a 5.80 kills per game average on .366 hitting to go along with 2.4 digs per game, 1.9 blocks per game and 1.0 aces per game averages. Perkins was a rare four-time Omaha World-Herald all-Western Iowa selection, including serving as the co-captain of the 3-A/2-A first team as a junior and senior. A four-year starter for Mike Bond's Yellow Jackets, she owns school records for both single-season kills (614) and career kills (1,824) as well as kills per game and kill efficiency. Perkins was also twice named the City Player of the Year and was honored four times to the all-city, all-Missouri River Conference, all-Southwest Iowa, all-district and all-area teams. A solid all-around athlete, she lettered four years in both basketball and softball.

A solid student that carries a 4.0 GPA with plans to go to medical school, Perkins is a member of the National Honor Society and the news editor of her school's student newspaper. She is the first Division I scholarship volleyball player in Thomas Jefferson history. She played alongside current K-State freshman Katie Stanzel with the River City Juniors Club out of Omaha, Neb. She picked the Wildcats over a number of schools including Nebraska, Wisconsin, UCLA and Minnesota.

"When people ask me that don't know volleyball, I just tell them she's the total package," said Thomas Jefferson coach Mike Bond. "She works very hard in the classroom and on the volleyball court."

She will join a Kansas State squad in 2002 that must replace three starters, including co-captains Lisa Mimick and Liz Wegner, who earned first team All-Big 12 honors this year. The 18th-ranked Wildcats saw their season come to an end on Saturday with a 3-1 loss to second-ranked Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite the loss, the team posted 20 or more wins for the sixth time in seven years with a 20-8 overall record and set the school record for conference wins with a 15-5 mark in the rugged Big 12 Conference. K-State also earned its sixth consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Perkins is the second prepster to ink with Kansas State during the early signing period following the signing of Winfield (Kan.) High School standout Joy Hamlin.

** Editor's Note: The Iowa High School Association rules are similar to those of the college game where teams play best-of-five games instead of the usual best-of-three in most other states.