COLORADO SPRINGS The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs volleyball program added another big cog to its championship-seeking machinery Tuesday when it was announced that Nikki Kinzer had transferred in from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Kinzer was a starting middle blocker for the Buffaloes as a freshman in 2009. She led the team in block assists (60), total blocks (64) and blocks per set (0.74). The 6-foot-2 sophomore also recorded 65 kills and a .215 hitting percentage.

Prior to her season in Boulder, Kinzer was a star at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, leading the Rams to a 24-6 record and a third-place finish in Class 5A as a senior. She recorded 377 kills and 105 blocks and was named all-state and all-region.

She was named the Gazette's Big School Player of the Year in 2008 and was also named to the All-Colorado team by the Rocky Mountain News. As a junior, she was a second-team all-state selection and was first-team all-area and all-region.

Kinzer also starred in basketball in high school, earning all-league status in her junior and senior years and the Rams' team MVP award her final three years. She will be a good fit in UCCS' demanding academic environment as well, having achieved a 3.2 GPA at CU-Boulder after her four-year mark of 3.8 in high school earned her four academic all-state honorable mention awards.

"I'm very excited to be able to work with Nikki again," said UCCS coach Keith Barnett, who was Kinzer's high school coach at Rampart. "There is a lot that we understand about one another that will be of great benefit when it comes to system, information, expectations, and communication for next season.

"On top of all that she's a wonderful athlete, person, and has a great family behind her. She knows the majority of the team already and should be a great fit academically to the university."