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Two of the top high school players from Illinois and Missouri will remain in the Midwest for their college careers.
Purdue Fort Wayne coach Rock Perrotte announced Monday that high school seniors Jacob Christopher and Bryce Walker have committed to play for the Mastodons beginning in 2021.
Christopher, a 6-foot-7 opposite, led all St. Louis area high school teams last season with a 5.80 kills per game average and was third among area teams averaging 1.26 blocks per game. In addition, Christopher is a three-time all-district selection and earned 2019 all-metro honors.
Walker, a 6-foot-8 middle attacker from Bartlett, Illinois, was the conference player of the year and made the all-state team as he finished the 2019 high school season with more than 500 kills and 300 blocks. He also helped lead his club team to a top-five finish at the 2017 USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships.
Purdue Fort Wayne ended last season in third place in the MIVA and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals — winning its first postseason match since 2014. Among the starters returning for the Mastodons in the upcoming season includes All-MIVA outside attacker Pelegrin Vargas who spent the offseason playing with the Puerto Rican Men’s National Team.