Press Release courtesy of BYU Athletics
BYU men’s volleyball has signed two new recruits for the 2019 season—Tim Baldwin and Davide Gardini—BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead announced Thursday.
The 6-foot-6 Baldwin, from Oak Park, California, will play outside hitter for the Cougars.
“We’ve been fortunate to watch Timmy for a handful of years,” Olmstead said. “From our first interaction, he stood out as a young man with an enthusiasm for the game and a desire to push himself to be the best. He’s been coached well and has competed at the national level for some of the most competitive club teams in the country. He’ll bring great energy and drive to our team, and we look forward to having him on campus.”
Baldwin was recently named to VolleyballMag.com’s Boys 30 Underclassmen to Watch List and helped lead Oak Park High School to a regional semifinals finish in the 2017 CIF SoCal Boys Volleyball Championships.
Gardini, a 6-foot-9 player from Ravenna, Italy, will also compete for BYU as an outside hitter.
“Davide is a big-time addition to our program,” Olmstead said. “He’s driven to be the best and has shown that by competing for the Italian National Team at all levels and winning some of the most competitive tournaments in the world. He adds length and athleticism to our team at his position. He comes from a pure volleyball family and is the son of one of the greatest volleyball players ever, Andrea Gardini. Davide is driven to continue the success of Italian volleyball, and we’re excited he’s chosen BYU to develop more as a player and a person.”
Gardini, whose father is former three-time Italian Olympian Andrea Gardini, comes to the Cougars after having helped his U-19 National Team win Gold this past summer at the European Youth Olympic Festival.
Baldwin and Gardini will help replace four seniors BYU will lose at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign.
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