Muhle signs letter of intent with DU

COLUMBUS -- Brea Muhle is a Pioneer ... in more than one way.

On Wednesday, the Telegram Super Senior signed her National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at the University of Denver, and in doing so, became the first Division I volleyball player from Lakeview High School.

“It is very exciting for me. I have worked very hard and it is exciting to know where I am going,” Muhle said. “It has been my dream to play in Division I ever since I was little.”

After being recruited by Denver, University of Missouri-Kansas City and community colleges, Muhle was ready to take her next step both athletically and academically to the West. Visiting Denver only solidified her decision.

“The players and the campus, they were all so welcoming and friendly and I just loved everything about it,” she said. “I knew it was a perfect fit.”

Being the first D-I volleyball player from Lakeview is an honor in itself, and head coach K.C. Belitz is not surprised to see Muhle move onto the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

“It is an extraordinary achievement. There are obviously very few volleyball players who ever have that opportunity,” he said. “It is not just what she has accomplished, but how she has accomplished it. No one works harder than Brea. When the most talented player is also the hardest working player, then you have something special.”

Muhle worked hard to become a Pioneer, and in doing so rewrote the Viqueen record books. She will leave Lakeview with 13 school records ranging from kills, to digs, to ace serves and blocks. She obliterated the kills in a career with 935, and she had a 94 percent serve receive percentage while at Lakeview.

Muhle is the well-rounded athlete every college looks for, something she says she could not have become without the people around her.

“These last four years have been amazing,” Muhle said. “If it wasn’t for my teammates and my coaches I probably wouldn’t be where I am at right now.”

While many student-athletes rely heavily on their coaches during the recruiting process, Muhle did much of her deciding on her own.

“Brea is pretty independent. We obviously talked about schools during recruiting, but she made the decision on her own and visited on her own and everything,” Belitz said. “She just really handled this without much help, and that is just Brea.”

In attending DU, Muhle plans on majoring in occupational therapy or speech pathology.

“I love working with kids and I love helping people,” she said. “I just want to be a part people’s lives.”