Irvine’s Bev Oden to Attend Stanford

Irvine High School volleyball player Bev Oden, considered by many to be the nation’s No. 1 recruit, has signed a letter of intent to attend Stanford University.

Oden, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker who led Irvine to consecutive Southern Section 5-A and state championships, was named the national player of the year by Volleyball Monthly magazine.

Before choosing Stanford, Oden also considered the University of the Pacific, Pepperdine and California. Oden’s sister, Kim, was an All-American at Stanford and later played for the U.S. Olympic team.

Kim and another sister, Elaina, an All-American at Pacific, preceded Bev at Irvine High. Bev said she believed comparisons between herself and Kim will be “unavoidable” at Stanford but added, “I got used to that playing at Irvine for four years.”