BLOOMINGTON - The five visits Bloomington High School volleyball star Ashley Beyer made to Georgia Tech had a common theme.

"Every time I went there it felt like home," said the 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter, who has committed to sign a national letter of intent with the Yellow Jackets next November.

She will enroll at Georgia Tech on a full scholarship in the fall of 2008. The first college she visited was Georgia Tech. She visited many other schools after that, but didn't find one she liked as well.

"They have a great program," said Beyer, who averaged 4.1 kills and 3.1 digs per game while leading BHS to a Sweet Sixteen berth and a 33-4 record this year.

"The school is not too big or too small. They had the 1996 Olympics there (at Atlanta, Ga.) so the facilities and dorms are great. The campus is great and the coach (Bond Shymansky) is awesome."

Shymansky's Yellow Jackets went 20-12 overall and 12-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year. He has landed a player who earned AAU National Tournament All-American honors last summer.

Beyer was also a Pantagraph All-Area first team selection and an all-Big 12 Conference first team pick this year. She is a two-time state track meet qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles in which her best fully automatic time of 15.71 seconds ranks ninth in area history.

Beyer, who can jump and touch 9 feet, 10 inches high, also visited Illinois State, Florida, Western Kentucky, Minnesota and Illinois among others. She also drew interest from Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio, Michigan State, Connecticut and Washington State among others.

"Ashley was highly recruited because she is a tremendous athlete who has a great foundation of skills," said Andy Erins of the Illini Elite Volleyball Club for whom Beyer plays. "Georgia Tech saw her as someone who could step right in and be an outside hitter and be a six-rotation player for them.

"She is very similar in size and athleticism to an All-American outside hitter they will be graduating and they see Ashley as someone who can step in and fill that role."

BHS coach Joe Sanders said Georgia Tech is a good fit for Beyer.

"She likes their players and coach," he said. "All that stuff is real important. It's a program where she can have an impact and play a lot.

"She is a tremendous athlete. She fits well in their offensive system. They run a fast offense. She is an explosive leaper. She continues to develop. The kid never stops working. She's the type of player who will go in and not be satisfied with just playing. She wants to be a great player."

Sanders said he shares the pride Beyer's parents, Robin and Mark, have for their daughter.

"It's exciting to have that kind of player," Sanders said. "I've had some really good players who have gone on and been successful in college. It's a coach's dream. That's what you want for your players."