Men’s volleyball signs two for 2019 season

PROVO, Utah – 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.

Tim Baldwin

Hometown: Oak Park, California

Previous School: Oak Park HS

Position: Outside hitter

Height: 6-foot-6

Before BYU:

High School:

• Transferred to Oak Park HS from Newbury Park HS as a junior
• Named to VolleyballMag.com’s Boys 30 Underclassmen to Watch List
• Helped the SCVA HP team win Silver at the 2017 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships
• Helped Oak Park to a No. 1 national ranking as a junior
• Helped Oak Park to a regional semifinals finish in the 2017 CIF SoCal Boys Volleyball Championships
• Helped Oak Park to a 37-5, 8-0 record as a junior
• Helped Newbury Park to a 23-4, 10-0 record as a freshman
• Helped Newbury Park advance to the quarterfinals of the 2015 CIF SoCal Boys Volleyball Championships as a freshman

Club:

• Played for Spectrum and Rise Volleyball Clubs
• Helped Spectrum win Gold and Silver at the 2015 and 2016 USA Volleyball Nationals, respectively

Davide Gardini

Hometown: Ravenna, Italy

Previous School: HS Manfredi Azzarita

Position: Outside hitter

Height: 6-foot-9

Personal:

• Father is Andrea Gardini (won the FIVB World Championships three times and was a three-time Olympian in 1996, 2000 and 2004)

Before BYU:

High School:

• Member of the U-19 National Team in 2016 and 2017
• Member of the U-21 National Team in 2016 and 2017
• Competed in the U-19 FIVB World Championships in Bahrain
• Competed in the U-21 FIVB World Championships in Czech Republic
• Helped the U-19 National Team win Gold at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival
• Helped the U-19 National Team place second at the 2017 European Championships, where he received the Best Outside Spikers award 

Club:

• Played for Club Italia Roma in Italy's A2 league