Nicki Meyer

She said she'll always be a Gator fan, but soon Nicki Meyer is going to be a Yellow Jacket.

Buchholz's 5-foot-6 libero and the only returning senior from the Bobcats' 2007 FHSAA Class 6A state champions has committed to Georgia Tech. She said there basically was nothing not to like about the Yellow Jackets.

"First of all, I love Atlanta," Meyer said. "It's really nice, and the campus is pretty small. Plus, everything on the campus is new. They redid the weight room. I loved the coach (Bond Shymansky), and it's still pretty close to home.

"I committed the day after I visited."

Meyer is the daughter of Florida football coach Urban Meyer. She has been a fixture at as many of her father's games as her volleyball schedule has allowed in recent years.

She joked that selecting the Yellow Jackets was OK because "at least it's in the ACC, not the SEC."

Her father said he sees the commitment as a culmination of countless hours of work.

"I'm really proud to have her accept a scholarship offer from Georgia Tech to play volleyball," said Urban Meyer, who was courtside in The Lakeland Center when Nicki served a match-best five aces in the 25-17, 25-16, 25-15 state title victory against Plant City Durant. "She has put in a lot of effort to get to this point in her academic and athletic career. It is also a tribute to her high school and club coach, Jeff Reavis, who made her the player she is today. He has been a great mentor to her and demands excellence in the classroom and on the court.

"Our entire family went on the recruiting visit to Georgia Tech and we feel very comfortable with Bond Shymansky and his entire staff. It is a great situation for her both athletically and academically."

Nicki said she also had scholarship offers from Ohio University (the only other visit she took), South Florida and childhood favorite Utah, among others.

"For a while I wanted to go back to Utah," said Meyer, who lived there from 2003 to early 2005 before moving to Gainesville. "I love Utah and would love to go back."

But Georgia Tech proved to be more than she could have imagined.

"Everything felt right about it," Meyer said.

The Yellow Jackets finished 22-10 in 2007, and recently were picked by league coaches to finish second in the ACC this year behind defending champion Clemson.

While at Georgia Tech, Meyer will face off with North Carolina middle blocker Shelbey Bleke, a former Bobcat teammate on last year's 27-5 state champs.

"Shelbey and I laugh about that all the time," said Meyer, who added Bleke was someone who told her she would love Georgia Tech. "It's pretty funny, and I'm pretty excited about that."