PORTLAND, Ore. — Willkommen, Ashlyn Blotzer.
 
The two-time All-Big Sky second-teamer is headed to Germany after signing a professional contract with Schwarz-Weiss Erfurt, the club announced Wednesday. Blotzer's new team will see the former Viking compete in the Bundesliga Pro, where she'll face other professional teams within Germany.
 
Blotzer will head to her new city – Erfurt, Germany – the last week of July in preparation for practices the first week of August. The team will go through eight weeks of training before the season officially begins the last week of September.
 
"It never fails to amaze me how much this sport has given back to me," Blotzer said. "To have the opportunity to travel to a different country to play the sport I love is huge and an opportunity few get, so I'm extremely grateful to be able to do this.
 
"I'm most excited to be in a position to show my sisters (aged 13 and 16) how far this sport can take you and to share my experiences with them like I did throughout my collegiate career."
 
The trip to Germany will be Blotzer's first trip overseas.
 
She initially didn't pursue a professional career after her final year of collegiate eligibility ended at the conclusion of the Vikings' 2022 fall season. However, a call from Portland State head coach Michael Seemann asking if she'd fill in at a couple spring matches for the Vikings reignited Blotzer's desire to continue playing. She signed with ZMS Sports Management after playing for the Vikings in spring matches against Oregon and Oregon State, and a few weeks later she was signed.
 
"It speaks to Ashlyn's love and passion for playing volleyball to continue her career to play pro overseas. Ashlyn missed competing at a high level, and I am glad that she has an opportunity to continue her career overseas," Seemann said of Blotzer.
 
"One of the essential components of this program is to nurture the love of the game. We have graduated several student-athletes who have gone on to play overseas for pro teams and International Graduate programs. And an even bigger list of Portland State graduates are now coaching high school, club, and college volleyball."
 
That list includes current volleyball assistant coach Pati Anae, who also played professionally in Germany. Anae played for the Rote Raben (Red Ravens) in the A2 Bundesliga (the second tier of the Bundesliga system; Bundesliga Pro is the third tier) in 2017 and 2018.
 
Blotzer played her final year with the Vikings in 2022, playing 111 of the team's 118 sets as a key piece of the program's first team to make the Big Sky championship match since 2013. She played the previous three seasons with another Big Sky school, Eastern Washington, where she picked up her two All-Big Sky second-team honors.
 
"My family has been nothing but supportive throughout this process and my volleyball family has extended so many resources to allow me to leave in July prepared," Blotzer said. "I've been super lucky to play for two programs (EWU & PSU) that allowed me to feel confident going into this opportunity, and I'm so lucky to have so many people in my corner supporting and pushing me."
 
The only thing left to say is Danke.