The Maryland women’s volleyball team is tacking on former Georgia Tech setter Nicole Alford via transfer for 2018. Alford spent just one season with the Yellow Jackets, and will therefore be an immediately eligible sophomore with three years left for the Terrapins.
Alford appeared in 21 matches in her lone year with Georgia Tech last season, notching 270 assists (4.15 per set) and 71 digs (1.09 per set). The loss for the Yellow Jackets leaves them with no returning setters after they went 13-18 (8-12, ACC) in 2017.
Standing at 6’1″, Alford is a native of Annapolis, Maryland where she attended South River High School and was ranked as the 76th best recruit in the country. She joins the deepest position on the Terrapins roster as the fifth setter.
“I’m excited that Nicole’s coming back to represent her home state of Maryland,” Terrapins new head coach Adam Hughes said in the team’s release. “She brings with her a wealth of experience at the setting position playing for one of the top club programs in the country as well as working within the USA High Performance Pipeline. Knowing Nicole’s personality and character, I know she will be a great fit for this program and I’m excited to see what she can achieve during her time here in College Park.”
Maryland is coming off of an 18-14 season in which they went 7-13 in Big Ten action, but are going through a host of losses in players and coaching. They’ll look for Alford to offset some of that, as the Terrapins look to break through to the NCAA Tournament this season.
Maryland is in good shape for 2020 and beyond too, as setter Sydney Dowler just committed. https://twitter.com/sydneydowler_/status/986315605639925760