SMCC Women's Volleyball Announces 4-Year Transfers
PHOENIX ---
The South Mountain Community College women's volleyball program and head coach Melissa Joseph announced their 2022 transfers. Sophomores Mckenna Androsky (Lindenwood University), Nikole Lunsford (Arizona Christian University) and Sienna Cumbie (University of Saint Katherine) will continue their intercollegiate athletic careers at these four-year universities. Androsky, Lunsford and Cumbie represented the Cougars in indoor and beach volleyball, helping lift one from the delays of the pandemic and starting a new intercollegiate program from its infancy.
"This group of sophomores is unique. We recruited them during the spring of 2020, during COVID-19 and with MCCCD not having a fall season, they could not get into the gym like a typical first-year class," said Joseph. "When the 2021 fall season arrived, they were ready to step on the court and compete and contribute to our success despite not having a freshman year of playing."
Androsky heads to St. Charles, Mo., to compete in beach volleyball for the Lindenwood University Lions. In late February, the school announced a transition to NCAA Division I athletics as the school joined the Ohio Valley Conference starting with the upcoming year.
Androsky tied for the team lead with seven individual victories during the 2022 beach season. She teamed with Kristine Garica to post six wins, all as the #1 pairs, and the tandem recorded notable wins over Benedictine-Mesa (twice) and Arizona Christian. She and Cumbie teamed up for a win against the GCU Club Team on April 16.
She and Marlayna Stapleton finished 4-1 in the 2021 campaign, the Cougars' inaugural competition season. The duo went 3-0 as the #2 pair and 1-1 as the #1 pair.
Lunsford will continue her indoor career at nearby Arizona Christian University. The Firestorm competes in the Golden State Athletic Conference in the NAIA.
Lunsford appeared in 25 matches and 78 sets for the Cougars in 2021 as the program returned after the Covid-19 pandemic canceled their 2020 season. She led the Cougars with 309 digs, an average of 3.96 per set, and finished 10th in the ACCAC in digs and seventh in digs per set. She led the Cougars with 28 service aces, tied for 15th in the ACCAC, and had 20 assists and two kills.
To continue her indoor career, Cumbie transfers to the University of Saint Katherine in San Marcos, Calif., an NAIA institution that competes in the California Pacific Conference.
She appeared in 20 matches and 61 sets during the 2021 season, finishing third on the team with 187 digs, an average of 3.07 per set. She also had five assists and nine service aces for the year.
"All three of them have faced many challenges during their time at SMCC, and each one of them learned and grew from facing adversity. This type of growth will come into play at their next school, and I am excited to continue to watch them grow both as athletes and people," Joseph added. "They have found schools specific to what they were looking for in terms of reputation, team culture, faith, experiences and academics. I wish them nothing but the best of luck in their future endeavors."
