SMCC Volleyball Announces Four-Year Transfers
PHOENIX ---
The South Mountain Community College volleyball programs announced its four-year transfers for the upcoming 2023-24 academic year. Emily Wilson (University of St. Katherine), Kristine Garcia (Colorado Mesa University), and Andy Sanchez (Concordia University-Wisconsin) will continue their intercollegiate careers elsewhere but will be Cougars forever.
Originally from Goodyear, Ariz., Wilson will play beach volleyball for the University of St. Katherine, an NAIA institution in San Marcos, Calif. Wilson appeared in 26 matches and 90 sets and finished the regular season with 153 kills, an average of 1.70 per set, in the 2022 indoor season. She helped the team qualify for the Region I Division II Tournament and had four double-doubles in the regular season.
"Emily is a terrific athlete and an even better teammate. She came to SMCC when we needed her most and stepped in right away as a leading role, both on and off the court," said SMCC women's volleyball head coach Melissa Joseph. "She has been extremely coachable both on the court and in the sand, and I do not doubt that she will continue to lead during her time at St. Katherine's. She will be missed terribly, but we look forward to watching her play local opponents next spring."
Wilson went 11-18 in beach volleyball as an individual during the 2023 season and teamed with Daisy Motes for most of the campaign. The duo finished 2-3 at the NJCAA National Championships as the No. 2 pairs and defeated State College of Florida and Lake Sumter State College (FL). She totaled 18 dual wins in the sand over her two seasons with the Cougars.
Garcia heads to Colorado Mesa University, an NCAA Division II school in Grand Junction, Colo. The Mavericks won the 2022 AVCA Small College Beach Championship and were the runners-up in 2023.
Garcia spent the majority of her two seasons at SMCC playing as part of the Cougars' top pair. She finished 7-10 in 2022 and 6-22 in 2023 as an individual. This past season, she teamed with Amaya Evans as the Cougars finished fourth at the inaugural NJCAA National Championships at Hickory Point Beach Park in Tavares, Fla.
Sanchez appeared in 11 games for the Cougars in 2023 and finished with a team-high 80 digs. He added 16 assists, seven service aces and a kill as the Cougars posted their first two wins in program history. Concordia-Wisconsin is an NCAA Division III institution in Mequon, Wisc.