The first portal period for volleyball comes in December. That’s when the bulk of players announce their intentions to move on. After spring tournaments, there’s another round of entries. The Arizona Wildcats have two departing in this second round, freshmen Paige Thies and Chloe Giehtbrock.
Thies is an outside hitter from Oregon who got a few starts last season but otherwise played sparingly behind Jordan Wilson and Carlie Cisneros. She averaged 1.26 points per set in 23 sets across 15 matches. Those
points came from 1.09 kills per set, 0.13 service aces per set, and 0.9 blocks per set. She hit .258 and accounted for 0.52 digs per set.
While there was playing time opening next season after Wilson’s graduation, Thies didn’t get a lot of playing time during Arizona’s spring tournament in McKale Center. Early-entry pin Hayden Reeder, who is part of the incoming freshman class, was on the floor most of the time. Transfer OH Payton Woods also saw a lot of time, while returners Renée Jones and Britt Carlson held things down on the right side. Cisneros did not play during the spring because she was part of the beach volleyball team.
Giehtbrock is a setter from Michigan. She initially planned to redshirt her freshman year but ended up playing a few points in eight sets across seven matches. She typically entered a set when the coaching staff wanted to talk to starter Avery Scoggins, who transferred to Vanderbilt after last season.
Despite the departure of Giehtbrock, Arizona still has the two setters that were likely going to battle it out for the starting position. Both are incoming transfers who were recruited after Scoggins left.
Maria Olga ‘Mo’ Siapani arrived from the University of Albany for the spring semester. The sophomore handled most of the setting duties for Arizona during the spring, although Giehtbrock did get some time during Arizona’s spring tournament in McKale Center.
Former Notre Dame setter Harmony Sample will join Siapani and the rest of the Wildcats for the fall semester. Sample was completing her undergraduate degree at Notre Dame this spring, so she did not join Arizona for the training season.
Although Sample was part of a 6-2 offense at Notre Dame, Arizona head coach Rita Stubbs said the Wildcats will stick with their traditional 5-1. That means Siapani and Sample will battle for the starting position.
The Wildcats are still in need of depth at every position except the “littles.” They already have 2-year starting libero Brenna Ginder on the roster. Behind her are rising sophomores Brookelyn Hatton and Shea Davis. They also have highly-regarded freshman Gigi Whann arriving for the fall.
They will seek players for the other three position groups from the portal. Depth is a need, but getting an impact player would not hurt, either.
While a team can get by with two setters, Stubbs would prefer to have three on the roster. Giehtbrock’s transfer brings them back down to two for the fall roster.
Stubbs would also prefer to have six pins. With the departure of Thies, she will have five on the team when fall rolls around. All five are already in Tucson, although Cisneros has been practicing with the beach team for the past few months. She has been doing morning lifts with the indoor team to keep in touch with her teammates.
The team will have four middle blockers on the roster when fall comes. Senior-to-be Journey Tucker will lead the way. Tucker did not play in all of the spring tournaments, but she is healthy and she attended tournaments with her team even when she did not play.
The next one in the middle is rising junior Adrianna Bridges. Behind her is current freshman Maya Flemister. They will be joined by incoming freshman Marina Vosloo in the fall.
The two transfers out join Scoggins and former defensive specialist Giorgia Mandotti as those who left with eligibility remaining. Mandotti graduated from Arizona and was honored on senior day. She will play her grad year at West Georgia. Former Arizona middle blocker/pin Sydnie Vanek also left the team to focus on track and field.
