It’s been a year of transition for Sofia Maldonado Diaz. The sophomore outside hitter burst on the Pac-12 volleyball scene last year and won the Freshman of the Year award, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The changes for the native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico were big both on and off the court.
On the court, it was about learning a new position. Maldonado Diaz had always played middle blocker for her Mexican club and national teams. Switching to outside hitter isn’t an easy task, but it’s one that she wanted, Arizona head coach Dave Rubio said.