Courtesy of North Carolina A&T State Athletic Communications
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina A&T State head volleyball coach Hal Clifton announced the addition of three new players for the 2020 season on Wednesday.
Nadia Montalbán El-Hiriche (5-foot-6, defensive specialist, Granada, Spain, Eastern Wyoming Community College, ICS Generalife High School), Amalie Rupertova (6-1, outside hitter, Tlucen, Czech Republic, Butler Community College, Gymnazium Dr. Antona Randy HS) and Arie Walker (5-9, setter, St. Paul, Minn., St. Paul Academy and Summit School) will wear the Blue and Gold this season.
"My staff and I are happy to announce the completion of our 2020 fall class," Clifton said. "With this class of young ladies, we have addressed areas of concern that will complement our current team make up by adding depth, scoring and ball control."
The first two recruits are junior college transfers.
Montalbán El-Hiriche recorded 465 digs in two seasons at Eastern Wyoming College for an average of 2.42 digs. She recorded 273 digs in her freshman season (2.79) digs and 192 the next season (2.04). She also recorded nine kills, 52 assists and 46 service aces in two seasons.
"Nadia is a wonderful addition to our program," Clifton said. "She is a dynamic libero and understands the game at a high level. Her international experience will bring another dimension to our gym. She is very quick and can cover a lot of space.
"She reads the ball well and is instinctual in the back row. Nadia is a steady passer and will bring more ball control to our team for the next two years. I love her effort on every play. Nadia will continue to push others in the gym. She brings two years of collegiate experience into our gym, which will work to her advantage."
Rupertova began her college career at Butler Community College making an immediate impact for the Grizzlies. She led the team with 277 kills (2.59) as a freshman season. She also recorded 205 digs, 36 blocks and 37 service aces. She followed up in her sophomore season leading the team with 252 kills for an average of 2.55 kills. She also stepped up her defense with 350 digs (3.54) and 47 total blocks (0.47).
"We are excited to add Amalie to the Aggie volleyball family," Clifton said. "She is a powerful outside hitter that can score from either pin but is best suited on the outside. She brings a big presence at the net both offensively and defensively. Amalie has two years of collegiate volleyball under her belt so she brings with her a lot of experience. She is a true 6 rotation player as she can handle serve receive, but she also can play defense. Amalie is a threat from the back row as well and has a fantastic serve. She is a steady all-around player that can score points with both power and shots. She will be fun to have in our gym as she has a desire to compete and win."
Walker is a two-time all-conference performer and an all-state academic award recipient as a senior. She played for club team Kokoro Volleyball 18-2 under coach Mattie Hill. During her time with Kokoro, the team finished third at the AAU Nationals in 2016. In Dec. 2017, she went on a Europe tour trip to Amsterdam, Germany and Austria playing against international teams. In 2018, Kokoro finished second at the AAU Nationals and in 2019, the team played third at the AAU Nationals.
"Arie is an excellent addition to the Aggie volleyball program," Clifton said. "She impressed us early on with her athleticism and movement on the court. She can chase down balls and still deliver a nice hittable ball. In system, she delivers a ball that our hitters are going to love. She has clean, smooth hands and makes smart decisions.
We had a great time working with her at our camp and loved how she took direction and was able to make changes. She is very coachable and is a hard worker in the gym and the classroom. She embodies those qualities we love in our players."
The threesome will join Malelga Bartley and Aiyana Bermudez that were announced in the early signing period in November as the 2020 recruiting class.