THE FLATS – Head coach Michelle Collier has signed junior libero transfer Sofia Velez (Tulua, Colombia) to the 2024 Georgia Tech volleyball roster. The Colombian DS/L enjoyed an All-American career at Trinity Valley CC, where she led the junior college ranks with 1,523 digs over the last two seasons. She was named All-American in 2022 and was a key contributor in back-to-back conference and regional championships for TVCC, guiding the program to 4th place, its best-ever finish, at the 2023 NJCAA DI Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament.
Sofia Velez | Junior | Defensive Specialist/Libero | 5-4 | Tulua, Colombia| Trinity Valley Community College
Velez comes to The Flats after taking Trinity Valley CC to unprecedented success in her two years. She posted 1,523 digs (5.60 digs/set) over 79 matches, the most digs in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) over that span. Velez and her teammates set program records this past fall for the most wins in a season (32), repeating as conference and regional champions for the first time while becoming the first team in TVCC history to reach the National Semifinals.
A two-time NJCAA national defensive player of the week, the Colombian averaged over five digs/set across eight games in the 2023 postseason including a dominant 22 dig (7.33/set) performance in the regional semifinals. Velez made double digit digs in all but one of her 79 career matches at the junior college level while also contributing 212 career assists (.78/set) and 80 service aces (.29/set).
The Yellow Jackets have had success with junior college libero transfers in recent years, with recent graduate Paola Pimentel starting at libero for the past three seasons after beginning her career at Miami Dade College.
Velez becomes the sixth international student-athlete on the 2024 roster, joining Bianca Bertolino (San Guillermo-Santa Fe, Argentina), Luanna Emiliano (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Larissa Mendes (Fortaleza, Brazil), Tamara Otene (Aukland, New Zealand) and Heloise Soares (Joinville, Brazil).
She becomes the third DS/L on the team, alongside senior Lauren Sanden and sophomore Zoe Winford.
Follow Sofia on Instagram: @02sofiavelez
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