Dawgs Welcome Heard And Tulino To Montlake
March 05, 2024 | Volleyball
Heard and Tulino now make it five newcomers for the 2024 Husky squad. They join incoming freshmen Julia Hunt (MB; Covington, Ky.) and Alexis Haury (S; Silverton, Ore.) and grad transfer Kiune Fletcher (OH; South Carolina; El Dorado, Trinidad & Tobago).
Heard, a 5-foot-6 native of Rowlett, Texas, comes to UW as a junior after totaling over 500 digs in her two years as an Islander.
"Zoria plays with lots of energy and is super competitive," said Gabriel. "One thing that stood out to me is her team-first attitude. When she would talk about volleyball and why she plays or how she overcomes challenges she always referred to her teammates. Everything that she does from passing, out-of-system setting, or digging is to continue to better the situation and help her teammates be successful."
Heard was third on the team in digs per set (2.61) and aces per set (0.24) in 2023, helping A&M-Corpus Christi to a 16-2 league record and 22-10 overall mark. She had a season-high 23 digs last year against Texas Tech.
"I believe in fate and that things happen for a reason," said Heard. "My decision to become a Husky felt right the minute I stepped on campus and engaged with the coaching staff, faculty and team. It's amazing the culture coach Tui has established. I look forward to officially joining my new teammates this spring and to start what I believe to be a very special journey as a Husky!"
Tulino hails from Carlsbad, Calif. and stands 6-feet tall. She was the leading attacker for the Broncos last season, averaging a team-high 3.11 kills per set and hitting .233 and her 0.38 aces per set also led the team. Tulino was named honorable mention All-West Coast Conference in 2023, as well as following her freshman season in 2020.
"Sophia is a great human being. Everyone we talked to in the recruiting process loves her as a person and we have every reason to believe that she is someone that is committed to being the best at everything that she does whether that is in the classroom or on the court," says Gabriel. "As a grad transfer, she still has goals that she wants to achieve and we are excited to help her reach those goals academically and athletically."
In her four years at Santa Clara, Tulino has racked up 942 kills and 116 aces. She reached 20 kills in three matches in 2023, and has a career-high of 23 kills from her sophomore season.
"I have a bunch of personal connections to Seattle and have always put UW in my category of 'dream schools,' said Tulino. "When I came on my visit, I felt like the coaches, the girls, the team's values, and the campus fit exactly what I was looking for in my final season of collegiate volleyball. I am super excited for the opportunity to compete alongside incredible people at an amazing institution and to pursue a degree that inspires me, a Masters in Public Health. Go Huskies!!!"
