TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona's 2019 signing class, already a very strong class, got even stronger on Tuesday. Sofia Maldonado, an outside hitter from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, signed her NLI to compete collegiately for Arizona beginning in 2020.

Maldonado brings a wealth of international experience to the Wildcats; the 17-year-old competes for both the U18 and U20 Mexican National Teams and was a starting middle blocker on both teams' World Championship rosters this summer. Maldonado helped Team Mexico to a 10th-place finish in the 2019 FIVB U20 World Championships in Mexico this summer and also competed in the 2019 FIVB U18 World Championships in Egypt.

"Sofia has a lot of offensive versatility as an attacker," said head coach Dave Rubio. "For her country she plays in the middle out of necessity; for her club she plays on both the left and the right. She has an outstanding arm. She has outstanding third contact control. We think once she gets in the program she has a terrific future as a play-set attacker and tempo sets behind the setter. So we see her playing probably on the right or on the left. Her international experience and her elite arm make her somebody we're really excited about."

Maldonado joins an already excellent signing class for the Wildcats, joining five of Prep Volleyball's top 110 prospects -- OPP/MB China Crouch (Oceanside, Calif.), S Emery Herman (Georgetown, Texas), OH Jaelyn Hodge (Queen Creek, Ariz.), OH Shelby O'Neal (Schertz, Texas) and OPP/MB Lauren Ware (Bismark, N.D.) -- in what is shaping up to be one of the nation's best recruiting classes. Arizona is the only school in the country to sign five top-110 prospects. Read up on the other five prospects HERE. 

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