TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona beach volleyball will welcome in a trio of transfers, who have chosen to continue their collegiate careers in Tucson, UA head beach volleyball coach Steve Walker announced on Friday.

Halie Hess, a 5-10 split-blocker from Mira Costa Community College, Carly Lowry, a 6-0 blocker from the University of San Francisco, and Lauren Orlich a 6-1 blocker from Tulane University, will all join the Wildcats for the 2020 season.

"Having gone through the recruiting process with these three young athletes, in more ways than one I believe they are all terrific additions to what is one of the deepest and athletic recruiting classes we have ever put together," said Walker. "When you study the entire cast of newcomers, it's the largest recruiting class we've ever brought in at one time. With that being said, it's always valuable to add players that have been through the rigors of collegiate athletics, have done it well, and naturally have a calming influence on a team."

Hess, Lowry and Orlrich will join incoming freshmen Summer McDonough, Jordyn Nichols, Alex Parkhurst, Alana Rennie, Hope Shannon and Kali Uhl to make up a 2020 recruiting class that will help the Wildcats maintain their place as one of the elite beach volleyball programs nationally.

"Our fans will really like all of the things that come along with these three. They all want to be coached, have magnetic personalities, are talented, and in the end it's also pretty neat that a couple of them have a homecoming story."

The nine newcomers will join a Wildcats program that put together an overall record of 25-6 in 2019 and finished the season ranked No. 12 in the country.  
 
Halie Hess
Jr. | 5-10 | Split-Blocker
Roseville, Calif. (Mira Costa C.C.)

• Competed for both Indoor and Beach Volleyball at Mira Costa Community College
• Named 2018 North Division PCAC MVP
• First-team all-conference both seasons at Mira Costa
• Ranked No. 4 in the state of California as a pair with partner
• Went undefeated in both 2017 and 2018 indoor regular seasons

Coach Walker Says: "Halie is one of the most dynamic athletes we've added this year and really popped off the screen in our first viewing of her on video. She plays well above her height at the net and has shown the potential to play a very well-balanced game. In her recruitment, we really liked her fearless, yet charismatic nature and we're looking forward to seeing her skills and game mature in our program. Having already played for some terrific coaches, we look for Halie to infuse good energy into our team practices."
 
Carly Lowry
Sr. | 6-0 | Blocker
Tucson, Ariz. (Univ. San Francisco)

• Played three seasons of beach volleyball and two seasons of indoor volleyball at the University of San Francisco
• A key contributor and member of one of the most successful pairs for head coach Frank Lavrisha's beach squad
• Prepped at Salpointe H.S. in Tucson where she was the city and section player of the year (2015), first-team all-conference performer (2015) and was ranked #56 on Greg Hansen's Top 100 Sports Figures of 2015 (#56) in the Arizona Daily Star

Coach Walker Says: "Carly Lowry should be a name many Tucson locals will remember fondly.  She was an outstanding player locally, having excelled at both the high school and club levels.  I was fond of her game, her work ethic and no-nonsense attitude then and wanted to add those things to our program once she was available for recruitment. 
Also having already played for some knowledgeable coaches, Carly was a key contributor at her previous institution, carried a large workload for them and we look for her to bring her on and off the court skills back to the desert."
 
Lauren Orlich
Jr. | 6-1 | Blocker
Scottsdale, Ariz. (Tulane)

• Played two seasons of beach volleyball at Tulane
• A 34-match winner over two seasons, including a 17-15 mark in Tulane's No. 2 pair in 2019 with three wins over ranked opponents
• An Arizona-native, prepped at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, where she played indoor and beach volleyball

Coach Walker Says: "Lauren's potential, what her maxed-out level of play is an unknown and that was one of the things that really made us want to go after her in the recruiting process. Over the course of her freshman to sophomore year at Tulane, I am not certain I've seen that much growth in a player in the sand. She has played for nothing but terrific coaches at all levels; and while she adjusts to our methods, we're looking to keep Lauren's learning curve on the rise. It was obvious in her recruitment she is all about the team first and we're delighted Lauren made the decision to return to her home state."