TUCSON, Ariz.-Six seniors on the Arizona Beach Volleyball roster will be graduating in May. In their time as Wildcats, these seniors have made an incredible impact on the program through their hard work, dedication and commitment to their sport and to the community around them. 

Mady Noble 

Mady Noble played for the Sand Cats in 2021 and 2022 and joined the Arizona coaching staff in 2023. In both roles, Mady has contributed her knowledge and passion to the team throughout her time at Arizona. In her freshman season, Noble made the 2021 All-Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and the 2021 AVCA Top Flight. 


Memories of traveling and playing with her teammates hold a special place in Noble's heart. 

"My first [favorite memory] is freshman year playing with Dana at the Pac-12 championship at UCLA! We had so much fun playing together while beating a lot of amazing teams," Noble said.  "Next would probably be when we went to Hawaii last year. It was an amazing experience that we all got to have with each other. I will never forget when we went cliff jumping and saw sea turtles and a whale. It was overall a beautiful experience to share with the best people."

Maki Bispham

Maki Bispham has exerted a positive influence both on and off the court during her time at Arizona. 

In addition to being a hardworking player and dedicated teammate, Bispham is a fellow for Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects college sports teams with children experiencing chronic illnesses or disabilities. In this role, Bispham has had the opportunity to travel to and present at a national conference, organize family events and ensure that Ximena, Arizona Beach Volleyball's wonderful match through the program, is comfortable and supported. 

Bispham also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors in 2021, 2022 and 2023. 


She acknowledged the role of her support system in getting her to this point.  

"Some advice that I would give my younger self is to take a step back every once in a while and appreciate everything, all the little things because it's easy to get caught up in playing and all that, but realizing how appreciative I am of my body, and my health, and my parents, my teammates and coaches, people that don't usually get the recognition," Bispham said. 

Grace Cook 

Cook transferred from Missouri State to join the Wildcats in the 2023 season, and in her time at Arizona has made an incredible impact on the program. Cook has a career record of 35-24 (.593) as a Wildcat, holding the No. 19 spot for individual career wins at Arizona. Cook was also notably the all-time individual career wins leader at Missouri State. 



Cook expressed love and gratitude for the environment at Arizona.

"[I love] the community and the atmosphere at home games. There's a lot of people and it's just a really exciting environment to be in," Cook said. 

An experienced player and hard-working teammate, Cook said, if given the opportunity, she would tell her younger self to "trust the process" and "be in the moment."

Abby Russell

In her four years as a Wildcat, Russell has made a tremendous impact on the beach volleyball program. Ever since joining the starting lineup for the Sand Cats in her freshman season, Russell has continuously demonstrated her skill, passion and work ethic. 



For the past two seasons, in addition to building an impressive wins record (she now sits at No.11 for all-time career wins at Arizona), Russell has also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors.

A Tucson native, Russell loves the community fostered at the UA and her proximity to her family. 

"I've met so many best friends who are also Wildcats," Russell said. 

Russell, and fellow senior Hope Shannon, shared a favorite memory from their time as Sand Cats: last season's tournament in Hawaii and their hard-fought victory in inclement weather. 

"Last spring, my partner Hope and I played at Hawaii in the rain, and it was their senior night and we barely won and it was freezing and terrible weather but so fun," Russell said. 

Hope Shannon

After five years playing for Arizona, Shannon will leave behind a legacy of dedication, compassion and hard work. 

Not only has Shannon established herself on the list of individual career win leaders at Arizona, currently holding the No. 8 spot, but she has also demonstrated an adaptability and commitment to her team, playing at a number of different spots with multiple partners. 

A leader on and off the court, Shannon has also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors for the past three seasons. 



Like Russell, Shannon expressed gratitude for the supportive community at Arizona and shared a similar fond memory of last year's tournament in Hawaii, recalling the "electric environment" that made the tournament so special.

In her five years as a Sand Cat, Shannon has grown both as a person and a player.

"Advice I would give to my younger self is to not be so hard on myself and to let things go the moment I leave the sand," Shannon said. 

Miranda Erro

Senior Miranda Erro, throughout her time with the Sand Cats, has demonstrated her passion and commitment to her team and the program as a whole. 

Apart from her stellar record as a Wildcat (currently No. 22 for individual career wins at Arizona), Erro has also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors in every season she has played at Arizona. 



Another Tucson native, Erro has a special love for the community that surrounds her at the university. 

"I love the community, my teammates, my coaches and just being close to home," Erro said.