Sometimes a hand from a fellow alumnus can go a long way. It seems to be the case for new Wildcat volleyball head coach Rita Stubbs. Former No. 2 national recruit Jordan Wilson is transferring from USC to Arizona. An incoming freshman on the Arizona baseball team might be one reason why.
Wilson will join her boyfriend, Carson Johnson, at Arizona next season. The pitcher from Hamilton High in Chandler is part of Chip Hale’s incoming freshman class.
Wilson is a huge get for Stubbs in her first year as the head coach of Arizona volleyball. The outside hitter comes to Arizona with three years of eligibility. She was not only the second-ranked recruit in the nation according to Prepvolleyball.com, but she was also an AVCA All-American, an Under Armour All-American, and a Volleyball Magazine All-American during her high school career. She was the 2021 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year.
In her first season of college volleyball, Wilson averaged 2.87 kills per set with a .243 attack percentage. She accounted for 3.11 points per set. Both the kills and points per set were second for the Women of Troy behind only Skylar Fields.
Wilson had double-digit kills in 21 matches, including the final eight matches of her freshman season. Her kills per set ranked 22nd overall and second among freshmen in the Pac-12.
Arizona remembers her well. Wilson had 13 kills when the Women of Troy visited Tucson last October. USC won the match in four sets.
Wilson will join a talented group of pins that include 2020 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Sofia Maldonado Diaz, 2021 Pac-12 All-Freshman team member Puk Stubbe, and Jaelyn Hodge, who was second on the team behind Maldonado Diaz in kills per set last season. The Wildcats also have a verbal commitment from Carlie Cisneros, who is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class by Prep Volleyball.
Wilson will join a group of Wildcats that will rely heavily on in-state talent. Hodge came to UA from Basha High, also in Chandler. Junior college defensive specialist transfer Kylie Wong arrives from Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Fellow defensive specialists Haven Wray and Kaori Robertson both come from the Phoenix metropolitan area.
The Wildcats are also expecting another high-level transfer in libero Becca Morse. Morse finished the academic term at Oregon before transferring to Arizona, but she has arrived in Tucson. The Tempe, Ariz. native sat out her sophomore season last year with an injury but is expected to take over for four-year starting libero Kamaile Hiapo. Hiapo transferred to BYU for her fifth season.