SAN DIEGO – Ashley Vanderpan (Elk Grove, Calif./Syracuse) and Abby Pugh (Brenham, Texas/Wichita State) have joined the San Diego State volleyball roster, head coach Deitre Collins-Parker announced on Wednesday. Both transfers are enrolled and practicing with the team this spring.
Vanderpan, a 6-1 setter from Elk Grove, California, redshirted the 2018 season with the Orange after a standout career at Elk Grove High School. Vanderpan has freshman-status for next fall's 2019 season, and was a two-time team MVP at Elk Grove HS, in addition to being a 2016 and 2017 All-Metro and All-League first team selection. Vanderpan was the Elk Grove Citizen Player of the Year and earned scholar-athlete status all four years during her high school career.
In addition to experience at setter, Vanderpan played right side for her high school and led her 2016 squad with 458 kills while recording a career-best .333 hitting percentage. Vanderpan led her team to the state tournament for the first time in program history and eventually finished second in the sectional tournament.
Vanderpan also competed in swimming for two seasons and set her club team's record in the 50 back. She finished seventh in her class, graduating with a 4.45 grade point average and volunteered with Special Olympics, I Can Ride, and BloodSource.
Vanderpan is majoring in speech pathology at SDSU with aspirations to work with children and assist with their speech development.
Pugh, a 6-3 middle blocker from Brenham, Texas, joins the Aztec program after three seasons at Wichita State, including a redshirt season as a true freshman in 2016. With junior-year eligibility next fall, Pugh averaged 1.46 kills per set and a .289 hitting percentage over 120 career sets played with the Shockers. As a redshirt freshman, Pugh logged 0.82 blocks per set for a Wichita State team that went 29-4 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
"Abby is a middle blocker from a historically strong volleyball program," said head coach Deitre Collins Parker. "This past season she split time between middle and right side. She is athletic and brings added height to the middle position. With the graduation of Deja Harris, we feel Abby will add experience and depth to the middle position."
Pugh lettered two years in volleyball at Brenham HS as a freshman and sophomore before completing her high school education at National High. She played club volleyball for Willowbrook Volleyball, helping the team reach a third-place finish in the national tournament in 2014 and a fifth-place finish in 2015.
Pugh was named to the athletic director's honor roll every semester at Wichita State and will be majoring in graphic design at SDSU.
Both Pugh and Vanderpan join a roster that features 16 returners from the 2018 squad.