North Texas Daily

Senior outside hitter Valerie Valerian has opted back into the 2020-21 season and is eligible to compete for the volleyball team today against Rice University, according to a team spokesperson.

Valerian was away from the team on an internship she accepted last year, according to the spokesperson.

The 6-foot-1 senior had not appeared in an official match for North Texas (6-7, 2-4 Conference USA) since competing against Stephen F. Austin State University on Oct. 3, 2020, posting a team-high 19 kills in addition to 15 digs in the match. She also competed in the team’s Oct. 3 exhibition match against the University of Texas-El Paso, tallying 17 kills and 15 digs.

Through three full seasons and the one official match last fall, Valerian ranks sixth in program history in kills (1,286) and eighth in digs (1,020). She was named First-Team All-Conference USA after the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons and was the first player in program history to play for the United States Collegiate National Team after being named to the team in the summer of 2019.

Valerian and junior outside hitter Rhett Robinson were also invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts in Feb. 2020. Robinson is currently leading the Mean Green in kills with 207 through the first 13 matches.

Courtesy Mean Green Sports