Gophers volleyball standout Adanna Rollins to transfer; Samedy named All-America

All-Big Ten outside hitter Adanna Rollins helped the Gophers advance to the Sweet 16 this season but announced Wednesday she's transferring to finish her career at another school.

"This past season, it taught me a lifetime's worth of lessons about how to deal with adversity," Rollins wrote on Instagram. "But now it's time for me to start a new chapter in my life. I have decided to transfer and play the remainder of my two years of eligibility elsewhere."

Rollins, a 6-foot junior from Carrollton, Texas, ranked third on the team with 158 kills and averaged 2.63 kills per set in Big Ten play this season.

She tied Big Ten player of the year Stephanie Samedy with a team-best 13 kills last week in the three-set opening win against Georgia Tech in the NCAA tournament second round in Omaha.

In 2019, Rollins was the most outstanding player in the Austin region to help the Gophers advance to the Final Four. She broke out in her freshman year in 2018 while earning All-Big Ten second team and All-American honorable mention honors.

Rollins graduated in December with a bachelor's degree in business and marketing education. She was starting graduate school in sports management at the U.

"These past three years have been amazing," Rollins wrote. "I was able to be a part of winning a Big Ten championship, participate in the Final Four and picked up some awards along the way. It has not been easy, but worth the challenges."

Samedy gathers more honors

Samedy was named First Team All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, making her a four-time All-America. Gophers teammates Regan Pittman and Taylor Landfair were named honorable mention.

Samedy, the 2021 Big Ten player of the year, also received the Senior CLASS award, which goes to the most outstanding senior student athlete in Division I women's volleyball.