2024 Women's Volleyball Roster
Maldonado Diaz, Sofia
Jersey Number 6
Sofia Maldonado Diaz
- Position:
- Outside Hitter
- Height:
- 6-0
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Guadalajara, Mexico
- High School:
- Cervantes Loma Bonita
Bio
2024: Sofia transferred from Arizona and immediately made an impact on the 6-2 Cardinal offense. Playing in 126 sets, she was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team after recording new UofL career highs in kills in successive matches, with 14 against Pitt in the National Semifinals and 20 against Penn State in the National Championship. Sofia tallied 284 total kills to go along with 14 service aces, 98 digs and 84.0 total blocks. With Louisville, she recorded her 1,500th career kills and finished her career with 1,677 kills. Combined with her stats from Arizona, Maldonado Diaz finished her collegiate career with 158 aces, 836 digs and 284.0 total blocks
2023 (At Arizona): Sofia started in all 31 matches of the season and led Arizona with 396 kills and 3.50 kills/set which ranked seventh in kills/set and eighth in kills in the Pac-12. She was second on the team with 30 aces and 0.27 aces/set and led Arizona with 2.26 digs/set and nine solo blocks during the season. She tallied 255 digs to rank second on the team and notched a career high of 27 kills with a .543 hitting percentage in Arizona’s win over Colorado (11/11). She tied her career high of two solo blocks against Colorado (11/11) and tallied a season best 16 digs against Oregon State (10/15). Recording 10 or more kills in 20 matches during her senior season, she Totaled 20 or more kills in four matches to lead Arizona. She put up 10 double-doubles during the season, second-most on the team and ranked fourth in career service aces (144) in Arizona history. She recorded 1,393 kills during her career to rank eighth in the Arizona record book in career kills and her career average of 3.31 kills/game ranks 10th in Arizona career history. She had 76 matches with 10 or more kills to rank fifth in the Arizona record book and ranked 73rd in the NCAA Active Career Leaders in kills.The outside hitter led the U23 squad to a second-place finish at the Pan-American Volleyball Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico. Maldonado Diaz was the top scorer in the tournament and was honored as the top spiker.
2022 (at Arizona): Sofia was named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12. She competed in all 31 matches of the season, starting in 30 matches and led Arizona’s offense with 372 kills and 3.18 kills/set. Her 372 kills ranked 12th and 3.18 kills/set ranked 17th in the conference. An excellent server, she notched 46 aces and averaged 0.39 aces/set to lead the team, while ranking third with 46 service aces and fifth with 0.39 aces/set in the Pac-12. She also tallied 185 digs, 68 blocks, and 15 assists. She led the Wildcats with 10 or more kills in 18 matches and had a season-best 22 kills twice (vs. Oregon State (10/30) and at USC (11/6). She recorded a career high .444 hitting percentage (22 kills on 45 attempts) at USC (11/6) She served 114 career service aces to rank eighth in Arizona career history and her 46 aces in 2022 tied for seventh in a single season in program history. She tied her career-high six aces at USC (11/6), tied for fifth in service aces in a single match in Arizona history. Averaging 0.39 aces/set, she tied for 10th in service aces per game in a single season in Arizona history. She had a career best seven block assists at Cal (11/17) and tied her career high of two block solos against UTEP (9/16). Her 1.58 digs/set ranked fourth on the team and she earned four double-doubles during the season, the second most on the team
2021 (at Arizona): Sofia was named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 in 2021. She competed in every match of the season, starting in 32 matches and recording 353 kills and averaging 3.04 kills/set, second most on the team. She led the team with 40 aces and 0.34 aces/set and tallied 192 digs, 46 blocks, and 22 assists while ranking fourth with 40 service aces and sixth with 0.34 aces/set in the Pac-12. Her 353 kills ranked 12th in the conference and she recorded a career high 26 kills and season high .313 hitting percentage at Colorado (10/22). She served a career high six aces against UC San Diego (8/28), tied for fifth in service aces in a single match in Arizona history. She had a career best five block assists at Arizona State (9/23) and put up a career-high 18 digs against Arizona State (11/27). Her 1.66 digs/set ranked fourth on the team and she earned four double-doubles during the season.
2020-21 (Covid split season at Arizona): Sofia was named to the Pac-12 All Freshman team and was voted All-Pac-12 as well as AVCA Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-Pacific South Region Honorable Mention and a three-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. She established herself as Arizona’s main offensive threat as a true freshman, ranking third in Arizona freshmen history with 3.63 kills/game and tenth in kills among Arizona freshmen with 272 kills. Her 272 kills was ranked eighth in the NCAA among freshmen and was ranked 16th amongst freshmen in the NCAA in kills/game. Her 272 total kills and 28 aces rank fifth most in the Pac-12 and she finished the regular season as the top freshman in the Pac-12 in kills (272), kills/set (3.63), and aces/set (0.37). She led the team with 28 aces on the season
Prep: Sofia competed for both the U18 and U20 Mexican National Team and was the starting middle blocker on both teams’ World Championship rosters. She helped lead Team Mexico to a 10th-place finish in the 2019 FIVB U20 World Championships as just a 17-year old and competed in the 2019 FIVB U18 World Championships in Egypt. She went to Cervantes Loma Bonita in Guadalajara for head coach Alejandro Parra where she played volleyball as well as soccer in high school, helping to lead her team to a national championship as a senior.
Personal: Daughter of Medgar Maldonado and Mireille Diaz. Born Feb. 6, 2002, Major is studio art and psychology.
2023 (At Arizona): Sofia started in all 31 matches of the season and led Arizona with 396 kills and 3.50 kills/set which ranked seventh in kills/set and eighth in kills in the Pac-12. She was second on the team with 30 aces and 0.27 aces/set and led Arizona with 2.26 digs/set and nine solo blocks during the season. She tallied 255 digs to rank second on the team and notched a career high of 27 kills with a .543 hitting percentage in Arizona’s win over Colorado (11/11). She tied her career high of two solo blocks against Colorado (11/11) and tallied a season best 16 digs against Oregon State (10/15). Recording 10 or more kills in 20 matches during her senior season, she Totaled 20 or more kills in four matches to lead Arizona. She put up 10 double-doubles during the season, second-most on the team and ranked fourth in career service aces (144) in Arizona history. She recorded 1,393 kills during her career to rank eighth in the Arizona record book in career kills and her career average of 3.31 kills/game ranks 10th in Arizona career history. She had 76 matches with 10 or more kills to rank fifth in the Arizona record book and ranked 73rd in the NCAA Active Career Leaders in kills.The outside hitter led the U23 squad to a second-place finish at the Pan-American Volleyball Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico. Maldonado Diaz was the top scorer in the tournament and was honored as the top spiker.
2022 (at Arizona): Sofia was named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12. She competed in all 31 matches of the season, starting in 30 matches and led Arizona’s offense with 372 kills and 3.18 kills/set. Her 372 kills ranked 12th and 3.18 kills/set ranked 17th in the conference. An excellent server, she notched 46 aces and averaged 0.39 aces/set to lead the team, while ranking third with 46 service aces and fifth with 0.39 aces/set in the Pac-12. She also tallied 185 digs, 68 blocks, and 15 assists. She led the Wildcats with 10 or more kills in 18 matches and had a season-best 22 kills twice (vs. Oregon State (10/30) and at USC (11/6). She recorded a career high .444 hitting percentage (22 kills on 45 attempts) at USC (11/6) She served 114 career service aces to rank eighth in Arizona career history and her 46 aces in 2022 tied for seventh in a single season in program history. She tied her career-high six aces at USC (11/6), tied for fifth in service aces in a single match in Arizona history. Averaging 0.39 aces/set, she tied for 10th in service aces per game in a single season in Arizona history. She had a career best seven block assists at Cal (11/17) and tied her career high of two block solos against UTEP (9/16). Her 1.58 digs/set ranked fourth on the team and she earned four double-doubles during the season, the second most on the team
2021 (at Arizona): Sofia was named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 in 2021. She competed in every match of the season, starting in 32 matches and recording 353 kills and averaging 3.04 kills/set, second most on the team. She led the team with 40 aces and 0.34 aces/set and tallied 192 digs, 46 blocks, and 22 assists while ranking fourth with 40 service aces and sixth with 0.34 aces/set in the Pac-12. Her 353 kills ranked 12th in the conference and she recorded a career high 26 kills and season high .313 hitting percentage at Colorado (10/22). She served a career high six aces against UC San Diego (8/28), tied for fifth in service aces in a single match in Arizona history. She had a career best five block assists at Arizona State (9/23) and put up a career-high 18 digs against Arizona State (11/27). Her 1.66 digs/set ranked fourth on the team and she earned four double-doubles during the season.
2020-21 (Covid split season at Arizona): Sofia was named to the Pac-12 All Freshman team and was voted All-Pac-12 as well as AVCA Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-Pacific South Region Honorable Mention and a three-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. She established herself as Arizona’s main offensive threat as a true freshman, ranking third in Arizona freshmen history with 3.63 kills/game and tenth in kills among Arizona freshmen with 272 kills. Her 272 kills was ranked eighth in the NCAA among freshmen and was ranked 16th amongst freshmen in the NCAA in kills/game. Her 272 total kills and 28 aces rank fifth most in the Pac-12 and she finished the regular season as the top freshman in the Pac-12 in kills (272), kills/set (3.63), and aces/set (0.37). She led the team with 28 aces on the season
Prep: Sofia competed for both the U18 and U20 Mexican National Team and was the starting middle blocker on both teams’ World Championship rosters. She helped lead Team Mexico to a 10th-place finish in the 2019 FIVB U20 World Championships as just a 17-year old and competed in the 2019 FIVB U18 World Championships in Egypt. She went to Cervantes Loma Bonita in Guadalajara for head coach Alejandro Parra where she played volleyball as well as soccer in high school, helping to lead her team to a national championship as a senior.
Personal: Daughter of Medgar Maldonado and Mireille Diaz. Born Feb. 6, 2002, Major is studio art and psychology.
VB: Highlights vs. Rice
Sunday, September 14
VB: Highlights vs. No. 18 Creighton
Saturday, September 13
VB: Highlights vs. Illinois
Sunday, September 07
VB: Highlights vs. St. John's
Monday, September 01
