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FALL 2024 27 the Panthers' beach volleyball team in the spring of 2023 and 2024. Dean and the Panthers' 2023 indoor squad posted an impressive 28-5 cam- paign, which was highlighted by a sweep over the SEC's Missouri. EIU dominated the Ohio Valley Conference, sweeping both the regular-season title and conference tourna- ment to punch its ticket to last year's NCAA Tournament, a feat Virginia volleyball has not achieved since 1999. "We had a really powerful season last year, and we beat some Power Five schools," Dean said. "That's when I started to con- sider, 'I can hang with these people. I think I can do this.'" With an impressive résumé and a bundle of confidence, Dean entered her name into the transfer portal. Shortly thereafter, she heard from UVA head coach Shannon Wells, who was in search of a middle blocker. "I was in awe, because I felt like our val- ues aligned pretty much everywhere," Dean said. "Everything I would say I wanted in a school; she would say Virginia could offer, and everything she said she wanted in a player, I could see those values in myself. "I felt like I just knew from the first phone call with Virginia that I was going be here, that I should be here." Earlier this summer, Dean moved to Char- lottesville and quickly began forming bonds with her current Cavalier teammates. UVA officially began practicing as a team in early August, which seemingly paid dividends. With Dean as one of their starting middle blockers, the Cavaliers posted a historic beginning to their 2024 season by winning 10 of their first 11 matches — the program's best start since 2003. With two seasons of eligibility under her belt, Dean has this season and next to make the most of her tenure as a Cavalier. While Dean could have opted to stay close to home at EIU in Charleston, Mo., her mo- tives for transferring to UVA are admirable. She sees it as an opportunity to grow in all areas of her life, not just volleyball. "I wanted to push myself in every part of my life harder because I was so in my comfort zone [at EIU]," Dean said. "I was really close to home, academics weren't that difficult, and I was excelling in volley- ball there. "I feel like by coming to UVA, I could push myself in school, push myself in volleyball, and also be away from home to get used to real life."