Lady Vols Add Three Transfers Ahead of Spring

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee added three key players from the transfer portal ahead of the spring slate, head coach Eve Rackham Watt announced Monday.

The Lady Vols brought in senior libero Gülce Güçtekin (pronounced GOOL-jay GOOCH-tek-in), redshirt freshman middle blocker Zoë Humphrey and redshirt senior outside hitter Starr Williams. All three will join the program for the spring semester. Here's a breakdown of each transfer:

Gülce Güçtekin / Libero / Istanbul, Turkey

A multi-year starter at Wisconsin and Turkish Junior National Team member, Güçtekin is a huge addition for the Big Orange after losing two liberos/defensive specialists to graduation. Throughout her time with the Badgers, she tallied 885 digs, 294 assists and 92 aces in 88 matches. She started in 48 contests between the three years and helped Wisconsin earn three Elite Eight appearances and a trip to the Final Four.

"GG is an exceptional libero who has played at the highest level of volleyball, both internationally and for the last three seasons of her career," Rackham Watt said. "She is elite as a defender and out of system setter, which will help our defense and transition game immediately. GG plays with so much joy and passion, which I know will spread to her teammates and everyone else in our program. Our staff can't wait to welcome her to Tennessee this spring and get to work."

As a back-row defender, Güçtekin posted double-digit digs in 42 outings, including seven 20-dig performances. She boasts two double-doubles for her career. She will also be effective at the service line for UT, where she averages 0.30 aces per set and has eclipsed 25 aces in each season.

As a freshman in 2022, Güçtekin started 29 matches at libero for Wisconsin and recorded 415 digs, 147 assists and 33 aces. She led the team and ranked 10th in the Big Ten in digs per set at 3.95. She had a career-high 28 digs in a contest against Ohio State, while her career bests in aces (6) and assists (14) also came in 2022.

During the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, Güçtekin combined to start in 19 matches as either a libero or defensive specialist for the Badgers. She was second on the team in digs per set (2.56) as a sophomore and was on pace to eclipse 200 digs for a third straight season as a junior but missed seven matches due to injury.

On the international stage, she's a six-year member of the Turkish Junior National Team. She was considered the best libero in Europe for the 2022 class after helping her team win bronze at the 2022 U21 European Championship and gold at the 2020 U19 European Championships, being named to the Dream Team both years.

Zoë Humphrey / Middle Blocker / Houston, Texas

A former high school All-American, Humphrey arrives on Rocky Top after redshirting her freshman season at UCLA. She was one of the top players in Texas for the 2024 signing class out of St. Pius X in Houston.

"We are thrilled to have Zoë join us this spring," Rackham Watt said. "She has four years of eligibility remaining, and there is no doubt her best volleyball is ahead of her. She has the potential to be a shutdown blocker, which is something we will look to develop right away. She is a tremendous athlete and has an extremely high motor. She is exactly the type of middle blocker that thrives in our program. We are really looking forward to her adding her depth to our extremely talented returning middle group."

As a senior, Humphrey averaged 3.6 kills, 2.3 blocks and 1.4 digs per set to garner AVCA High School All-America First Team honors. A two-time Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) All-State selection, she posted 3.1 kills and 2.9 blocks per set as a junior.

Humphrey spent six years competing in the Houston Juniors Volleyball Club system and participated in the USA Volleyball National Team Development program three times. Her father, Damiene, played basketball at Baylor.

Starr Williams / Outside Hitter / Ontario, California

Rackham Watt and her staff are known for their ability to develop offensive talent, and Williams could be the next great outside for the Lady Vols. The 2024 All-CUSA First Team selection started 63 of her 64 matches at New Mexico State.

"Starr is an experienced player who has spent time on both pins in her career," Rackham Watt said. "We have had good success in developing our attackers into 6-rotation players, and we see that potential in Starr. She is a tremendous athlete who still has untapped potential. I am looking forward to seeing her in our system and believe she can be a big-time point scorer."

During her two seasons with the Aggies, Williams tallied 691 kills on .271 hitting, 110 blocks, 108 digs, 13 assists and six aces. She led the Aggies to back-to-back CUSA Tournament championship match appearances during her time in Las Cruces.

In 2024, Williams garnered all-conference honors after recording 395 kills on .317 hitting, 65 blocks and 52 digs. She posted double-digit kills in 22 contests and eclipsed 20 kills twice. She had 17 matches with multiple blocks. She averaged 3.55 points, 3.26 kills, 0.54 blocks and 0.43 digs per set for the season.

Playing for the first time collegiately, Williams posted 296 kills, 56 digs and 45 blocks in 2023. She was second on the team in kills, notching double-digit kills in 15 outings, including a 23-kill performance. She spent her first two years of college at Long Beach State but didn't see any action.

Her father, Robert, played football at Washington State, and her cousin, Reggie Wyatt, ran track at USC.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Gülce Güçtekin

Zoë Humphrey

Starr Williams

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