ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany volleyball program and head coach Josh Pickard have announced two mid-year additions to the Great Danes roster.

A pair of transfers, Madison Hess and Pinar Erol, will join the program this spring and compete with the Great Danes as they prepare for the upcoming fall campaign at the PE Gym.

Madison Hess
S | Houston, Texas | Heights High School | Houston Christian University

Hess transfers to UAlbany after three seasons at Houston Christian University and brings extensive experience as a versatile setter and opposite. A four-year varsity athlete and four-time captain at Heights High School, she earned First Team All-District honors three times. She played five years of club volleyball with Liberty Stars Elite and an additional season with Houston Stars. Hess plans to major in Biology.

Pickard on Hess: “Very excited to have Madison join us this spring. To have someone with her experience, size, and presence in the gym will help us prepare throughout the season and leading into the fall.”

Pinar Erol
OH | Istanbul, Turkey | Atacan Schools | Hofstra

Erol joins the Great Danes after two seasons at Hofstra, where she was part of a Coastal Athletic Association regular-season championship team. An outside hitter from Istanbul, she captained her high school squad and helped lead Atacan Schools to an Istanbul and Turkey Championship. At the club level, she competed in Turkey’s Women’s 1st and 2nd Leagues and earned Player of the Week honors in 2022. Erol intends to major in Psychology.

Pickard on Erol: “Pinar is a great addition to our squad. She adds experience and the ability to play all six rotations. We were excited to have her join us, and she has already shown how valuable she is in the limited time she has been here.”

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