New Longhorn of the Week: Torrey Stafford

This week's New Longhorn of the Week is OH Torrey Stafford, a transfer from the Pitt Panthers. She leaves what was arguably the most dangerous 1-2 hitter tandem in the nation alongside National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. She was a major factor in Pitt's last two National Semifinal runs as a six rotation outside both years, earning First Team All American honors this past season. Stafford had previously trained with Ayden Ames and Nya Bunton for the USA National Team. She was also on the same Under Armour All-America Team as Ella Swindle and Ramsey Gary; the trio now reunites in Austin. Torrey joins the Longhorns with two years of eligibility remaining.

Torrey certainly had her pick of the litter while in the transfer portal, and received interest from several Championship-caliber teams. But a few things stuck out to her from her recruiting process with Texas that helped her decide Austin was the place to be.

From the jump, Texas made a positive impression. Her first conversation with Jerritt Elliott stuck out to her, saying "I was able to have those hard conversations with him and he was all ears." The level of investment in athletes outside of volleyball seemed to weigh heavy on her decision. On her official visit, she went to dinner with the coaches and their wives, which allowed her to see who they were outside of a volleyball setting. At Texas, the staff devotes time into the entire person, not just the player.

She also knew several of the current Texas players, and was sure to use those connections for research before committing. Torrey was hoping to discover whether Texas was a place where players felt like they were "growing on and off the court." It was important for her to get this perspective from both players who are consistent starters and those who rarely see the court, and those conversations only improved her impression of the culture at Texas.

Torrey's recruitment process concluded with her official visit to Austin, and she knew right away this was the right place for her, saying "I saw myself here and I didn't feel like I needed to go anywhere else to know." But since Texas was her first visit, she decided to do her due diligence anyway and went on at least one other visit before officially committing. She said she wished she had taken her time recruiting in high school, and made that a priority this time around: "I wanted to give myself that opportunity to know for sure that it was here" (referring to Texas). But in the end, Torrey knew Austin was the place for her, saying "I feel like the Lord just orchestrated it all in His perfect timing."

In effect, this move is just as far away from home in Southern California as she was in Pittsburgh, though her parents make up for the distance. "They're always supportive. They went to almost every game [in Pittsburgh], like the airport knew them... I never felt discouraged from going far from home." And maintaining that relationship is super important for Torrey; she's always on the phone with her parents and siblings, adding "I feel like I'm a relationship person... I just love the relationships that I build with people." Those relationships also connect her to UT, as she follows in the footsteps of her older sister, Imani McGee-Stafford, who played women's basketball at Texas and now plays professionally.

Torrey also wants to follow her sister's footsteps into professional sports after college, even at an international level. She has her eye set on competing for the 2028 USA Olympics roster, which would essentially be a hometown Olympics for her in Los Angeles. In preparation for that goal, she's always wanted to compete in pro leagues overseas for at least a year to get a diverse experience before returning to professional volleyball in the US. "When you're in the Olympics or you're playing internationally, you're gonna see those arms and I wanna train for that instead of what I'm used to in the US."

At that level of volleyball, there are some significant differences compared to NCAA ball, one of which is a relative lack of defensive substitutions. A lot more commonly, pin hitters are forced to play six rotations, and they don't receive relief from serving substitutions. Fortunately for Torrey, she has the skills and experience to meet these expectations, and she prides herself on her passing ability as an outside hitter. 

As mentioned before, she played six rotations both years at Pitt, and there's every reason to believe that will continue at Texas. That is, as long as she continues to earn that role, as we've seen both Logan Eggleston and Madisen Skinner pulled from six rotations for brief periods in recent years. Torrey mentions that this versatility from playing all the way around helps her mindset in games, and she will always look for a way to contribute on the court. "If I'm not having a good day in passing, I'm gonna hit... there's always something else I can do to give to the team."

Torrey was stellar in her debut wearing burnt orange at the FAST Invitational two weekends ago, and fans can look out for her again this Saturday when the Longhorns take on LSU in their second spring appearance at Clear Springs High School in Houston.

Finally, some quick fun facts about Torrey. If it enhances your reading experience, please feel free to imagine the following spoken in the voice of Ms. Casey from the TV show Severance. Please try to enjoy each fact equally.

• Torrey enjoys a day at the beach
• Torrey's favorite vegetables are mushrooms
• Torrey is not a napper
• Torrey considers Tiktok the best app created
• Torrey is not scared of the Austin summer heat
• Torrey's favorite meal is ramen