ARLINGTON, Texas -- Michaela Wright, who played in 11 games for UTA women's basketball last year, has moved into a dual-sport role and will add volleyball to her duties with the Mavericks.

"I am so blessed and thankful for all the people who made it possible for me to play both basketball and volleyball this year," Wright said. "Although challenging, this opportunity is also a dream come true, all thanks to my incredible teammates, who have become my biggest supporters in playing both, especially Brooke Alexander and Kelsey Johnson, who have already come to open gyms and scrimmages. I'm very excited to be a part of the volleyball team and look forward to what the season holds!"

Wright, a 6-foot-5 native of Columbia, Mo., will play both sports for the Mavs in 2018-19, and will be a redshirt freshman in volleyball and a sophomore in women's basketball next season.

"I am excited to have Michaela in the volleyball program for many reasons," UTA volleyball coach J.T. Wenger said. "Michaela has demonstrated her ability to compete at the collegiate level and excel academically, she has great length which will help her to become a big presence at the net, and her high school volleyball experience has laid the groundwork for growth. Her mentality as an athlete and attitude in the gym is exceptional, as she is always looking to learn from listening and watching. Michaela had a lot of fun this past spring getting back into volleyball, and she is a great addition to the UTA program."

As a two-sport athlete at Father Tolton Catholic High School, Wright earned all-state accolades in volleyball and totaled over 1,400 career points on the hardwood.

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