Aayinde Smith

Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics

Position:
Middle Hitter
Height:
6-0
Class:
Graduate Student
High School:
Cherry Hill East
Hometown:
Garland, TX

The Ball State women's volleyball team is adding another proven winner to the fold with the addition of transfer Aayinde Smith (Garland, Texas / Cherry Hill East / Towson) according to head coach Kelli Miller Phillips.

"Aayinde is a huge addition to the Cardinals family," Phillips said. "She has a ton of championship experience from her time at Towson and she will bring that confidence, toughness and know how to BSU for her final year. She adds experienced depth to our middle position, as well as great athleticism and intensity."

Smith will join the Cardinals in the fall of 2024 after spending the past four seasons helping guide Towson to an 85-14 overall record, four straight Colonial Athletic Association regular season titles and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. A two-time All-CAA Second Team selection, Smith started all 61 matches and played in all 214 sets for the Tigers the past two seasons.

This past season, she finished second in the CAA with a 1.18 block-per-set average while ranking ninth in the conference with a .322 hitting percentage. The effort included 10 matches hitting .500-or-better.

Smith finished the 2022 season with the 10th-highest single season hitting percentage in program history, at .362, and averaged 1.18 blocks per set. Her 129 total blocks ranked as the 14th-most in a season in the Towson record books.

"Aayinde is extremely quick laterally and uses her vertical to hit over blockers and can be a point scorer for us," Phillips added. "I really believe fans will love watching her as she competes with so much fire and outward enthusiasm that you can't help but get excited. I can't wait to work with her this fall and see the impact she will make on the program!"

She played in seven matches in the 2021 spring fall for Towson, while competing in all seven matches the team played during the 2021 COVID spring season.

Smith started her high school career at Lakeview Centennial (9th & 10th) and closed her career at Cherry Hill East (11th & 12th). Named the Olympic Conference Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, she also earned all-division, all-conference, all-Group IV and all-state honors over her prep career.