Elaine Redman sets the ball to a Baylor teammate in a match from 2018. Redman, a rising sophomore, is transferring from Toledo to UTC after a steallar freshman season for the Rockets.
photo by Dennis Norwood/File Photos
Elaine Redman may have been a consistent contributor for the Toledo Rockets volleyball team in her first semester, but her heart was a few states south in Chattanooga. The former Baylor superstar decided to put her name in the transfer portal after the season, and in January she joined the UTC volleyball program.
“I kind of struggled being so far from home, and I was homesick and missing my family,” Redman said.
“I knew I wanted to be here in Chattanooga, and that UTC would be a good fit with them getting a new coach.”
The two-time all-state honoree had plenty of offers from other programs after she put her name in the transfer portal, but none interested her. Elaine Redman said that was when she knew there was only one university she wanted to be at.
“When I started getting other offers in the portal and made phone calls, I didn’t want to go anywhere, and I didn’t know why I wasn’t getting excited,” she said. “I was like “These places are good” and that’s when I knew I was just waiting for UTC.”
Her father (and Signal Mountain coach) Steve Redman said Elaine had no problems with her coaches or teammates at Toledo, and that the decision to transfer came down to the distance between her school and her hometown.
“She loved her teammates and loved her coaches and everything,” Steve Redman said, “but ultimately it was too far from home, and she just wanted to be closer to her family.”
The Redmans said that after new coach Julie Torbett Thomas checked out Elaine’s film and asked around for opinions on the rising sophomore setter, she decided Redman would be a great fit for the program.
“I’m excited to represent Chattanooga and UTC volleyball at a high level,” Elaine said. “I want to help make changes and help make it a program people are excited to come out and watch.”
In 2021 for Toledo, Redman played in 118 sets, with 49 kills, and 186 total attempts. She also had 1057 assists.
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Elaine Redman coming home to play for Chattanooga.
photo by Contributed