UMBC Volleyball's three-time America East champion opposite hitter Emily Ferketic (Pittsburgh, Pa.) has announced that she will return for her final year of eligibility while she pursues a PhD in Theoretical Physics. 

Ferketic just graduated with a B.S. in Physics, and participated in the quantum thermodynamics research group with Sebastian Deffner, associate professor of physics.

 "When I first brought up the idea of playing in graduate school to Dr. Deffner, we were not entirely sure if it was possible," said Ferketic "We were in uncharted territory, since the Physics department has not had an athlete in the PhD program before. However, with the help of Dr. Deffner we not only were able to get funding, but we were able to do so in a way that still allowed for the time needed to participate in athletics. I am beyond grateful to both him and the outstanding department staff for making this work."

A key mentor, Deffner helped guide Ferketic through the process of writing and submitting the article "Boosting thermodynamic performance by bending space-time," which examines how to unlock the mysteries of black holes. It was published this January in the journal Europhysics Letters. She plans to continue working with Deffner for her PhD, focusing on quantum thermodynamics and shortcuts to adiabaticity.

 "What makes an excellent graduate student in theoretical physics? Someone with a highly sophisticated mathematical skill set, outstanding attention to detail, the willingness to do the hard work, and curiosity - this unstillable thirst for knowledge," said Deffner. "And if you think about it, there's the knowledge that is specific to physics as a discipline but the rest are characteristics that make a great athlete."

Ferketic will be the Volleyball student-athlete to simultaneously compete while working towards a PhD.

"It's even tough for me to comprehend what Emily is doing. A PhD while playing high level collegiate athletics is basically unprecedented, but even further, to do so in a field as daunting as theoretical physics at a place as competitive as UMBC is unfathomable," said head coach Kasey Crider. "That Emily fits in so naturally with the rest of our group is a testament to how high-achieving our team really is. I can't imagine having a student-athlete taking on a challenge like this for the rest of my career, so I'm going to cherish it." 

"Emily returning to the program for a final year is wonderful news in several ways," said Director of Athletics Brian Barrio. "First, it reaffirms that UMBC is a place where students never need to compromise between academic excellence and championship play on the court.  Second, she represents another key piece coming back to a team looking to once again defend its championship.  I know that our fans and alumni are as excited I as I am to see where Emily and her teammates can take this program in the fall."

Ferketic and her teammates will return to the court in August. The full schedule and season ticket opportunities will be released in the coming weeks. 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM