BALTIMORE -- Three-time America East All-Conference honoree and winner of both America East Setter of the Year and America East Defensive Specialist of the Year, Aysia Miller, has announced that she will be returning to UMBC for her final year of eligibility.

Miller, who will be pursuing a M.S. degree in Applied Molecular Biology, has been a leader and important contributor to all four of UMBC's four-straight America East championship squads. She will be allowed to play a fifth season due to the extra year provided by the NCAA to all fall and winter student athletes in 2020-2021. 

"I'm super excited to play one more year at UMBC!" said Miller "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else with anyone else. I'm ready to begin the quest for a 5-peat! Let's run it back Dawgs!"

"Having Aysia return this upcoming is a massive recruiting win," said head coach Kasey Crider "No person has had more of an impact on the last four championships than Aysia and one of most critical pieces to our pursuit of a fifth.  She is everything our program aspires to be, and it gives us great confidence that we can provide her an experience that she wants to participate in again."

Miller played every position on the court in 2023, earning a spot on the All-Conference Second Team as an OH/S/L/DS, while also being named to the All-Academic Team for the third-straight year. The rest of her illustrious career is summarized below:

2022: America East Defensive Specialist of The Year with her first season as a libero...America East All-Championship Team, Second Team All-America East, and All-Academic Team… Led the America East conference with 4.14 digs per set…America East Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year...Had a career high and tied for sixth all time digs in a single game with 30 digs adding seven assists against Delaware… Finished with a team high nine digs in the NCAA tournament against Penn State...Became the 13th member of the 400 dig club, totaling 418 digs during the 2022 season. 

Fall 2021: America East All-Championship Team and America East All-Academic Team...Was slotted to return to a defensive specialist role, but injuries required her to start the season at setter for the first eight matches and then moved to outside hitter..Had 42 assists and 19 digs against South Florida and followed that up with 39 assists and 15 digs against Rutgers...Had 15 kills and 15 digs against Quinnipiac in her first match at outside hitter...Had the best match of her career in the America East Semifinal, picking up a pair of career-highs with 17 kills and 24 digs.

Spring 2021: Was recruited and entered the preseason as a defensive specialist, but was called into action as a setter prior to the first match and went on to be named America East Setter of the Year (First from UMBC since 2013 and only second ever)...Named to America East All-Conference Second Team and America East All-Rookie Team...Was named Setter of the Week a conference-best four times during the season, to go along with three Rookie of the Week awards...Led the America East and was 31st in the entire NCAA with 10.65 digs per set...Also averaged 2.54 digs per set...Had a career-high 58 assists and added 12 digs in the America East Championship match against UAlbany... Set a UMBC freshman record with 55 assists against Stony Brook on February 27...Had 47 assists and a season-best 23 digs in five set win at Stony Brook on February 28...Finished the season with 607 assists, 145 digs and 31 kills.