CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Former Western Carolina volleyball standout Addy George (2011-14) recently signed a professional contract with a team in the German Third Division. George moved back to Germany, where she spent time as a child as part of her father’s military career, in May of this year.
George is the newest middle blocker for proWIN Volleys TV Holz located just outside Saarbrucken, Germany. The team has competed in a few matches this season, and just began their league schedule this past weekend. In George’s first tournament with the team, they placed first in their group at the AOK Cup.
Since graduating from Western Carolina with a degree in nursing, George has pursued her desire to care for others which eventually landed her back in Germany. In early 2015, she accepted a position in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville where she spent two years honing her craft. During that time, she also kept active in the volleyball community playing in co-ed leagues around the area.
After the two year stint in Asheville, George accepted a position in the NICU at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany. LRMC is the largest American hospital located outside of the United States. As she waited to move back to Germany, George spent four months as a travel nurse in the Charlotte area. On May 1, 2017, George moved back to Germany to begin a three-year stint at LRMC as a GS employee for the U.S. Government as a civilian nurse. Landstuhl is the same city George and her family spent their final two years in Germany from 2006-08. George loved the town so much that she had been seeking a position in the medical center and was at a good place in her life and career to be able to do so.
Just a few months after arriving in Germany, George returned home to the states to visit with her family which is when she received an interesting message on Facebook.
“I received a message from the team manager saying they were looking for a middle blocker and that they knew I played in the states. They asked if I'd be interested in more information,” said George. “He informed me that the team plays third league in Germany and that there were two Americans on the team. So I responded, of course I'm interested in more information.”
The two exchanged several messages regarding weekly schedules and time commitments before George eventually set up a time to attend practice for a formal tryout. After that practice, she met with the team manager and the team's coaches, and they offered her a position on the team and she accepted.
She asked how they found her and they responded, Facebook. From what she could understand they searched the region for the keyword volleyball and happened to come across her profile.
One of her teammates is a former rival in Jess Keller, who competed at Appalachian State. Keller, who was a year behind George, played across the net from George for three seasons, but they had never met formally. At their very first practice in Germany, Keller was wearing an ASU t-shirt while George sported her WCU gear which created an instant bond between the two. The third American on the team is Haley Kindall, who recently graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University.
“Overall, I have loved getting to play again.” Said George. “If I'm not at work, I'm at volleyball practice or games. It's been wonderful. I've made so many new friends, I am expanding my knowledge of the German language and culture, and I'm getting to do what I love - play volleyball.”
George still ranks as the all-time leader in the WCU record book in blocks per set with 1.07 while ranking fourth in both block assists (280) and total blocks (363). She also ranks fifth in attack percentage (.274) and solo blocks (83).