Volleyball Signs Georgia Natives Emma Duffield, MK Patten

ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia head women's volleyball coach Tom Black has announced the signing of outside hitter Emma Duffield and middle blocker/opposite Molly Kate "MK" Patten to the 2024 roster.

"We are thrilled to bring in this 2024 recruiting class," Black remarked on the signing class. "MK and Emma are both from our home state, incredibly well coached, driven, high-achieving young woman who will bring so much to our program and university. We cannot wait to get started."

Emma Duffield | OH | 6-1 | Atlanta, Ga. | The Lovett School
Emma Duffield signs from The Lovett School in Atlanta. As a senior in 2023, she was named AVCA Second Team All-America. Duffield has garnered first team Region 6 All-Region honors in 2023, 2022, and 2021. She was the 2023 Region player of the year. In 2021 and 2022, she added first team all-state honors and was the Georgia player of the year in 2021. She picked up second team all-region and Grit Award honors following her rookie year and The Lovett School.

Duffield has played for A5 the last four years (2020-23), helping guide her A5 16 Steve team to the AAU National Championship, earning the MVP Ziggy Ziupsyns award.

In the classroom, Duffield is a member of the National Honor Society and has been a staple on the Principal's List all four years of high school. She intends to study Pre-Med at Georgia.

Emma is the daughter of Cherie and Mark Duffield. She has a younger brother, Ezra.

Black on Duffield: "Emma has established herself as one of the top outsides in her class in her class in the state of Georgia, and she's only scratching the surface of her potential. She has the ability to play all six rotations and she's a high achiever in every area of her life, which is something we really value. Emma is a great addition to our team and program."

MK Patten | MB/OPP | 6-5 | Alpharetta, Ga. | Lambert HS
Molly Kate "MK" Patten signs to Georgia from Lambert High School in Suwanee. She's currently ranked among the top 25 players in the country by Prep Dig in the class of 2024. Patten has garnered GHSA 7A All-State and first team Region 6 All-Region honors as a sophomore and junior. Following her junior season, she was named the impact player of the year award. In 2021, Patten was nominated for the AVCA Phenom watch list. In her rookie season, she garnered co-freshman of the year and region 6 Second Team all-region honors. She helped guide the Longhorns to back-to-back-to-back region championships (2020-22) and a state championship runner-up finish in 2022.

Patten has played club for A5 and AEVC, earning 2022 Junior Volleyball Association All-National Team honors and landing on the 2023 JVA watch list.

Off the volleyball court, Patten has played tennis for 11 years. In the classroom, she's a member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, and HOSA. She earned 2022 Prep Volleyball Academic All-American honors and is a three-time recipient of the Triple Crown Award at Lambert High School.

Patten will graduate from Lambert in December and will early enroll at UGA this spring. She intends to major in Business with a minor in Sport Management.

MK is the daughter of Claire and Joe Patten. Her sister Ella is currently a senior at UGA.

Black on Patten: "MK is a big-time recruit for our program. She can attack at angles few can, and she can do it consistently. She's already impressed us with her drive to do the work and she's a first-class person. We couldn't be more excited about her, and her future and we can't wait to bring her into the program."

Volleyball Signs Georgia Natives Emma Duffield, MK Patten

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