From Budapest to College Park: Sara Toth’s Journey to Maryland
The Hungarian setter took a leap of faith when she transferred to Maryland without ever visiting campus. Now, she’s thriving on and off the court.
Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
10/1/2026
Everything about Sara Toth’s decision was risky.
The concept of committing to play collegiate volleyball at a university you’ve never been to on the other side of the world is daunting, but for Maryland’s new setter, it became reality.
It’s already paying off for the Terps. Big time.
Toth grew up in Budapest, Hungary, over 4,500 miles from College Park and the place she now calls home. Volleyball was ingrained in her from her earliest years. Her father ran a volleyball academy back home and all three of her sisters were equally fascinated by the sport as she was.
Volleyball matches in the backyard led to international success on the youth national team and even took Toth as far as a Hungarian Cup. Always a setter, Toth’s skills and confidence grew with each passing day.
Halfway through high school, what was once a dream of playing at the collegiate level was quickly turning into reality. She’d had other friends compete overseas, and their experiences lit a fire within the Hungarian to make a legacy of her own in the United States.
“I always knew that the reason I wanted to come to the U.S. is that I wanted to continue my academic career,” Toth said. “I knew that if I wanted to go to university, I couldn't do both volleyball and school at home. I wanted to come here and experience American life.”
She committed to Georgia Tech, but it just wasn’t the right fit for a young player so far from home. She didn’t see much action, and something just felt off. She hit the transfer portal, giving head coach Adam Hughes a challenge: recruiting a player that didn’t have time to make an official visit to College Park.
“It was unique,” Hughes said. “She was really passionate about volleyball, and was trying to find the right home, but knew she might not have a chance to visit. It was clear as soon as I got off the phone and talked to the staff that this was the right fit.”Maryland volleyball head coach Adam Hughes
She hadn’t seen her locker. She hadn’t stepped foot in XFINITY Center. FaceTime calls and photos of facilities, dorms, and campus were all Toth had to make a life-changing decision. That and connections that quickly formed over the phone.
“There wasn’t time for an official visit or anything,” Toth said. “I was so blind before I came here, but I knew I liked talking with the girls and coaches. Now, I love Maryland and College Park. It was a little risky, but it all went so well.”
She’s still far from home, but the distance doesn’t eat at her quite like it did during her freshman year. Her busy class schedule makes communicating with her family back home difficult. Fortunately, her sister competes at a junior college in Texas, creating just an hour difference for a connection that she calls on nearly every day.
“I hear some people talk about how they don’t like for their parents to come to matches, but my family has always been so supportive and it’s meant a lot to me,” Toth said. “I miss them being here because I love playing in front of them. They brought me to practices and dedicated their free time and weekends to our tournaments. They always supported us, so I just want to give something back.”
She’s found more than a team at the University of Maryland. From the first time she set foot on campus in College Park, she had a community that cared for every aspect of her on and off the court. From the simplest details — like the accurate pronunciation of her name (SHA-RAH) and her business school aspirations — they saw her as more than a student-athlete. Here, she’s an individual with an incredible story.
“It's a totally different experience,” Toth said. “When somebody asks what the main difference is here, I always say that it’s how the volleyball staff and everyone who I’ve met so far at UMD approaches us as individuals and normal people, not like robots who do their sports. I felt really welcome from the first time I got here.”
She’s making an instant impact on her new team. The presence of a confident and talented setter on a volleyball team can’t be overstated or overvalued. Hughes’ long-distance recruitment hit.
“She’s really mature,” Hughes said. “One of the benefits to most international student-athletes is that if they’re willing to go across the world, they’re usually pretty confident in themselves. That helps us in a lot of ways. She’s able to relay to hitters very quickly. The ability to communicate and control her skills while making quick adjustments draws a lot of the attackers to working with her. That’s something we noticed within the first few days of her being here.”
This year’s Maryland roster boasts a dynamic blend of talent from all over the globe. International student-athletes Duru Gökçen and Ioanna Dimitriou can relate to her far-from-home feelings, but it’s been some of her American teammates that are shaping her experiences the most.
I love that I have international teammates, but I also feel like my American teammates have been so welcoming. I miss home, I miss my family, I miss my friends, but I really feel like I found my second home here. I’m waiting to go home, but it’s not something that’s on my mind 24/7 like it was at this time last year. I’m just so happy to be here and I want to enjoy every moment.”Sara Toth
Free to be her authentic self, play without pressure and lean on the young women who have become her second family, Toth is finding more than on-court growth in College Park.
The decision to leave Budapest and travel thousands of miles from home was a risk. But with every assist, every laugh and every moment shared with her teammates, Toth is finding more reasons to believe it was a risk worth taking.
