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From the Quad
12/15/2024 10:12:00 AM | General, Women's Volleyball
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation,
This special edition of From the Quad brings news of a leadership transition as we continue to strive towards our vision of A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program. I appreciate the investment of time, expertise and resources by all Demon Deacons fans as we strive to deliver a World Class Student-Athlete Experience.
Yesterday evening, our Athletics leadership team met with Randi Smart to inform her that she will not continue as the Demon Deacons head volleyball coach. We all know how much Randi cares about Wake Forest and we are grateful to her, her husband Craig, and their children, Tyler and Jordan.
Her accomplishments over the past six-plus years include our first postseason appearance since 1986 when our team competed in the NIVC in 2022 and a pair of back-to-back 17-win seasons in 2022 and 2023, which are win totals we have not achieved in consecutive seasons in over 20 years. Additionally, she coached five players that earned All-ACC honors and her team had a program-record 12 student-athletes earn Academic All-ACC accolades a year ago.
We wish Coach Smart and her family all of the best in the next chapter of their lives and I know that Demon Deacons everywhere join me in saluting them for their service to the Winston-Salem community and to Wake Forest University.
Our student-athletes are always our top priority and Deputy AD Lindsey Babcock and I met with them last night, we thanked them for their continued commitment to Wake Forest and complimented them for a strong academic conclusion to the fall semester.
As we begin our search for our next head volleyball coach we do so knowing that this is a program poised for success. Wake Forest's status as a top-national university, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the city of Winston-Salem are an unrivaled combination. Additionally, the state-of-the-art Varsity Arena, Sutton Sports Performance Center and our incredible Reynolda Campus provides our Demon Deacon volleyball student-athletes with the best on-campus facility infrastructure in the country.
We salute our seniors from last season as six women will soon earn their Wake Forest degrees, including Kalani Whillock and Kendall Phillips graduating this month and Olivia Franke, Jaime Santer, Tina Grkovic and Laila Ricks set to graduate in either the spring or summer. Meanwhile, we are proud that Sahara Maruska is pursuing medical school.
With that, we expect to return nine players for the fall 2025 season, including four rising seniors. Libero Emma Farrell has led the team in digs for three consecutive seasons and ranked second in ACC play this year. Outside hitter Paige Crawford has paced the Deacs in kills for three straight seasons and tied for 14th in program history with 39 service aces in 2024. Setter Rian Baker surpassed 2,000 career assists last month, while Olivia Murphy returned from injury to play 28 matches and earned Wake Forest Invitational All-Tournament honors.
Rising juniors include Olivia Fish, who redshirted this season due to injury, and setter Elena Dragani, who has played in 13 matches over two seasons. Three sophomores will return: Becca Bellows, the our second highest assist leader, Dhru Lalaji, a defensive specialist, and Cy Rae Campbell. The Deacons will also welcome three freshmen: Bailey Warren, Kelis Hawkins, and Sadie Poeck.
Thanks to the leadership of Deputy AD Lindsey Babcock, we are in position to begin our comprehensive search immediately, and we will be in regular contact with President Susan R. Wente throughout this process.
At Wake Forest University, and with your continued generous support, we have all of the resources for sustained volleyball success. The emotional support and gifts of all our loyal supporters on an annual basis are why we are able to offer a World Class Student-Athlete Experience for all of our student-athletes.
Thanks for your loyal support of the Demon Deacons. Please stay safe, send your thoughts to wfuad@wfu.edu and…
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Vice President & Director of Athletics
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation,
This special edition of From the Quad brings news of a leadership transition as we continue to strive towards our vision of A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program. I appreciate the investment of time, expertise and resources by all Demon Deacons fans as we strive to deliver a World Class Student-Athlete Experience.
Yesterday evening, our Athletics leadership team met with Randi Smart to inform her that she will not continue as the Demon Deacons head volleyball coach. We all know how much Randi cares about Wake Forest and we are grateful to her, her husband Craig, and their children, Tyler and Jordan.
Her accomplishments over the past six-plus years include our first postseason appearance since 1986 when our team competed in the NIVC in 2022 and a pair of back-to-back 17-win seasons in 2022 and 2023, which are win totals we have not achieved in consecutive seasons in over 20 years. Additionally, she coached five players that earned All-ACC honors and her team had a program-record 12 student-athletes earn Academic All-ACC accolades a year ago.
We wish Coach Smart and her family all of the best in the next chapter of their lives and I know that Demon Deacons everywhere join me in saluting them for their service to the Winston-Salem community and to Wake Forest University.
Our student-athletes are always our top priority and Deputy AD Lindsey Babcock and I met with them last night, we thanked them for their continued commitment to Wake Forest and complimented them for a strong academic conclusion to the fall semester.
As we begin our search for our next head volleyball coach we do so knowing that this is a program poised for success. Wake Forest's status as a top-national university, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the city of Winston-Salem are an unrivaled combination. Additionally, the state-of-the-art Varsity Arena, Sutton Sports Performance Center and our incredible Reynolda Campus provides our Demon Deacon volleyball student-athletes with the best on-campus facility infrastructure in the country.
We salute our seniors from last season as six women will soon earn their Wake Forest degrees, including Kalani Whillock and Kendall Phillips graduating this month and Olivia Franke, Jaime Santer, Tina Grkovic and Laila Ricks set to graduate in either the spring or summer. Meanwhile, we are proud that Sahara Maruska is pursuing medical school.
With that, we expect to return nine players for the fall 2025 season, including four rising seniors. Libero Emma Farrell has led the team in digs for three consecutive seasons and ranked second in ACC play this year. Outside hitter Paige Crawford has paced the Deacs in kills for three straight seasons and tied for 14th in program history with 39 service aces in 2024. Setter Rian Baker surpassed 2,000 career assists last month, while Olivia Murphy returned from injury to play 28 matches and earned Wake Forest Invitational All-Tournament honors.
Rising juniors include Olivia Fish, who redshirted this season due to injury, and setter Elena Dragani, who has played in 13 matches over two seasons. Three sophomores will return: Becca Bellows, the our second highest assist leader, Dhru Lalaji, a defensive specialist, and Cy Rae Campbell. The Deacons will also welcome three freshmen: Bailey Warren, Kelis Hawkins, and Sadie Poeck.
Thanks to the leadership of Deputy AD Lindsey Babcock, we are in position to begin our comprehensive search immediately, and we will be in regular contact with President Susan R. Wente throughout this process.
At Wake Forest University, and with your continued generous support, we have all of the resources for sustained volleyball success. The emotional support and gifts of all our loyal supporters on an annual basis are why we are able to offer a World Class Student-Athlete Experience for all of our student-athletes.
Thanks for your loyal support of the Demon Deacons. Please stay safe, send your thoughts to wfuad@wfu.edu and…
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Vice President & Director of Athletics
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/OH
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