Wake Forest Athletics
Friday, August 30
Winston-Salem, N.C.
6 P.M.
Wake Forest University
vs
Hofstra
Photo by: Helen McGinnis / Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs to Open 2024 Season at Home with Annual Three-Day Invitational
8/29/2024 12:14:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Watch (vs. Hofstra)Live Stats (vs. Hofstra)Watch (vs. WVU)Live Stats (vs. WVU)Watch (vs. Navy)Live Stats (vs. Navy)Match Notes
Another fall campaign is up for Wake Forest volleyball.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A new season of fall action begins this weekend for Wake Forest volleyball, as the Demon Deacons will kick off the 2024 campaign at home with their annually hosted invitational. Three days of competition are set to take place, beginning with a Friday night (Aug. 30) opener versus Hofstra University. Wake Forest brings in The Pride, West Virginia University and Navy as a field of visiting opponents. Each program will compete in three matches throughout the weekend.
All three of Wake Forest's matches will be available for viewing on ACC Network Extra.
Demon Deacons Opening Weekend Matches
Friday, Aug. 30
Wake Forest vs. Hofstra – 6 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 31
Wake Forest vs. West Virginia – 6 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 1
Wake Forest vs. Navy – 3 p.m. ET
Fan Information
There will continue to be free admission for general admission seating for all home volleyball single matches. The team plays each home contest in Varsity Arena, located on the second level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109).
New to Wake Forest volleyball this year, 28 padded floor seats will be added for spectator viewing along the sidelines opposite the team benches. Fans will be able to purchase courtside season tickets for $150 each, either online or by calling the Wake Forest Athletics Ticket Office at (336) 758-3322 ext. 2, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Wake Forest Athletics is committed to providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina within a safe and fan-friendly environment. Friday's match (Aug. 30) will involve a free t-shirt giveaway for the first 200 students to show up to the contest. Additionally, during Saturday and Sunday, fans will have the opportunity to enter raffles and win exclusive Wake Forest gear at the Fan Experience table.
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at all home events, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all fans. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at volleyball home matches this fall, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Recent Campaign
With the Deacs finishing 17-12 overall in fall 2023, it marked the first time the program has posted back-to-back seasons of 17 or more wins since 2000-01. Wake Forest also tallied eight wins in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play -- standing at two consecutive years of at least eight victories against league opponents. That such feat was a first for Wake Forest throughout program history since 2009-10. The team began the 2023 campaign with a 6-0 mark, its best undefeated start since 2019.
Against non-conference competition, Wake Forest finished 9-2 overall in the earlier half of the 2023 season. The team was tabbed No. 21 in the first NCAA RPI rankings list of the season released on Oct. 2, 2023 -- its highest nod in program history.
A total of three Deacs have landed spots on the ACC All-Freshman Team through the last two seasons (2022-23). The three selections are the most for Wake Forest in a two-year span since 1997-98. Standout libero Emma Farrell also collected two ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2023 (Aug. 28 and Oct. 9). For her young career, she has earned four total ACC weekly awards.
Non-Con Notes
Since 2019, with head coach Randi Smart leading the way, the program has totaled a 36-8 record versus non-conference foes through the regular season. Additionally, the Deacs have posted an 11-1 clip at home through that same four-year stretch against such opponents. Non-conference action did not take place during the spring 2020 season.
Who's Back?
The Deacs return 10 players from the 2023 roster, headlined by a rising senior trio of Olivia Franke, Kalani Whillock and Kendall Phillips.
Entering her fifth season, Franke is one of the most experienced players to don the Old Gold and Black – having appeared in 100 matches throughout her tenure. She has led Wake Forest in hitting percentage for each of the last two years and ranks in the top 15 within the program's all-time career individuals for total blocks, solo blocks and assisted blocks. Whillock and Phillips both play as defensive specialists, as the former reached over 800 career digs near the conclusion of this past fall while serving as a team captain for the last two seasons. Phillips competed in 20 contests during the 2023 campaign.
In another area of the roster, Emma Farrell, Paige Crawford, Rian Baker and Olivia Murphy combine to make up a quartet of rising juniors for the Deacons. Farrell has audiences aware of her defensive prowess as a reliable libero – her accomplishments include being named the ACC Freshman of the Year back in 2022, along with quite a few all-tournament team honors. Up to date, she has played and started in every match since her debut collegiate season and recorded 941 digs through two years. Crawford, a Texas native, is a strong arm and finished as the team leader in kills during both 2023 and 2022. She additionally led Wake Forest in service aces last season while resting in the top 10 among ACC individuals in both kills and points during a midway stretch of the fall. Baker took over as a primary setter as a sophomore, reaching her 1,000th career assist on Sept. 24, 2023. She finished eighth in the conference in assists (8.35/set) while leading the squad with 943 on the year. Murphy will work to make an impact back on the hardwood after redshirting last season due to injury.
Dior Charles, Olivia Fish and Elena Dragani all slide back in as sophomores this fall. Charles brings notable athleticism at the middle blocker position, being second on the roster in total blocks (80.0) as a freshman and contributing five or more in nine separate showings. Fish had quite a few impressive performances during 2023 while appearing in 24 matches. Dragani plays at the setter spot and will look to make a leap in her second year.
Who's New?
A total of seven new faces have joined the Deacons' roster for 2024-25, as four graduate transfers and three true freshmen make up the mix. Laila Ricks (University of Maryland), Tina Grkovic (Rutgers University), Sahara Maruska (Rice University) and Jaime Santer (University of Hawai'i) have all transferred in for their final collegiate seasons and provide ample experience for the team. Ricks mainly does her work as an athletic attacker from the right side while Maruska and Santer compete as outside hitters. Grkovic, meanwhile, holds down the front line at the middle blocker spot. Maruska and Santer both have reached the NCAA Tournament three times, as the latter has done so for beach volleyball as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American. Grkovic ranks high in Rutgers' program records for career blocks, and Ricks earned several invitational awards during her tenure at Maryland.
Wake Forest's freshmen class involves a trio of Cy Rae Campbell, Becca Bellows and Dhru Lalaji.
Campbell has collected a state championship in each of her four years as a varsity letter winner at Heritage Christian Academy while also receiving numerous individual honors. Playing as a middle hitter, she ultimately reached over 1,000 career kills in high school and ranked as high as No. 28 and 36 nationally by PrepVolleyball.com and PrepDig, respectively – earning props as the top player at her position within the state of Kansas from the latter.
Bellows served as a high school team captain for three of her four years on the Wheaton Warrenville South High School's varsity squad and entered the program's 1,000-assists club last fall. She notched a number of accolades, including being named the 2023 Dukane Conference Player of the Year, while pacing her school to consecutive regional championships. The Midwest native ranked eighth overall in the state of Illinois and fifth at her position.
Lalaji holds prowess as a defensive specialist and emerged as a multi-champion throughout both her high school and club volleyball experience. She helped lead her Pace Academy team to become the No. 1 program in the state of Georgia and No. 9 nationally. Additionally, the Atlanta product has been a member of the renowned A5 Volleyball Club, which also produced Emma Farrell.
Series History
Versus Hofstra
Series: Wake Forest leads, 1-0
Last Time: Sept. 19, 2015
Result: W, 3-2
Versus West Virginia
Series: West Virginia leads, 3-2
Last Time: Sept. 15, 2018
Result: L, 1-3
Versus Navy
Series: Navy leads, 1-0
Last Time: Oct. 28, 1978
Result: L, 1-2
Scouting the Opposition
Picked seventh in this year's Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) preseason poll, Hofstra went 18-11 overall in 2023, winning eight conference matches. Seniors Beatriz Alves and Chiara Cucco were both tabbed to the 2024 Preseason All-CAA Volleyball team. A two-time CAA Setter of the Year, Alves earned first team honors at the conclusion of both the 2023 and 2022 campaigns. Cucco is a two-time CAA Libero of the Year, ranking ninth in program history in career digs. Other standout returners include junior middle blocker Emily Nunes, who finished fourth in the CAA in hitting percentage last fall, and junior outside hitter Izadora Stedile – a top-10 conference individual in both kills and service aces during 2023. Hofstra has a heavy group of underclassmen, as 11 of the 18 roster members are freshmen and sophomores.
West Virginia finished 9-22 overall a year ago, winning two Big 12 matches. The team returns a few notable options, as outside hitter Hailey Green is back after leading the Mountaineers in kills (418) during 2023. Setter Lauren DeLo also makes a return for a graduate year, having paced the team in assists (1,061) and service aces (27) last fall. Head coach Jen Greeny steps into her first season leading West Virginia, as she was named the fifth head coach in program history in December 2023, following a 13-year tenure at the helm of Washington State volleyball.
Navy pieced an 18-9 overall record in 2023 while advancing to the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Nine conference wins happened for the team, in addition to a 9-2 clip at home. The current roster is now headlined by a senior quartet of Hannah Hoover, Lily Lutz, Katie Jackowski and Doris Nelson. A defensive specialist, Hoover collected 394 digs as a junior to lead the team. Head coach Paco Labrador is entering his seventh season with Navy and has compiled a 91-57 overall record up to date during his time.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
All three of Wake Forest's matches will be available for viewing on ACC Network Extra.
Demon Deacons Opening Weekend Matches
Friday, Aug. 30
Wake Forest vs. Hofstra – 6 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 31
Wake Forest vs. West Virginia – 6 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 1
Wake Forest vs. Navy – 3 p.m. ET
Fan Information
There will continue to be free admission for general admission seating for all home volleyball single matches. The team plays each home contest in Varsity Arena, located on the second level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109).
New to Wake Forest volleyball this year, 28 padded floor seats will be added for spectator viewing along the sidelines opposite the team benches. Fans will be able to purchase courtside season tickets for $150 each, either online or by calling the Wake Forest Athletics Ticket Office at (336) 758-3322 ext. 2, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Wake Forest Athletics is committed to providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina within a safe and fan-friendly environment. Friday's match (Aug. 30) will involve a free t-shirt giveaway for the first 200 students to show up to the contest. Additionally, during Saturday and Sunday, fans will have the opportunity to enter raffles and win exclusive Wake Forest gear at the Fan Experience table.
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at all home events, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all fans. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at volleyball home matches this fall, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Recent Campaign
With the Deacs finishing 17-12 overall in fall 2023, it marked the first time the program has posted back-to-back seasons of 17 or more wins since 2000-01. Wake Forest also tallied eight wins in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play -- standing at two consecutive years of at least eight victories against league opponents. That such feat was a first for Wake Forest throughout program history since 2009-10. The team began the 2023 campaign with a 6-0 mark, its best undefeated start since 2019.
Against non-conference competition, Wake Forest finished 9-2 overall in the earlier half of the 2023 season. The team was tabbed No. 21 in the first NCAA RPI rankings list of the season released on Oct. 2, 2023 -- its highest nod in program history.
A total of three Deacs have landed spots on the ACC All-Freshman Team through the last two seasons (2022-23). The three selections are the most for Wake Forest in a two-year span since 1997-98. Standout libero Emma Farrell also collected two ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2023 (Aug. 28 and Oct. 9). For her young career, she has earned four total ACC weekly awards.
Non-Con Notes
Since 2019, with head coach Randi Smart leading the way, the program has totaled a 36-8 record versus non-conference foes through the regular season. Additionally, the Deacs have posted an 11-1 clip at home through that same four-year stretch against such opponents. Non-conference action did not take place during the spring 2020 season.
Who's Back?
The Deacs return 10 players from the 2023 roster, headlined by a rising senior trio of Olivia Franke, Kalani Whillock and Kendall Phillips.
Entering her fifth season, Franke is one of the most experienced players to don the Old Gold and Black – having appeared in 100 matches throughout her tenure. She has led Wake Forest in hitting percentage for each of the last two years and ranks in the top 15 within the program's all-time career individuals for total blocks, solo blocks and assisted blocks. Whillock and Phillips both play as defensive specialists, as the former reached over 800 career digs near the conclusion of this past fall while serving as a team captain for the last two seasons. Phillips competed in 20 contests during the 2023 campaign.
In another area of the roster, Emma Farrell, Paige Crawford, Rian Baker and Olivia Murphy combine to make up a quartet of rising juniors for the Deacons. Farrell has audiences aware of her defensive prowess as a reliable libero – her accomplishments include being named the ACC Freshman of the Year back in 2022, along with quite a few all-tournament team honors. Up to date, she has played and started in every match since her debut collegiate season and recorded 941 digs through two years. Crawford, a Texas native, is a strong arm and finished as the team leader in kills during both 2023 and 2022. She additionally led Wake Forest in service aces last season while resting in the top 10 among ACC individuals in both kills and points during a midway stretch of the fall. Baker took over as a primary setter as a sophomore, reaching her 1,000th career assist on Sept. 24, 2023. She finished eighth in the conference in assists (8.35/set) while leading the squad with 943 on the year. Murphy will work to make an impact back on the hardwood after redshirting last season due to injury.
Dior Charles, Olivia Fish and Elena Dragani all slide back in as sophomores this fall. Charles brings notable athleticism at the middle blocker position, being second on the roster in total blocks (80.0) as a freshman and contributing five or more in nine separate showings. Fish had quite a few impressive performances during 2023 while appearing in 24 matches. Dragani plays at the setter spot and will look to make a leap in her second year.
Who's New?
A total of seven new faces have joined the Deacons' roster for 2024-25, as four graduate transfers and three true freshmen make up the mix. Laila Ricks (University of Maryland), Tina Grkovic (Rutgers University), Sahara Maruska (Rice University) and Jaime Santer (University of Hawai'i) have all transferred in for their final collegiate seasons and provide ample experience for the team. Ricks mainly does her work as an athletic attacker from the right side while Maruska and Santer compete as outside hitters. Grkovic, meanwhile, holds down the front line at the middle blocker spot. Maruska and Santer both have reached the NCAA Tournament three times, as the latter has done so for beach volleyball as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American. Grkovic ranks high in Rutgers' program records for career blocks, and Ricks earned several invitational awards during her tenure at Maryland.
Wake Forest's freshmen class involves a trio of Cy Rae Campbell, Becca Bellows and Dhru Lalaji.
Campbell has collected a state championship in each of her four years as a varsity letter winner at Heritage Christian Academy while also receiving numerous individual honors. Playing as a middle hitter, she ultimately reached over 1,000 career kills in high school and ranked as high as No. 28 and 36 nationally by PrepVolleyball.com and PrepDig, respectively – earning props as the top player at her position within the state of Kansas from the latter.
Bellows served as a high school team captain for three of her four years on the Wheaton Warrenville South High School's varsity squad and entered the program's 1,000-assists club last fall. She notched a number of accolades, including being named the 2023 Dukane Conference Player of the Year, while pacing her school to consecutive regional championships. The Midwest native ranked eighth overall in the state of Illinois and fifth at her position.
Lalaji holds prowess as a defensive specialist and emerged as a multi-champion throughout both her high school and club volleyball experience. She helped lead her Pace Academy team to become the No. 1 program in the state of Georgia and No. 9 nationally. Additionally, the Atlanta product has been a member of the renowned A5 Volleyball Club, which also produced Emma Farrell.
Series History
Versus Hofstra
Series: Wake Forest leads, 1-0
Last Time: Sept. 19, 2015
Result: W, 3-2
Versus West Virginia
Series: West Virginia leads, 3-2
Last Time: Sept. 15, 2018
Result: L, 1-3
Versus Navy
Series: Navy leads, 1-0
Last Time: Oct. 28, 1978
Result: L, 1-2
Scouting the Opposition
Picked seventh in this year's Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) preseason poll, Hofstra went 18-11 overall in 2023, winning eight conference matches. Seniors Beatriz Alves and Chiara Cucco were both tabbed to the 2024 Preseason All-CAA Volleyball team. A two-time CAA Setter of the Year, Alves earned first team honors at the conclusion of both the 2023 and 2022 campaigns. Cucco is a two-time CAA Libero of the Year, ranking ninth in program history in career digs. Other standout returners include junior middle blocker Emily Nunes, who finished fourth in the CAA in hitting percentage last fall, and junior outside hitter Izadora Stedile – a top-10 conference individual in both kills and service aces during 2023. Hofstra has a heavy group of underclassmen, as 11 of the 18 roster members are freshmen and sophomores.
West Virginia finished 9-22 overall a year ago, winning two Big 12 matches. The team returns a few notable options, as outside hitter Hailey Green is back after leading the Mountaineers in kills (418) during 2023. Setter Lauren DeLo also makes a return for a graduate year, having paced the team in assists (1,061) and service aces (27) last fall. Head coach Jen Greeny steps into her first season leading West Virginia, as she was named the fifth head coach in program history in December 2023, following a 13-year tenure at the helm of Washington State volleyball.
Navy pieced an 18-9 overall record in 2023 while advancing to the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Nine conference wins happened for the team, in addition to a 9-2 clip at home. The current roster is now headlined by a senior quartet of Hannah Hoover, Lily Lutz, Katie Jackowski and Doris Nelson. A defensive specialist, Hoover collected 394 digs as a junior to lead the team. Head coach Paco Labrador is entering his seventh season with Navy and has compiled a 91-57 overall record up to date during his time.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Players Mentioned
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