New Courtside Seating Options and Home Promotional Schedule Headlines Upcoming 2024 Fall Volleyball Slate
8/5/2024 3:59:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Exciting new features of season-long seating and match-by-match promotions will unfold within Varsity Arena this fall.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Settling into the month of August, the start of the 2024 season for Demon Deacons volleyball is nearing by the day and Wake Forest Athletics has unveiled various opportunities for fans ahead of the fall campaign. 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.
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, NC 27109).
A promotional schedule has been set for the Deacons' collective home appearances in 2024. Notable promotional matches that headline the Deacs' home slate for the fall include:
Family Weekend
Dig Pink Match
Senior & Graduates Day
Black Friday
Full 2024 Volleyball Home Promotional Schedule
2024 Season Outlook
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 ACC 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. 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.
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 Black and Old Gold – 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 a nod as the ACC Freshman of the Year back in 2022. 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 are set to 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 fits into the Deacs' core of hitters, as she 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.
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. Grković, meanwhile, holds down the front line at the middle blocker spot. Maruska and Santer both have reached the NCAA Tournament three times during their careers, as the latter has done so for beach volleyball as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American. Grković ranks high in Rutgers' program records for career blocks, and Ricks earned several invitational awards during her tenure at Maryland.
Wake Forest's 2024 high school signing 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 letterwinner 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 current Wake Forest junior libero Emma Farrell.
Follow the Deacs
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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, NC 27109).
A promotional schedule has been set for the Deacons' collective home appearances in 2024. Notable promotional matches that headline the Deacs' home slate for the fall include:
Family Weekend
- Opponent:
- Virginia and Virginia Tech
- Date:
- Friday, Sept. 27 (versus Virginia) and Sunday, Sept. 29 (versus Virginia Tech)
- Start Time:
- 7 p.m. ET (Sept. 27) and 1 p.m. ET (Sept. 29)
- Fan Information:
- A celebrated tradition for all alums, families and fans of the Old Gold and Black, the weekend will additionally include a Camper Reunion theme on Sunday, as all past Wake Forest volleyball camp attendees are invited to attend and encouraged to wear their camp t-shirts.
Dig Pink Match
- Opponent:
- Duke
- Date:
- Friday, Oct. 11
- Start Time:
- 7 p.m. ET
- Fan Information:
- A yearly outing that centers around Breast Cancer Awareness while honoring the late Heather Holmes, who served as head volleyball coach for the Demon Deacons from 2005-12.
- All fans are encouraged to wear pink, as the evening will include a pink rally towel giveaway.
- Additionally, fans can arrive early for a short pre-match ceremony that will recognize the recipient of the 2024 Heather Holmes Tenacity Award.
- This annual award is presented by the program in memory of Coach Holmes to a roster member who best embodies Holmes' tenacious and indomitable spirit, displaying characteristics such as persistence, grit, kindness, passion and leadership.
Senior & Graduates Day
- Opponent:
- SMU
- Date:
- Sunday, Nov. 24
- Start Time:
- 12 p.m. ET
- Fan Information:
- The Deacons' penultimate home appearance of the regular season will involve a post-match ceremony to celebrate the 2024 Senior & Graduates Class.
- A group of seven players make up this year's class:
- Olivia Franke (Fifth-Year)
- Kalani Whillock (Senior)
- Kendall Phillips (Senior)
- Laila Ricks (Graduate Transfer)
- Tina Grković (Graduate Transfer)
- Sahara Maruska (Graduate Transfer)
- Jaime Santer (Graduate Transfer)
Black Friday
- Opponent:
- Florida State
- Date:
- Friday, Nov. 29
- Start Time:
- 1 p.m. ET
- Fan Information:
- The team is looking to make Varsity Arena a blackout for its final showing at home for the regular season – fans are encouraged to wear black during the Friday contest.
- Early-arriving fans will receive a black Wake Forest volleyball t-shirt.
- Football Enter-to-Win – With the Deacs' football squad hosting Duke in a regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 30, fans can enter a raffle at volleyball to win a football ticket package to the game.
Full 2024 Volleyball Home Promotional Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Promotions |
| Friday, Aug. 30 | 6 p.m. ET | Hofstra | Free Shirt Giveaway for Students (First 200) |
| Saturday, Aug. 31 | 6 p.m. ET | West Virginia | Enter-to-Win Weekend |
| Sunday, Sept. 1 | 3 p.m. ET | Navy | Enter-to-Win Weekend |
| Friday, Sept. 20 | 7 p.m. ET | App State | Free Pizza for Students (First 200) |
| Sunday, Sept. 22 | 2 p.m. ET | Davidson | National Girls Night In |
| Friday, Sept. 27 | 7 p.m. ET | Virginia | Family Weekend |
| Sunday, Sept. 29 | 1 p.m. ET | Virginia Tech | Family Weekend and Camper Reunion |
| Friday, Oct. 11 | 7 p.m. ET | Duke | Dig Pink Match |
| Sunday, Oct. 13 | 3:30 p.m. ET | North Carolina | Pride Match |
| Friday, Nov. 1 | 7 p.m. ET | Boston College | Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night |
| Sunday, Nov. 3 | 1 p.m. ET | Syracuse | Alzheimer's Disease Awareness |
| Saturday, Nov. 16 | 7 p.m. ET | NC State | Youth Team Night |
| Friday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m. ET | Pitt | Mental Health Awareness |
| Sunday, Nov. 24 | 12 p.m. ET | SMU | Senior & Graduates Day |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | 1 p.m. ET | Florida State | Black Friday |
2024 Season Outlook
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 ACC 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. 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.
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 Black and Old Gold – 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 a nod as the ACC Freshman of the Year back in 2022. 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 are set to 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 fits into the Deacs' core of hitters, as she 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.
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. Grković, meanwhile, holds down the front line at the middle blocker spot. Maruska and Santer both have reached the NCAA Tournament three times during their careers, as the latter has done so for beach volleyball as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American. Grković ranks high in Rutgers' program records for career blocks, and Ricks earned several invitational awards during her tenure at Maryland.
Wake Forest's 2024 high school signing 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 letterwinner 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 current Wake Forest junior libero Emma Farrell.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
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