This Week in Wake Forest Women’s Athletics – Presented by Truist (Jan. 13-19)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Truist, a longstanding partner of Wake Forest University who is An Official Banking Partner of Wake Forest Athletics and the Presenting Partner of Wake Forest Women's Athletics brings Deacon Nation this weekly update from the Demon Deacons women's programs:

Volleyball:
- Jeff Hulsmeyer was named the 13th head coach in program history for Demon Deacons volleyball on Jan. 9.
  - A 30-year collegiate volleyball coach, Hulsmeyer comes to DEACTOWN following 10 seasons at Florida State, where he served as associate head coach.
    - The Louisville, Ky., native helped lead the Seminoles to nine NCAA tournament appearances while additionally being crowned co-champions of the 2023 ACC Championship.
  - Hulsmeyer's career includes stints as head coach of Purdue, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky and Georgetown College.
    - Throughout his career as a head coach, he has won three Sun Belt regular-season titles and two conference tournament championships while notching seven seasons of 25-plus wins.
    - He has also been named both the Sun Belt Coach of the Year and Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year twice.
Women's Basketball:
- The Wake Forest women's basketball team had impressive individual performances against nationally-ranked Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.
  - At No. 3 Notre Dame, redshirt junior forward Malaya Cowles finished in double figures for the seventh time in the last eight games. Additionally in four ACC games this season, she has averaged 11.8 points per game.
    - Cowles also did a strong job on the glass, posting 10 rebounds Thursday night. She was well on her way to her third double-double of the season after the first 20 minutes of play, pulling down six boards in the first half alone.
  - Against Virginia Tech on Sunday, the Demon Deacons were led by 11 third quarter points from senior guard Elise Williams, the Deacs took a 46-45 lead into the fourth quarter, but were unable to claim the victory.
    - Williams ended the night with a team-high 15 points including going 3-of-4 from the free throw line. With her scoring effort on Sunday, the Raleigh, N.C. native moved up three spots on the all-time scoring list and now ranks 19th all-time with 1,207 career points.
Women's Tennis:
- The Wake Forest women's tennis team opens up their 2025 schedule with a trio matches over this upcoming weekend.
  - The Demon Deacons open their season with a doubleheader on Saturday, starting with a battle against No. 18 Tennessee at 10 a.m. before facing off against East Carolina, with first serve scheduled for 5 p.m.
    - The match against Tennessee will feature four matchups against ranked opponents, with two Volunteers ranked inside the top-10 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
  - The Deacs will close out their opening weekend slate with a matchup against two-time defending SoCon champions East Tennessee State on Monday at 12 p.m.
  - All three matches will be held at the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center and admission is free for all spectators.
Track & Field:
- The Wake Forest track & field team resumes indoor action this weekend on Friday and Saturday at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.
  - In the season opener back in December in meets in both Winston-Salem and Boston, New Jersey native and freshman Angelina Perez made a remarkable Wake Forest track and field debut, recording a time of 15:47.38 in the 5000m, while Brooke Wilson followed with a personal best of 15:49.45, securing an impressive 32nd-place finish.
  - In the long jump, standout performer Robbie Grace claimed first-place with a strong mark of 5.86m, followed closely by graduate student Bridget McNally who took second, recording 5.82m.
  - Additionally, Isabella Gera, secured first place in the shot put (14.99m) and earned fourth place in the weight throw with a mark of 17.66m.

About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country, and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $574 billion as of March 31, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.

About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 57 conference titles and are one of only seven ACC schools to win 10 or more national championships, along with Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, Syracuse and Florida State. Additionally, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which includes 1.3M residents and was ranked as ESPN's seventh-best market from a viewership perspective.

Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.

Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.

Wake Forest Athletics

This Week in Wake Forest Women’s Athletics – Presented by Truist (Jan. 13-19)

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