Photo by: Helen McGinnis / Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Release Complete Fall 2025 Volleyball Schedule
7/1/2025 11:13:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Wake Forest volleyball will open the Jeff Hulsmeyer era with 11 non-conference matches before a 20-match slate in ACC play.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest volleyball has officially finalized its complete schedule for the upcoming fall 2025 season, announced by the program on Tuesday.
The full fall schedule can be found here. For the second straight year, fans will have the opportunity to purchase season tickets for courtside seating inside Varsity Arena, while also taking in the venue's newest exciting upgrades set to debut for the 2025 campaign. A new state-of-the-art HD videoboard, balcony ribbon board and digital scorers table have all been added to Varsity Arena to showcase Wake Forest's commitment to The Best Fan Experience in North Carolina. One of the largest volleyball-specific displays in the country, the Daktronics videoboard will be centered on the baseline brick wall closest to the home team bench and feature more than 2.6 million pixels of high definition graphics.
Wake Forest will kick-off the inaugural Jeff Hulsmeyer era by facing 11 total opponents within non-conference action, including matches against Cincinnati, Michigan, Alabama, and Maryland. Among their scheduled matchups, the Deacs will also battle in-state North Carolina foes Davidson, East Carolina, and North Carolina A&T.
"I am so excited to get the 2025 Demon Deacons on the court to see what they can do this fall," said Hulsmeyer. "Our non-conference schedule is a great mix of contractual returns and compelling new matchups, including the new ACC/SEC Challenge and our home tournament where we will be honoring the 50th anniversary of the 1975 team and its historic accomplishments. We have a variety of challenges in this schedule that will give us a great gauge of what we have going into ACC competition."
The team opens the fall with participation in the University of Cincinnati's hosted tournament. Wake Forest is set to first face the host Bearcats (Aug. 29) in its season opener before taking on Michigan a day later. The event will feature a first-ever meeting between the Deacs and Cincinnati. For Michigan, the Wolverines will match up with Wake Forest for the first time since Sept. 7, 2012.
During week two, the Deacs are slated to head North for Navy's hosted invitational, as four total teams will compete throughout three days in Annapolis, Maryland. Wake Forest opens with a Friday afternoon test versus George Mason (Sept. 5). Following Friday's contest, the weekend will feature Wake Forest matches against Air Force (Sept. 6) and Navy (Sept. 7). The Deacs are undefeated in the all-time series versus Air Force and captured a 3-0 sweep over Navy last September.
On Sept. 10, Wake Forest will step into the inaugural 'Showdown at the Net' – an ESPN Events edition that features 16 ACC volleyball teams taking on SEC programs. The Demon Deacons' opponent is Alabama, matching up with the Crimson Tide for the first time since Nov. 30, 2002. Alabama will host the contest in its Foster Auditorium.
Mid-September will see Wake Forest make its first season appearance inside Varsity Arena, hosting Davidson for its home opener (Sept. 12). The Deacs have won four of the last five matchups over the Wildcats. During its first home weekend, Wake Forest will additionally honor its 1975 team for a 50th anniversary celebration, welcoming back a roster that went 31-9 overall to still hold program records for single-season wins and win percentage (.775) throughout program history. The Maryland Terrapins also come to Winston-Salem for the weekend, visiting Wake Forest in a Sunday afternoon showing (Sept. 14). Two days later, the Deacs will make an in-state trip to Greenville for a road match at East Carolina, looking to extend their win streak to 13 in the ongoing series.
Wake Forest welcomes another in-state school to its home court on Sept. 18, hosting North Carolina A&T. The Deacs and Aggies last met nearly three years ago on Sept. 6, 2022. Finally, Wake Forest will finish off non-conference competition with a trip to Norfolk, Virginia – competing against the Old Dominion Monarchs for the first time in program history (Sept. 20).
The Demon Deacons unveiled their ACC schedule in late May. The team will compete in 20 matches against conference opponents, including five versus Big Four schools and 10 home showings inside Varsity Arena.
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 third level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109).
After debuting a year ago, courtside seating will make a return to Varsity Arena for the fall 2025 campaign. These cushioned reserved floor seats are limited and provide perfect up-close spectator viewing for all the action alongside the net on the opposite side of team benches. Courtside reserved season tickets can be purchased for only $150 apiece (while supplies last) for all 13 home matches. For more information, contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at (336) 758-3322 or tix@wfu.edu.
Wake Forest Volleyball Overview
The Demon Deacons enter their 46th season in program history this fall, with eight players set to return. Four veteran members will pace the group – Emma Farrell, Paige Crawford, Rian Baker and Olivia Murphy. Olivia Fish and Elena Dragani come back into the fold as additional upperclassmen, entering their third seasons on the roster, while Becca Bellows and Dhru Lalaji step into their sophomore years.
Head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer enters his first season at the helm of the program, bringing over three decades worth of coaching experience at the collegiate volleyball level. His arrival to Winston-Salem came following 10 seasons at Florida State, where he served as associate head coach and his team won the 2023 ACC Championship. In addition to his time in Tallahassee, Hulsmeyer previously was the offensive and recruiting coordinator of Kansas State volleyball for six years, following head coaching stints at both Georgetown College and Purdue. The late 1990s involved him being an assistant coach at Illinois, preceded by three years apiece as head coach of Arkansas State and Western Kentucky, where he began his coaching journey as a graduate assistant for the latter.
Last season, Wake Forest finished sixth in blocks as a team among league member schools, totaling a 2.45 per-set average. The team was the only ACC program to have multiple players rest in the top 10 in blocks among all conference individuals. The Deacs had one of their best all-time seasons in defending at the net, as their totals in assisted blocks (468) and total blocks (289.0) ranks second and fifth in program history, respectively. Within the current 25-point rally scoring era, those same totals stand first in a single season, up to date.
Non-Con Nuggets
The Deacs went 8-3 against non-conference competition in 2024. Wake Forest has won at least eight non-conference, regular-season matches in each of the last three seasons. Since the start of the 2019 campaign, the program has totaled a 44-11 record versus non-conference opponents. Additionally, the program has gone 15-2 at home against such foes during that span. Non-conference play did not take place during the spring 2020 season.
Wake Forest Volleyball Fall 2025 Schedule
Home games in BOLD
All times in EST
* - ACC matches
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
The full fall schedule can be found here. For the second straight year, fans will have the opportunity to purchase season tickets for courtside seating inside Varsity Arena, while also taking in the venue's newest exciting upgrades set to debut for the 2025 campaign. A new state-of-the-art HD videoboard, balcony ribbon board and digital scorers table have all been added to Varsity Arena to showcase Wake Forest's commitment to The Best Fan Experience in North Carolina. One of the largest volleyball-specific displays in the country, the Daktronics videoboard will be centered on the baseline brick wall closest to the home team bench and feature more than 2.6 million pixels of high definition graphics.
Wake Forest will kick-off the inaugural Jeff Hulsmeyer era by facing 11 total opponents within non-conference action, including matches against Cincinnati, Michigan, Alabama, and Maryland. Among their scheduled matchups, the Deacs will also battle in-state North Carolina foes Davidson, East Carolina, and North Carolina A&T.
"I am so excited to get the 2025 Demon Deacons on the court to see what they can do this fall," said Hulsmeyer. "Our non-conference schedule is a great mix of contractual returns and compelling new matchups, including the new ACC/SEC Challenge and our home tournament where we will be honoring the 50th anniversary of the 1975 team and its historic accomplishments. We have a variety of challenges in this schedule that will give us a great gauge of what we have going into ACC competition."
The team opens the fall with participation in the University of Cincinnati's hosted tournament. Wake Forest is set to first face the host Bearcats (Aug. 29) in its season opener before taking on Michigan a day later. The event will feature a first-ever meeting between the Deacs and Cincinnati. For Michigan, the Wolverines will match up with Wake Forest for the first time since Sept. 7, 2012.
During week two, the Deacs are slated to head North for Navy's hosted invitational, as four total teams will compete throughout three days in Annapolis, Maryland. Wake Forest opens with a Friday afternoon test versus George Mason (Sept. 5). Following Friday's contest, the weekend will feature Wake Forest matches against Air Force (Sept. 6) and Navy (Sept. 7). The Deacs are undefeated in the all-time series versus Air Force and captured a 3-0 sweep over Navy last September.
On Sept. 10, Wake Forest will step into the inaugural 'Showdown at the Net' – an ESPN Events edition that features 16 ACC volleyball teams taking on SEC programs. The Demon Deacons' opponent is Alabama, matching up with the Crimson Tide for the first time since Nov. 30, 2002. Alabama will host the contest in its Foster Auditorium.
Mid-September will see Wake Forest make its first season appearance inside Varsity Arena, hosting Davidson for its home opener (Sept. 12). The Deacs have won four of the last five matchups over the Wildcats. During its first home weekend, Wake Forest will additionally honor its 1975 team for a 50th anniversary celebration, welcoming back a roster that went 31-9 overall to still hold program records for single-season wins and win percentage (.775) throughout program history. The Maryland Terrapins also come to Winston-Salem for the weekend, visiting Wake Forest in a Sunday afternoon showing (Sept. 14). Two days later, the Deacs will make an in-state trip to Greenville for a road match at East Carolina, looking to extend their win streak to 13 in the ongoing series.
Wake Forest welcomes another in-state school to its home court on Sept. 18, hosting North Carolina A&T. The Deacs and Aggies last met nearly three years ago on Sept. 6, 2022. Finally, Wake Forest will finish off non-conference competition with a trip to Norfolk, Virginia – competing against the Old Dominion Monarchs for the first time in program history (Sept. 20).
The Demon Deacons unveiled their ACC schedule in late May. The team will compete in 20 matches against conference opponents, including five versus Big Four schools and 10 home showings inside Varsity Arena.
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 third level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109).
After debuting a year ago, courtside seating will make a return to Varsity Arena for the fall 2025 campaign. These cushioned reserved floor seats are limited and provide perfect up-close spectator viewing for all the action alongside the net on the opposite side of team benches. Courtside reserved season tickets can be purchased for only $150 apiece (while supplies last) for all 13 home matches. For more information, contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at (336) 758-3322 or tix@wfu.edu.
Wake Forest Volleyball Overview
The Demon Deacons enter their 46th season in program history this fall, with eight players set to return. Four veteran members will pace the group – Emma Farrell, Paige Crawford, Rian Baker and Olivia Murphy. Olivia Fish and Elena Dragani come back into the fold as additional upperclassmen, entering their third seasons on the roster, while Becca Bellows and Dhru Lalaji step into their sophomore years.
Head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer enters his first season at the helm of the program, bringing over three decades worth of coaching experience at the collegiate volleyball level. His arrival to Winston-Salem came following 10 seasons at Florida State, where he served as associate head coach and his team won the 2023 ACC Championship. In addition to his time in Tallahassee, Hulsmeyer previously was the offensive and recruiting coordinator of Kansas State volleyball for six years, following head coaching stints at both Georgetown College and Purdue. The late 1990s involved him being an assistant coach at Illinois, preceded by three years apiece as head coach of Arkansas State and Western Kentucky, where he began his coaching journey as a graduate assistant for the latter.
Last season, Wake Forest finished sixth in blocks as a team among league member schools, totaling a 2.45 per-set average. The team was the only ACC program to have multiple players rest in the top 10 in blocks among all conference individuals. The Deacs had one of their best all-time seasons in defending at the net, as their totals in assisted blocks (468) and total blocks (289.0) ranks second and fifth in program history, respectively. Within the current 25-point rally scoring era, those same totals stand first in a single season, up to date.
Non-Con Nuggets
The Deacs went 8-3 against non-conference competition in 2024. Wake Forest has won at least eight non-conference, regular-season matches in each of the last three seasons. Since the start of the 2019 campaign, the program has totaled a 44-11 record versus non-conference opponents. Additionally, the program has gone 15-2 at home against such foes during that span. Non-conference play did not take place during the spring 2020 season.
| Season | Non-Conference Record | Win Percentage |
| 2024 | 8-3 | .727 |
| 2023 | 9-2 | .818 |
| 2022 | 8-3 | .727 |
| 2021 | 9-2 | .818 |
| 2019 | 10-1 | .909 |
Wake Forest Volleyball Fall 2025 Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | Location |
| Friday, Aug. 29 | Cincinnati | 6:30 p.m. | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Saturday, Aug. 30 | Michigan | 3 p.m. | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Friday, Sept. 5 | George Mason | 3 p.m. | Annapolis, Md. |
| Saturday, Sept. 6 | Air Force | 3 p.m. | Annapolis, Md. |
| Sunday, Sept. 7 | Navy | 3 p.m. | Annapolis, Md. |
| Wednesday, Sept. 10 | Alabama | 6 p.m. | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Friday, Sept. 12 | Davidson | 7 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Sunday, Sept. 14 | Maryland | 1 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Tuesday, Sept. 16 | East Carolina | 6 p.m. | Greenville, N.C. |
| Thursday, Sept. 18 | North Carolina A&T | 6:30 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Saturday, Sept. 20 | Old Dominion | 3 p.m. | Norfolk, Va. |
| Friday, Sept. 26 | *North Carolina | 7 p.m. | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| Sunday, Sept. 28 | *Duke | 1 p.m. | Durham, N.C. |
| Friday, Oct. 3 | *Florida State | 6:30 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Sunday, Oct. 5 | *Miami | 1 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Wednesday, Oct. 8 | *NC State | 6:30 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Saturday, Oct. 11 | *NC State | 2 p.m. | Raleigh, N.C. |
| Friday, Oct. 17 | *Georgia Tech | 6:30 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Sunday, Oct. 19 | *Clemson | 1 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Friday, Oct. 24 | *SMU | 8 p.m. | Dallas, Texas |
| Sunday, Oct. 26 | *Pitt | 1 p.m. | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Friday, Oct. 31 | *California | 6:30 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Sunday, Nov. 2 | *Stanford | 1 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Friday, Nov. 7 | *Notre Dame | 6:30 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Sunday, Nov. 9 | *Louisville | 1 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Friday, Nov. 14 | *Syracuse | 6 p.m. | Syracuse, N.Y. |
| Sunday, Nov. 16 | *Boston College | 1 p.m. | Chestnut Hill, Mass. |
| Friday, Nov. 21 | *Virginia Tech | 6 p.m. | Blacksburg, Va. |
| Sunday, Nov. 23 | *Virginia | 1 p.m. | Charlottesville, Va. |
| Wednesday, Nov. 26 | *Duke | 3 p.m. | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | *Notre Dame | 3 p.m. | South Bend, Ind. |
All times in EST
* - ACC matches
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Players Mentioned
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