SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant women's volleyball team kicks off their 2025 campaign on August 29^th in Durham, North Carolina in a tournament hosted by Duke University at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Bryant's first-ever trip to Durham will kick off the 50^th anniversary celebration of Bryant Volleyball. The Black and Gold will be celebrating the golden anniversary all season long, culminating with anniversary weekend Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

Head Volleyball Coach Theresa Garlacy enters her 30^th season at the helm for the Bulldogs. She eclipsed a remarkable 600 career wins last season, now sitting at 614 wins which is 10^th all-time among active Division I head coaches.

"Things are going very well, we've shown good grit in the gym, and we have a super competitive yet supportive environment," Garlacy said. "There's a lot of challenge on the court. We've had no slow practices and there's a good level of intensity."

The Bulldogs are entering their fourth season as members of the America East Conference. They finished 18-10 last season with a 4-6 record in America East play. They're ranked fourth in the preseason America East poll. Bryant performed well in front of their home crowd last season, finishing with a 9-3 record at the Chace Athletic Center.

Garlacy's team includes 13 returners, which is one of their core strengths heading into this season.

"We have tremendous leadership from our seniors. They set a high standard for the rest of the team", said Garlacy.

Senior outside hitter Arianna Ugolini is one of those returners. She was recently named to the preseason All-America East team, surpassing 300 kills in back-to-back seasons with the Bulldogs. She's shown a great level of intensity and maturity and has been a great leader according to Garlacy.

Another returner to watch is junior Madison Koeller, who posted an incredible 230 assists last season. Garlacy admires her leadership and how she has commanded the offense in practice.

This year's freshmen class welcomes four new Bulldogs including Madison Keem, Ruth Ochelli, Hannah Jackson, and Kaitlin Curran. Garlacy has been impressed with their transition thus far, praising their quiet confidence and steadiness on the court.

Another new addition to the Bulldogs is senior Maeve Voltz, a transfer from Springfield College. She had an impressive season in 2024 chalking up 265 kills for Springfield.

Middle Blockers

• The Bulldogs tallied 200.0 total blocks last season. The leading force is junior Brookelyn Talmadge who led the team in blocks the last two seasons, collecting 83 total blocks in 2024.
• Joining her will be senior London Hunt who appeared in 26 matches last season and came second on the team in blocks (81). She also recorded 134 kills and ranked 6^th in the America East for hitting percentage (.277).
• Making her Bulldogs debut is senior Maeve Voltz. She notched 129 blocks in each of her last two seasons at Springfield College. She also surpassed 650 kills in her 3 seasons with the Pride.
• Rounding out the blockers is junior Nadine Abdat who posted 12 blocks and 18 kills last season for the Bulldogs and will be red shirting this season.

Outside Hitters

• Opposing teams will be fixated on Arianna Ugolini this season and rightfully so. Ugolini has been a staple for the Bulldogs attack in her two seasons in Smithfield. She led the team in kills last season (326) and was ranked 5^th in kills for the America East Conference. Her impressive season landed her America East All-Conference First Team honors for the second straight season.
• Joining her in the Bulldogs attack is sophomore Katelyn Rossini, who is set to make her Bulldogs debut this season after not appearing in 2024.
• Sophomore Natalie Ricevuto returns to Smithfield for her second season with the Bulldogs. In 2024 she appeared in 11 matches recording 16 kills and 7 blocks on the season.
• Freshmen Hannah Jackson and Kaitlin Curran join the Bulldogs attack this season.

Opposite Hitters

• Seniors Ana Fuertes-Brito and Lea Mackey headline the opposite hitters. Ana Fuertes-Brito finished with 92 kills last season and reached her career high of 8 kills 5 times. Lea Mackey has tallied 85 kills in the last two seasons.
• The Bulldogs will also be relying on junior Nina Gavin. She appeared in 7 matches last season and finished with 18 kills.
• Freshman Ruth Ochelli also joins the Bulldogs.

Setters

• The Bulldogs have solid experience at the setter position including junior Madison Koeller and senior Melis Isik leading the group. Madison Koeller had an impressive showing last season, posting 92 digs and 14 aces. Melis Isik finished second on the team in assists last season (246) and recorded 16 aces.
• Freshman Madison Keem rounds out the setters for the Bulldogs.

Libero

• Junior Carrina Barron had an impressive breakout season in 2024. She earned America East Defensive Specialist of the Week honors twice last season, leading the conference in digs (411). She'll be a primary contributor for the Bulldogs defense this season.
• Sophomore Claudia Camacho-Castro returns for her second season with the Bulldogs. She appeared in all 28 matches last season and posted 77 digs.
• "They're going to form that 1-2 punch on defense and at service", said Garlacy.

Service

• The Bulldogs recorded 1.9 service aces per set last season and 199 total, leading the America East Conference.  
• Arianna Ugolini led the team in service aces in 2024 with 41 total (0.42/s).
• Behind her is Carrina Barron who recorded 33 last season (0.31/s).
• Three other Bulldogs finished in double digits including Melis Isik (16), Madison Koeller (14), and Claudia Camacho-Castro (13).
• The Bulldogs also got aces from London Hunt (5) and Nadine Abdat (1).

Bryant will also face Florida International University and the University of Houston in Durham. Their first match is set for Friday, August 29^th against Duke at 6:00 PM. Their home opener is on September 10^th at 7:00 PM against Holy Cross at the Chace Athletic Center.