Bryant University

FULL BIO - Maria A. Bras-Benitez spearheaded one of the most successful seasons in the Bryant volleyball history in 1994, when she carried the Bulldogs to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament, completing a four-year stretch in which the Bulldogs were a combined 116-39. Bra finished her career with 2,045 career kills, and was the first player in the school's history to have more than 1,500. She is currently ranked second all-time in kills.

She was named the college's female athlete of the year in 1994 and 1995, as well as being an all-tournament selection in every tournament in which she played in her four years. She is currently the owner and chief operating officer of New Alliance Insurance Agency, Inc. in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

FULL BIO - A pioneer of women's sports, Lorraine Hudak served as the Women's Athletic Coordinator, head volleyball and head softball coach at Bryant.  During her 11-year tenure as coordinator, the Bryant women's athletic program were considered the top Division II program in New England.  Hudak joined the Bryant staff in 1977, following a four-year teaching and coaching career at Warren (RI) High School where she coached tennis, basketball and volleyball. As coach of the Bryant volleyball team, she led Bryant to several national rankings and New England Conference championships. 

FULL BIO -Meribah Dean was a key player on Bryant’s volleyball team that amassed a 112-41 record in her career with three postseason appearances. Named Northeast-10 Conference player of the year in 1995, she was a two-time all-conference pick who led the Bulldogs to the NE-10 regular-season title in 1995. She currently ranks second in career kills, fifth in career kills per game, fourth in career digs, and second in matches played.

She also was the 1996 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee from the state of Rhode Island and remains the only Bryant student-athlete to be so honored.

A four-year member of the Bryant women's volleyball team from 1994 to 1997, Jennifer Carvalho '98, enters the hall of fame as one of the top setters in the program's history. A native of East Providence, R.I. and graduate of East Providence High School, Carvalho made an immediate impact with the Bulldogs since first stepping onto campus in 1994. In her first year, she was named as the Northeast-10 and AVCA regional freshman of the year and concluded her illustrious career with the distinction of being named Bryant's athlete of the year as a senior in 1998.

During her career, she was a two-time Northeast-10 all-conference selection (1996, 1997) and earned AVCA All-Northeast Region honors in 1997. Graduating as the school's all-time career assists leader (4,728), Carvalho still ranks seventh for career service aces with 178; ninth in career digs with 1,047; eighth with 483 career games played; and 10th in career matches played (138). Team captain as a senior and member of the Captains Council, the Bulldogs posted a 99-47 overall record during her four-year career.

One of the most decorated volleyball players in the history of Bryant volleyball, Noelle Emmette’s name still stands among some of the all-time greats to play for the Bulldogs over the years.  During her career from 1988-1992, Emmette garnered Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year honors in 1988 and capped off her career as the NE-10 Player of the Year in 1991. 

Along the way, Emmette garnered three all-conference honors.  As a senior in 1991, she helped lead the Bulldogs to a perfect 8-0 conference record (26-6 overall) with 379 kills and hit .330 offensively, the second-best single season percentage in school history. Her .800 percentage vs. Saint Anselm still remains a record today.

FULL BIO - In the long, storied history of Bryant volleyball, Michelle Muniz becomes the ninth volleyball player to enter the Bryant University Athletics Hall of Fame. One of the most exciting and powerful outside hitters in the history of the program, was not only one of the best players in the conference, but within the entire region immediately from the moment she stepped on campus.

Named as the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Year in 2002, Muniz continued her high level of play for the remainder of her career, earning Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year honors in each of the following three seasons.

A four-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region selection and two-time AVCA All-America Honorable Mention recipient, Muniz helped guide the Bulldogs to 128-career victories from 2002-06.

During that span, Bryant volleyball earned a trip to four-straight NCAA tournament appearances including three trips to the NCAA’s “Sweet Sixteen.” She graduated as the program’s all-time career leader in kills (2,320), kills per set (4.67), attempts (5,437) and points (2,796.5).

Today, Muniz is third all-time with 315 career service aces and is second with 1,982 career digs and 3.99 digs per set.

FULL BIO - In the long storied history of Bryant women's volleyball, former standout Marcie Monaco's name stands out as one of the best.  The 1998 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Co-MVP, Monaco is second all-time in career service aces and fourth all-time in most attacks in a season and third in career digs. She is ranked fifth all-time in Northeast-10 Conference history with 1,764 career digs and second with 326 career service aces. 

FULL BIO - In 2009, women's volleyball standout Bunmi Akinnusotu joined a select group that has inducted three former players in the past four years.  During her career at Bryant, Akinnusotu was a dominant force at the net and still stands second all-time in total blocks and block assists. 

She is currently third all-time with 57 blocks in a single season and finished her career with 160 solo blocks, 339 block assists and 170 total career blocks from 1999-2002.  She is currently fifth all-time in kills and in matches played, and stands first all-time in career hitting percentage. 

The 2002 Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, Akinnusotu earned three first team all-conference honors, three all-region selections - including two first-team honors. 

The recipient of Bryant's Omar Shareef Spirit Award and NCAA Woman of the Year, Akinnusotu was named Bryant's Female Athlete of the Year in 2001 and received the Jim Thorpe Athletic Award in 2003, as well as the Peggy Stone Emerging Leader award in 2000.

FULL BIO - Arguably the top setter in school history, Britta Beckman paved the way for standout setters to come in a program known for its rich history of stellar play at the position. Beckman established numbers that topped the Bulldog and Northeast-10 Conference history books, dishing out more than 6,000 assists across her career. Her numbers as a setter – 6,274 assists and 11.47 helpers per game – ranked her above not just any other Bulldog, but every other setter in the conference as well, holding the top spot until 2007.

Beckman remains the all-time Bryant record holder for assists in a season, registering 1749 in 2003.

The 2004 grad currently holds the No. 2 slot in both assists and assists per game in both the Bulldog and NE-10 record books and is currently ranked fifth among all Bryant players in career aces (283). She is in the top-5 in both sets and matches played and holds top-15 spots in attack percentage, digs and total blocks. Her 78 assists against Bentley in November of 2003 rank second all-time in a single match and are the most of any setter this decade.

Beckman garnered many honors in her four years as a Bulldog, becoming the first Bryant athlete to win a trio of NE-10 Setter of the Year awards (2000, 2002 and 2003), and was a three-time first team all-conference selection, a 2003 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and an AVCA All-Northeast Region pick all four years.

FULL BIO - At the turn of the century, Bryant volleyball was a dominant force not only within the conference but on the regional landscape as well. The Bulldogs possessed a powerful offense that was equally matched by an air-tight defense led by the play of libero Carola Pierluisi ’04. The Bulldogs posted an amazing record of 132-35 during her career including four-straight trips to the NCAA tournament and back-to-back NE-10 Championships in 2003 and 2004.  A Second Team All-American selection by the AVCA in 2003, Pierluisi was a named the NE-10 Libero of the Year in 2003 and 2004.  She holds the school record with 2,035 career digs (second all-time in NE-10 history) and ranks seventh with 204 career service aces.  Academically, Pierluisi was named a Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll Gold Scholar in 2004 and was the recipient of the Bryant Intercultural Center Jim Thorpe Award in 2005.

FULL BIO - One of the greatest setters to play for the Bulldogs, Tiffany Garry ‘08 led the Bryant women’s volleyball team to four NCAA appearances during her stellar career, including a trip to the Sweet 16 and one NCAA regional semifinal. During her career, the Bulldogs posted an incredible 115-47 record, captured three Northeast-10 Conference titles and recorded two undefeated conference slates. 

An All-American in 2007, Garry earned three all-region honors and was named the NE-10 Setter of the Year three times (2004, 2005, 2007).  She currently holds school records for career assists (6,278), and career service aces (396).

FULL BIO - An explosive middle hitter, Jessica Cegarra ‘07 was a key member of the dominant Bryant women’s volleyball team from 2003-2006. Cegarra helped lead Bryant to an amazing record of 120-42 during her four years including a 56-10 record in the Northeast-10 and 10-1 record in conference tournament play.  She ranks in the top-five in several categories including third all-time in kills and second all-time in total blocks.