WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary volleyball will open up its 2025 campaign as it travels to Rock Hill, S.C. for the Winthrop Tournament this weekend. The action will get underway on Friday at 2 p.m. when the Tribe plays Charlotte at the Winthrop Coliseum. Saturday's match against Davidson is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first serve.
Neither match will be streamed, but fans can follow the action through live stats and by following
@WMTribeVB on social media.
PRESEASON PROSPECTUS
W&M had a pair of seniors named to the Preseason All-CAA squad in middle blocker
Olivia Esposito and outside hitter
Nicole Smith. For Esposito, it marked her second straight year earning preseason all-conference accolades. William & Mary was one of two programs (Hofstra and Towson) to have multiple players selected. It is also the first since 2010 that multiple Tribe players have earned preseason recognition.
The Green & Gold was predicted to finish sixth in the CAA coaches' poll.
LIVIN' IT UP
Esposito returns as a key cog in the middle. She played in 20 matches last season and racked up 81.0 blocks for a team-best average of 1.04 blocks per set. Esposito also added 89 kills and posting a .284 hitting percentage. The Carversville, Pa. native had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2023 that saw her earn Second Team All-CAA honors after leading the league in blocks per set (1.27) and hitting percentage (.367), the latter standing as a single-season school record. Her .329 career hitting percentage is also a program record.
HEY HEY, HEY NIKKI
Smith recorded 250 kills in her junior season, ranking second on the Tribe. She posted an average of 2.63 kills per set across 95 sets played, adding 81 digs and 34.0 blocks.
EXPERIENCED VETS
Senior libero
Kaitlyn Dunnigan returns from last year's squad. Dunnigan is the most experienced of the bunch, having played in 61 career matches and 199 sets. Esposito (56) and Smith (53) are next in terms of matches played. Dunnigan tallied 213 digs last season, by far the most among Tribe returners.
ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE
W&M ended the 2024 season with four straight wins, its longest winning streak since 2022. The program has put together three straight seasons of 10 or more victories, the longest streak since an eight-year stretch from 2003 to 2010.
KNOWING THE NEWCOMERS
The Tribe roster features seven newcomers, including five freshmen and two transfers.
Berkeley Konrady,
Damisi Osibodu,
Shylah Swope,
Sophia Van Name,
Olivia Westfort were all inked to the Tribe's 2025 freshmen class.
In the transfer portal, W&M added fifth-year senior libero
Avery Horejsi (Michigan State) and graduate setter
Beatriz Silva (UC Riverside). Silva led UCR in assists each of the last two seasons, racking up 999 career helpers. Her next assist will be the 1,000th for her Division I career.
SIZING UP THE COMPETITION
Charlotte went 5-24 last season, including a 2-14 record in the American Conference. The Niners are led by first-year head coach Benavia Jenkins. Charlotte leads the all-time series against W&M 5-2, though the Tribe won the last meeting in 2016 by a 3-1 final.
Davidson went 16-15 overall and 11-7 in the A-10, falling to top seed Dayton in the A-10 Tournament semifinals. The teams met last year in Charlotte at the Queens Fall Classic, a 3-1 Wildcats victory. W&M leads the all-time series 5-3.
