WASHINGTON – Georgetown University senior Symone Speech (Oak Park, Ill. / Oak Park-River Forest) has signed a contract with Volley Millenium Brescia, a professional volleyball club in the Italian SuperLega. The team plays its home matches at the PalaGeorge in Montichiari, Italy, with the upcoming season beginning in September.

"I am super excited about playing overseas," Speech said. "I'm looking forward to entering a new chapter in my life, meeting new people and traveling around the world. I think it's going to help me grow and learn more about myself, and I really think Georgetown prepared me for this step in my life and I am so grateful."

An All-BIG EAST First Team selection as a senior, Speech earned her third All-BIG EAST selection after garnering second team honors in 2016 and first team recognition in 2017. She averaged 2.93 kills per set while hitting at a .325 clip. Defensively, she averaged 1.03 blocks per set and collected 60 digs as a middle blocker. Speech tallied double-digit kills in 18 matches, including a season-high 15 kills on three separate occasions. She also posted a double-double with 14 kills and 10 blocks in a five-set victory over St. John's.

A mainstay on the conference weekly honor list, Speech was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18 and the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 9. Additionally, she was twice selected to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and is the only player in the league to have been chosen to collect all three honors this season. During the regular season, she was also named to the all-tournament teams at the Georgia Tech Hyatt Regency Invitational, the Georgetown Classic and the GU/GW Dig The District Invitational.

The Hoyas finished the 2018 season 17-13 overall and 10-8 in BIG EAST play to tie for fourth place in the league standings. Georgetown's 17 wins were the most since 2004 and the 10 conference wins were the most since 2001.