WASHINGTON – Georgetown University's volleyball team will kick off its 2024 season by hosting the D.C. Challenge. The Hoyas will face a lineup of American University, UC Riverside, and Howard University. Matches will take place from Friday, August 30th, through Sunday, September 1st. The tournament signals the start of what is expected to be an exciting season in the second year under Head Coach AJ Bonetti.

Follow Along

• You can find live stats and video for all three matches at GUHoyas.com.
• Stay connected with us on social media: follow @HoyaVolleyball on X and Instagram.

About the Hoyas

• Georgetown Volleyball will begin year two of the AJ Bonetti era. The Hoyas concluded the 2023 season with a regular season record of 14-16 and 5-13 in BIG EAST conference play.
• Senior Mary Grace Goyena returns this season after leading the team in kills last year with 361, the highest total by a Hoya since 2019 (379).
• Senior Karis Park returns for the 2024 season after leading the team with 4.06 digs per set as the libero and earning a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honor during her junior year.
• Sophomore setter Emily Wen played in all 115 sets during her debut season, recording a total of 1,101 assists. Wen averaged 9.57 assists per set, ranking fourth in the BIG EAST this past season, the highest among BIG EAST freshmen, and eleventh nationally among freshmen.
• Kamryn Lee-Caracci led the team with 0.94 blocks per set last season, ranking second among BIG EAST freshmen in 2023. Lee-Caracci also earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors during the second week of competition. The middle blocker is set to have a significant impact on the defensive side of the net this season.
• Two returning Hoyas received BIG EAST postseason awards. Emily Wen and Kamryn Lee-Caracci both earned BIG EAST All-Freshman honors. 
• The Hoyas are set to introduce five newcomers on Friday, as Taylor Mercado, Dionna Mitchell, Natalie Nguyen, Berkeley Ploder, and Juleigh Urbina will represent Georgetown for the first time.
• Georgetown was ranked No. 10 in the BIG EAST preseason coaches poll with 27 votes.

• Friday's match is scheduled to start at 12:00 P.M.
• The Hoyas hold a 5-10 record against American since the 2006 season.
• American reached the Patriot League Championship match last season as the third seed but lost to No. 1 Colgate in three sets.
• The Eagles finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 20-11 and a conference record of 11-5.
• Last season, the Hoyas defeated the Eagles in a five-set match (3-2: 25-22, 16-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-12), with Mary Grace Goyena leading the team with 16 kills.

Scouting UC Riverside

• Saturday's match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 P.M.
• In their previous meeting in 2003, the Highlanders defeated the Hoyas 3-1.
• UC Riverside concluded the 2023 season with an overall record of 6-24, including a 5-13 mark in conference play.
• The Highlanders will open the 2024 season against George Washington on Friday, August 30th.

Scouting Howard

• Sunday's match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 P.M.
• The Hoyas hold a 6-3 record against Howard since the 2013 season.
• The Bison were ranked first in the 2024 MEAC preseason poll.
• In their most recent regular-season matchup, the Hoyas defeated the Bison 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 25-27, 25-19).
• Howard concluded its 2023 season with a 17-15 overall record and an 11-3 mark in conference play. The team reached the 2023 MEAC Conference Title match but was defeated by top-seeded Coppin State.