WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University volleyball team will open its 2025 campaign with the annual D.C. Challenge, scheduled for Friday, August 29 through Sunday, August 31. The Hoyas will kick off the season at home in McDonough Arena, welcoming the Virginia Cavaliers for a 6 p.m. first serve on Friday night. The Blue & Gray will then hit the road for local matchups, facing American on Saturday and George Mason on Sunday to wrap up the opening weekend.
Follow Along
- The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
- Live stats can be found at GUHoyas.com.
- Stay connected with the team on social media: follow @HoyaVolleyball on X and Instagram.
About the Hoyas
- Georgetown enters the third year under Head Coach AJ Bonetti. The Hoyas finished last season with a 4-14 mark in conference play and an overall record of 11-19.
- On defense, Vaughan Anoa'i led the team with 95 blocks, followed by Kamryn Lee-Caracci with 78 and Berkeley Ploder with 64. Anoa'i averaged 1.06 blocks per set, followed by Ploder at 0.88 and Lee-Caracci at 0.75.
- Dionna Mitchell returns to the Hilltop after a sensational freshman campaign where she emerged as an offensive leader. The Orlando, Florida native recorded an impressive 356 kills on the season with an average of 3.36 kills per set, which led the squad. Mitchell also led the team in service aces with 26. In 2024, Mitchell was awarded the nod of BIG EAST Freshman of the Week three times and was named to the 2024 BIG EAST All-Freshman team.
- Lee-Caracci emerged as one of Georgetown's top offensive threats, ranking second on the team with 248 kills while averaging 2.38 per set. Anoa'i provided steady production at the net, contributing 108 kills and averaging 1.20 per set.
- In her debut season, setter Juleigh Urbina made an immediate impact, finishing second on the squad with 324 assists.
- Sophomore Taylor Mercado returns as the Hoya libero for the 2025 season, after recording 97 digs and averaging 1.90 per set last season.
- In the offseason, the Hoyas picked up graduate transfer Jade Smith from East Texas A&M. Smith, a libero, played all 29 matches last season for the Lions recording 94 assists paired with 14 service aces.
- Georgetown welcomes five newcomers to the team this season: Jessica Lee, Katherine McGregor, Sydney Mercado, Fiona Turnbull and Samantha Soderlund.
Up Next
The Hoyas will be back in action at 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 30 taking on American at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C. for the second matchup of the D.C. Challenge. A link to live stats and broadcast information will be available on GUHoyas.com.
