WASHINGTON – The
Gallaudet University women's volleyball program is on deck to have a fun and challenging season as the Bison will play five schools who went to the NCAA tournament last season.
Gallaudet had back-to-back 30-win seasons after it finished with a 30-5 overall record, had a perfect 10-0 mark in conference play before winning a second straight United East conference championship and made it to NCAA Division III tournament for the 15th time in the program's history. GU will not defend the United East title in 2025 as the Bison are not able to compete in the tournament this year as half of the team plans attending the Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, to represent USA Deaf Volleyball.
The buff and blue will have last year's Player of the Year junior
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas) returning the squad plus two of their three all-conference first-team selections. Worley, senior
Ella Gamble (Cullowhee, N.C.) and senior
Citrine Lummer (Frederick, Md.) will lead the team along with 20th year (21st with athletics department) head coach
Lynn Ray Boren. Coach Boren was selected United East Coach of the Year award for second consecutive year and his fourth career.
GU will have five returning starters and six new student-athletes. The Bison have also strengthened the schedule by playing nationally ranked and regional powers during the 2025 season.
Below is a breakdown of the 2025 Gallaudet women's volleyball team.
2024 Review
Record: 30-5
United East Record: 10-0
Highlights: Gallaudet won back-to-back United East conference championship and 10th overall since it joined the conference in 2010. GU made their 15th NCAA tournament appearance in 2024 and lost in the first round against Stevens Institute of Technology. The Bison swept the Player and Coach of the Year honors in the United East and had three players on the all-conference first team. The buff and blue had one student athlete who finished the fall with a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honor.
TOP RETURNERS
Ella Gamble (Cullowhee, N.C.), Sr., Setter
Gamble posted her second straight 1,200+ assists season with 1,252 assists along with 121 service aces, 59 kills and 31 blocks in 35 games. Gamble, also selected all-conference first team selection for the second consecutive year. Gamble led NCAA Division III in service aces (121), aces per set (0.98), second in total assists (1,248) and 19th in assists per set (10.15) last season.
Nicole Hicks (Corona, Calif.), Sr., Defensive Specialist/Libero
Hicks had a breakout year as she led the team with 418 digs with an average of 3.54 digs per set and was third on the team with 61 service aces. Look for Hicks to have a back-to-back breakout year in 2025 for the Bison.
Citrine Lummer (Frederick, Md.), Sr., Outside Hitter
Lummer is one of three Bison who landed on the All-United East first team, made three straight 275+ kill seasons as the outside hitter posted 277 kills, 328 digs, 63 service aces and 23 blocks in 35 matches. Lummer needs 109 kills to meet the 1,000 career kills milestone.
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas), Jr., Outside Hitter
Worley became the eighth Bison to earn United East Player of the Year honors after a stellar 2024 season. The All-United East First Team selection finished the 2024 season with 579 kills, 649 points, 65 service aces 32 blocks. Worley leads NCAA Division III in kills (579) and points (649) and third in points per set (5.55).
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.), Jr., Middle Hitter/Opposite
Zarembka made the first all-conference appearance as she landed 2nd team in 2024 season as she leads the team with 22 solo blocks along with 154 kills, 94 total blocks, 65 digs and 36 service aces in 35 matches. Zarembka ranked 89th in NCAA Division III for total blocks (94) last year. Expect for Zarembka to have another productive season.
KEY LOSSES
Cassidy Perry (Frederick, Md.), Opposite Hitter
Perry was a four-year letterwinner for the Bison and finished her career with 1,033 kills, 1,248 points, 282 total blocks, 257 digs, 38 service aces in 138 matches (480 sets). Perry made third appearance on all-conference team(two-time 1st team).
Anya Pothorski (Columbus, Ohio), Middle Hitter
Pothorski was a four-year letterwinner for the Bison and finished her career with 542 kills, 265 blocks and 722.50 points in 123 matches (431 sets). Pothorski was named United East all conference third team last season.
QUOTING COACH
"We are looking forward to another challenging season with five seniors and five returning starters. This year will be an exciting one as we travel to both the St. Norbert tournament and the NYU tournament within the first two weekends of the season. These early tournaments will not only test us competitively but also help strengthen our team chemistry, especially with the addition of six new faces to our roster.
The Worthington Classic will once again bring some of the toughest opponents we've faced in my coaching years at Gallaudet, and I am looking forward to the high level of competition. After these early tests, we will see how our team progresses into conference play. There is still a bitter reality that we will not be able to compete in the conference tournament this year, as half of our roster will be leaving for the Deaflympics in Tokyo in early November.
Our theme for the season is built around water. Success in volleyball isn't simply made of victories — it's built on sweat, determination, teamwork, and grit. Just like water, we must be adaptable and resilient: A river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence. " –
Lynn Ray Boren, Gallaudet University women's volleyball coach.
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
- Season Opener: at St. Norbert College Invitational hosted by St. Norbert - Fri., Aug. 29
- Home Opener: vs. Hood - Tues., Sept. 16
- Worthington Classic: Gallaudet will host - Fri., Sept. 19 - Sat., Sept. 20
- Conference Opener: at Wilson - Wed., Sept. 27
- Homecoming: vs. St. Mary's (Md.) - Sat., Oct. 25
- Senior Day: vs. Catholic - Tues., Nov. 6
The schedule features 13 home matches, 10 road matches, 10 United East conference matches and six neutral site matches for the Bison. It will be Coach Boren's 20th season entering this fall.
The season will start off at the St. Norbert College Invitational in De Pere, Wis., on Friday, Aug. 29, with weekend matches against Augsburg University, Hamline University, Lakeland University and the host, St. Norbert College.
The Bison will travel to New York City to participate in the NYU Invitational hosted by New York University along with Susquehanna University and Stevens Institute of Technology on the weekend of Sept. 5, Gallaudet will have its opportunity for a NCAA first round rematch with Stevens on Sept. 6. GU will return to the DMV area for a mid-week road contest at Marymount (Va.) University on Sept. 9. The buff and blue home debut is Sept. 16 with a non-conference contest vs. Hood College before hosting six other teams at the annual Worthington Classic (Sept. 19-20). Worthington Classic will be a big test for Gallaudet and other schools as the Bison, Hope College and Franklin & Marshall University were three schools out of six teams who played the NCAA tournament last year. GU will host one more non conference match before the conference game vs Goucher College (Sept. 24). The Bison begin the United East Conference schedule with a road contest in a tri-meet with Wilson College and a non-conference match against Hollins University (Sept. 27) before wrapping up the month of September hosting Penn St.-Abington (Sept. 30).
The buff and blue start the month of October in La Plume, Pa., to take on Keystone College (Oct. 4). GU returns to the nation's capital to host Rosemont College for Dig Pink Night (Oct. 8) then GU will host a tri-meet with Penn St.-Harrisburg and Albright College (non-conference match) on Oct. 11. Gallaudet will travel to take on University of Valley Forge (Oct. 14) then host a non-conference match against DeSales University (Oct. 17) then travel the next day to Reading, Pa., to take on Penn St.-Berks (Oct 18) before hosting back-to-back home matches against Notre Dame of Maryland University (Oct. 22) and a homecoming match vs. St. Mary's College of Maryland on Oct. 25. Gallaudet will wrap-up the month of October and close the conference schedule with a match at Lancaster Bible College (Oct. 28).
Gallaudet will close out the home regular-season schedule against Catholic University of America (Nov. 6) and celebrate its senior class on Senior Night. The Bison will wrap up the regular-season by traveling south to Virginia to take on Eastern Mennonite University and Bridgewater (Va.) College on Nov. 8 playing both teams at their home courts on the same day.
Gallaudet will not participate in the United East tournament.
All home matches will be played in the Field House on Padden Court.
Also see:
