By Devin McCullough
The 2025 Braves Volleyball season is almost here. For the past two seasons, the Braves have had thriller finishes, advancing to the championship rounds of the Conference Carolinas tournament against Emmanuel in 2023 and Converse in 2024, but coming up short in both. The Braves are entering year three under Coach Jaleesa Harper who has high expectations of her group for the season, with the understanding of how strong her groups have finished under her leadership.
“Our confidence is there, there’s just more clarity all the way around, and we got on the same page in the offseason to take another go at the Championship this year.”
It will be a mixture of contributions this season for the Braves with some new faces that can make an immediate impact. Transfer Isabella Dillman is a Junior from Ormond Beach Florida, who played her last two seasons at Daytona State College and has received high praise this preseason. She will assert herself as a legit Libero this season.
Another key addition who has received praise this preseason is Caterina Coronelli, a freshman from Bologna, Italy. Listed as an outside hitter, Coronelli is 6-0, and could be in the group of underclassmen to make a splash this upcoming season.
Returners Abby Peduzzi, who is a Junior, and McKenna Hayes, a senior, will be looked upon as leaders this upcoming season. They have both been major contributors to the team’s successful moments in their time here, and they share a cultural mindset admitting the results of last year’s finishing sting.
“We’re wanting a ring, that’s what our goal is, just building every practice and going hard every day,” Hayes said. Her teammate Peduzzi concurred
“The last two years losing in the conference championship is enough motivation, that really sucks, so it’s really an intent to come in here every day, with a chip on our shoulders mentality and let that push us this year,” said Peduzzi.
The Braves went to Western Carolina on Saturday, August 23rd, for an exhibition game in preparation for the season.
“Obviously, we were playing against a division I team, so the girls wanted the smoke. Initially, it took us a second to get going, but we played really good defense, were scrappy, and the energy was good as well,” said Harper.
The Coach said her team will gear up to compete with anybody, exhibition or scrimmage, and she gave high praise to the freshman class for being ready on their first action as a college athletes.
Their season opener will be September 4th at Wingate.