By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – They were dubbed on social media as the "Founding Mothers" of the Old Dominion women's volleyball program, and when he saw it, ODU coach Fred Chao decided the moniker fit nicely.
"They were our founding mothers," Chao said with emphasis when speaking of Anna Burkhardt, Valentina Culaciati, Madeline Rudd, Camilla Tamburini, Ashley Peroe, Hailey Duncan and Olivia De Jesus.
All are remaining members from ODU's first and second classes of volleyball recruits, and all, save De Jesus, who will return next season, were honored last Friday on Senior Night.
They begin their final chapters for ODU, their first foray into postseason play, this week in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Foley, Alabama, where they take on Arkansas State Thursday at 1 p.m. in a second-round match.
They came from Chesapeake and Virginia Beach but also from Bahia Bianca, Argentina, Apex, North Carolina; Castel Maggiore, Italy; West Hempstead, New York; and Fort Wayne, Indiana, to play volleyball for a university that did not yet have a volleyball team, a facility or even a full coaching staff.
"We took a giant leap of faith," Rudd said.
They sacrificed, went through some trying times and built the foundation for a program that has been far more successful than most expected from a startup team. That success, and their hustling style of play, allowed ODU to build a large and loyal fan base.
They worked longer and harder than players at many established programs. They spent a year practicing and not playing, much of the time in ODU's Student Recreation Center, before the $3.1 million ODU Volleyball Center opened.
More recruits came on board but then the pandemic shut down school and caused their scheduled first season in the fall of 2020 to be postponed.
When they finally took the court on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, for their first game, a funny thing happened.
They won.
"We didn't start slow. We started running," Chao said.
Ashley Peroe and family on senior night.
They upended George Mason, a long-established program and Chao's alma mater, 3-0. They played with a only a smattering of fans in the stands, and wearing masks while on the sidelines, because of the pandemic. But none will forget the joyous post-game celebration that ensued when they realized what they had done.
ODU Wins First Historic First Volleyball Match
Rudd remembers seeing ODU listed dead last among the nation's Division I volleyball teams just before the season began.
"When you hear of new programs starting, they're automatically expected to finish at the bottom of their conference, and we weren't," Burkhardt said. "We exceeded everyone's expectations.
"That was really cool. We were pretty good from the start. We took a lot of pride in that."
Chao knew when he agreed to create an ODU volleyball program that he would be looking for a special kind of athlete.
It takes a certain mentality to sign on with a startup program. You know it's unlikely you'll win a conference championship or go to the NCAA Tournament. You won't win a ring or a trophy.
Your joy must come from being the first; from laying the foundation for future success. That takes an athlete with uncommon unselfishness, and ODU was extremely fortunate that Chao recruited just the right young women.
"I couldn't have asked for a better group to get us going," Chao said.
There were so many firsts for this team that few volleyball players can claim. For instance, Peroe had the first point in ODU history. No matter how long volleyball is played at ODU, that's a record no one can take away from her.
Camilla Tamburini with coach Fred Chao on senior night.
But more importantly, said Chao, they set a high standard that allowed ODU to be successful.
"They established the culture in terms of what's acceptable effort and the willingness to learn and be adaptable," he said. "They were inclusive, and they really looked out for the new players as they came in.
"That was the foundation that has allowed us to grow and get better."
As time went on, Chao was able to recruit better players. Most of the Founding Mothers saw their playing time drop, some dramatically.
"That's one of the most impressive things about this group," Chao said. "At no time did I sense they had any resentment toward the new players coming in.
"What's even more impressive is that they continued to work and strive and improve to the point where they got back on the court."
Peroe, the outside hitter from Virginia Beach's Kellam High School, has had her best season statistically in 2022 and Duncan, the middle blocker from Western Branch High in Chesapeake, has nearly matched her stats from last season.
"We were all kind of tested for playing time every season," Rudd said. "We had to re-earn our spots" each season.
"I think it shows our unselfishness and how much we're all invested in the team. Whoever was playing was the one that deserved it. It just shows how really team-oriented we are."
"Competition is a good thing," Burkhardt added. "We wanted to build a culture where we're not bringing what happens in the gym outside the gym.
"It was really important to us to build the culture that way since we were starting from scratch.
"We wanted to win. And having the best players on the court helps you win."
Madeline Rudd and family on senior night.
Although not necessarily reflected in the record, the team has improved each season. The Monarchs were 7-11 in 2020-21 and 13-13 in 2021 and are 12-15 this season.
The Monarchs played their most difficult schedule this season, including dates with Michigan, Virginia Tech, Navy, Notre Dame and North Carolina. The Monarchs edged Navy, almost upset Notre Dame and claimed a satisfying, 3-2, victory over VCU.
ODU finished third in the seven-team Sun Belt East Division.
ODU had quite a senior night to remember. The Monarchs defeated Southern Miss, 3-1, a night after the Golden Eagles defeated ODU. Southern Miss enters this week's tournament with an 18-10 record.
The next morning, at a team brunch attended by many family members, tears flowed in buckets.
"We were all crying, every single person on the team," Burkhardt said. "Fred cried. Becca (Lamb, an assistant coach) cried because we were going through all of our favorite memories of starting a program.
Hailey Duncan, from Western Branch High, has excelled every season at ODU.
"There are a lot of memories other people don't have at different schools. We shared those memories and how much we love each other."
Players said Chao shed tears through his brief speech.
"The memories I have of each of you are a constant reminder of my purpose as a coach," he said.
"It has been my honor and privilege to be your coach. I hope that because of your investment in the program, you are more empowered to take on challenges, more confident in yourself and more connected to the 'family you chose.'"
Anna Burkhardt with family and ODU officials on senior night.
At the end of brunch, Chao designated Rudd as the volleyball program's alumni director.
"Madeline is the one who galvanizes the group, who gets them moving in the direction that we need them to," Chao said. "She's honest but diplomatic.
"And she cares about the legacy that she and the others are leaving behind."
Rudd said "We started it all, we literally started this program from nothing, and we've established a culture and what we expect of each other.
"I'm excited to see where the young ins can take the program and continue to build and follow in our footsteps and high have high expectations."
There is still volleyball to be played and more firsts to strive for. This is ODU's first postseason tournament, and Thursday's game is a chance for the Monarchs to claim their first conference tournament victory.
East Division champion James Madison (21-4), which is ranked 29th in the NCAA RPI, and West champion Texas State (22-6), ranked 59th, are the teams to beat this week.
Rudd and Burkhardt agreed that their No. 1 goal this week is to win a match or two that raises eyebrows around the league, that reinforces the reputation they helped create that ODU is a program on the rise.
Valentina Culaciati came from Argentina to help ODU begin its volleyball program
"My hope is that we play our next match as well as we played our last match," Chao said. "On the whole, we're playing our best volleyball of the season."
Regardless of what happens, he said, "I have such gratitude and fond memories of them for all of the work they've put into this program.
"I suspect all of Monarch Nation shares that gratitude."
Contact Minium at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Madeline Rudd and Olivia De Jesus
Minium: "Founding Mothers" Sacrificed and Built a Solid Foundation for ODU Volleyball
