NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion volleyball has two more additions for 2023 as head coach Fred Chao announced the signing of Alice Munari and Bryanna Jones on Wednesday, May 3. The Monarchs signed incoming freshmen Elisa Maggi, Kate Kilpatrick and Adrienne Peji back in November.
"Both Alice and Bryanna will have immediate impacts in our gym," said Chao. "Alice is an experienced outside hitter who reads the game and has the tools to respond to difficult situations. Offensively, she has a balance of power, speed and tactics that will earn us points from the pins. She is also a very calm and smooth passer with excellent dig targeting. Bryanna is an explosive athlete who will be a force on the court. She can generate power in a small space and covers a lot of court defensively. Bryanna will also contribute to a higher level of ball control on our team with her passing and digging abilities."
Alice Munari | Outside Hitter | Isola Vicentina, Italy | Hillsborough CC
An outside hitter from Isola Vicentina, Italy, Munari started all 27 matches she played in last fall at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida. She led the Lady Hawks with 317 kills (3.34 per set), 47 service aces (0.49 per set) and 382 points (4.0 per set). She was also second on her team in digs with 253 (2.66 per set) and added 27 blocks (nine solo) and 24 assists to her season totals. Her effort on the court helped her squad finish 18-10 overall and earned her a spot on the 2022 NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American Team.
Munari scored double-digit kills 20 times, to include a stretch of nine straight matches, and recorded 11 double-doubles. She finished with a season-high 23 kills with 11 digs against Miami Dade College on Oct. 8 and had 14 kills with a season-best 15 digs at Eastern Florida State College on Oct.25.
She plans to major in physical therapy.
Why ODU?
"I was inspired by the prospect of contributing to a relatively new team and bring great achievements to it, and academically the university is very good."
Bryanna Jones | Outside Hitter | Naperville, Ill. | Neuqua Valley
Jones attended Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Illinois, where she was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-Area honoree. She also garnered a pair of MVP awards, landed on her All-Tournament Team twice, and earned an All-State nod. A four-year member of her varsity team, her high school career totals included 592 kills, 430 digs and 63 blocks.
She plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology and volunteers at Feed My Starving Children.
Why ODU?
"I chose ODU because it is a great school academically with a great psychology program. It is also a great volleyball program on the rise. The coaches as well as the players are great, genuine hard-working people that really care about what they do!"
Munari and Jones Join 2023 ODU Volleyball Signing Class
