NORFOLK, Va. – When Old Dominion volleyball hosts App State this weekend, the Sun Belt series will mark the team’s Dig Pink Weekend, but the matches will also be the first time the Monarchs host an Alumni Weekend.
When ODU began its volleyball program in 2019, Head Coach Fred Chao’s first recruiting class became known as the Founding Mothers. That group consisted of Madeline Rudd, Anna Burkhardt, Valentina Culaciati, Ashley Peroe, Hailey Duncan, Sasha Grigoreva and Olivia De Jesus. With the Monarchs now in their fifth year as a program, the team will welcome back 11 of their former players to watch them take on the Mountaineers.
In addition to Rudd, Burkhardt, Peroe, Duncan, Grigoreva and De Jesus, other alumni making the trip back to their alma mater this weekend include Julia Dunning, Kira Smith, Teresa Atilano, Jamie Bissmeyer, and Jordan Daniel.
For some of them, it will be the first time that they’ll have seen each other since the Monarchs took an international trip during the summer of 2023, the program’s first opportunity to travel abroad. Per NCAA rules, team are permitted to travel overseas once every four years.
“I can’t wait to be back on campus with my girls,” said Peroe. “My time with ODU Volleyball gave me many amazing friendships with people all over the globe. Some of the girls I haven’t seen since our volleyball trip to Spain and Portugal last May, so this reunion has been well awaited!”
Some of the alumni won’t have to travel far this weekend. Since graduating in May of 2023, Peroe has been spending her time in Sandbridge helping run ocean rescue operations with Virginia Beach EMS. She also works as an Emergency Department Technician at Virginia Beach General Hospital and will be starting PA School at EVMS, which recently merged with ODU, in January.
“I’ve always had my sights set on EVMS, but this merger has really given a new meaning to once a Monarch, always a Monarch.”
Rudd will also have a shorter commute. A biomedical sciences major while at ODU, she lived in Spain for six months as an au pair before moving back to Raleigh, North Carolina at the beginning of the year to start work as an EMT. She plans to apply to PA school in 2025.
“I am beyond excited to see my sisters again,” added Rudd, who took on the role of serving as the program’s Alumni Director. “These girls are such a huge part of my life and I haven’t seen most of them since I graduated last year. We’ve been talking about this for months and I know the reunion is going to be more than fun. Watching some volleyball will be awesome. I didn’t get to catch a game last year because I was traveling, but I can’t wait to see the girls in action especially considering how well the season has started!”
ODU’s footprint stretches across the country and internationally, though, with some alumni putting in some serious travel to make it this weekend. Atilano and Smith moved back to California, De Jesus is coming from New York, and Grigoreva from Florida.
Burkhardt got on the road at 8 a.m. on Thursday and drove over 700 miles from her home back in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It took her 11 and a half hours to make the trip.
“I’m super pumped to get back to campus,” said Burkhardt. “ODU is like a second home to me, so any excuse to get over there is a no-brainer and I’d take it instantly. It’s always great to get together with our team. I think we have an interesting dynamic where we’re all pretty young and we all just recently graduated, so it’s exciting to keep in touch and make this a tradition for us being the first alumni. I’m also super pumped to see the team in person. They’re off to a hell of a start this year and I hope they can continue it. I’m also pumped to see our former teammates that are still playing.”
Burkhardt completed a bachelor’s in biochemistry degree in May 2023 and used her final year of eligibility as a grad transfer at UAB. She earned her master’s in biotechnology in July and is pursuing a career in medical sales.
“This weekend will be our first time as returning alumni cheering from the bleachers instead of the floor,” continued Peroe. “I’m so excited to show our support to the current team and to spend some time with my ODU family.”
The alumni in attendance will be recognized prior to first serve for both matches against the Mountaineers and they will have dinner with the team and coaching staff following Saturday’s match. The group hopes to help pack out the Volleyball Center as the Monarchs look to continue their strong start to the 2024 season.