ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany women’s volleyball program and head coach Josh Pickard have announced a class of nine recruits ahead of the 2023 season.

“As a staff, we are very excited about this group of players joining the Great Danes,” said Josh Pickard. “We continue to attract talent from New York and across the globe. Adam [Rollman] did a great job working to evaluate this talent and get each of them through the process. We are adding depth in a number of positions and each of these players has the capability to come in and push for a spot on the court from day one. It’s great to look at a roster and see so many options with the group that we have.”

Representing four countries, the incoming class will head to the USA from all over the world. With one heading north from South America and two crossing the Atlantic from Europe, the Great Danes will welcome five players from four different states. 

Nicole Bell

OH | 5-11 | Macedon, N.Y. | VolleyFX | Penfield High School

Quick Facts: A three-time All-Greater Rochester (AGR) Athlete, Bell was named the 2022 MaxPreps Best Player in New York State. The 2022 AGR Co-Player of the Year and Section V Player of the Year capped off her high school career with AVCA Second Team All-America honors. Seeing five years on the varsity volleyball team, Bell was a four-time All-Monroe County All-Star Player.

Pickard on Bell: “Nicole is a great all-around player. She has great offensive capabilities but can also pass and play defense. Her strong high school and club experience have prepared her to hit the ground running when she gets in our gym.”

Kendall Harris

RS | 5-10 | Houston, Texas | Houston Juniors VBC | St. Agnes Academy | Coastal Carolina

Quick Facts: Harris joins the Great Danes after a redshirt season at Coastal Carolina. Named to the 2020 all-tournament team, she joined her team at two-straight state championships. A member of the 2019 TAPPS State Champion team, she also played on the 2021 USAV Girls’ 18’s National Championship Bronze medalist team.

Pickard on Harris: “Kendall comes to us from the state of Texas via Coastal Carolina. She is very athletic and tends to hang in the air. She has already spent a semester in our gym and integrated very well to the team and play on the court.  She will continue to push the team with her offensive and defensive capabilities.”

Gabriella Karman

MB | 6-0 | Orlando, Fla. | Top Select | Lake Nona High School | NC State

Quick Facts: A two-time district champion, Karman was a member of the Florida State Championship runner-up team in 2020. Named to the all-metro and all-area teams for her high school play during the 2021 season, she joined her AAU team at the 2022 18U National Championships for a third-place finish. Karman also played beach volleyball in high school.

Pickard on Karman: “Gabi joins us after a year at NC State. She will even further expand our talent in the middle. Gabi is a great person with a solid volleyball base and we can’t wait for her to be in the gym every day pushing and working to make everyone around her better. Gabi has great knowledge of the game through her time in the sport and she will be a fantastic addition to the team.”

Emilka Kuzniar

S | 5-10 | Przemysl, Poland | SMS Mielec | Sports Championship High School 

Quick Facts: Kuzniar joins the Great Danes with experience at the national level. In 2017, she was called to participate in the Polish National Team camp before earning the Best Setter award of the tournament quarter of the Polish Championships.

Pickard on Kuzniar: “We are excited to add a player like Emilia to the program. Her consistency in setting will be a huge asset to the team and will push to make us better every day. She has already started to connect with her teammates before even stepping foot on campus.”

Sthefany Máximo-Carvalho

DS/L | 5-6 | Uberlândia, Brazil | Praia Clube | Colégio Nacional - Uberlândia | MSU-West Plains

Quick Facts: Beginning her career at Missouri State-West Plains, she joined her team for a third-place finish at the NJCAA Division I National Championship in both 2021 and 2022. Named All-Region 16 in 2022, Máximo-Carvalho earned a spot on the NJCAA All-Academic First Team for two straight years (2021-22). Before MSU, she was named Brazilian All-State team member in 2016 and 2019 with a Brazilian Interclub Championship title in 2017. Máximo-Carvalho also played soccer and basketball.

Pickard on Máximo-Carvalho: “Sthefany joins us from Missouri West Plains after a fantastic junior college career. She is fast, athletic, and has the capability to take over a match defensively. Her personality is one that everyone wants to be around and I feel the team and coaches will really enjoy having her in the gym.”

Elisavet Papageorgiou

RS/OH | 6-0 | Athens, Greece | AONS Milon | 1st General High School of Ilioupolis | Eastern Illinois

Quick Facts: A mid-year transfer, Papageorgiou comes to UAlbany after three years at EIU. Also on the Panther’s inaugural beach volleyball team in 2022, she appeared in all 16 matches as a freshman and 27 of 29 matches as a sophomore. Through three seasons, 53 matches, and 143 sets, she totaled 88 kills, 124 digs, 44 blocks, and 24 service aces. Before competing in collegiate volleyball, she finished third place in the Greece U18 National Championship and won the U21 sectional championship.

Pickard on Papageorgiou: “Eli comes to us via Eastern Illinois and has already spent one semester in our gym. She is a fantastic person who has shown she is comfortable and capable in multiple positions in the gym. The biggest challenge with Eli will be to see where she excels the most on the court and having her compete there since she has so many options.”

Campbell Robinson

MB | 6-2 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Elevation Volleyball | Milford High School

Quick Facts: Capping her high school career with an All-America honor, Robinson was named AVCA Third Team All-American. The national award is preceded by AVCA All-Region, First Team All-District, and All-Conference honors from the 2022 season. Robinson also played lacrosse in high school.

Pickard on Robinson: “Campbell’s physicality will be a great asset to the squad. She has played multiple positions and has great experience playing at a high level. I expect her to compete to be on the floor right away.”

Kyrah Wilbur

OH | 6-0 | Baldwinsville, N.Y. | Baldwinsville High School

Quick Facts: The 2021 Class AA/A Player of the Year as a junior, Wilbur made it two-straight seasons after earning the same award as a senior. A Third Team All-State honoree, she was named to the Class AA New York State All-Tournament Team. Wilbur also played basketball in high school.

Pickard on Wilbur: “Kyrah is extremely athletic and can play across the net. She was a multi-sport athlete and uses that experience to set herself apart on the volleyball court. Between her and Nicole it’s always great to have homegrown New York talent stay here in New York.”

Tori Wilson

MB | 6-0 | Allen, Texas | Madfrog | Allen High School | North Carolina Central

Quick Facts: Becoming a Great Dane with one year of collegiate experience, Wilson was named to the 2023 MEAC All-Rookie Team while at NC Central. Before collegiate play, she earned district recognition for three straight years. A District 9 6A Second Team selection in 2019, she earned honorable mention honors in 2020 and was named the Blocker of the Year in 2021. 

Pickard on Wilson: “Tori has great speed and versatility on the court. Coming in with college experience makes her a great addition to the team. We are excited to have more depth in the middle and someone who can go off one foot well.”

For more information on the University at Albany volleyball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanyvb
Instagram - @ualbanyvb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyVB