Bobcats Host Merrimack Tuesday Night for Home Opener

Tuesday, September 29

Hamden, Conn.

6:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Merrimack

Giulia Ragusa at DSU Invitational (Sept. 4, 2026 at Delaware State)

Photo by: Sean Holmes / OTM Studios

Bobcats Host Merrimack Tuesday Night for Home Opener

9/28/2026 12:50:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

First Serve Scheduled for 6:00 PM on ESPN+

By: QU Athletic Communications

Quinnipiac vs. Merrimack
Tuesday, Sept. 29 | 6:00 PM
Burt Kahn Court | Hamden, CT
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats

HAMDEN, CT – Quinnipiac women's volleyball returns to Hamden for the 2026 home opener on Tuesday evening inside Burt Kahn Court. The Bobcats are set to continue Metro Conference action by playing host to Merrimack at 6:00 PM (streamed live on ESPN+).

2026 INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS

Kills & Attack Output

Kills Leader: Giulia Ragusa (#7) – 129 Kills
Kills Runner-Up: Sahra Ozbiltekin (#20) – 122 Kills
Highest Hitting Percentage (Min. 50 Attacks): Asia Belli (#11) – .351 Hitting PCT (51 K, 23 E, 154 TA)
Second Hitting Percentage: Sila Yildiz (#18) – .284 Hitting PCT (74 K, 24 E, 176 TA)

Assists & Playmaking

Assists Leader: Klara Olszewska (#14) – 261 Assists
Assists Runner-Up: Sophia Gisslen (#6) – 235 Assists

Service Aces

Total Aces Leaders (Tied): Giulia Ragusa (#7) & Klara Olszewska (#14) – 11 Aces each

Defense & Digs

Digs Leader: Carola Negron Diaz (#9) – 104 Digs
Digs Runner-Up: Sahra Ozbiltekin (#20) – 87 Digs
Third: Didar Bulbul (#13) – 76 Digs

Blocking

Total Blocks Leader: Sila Yildiz (#18) – 43.0 Total Blocks (13 Solo, 30 Assists)
Runner-Up: Asia Belli (#11) – 38.0 Total Blocks (8 Solo, 30 Assists)

Total Points

Points Leader: Giulia Ragusa (#7) – 144.0 Points
Runner-Up: Sahra Ozbiltekin (#20) – 138.5 Points
Third: Asia Belli (#11) & Sophia Minlend (#8) – 108.0 Points each

SCOUTING MERRIMACK

Merrimack enters the matchup looking for its first victory of the season, holding a 0–15 overall record (0–2 Metro). The Warriors are winless across home (0–2), away (0–6), and neutral sites (0–7) following back-to-back conference losses against Manhattan (1–3) and Iona (0–3).
The Warriors are averaging 9.67 kills per set with a .111 hitting percentage. Offensively, they are led by outside hitters Jocelyn Hammerstrand (122 kills, 2.35 K/S), McKenna Shotwell (110 kills, 2.39 K/S), and Tamilore Afolalu (89 kills, 2.23 K/S).
Sophia DeBonis runs the primary offense, recording a team-high 259 assists (5.08 A/S), with support from Devon Lowe (91 assists, 2.53 A/S) and Natalia Zelubowski (81 assists).
Quinnipiac is 4-0 all-time against Merrimack. The Bobcats have won those four matchups by a combined 12-1 score.

MEET THE 2026 BOBCATS

Key returners for the Bobcats in 2026 include junior Carola Negron Diaz, and sophomores Asia Belli and Vittoria Tonelli.
Carola Negron Diaz finished second on the team with 344 digs last year as a sophomore, averaging 3.41 digs per set. She also tallied 123 assists and 23 service aces. Diaz posted 25.0 points from the libero position. She also tallied 20+ digs in three different contests.
Asia Belli started 30 matches for the Bobcats during her first season in Hamden. She recorded 136 kills and finished fourth on the team with 62 total blocks. Belli added 34 service aces, 63 digs and 207.0 total points.
Vittoria Tonelli appeared in 23 matches as a first-year Bobcat in 2025, finishing fourth on the team with 126 kills. She also tallied 113 digs and 14 blocks. Tonelli registered a season-high 14 kills vs. Sacred Heart on 10/25/25.
Quinnipiac has 13 total student-athletes on its 2026 roster, including seven newcomers (Veronica Patti, Farah Sherif, Sophia Gisslen, Giulia Ragusa, Sophia Minlend, Didar Bulbul, Sila Yildiz).
The Bobcats represent seven different countries in total. Quinnipiac volleyball has four student-athletes from Italy, four from Turkey, one from Poland, one from Egypt, one from Germany, one from Puerto Rico and one from the United States.

HEAD COACH KYLE ROBINSON

Reigning league Coach of the Year Kyle Robinson enters his eighth season at the helm of the Quinnipiac volleyball program in 2026. Robinson, Quinnipiac volleyball's all-time winningest coach, has guided the Bobcats to 101 total wins during 7+ years.
He led the Bobcats to a conference title & NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022, and was recently named the league's Coach of the Year in 2025 after leading Quinnipiac to 19 wins.
Robinson and the Bobcats have posted three consecutive seasons with a winning overall record.

BOBCATS SELECTED NO. 2 IN PRESEASON CONFERENCE POLL

The Quinnipiac women's volleyball program has been selected second overall in the 2026 Metro Preseason Coaches' Poll, as revealed by the league office on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The Bobcats (127 points) finished just behind Fairfield (142 points) for the top overall spot. Quinnipiac earned one first-place vote in the preseason poll.

2026 Metro Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1	Fairfield	142 (10)
2	Quinnipiac	127 (1)
3	Rider	110 (1)
4	Canisius	101
5	Niagara	81
6	Siena	80
7	Sacred Heart	77
8	Marist	62
9	Iona	55
10	Merrimack	48
11	Saint Peter's	28
12	Manhattan	25

2026 METRO VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2026 Metro Volleyball Championship will feature a six-team, single-elimination format and is scheduled for November 17-23. The first-round match will be hosted by the higher seed on Tuesday, November 17. The semifinals and championship final will be hosted by the No. 1 seed and played on consecutive dates, with the schedule determined by the host institution between Friday, November 20 and Monday, November 23. For more information regarding the 2026 Metro Volleyball Championship, please visit here.

LAST YEAR (2025)

Quinnipiac enjoyed another successful season in 2025, posting a 19-12 overall record and a 16-2 mark in conference play. The Bobcats earned the No. 2 seed in the Championship after posting one of the best conference records in program history.
QU advanced to the Semifinals for the fourth time under Robinson. Quinnipiac closed the regular season on a high note with a five-set comeback victory over Canisius and continued its run as one of the conference's premier programs.
A trio of Bobcats were named to the All-Conference First Team: Damla Gunes, Elena Giacomini, and Yagmur Gunes.