KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island head coach Ryan Sullivan added seven players to his roster for the 2026 season, bringing in one transfer and six freshmen to join 11 returners who all saw action last season. The newcomers include Sacred Heart transfer Emily Sawyer - who was with the program for the Spring semester - as well as six incoming freshmen.

Sawyer (pictured above) is a 6-6 middle blocker and right-side attacker from Wrentham, Mass. who is coming off the best season of her career at Sacred Heart. She started all 30 matches and played every possible set for the Pioneers in 2025, recording career highs in both kills (195) and total blocks (78). She was second on the team with a .246 attack percentage. She played 81 career matches in three seasons at Sacred Heart and had 380 kills to go with 191 total blocks. As a freshman against Rhode Island in 2023, Sawyer had nine blocks in a four-set match.

"Emily has played a significant amount of college volleyball and helps give us depth at the net," Sullivan said. "Her productivity has improved with each year, which obviously is something you love to see in any player. Being with the program this Spring really helps give her a rolling start into what we anticipate will be a strong senior season."

The six-player freshman class includes outside hitters Sophia Chinetti and Cara Richter; setters Jahan Lalli and Carly Thomas; defensive specialist Kiara Copeland; and right-side/middle blocker Grace Keaney.

 

Chinetti (Chicago, Ill.) comes out of Benet Academy, one of the strongest high school programs in the country. During her career, Benet was a top-20 team nationally each of her last three seasons, ranking as high as No. 3 in the country. The roster included 13 Division I players her junior season, and Benet was the Illinois state runner up each of Chinetti's four seasons. She was the No. 1-ranked right-side out of Illinois as a senior, earning all-conference and all-area recognition. Chinetti also played for the 1st Alliance Volleyball Club (2021-23) and the Adversity Volleyball Club (2024-26). She was a 2023 USAV Nationals Championships All-American and was named to the AVCA Phenom Watch List and the JVA Watch List.

"Sophia had a highly accomplished high school and club career in which she competed in a very competitive environment on a daily basis," Sullivan said. "She is battle tested. This is an exciting player to add to the program."

Richter comes to the program from Loveland, Ohio, but she has direct ties to Rhode Island and the women's volleyball program. Her mother, Tracee Housel, played for the Rams from 1991-94, helping the program win an Atlantic 10 title and earn a bid to the NCAA Championship in 1991.

A three-time district champion for Mount Notre Dame, Richter was a team captain while leading her team to a regional title and a run to the state's Final Four as a senior last Fall. An All-Ohio Second Team selection in 2025, Richter was a First-Team All-District and Player of the Year pick as well, topping 1,000 career kills in the Fall.

"Cara is an extremely productive offensive player for one of the best programs in Ohio," Sullivan said. "Between her high school program and her club team (Elevation Volleyball Club), she has proven the ability to compete against strong competition."?

Sullivan brought in a pair of accomplished setters as part of this year's freshman class. Jahan Lalli (Marietta, Ga.) and Carly Thomas (Kingwood, Texas) help fortify a position that includes senior Ema Stermenska, redshirt-junior Jessica Parker and sophomore Autumn Tombline.
 

Lalli is a product of Pope High School and both the A5 Volleyball and 18-1 Marc Volleyball Club teams, serving as a captain for all three programs. She earned AVCA All-Region honors in both her junior and senior seasons and was named the 2025 MaxPreps Best Volleyball Player in Georgia. MaxPreps also named Lalli as one of the top 10 setters in the country. The 2025 GHSA Volleyball Region 5 Player of the Year, Lalli led Pope to the 2024 Volleyball GHSA 5A State Championship as a junior. In her career, she recorded 2,333 assists to go with 688 digs. She set the school's single-match record for assists with 62 against Woodstock in 2024.

"We are thrilled to add a player of Jahan's caliber," Sullivan said. "She had teammates who committed to Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky and Kansas, so we know she can hold her own against a high level of talent. Jahan understands the game very well and is a difference maker on the court."

Similarly, Thomas is a natural leader from the setter spot. A team captain throughout her high school career for Kingwood, she set her school's records for most career assists, most assists in a season and most assists in a match. A three-time First-Team and Academic All-District selection, Thomas had 1,944 assists, 136 service aces, 381 kills and 558 digs in her high school career. Also an accomplished club team player for TAV Houston (2017-24), Moco Mavs (2024-25) and Texas Legacy 2025-26), the 6-1 Thomas plans to get into coaching when her playing career is complete.

"Carly's size and versatility from the setter position really stand out," Sullivan said. "When you put up the numbers she did for Kingwood, it is a testament to her complete skillset. Carly impacts the game in a wide variety of ways. She is a weapon with strong court vision and game IQ."

Kiara Copeland (Norwalk, Conn.) will give the team depth on the backline as a defensive specialist. As a senior at Greens Farms Academy, she switched to libero from outside hitter, a move that paid immediate dividends. She earned FAA All-League Second Team recognition and was the Defensive Player of the Year last Fall. In addition to playing varsity volleyball since she was in eighth grade, she also spent six years with the Northeast Volleyball Club.
 

"Kiara is a tremendous athlete who really understands court spacing on the defensive side of the net," Sullivan said. "She is quick and covers a lot of ground. She also was a captain for both St. Lukes School, where she began her high school career, and for Greens Farms. She is a leader and has a presence on the court."

A middle blocker and right-side, Grace Keaney (Yarmouth, Maine) brings tremendous athleticism to the Rams, A three-time All-State selection in volleyball for Yarmouth, Keaney also played lacrosse and basketball while competing in both indoor and outdoor track and field in high school. Her father Patrick played basketball at Notre Dame, her mother Kathryn was a rower for Santa Clara, and she is related to former Duke lacrosse players Brendan and Terrance Keaney.

A team captain for both Yarmouth and the Maine Juniors club team - where she played seven years - Keaney led Yarmouth to a pair of Class B Maine state championship in 2022 and 2023. She also won a Class A state title in lacrosse in 2024.

"Grace is a winner in everything she does," Sullivan said. "Her athleticism at the net is going to be a tremendous asset for the program. She has a mindset that produces success, and her approach on the court rubs off on the people around her."

Rhode Island opens the season on Aug. 28 at a tournament hosted by Central Connecticut State. The Rams will be home for the first time during the first week of September when they host in-state rivals Brown, Bryant and Providence for the Ocean State Cup. That tournament will be held Sept. 4-6 in Keaney Gymnasium.