As the Rhode Island volleyball team kicks off their 2023 Atlantic 10 season, there have been a few new additions to the team. One in particular has made quite the impact on the team, both on and off the court.
First-year Madi Disu was recently named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week after a career high of 24 kills in their match against American University on Sept. 16. She is now tied for second-most kills in a match from an A-10 player this season, as well as being tied for fourth-most kills in a match in program history since the start of the rally point system in 2001. She was also named one of URI’s athletes of the week, earning her first career double-double after getting 10 kills and 11 digs against Stonehill on Sept. 16.
Disu is originally from Buda, Texas and played volleyball at Hays High School. She also played club volleyball for Roots Volleyball and Austin Juniors Volleyball. Madi is not the only Disu to be playing volleyball for the Rams this year – she is also joined by her twin sister, Megan. The two have always played together during school and club and knew they wanted to continue playing together through college.
“She’s my biggest fan, she’s there for me and supports me more than anyone else and always wants me to do my best,” Disu said.
Growing up in a basketball family, Disu always believed she would end up just like her family, with her mom having played college basketball and her older brother playing for Texas. However, it was volleyball that felt the most natural to her.
Disu is currently studying criminology, criminal justice and psychology. She said her decision to play at URI was influenced heavily by the team environment here.
“All the girls were great and we got along really well [..] we spend a lot of time together outside of volleyball and do a lot of things that aren’t sanctioned by the coaches,” Disu said.
Since coming to URI, Disu has connected a lot with the coaching staff here, led by head coach Angel Agu, who is starting her third year as head coach for the Rams.
“I am pretty close to the coaches,” Disu said. “I would say that them being young helps with that as well, like they are able to understand us better [..] and also having the comfort of being able to talk to them and feel comfortable telling them how you really feel.”
After being named A-10 Rookie of the Week, Disu described the shock she felt.
“It was a surprise,” Disu said. “Like I didn’t expect to get any accolades like that this early, but I was also really excited,I think that we knew our team had worked really really hard and deserved some type of recognition so I think it was really cool to see.”
The Rams currently have a record of 3-13, set to host Davidson College on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at noon. With Disu playing on a hot streak, she is sure the team will be able to turn it around and play to their full potential.