Sports
Volleyball Adds Three to 2025 Roster
HOUSTON – Freshman Olivia Klimis, senior Lottie Scully and redshirt junior Ella Wendel will join the Cougars for the 2025 season, Head Coach David Rehr announced Tuesday. “We are so excited to announce the final three additions to our 2025 roster,” Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Coach Taylor McColskey said. “Each of them will add a […]
HOUSTON – Freshman Olivia Klimis, senior Lottie Scully and redshirt junior Ella Wendel will join the Cougars for the 2025 season, Head Coach David Rehr announced Tuesday.
“We are so excited to announce the final three additions to our 2025 roster,” Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Coach Taylor McColskey said. “Each of them will add a tremendous amount of value to a team we feel will be very competitive in the fall.”
OLIVIA KLIMIS – SETTER – FRESHMAN – OVIEDO, FLA.
Klimis lands in Houston after playing high school volleyball for Oviedo High School under Coach Jen Darty and club volleyball for Top Select 18 Elite under Coach Ross Usie.
“Olivia Klimis comes from great high school and club programs where she was consistently recognized as a top performer,” McColskey said. “She is a great competitor that can play several positions, we expect her to make our gym better right away.”
Klimis posted 1,368 assists for Oviedo High, averaging 4.5 per set, while also adding 515 kills, 682 digs and 123 total blocks. She was named Oviedo’s 2024-25 Female Athlete of the Year as well as earning AVCA Second-Team All-America honors in her senior season.
A two-time Indoor Volleyball All-Conference selection, she helped Oviedo reach the Regional Finals of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 FHSAA State Championships. Among her numerous other accolades, Klimis was named to the Fall 2024 PrepVolleyball.com All-Season Super Squad Second Team, was a Fall 2024 Florida Athletic Coaches Association Senior All-Star and was an Under Armour Next Most Valuable Player in the summer of 2024.
In addition to her indoor volleyball high school career, Klimis played beach volleyball for OHS. She was selected as the 2025 Seminole County Beach Player of the Year on top of earning First Team All-Conference honors in 2024 and 2025.
She is following in the footsteps of her mother, Allison, who played collegiate volleyball for Alabama from 1997-2001.
LOTTIE SCULLY – SETTER – SENIOR – BINGHAMTON
Scully arrives in Houston following three standout seasons at Binghamton in New York. A three-time All-America East selection, Scully joins the Cougars boasting 2,461 career assists, averaging 8.76 per set, along with 638 digs, 141 blocks and 67 service aces.
“Lottie Scully adds needed collegiate experience to our setting position,” McColskey said. “She is the reigning America East Conference Setter of the Year. In talking with her in the transfer process, it was clear that she understands the game at a high level. We are excited to add her leadership and experience to our setting group.”
Scully is coming off an incredible junior season, being selected the America East Setter of the Year and an All-America East First-Team honoree. She led the league in assists with 994, starting in 23 of the team’s 30 matches, while being one of six Bearcats to play in all 30 matches and one of four to play in all 113 of Binghamton’s sets.
In addition to her junior year accolades, Scully was an All-America East Second-Team selection in both 2022 and 2023, becoming Binghamton’s first all-conference setter since 2017. She also helped lead the Bearcats to NIVC appearances in both 2022 and 2024.
Prior to her collegiate career, Scully attended Orange High School in Hurdle Mills, N.C., while playing club volleyball for Carolina Edge Volleyball.
ELLA WENDEL – MIDDLE BLOCKER – REDSHIRT JUNIOR – TULSA
Wendel rejoins Houston following a semester at Tulsa. The Pflugerville, Texas, native became a fixture in Houston’s rotation last season, posting 47 blocks across 64 sets. She ranked second on the team with 0.73 blocks per set while also adding 43 kills and six aces to her tally. She led Houston in blocks in seven matches during her breakout campaign while making 15 starts during the season.
“Ella Wendel comes back to us after a semester away,” McColskey said. “We are so excited to bring Ella back to Houston. She has always been an unbelievably valuable member of our team culture and proved this past season that she can contribute at the middle position in the Big 12.”
Wendel had been with Houston since arriving on campus as a freshman in 2022. She made her collegiate debut against McNeese on Aug. 27, 2023, and earned her first collegiate start against SMU on Sept. 14, 2024.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Volleyball by joining the Point Houston Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Volleyball for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarVB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team’s Facebook page at UHCougarVB. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarVB.
“We are so excited to announce the final three additions to our 2025 roster,” Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Coach Taylor McColskey said. “Each of them will add a tremendous amount of value to a team we feel will be very competitive in the fall.”
OLIVIA KLIMIS – SETTER – FRESHMAN – OVIEDO, FLA.
Klimis lands in Houston after playing high school volleyball for Oviedo High School under Coach Jen Darty and club volleyball for Top Select 18 Elite under Coach Ross Usie.
“Olivia Klimis comes from great high school and club programs where she was consistently recognized as a top performer,” McColskey said. “She is a great competitor that can play several positions, we expect her to make our gym better right away.”
Klimis posted 1,368 assists for Oviedo High, averaging 4.5 per set, while also adding 515 kills, 682 digs and 123 total blocks. She was named Oviedo’s 2024-25 Female Athlete of the Year as well as earning AVCA Second-Team All-America honors in her senior season.
A two-time Indoor Volleyball All-Conference selection, she helped Oviedo reach the Regional Finals of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 FHSAA State Championships. Among her numerous other accolades, Klimis was named to the Fall 2024 PrepVolleyball.com All-Season Super Squad Second Team, was a Fall 2024 Florida Athletic Coaches Association Senior All-Star and was an Under Armour Next Most Valuable Player in the summer of 2024.
In addition to her indoor volleyball high school career, Klimis played beach volleyball for OHS. She was selected as the 2025 Seminole County Beach Player of the Year on top of earning First Team All-Conference honors in 2024 and 2025.
She is following in the footsteps of her mother, Allison, who played collegiate volleyball for Alabama from 1997-2001.
LOTTIE SCULLY – SETTER – SENIOR – BINGHAMTON
Scully arrives in Houston following three standout seasons at Binghamton in New York. A three-time All-America East selection, Scully joins the Cougars boasting 2,461 career assists, averaging 8.76 per set, along with 638 digs, 141 blocks and 67 service aces.
“Lottie Scully adds needed collegiate experience to our setting position,” McColskey said. “She is the reigning America East Conference Setter of the Year. In talking with her in the transfer process, it was clear that she understands the game at a high level. We are excited to add her leadership and experience to our setting group.”
Scully is coming off an incredible junior season, being selected the America East Setter of the Year and an All-America East First-Team honoree. She led the league in assists with 994, starting in 23 of the team’s 30 matches, while being one of six Bearcats to play in all 30 matches and one of four to play in all 113 of Binghamton’s sets.
In addition to her junior year accolades, Scully was an All-America East Second-Team selection in both 2022 and 2023, becoming Binghamton’s first all-conference setter since 2017. She also helped lead the Bearcats to NIVC appearances in both 2022 and 2024.
Prior to her collegiate career, Scully attended Orange High School in Hurdle Mills, N.C., while playing club volleyball for Carolina Edge Volleyball.
ELLA WENDEL – MIDDLE BLOCKER – REDSHIRT JUNIOR – TULSA
Wendel rejoins Houston following a semester at Tulsa. The Pflugerville, Texas, native became a fixture in Houston’s rotation last season, posting 47 blocks across 64 sets. She ranked second on the team with 0.73 blocks per set while also adding 43 kills and six aces to her tally. She led Houston in blocks in seven matches during her breakout campaign while making 15 starts during the season.
“Ella Wendel comes back to us after a semester away,” McColskey said. “We are so excited to bring Ella back to Houston. She has always been an unbelievably valuable member of our team culture and proved this past season that she can contribute at the middle position in the Big 12.”
Wendel had been with Houston since arriving on campus as a freshman in 2022. She made her collegiate debut against McNeese on Aug. 27, 2023, and earned her first collegiate start against SMU on Sept. 14, 2024.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Volleyball by joining the Point Houston Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Volleyball for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarVB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team’s Facebook page at UHCougarVB. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarVB.
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