Michela Rucli

Classroom

Michela Rucli maintains a 3.52 grade-point average and was named to the Hofstra Dean’s List (Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018) and was a Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll recipient (2016, 2017).

Character

Rucli is one of the hardest workers on the Hofstra volleyball team and is an incredible representative of the program and the university. She is an exemplary student in the classroom, and during her career, Rucli has been one of the mains reasons for the great success of the Hofstra volleyball program. In addition, her strong work ethic has been a great example to her teammates displaying how far her hard work goes.

Community

Over the past three years as a student-athlete at Hofstra University, Rucli has spent time volunteering at a number of local organizations. One group that Rucli helps with every year is a local dog shelter, Ruff House Rescue, in Freeport, New York. Every year Rucli and her teammates make it a priority to assist with cleaning up the shelter, walking and playing with all the dogs. In addition to that, she helped sell towels at the Polar Bear Plunge in Long Beach to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Rucli has volunteered at a local nursing home during the holiday season and assisted the residences with making gingerbread houses while having an opportunity to learn about each of the individuals at the home. Earlier this year, in February, Rucli went to the Long Island Children’s Museum for the Be Mine Ball where she helped a group of young children and their families celebrate Valentine’s Day. There she was able to work with the children on arts and crafts for them to take home for someone special in their lives. Rucli has always been an individual who makes sure to give back to others in any way she is able.

Competition

As of nomination time, Rucli has career totals of 820 kills, 459 blocks, 62 digs, nine assists and six service aces. She is the program’s all-time leader in block assists with 407 and ranks fourth in program history with 459 total blocks, and is fourth all-time in program history with a .334 attack percentage.

In 2017, she was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association Third Team and to the Hofstra/Asics Invitational All-Tournament Team. In 2016, Rucli received All-Colonial Athletic Association Second Team honors, a CAA Player of the Week nod (10/3/18) and Hofstra/Stony Brook Invitational All-Tournament Team honors. And in 2015, she was a two-time CAA Rookie of the Week honoree, CAA Defensive Player of the Week (8/31) and the ECAC Rookie of the Week (9/16).