Fulton Continues to Excel for SVU Volleyball

It took Gracie Fulton a little time to find her place on the college volleyball scene, but the Southern Virginia senior now plays a key role for the Knights as they chase a second consecutive USA South Athletic Conference volleyball championship.

After finishing her high school career at Riverheads, Fulton headed to Shepherd University where she saw action in 27 matches as a freshman. She did not play the 2023 season after transferring from Shepherd to Randolph College in Lynchburg.

“Randolph just wasn’t a good fit for me with its learning style, so I transferred over to SVU,” said Fulton.

At Southern Virginia Fulton quickly found her role on a championship caliber team. The Knights won the conference championship and earned a trip to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Knight finished with a 22-12 overall record and a 13-3 conference mark. 

“That was an amazing year,” added Fulton. “We definitely overcame a lot of adversity. We really didn’t have a true setter so one of our defensive specialists, Ruby Blamires, stepped up and set for us. It was a learning curve but as a team we really came together and were able to get over that hump and overcome that adversity.”

Fulton was a second-team, all-conference libero and set a new single-season program record with 684 digs. She recorded more than 30 digs in three matches.

This season, Fulton is once again one of the top liberos in the conference, ranking second in the USA South with 5.08 digs per set.

The Knights are currently 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference after sweeping Mary Baldwin in three sets Wednesday evening in Staunton. Southern Virginiai is second in the conference, one game behind Greensboro College.

“We have a lot of young players, a lot of young players who are on the court the whole time. We’re figuring out the ups and the downs.,” said Fulton.

One of the downs was a loss at Salem College, the Knights’ lone conference setback of the season thus far. 

“That was a really good learning experience for us, to be able to figure out how we want to play when things get a little bit hectic,” Fulton said of the loss to Salem.

Despite the loss, the Knights are still in good position to contend for a second straight conference crown.

“We’re progressing well. We’re working so hard on and off the court. Everyone is doing so well in their academics and on the court, everyone is showing up for each other every day, ready to play. Our gym is loud and exciting. It’s amazing.”

Even though Buena Vista isn’t far from home, the trip to Mary Baldwin is a special one. 

“It means everything for my parents and my boyfriend to be able to come watch my games. We’re such a close-knit family. For them to be here and be my support system is truly amazing. It’s one of the reasons why I moved closer to home so I could be near them and they could watch me play.”

Academics plays an important role for Fulton who excels in the classroom as well. Following her junior season, she was named to the USA South Academic All-Conference Team and the CSC Academic All-District Team.

With her college career winding down, Fulton is already preparing for what comes next. She is a biology major with a minor in psychology and plans to attend occupational therapy school. “Actually, I submit my application tonight, so I’m really excited,” Fulton said following the win Wednesday at Mary Baldwin.

“I’ve always wanted to be an occupational therapist. I used to see an occupational therapist when I was little and she changed my life, helping me become the kind of athlete and student that I am. Ever since I was 13, I’ve known this is what I want to do. I’ve been working hard for four years to get closer and it’s here. I’m super excited!