University of Mary Washington Women's Volleyball

Coach Kris Kabza is a 1988 Mary Washington graduate.  He played rugby for three years at Mary Washington, primarily as a flanker and a hooker.  After graduating, he played periodically for the Fredericksburg Grandmothers for two years, until the team folded.  Kris also played rugby for the Richmond United in 1995.  Between his playing time with the Grandmothers and the United, Kris was recruited in the fall of 1991 to help Coach Bill Lucas, and has been coaching the women’s team since. During his coaching years, Kris has contributed to rugby as an administrator as well as an All-Star coach.  In 1996 he became the Chair of the Virginia Rugby Union (VRU) Men’s Collegiate Committee.  The following year, he represented the VRU as a Director of the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union (MARFU).  In 1998 Kris was elected the President of the VRU.  Kris held the VRU President position for 10 years.  He resigned as the President of VRU in 2008, when he was elected President of MARFU.  He held that position for 4 years, stepping down when USA Rugby began to restructure their organization, ultimately dissolving the VRU and MARFU.As for Kris’ All-Star contributions, he was the Manager of the MARFU Men’s College All-Stars 1997-2000, he assisted with the VRU Women’s U23 All-Stars 1997-2000, assisted with the VRU Men’s Collegiate All-Stars 1997-1999, and assisted with the MARFU Women’s U23 All-Stars 1998-1999.  With the new structure of USA Rugby, Kris is hoping to start an All-Star program within the team’s current rugby conference - the Capital Rugby Union.Kris’ training includes:USA Rugby Coaching Certification, Levels 100 & 200Introducing Rugby and Developing Rugby Skills coursesUSA Rugby Club Coach I, II, & IIIVarious USA Rugby Continuing Education CoursesUSA Rugby certified rugby refereeCPR/First Aid/AED certified 1993-PresentEMT Certified 1993-2001

The University of Mary Washington athletic department is pleased to announce the hiring of Andrew Spencer as the new head men's rugby coach, according to Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo. "We look forward to having Andrew Spencer join UMW Athletics to be the next head coach of the men's rugby program and continue the team's tradition of excellence", said Catullo. "Coach Spencer's experience and coaching ability will be a great asset to the team, the department and the entire UMW community." "I'm honored and excited for the opportunity to lead the men's rugby team at the University of Mary Washington", said Spencer. "I want to thank Patrick Catullo and the search committee for their warm welcome throughout the interview process—I'm truly grateful to be joining the UMW athletics team. It is a privilege to work alongside current coach and UMW rugby alumnus Charbel Medlej '16 as we build on the program's strong history and guide this team into the next chapter. I look forward to working with this talented group of student-athletes to help them be successful academically and athletically." Spencer comes to UMW from Nazareth University, where he served as head coach for 2024-25. Nazareth competed in the National Collegiate Rugby's Liberty Conference, and advanced to the NCR's National Rugby 7's championship tournament in spring 2025. He was an assistant coach for backs and 7's at Nazareth in 2023-24. Prior to Nazareth, Spencer served as head coach at SUNY Geneseo, where he led the team to a pair of conference 15's championships and one state 7's championship in his two seasons – both of which culminated in CRC championship appearances. A 2015 bachelor of science graduate form John Carroll University, he also has playing experience on 15's and 7's squads for the Rochester Aardvarks (15s) and the Roc City Reapers (7s), as well as at St. John Fisher College, where he gained his doctorate of Pharmacy in 2019. He is licensed with a USA Rugby L200/World Rugby Level 1 Coaching Certification.  

University of Mary Washington alumnus Courtney Hempe returns to the Eagles' coaching staff for her third season in 2025. Hempe brings a wealth of knowledge to the program, having gained experience since 2012 as a club coach with 540 and Core Volleyball, as well as a very successful stint as head coach at Colonial Forge and Riverbend High Schools. She has gained multiple region and conference Coach of the Year awards, as well as multiple regional championships and state tournament appearances. She has posted a cumulative record of 127-44 in her high school coaching career. She played for the Eagles as a setter from 2012-14, as the Eagles maintained a stronghold in the national rankings.

UMW men's rugby alumnus Charbel Medlej returns for 2025-26 as a key member in leading the highly successful program. Medlej was a four-year standout for UMW, earning the position of club president and captain from 2014-2016. After graduating from UMW, Medlej went on to pursue a Doctorate in Chiropractic at Palmer College, also while playing rugby, serving as club treasurer and eventually club president. Medlej served as volunteer Assistant Coach position at the University of Alabama for their Men's Rugby Club during the Fall 2019 season, and was appointed as head coach for the Palmer College women's rugby program for the Fall 2021 season, which culminated in finishing in third place at the Women's D2 National Championships. Medlej holds a doctorate of chiropractic from Palmer College, gaining valedictorian honors, and holds a bachelor of science in Human Biology and Neuroscience from UMW in 2016.

The University of Mary Washington athletic department is pleased to announce the hiring of Eric Gyamfi as the director of the Esports program. "We are thrilled to welcome Eric to our team as the new Director of Esports at the University of Mary Washington", said Associate Director of Athletics Caitlin Moore. "With a background in Esports Management and hands-on leadership, Eric brings a wealth of knowledge and global perspective."   Gyamfi brings great experience to Fredericksburg. He is currently employed as Vice President of Esports Operations for vireo.pro, and his duties include a key role in the day-to-day operations of the CSGO team, optimizing efficiency and team performance. He has spearheaded the establishment of a Call of Duty Warzone Mobile team, expanding competitive opportunities and diversifying the organization's reach. He has worked as a streamer and content creator for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that has seen him co-host a twitch stream, reaching a wide audience of 27 million veterans, and collaborate with diverse guests from the gaming, entrepreneurship, and health sectors, creating engaging and informative content. Gyamfi also brings valuable experience as a talent coordinator with GG Talent Group, as a streamer and content creator at Warrior GMR Foundation, and as Tier 2 Operations Manager for U.S. Army Esports. He also brings experience in event operations with events such as Call of Duty Major Raleigh and Overwatch Grand Finals in Anaheim, California. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served leading aircrew flight equipment inspections and maintenance. "I am honored to join the University of Mary Washington and lead its esports program", said Gyamfi. "The University has built a strong foundation with a rich history, and I look forward to elevating the program into a hub for competition, coaching, and broadcasting. My goal is to create a lasting legacy that fosters excellence and innovation in esports at Mary Washington." He is a 2023 graduate of Shenandoah University, where he gained a Bachelor of Science degree in Esports Management. He was deeply involved as an ambassador to the Esports program at Shenandoah, creating international partnerships that resulted in study abroad programs as well as key partnerships with Mineski Global and Infofed Sports. He also promoted the program a SU as a broadcaster of events, and created clips and montages for greater viewer experience.