Louisiana Volleyball Adds Two Big Transfers for 2024 Season  

LAFAYETTE, La. – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball head coach Kristi Gray announced on Tuesday (Jan. 9, 2024) the addition of Cailin Demps (Tallahassee, Fla.) and Chelsea Gilmore (Fort Mill, S.C.) to the program's roster starting with the Spring 2024 semester.  

Demps is an outside/opposite hitter who joins the Ragin’ Cajuns after competing with fellow Sun Belt member Southern Miss from 2022-23. Gilmore, a middle blocker, comes to Louisiana after spending her initial collegiate season at N.C. State in 2023. 

Both Demps and Gilmore, along with early enrollee Megan Hawkins (New Braunfels, Texas/Canyon HS) from the prep ranks, have enrolled for Spring 2024 semester classes and are set to participate in the team’s upcoming spring practice session. 

Over the two seasons competed at USM, Demps totaled 347 kills over 175 sets played and posted a .224 hitting percentage. She accumulated 150-plus kills and hit .200-plus both seasons with the Golden Eagles. 

Demps started 12 matches and appeared in a total of 30 for USM in her freshman campaign (2022), finishing the season with 192 kills, 45 digs and 39 blocks. This past fall (2023), she produced at least five kills in 15 matches, hitting double figures four times highlighted by a season-high 13 against Houston and South Alabama, on the way to tallying 155 kills over 83 sets.

A Tallahassee, Florida native, Demps prepped at Leon High School where she racked up 1,081 career kills. 

“Cailin (Demps) will not only bring experience, but she brings familiarity within the conference,” Gray said. “She is going to be a physical and athletic piece that will help contribute to our success.” 

Demps has two seasons of eligibility available to compete for Louisiana, starting with the 2024 season later this fall. 

Gilmore, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, was a highly decorated athlete in the prep ranks, earning AVCA All-Region honors, All-State honors and being named Offensive Player of the Year at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina. She appeared of various award lists including the AVCA All-Phenom and All-American watch lists. 

In her final two prep seasons, Gilmore totaled 200-plus kills and 30-plus blocks both times. She played club ball for Carolina Union. 

Gilmore, who did not use a season of competition while at N.C. State, has four seasons of eligibility available to compete for Louisiana beginning in the fall. 

“Chelsea (Gilmore) will come into our program with a lot of knowledge after being a part of a high-level program,” Gray said. “She is not only extremely athletic, but she is also very dynamic, and will help us immediately on both sides of the ball.”

About Louisiana Volleyball

The Ragin’ Cajuns (19-13, 9-7 SBC) posted their third consecutive winning mark under the guidance of head coach Kristi Gray during the fall 2023 season. UL posted its highest win total of Gray’s tenure, totaling 19 victories, and claimed an SBC Tournament win for the third consecutive season.

Balance was the key to the Cajuns success offensively and defensively, with five players posting 150-plus kills and four players collecting 200-plus digs, directed by the efforts of setter Siena DeCambra and libero Mio Yamamoto, both All-Sun Belt selections. Yamamoto was named the SBC Libero of the Year. 

For the second consecutive season Gray’s exciting up-tempo style of volleyball drew record numbers to E.K. Long Gym, the Cajuns setting the total attendance mark for a single season once again drawing 7,219 over the 11-match home slate. 

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