Cougars overseas: BYU women’s volleyball alumni playing internationally
BYU women’s volleyball does more than win games. The program produces athletes and does it at an international level.
The Cougars currently have several alumni representing BYU and their country all across the globe. Cougars in the pros is not an unfamiliar term around here.
Alohi Robins-Hardy
Former Setter for the Cougars, Alohi Robins-Hardy currently plays professionally in the Czech Republic for the club, Dukla Liberec.
Dukla is a highly successful club in Europe, having won 17 championships and nine national cups and boast a CEV Euro Championship back in 1976. Dukla currently sits at third in the Extraliga league with a 3-0 record.
Robins-Hardy was a dual sport athlete while here at BYU from 2014-2017, playing volleyball and basketball. She finished with 991 career assists and an impressive 117-16 record in her volleyball tenure with the Cougars. She was a part of the National Championship team in 2014 and helped lead her team to three consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances in years after that.
At previous clubs overseas, Robins-Hardy earned best setter in the 2018-19 season with PSL All-Filipino, and currently ranks 299th in her division.
Heather Gneiting
More recently, Middle Blocker, Heather Gneiting has gone pro after her 4-year stint in Provo completing in the 2022 season.
Gneiting currently plays for a club in Turkey by the name of Galatasaray. Gneiting helped lead her team to a BVA Cup Championship in Italy and moved on to compete for the CEV Challenge Cup.
Gneiting finished with 922 and 423 career kills and blocks, respectively, while at BYU. She was apart of the Final Four team in 2018 and returned to the Sweet Sixteen in 2021.
Roni Jones-Perry
The former outside hitter for the Cougars currently plays professionally in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for the club SESC RJ Flamengo.
SESC has won 12 Brazilian League Championships and four South American Club Championships, and also has taken silver twice at the FIVB World Championship.
Jones-Perry has also been a part of the US Women’s National Team since 2019 after her tenure at BYU and in between professional seasons.
While with the Cougars, Jones-Perry notched 1,473 kills and lead BYU to three straight Sweet Sixteen appearances and one Final Four appearance. She was an All-American in 2017 and 2018 and was named Utah’s Female Athlete of the Year following her senior season. Jones-Perry finished the 2018 season fourth in the nation in kills per set and points per set and helped BYU win 27-straight matches.
