CHARLESTON, S.C. – The two newest members of the Charleston Southern volleyball program arrived on campus this week. The two middle blockers, Emma Bednarek and Manon Braunsteffer, entered the transfer portal back in December and have since begun their journeys as the newest Buccaneers in the Holy City.

On paper, a lot of similarities can be drawn between Bednarek and Braunsteffer. They both are international student-athletes, they play the same position (Middle Blocker), they are almost the same height (6'3" and 6'2"), they are both very fond of Head Coach Carry Brown's transparent and intentional approach to communication.

Although many great similarities can be found between the two newest VolleyBucs, there are just as many unique characteristics about each of them. 

Bednarek, a Rosario, Argentina native, spent her first two college volleyball seasons at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas. The steak eating and Bad Bunny music enjoying Bednarek put up exceptional numbers during her sophomore campaign at TVCC where she collected 261 kills, 139 total blocks, 57 digs and 53 service aces.

Braunsteffer spent her fall semester in Charleston, Illinois as a member of the Eastern Illinois Panthers volleyball program. Before EIU, she spent two years just outside of New York City at Monroe University. With the Monroe Mustangs, Braunsteffer recorded 450 kills, 156 total blocks, 68 digs and 4 service aces through two seasons. The Paris, France native also posted an incredible .426 career attacking percentage with the Mustangs – that number would have ranked first on the 2024 Bucs volleyball team (minimum 3 attempts).

Although Bednarek is the South American addition to next season's roster, Braunsteffer ironically visited that portion of the globe recently. Manon's recent travels before arriving on campus in the Palmetto state included what she cites as an "incredible and surreal" experience at the Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses (a national park) in Brazil.

A member of the CSU volleyball staff, Graduate Assistant Coach Kacper Dobrowolski, was an instrumental piece of the puzzle that got Bednarek and Braunsteffer to the Lowcountry. Coach Dobrowolski, a former international (Poland) college volleyball player himself, was a great resource to both Bednarek and Braunsteffer as they both appreciated his "accessibility" and "ability to relate" to their college journeys.

A common denominator between every member of the 2025 Charleston Southern volleyball roster is that they have chosen to play for Head Coach Carry Brown. Bednarek and Braunsteffer both shared positive remarks about Coach Brown when asked what characteristics she displayed to them while they were residents of the transfer portal. Braunsteffer not only enjoyed her conversations with Coach Brown during her transition process, she also sought out some additional opinions.

"When I talked to some of (Coach Brown's) former players while I was in the portal, they all talked about how much she cares about each of her student-athletes… after having conversations with her, I can totally see the caring nature they told me about."

Bednarek added to Braunsteffer's positive review of Coach Brown's communication style.

"I really appreciate how clearly (Coach Brown) communicated her goals and intentions for not only me as a player, but the program as a whole."

When asked what her two new additions bring to campus, Coach Brown stated,

"Emma and Manon are two dynamic middles with two different styles that will be a great addition to our program. They bring a lot of experience from their previous schools that will help us offensively and defensively. Their goals align with what we are trying to achieve with rebuilding this program."

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