FRANCELA ULATE COMMITS TO JOIN UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM
6/15/2021 2:27:00 PM | Volleyball, Beach Volleyball
MARTIN, Tenn. – Jaclynn Wilson picked up her second NCAA Division I transfer of the offseason today as the University of Tennessee at Martin head volleyball coach announced the signing of Francela Ulate.
Ulate is a 5-10 outside hitter who has played the last three seasons at Binghamton University, a member of the America East Conference. The Heredia, Costa Rica native will be a graduate transfer for the Skyhawks this fall.
"Francela thrives under pressure as a go-to on the pin and her serve is unmatched," said Wilson, who enters her seventh season at the helm in 2021. "She's going to compete in the fall and I'm excited for what she's going to bring to our gym."
During her time in Binghamton, NY, Ulate played for head coach Glenn Kiriyama. She racked up 330 kills (2.75 per set), 65 service aces (0.54 per set), 207 digs and 41 blocks over 40 career matches. She started every match of the last two seasons, ranking in the top-10 nationally in service aces while also leading the Bearcats in kills during that span – earning All-AEC second team accolades as a senior in 2020-21.
Ulate paced Binghamton in kills (138) and service aces (25) as part of the abbreviated 12-match season last spring. Her 0.60 service aces per set average led the AEC, ranked fourth amongst all NCAA Division I players and was the second-best total in Binghamton's Division I Era (since 2001). Meanwhile, her 4.14 points per set and 3.29 kills per set average were third and fifth, respectively, in the AEC's year-end statistical rankings. She also ranked second on the squad with 93 digs while adding 17 blocks.
The best match of Ulate's senior campaign came on March 7 against Albany as she tallied season-highs of 20 kills and a .317 hitting percentage in only three sets. Overall, she had seven double-digit kill performances and a trio of double-doubles in 2020-21. She provided multiple service aces on seven separate occasions, unleashing a season-best five aces (to go along with a season-high four blocks) in just three sets on March 14 at UMBC. Her season-best of 14 digs came at Hartford on March 17 as she scooped up double figures in the dig column four different times.
As a junior, Ulate once again topped the AEC and ranked 10th nationally in service aces (40, 0.56 per set) while slamming down a team-high 189 kills. She once again ranked in the top-10 in the league in service aces (0.56 per set, first), points (3.35 per set, sixth) and kills (2.63 per set, 10th). Her service aces average was the fourth-highest mark in the school's Division I Era as she tacked on career-best totals of 112 digs and 24 blocks while starting all 23 matches.
Ulate's 2019 campaign was highlighted by a career-best 21-kill, 18-dig effort against Morgan State on Sept. 21. In that match, she also set a season-high with a .367 attack percentage, committing only three errors on 49 swings. All in all, she was responsible for a pair of double-doubles and seven instances of double figure kills. Her wicked serve led to 11 matches with at least two aces, including a career-best six (in just three sets) at Army on Sept. 13.
Before playing in five matches as a sophomore at Binghamton, Ulate started her collegiate career under head coach Samantha Reed at Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ. As a freshman in 2016, she helped guide the Bulldogs to a 15-6 overall record, nabbing first team All-Region 19 and first team All-Garden State Athletic Conference honors in the process. She accounted for nearly half of the team's kills (229 of 466), averaging 3.18 kills per set on a sizzling .319 attack percentage. Additionally, she led Bergen in service aces (49, 0.68 per set) and ranked second on the team with 70 digs.
Ulate had 11 matches with double-digit kills as a true freshman at Bergen, including back-to-back 20-plus outings (21 against Ocean County on Sept. 24, season-high 22 against Brookdale on Sept. 27). She hit above .400 on six separate occasions as her season-high of .750 (nine kills, no errors in 12 attempts) came at Westchester on Sept. 21. She came away with a pair of double-doubles (kills and digs) and had 14 multi-service ace performances – six of which included at least four aces. Her season-best six service aces came in three sets against Rowan College on Sept. 10.
Ulate attended Liceo de Santa Barbara High School and Hackensack High School, where she was a two-sport star in volleyball and basketball. She went on to play one season of collegiate basketball at Bergen before focusing primarily on volleyball.
Ulate is one of four additions to the Skyhawk volleyball program in 2021, joining redshirt junior middle blocker Olivia Saunders (Ontario, Canada/Wake Forest), freshman middle blocker Kristin Phillips (Orient, Ohio/Westfall HS) and freshman setter Hannah Haislip (Gates, Tenn./Halls HS).
Ulate is a 5-10 outside hitter who has played the last three seasons at Binghamton University, a member of the America East Conference. The Heredia, Costa Rica native will be a graduate transfer for the Skyhawks this fall.
"Francela thrives under pressure as a go-to on the pin and her serve is unmatched," said Wilson, who enters her seventh season at the helm in 2021. "She's going to compete in the fall and I'm excited for what she's going to bring to our gym."
During her time in Binghamton, NY, Ulate played for head coach Glenn Kiriyama. She racked up 330 kills (2.75 per set), 65 service aces (0.54 per set), 207 digs and 41 blocks over 40 career matches. She started every match of the last two seasons, ranking in the top-10 nationally in service aces while also leading the Bearcats in kills during that span – earning All-AEC second team accolades as a senior in 2020-21.
Ulate paced Binghamton in kills (138) and service aces (25) as part of the abbreviated 12-match season last spring. Her 0.60 service aces per set average led the AEC, ranked fourth amongst all NCAA Division I players and was the second-best total in Binghamton's Division I Era (since 2001). Meanwhile, her 4.14 points per set and 3.29 kills per set average were third and fifth, respectively, in the AEC's year-end statistical rankings. She also ranked second on the squad with 93 digs while adding 17 blocks.
The best match of Ulate's senior campaign came on March 7 against Albany as she tallied season-highs of 20 kills and a .317 hitting percentage in only three sets. Overall, she had seven double-digit kill performances and a trio of double-doubles in 2020-21. She provided multiple service aces on seven separate occasions, unleashing a season-best five aces (to go along with a season-high four blocks) in just three sets on March 14 at UMBC. Her season-best of 14 digs came at Hartford on March 17 as she scooped up double figures in the dig column four different times.
As a junior, Ulate once again topped the AEC and ranked 10th nationally in service aces (40, 0.56 per set) while slamming down a team-high 189 kills. She once again ranked in the top-10 in the league in service aces (0.56 per set, first), points (3.35 per set, sixth) and kills (2.63 per set, 10th). Her service aces average was the fourth-highest mark in the school's Division I Era as she tacked on career-best totals of 112 digs and 24 blocks while starting all 23 matches.
Ulate's 2019 campaign was highlighted by a career-best 21-kill, 18-dig effort against Morgan State on Sept. 21. In that match, she also set a season-high with a .367 attack percentage, committing only three errors on 49 swings. All in all, she was responsible for a pair of double-doubles and seven instances of double figure kills. Her wicked serve led to 11 matches with at least two aces, including a career-best six (in just three sets) at Army on Sept. 13.
Before playing in five matches as a sophomore at Binghamton, Ulate started her collegiate career under head coach Samantha Reed at Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ. As a freshman in 2016, she helped guide the Bulldogs to a 15-6 overall record, nabbing first team All-Region 19 and first team All-Garden State Athletic Conference honors in the process. She accounted for nearly half of the team's kills (229 of 466), averaging 3.18 kills per set on a sizzling .319 attack percentage. Additionally, she led Bergen in service aces (49, 0.68 per set) and ranked second on the team with 70 digs.
Ulate had 11 matches with double-digit kills as a true freshman at Bergen, including back-to-back 20-plus outings (21 against Ocean County on Sept. 24, season-high 22 against Brookdale on Sept. 27). She hit above .400 on six separate occasions as her season-high of .750 (nine kills, no errors in 12 attempts) came at Westchester on Sept. 21. She came away with a pair of double-doubles (kills and digs) and had 14 multi-service ace performances – six of which included at least four aces. Her season-best six service aces came in three sets against Rowan College on Sept. 10.
Ulate attended Liceo de Santa Barbara High School and Hackensack High School, where she was a two-sport star in volleyball and basketball. She went on to play one season of collegiate basketball at Bergen before focusing primarily on volleyball.
Ulate is one of four additions to the Skyhawk volleyball program in 2021, joining redshirt junior middle blocker Olivia Saunders (Ontario, Canada/Wake Forest), freshman middle blocker Kristin Phillips (Orient, Ohio/Westfall HS) and freshman setter Hannah Haislip (Gates, Tenn./Halls HS).
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