The University of Denver women’s volleyball program has named former Pioneer standout Molly Mirabelli its Director of Volleyball Operations.
Mirabelli joined the Pioneers’ staff following a decorated collegiate career that included two seasons at Denver (2023–24) and three at Purdue Fort Wayne (2020–22). A steady and impactful middle blocker, she started every match of her Denver career, earning All-Summit League Honorable Mention honors in 2024 and Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week recognition after averaging 1.81 blocks per set. That season, she ranked second on the team in both kills and points per set, totaling 286 kills and 2.72 kills per set in conference play, while posting career highs of 19 kills against Kansas City and 11 blocks against South Dakota State.
Before transferring to Denver, Mirabelli anchored the Purdue Fort Wayne front line with her sister, Emma, leading the Mastodons in total blocks in both 2021 and 2022. The sisters transferred together to Denver, where Emma is now a senior for the Pioneers.
A native of Traverse City, Michigan, Mirabelli was a four-time All-State volleyball selection at St. Francis High School, where she surpassed 1,000 career kills and also earned All-State honors in softball. She comes from a strong athletic lineage—her parents, Kristin and Doug Mirabelli, both competed collegiately at Wichita State, and her father went on to win two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox. Her younger brother, a junior at Traverse City Christian School, is a two-time All-State golfer.
Mirabelli studied Fine Arts at Purdue Fort Wayne and earned her Master’s in Communication Management with a focus in Public Relations from the University of Denver. She brings a creative and comprehensive approach to program operations, overseeing travel coordination, event logistics, alumni and donor engagement, recruiting support, and day-to-day administrative functions.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to give back to a program that has given me so much,” Mirabelli said. "Megan took me on as a player during her first year and completely transformed my experience, both as an athlete and as a person. I’m proud to have been part of the beginning of her legacy and now to support it from the other side. I’m excited to serve this team, our student-athletes, and this university in new and meaningful ways, and to help inspire more women to pursue careers in athletics. I’ll always be an advocate for girls discovering their strength through sports and for supporting them on their journeys to becoming collegiate athletes and beyond.”
