A game-changing locker room for Georgetown student-athletes

volleyball lockerroom

Georgetown University Athletics facilities play a major role in student-athletes’ daily experience—and in their competitive success. In 2021, a generous gift from Tom (F’93) and Marina (C’93) Purcell (Parents’23, ’25) made it possible for Georgetown University Athletics to remodel the volleyball team locker room at McDonough Arena. Long-time supporters of Georgetown through their philanthropy and leadership, the Purcells recognized what a new locker room could mean for student-athlete recruitment, productivity, and teambuilding.

The Purcell Family Locker Room opened in September 2022, featuring a large changing space, a nutrition station, a lounge area, modern fixtures, and Georgetown branding throughout. “Marina and I are thrilled to have been able to contribute to such an amazing locker room for our volleyball team,” says Tom Purcell. “The Georgetown staff did an excellent job delivering a top-notch facility that supports the teams’ efforts on the court and provides a space for hanging out, studying, and prepping for upcoming games.”

Three years after Georgetown Athletics unveiled the new locker room, volleyball student-athletes say it continues to be a point of pride—and a crucial amenity that helps them to thrive, as individuals and as a team.

“The Georgetown volleyball locker room has been one of the most transformative parts of my experience as a student-athlete. It represents more than just a place where we can change or prepare for practice—it is a place where we can foster our team culture. It is where we can come to recharge, celebrate victories, process losses, set goals, and overall build trust. We use it to do homework, to relax, to take our minds off of things. The locker room has become a place where I can show up as my full self and be surrounded by people who push me to be stronger.”

—Fiona Turnbull (C’29), volleyball student-athlete, Photo: Art Pittman

“We understand that not everyone gets a special space like this. It provides a communal place for us to build camaraderie and strengthen our team chemistry. But it’s also a place that helps us maintain our physical health, allowing us to get in better recovery, rest, and even eat healthier. You can find many girls in here throughout the day utilizing the space because it truly has so much to offer each person within our program. We’ve been working very hard to build a culture of driven athletes, committed to making Georgetown a household name in our sport, and our locker room helps us do that in many ways.”

—Taylor Mercado (C’28), volleyball student-athlete, Photo: Rafael Suanes

Facilities that match our ambitions

The launch of the new Hoyas Volleyball space in Fall 2022 reinforced how a new locker room can be a program-changing asset, on a daily basis and for the long term.

Commenting on her experience at the ribbon cutting, then-volleyball student-athlete Jessica Cusi (C’22, G’24) said, “I think that everyone who saw how beautiful it is can attest to what a game changer it is.” She noted the ample space for watching film, doing homework, and preparing for practice and class, adding “the locker room benefits the program in so many ways.”

volleyball locker room

“Thanks to the generosity of the Purcell Family, our volleyball student-athletes now have a state-of-the-art space to call their own. This was a transformative gift that made an immediate impact for both our student-athletes and coaches. The Purcells have been fixtures within the Georgetown community for many years, and we are so very appreciative of their support.”

—Lee Reed, Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

Donor support like the Purcells’ is vital as Georgetown Athletics seeks to elevate the spaces used by Hoya teams. By strategically investing in facilities both on and off the Hilltop, the university can give student-athletes what they need for success—while growing Georgetown’s recruiting advantage.

“We believe great facilities like our locker room attract great players,” says Marina Purcell. “Playing volleyball was an important part of our daughter Minnie’s GU experience, and we are very excited to follow the team and their future success.”