If you were to tell former WSU outside hitter Melina Christodoulou before the end of her second season at former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia would be part of the reason she played at Washington State, she likely would not have believed you.

However, the lawsuit Pavia filed against the NCAA in November 2024 over eligibility standards granted Christodoulou one more season of college volleyball. This is because in December 2024, the NCAA permitted an extra year of eligibility in 2025-2026 to athletes who previously competed at non-NCAA schools, and Christodoulou played her first two years of college ball at community colleges.

“I was very lucky to be [in] that…area of getting another year [of eligibility], which was a great opportunity,” Christodoulou said.

Christodoulou decided to take her talent out west to WSU after hearing the news. Before coming to WSU, she spent two years at the University of Akron, one at Iowa Western Community College and another at Hutchinson Community College.

She said the decision was in part because Akron did not have the master’s program she was looking for, and because she wanted to “explore something else,” while developing her game and building more relationships.

In her sole year on the Palouse, Christodoulou did not disappoint. She recorded 243 kills, the second-most on the team, while hitting .260, the highest for any WSU pin hitter, and accumulating 31 total blocks. She did this while missing three matches in the middle of the season.

When reflecting on her time at WSU, Christodoulou’s favorite moment playing WSU volleyball was the Apple Cup.

“The Apple Cup game was probably the first time ever in my career that I played in front of [so many] people…so I was trying to take it all in,” she said. “Winning that first set, like I still remember how great that felt, and I keep going back and watching the film.”

Also part of what made it special was that her sister flew in from Greece, their home country, to support her during the match. Christodoulou logged 14 kills in the match and was a key contributor for the Cougs, despite their 3-1 loss.

Christodoulou also enjoyed all of the home matches because they allowed her to create relationships with fans and donors.

The biggest groups of people that had an impact on Christodoulou’s time at Washington State were the coaches and the WSU athletic staff who supported her.

She said she was grateful for the coaches for trusting that she would have an impact on the team, considering the teams she had previously been on.

As for the other athletic staff, Christodoulou appreciated all the help and resources they provided.

“People don’t really value all the help that we get until we don’t get it anymore,” she said. “And now, not being an athlete, it’s insane how different the perspectives change. I was able to, obviously, value them even when I was an athlete, but it’s crazy how [many] resources we get.”

Christodoulou said she hopes she is remembered for being the teammate that others know “will care no matter what.”

And since she has played college volleyball for five years now at four different universities, Christodoulou has learned a lot. However, her biggest takeaway from college ball relates to the importance of making sacrifices.

“Every big dream has a big sacrifice,” she said. “All the big dreams will need big sacrifices, and if we do take those sacrifices, we’ll for sure succeed in any area.”

She detailed moving to the United States as a sacrifice she made to chase her dream of playing Division I volleyball. She also said transferring between schools three times was a sacrifice she made in an attempt to be successful.

These risks have paid off for Christodoulou both on and off the court. She has received professional offers from various teams in Europe and is set to graduate with a master’s degree in sport management in December. She will also be a graduate assistant in the athletics department after being an assistant for the volleyball team since January.

Although her role as a graduate assistant in the athletics department is not confirmed, she hopes to work in community relations.

After she graduates, Christodoulou wants to either work in community relations for a sports organization or play professional volleyball in Europe. In community relations, which she will do in either the United States or Europe, she wants to help connect communities and kids in need with sports organizations through various events.

In case she does stick with volleyball, she still works out and trains every day.