Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

Sports

118 named to Spring 2025 SLC Commissioner’s Honor Roll

By Lion Athletics East Texas A&M University set a record for most honorees on the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll list, with 118 student-athletes named to the Spring 2025 list, on Monday morning. The Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll list recognizes student-athletes in the sports of men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf, and women’s golf, softball, […]

Published

on


By Lion Athletics

East Texas A&M University set a record for most honorees on the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll list, with 118 student-athletes named to the Spring 2025 list, on Monday morning.

The Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll list recognizes student-athletes in the sports of men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf, and women’s golf, softball, men’s track & field, and women’s track & field who maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in the semester of their respective sport.

For the Lions, the men’s track and field program had 35 honorees, followed by 27 from women’s track & field, 21 from softball, 13 from women’s basketball, 11 from men’s basketball, six from men’s golf, and five from women’s golf.

The 118 honorees for the Lions are the most since 112 honorees for the Fall 2024 semester. During the 2024-25 academic year, the Lions had 230 student-athletes named to the SLC Commissioner’s Honor Roll across the 14 programs.

The full list of honorees across the conference can be found at the Southland Conference website.

Here are the Lion student-athletes who earned commissioner’s honor roll recognition for the Spring 2025 semester.

Name Class Sport Major Hometown
Khaliq Abdul-Mateen Gr. Men’s Basketball Organizational Development Houston, Texas
Demarco Bethea Jr. Men’s Basketball Sport & Recreation Management Sellars, S.C.
Luke Coughran Fr. Men’s Basketball Finance Katy, Texas
Adonis Holiman Fr. Men’s Basketball Sport & Recreation Management McAlester, Okla.
Camerin James So. Men’s Basketball Business Administration Apopka, Fla.
Tay Mosher Jr. Men’s Basketball General Studies The Colony, Texas
Evan Phelps So. Men’s Basketball Sport & Recreation Management Duncanville, Texas
Yusef Salih Sr. Men’s Basketball General Studies Gainesville, Va.
Mykol Sanchez-Vega Jr. Men’s Basketball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Orlando, Fla.
Brandon Taylor Sr. Men’s Basketball Communication Studies Coppell, Texas
TJ Thomas Jr. Men’s Basketball Business Administration Memphis, Tenn.
Makenna Armstrong Fr. Women’s Basketball Psychology Rockwall, Texas
Ahmya Boyce Sr. Women’s Basketball Computer Science Newport News, Va.
Nyaluak Dak Fr. Women’s Basketball Criminal Justice Lincoln, Neb.
Jamy De Kock Jr. Women’s Basketball General Studies Woudrichem, The Netherlands
J’Unti Franklin Jr. Women’s Basketball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Natchitoches, La.
Alva Hedrich Jr. Women’s Basketball Mathematics Muecke, Germany
Cora Horvath So. Women’s Basketball Sport & Recreation Management Oberwart, Austria
Nina Horvath So. Women’s Basketball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Oberwart, Austria
Hannah Humphrey Sr. Women’s Basketball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Kendleton, Texas
Trinity Moreland Jr. Women’s Basketball General Studies Charlotte, N.C.
Jordyn Newsome Sr. Women’s Basketball Sport & Recreation Management Irving, Texas
Jasmine Payne Gr. Women’s Basketball Organizational Development Montgomery, Ala.
Nykesha Sanders Sr. Women’s Basketball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Detroit, Mich.
Sam Benson Jr. Men’s Golf Business Administration Gilmer, Texas
Janis Erll So. Men’s Golf Business Administration Lich, Germany
Nicke Kaajavirta Jr. Men’s Golf Business Administration Kajaani, Finland
Blake Taylor So. Men’s Golf Business Administration Mansfield, Texas
Matt Walters Jr. Men’s Golf General Studies Ballito, South Africa
Cooper Watt Fr. Men’s Golf Finance Rockford, Ill.
Marie Baertz So. Women’s Golf Construction Engineering Luxembourg
Julianna Crow Sr. Women’s Golf Construction Engineering Odessa, Texas
Jordan Dusckas Sr. Women’s Golf Marketing Highland Village, Texas
Fahsai Inmee Sr. Women’s Golf Kinesiology & Sport Studies Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand
Marie Naeher Jr. Women’s Golf Political Science Neuenbuerg, Germany
Charli Anger So. Softball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Lubbock, Texas
Maddie Cason Gr. Softball Business Administration Telephone, Texas
KK Cosek Jr. Softball Business Administration Helendale, Calif.
J’Lailah Dotson Jr. Softball Biological Sciences Hitchcock, Texas
Lexi Gamez Jr. Softball General Studies Anaheim, Calif.
Darby Hickey Sr. Softball Communication Studies Plano, Texas
Kate Houser Sr. Softball Psychology Lorena, Texas
Jenna Joyce So. Softball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Royse City, Texas
Kasey Kuyrkendall Sr. Softball Sport & Recreation Management Royse City, Texas
Victoria Masters Fr. Softball Veterinary Biomedical Tech Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Emmie Miehe Jr. Softball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Cameron Park, Calif.
Hailey Montemayor Jr. Softball Education Lubbock, Texas
Maddie Muller Jr. Softball Public Health Frisco, Texas
Emma Olsen Jr. Softball Sport & Recreation Management Elk Grove, Calif.
Emma Rodrigues Jr. Softball General Studies Little Elm, Texas
Avery Rohlman So. Softball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Littleton, Colo.
Julia Sanchez Sr. Softball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Houston, Texas
Stephanie Tapia Sr. Softball Kinesiology & Sport Studies Yuma, Ariz.
Tori Tiumalu Fr. Softball Veterinary Biomedical Tech Indio, Calif.
Aaliyah Wilcox Fr. Softball Chemistry Covington, Ga.
Tatum Wright Jr. Softball Biological Sciences Frisco, Texas
Seniru Amarasinghe Sr. Men’s Track & Field Finance Colombo, Sri Lanka
Kingsley Ayebide So. Men’s Track & Field Public Health Sapele, Nigeria
Eddie Barrientes Jr. Men’s Track & Field Criminal Justice Fort Worth, Texas
Naatannii Collins Jr. Men’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Elsa, Texas
Joe Cruz Sr. Men’s Track & Field Computer Science Hillsboro, Texas
Nicholas Deutsch Sr. Men’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Frisco, Texas
Jean Duparay Fr. Men’s Track & Field Business Analytics Servian, France
Evan Ealy Fr. Men’s Track & Field Public Health Spring, Texas
Noah Fernandez Fr. Men’s Track & Field Finance San Antonio, Texas
Chris Flores Sr. Men’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Rocksprings, Texas
Jeremiah Garcia So. Men’s Track & Field Construction Engineering Lubbock, Texas
Cash Goodman Fr. Men’s Track & Field Industrial Engineering Blue Ridge, Texas
Jonas Gran Fr. Men’s Track & Field Biological Sciences Riehen, Switzerland
Trent Granberry So. Men’s Track & Field Communication Studies Douglassville, Texas
Christian James Fr. Men’s Track & Field Accounting Rosharon, Texas
Kai Johnson So. Men’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Murrells Inlet, S.C.
Chandler King Sr. Men’s Track & Field Computer Science Hughes Springs, Texas
Joshua Kommer Sr. Men’s Track & Field General Studies Balingen, Germany
Philip Krenek Jr. Men’s Track & Field Sport & Recreation Management Prague, Czech Republic
Armani Modeste Sr. Men’s Track & Field Business Administration Castries, Saint Lucia
Hope Tomabari Nagbi Fr. Men’s Track & Field Social Work Lewe Gokana, Nigeria
Joshua Nate Sr. Men’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies San Antonio, Texas
Casey Novelo Sr. Men’s Track & Field Electrical Engineering Bedford, Texas
Tahje Parrish Sr. Men’s Track & Field Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies Picayunne, Miss.
Ushan Perera Gr. Men’s Track & Field Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies Mahabage, Sri Lanka
Ethan Pham So. Men’s Track & Field Business Administration Houston, Texas
Myles Redding Fr. Men’s Track & Field Animal Science Waco, Texas
Levi Robertson Fr. Men’s Track & Field Sport & Recreation Management Georgetown, Texas
Joseph Rolland Fr. Men’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Wills Point, Texas
Josh Shanahan Fr. Men’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Noosaville, Australia
Connor Stockerl Sr. Men’s Track & Field Business Administration The Woodlands, Texas
Oguz Uyar So. Men’s Track & Field Sport & Recreation Management Canakkale, Turkey
Colten Van Voorhis Sr. Men’s Track & Field Computer Science Prosper, Texas
Justin Vincent So. Men’s Track & Field Business Administration Agde, France
Cam Wooley Jr. Men’s Track & Field Finance Plano, Texas
Hailey Ayers So. Women’s Track & Field Public Health Houston, Texas
Justice Babbitt Fr. Women’s Track & Field General Business Valley View, Texas
Magdaline Campo So. Women’s Track & Field Marketing Montpellier, France
Cece Charles Jr. Women’s Track & Field Business Administration Morne Fendue St.Patrick, Grenada
Anayah Copeland Sr. Women’s Track & Field Management Copperas Cove, Texas
Amaka Ezukanma Gr. Women’s Track & Field Healthcare Leadership Fort Worth, Texas
Dejah Fuller Sr. Women’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Lancaster, Texas
Oriana Gee Sr. Women’s Track & Field Business Administration Cypress, Texas
Romi Griese So. Women’s Track & Field Biological Sciences Salzkotten, Germany
Savannah Harvey So. Women’s Track & Field Psychology Shawnee, Kan.
Mareva Heck Fr. Women’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Marseille, France
Jenneil Jacobie Jr. Women’s Track & Field Biological Science Piat Grand Riviere, Saint Lucia
Adalyn Kobs Fr. Women’s Track & Field Psychology Lindale, Texas
Veronika Kramarenko Jr. Women’s Track & Field Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Bre’Anna Lacy Jr. Women’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Waxahachie, Texas
Roane Lion Fr. Women’s Track & Field Kinesiology & Sport Studies Georgetown, Texas
Valentine Mesas Fr. Women’s Track & Field Business Administration Divonne-les-Bains, France
Goodness Okoh Jr. Women’s Track & Field Public Health Garland, Texas
Leah Pettis Jr. Women’s Track & Field Psychology McKinney, Texas
Emma Phillips So. Women’s Track & Field Animal Science Tomball, Texas
Analice Pursley So. Women’s Track & Field Marketing Tucson, Ariz.
Anete Randma Jr. Women’s Track & Field Technology Management Tallinn, Estonia
Cassandra Rendon Sr. Women’s Track & Field Wildlife and Conservation Science San Antonio, Texas
Haleigh Risner Jr. Women’s Track & Field Biological Sciences Winnsboro, Texas
Riley Roberts Fr. Women’s Track & Field Marketing Bullard, Texas
Tina Samson So. Women’s Track & Field Business Administration Benin, Nigeria
Blessing Samuel So. Women’s Track & Field Computer Information Systems Ghana

Featured photo: The number of honorees breaks the record previously set last semester | Photo by East Texas A&M Marketing and Communications



Link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

PT Assistant Track & Field Coach in Cupertino, CA for De Anza College

Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley. • De Anza College has a comprehensive, highly regarded athletics program, known for its success in both academics and sports. The college fields 17 sports programs, with 9 for women and 8 for men, and has a large number of Student-Athletes who consistently achieve high academic […]

Published

on


Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
• De Anza College has a comprehensive, highly regarded athletics program, known for its success in both academics and sports. The college fields 17 sports programs, with 9 for women and 8 for men, and has a large number of Student-Athletes who consistently achieve high academic standards. De Anza’s athletic program is a significant contributor to the college’s positive reputation in the region and statewide
• Tops in Transfer – De Anza has the highest transfer rate of all Silicon Valley community colleges, and is always at or near the top statewide in community college transfers to the University of California, California State University and private universities, as confirmed in research by the Public Policy Institute of California

De Anza College offers
• Nearly 200 associate degrees and credit certificates, plus 30 noncredit certificates, and more than 1,800 courses.
• State-of-the-art facilities, equipment and technology – thanks to the generosity of local community members
• 112-acre campus with murals, fountains, trees, green space and a vast amount of trails along the foothills near the campus.



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Five Newberry College Track & Field athletes earn CSC Academic All-District honors

NEWBERRY — Five Newberry College track and field athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Track and Cross Country Team. Irma Watson-Perez, Andrea Pascual Rivera, ShaNadia Marshall, Drew Benson and Addison O’Cain all earned the honor. Student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) […]

Published

on


NEWBERRY — Five Newberry College track and field athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Track and Cross Country Team.

Irma Watson-Perez, Andrea Pascual Rivera, ShaNadia Marshall, Drew Benson and Addison O’Cain all earned the honor.

Student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and must rank in the top-50 regional ranking in single event to earn academic all-district honors.

Watson-Perez (Biology), Pascual Rivera (Psychology) and Marshall (Exercise Science & Human Performance) all graduated in May.

Benson (Nursing) and O’Cain (Exercise Science) are both undergraduates.



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

K-State volleyball prioritizes roster retention, head coach says

MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) – The K-State volleyball team is one of two Division I programs nationwide that didn’t have a single player enter the transfer portal at the end of last season. “We’re really proud of that and I think it speaks to their love for K-State,” Mansfield said. “It really speaks for how much […]

Published

on


MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) – The K-State volleyball team is one of two Division I programs nationwide that didn’t have a single player enter the transfer portal at the end of last season.

“We’re really proud of that and I think it speaks to their love for K-State,” Mansfield said. “It really speaks for how much they love each other. I think they really, genuinely like being around each other.

“You gotta believe in kids, you know?” Mansfield continued. “I think in this transfer portal phase there’s a lot of, oh, we could’ve gotten a better player or there’s someone better out there. For us it’s always about development.”

Mansfield said when you show loyal to players, they’ll pay it back.

“We’re trying to coach kids for four or five years and stay on the path that they’re on and help them grow and get better,” he added. “Loyalty is a big deal to me, I want them to know we care about them and want to see them get better and continue to grow.”



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Beach volleyball in the Intuit Dome? AVP players embrace their new digs

Devon Newberry is closing in on two years as a professional beach volleyball player. Yet for the last 731 days, “professional” has always felt like an elusive label. The former UCLA standout is accustomed to life as a beach volleyball player — hauling her equipment on the beach, tugging her bag across the uneven sand […]

Published

on


Devon Newberry is closing in on two years as a professional beach volleyball player. Yet for the last 731 days, “professional” has always felt like an elusive label.

The former UCLA standout is accustomed to life as a beach volleyball player — hauling her equipment on the beach, tugging her bag across the uneven sand while weaving through sunbathers and surfboards. She’s used to hearing provisional bleachers creak under sunscreen-slathered fans as music buzzes through nearby portable speakers.

Advertisement

There’s charm in that chaos. But it’s nothing like the entrance Newberry made Friday at the Intuit Dome.

Above her, the sweeping halo scoreboard glowed, flashing beneath the thump of blasting pop anthems. Around her, where NBA chants once echoed, beach volleyball fans cheered. And strangest of all, tons of sand created a faux indoor shoreline.

After two years chasing it, Newberry found her label.

Read more: 300 tons of sand trucked into Intuit Dome to create unique AVP beach volleyball venue

“I walked into the Intuit Dome today and I was like, ‘I feel like a professional athlete walking in,’” Newberry said. “I haven’t felt like that as a beach player. There’s very rare moments when you’re like, ‘Wow, I am really a professional athlete.’ And when I was going underground here and looking all around me, I was like, ‘I really am a professional athlete.’ And that’s because we’re playing at the Intuit Dome.”

Advertisement

In what began as a head-scratcher for the players themselves, 300 tons of sand were poured into the Intuit Dome, turning the Clippers’ arena into a pop-up beach — where the L.A. Launch kept their perfect run afloat for the start of AVP League Week 5.

The Launch struck first and last — with Megan Kraft and Terese Cannon opening with a win, and Hagen Smith and Logan Webber closing it out — both pairs dismantling the San Diego Smash. Sandwiched between those victories, Palm Beach Passion’s men’s and women’s teams both made quick work of the Miami Mayhem.

The moment Newberry described — descending into an NBA arena re-imagined as a sand-strewn battleground — was the AVP’s moonshot: to re-imagine the sport in lights, not solely sunlight.

“Playing in such an amazing place, brand new building, with everything going on, with the new building around here, it’s really cool,” said 2016 Olympian Chaim Schalk. “To get to play at such an iconic arena is an honor.”

Logan Webber of the L.A. Launch spikes over Chase Budinger of the San Diego Smash at the Intuit Dome on Friday night.

Logan Webber of the L.A. Launch spikes over Chase Budinger of the San Diego Smash at the Intuit Dome on Friday night. (Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)

Beach volleyball rarely has ventured beyond its coastal roots. But at the Intuit Dome, the sport embraced a new direction.

Advertisement

“This shows that beach volleyball is growing and it’s trying to adapt to the world we live in, finding a new way for fans to interact with the players, and new ways for the sport to be exciting,” said Chase Budinger, a former NBA player who became a beach volleyball player. “This will get more people in the stands because it’s so new and so different.”

In place of sun-worshiping fans camped out on makeshift bleachers, parents lounged on cushioned seats as kids nestled beside them balancing chicken wings and pizzas on their laps.

The sport welcomed a combination of newcomers hunting for Friday night entertainment and AVP devotees.

“There’s so many people who love beach volleyball, and so many people who would love beach volleyball if they were just given the opportunity to go watch,” Newberry said. “And not everybody can make it out.”

Advertisement

Read more: How Chase Budinger went from the NBA to playing beach volleyball in the Olympics

Change comes with tradeoffs. With no wind, the court became something of a power chamber — the compact sand lending itself to higher and cleaner jumps, the still air enabling blistering serves and monstrous spikes that might have drifted wide on the beach.

Rallies became quicker and tighter. The margin for error shrank, tightening the grip on the crowd.

“For a lot of people watching beach volleyball for the first time, it’s really hard to conceptualize how wind, how deep the sand is, might affect play,” Newberry said. “So it feels like more of an even playing field which allows everybody to watch really entertaining volleyball.”

Advertisement

By re-imagining the boundaries of where its sport can potentially thrive, the AVP might have sketched out a novel blueprint for other sports.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if other sports follow and start expanding their ideas of where they could play,” said Olympic silver medalist Brandie Wilkerson. “I’m excited to see where this is going to go and see other sports try to catch up.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Ten members of SAU cross country/track and field named to CSC Academic All-District Team | Southern Arkansas University Sports

Ten Southern Arkansas University student-athletes for cross country and track and field have been named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Representing the Muleriders on the 2025 CSC Academic All-District team are Lyndon Orr, Garrett Hughes, Bo Rogers, Jason Patrick, Korbin McAuliffe, Logan Warren, Alyzah McGlasson, Breyonna Steward, Kailyn Thomas, and Anaya […]

Published

on


Ten Southern Arkansas University student-athletes for cross country and track and field have been named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

Representing the Muleriders on the 2025 CSC Academic All-District team are Lyndon Orr, Garrett Hughes, Bo Rogers, Jason Patrick, Korbin McAuliffe, Logan Warren, Alyzah McGlasson, Breyonna Steward, Kailyn Thomas, and Anaya Ervin.

Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field

Lyndon Orr (Junior)

Major – Accounting

Minor – Criminal Justice

GPA – 3.80

Garrett Hughes (Sophomore)

Major – Engineering

GPA – 3.98

Bo Rogers (Sophomore)

Major – Chemistry: Pre-Health Prof Biochem

GPA – 3.77

Jason Patrick Jr. (Junior)

Major – Physical Education & Health K-12

GPA – 3.66

Korbin McAuliffe (Senior)

Major – Business Admin: Supply Chain Management

GPA – 3.81

Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field

Logan Warren (Senior)

Major – Biology: Pre-Health

GPA – 3.58

Alyzah McGlasson (Grad.)

Major – Public Admin: Social Entrepreneurship

GPA (Undergrad) – 3.96

GPA (Grad) – 4.00

Breyonna Steward (Junior)

Major – Exercise Science: Strength & Conditioning

GPA – 3.61

Kailyn Thomas (Senior)

Major – Chemistry: Forensic Science

GPA – 3.70

Anaya Ervin (Junior)

Major – Biology: Pre-Health

GPA – 3.50

CLICK HERE to read more Sports News on our website. Tell your friends and family that thanks to our advertisers, they can read Magnolia area news for free on our website.

Your Facebook page may have a few hundred or a few thousand friends, most of whom don’t check your page frequently. Get your news or organization noticed by more than 11,000 daily visitors by sending information to our email address:

news@magnoliareporter.com

magnoliareporter.com is moving away from its social media account on X (formerly Twitter). Join us on Bluesky by downloading the Bluesky app and becoming a member. See what we post at @magnolia-reporter.bsky.social .



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Beach volleyball in the Intuit Dome? AVP embraces its new digs

Devon Newberry is closing in on two years as a professional beach volleyball player. Yet for the last 731 days, “professional” has always felt like an elusive label. The former UCLA standout is accustomed to life as a beach volleyball player — hauling her equipment on the beach, tugging her bag across the uneven sand […]

Published

on


Devon Newberry is closing in on two years as a professional beach volleyball player. Yet for the last 731 days, “professional” has always felt like an elusive label.

The former UCLA standout is accustomed to life as a beach volleyball player — hauling her equipment on the beach, tugging her bag across the uneven sand while weaving through sunbathers and surfboards. She’s used to hearing provisional bleachers creak under sunscreen-slathered fans as music buzzes through nearby portable speakers.

There’s charm in that chaos. But it’s nothing like the entrance Newberry made Friday at the Intuit Dome.

Above her, the sweeping halo scoreboard glowed, flashing beneath the thump of blasting pop anthems. Around her, where NBA chants once echoed, beach volleyball fans cheered. And strangest of all, tons of sand created a faux indoor shoreline.

After two years chasing it, Newberry found her label.

“I walked into the Intuit Dome today and I was like, ‘I feel like a professional athlete walking in,’” Newberry said. “I haven’t felt like that as a beach player. There’s very rare moments when you’re like, ‘Wow, I am really a professional athlete.’ And when I was going underground here and looking all around me, I was like, ‘I really am a professional athlete.’ And that’s because we’re playing at the Intuit Dome.”

In what began as a head-scratcher for the players themselves, 300 tons of sand were poured into the Intuit Dome, turning the Clippers’ arena into a pop-up beach — where the L.A. Launch kept their perfect run afloat for the start of AVP League Week 5.

The Launch struck first and last — with Megan Kraft and Terese Cannon opening with a win, and Hagen Smith and Logan Webber closing it out — both pairs dismantling the San Diego Smash. Sandwiched between those victories, Palm Beach Passion’s men’s and women’s teams both made quick work of the Miami Mayhem.

The moment Newberry described — descending into an NBA arena re-imagined as a sand-strewn battleground — was the AVP’s moonshot: to re-imagine the sport in lights, not solely sunlight.

“Playing in such an amazing place, brand new building, with everything going on, with the new building around here, it’s really cool,” said 2016 Olympian Chaim Schalk. “To get to play at such an iconic arena is an honor.”

Logan Webber of the L.A. Launch spikes over Chase Budinger of the San Diego Smash at the Intuit Dome on Friday night.

Logan Webber of the L.A. Launch spikes over Chase Budinger of the San Diego Smash at the Intuit Dome on Friday night.

(Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)

Beach volleyball rarely has ventured beyond its coastal roots. But at the Intuit Dome, the sport embraced a new direction.

“This shows that beach volleyball is growing and it’s trying to adapt to the world we live in, finding a new way for fans to interact with the players, and new ways for the sport to be exciting,” said Chase Budinger, a former NBA player who became a beach volleyball player. “This will get more people in the stands because it’s so new and so different.”

In place of sun-worshiping fans camped out on makeshift bleachers, parents lounged on cushioned seats as kids nestled beside them balancing chicken wings and pizzas on their laps.

The sport welcomed a combination of newcomers hunting for Friday night entertainment and AVP devotees.

“There’s so many people who love beach volleyball, and so many people who would love beach volleyball if they were just given the opportunity to go watch,” Newberry said. “And not everybody can make it out.”

Change comes with tradeoffs. With no wind, the court became something of a power chamber — the compact sand lending itself to higher and cleaner jumps, the still air enabling blistering serves and monstrous spikes that might have drifted wide on the beach.

Rallies became quicker and tighter. The margin for error shrank, tightening the grip on the crowd.

“For a lot of people watching beach volleyball for the first time, it’s really hard to conceptualize how wind, how deep the sand is, might affect play,” Newberry said. “So it feels like more of an even playing field which allows everybody to watch really entertaining volleyball.”

By re-imagining the boundaries of where its sport can potentially thrive, the AVP might have sketched out a novel blueprint for other sports.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if other sports follow and start expanding their ideas of where they could play,” said Olympic silver medalist Brandie Wilkerson. “I’m excited to see where this is going to go and see other sports try to catch up.”



Link

Continue Reading
Youtube7 minutes ago

HAWKS vs HEAT | NBA SUMMER LEAGUE | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | July 11, 2025

Sports8 minutes ago

PT Assistant Track & Field Coach in Cupertino, CA for De Anza College

Sports17 minutes ago

Five Newberry College Track & Field athletes earn CSC Academic All-District honors

Sports18 minutes ago

K-State volleyball prioritizes roster retention, head coach says

Motorsports25 minutes ago

“All it takes is Kyle Busch leaving”: Kyle Busch’s exit could reshape the grid, says NASCAR veteran

Sports38 minutes ago

Beach volleyball in the Intuit Dome? AVP players embrace their new digs

Motorsports44 minutes ago

Tyler Florence named grand marshal for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

Youtube46 minutes ago

Tracy McGrady ASKS THE REAL QUESTION about ‘ring culture’ 🗣️ ‘WHAT DEFINES GREATNESS?’ | First Take

Technology52 minutes ago

Tech promised virtual reality would revolutionize entertainment. That moment might finally be closer than we think. | Technology

Motorsports1 hour ago

ARCA West race ends in one of the wildest Sonoma finishes ever

Youtube1 hour ago

Latrell Allmond, Team Loaded vs. Taylen Kinney, Adam Oumiddoch & Wildcat Select | Adidas 3SSB Boys

Youtube1 hour ago

Phillies vs. Braves Game Highlights (6/29/25) | MLB Highlights

Sports1 hour ago

Ten members of SAU cross country/track and field named to CSC Academic All-District Team | Southern Arkansas University Sports

Motorsports1 hour ago

Sonoma Starting Lineup: July 2025 (ARCA Menards Series)

Sports2 hours ago

Beach volleyball in the Intuit Dome? AVP embraces its new digs

Most Viewed Posts

Trending