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2025 U20 World Championships Preview & Predictions

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2025 U20 World Championships Preview & Predictions

The 2025 U20 World Championships will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, from August 17-24. The men’s freestyle portion of this tournament will get things started at U20 Worlds and will feature a loaded squad from Team USA. Check out the article below for a full breakdown, with predictions, for Team USA at this year’s U20 Worlds. 

Aug 17-24, 7:00 AM UTC

2025 U20 World Championships


Anthony Knox, 57 kg – 5th Place/DNP

Top Contenders At 57 kg

  • Rin Sakamoto, JPN – 2025 Senior World Team Rep, 2025 Senior Asian 5th, 2024 Emperor’s Cup Gold, 2025 Meiji Cup Gold
  • Vasif Baghirov, AZE – 2025 U20 Euro Gold
  • Nika Zangaladze, GEO – 2025 U20 Euro Silver
  • Magomed Ozdamirov, RUS – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze
  • Nurdanat Aitanov, KAZ – 2025 U20 Asian Gold
  • Arash Haddadi, IRI – 2025 U20 Asian Bronze

Don’t get me wrong, Anthony Knox is absolutely good enough to medal in this weight class. However, what gives me pause in predicting him to medal is the depth of the weight. Baghirov, Zangaladze, Sakamoto, Ozdamirov, and Aitanov are all top-level competitors and have the skills to defeat Knox. The depth, along with Knox’s lackluster performance at the U20 World Team Trials against Villasenor, leads me to think that Knox will have trouble reaching the podium.

Baghirov’s win over Zangaladze in the U20 Euro Finals:

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Marcus Blaze, 61 kg – Gold

Top Contenders At 61 kg

  • Sargis Begoyan, ARM – 2025 U20 Euro Gold, 2021 U17 World Bronze
  • Askat Toktomatov, KGZ- 2025 U20 Asian Gold
  • Ahora Khateri, IRI – 2023 U17 World Gold
  • Bashir Verdiyev, AZE – 2025 U20 Euro 5th, 2022 U17 World Silver
  • Saba Gambashidze, GEO – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze
  • Takuto Osedo, JPN  – 2022 U17 World 5th
  • Allan Oralbek, KAZ – 2025 U20 Asian Bronze, 2024 U23 World 5th
  • Adlan Saitiev, RUS – 2025 U20 Euros Silver

61 kg has great depth, with Ahora Khateri, Sargis Begoyan, and Askat Toktomatov being the main contenders to challenge Marcus Blaze. However, unlike last year with Ono, I don’t believe anyone has the high-end talent to defeat Blaze in this bracket. Blaze will be the favorite entering U20 Worlds, and he’s my pick to come away with gold.

Luke Stanich, 65 kg – 5th Place/DNP

Top Contenders At 65 kg

  • Amal Dzhandubaev, RUS – 2025 U23 & U20 Euro Gold
  • Abdullah Toprak, TUR – 2025 U23 Euro Silver, U20 Euro Bronze, 2024 U23 World 5th, U20 World 5th, 2023 U20 World Bronze, U23 World Bronze, 2021 U17 World Bronze
  • Omurbek Asan Uulu, KGZ – 2025 U20 Asian Bronze, 2024 U17 World Gold
  • Reiji Uchida, JPN – 2024 Emperor’s Cup 5th
  • Ashwani Ashwani, IND – 2025 U20 Asian Silver
  • Alex Nini, ITA – 2022 U17 World 5th
  • Viktor Borohan, UKR – 2025 U20 Euro Silver

Amal Dzhandubaev and Abdullah Toprak are the wrestlers to beat at 65 kg. Toprak has the most accomplishments of anyone in the bracket, but has lost two competitive matches to Dzhandubaev. After those top two, Uchida, Ashwani, and Asan Uulu will all present unique challenges to Stanich and make it difficult for him to medal. Stanich is capable of medali,ng but it might come down to his draw. Because of the depth of this field, I don’t feel fully confident picking Stanich as a medalist. 

Dzhandubaev’s win over Toprak at U20 Euros:

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PJ Duke, 70 kg – Gold

Top Contenders At 70 kg

  • Goga Otinashvili, GEO – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze, 2024 U20 World 5th, 2022 U17 World Bronze
  • Ebrahim Elahi, IRI -, 2025 U20 Asian Gold, 2023 U20 Asian Silver, 2022 U17 World Gold
  • Kairi Ito, JPN – 2024 U17 Bronze
  • Daniele Gubbiotti, ITA – 2025 U20 Euro Silver
  • Islam Kazharov, RUS – 2023 U17 Euro Silver, U17 World Bronze
  • Umut Uslu, TUR – 2024 U17 World Bronze 
  • Kade Brown, CAN – 2025 U20 Pan-Am Gold
  • Ismayil Rahimli, AZE – 2023 U17 Euro Bronze

Duke is the favorite in this field, but Otinaashvili, Elahi, and Kazharov are all worthy contenders. Otinashvili placed 5th at the Zagreb Open this year while defeating Evan Henderson but losing a close match to Joey McKenna. Elahi also placed 5th in Zagreb while losing to Austin Gomez 9-3 but defeating a tough Jarrett Jacques 4-3. Kazharov doesn’t have the same results on the senior level, but might be the best wrestler in the bracket after Duke. Kazharov was bronze at U17 Worlds in 2023 in the same bracket that Ladarion Lockett won gold in. Despite the depth at this weight, I don’t think any measure up to Duke, and he’s my pick to win gold.

Elahi’s win over Jarrett Jacques:

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Ladarion Lockett, 74 kg – Gold

Top Contenders At 74 kg

  • Manuel Wagin, GER – 2025 U20 Euro Gold, U23 Euro 5th, 2024 U17 World Silver, 2023 U17 World Bronze
  • Ismail Khaniev, RUS – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze, U23 Euro Gold, 2024 U23 World 5th
  • Mahdi Mamivand, IRI – 2025 U20 Asian Gold
  • Raul Caso, ITA – 2025 U20 Euro Silver, 2022 U17 World Silver (lost to Sealey)
  • Bohdan Oliinyk, UKR – 2025 U20 Euro 5th, U23 Euro 5th, 2022 U17 World 5th
  • Dosszhan Kul Gaiyp, KGZ – 2025 U20 Asian Bronze
  • Omar Gulmammadov, AZE – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze
  • Vatan Annaorazov, TKM – 2025 U20 Asian Bronze
  • Umarkhon Muydinov, UZB – 2025 U20 Asian Silver

Dee Lockett lost in the U20 finals last year (3-3 on criteria), and Lockett will be the favorite to win gold this year. Even still, Lockett will be challenged by Germany’s Manuel Wagin, who has won two medals at U17 Worlds and notably defeated Melvin Miller (7-1) at last year’s U17 Worlds. After Wagin, Russia’s Ismail Khaniev is also a wrestler to watch out for. Khaniev lost a close match to Wagin at U20 Euros but won gold at U23 worlds in a tough bracket that Wagin placed 5th in. Iran’s Mamivand is also a wrestler to watch out for, but I’m picking Lockett to come away with gold. 

Manuel Wagin’s win over Melvin Miller:

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Will Henckel, 79 kg – Bronze

Top Contenders At 79 kg

  • Mahdi Yousefi, IRI – 2025 1st ranking series-2nd (beat Gamkrelidze, lost to Khadjiev), Senior Asian Gold (beat Yergesh, Evloev, and Saipudinov), 2024 U20 World Bronze, U23 World Gold
  • Alp Arslan Begenjov, TKM – 2025 U23 Asian Silver, U20 Asian Bronze, 2024 U20 World Gold (beat Amit and Ryder), 2023  U17 World 5th
  • Amit Amit, IND – 2025 U20 Asian Gold, 2024 U20 World 5th
  • Said Saidulov, RUS – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze, 2024 U20 Euro Gold, U20 World 5th
  • Davit Tchetchelashvili, GEO – 2025 U20 Euro Gold (beat Saidulov and Omarov)
  • LJ Araujo, BRA – 2024 U20 World Bronze, 2025 U20 Pan-Ams Silver 
  • Keyran Gharehdaghi, JPN – 2025 Meiji Cup Gold
  • Muradkhan Omarov, AZE – 2025 U20 Euro Silver

79 kg has some of the best depth of any weight class at U20 Worlds. Mahdi Yousefi has already had outstanding senior-level success with a victory over world medalist Vladimeri Gamkrelidze at the Zagreb Open earlier this year. Outside of that, Yousefi won a bronze medal at last year’s U20 World Championships and then followed that performance up by winning gold at U23 Worlds. After Yousefi, 2024 U20 World Champ Alp Arslan Begenjov is also in the bracket and notably defeated Zack Ryder at last year’s U20 Worlds. Nebraska LJ Aruajo is another returning U20 World Medalist. India’s Amit is another wrestler to watch out for based on his head-to-head win over Begenjov. Even with all of the depth, Henckel has been wrestling outstandingly and was one of the most impressive wrestlers at the US Open and World Team Trials. It could be a tough road, but I think Henckel gets the job done and reaches the podium.

Yousefi’s win over Vladimeri Gamkrelidze: 

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Max McEnelly, 86 kg – Silver

Top Contenders At 86 kg

  • Abolfazl Rahmani, IRI – 2025 U20 Asian Gold, 2024 U20 World Bronze
  • Dovletgeldi Myradov, TKM – 2025 U20 Asian Silver, 2023 U17 World 5th
  • Daichi Papinashvili, GEO – 2025 U20 Euro Gold
  • Ahmet Yagan, TUR – 2025 U20 Euro Silver, 2024 U20 World Bronze, 2023 U20 World 5th
  • Razmik Yepremyan, ARM – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze, 2022 U17 World Bronze

Abolfazl Rahmani is the man to beat in this bracket. Rahmani was bronze at last year’s U20 Worlds and has already had success on the senior level. Rahmani won the Takhti Cup earlier this year and is currently #2 on Iran’s ladder behind only multiple time world champion Kamran Ghasempour. In fact, Rahmani and Ghasempour wrestled in May in a match to decide the senior world team spot. In that match, Ghasempour won a close, 3-1 match that was decided by one takedown by Ghasempour. McEnelly will have his hands full with Rahmani, but I believe McEnelly can beat anyone else in the bracket. 

Connor Mirasola, 92 kg – Bronze

Top Contenders At 92 kg

  • Sherzod Poyonov, UZB – 2025 U20 Asian Gold
  • Toohid Noory, IRI – 2025 U20 Asian Silver
  • Gadzhimurad Gadzhibatyrov, RUS
  • Anar Jafarli, AZE – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze, 2024 U20 World Bronze
  • Kamil Kurugliyev, KAZ – 2025 U20 Euro Silver (at 97kg), 2024 U20 World Bronze – 2022 U17 World Gold
  • Musa Arsunkaev, HUN – 2025 U202 Euro Siler 

Connor Mirasola came just short of earning a medal last year and will be looking for redemption. This will be a great test for Mirasola and will tell us how much progress he’s made since last year. This bracket is filled with talent, with U20 World Medalists Anar Jafarli (who beat Mirasola last year) and Kamil Kurugliyev returning. Beyond these two, Gadzhibatyrov is the other wrestler that I consider a gold medal threat. Gadzhibatyrov won U20 Russian Nationals but didn’t wrestle at U20 Euros. Instead, Russia sent Artur Togoev to Euros, and Togoev came away with gold after defeating both Anar Jafarli and Musza Arsunkaev. Gadzhibatyrov defeated Togoev at U20 Russian Nationals (10-4), and because of that, Gadzhibatyrov might be the most dangerous wrestler in the field.

Gadzhibatyrov’s win in the 2025 U20 Russian Nationals Finals:

Justin Rademacher, 97 kg – Silver

Top Contenders At 97 kg

  • Erfan Alizadeh, IRI – 2025 Senior Asian, 2025 U20 Asian Gold, 2022 U17 World Bronze, 2025 Albanian Ranking Series Silver
  • Magomedgadzhi Magomedov, RUS – 2025 U20 Euro Bronze
  • Konstantine Petriashvili, GEO – 2025 U20 Euro Gold, 2024 U17 World Gold, 2023 U17 World Bronze
  • Jiawei Li, CHN – 2025 U20 Asian Bronze
  • Ashab Dadaev, FRA – 2025 U20 Euro Silver

Justin Rademacher will be right in the mix to win a U20 World title this year after coming away with bronze last year. Rademacher lost only to the eventual U20 World Champ and 2023 senior World Champion Rizabek Aitmukhan last year. This year, I think Iran’s Erfan Alizadeh is the toughest wrestler in the bracket. Alizadeh is already having success on the senior level and won a silver medal at the Ranking Series Tournament in Albania earlier this year, where he defeated senior world medalists Batyrbek Tsakulov and Magomedgadzhi Nurov. After Alizadeh, Geno Petriashvili’s younger brother, Konstantine Petriashvili, is also a dangerous competitor in the field. Petriashvili won U20 Euros this year and was a U17 World Champion last year. Even still, Petriashvili is only 18, and I don’t think he will be able to withstand the power and physicality of Rademacher. 

Alizadeh’s win over Kamil Kurugliyev in the 2025 U20 Asian Finals:

Cole Mirasola, 125 kg – Bronze

Top Contenders At 125 kg

  • Inal Gagloev, RUS  – 2025 U20 Euro Gold
  • Yusif Dursunov, AZE – 2025 U20 Euro Silver, 2023 U17 World Gold, 2021 U17 World Bronze
  • Yedige Kassimbek, KAZ – 2025 U20 Asian Gold, 2024 U17 World Silver, 2023 U17 World Silver
  • Narantulga Darmaabazar, MGL- 2025 U20 Asian Silver
  • Singh Jaspooran, IND – 2025 U20 Asian Bronze, 2024 U17 World 5th
  • Abolfazl Nezhad, IRI – 2024 U17 World Bronze

Inal Gagloev and Yusif Dursonov are two heavyweights in this field who could give Mirasola some trouble. Gagloev and Dursunov will be two of the biggest and most athletic competitors in the field. Mirasola will definitely be undersized compared to some of the top wrestlers in the bracket. Yedige Kassimbek and Abolfazl Nezhad are also challengers in this bracket. However, Michael Mocco teched Kassimbek at last year’s U17 Worlds, so I expect Mirasola to have the upper hand in those matchups. 

Inal Gagloev’s win over Yusif Dursunov in the 2025 U20 Euro Finals:

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Team Finish – Gold

After a historic 9 medals last year, it’s hard to imagine a team that could perform much better this year. I’ve predicted 8 total medals for Team USA, and if they meet those expectations, they should run away with the team title once again. Iran and Russia will have talented teams as well, but Team USA is entering as the favorites. If they wrestle to their potential, they’ll bring back the title to once again this year.

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#11 Creighton Volleyball Outlasts Northern Colorado to Advance to Second Round of NCAA Tournament

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Courtesy of Rob Anderson, Creighton Athletics

OMAHA, Neb. — No. 11 Creighton Volleyball was pushed to the brink but survived to win its 21st straight match on Thursday evening, opening up NCAA Tournament play with a 3-2 victory over Northern Colorado. Scores of the Bluejay triumph were 25-12, 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-8.

Creighton earns itself a Second Round match-up against Northern Iowa (26-5) after the sixth-seeded Panthers finished off their first reverse sweep in the NCAA Tournament since 2022 with a 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10 win over Utah. Creighton defeated the Panthers at D.J. Sokol Arena on Sept. 14 to close out play at the Bluejay Invitational.

Five women had multiple kills in the first set as Creighton powered past Northern Colorado, led by six kills from Ava Martin. Martin also had a pair of aces late in the set to solidify CU’s 25-12 victory. The Jays hit .438 and had 17 kills to UNC’s six kills on .000 hitting and never trailed in the frame.

UNC snapped Creighton’s 17-set win streak with a 25-23 victory in the second set, which featured nine ties and five lead changes. Isabel Bennett had go-ahead kills to make it 23-22 and 24-23 and Alayna Tessena put down the winner on set point. Northern Colorado had 15 kills and 18 digs in the second set and held the Bluejays to 11 kills and .200 hitting. Martin had seven kills for CU in the second set, while Sydney Breissinger added six digs.

The Bears won the first three points of the third set and moved in front 8-4 to force an early timeout from CU head coach Brian Rosen. The stoppage did little to improve the fortunes for the hosts, who called another timeout six points later after falling behind 12-6 to the Big Sky Tournament champions. The second timeout did the trick, as the Bluejays countered with an 8-2 burst to even the score at 14-all. Northern Colorado settled down, never surrendering the lead, and led 23-20 before one last push from the hosts. Martin pounded her 18th kill of the night, and Nora Wurtz followed with her 56th ace of the fall to cut CU’s deficit to 23-22 and lead UNC coach Lydnsey Oates to call timeout. Martin slammed a cross-court kill to tie the score at 23-all, but UNC answered with a Zoe Gibbs kill for a set point opportunity.  The Bears won the set on a Bluejay attack error, 25-23. 

The Bluejays got off to a 6-2 lead in the fourth set thanks in part to three early UNC hitting errors, then extended the advantage to 14-6. The Jays won the set 25-17, with freshman Abbey Hayes stepping up with a team-best four kills. CU had 4.5 blocks in the set, including one of set point from Reinhardt and Martin.

Creighton got off to a quick start in the fifth frame, scoring the first three points on two Martin kills and a UNC attack error. CU led 8-3 at the changeover

Martin was dominant with 30 kills on 65 swings, while Jaya Johnson finished with 12 kills. Reinhardt rounded out the Bluejays in double figure kills with 10. Annalea Maeder closed the match with a double-double, delivering 53 assists and 20 digs.

Tessena led Northern Colorado with 14 kills, while Brynn Reines finished with 11 kills

First serve of tomorrow’s Second Round match is at 6:30 p.m.

NOTES:  Creighton improved to 18-14 all-time in 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 12-3 mark in the First Round … Creighton has won 21 straight matches, its third-longest streak in program history … Creighton is now 8-4 in home matches in the NCAA Tournament, including five straight victories … Creighton has won its last 11 home matches this fall … Creighton is now 4-1 all-time against Northern Colorado … Creighton has won 68 straight matches over unranked foes and 56 non-televised matches in a row … Ava Martinmoved into third place in CU history in career service aces with 126 … Ava Martinhad her 25th straight match with 10 or more kills and 108th in a row with five or more kills … Ava Martin had her 13th career match with 20+ kills, and seventh this season.





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Throwers Set Personal Bests At Liberty Kickoff

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December 5, 2025

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LYNCHBURG – Propelled by a pair of personal-best performances in the weight throw, the Elon University women’s track and field team opened its indoor season Thursday at the Liberty Kickoff inside the Liberty Indoor Complex.
 
In the women’s weight throw, the Phoenix placed two athletes inside the top four. Adriana Clarke claimed runner-up honors with a personal-best toss of 18.14m, moving into third on Elon’s all-time performance list. Isabella Johnson finished third overall at 17.33m, also marking a new PR for the sophomore.
 
Elon also featured three competitors in the pentathlon. Senior Lizzie Lopez was the top Phoenix finisher, placing seventh with 3,510 points. She highlighted the event by tying for first in the high jump with a clearance of 1.65m. Freshman Greta Urbonaviciute debuted with a tenth-place finish and 3,309 points, landing inside the program’s top-10 performance list. Classmate Carolina Frada scored 2,832 points to place 11th in her first collegiate pentathlon.
 
ON DECK
Elon continues action at the Liberty Kickoff on Friday, beginning with the women’s 5,000-meter run at 10 a.m.
 

— ELON —



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Five Dons Earn WCC All-Academic Honors

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December 5, 2025

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SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference officially announced its Volleyball All-Academic team for the 2025 season on Thursday afternoon.
 
For San Francisco, Crystal Galaviz, Jamie Low, Shannon Knight, Astrid Puig, and Abby Wadas earned WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention honors.
 
At the conclusion of each athletic season, the West Coast Conference selects an all-academic squad for each conference-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team and in at least their second year at their school.
 
The full 2025 West Coast Conference Volleyball All-Academic Team can be viewed below: 
 
2025 WEST COAST CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
 




















Name School Class GPA Major
Genevieve Bane Saint Mary’s Gr. 3.70 Busiiness Administration
Olivia Bennett San Diego Sr. 3.54 Behavioral Neuroscience
Lucie Blazkova Washington State So. 3.92 Psychology
Maddie Boerstra LMU Gr. 3.82 Sociology
Nevaeh Bray Portland Gr. 4.00 Sports Business
Lucia Busso Portland Sr. 4.00 Marketing
Alyson Cox Pacific So. 4.00 Computer Science
Alyssa Eimer Santa Clara Sr.     3.94 Marketing
Grace Flanagan Santa Clara Jr. 4.00 Studio Art
Kate Herrick Gonzaga So. 3.91 Biology
Emma McMahon Pepperdine Sr. 3.83 Psychology
Chloe Pravednikov Pepperdine So. 3.63 Pre-Business Administration
Maui Robins Portland Sr. 4.00 Marketing
Lauren Rumel Oregon State Sr. 3.91 Speech Communication
Cate Shanahan Santa Clara Jr.     3.83 English
Lexi Trapani Santa Clara Jr. 3.88 Business 

 
For more information and updates on the University of San Francisco volleyball program, follow the Dons on Twitter @USFDonsVB, @USFDonsVB on Instagram, and @USFDonsVball on Facebook.
 





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No. 3 Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Versus Campbell – Texas A&M Athletics

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BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The No. 3 seed Texas A&M volleyball team opens its NCAA Tournament campaign Friday as it hosts Campbell at Reed Arena with first serve set for 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match of the day which starts at 4 p.m.
 
The Aggies ensured their third-straight tournament berth under the leadership of head coach Jamie Morrison, concluding the regular season and SEC Tournament with a 23-4 record. Their performance throughout the year earned them the highest AVCA ranking in program history of No. 6 and their first NCAA Tournament hosting opportunity since 2019.
 

Shining at home this season, the Maroon & White boast a 9-1 ledger at Reed Arena with its lone loss coming against then-No. 3 Kentucky (3-1). The 12th Man has been a force all year, as they helped break the program attendance record standing 9,801 strong versus Texas as well as accounting for another five top 10 attendances during the 2025 campaign.
 

Texas A&M’s depth of talent has been evident throughout the year and was rewarded during the SEC’s postseason honors, as a conference-high four Aggies were named to the All-SEC First Team including Logan Lednicky, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Maddie Waak and Kyndal Stowers. The honors didn’t stop there as Lednicky was named an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist, while the group accounted for 24 total accolades throughout the season.
 
The Matchups

Texas A&M enters its third NCAA Tournament with coach Morrison at the helm of the program, coming off a sweet 16 run during the 2024 season. The Maroon & White played the role of the hunter last season, downing No. 3 seed Arizona State in on their home court in the second round and came up just short in a five-set thriller against No. 2 seed Wisconsin.
 
The Aggies earned their highest seed since 2015 at No. 3 and welcome Campbell, TCU and SFA to Aggieland. They open their campaign versus the Camels who hold a 23-6 ledger and earned their second ever NCAA Tournament bid after winning the CAA Championship title in a five-set battle with Hofstra.
 

Friday’s meeting will be the first all-time between Texas A&M and Campbell. The Camels hold a strong 8-3 record when playing on the road but will come against the 12th Man and the Maroon & White’s 9-1 ledger in Reed Arena. On the stat sheet the Aggies hold the advantage in five of the seven team statical categories leading Campbell in kills per set, assists per set, hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage and blocks per set, while the Camels have the upper hand in aces per set and digs per set.
 
Tracks and Trends
Logan Lednicky sits nine kills away from climbing to fourth in career kills at Texas A&M, she would pass three-time Olympian Stacy Sykora who has 1,586 kills.
 
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla has 159 blocks on the year and is three away from breaking her single season best of 161 and six from recording the most in a season since 1999 (165).
 
Streaming & Stats
Fans can watch the match on the ESPN+ and follow stats on 12thman.com.
 
Tickets
Fans can purchase their tickets to the opening round matches through 12thman.com/ncaatickets.
 
Students will be granted free admission to tomorrow’s game if they show their student ID’s at the north entry of Reed Arena.

Parking

Make plans to arrive early and exhibit patience for the expected traffic and parking congestion around Reed Arena. Multiple parking options are available for fans:

  • General parking is available around the arena on gameday for $5 – cash AND card payments accepted.

  • Fans with a valid TAMU parking pass can park for FREE in lots surrounding the arena. Make sure to have your pass barcode ready to show the lot attendant.

Follow the Aggies
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.





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Volleyball Recaps – December 4

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December 5, 2025

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THUESDAY’S SCORE
@#3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0
 

#3 WISCONSIN 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0

MADISON, Wis. – Eastern Illinois Volleyball’s historic season comes to a close after falling to No. 3 Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. EIU finishes the season 24-8 (15-3 OVC). 

EIU dropped both sets one and two, struggling to find a rhythm early on. The Panthers trailed early in both of the first two sets right out of the gate and were unable to provide resistance. In set one, the Badgers hit 0.48% and 0.542% in set two. For the match, Wisconsin hit 0.435. EIU struggled connecting offensively, hitting 0% in set one and 0.022 overall. After the first two sets concluded, the Panthers looked for a spark, and Tori Mohesky answered the call with fireworks right from the jump. Mohesky earned a service ace to calm the Badgers crowd. EIU returned back-to-back points to hold their largest lead, fueled by Destiny Walker and a Wisconsin attack error. Shortly after, EIU trailed 15-9 heading into the media timeout. After the break in the action, both teams went back and forth trading points. Wisconsin reached set point 24-15. However, the Panthers found life and roared back into the match, scoring four straight unanswered points charged by a Katie Kopshever service ace and two blocks by Emma Schroeder and Sylvia Hasz. Unfortunately, the Badgers closed out the set 25-19. 

By The Numbers: EIU records their third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Destiny Walker led the way offensively with 6 kills and 1 service ace. Sylvia Hasz collected 16 assists and 3 block assists. Defensively, Ariadne Pereles recorded 8 digs, while Emma Schroeder produced 5 block assists. Lilli Amettis and Katie Kopshever each collected a block assist. 

The Panthers’ historic season comes to a close, finishing with a 24-8 (15-3 OVC) record. After being picked to finish 8th in the OVC preseason poll, EIU stormed through conference play, securing their second OVC title in three years. EIU also collected their fourth regular season title in the program’s history. The Panthers made their third NCAA Tournament appearance.





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Women’s Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Against USF on Friday – Penn State

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 25 Penn State opens its 45th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament with a first-round match against USF on Friday at Texas’s Gregory Gymnasium. The match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET and will stream on ESPN+.

The winner of Friday’s match advances to play the winner between Texas and Florida A&M in the second round on Saturday.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Dec. 5 | 5:30 p.m. ET
No. 25 Penn State (18-12, 12-8 B1G) vs. USF (17-12, 12-4 AAC) | Live Stats | ESPN+

OPENING NOTES
• Penn State is set to open its 45th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It is the only program in the country to play in all 45 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournaments since the inaugural event in 1981.
• The Nittany Lions received an eight seed in the Austin Region and will play the first and second rounds away from Rec Hall for just the first time since the tournament was expenaded to 64 teams in 1998.
• Friday marks Penn State’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and 13th postseason match under Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who is in her fourth season as Penn State head coach. They are 10-2 in the NCAA Tournament under Schumacher-Cawley after going 6-0 and winning the program’s eighth national title last season.
• The Nittany Lions made it to at least the NCAA Regional Semifinal in each of Schumacher-Cawley’s first three seasons as head coach.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Penn State, which has won eight national titles, including the most recent in 2024, is 116-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Penn State has made the National Semifinals 14 times and the National Championship match 11 times.
• USF and Penn State will meet for the first time in the NCAA Tournament, making the Bulls the 76th different postseason opponent for the Nittany Lions. Just eight of those teams have a winning record against Penn State in the NCAA Tournament.

PENN STATE IN ROUND OF 64
• Penn State is 26-0 in the NCAA Tournament round of 64 since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1998.
• The Lions are 78-3 in sets played during that stretch, dropping one set to Howard in 2017, one to Towson in 2021, and one to Yale last season.
• Rec Hall was the venue for 24 of the 26 matches.
• Penn State is 3-0 in the Round of 64 under Schumacher-Cawley, beating UMBC in 2022, Yale in 2023, and Delaware State in 2024.

HOW THEY GOT HERE – PENN STATE
• Penn State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 18-12 overall and 12-8 in the Big Ten.
• The Nittany Lions are one of 14 teams in the nation with four wins over teams ranked in the top 25 of RPI, beating No. 6 Creighton, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 13 USC, and No. 15 Kansas.
• The Nittany Lions helped secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament with four wins in their final five matches, beating Ohio State (3-2), Michigan State (3-0), Maryland (3-0), and Iowa (3-1).

HOW THEY GOT HERE – USF
• USF received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 17-12 overall and 12-4 in the American Conference on its way to a second-place finish in the conference standings. The Bulls lost to Tulsa in the semifinal round of the American Conference Tournament.
• The Bulls will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. They beat Florida State in the first round that year before falling to Florida in the second round.
• USF’s highest RPI win came in conference play with a sweep over No. 36 Tulsa. The highest non-conference RPI win came in five sets over No. 47 Dayton. They also pushed Purdue to five sets before losing in their season opener.
• Senior outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade was named the American Conference Player of the Year for the second-straight season. She was joined on the all-conference team by sophomore setter Raegan Richardson (first team) and junior outside hitter Laila Ivey (second team).

SERIES HISTORY – USF
• Penn State is 3-0 in the all-time series with USF. The teams first played in 1986.
• The Nittany Lions swept all three matches, winning 3-0 in 1986, 1988, and 2015. All three matches were played in Tampa.
• Penn State and USF have never met in the NCAA Tournament.
• Kennedy Martin is the only player on the Penn State roster that has played against USF. She hit .449 with 27 kills, six blocks, and two aces in Florida’s 3-2 win over the Bulls in 2023.

PENN STATE VS. AMERICAN CONFERENCE
• Penn State is 32-4 all-time against current members of American Conference.
• The Nittany Lions have played eight of the 13 teams in the conference and have a winning record against all eight. They are unbeaten against UAB (1-0), Charlotte (1-0), East Caroline (3-0), Memphis (2-0), Rice (3-0), South Florida (3-0), and Wichita State (1-0).

TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
• Eight Penn State players have combined for 50 matches of NCAA Tournament experience.
• Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley (1999) and assistant coach Megan Hodge Easy (2007, 2008, 2009) combined for four national titles as players at Penn State.

Catherine Burke – 1 match
Ava Falduto – 6 matches
Gillian Grimes – 12 matches
Jordan Hopp – 6 matches (2 Iowa State, 4 Penn State)
Caroline Jurevicius – 6 matches
Kennedy Martin – 5 matches (5 Florida)
Maggie Mendelson – 8 matches (2 Nebraska, 6 Penn State)
Jocelyn Nathan – 6 matches

 

 The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.



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