Brad Kreutzkamp is retiring after a remarkable 26-year coaching career at UC San Diego, including 16 years as the head coach for women’s water polo. Under his leadership, the Tritons achieved 313 wins with a .584 winning percentage, including eight WWPA championships and eight NCAA appearances. Kreutzkamp was recognized multiple times for his coaching excellence and helped elevate the women’s program to national prominence. His final season included a 17-14 record, a win against Arizona State for his 300th victory, and recognition for multiple players at the national level. A thorough search for his replacement will commence, as Kreutzkamp transitions to retirement.

By the Numbers

• 313 career wins as head coach with a .584 win percentage.
• 12 seasons with a winning record out of 16 years coaching the women’s team.
• 8 WWPA titles during Kreutzkamp’s tenure, including 7 consecutive titles from 2013 to 2019.

Yes, But

While Kreutzkamp enjoyed significant success, the transition to NCAA Division I added pressure and challenges for the Tritons, particularly as they adjusted to a more competitive landscape in the Big West Conference.

State of Play

• Kreutzkamp led the women’s team through a transition to NCAA Division I status in 2020.
• In his final season, UC San Diego achieved its highest ranking at No. 9 nationally.

What’s Next

A national search will begin to find Kreutzkamp’s replacement, with expectations of continuing the growth and competitiveness of the Tritons in women’s water polo. The new coach will inherit a program with a solid foundation and a history of success.

Bottom Line

Kreutzkamp’s retirement marks the end of an era for UC San Diego water polo, emphasizing the importance of legacy, mentoring, and the program’s standing in collegiate athletics. His contributions will impact future generations of Triton athletes.

By: Tim Flynn

Men’s Academic All-RMAC Teams

Women’s Academic All-RMAC Teams

– Ten first-team selections highlighted 40 total Academic All-RMAC selections for Colorado School of Mines track & field following the outdoor season.

The Orediggers had five men and five women earn First-Team Academic All-RMAC status: Aidan Bennett, Logan Bocovich, Everett Delate, Loic Scomparin, and Tim Thompson from the men’s team, and Margaux Basart, Allison Comer, Emily LaMena, Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge, and Grace Strongman from the women’s squad.

In addition to the first-team recipients, 30 Mines student-athletes were named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll. For the men, those honorees included Nick Stade, Garrett Mackey, Jonah Fallon, Noah Kelly, Chandler Wilburn, Jeremiah Vaille, Elijah Quinby, Shane Conley, Alberto Campa, Rowan Nicholas, Braden Struhs, Prince Owusu-Ansah, Daniel Appleford, Brock Drengenberg, Andreas O’Malley, Dawson Gunn, Alex Shaw, Coulton Chan, and Hayden Swim. Women’s Academic Honor Roll members include Dale Thompson, Maria Forster, Ashleigh Loe, Lexi Herr, Claire Kintzley, Madeline Obuchowski, Abbi Gillespie, Grace Galvin, Aani Hardesty, Lisa Sutherland, and Jennifer Jarnagin.

First-Team Academic All-RMAC teams are voted on by the conference’s sports information directors, and nominees must have at least a 3.5 GPA and have achieved outstanding success in their sport. Impressively, six of Mines’ 10 first-teamers were also all-Americans at the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, and nine of the ten – including all five women’s selections – were NCAA qualifiers. The RMAC Academic Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport who academically maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average, have completed two consecutive semesters at their current institution, and have used a season of competition.

MALIBU, Calif. — Eleven home matches and three non-conference tournaments highlight the 2025 Pepperdine women’s volleyball schedule, which was released on Thursday.

All of the Waves’ home matches will be livestreamed on ESPN+. Fans interested in purchasing season tickets may fill out a ticket interest form located at this link. Season ticket packages and single-game tickets will be available later this summer. All pertinent information can be found on the women’s volleyball team’s schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.

“I am excited about our 2025 schedule as we’ve worked hard to put together what we think will be a nice mix of some of the best teams in college volleyball, including some quality opponents in the West Coast Conference,” Head coach Scott Wong, who is entering his 11th year at the helm of the women’s volleyball program, said. “Our team will be tested by some of the best as we continue to pursue our big goals!”

Prior to the start of the season, Pepperdine plays in two exhibition contests. First, the Waves play in the Blue and Orange Alumni Scrimmage, held in Firestone Fieldhouse on Aug. 16. A cross-town exhibition match at USC on Aug. 23 concludes the preseason portion of the schedule.

Pepperdine kicks off the season at the Sacramento State Invitational, where the Waves will play UTEP, UC Davis and the host team Hornets from Aug. 29-31. The 2025 season-opener will be against UC Davis on Aug. 29, then the Waves face off against UTEP (Aug. 30) and Sacramento State (Aug. 31).

From there, the Waves return to Malibu for the regular-season home opener against UCLA on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. Pepperdine will head east to compete at the Pittsburgh Invitational, hosted by NCAA Final Four participant Pittsburgh. The Waves take on Pitt on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. PT before playing Jacksonville State on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. PT. 

The Waves return home to host Lipscomb for the Asics Classic on Friday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. before taking a trip to UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 16 at 6 p.m.

Pepperdine will spend its final week of non-conference play in Tempe, Ariz. for Arizona State University’s Webb-Burbridge Classic, which features three teams that won at least 20 matches last year. In the three-day event, the Waves will face GCU (Sept. 18), Arizona State (Sept. 19) and Milwaukee (Sept. 20).

This year, Pepperdine will play 18 matches in West Coast Conference play, including two against conference newcomer Seattle, which joins the WCC after competing in the Western Athletic Conference last year. Unlike years past, the WCC will not play a double-round robin conference schedule; Pepperdine will only play six of its WCC opponents twice.

The Waves host San Diego (Sept. 25) and conference newcomer Seattle (Sept. 27) for the opening week of WCC play before taking a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to face San Francisco (Oct. 2) and Santa Clara (Oct. 4). After taking seven days off, the Waves host Washington State on Oct. 11 before making its first Pacific Northwest trip to face Seattle (Oct. 16) and Portland (Oct. 18). October concludes with home matches against Oregon State (Oct. 23) and conference rival LMU (Oct. 30) and a road match at Pacific (Oct. 25).

Pepperdine kicks off the final month of WCC play at home against San Francisco (Nov. 1) before facing Gonzaga (Nov. 6) and Washington State (Nov. 8) on the road. The Waves will host Santa Clara on Nov. 15 before taking their final conference road trip to San Diego (Nov. 20) and LMU (Nov. 22). The Waves host Gonzaga (Nov. 26) before having their Senior Day against Saint Mary’s (Nov. 28) to wrap up the regular season during the week of Thanksgiving Break.

Pepperdine returns 10 players from last year’s 17-11 campaign, including WCC Freshman of the Year Ella Piskorz, All-WCC Freshman Team selection Chloe Pravednikov and 2023 All-WCC selection Vanessa Polk.

2025 SCHEDULE

Aug. 16 Blue and Orange Alumni Game

Aug. 23 @ USC (Exhibition)

Aug. 29 vs. UC Davis (in Sacramento, Calif.)

Aug. 30 vs. UTEP (in Sacramento, Calif.)

Aug. 31 @ Sacramento State

Sept. 2 UCLA

Sept. 5 @ Pitt

Sept. 6 vs. Jacksonville State (in Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Sept. 12 Lipscomb

Sept. 16 @ UC Santa Barbara

Sept. 18 vs. GCU (in Tempe, Ariz.)

Sept. 19 @ Arizona State

Sept. 20 vs. Milwaukee (in Tempe, Ariz.)

Sept. 25 San Diego

Sept. 27 Seattle

Oct. 2 @ San Francisco

Oct. 4 @ Santa Clara

Oct. 11 Washington State

Oct. 16 @ Seattle

Oct. 18 @ Portland

Oct. 23 Oregon State

Oct. 25 @ Pacific

Oct. 30 LMU

Nov. 1 San Francisco

Nov. 6 @ Gonzaga

Nov. 8 @ Washington State

Nov. 15 Santa Clara

Nov. 20 @ San Diego

Nov. 22 @ LMU

Nov. 26 Gonzaga

Nov. 28 Saint Mary’s

FOLLOW

Follow the Waves on Facebook and X, @WavesVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram, @peppvolley. Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Spring 2025 semester saw Arizona Athletics capture three Big 12 Conference Championships, and 12 teams qualify for NCAA postseason play since January 1. But that success carried over into the classroom as well, with all student-athletes combining to post a 3.389 GPA – the highest semester GPA in school history. It marks the 15^th consecutive semester for the department with at least a 3.0 semester GPA or higher – the longest streak in department history.
 
And the records don’t stop there. The cumulative GPA for the department was 3.400, which is also the highest in school history, while the semester GPA for women’s teams was 3.573 and the men’s teams posted a 3.211 GPA for the semester, both setting new records.
 
“We are incredibly proud of our student-athletes for achieving a record-setting GPA this semester, a true testament to their dedication and discipline,” Arizona Vice President and Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois said. “Balancing the demands of competition and academics is not easy, and their commitment in the classroom continues to inspire our entire department. We will continue to provide support for all of our student-athletes as they pursue their goals on and off the field.”
 
A total of nine teams set individual program records for best Spring semester GPA’s, including Baseball, Men’s Cross Country, Football, Gymnastics, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Tennis, Men’s Track and Field, Triathlon and Volleyball.
 
The top team GPA across all sports went to Gymnastics, with a team GPA of 3.802, and the top men’s team GPA was 3.545 by the cross country team.
 
Spring 2025 Academic Success By the Numbers

• 81.0% student-athletes earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• 53.2% student-athletes earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher
• 24.6% student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 19 teams earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Record-setting average GPA among women’s teams (3.573)
• Record-setting average GPA among men’s teams (3.211)

 
These record setting GPA numbers in the Spring only add to the continued excellence in the classroom by student-athletes at the University of Arizona. Back in November, the NCAA released the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) numbers and Arizona checked in a 90%, which was a new department record. And just last month, the NCAA sent out the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) numbers and there were 10 U of A programs that earned a perfect score, 12 teams that set program records and three teams that ranked in the top 10% nationally in their sport.
 
There have also been three student-athletes that have won Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors – Tanvi Narendran (Women’s Tennis), Jay Friend (Men’s Tennis) and Tony Pluta (Baseball). Friend was also named a First Team Academic All-American by Collegiate Sports Communicators (CSC), becoming the first Arizona men’s tennis player to garner first team honors. Malia Rausch from women’s swimming and diving also earned Academic All-American honors, coming in on the third team.
 

PITTSBURG – Pittsburg State University head volleyball coach Megan Besecker has announced the signing of 11 players for the upcoming season.
 
Besecker enters her first season leading the Gorillas after back-to-back Kansas Jayhawk Conference titles and a fourth-place finish at the 2024 NJCAA National Tournament at Barton Community College.
 
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome our incoming freshman and transfer class,” said Besecker “This group brings incredible energy, talent, and potential to our program. I’m looking forward to this upcoming season!”

Of the 11 incoming student-athletes, six are incoming freshmen, three are from the junior college ranks and two will be from the Division II level.

 

Kennedy Behnke is a 5-11 middle hitter who prepped at Ellinwood High School for coach Greg Maxwell and the Eagles. Behnke was a four-year starter on the volleyball court while also being involved with the track and field, softball and basketball teams at Ellinwood. A 2A All-State selection that earned Central Plains League All-Tournament Team honors in 2024, Behnke was named onto the Central Plains League first-team in 2024, 2023 and 2022. Behnke was a KVA All-Academic Team member and part of the National Honors Society, being on the Ellinwood Honor Roll from 2021-2025. The daughter of Lindsay and Matt Behnke, Kennedy plans to major in biology at Pittsburg State.

 

Abby Carr began her collegiate career last season at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas where she redshirted as a 5-10 setter. Carr prepped at Clyde High School where she was the record holder for assists in a career, season and match. Named the District MVP, TGCA All-State and the Big Country Preps Player of the Year while being a member of the THSCA Super Elite Team and a member of the TGCA Legacy All-Star team. Carr would also be named a first-team THSCA Academic All-State and TGCA Academic All-State honoree. While at Clyde, the Bulldogs on the volleyball court were district champions twice, bi-district champions three times and area champions once. The daughter of Laura and James Carr, Abby plans to major in exercise science.

 

Kaitlyn Gordon is a 5-9 defensive specialist/libero that prepped at Andover High School. Gordon was a three-year starter for the Trojans on the volleyball court, where she recorded 962 career digs. Helped lead the Trojans to a Sub-State championship in 2024 and 2025 as a captain. Gordon was an All-AVCTL performer during the past two seasons and was a Wichita Eagle All-Metro first-teamer in 2025. Graduated Summa Cum Laude, while also being a member of the National Honors Society at AHS. The daughter of Kari and Josh Gordon, Kaitlyn plans to major in biology at Pitt State.

 

Lindsay Heyliger is a 6-3 opposite hitter from Lone Tree, Colo., during her true freshman season at Division II Colorado Mesa University she redshirted. Heyliger prepped at Rock Canyon High School for coach Angela Nylund where as a senior she recorded 67 blocks while claiming second-team All-Conference honors. The daughter of Lauren and John Heyliger, Lindsay plans to major in elementary education at PSU.

 

Julia Hicks is a 5-10 outside hitter from Wylie, Texas that prepped at Wylie East High School for coach Nicole Calverley. A four-year starter on the volleyball court, Hicks for her career finished with over 1400 kills, 1110 digs and 150 service aces. The 9-6A Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, she would also be named team MVP twice and a four-time first-team All-District performer. The daughter of Alicia and Jason Hicks, Lindsay plans to major in criminal justice at Pittsburg State.

 

Ana Hrle is a 5-11 middle blocker from Yakima, Wash., who has played at Yakima Valley College the past two seasons. At Yakima Valley, Hrle recorded 228 kills, 113 blocks and had a .319 hitting percentage for the Yaks. A second-team All-NWAC performer in 2024, Hrle helped lead the team to a third-place finish at the NWAC Championship. The daughter of Michelle and Darko Hrle, Ana plans to major in geography while at PSU.

 

Imerie Jones is a 6-0 middle blocker from Spring, Texas. Jones for coach Kim Odina recorded 250 career blocks on the volleyball court over four years, earning second-team All-State and first-team All-District honors during her prep career. The daughter of Mia Kamen and Bruce Jones, Imerie plans to major in biochemistry at Pitt State.

 

Carmyn Lawson is a 5-6 outside hitter who can also play as a defensive specialist. An incoming freshman for the Gorillas, Lawson prepped at North Forney High School for coach Jose Marrero Vega. On the volleyball court she was a three-year starter for the Falcons, recording over 700 career kills and was named a team captain for her senior campaign. The daughter of Corretta Barnes, Carmyn plans to major in biology while at Pittsburg State.

 

Kassidy Nixon is a 5-9 outside hitter who can also play as a defensive specialist entering her redshirt junior season. Nixon was a first-team All-KJCCC performer in 2024 and 2023, finishing her Panther career with 582 kills, 747 digs, 77 total blocks and 71 service aces in 71 matches. Nixon competed in High School at Central Plains in Claflin, Kan., where she was a four-year starter on the volleyball court for coach Lisa Crites. At Central Plains, Nixon accumulated over a thousand career assists, kills and digs on her way to being named the Kansas 1A Player of the Year in 2021 and 2020 and was a three-time All-State performer. A standout on the basketball court and softball field as well, earning Kansas 1A Player of the Year honors in basketball in 2022. Was a three-time All-State performer for softball and basketball. The daughter of Kristi and Kelly Nixon, Kassidy plans to major in business.

 

Addyson Rebmann is a 5-11 outside hitter who prepped at Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Mo., for coach Jenny Collins. Rebmann was a four-year starter on the volleyball court and a member of the track and field team at LHS. Over her high school career she accumulated 1627 kills, 971 digs and 126 blocks as a Yellow Jacket. An All-State performer on the track and the volleyball court, Rebmann would also earn Academic All-State laurels. The daughter of Angie and Shane Rebmann, Addyson plans to major in political science at Pittsburg State.

 

Mya Thompson is a 5-11 right side hitter who will be a junior for the Gorillas. Thompson was an All-KJCCC selection her freshman season in 2023 and for her career finished with 438 kills, 115 total blocks and 86 digs in 68 matches. Prepped at Hutchinson High School for coach Maria Aikens on the volleyball court as a three-year starter for the Salthawks. A three-time All-League performer who helped the Salthawks teams that finished third in the 5A State Tournament in the 2023 and 2022 campaigns. The daughter of Abby and Joel Thompson, Mya plans to major in biology.