With great sadness, we share that Mary K. Graeff passed away on May 29th, 2025, at her home in Boise, ID, at the age of 83.

Mary grew up in Hermosa Beach, California, where she had fond memories of body surfing in the ocean and playing beach volleyball.

A vivacious, trailblazing woman who could do anything she set her mind to. Her adventurous spirit was shaped by life that took her across the globe Living in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Greece, Spain, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Arizona and Idaho. She mountain biked Moab, UT, rafted the Rogue and North Fork rivers, and ran ultramarathons well into her 70s.

In her late 30’s Mary earned degrees in forestry and law enforcement from Southwestern Oregon Community. She defied expectations and traditional roles for women: slash-burning mountains, jackhammered concrete, and worked as a Park Ranger for the Oregon State Parks. She worked at Shore Acres Botanical Gardens and patrolled the beaches on the Oregon coast before moving to Salem, Oregon, where she became the Safety and Law Enforcement Coordinator for the state parks system.

Mary always had a big smile and was endlessly ready for challenges and adventures.

She is survived by her daughter, Natasha Bachurin, and her dogs, Awza, Lolo and Kooskia. Her husband and adventure partner, Todd Graeff, passed away in 2023. Mary will be sorely missed.

Hope College sprinter Sara Schermerhorn continues to excel both on the track and in the classroom.


The exercise science major has been named to the 2024-25 Academic All-America® Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country Teams, as selected by College Sports Communicators.


A native of Traverse City, Michigan, Schermerhorn is one of 16 third-team selections and one of 45 total honorees at the NCAA Division III level this year.


Schermerhorn joins Ana Tucker (2022-23), Chelsea Miskelley (2020), Sheri McCormick (2014), Nora Kuiper (2009), and Tauna Jecmen (1988-89) as Hope women’s track and field student-athletes to earn Academic All-America® honors.


This season, Schermerhorn was a four-time All-American, earning honors in the 200- and 400-meter events at both the NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She also received seven all-region honors: indoor 60 meters, outdoor 100 meters, indoor and outdoor 200 meters, indoor 400 meters, and indoor and outdoor 4×400 relays.


A graduate of Traverse City West High School, Schermerhorn captured seven MIAA titles this year — including five individual championships.


The 2025 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete became the first MIAA women’s runner to win the 60-, 200- and 400-meter titles in the same indoor season.

Schermerhorn is Hope’s fifth Academic All-America® selections during the 2024-25 academic year, joining Colin Kalkman (men’s swimming and diving), Lauren Lee (women’s volleyball), Addie VanderWeide (women’s volleyball), and Laurel Wasiniak (women’s swimming and diving).

College Sports Communicators is a 4,400-plus member national association for strategic, creative and digital communicators in intercollegiate athletics across the United States and Canada. The organization was known as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) from its founding in 1957 until a name change in 2022.



The Division III Academic All-America® program is financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure to assist CSC with awards fulfillment for the 2024-25 cycle.

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 15, 2025) – USA Volleyball announces the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the third week of Volleyball Nations League (VNL), taking place July 16-20 in Chiba, Japan.

The U.S. will face Türkiye, Argentina, Germany and Japan as teams battle for a spot in the VNL Finals; the top eight after this week will qualify.

The U.S. is 4-4 and currently ranks 13th in the VNL standings. Japan (No. 4), Argentina (No. 5) and Germany (No. 8) all are in position to make the finals. Türkiye is No. 16.

Head coach Karch Kiraly has taken 15 athletes to Japan, including Olympians Erik Shoji, Jeff Jendryk, Micah Ma’a and Kyle Ensing. Ten other players have played in either one or both of the previous VNL weeks: libero Mason Briggs, middle blockers Matthew Knigge and Merrick McHenry; opposites Gabi Garcia and Kyle Hobus; outside hitters Cooper Robinson, Ethan Champlin, Nolan Flexen and Jordan Ewert, and setter Andrew Rowan.

Middle blocker Michael Marshman will make his 2025 debut. Last year, Marshman played in week one of VNL and helped the U.S. Men to the Pan Cup silver medal.

The U.S. Men are currently ranked No. 6 in the world and have medaled four times in VNL history, including silver medals in 2019, 2022 and 2023 and bronze in 2018.

Volleyball Nations League features the world’s top 18 men’s teams clashing over three weeks of preliminary play, with the top eight advancing to the Final Round.

U.S. Men’s Week Three Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
5 Kyle Ensing (Opp, 6-7, Valencia, Calif., Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
17 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
22C Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
23 Nolan Flexen (OH, 6-9, Rio Rancho, N.M., UC Irvine, Southern)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
28 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)
27 Michael Marshman (MB, 6-7, Glenmont, N.Y., St. Francis Univ., Excelsior Empire)

Head Coach:  Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coach: Luka Slabe
Assistant Coach: Javier Weber
Performance Analyst: Nate Ngo
Physiotherapist: Aaron Brock
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach: Tim Pelot
Senior Sports Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker
Team Manager: David Dantes
Consultant Coach: Chris McGown
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy
Team Doctors:  Eugene Yim, Mark Hutchinson, Michael Shepard, Warren Young

2025 Volleyball Nations League Schedule for Week 3

All times PDT; Matches will be shown live on VBTV and either CBS Sports Network or Big Ten Network

Week 3 Schedule
July 15 at 11:30 p.m. vs. Türkiye
July 17 at 11:30 p.m. vs. Argentina
July 19 at 3:30 a.m. vs. Germany
July 20 at 3:20 a.m. vs. Japan

Week 1 Results
June 11: Ukraine def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23)
June 12 USA def. Iran, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15)
June 14 Slovenia def. USA, 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 25-23)
June 15 USA def. Cuba, 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23)

Week 2 Results
June 25 USA def. China, 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11)
June 26 USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 30-28)
June 28 Poland def. USA, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-22)
June 29 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-18)

SEARCY — Harding University women’s track and field high jumper Kiera Blankinship has been named to the College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-America, recognizing her exceptional achievements both on the track and in the classroom. It was her second career Academic All-America honor.

Blankinship, a senior athletically and a graduate student academically, maintained a perfect 4.00 undergraduate grade-point average as a psychology major and is now seeking a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

In the 2025 outdoor season, Blankinship, a native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, and  2021 graduate of Amber-Pocasset High School, placed second at the Great American Conference Championships with a season-best height of 1.72m (5-7.75). She advanced to the national meet, where she earned Second Team All-America honors with a 10th-place finish, clearing 1.68m (5-6).

Blankinship’s honor is the 16th for the Harding women’s track and field program since Dawn Mason became the first Lady Bison to earn the award in 1987. She is one of eight women’s athletes at Harding to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in her career.

MOREHEAD, Ky. — Two talented sports medicine professionals have joined the Morehead State Sports Medicine department. The Eagles welcome Skylar Carmichael, ATC and Isabella Polash, ATC.

Carmichael will work directly with the soccer and cheerleading programs, while Polash will serve as the athletic trainer for volleyball, beach volleyball and softball. Jordan Kelley, ATC, heads the MSU department.

Carmichael has a Master’s Degree from the University of Kentucky and earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Wilmington College in Ohio. She is a native of Winchester, Ky. Carmichael has gained clinical experience with the Kentucky men’s soccer program (two different stints), Kentucky football, Lexington Sporting Club soccer, Asbury (Ky.) University, Tate’s Creek High School and the Lexington Fire Academy.

She has also been a physical therapy technician at UK’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Drayer Physical Therapy and at Baptist Health Lexington as well as serving as football manager at her high school alma mater, George Rogers Clark.

She holds memberships in the Kentucky Athletic Trainers’ Society, Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Society and National Athletic Trainers’ Society. She has also been awarded the SEATA Memorial Scholarship, Quaker Impact Award as well as her major’s award (exercise science, pre-athletic training).

A former student-athlete as a softball player at Kean (N.J.), Polash comes to MSU after a one-year tenure at New Mexico Highlands. She served as head athletic trainer for softball, women’s volleyball, wrestling and women’s soccer.

Prior to that, Polash worked at RWJ Barnabas Health at the Morahan Center in New Jersey.

During the 2023 season, she worked with Kean’s football program. She also has clinical experience at Carteret and Union High Schools in New Jersey. She served as a sports medicine intern for the Dairyland Collegiate Baseball League in 2023. She served as treasurer for the Iota Tau Alpha Athletic Training Education Honor Society.

Polash earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Kean in 2024.

NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference announced Tuesday the addition of Louisiana Tech University into the league after a unanimous vote of the Sun Belt CEOs. Louisiana Tech will join the Sun Belt Conference no later than July 1, 2027. 
 
Louisiana Tech and the Sun Belt Conference will host a joint press conference on Wednesday, July 16, at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT in the Davison Athletics Complex, which will include Louisiana Tech President Dr. Jim Henderson, Louisiana Tech Athletic Director Ryan Ivey and Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill. The press conference will also be streamed at http://www.youtube.com/latechathletics. 
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Louisiana Tech University to the Sun Belt. Geographically situated within the current Sun Belt footprint, the addition of Louisiana Tech reunites a number of long-standing regional rivalries under the conference banner,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “I am grateful to President Dr. Jim Henderson and Athletic Director Ryan Ivey for their leadership during this process. I’d also like to thank the CEOs and athletic directors of our Sun Belt member institutions for their continued commitment to the premier FBS non-autonomy conference in the country. The Sun Belt Conference is RISING and our best days are ahead.” 
 
The addition of Louisiana Tech will bring the number of Sun Belt members to 14 with the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters joining current members App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Troy. 
 
“The Sun Belt has remained steadfast in its commitment to regional rivalries, geographic alignment and competitive excellence,” said Georgia Southern and Sun Belt Board of Directors President Dr. Kyle Marrero. “When it came time to add a new member to the Sun Belt Conference, it became clear that Louisiana Tech was the right fit. This addition renews long-standing rivalries, enhances our divisional structure, strengthens the competitive profile of the league across multiple sports and eases travel for fans and teams. We’re excited to welcome the Bulldogs to the Sun Belt!”
 

Louisiana Tech University, founded in 1894 and located in Ruston, La., is an R2 Research Institution that supports a student population of over 12,000. The school has won seven national championships—three in College Division (1972) or NCAA Division II football (1973 & 1974), three in AIAW (1981) or NCAA Division I women’s basketball (1982 & 1988) and one individual title in track & field. The football program has appeared in 14 bowl games all-time, with an 8-5-1 record, while the softball program has appeared in three NCAA Women’s College World Series (1983, 1985 & 1986). 

 

“The storied legacy of our Bulldogs and Lady Techsters, long an integral part of the Louisiana Tech experience, will be advanced with this move,” said Louisiana Tech President Dr. Jim Henderson. “The invitation from the Sun Belt Conference affirms the quality of our athletics programs. Joining the conference will guarantee regular competition with regional rivals, new and old, creating a more logistically sound experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans.”

 

Louisiana Tech sponsors 16 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Women’s sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Louisiana Tech participates in every sport sponsored by the Sun Belt Conference except beach volleyball, men’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s golf. The Sun Belt Conference sponsors every sport in which the Bulldogs compete except women’s bowling. 

 

“Through all the uncertainty surrounding college athletics, we are pleased that Louisiana Tech has found its rightful home as a member of the Sun Belt Conference,” said Louisiana Tech Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey. “The opportunity for more fan engagement, reduced travel burden, and the renewal of storied rivalries will allow our student-athletes to pursue excellence in sport and in the classroom. Our coaches, student-athletes, alumni, and fans share in our excitement for the future of Bulldogs and Lady Techsters athletics. We appreciate Commissioner Keith Gill and the board for their confidence in our athletics department and look forward to elevating the conference through competition.”

 

Louisiana Tech was a previously a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 1991-2001 and enjoyed success in a wide range of sports. The women’s basketball team won nine-straight Sun Belt regular-season titles from 1993-2001 and seven conference tournament championships, including six-straight from 1996-2001. The men’s basketball team won a pair of Sun Belt regular-season crowns (1992 & 1999), while the men’s indoor (1999), women’s indoor (2000) and women’s outdoor (1999) track & field programs each claimed a conference title. 

 

The Sun Belt Conference, which sponsors 19 NCAA sports, was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. The conference owns a .571 bowl winning percentage during the College Football Playoff era, trailing only the SEC (.578). Since expanding to 14 football-playing members in 2022, the Sun Belt has led non-autonomy conferences in bowl representation in each of the past three seasons and has been a multi-bid league in eight different sports.