Chris Miller can be contacted via email at cmiller@jdnews.com. Follow him on X @jdnsports.

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia volleyball program has announced its complete slate of matches for the upcoming 2025 season.
 
The 2025 season will be the 47^th edition of Georgia Volleyball and the ninth under head coach Tom Black. The 2025 schedule features 25 matches: 13 at Stegeman Coliseum, 11 on the road, and one at a neutral site.
 

Georgia will play a pair of scrimmages at Stegeman Coliseum as a precursor to the season. The Red & Black Scrimmage will take place on Saturday, Aug. 16, then the Bulldogs welcome Georgia State for a scrimmage on Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. Both scrimmages will be free and open to the public.
 
The season officially kicks off at the Samford Invitational on Friday, Aug. 29. Georgia takes on the host Bulldogs on Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET, then will play Troy on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m.
 
The Classic City Clash will open the home schedule Sept. 4-5. Alabama State, Duke, and Texas Tech will travel to Athens for the six-match tournament.
 
The inaugural Showdown at the Net, featuring every SEC and ACC team, will feature Georgia at Clemson on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The Bulldogs and Tigers have not met in the regular season since 2019.
 
Florida International, Georgia Southern, and Presbyterian will travel to Athens for the Bulldog Classic Sept. 12-14.
 
Georgia will close out non-conference play on Friday, Sept. 19, at Georgia Tech for Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. The annual rivalry match will return to McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

For the first time in Southeastern Conference history, volleyball will feature programs from all 16 member institutions. Beginning with the 2025 SEC volleyball season, each institution will play each of the other member institutions once, either home or away, for a 15-match conference schedule. Conference play will begin on September 24 and run through November 16.

 

Georgia’s SEC home schedule begins Wednesday, Oct. 1, when Texas comes to town. The Bulldogs’ other home conference matches include Alabama (Oct. 17), Mississippi State (Oct. 19), Florida (Oct. 31), Auburn (Nov. 2), Ole Miss (Nov. 7), and LSU (Nov. 12).

 

The Bulldogs hit the road for SEC matches at Tennessee (Sept. 24), Kentucky (Sept. 26), South Carolina (Oct. 5), Arkansas (Oct. 10), Oklahoma (Oct. 12), Vanderbilt (Oct. 24), Missouri (Oct. 26), and Texas A&M (Nov. 16).

The upcoming season also marks the return of the SEC Volleyball Tournament. The 2025 SEC Volleyball Tournament is scheduled for November 21-25 at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.

 

The 2025 NCAA Volleyball Tournament will begin on Thursday, Dec. 4, on campus sites. The selection show will air on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Georgia finished 12-14 in 2024 with a 6-10 record in SEC play. Georgia will return nine student-athletes from last season’s roster and will welcome seven newcomers (2 transfers, 5 freshmen).

 

 

One could argue that nowhere in Chicago is there more action, activity and energy than on the beaches of Chicago when volleyball is played.

And right now? In the prime of our Chicago summer, the volleyball courts are busier than ever.

Have you walked by? Driven by? Maybe just heard the noise thundering from any one of hundreds of courts? It is truly mesmerizing. Even if you are not a player, maybe just a fan or passerby, you can’t help but be caught up in the energy and enthusiasm.

Oak Street Beach and North Avenue Beach are by far the biggest of the volleyball venues, sporting numerous courts–and if it is a nice day, you can be sure volleyball is being played in large numbers at these two locations. Weekdays, weekends, mornings, afternoons, evenings—you name it, the game waits for no one. If there is an open court to be had, it isn’t open for long before it is filled.

There are a variety of different types of gamesbeing played.  You will see games of standard six versus six, but other variations apply as well. Five on five, four on four, three on three, and even some games where mass confusion reigns supreme. Sometimes there are as many as nine or 10 on a side.

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Keep an eye out, particularly, for the two-versus-two players.  These athletes are truly amazing!  Typically, the best of the best playthe two-man game, and they are incredible to watch.

You almost have to play the game a bit to truly appreciate how difficult thetwo-person gameis. In a nutshell, the big difference from indoor volleyball is playing on the sand. Theweather conditions (sun, wind, etc.) are secondary to the difficulty of playingout of the sand. 

Again, unless you have done it before, it is hard to imagine how tough it is to move and jump in the sand. The players whocover an entire court?  With just two of them and having to run, dive, move laterally, and jump all out of the sand?  Suffice it to say,that’s a really high degree of difficulty, and they are terrifically conditioned athletes.

There are open courts for play at almost all times of the day during the summer months. You can join a game as an individual, come with a small group, or bring your own team looking for competition. Usually, there are fellow competitors looking for a game as well.

Also, huge in beach volleyball are the social leagues: co-ed teams that compete on weekdaysare organized by schedules and league directors. These teams come out in huge numbers, all with different-colored jerseys, and will fill up dozens of courts during seasonal play. It is when these leagues are going on that beach volleyball may be its most visually spectacular.

The two biggest social leagues are The Chicago Sport and Social Club (chicagosocial.com) and Players Sports (playerssports.net). They have spring, summer, and early fall leagues, and teams can sign up, or players can sign up as individuals and be put on a team.

While you see all ages out on the courts,it is a young person’s game.  The 20- to 38-year-old demographic predominates, and the “singles scene” is definitely part of the experience.

Many relationships have started on the beach volleyball courts.  New friends, new partners, early-stage dating, mid-stage dating, late-stage dating, even marriages are part of the tradition! Throw in some rough break-ups, unrequited love, unsavory affairs, and one-time hook-ups, and you start to get an idea of the “other side” of the beach volleyball game.

You really want to watch the best of the best play? The truly elite? On Labor Day weekend, the AVP Tour will be right here on Chicago’s own Oak Street Beach, so keep an eye out for more information. (Visit avp.com for details).

Angela Mercaldi ’25 knew she wanted to both study engineering and compete in track and field from the first time she stepped onto the University of New Haven’s campus.

“I always found myself drawn to math and science,” she said. “Taking engineering classes in high school confirmed that it was what I wanted to do.” That, paired with her older sister’s success as a chemical engineering student at the University, gave Mercaldi confidence in her decision. “My sister had great internships and got a job right after graduation. She’s living proof the University could set you up for a bright future.”

Athletics also played a major role. “I wanted to do track and field in college, and meeting the coaches here made it feel like the perfect fit,” she said. Between the academic programs and the supportive team environment, Mercaldi knew she had found her place.

What she didn’t know then was that her time at the University would lead to a series of internships at Pratt & Whitney, a worldwide leader as an aerospace designer and manufacturer, and eventually a full-time job offer as a manufacturing engineer. “My motto has always been to be a sponge and absorb as much as I can,” she said. “I wanted to separate myself from the pack.”

Mercaldi landed her first internship with Pratt & Whitney in 2022, thanks in part to a resume workshop hosted by one of her professors. “At first, my resume just had summer camp counselor positions,” she said. “But the workshop helped me highlight my strengths as a student-athlete and an engineering student.”

Mercaldi began her time at Pratt & Whitney as a quality engineering intern, where she supported the materials control lab and gained exposure to aerospace regulations and post-manufacturing processes. Eager for more hands-on experience, she returned the following year as a manufacturing engineering intern, working on the F-135 military engine line.

“I helped troubleshoot an old machine that wasn’t producing the quality we needed,” she said. “I ran experiments and research to improve the process so the part could pass inspection. It was challenging but really rewarding.”

Through it all, she made a point to build relationships. “At Pratt & Whitney, they tell you right away that networking is everything,” she said. “I’d get lost walking the shop floor (it’s massive) and those moments turned into conversations with people who ended up becoming my mentors.

“I loved meeting everyone there,” she continued. “They were very respectful of your learning and very supportive of your education.”

Balancing engineering coursework and intercollegiate athletics shaped Mercaldi in meaningful ways. “Being a student-athlete helped 100 percent,” she said. “It pushed me to manage my time, stay disciplined, and work through both mental and physical fatigue. I never saw time as an enemy. I just made time for what mattered.”

That mindset carried her through personal challenges as well. She arrived on campus recovering from a serious knee injury. “I’ve had four knee surgeries, and I’m going on my fifth,” she said. “Freshman year was not my happiest. I made it through, and now I’m proud to say I’m happy, I have a full-time job, and I was captain of the track team.”

She credits head coach Shaunnaya Williams for helping her stay motivated. “She always recognized when people were putting in the work,” Mercaldi said. “She became a mentor and a friend, and she even asked me to help recruit other female engineers into athletics.”

Faculty support also made a signficant impact. “Ismail Orabi, Ph.D., my capstone professor, always had faith in me,” she said. “He, along with my capstone partners, made me feel like I could be a standout student. They helped shape my journey. I wouldn’t have made it without them.”

Mercaldi started her full-time role with Pratt & Whitney in June. After a summer of intense training, she’ll begin work as a coating manufacturing engineer within the company’s Manufacturing Engineer Development Program.

“It still feels surreal,” she admitted. “Imposter syndrome definitely kicks in. But I know I’ve worked hard to get here.”

She’s most excited about building a community within her career. “I already know many of the other full-time employees from my internships,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can go together.”

As for the future? Mercaldi hopes to pay forward the mentorship she’s received. “One day, I want to be the one helping someone just starting out, telling them about my journey and guiding them through theirs.

“The best thing I’ve learned is, ‘Don’t count yourself out,’” she continued. “We’re our own biggest critics, but when you take a step back, you realize how far you’ve come.”

Angela Mercaldi ’25 was a Mechanical Engineering major in the Tagliatela College of Engineering.

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) – Today was the final day of the Marietta college youth volleyball camp. Young players grades three through eight came to learn the game and have some fun. Head coach Kristy Newman sees this camp as a great opportunity for her players to get to know the community.

“It’s been great, you know, youth camp for us is an opportunity for our players to get to work with the community and that kind of stuff,” Newman says. “And it’s been really awesome to see. And some of our younger kids, players stepping into roles of leading and running courts and that kind of stuff. And the kids in the community look up to them so much and it’s been really cool to watch them interact with them.”

It’s also a great chance for the Pioneer players to reconnect over the summer. They all come in for the week to run the camp, and enjoy getting to be around each other again.

“It’s so awesome. You know, getting to have them here, we bring them in for a week, and we just kind of get to hang out with them. They get to, they love camp week because it’s hanging out with their best friends, right? So, it’s exciting and getting a chance to build those relationships with our players and getting coach Maggie that experience this week has been really awesome.”

Former Marietta standout player and now assistant coach Maggie Fellers is getting used to being on the sidelines instead of on the court.

“Very different,” Maggie says. “So a girl came up to the concession stand a little bit ago and was like, I had you my freshman year and you were in, like, kindergarten. And seeing her now in like 6th grade. I’m like, it’s crazy just to be a part of that kids volleyball journey is super special.”

Coach Newman and staff took a bit of a different approach to this year’s camp in an effort to get the campers to better learn and enjoy the game. The goal was for the kids to leave camp with a better feel for volleyball and a positive attitude.

“Yeah, you know, this year I think we tried something a little bit different. We wanted them to have more fun while also learning the skills. In the past, we’ve kind of been really skill driven and I think they’ve actually learned more with adding a lot more fun. Rolls into the mix. If that kind of makes sense.”

“Just touches like getting them used to the sport and making them feel comfortable and hopefully creating that love for the sport.”

See an error in our reporting? Send us an email by clicking here!

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Bermuda will compete in the fourth stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour this weekend in Tamaulipas, Mexico, with men’s and women’s teams set to face top regional opponents.

A spokesperson said, “As the international beach volleyball 2025 calendar continues, the Bermuda Volleyball Association [BVA] is proud to announce its participation in the fourth stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour. The event, being a senior competition, takes place this weekend, July 11-13, 2025 in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

“The NORCECA Beach Tour is the premier beach volleyball tour for the North American, Central American, and Caribbean zone.

“Bermuda will be represented by the men’s pairing of Kyle Hamilton [31] and Connor Somerville [24] and the Women’s pairing of Megan Hands [21] and Natalie Gazzard [19].

“Other countries set to participate include the United States, Canada, Guatemala, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and El Salvador.”

Mark Hamilton, Head coach of the Bermuda Men’s Beach Team expressed his excitement of his team’s participation on the international stage, “Kyle and Connor are prepared to take on these elite teams in at NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour. Since beginning their training together in March , the pair has shown strong promise and determination. While they will face top-tier competition, their training and chemistry should allow them to showcase the bests of their game and hopefully lead to success.”

On the Women’s side, Head Coach Benjamin Barnett said, “I am excited for Natalie and Megan to represent Bermuda at this NORCECA Tour stop in Mexico. Both players have shown exceptional growth so far this season and this tournament provides a fantastic opportunity to build on these developments facing experienced opponents.”

The spokesperson said, “The Men’s team kicks off their competition Friday Morning in pool play against Canada at 10:00AM Bermuda time, followed by Nicaragua at 1:00PM. Bermuda men will then face Mexico on July 12th in pool play.

“The Women’s team will face US Virgin Islands at 9:00AM followed by Canada on Saturday, July 12th.

“The BVA will continue to provide updates as the competition progresses.

“We encourage the community to follow the team’s progress during the tournament. Updates will be provided on the Bermuda Volleyball Association’s social media channels. For more information and results, please visit the links below:

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