When Elijah Claravall from Isabela first stepped onto a Taekwondo mat as a young boy, he could not have imagined the journey that lay ahead. What began as a childhood hobby soon became a lifelong passion—one that would take him across borders, transform him into a mentor, and inspire the next generation of athletes in Qatar.

Today, known affectionately as Master Eli, he is both a decorated competitor and a cherished instructor within the country’s vibrant Taekwondo community. His recent Bronze Medal win at the 5th Taekwondo International Competition in Qatar is more than just a personal triumph; it is a testament to the perseverance, dedication, and passion that have defined his remarkable journey..

A Beginning Rooted in a

Mother’s Guidance

For Master Eli, Taekwondo wasn’t just an activity — it was woven into his upbringing. His mother, a Karate Black Belter and national athlete, introduced him to martial arts early, laying the foundation of discipline and resilience that would shape the course of his life.

“With my mom guiding me, Taekwondo felt natural,” he recalls. “All my sisters trained too, but only my youngest sister and I continued. She’s now a varsity athlete at UP Diliman.”

He earned his 2nd Dan black belt only after college as his mother had always reminded him that the belt was secondary. She instilled in him that his focus should not be on the belt but more on developing his skills and harnessing character with self-discipline and respect — values that would later become cornerstones of his own teaching philosophy.

Though he briefly explored basketball because of his height, the pull of Taekwondo proved stronger.

“I set Taekwondo aside to try basketball, but after four years, I realized that it was in the sport of Taekwondo where I truly belonged.”

The Leap of Faith That Led to Qatar

A defining moment arrived when he learned of an opportunity to teach Taekwondo in Qatar. It was a decision that required courage — a leap into the unknown — but it also presented the chance to share his craft with a new generation.

When he joined the Pinoy Taekwondo Center (PTC) in Qatar, he discovered more than a workplace.

He found a purpose and a home.

Over the years, Master Eli became a pillar of the center. Children gravitated toward his warmth and patience; parents admired his consistency and values; fellow instructors respected his humility and quiet confidence. In Qatar, he did not just train athletes—he nurtured character, resilience, and self-belief.

This was where he truly became Master Eli.

More Than Just a Medal

At the recent 5th Qatar International Taekwondo Competition, Master Eli fought with focus and heart — qualities he emphasizes daily in his classes. Winning bronze was a powerful moment, not merely for him but for the entire PTC

community.

“When I stepped onto the podium, I wasn’t just thinking about my performance,” he says. “I was thinking about my students. I wanted them to see that hard work matters. That effort counts.”

For his young athletes, watching their mentor earn an international medal turned inspiration into reality. It showed them that dreams are not abstract ideas—they are reachable goals shaped by discipline and determination.

Inside the Dojang:

Where Champions Are Made

Within the walls of the dojang, Master Eli is both firm and approachable—a coach who demands excellence but teaches with encouragement. His classes balance structure and motivation, creating an environment where students feel both challenged and supported.

“Kids don’t just need technique,” he explains. “They need confidence. They need someone who believes in them.”

Teaching a generation shaped by technology and constant change requires adaptability. As a Millennial guiding mostly Gen Z and Gen Alpha students, he takes time to understand their learning styles, interests, and motivations. The goal: to uphold the timeless standards of Taekwondo while making them meaningful to today’s young athletes.

Parents consistently speak of the transformation they see in their children—sharper focus, stronger discipline, and newfound self-assurance. For them, the secret lies in the atmosphere he creates: structured, inspiring, and deeply rooted in respect.

“I really enjoy teaching the kids,” he says with a smile. “Seeing them grow—not just in the sport but as individuals—makes everything worth it. When they carry the tenets of Taekwondo beyond the mats, that’s when I know I’m doing something right.”

Dreams, Goals, and the Road Ahead

Despite his growing accomplishments, Master Eli remains grounded. He aims to continue advancing his Dan level, return to international competitions, and help elevate PTC’s presence on bigger stages.

But above all, his greatest goal is simple and sincere: to build a legacy.

“I want my students to become strong athletes and strong individuals,” he shares. “Champions on the mat—and in life.”

From a determined young boy in the Philippines to a respected mentor in Qatar, his journey is proof of what happens when passion aligns with purpose. His story is far from over.

And for every child who bows before him in the dojang, and proudly calls him Master, it is a story worth watching — one kick, one lesson, one dream at a time.

AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 3 Texas Volleyball program fell to No. 10 Wisconsin in the NCAA Regional Final, 3-1 (22-25, 21-25, 25-20, 19-25), Sunday night. Sunday night’s appearance marked the 18^th time in 20 seasons the Longhorns reached the Regional Final.

Texas finished the season 26-4 overall with 12 wins against ranked opponents, including a starting stretch of 18-straight wins.

The Longhorns saw freshman Cari Spears record 12 kills off 28 swings to hit for .321 against the Badgers. Senior libero Emma Halter posted a team-leading 13 digs and ended her Longhorn career with 1,307 – No. 8 on the UT All-Time list.

Set one: Despite a late rally to stave off five set points, the Longhorns dropped the first set behind Mimi Colyer leading Wisconsin with six kills. Junior outside Torrey Stafford finished with three kills and two of her four solo blocks.

Set two: Wisconsin was lights out in the second hitting .400 and siding out on a 66 percent swing. The Longhorns were limited to a .267 hitting percentage despite Whitney Lauenstein’s best efforts with four kills.

Set three: Texas battled back in the third to take its only set after hitting .400 with just 11 kills. Spears added three kills off six swings to lead the Horns in its efforts to tie the match.

Set four: Even though the Horns jumped out to a 4-0 run to start the set, the Horns were held to a .158 hitting percentage – its worst of the match. The Badgers jumped out to its biggest lead at 17-10 and went on to advance to the NCAA Semifinal.

 Both Spears and Stafford were named to the Austin Regional All-Tournament Team.

Texas takes on Wisconsin on Sunday night in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament Regional Final.

The Texas Longhorns and Wisconsin Badgers hit the court on Sunday night in the regional final of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. This will be the second matchup between the two teams this season. They met in Madison back on Aug. 31 and the Longhorns came away with a 3-0 win. It was a close first set, as the Longhorns won 29-27, but they dominate the last two, winning 25-20 and 25-14. The Longhorns lost their last match of the season, but have been dominant again in the NCAA Tournament. They have yet to lose a set in wins over Florida A&M, Penn State and Indiana. It has been an impressive run that has them one win away from the Final Four.

How to Watch NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Texas vs Wisconsin Today:

Match Date: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025

Match Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Location: Gregory Gymnasium

Live stream the NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Texas vs Wisconsin on Fubo: Start watching now!

The Badgers are trying to keep the Longhorns from getting back to the Final Four as they try to avenge the loss from earlier this season.

The Badgers come into Sunday night on a 12-match winning streak and they now sit at 27-4 on the season.

They have also been great in the tournament, as they have swept Eastern Illinois and North Carolina and then they beat Stanford in four sets to make the regional final.

What Time Is The College Volleyball Match Between Texas vs Wisconsin On?

The NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Texas vs Wisconsin will take place on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great College Volleyball action.

What Channel Is the NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Texas vs Wisconsin On?

Looking to watch this game? Fans can tune into ESPN to see the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup, as well as numerous other sports leagues.

Live stream the NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Texas vs Wisconsin on Fubo: Start watching now!

Injury, illness and incredible play from third-seeded Texas A&M combined Sunday afternoon to end the season for No. 1 Nebraska volleyball short of the Final Four.

The Aggies’ aggressive serving early, offensive balance and consistent block carried Texas A&M to its first Final Four with a 25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 35-37, 15-13 win at the Devaney Center. The Big Ten champion Huskers finished the season 33-1 in Coach Dani Busboom Kelly’s first season at the helm.

“Obviously, a really awesome game by Texas A&M, and they played like they had six seniors on the court,” Busboom Kelly said. “I’m proud of the way we fought back, and we played our hearts out and had a lot of things against us this week, and we still were that close. I’m just proud of the way we finished that match, and I’m super proud of our seniors.”

Busboom Kelly emphasized the importance of her team’s depth all season long, believing reserves would play an important role if Nebraska were to win a championship. However, that depth took a massive blow this week, with back-up setter Campbell Flynn breaking a pinky prior to the Sweet 16 and senior opposite hitter Allie Sczech suffering an ankle injury stepping on a ball in warmups that knocked her out for the match.

“That has a huge effect on our team,” Busboom Kelly said. “Those of you that have been with us the whole year, we’ve been great at using our depth and use it strategically, and we did not have that today. To have that happen, literally within the last five minutes of warmups, pretty tough.”

With no other viable option and the season on the line, Bergen Reilly also played through an illness to finish with 58 assists, 13 digs, five kills, three blocks and two aces, setting Nebraska to a .270 hitting percentage.

“She’s not feeling her best whatsoever, and it’s hard to go into the locker room and see her feeling that way, because she’s such a big part of our team, and I don’t know how she did it, but she found a way to still make good decisions and get balls up on defense and set us,” Harper Murray said. “That’s not easy, it’s really not, and she’s the best setter I’ve ever played with and will probably ever play with. The fact that she could go out there feeling as sick as she does and still work her butt off and play like that is truly amazing, and I love her to death.”

While Busboom Kelly didn’t have the double-sub available, she still turned to her bench in a bold and perhaps surprising move. Andi Jackson, who was on pace to shatter the school record for single-season hitting percentage, struggled mightily throughout the match. Busboom Kelly pulled her in the first, second and fourth sets, though Jackson returned to the lineup after the first two stints on the bench. After the third sub, Busboom Kelly stuck with freshman Manaia Ogbechie the rest of the match.

Jackson finished with six kills and five errors, hitting a season-low .045. She uncharacteristically missed wide on multiple slides, and whether it be shaken confidence, a struggling connection with Reilly or the A&M block getting in her head, it seemed like she grew less aggressive as the match went on.

“Nothing was going right for her, so thought, ‘OK, let’s give Manaia a try, and she made a few plays, so we left her in there,” Busboom Kelly said.

The freshman contributed five kills on .250 hitting and three blocks.

In her final match at the Devaney Center, Lincoln native Rebekah Allick went down swinging, finishing with 15 kills on .480 hitting, four blocks and four digs. She played a significant part in Nebraska winning the marathon fourth set and put down some big kills in the fifth to keep the Huskers afloat. Her career ends without hanging a national championship banner for the program she’s been a part of since she committed prior to her freshman year of high school, but she capped a final season of tremendous growth with some of her finest volleyball.

Rebekah Allick celebrates a point in her final match at the Devaney Center. Photo by John S. Peterson.

“Bekka has put her heart and soul into this program, and you can tell by her face how much she cares,” said Murray, stepping in during the post-match press conference when the emotions welled up for Allick. “I don’t even care if we win or we lose; what I tried to tell Bekka in the locker room is that she’s going to take away the memories and the relationships that we’ve made. Winning and losing, it’s a part of volleyball, and it sucks, but she put her heart and soul into this program for four years, and she’s leaving behind a great legacy, and has so much to be proud of. We all see how much she cares”

Murray went toe to toe with A&M’s prolific pins, tying Kyndal Stowers for match-high honors with 25 kills on .255 hitting while adding nine digs, three aces and two blocks. Virginia Adriano added eight kills and three blocks but only took 12 swings. Olivia Mauch matched Reilly for team-high honors with 13 digs and didn’t allow an ace on the 20 balls served her way. Laney Choboy added 10 digs and recorded 45 reception attempts while giving up five aces.

A&M served nine aces, including eight in the first two sets, as the Aggies put the Huskers in the 0-2 hole. They more than doubled up the Huskers in blocks, 17-8. Nebraska was slow to the pin defensively for much of the match, with right side Logan Lednicky and left sides Stowers and Emily Hellmuth combining for 149 of A&M’s 178 attacks and 62 of its 75 kills. The Aggies hit .275, the highest of any opponent against Nebraska this season.

“Honestly, I just feel like they move the ball really well,” Allick said. “They have a pretty well-balanced offense. They can fire on all cylinders, and they did that. I think as a middle, it makes it harder to close. If we were one step off, they found that space, and they just crushed it. They were relentless in what they saw.”

Nebraska couldn’t have asked for a better start to the match, terminating on seven of its first eight swings with a block and an ace to race out to a 10-3 lead. That included one of the highlights of the postseason with Teraya Sigler toppling over the bench chairs after making a save on a point the Huskers eventually won.

However, the Aggies weathered the storm, completely turning the tables with a 10-0 run. A&M middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Akpalla served rockets, including a pair of aces, and Nebraska couldn’t find any openings in the Aggie defense.

“I think it started with our serving and passing … Their middle, she has a great serve, and she caught us on that for that run,” Murray said. “I think we worked all season on being first to five, first to 10, first to 15 and so on, and we weren’t able to do that with her serve. Credit to her.”

After a pair of errant attacks from Jackson and having burned both timeouts already, Busboom Kelly turned to the bench and Ogbechie. Reilly went to the freshman on the slide right away and she found the floor, sparking a 5-1 run including another Ogbechie kill to pull Nebraska within one at 21-20.

“She’s mature,” Allick said of the freshman. “I think she’s very mature for her age and as a competitor, and she listens well. We told her just to hit everything, and she did that. I think it’s a testament to her maturity.”

However, the Huskers couldn’t hold serve, trading sideouts until Maddie Waak dropped an ace on set point to seal it.

Nebraska out-hit Texas A&M .355 to .297 but kills and errors were identical. Aces were the difference, 4-1 in A&M’s favor. Allick had 4 kills on four swings, but Stowers went 6-for-7.

Nebraska’s struggles continued into the second set. The teams traded runs early, but A&M surged ahead midway through with a 4-0 run including two more aces from Waak. The Aggie block came alive and Nebraska couldn’t find an answer. Busboom Kelly subbed Ogbechie in for Jackson again at 19-15, but the Aggies held on.

A&M out-hit Nebraska .286 to .211, out-blocked the Huskers six to zero and doubled them in aces, four to two. Murray recorded six kills on 10 swings, but the rest of the Huskers only managed nine kills on .107 hitting.

Nebraska threw the first punch in set three, using a 5-1 run to build a 10-5 lead. The Aggies fired back, pulling within one four times, but Nebraska answered every push. The Huskers won seven of the last 10 rallies to extend the match.

Nebraska out-hit A&M .462 to .312 and limited the Aggies to one ace while benefitting from three errors. Murray terminated on six of her eight swings, including the final point.

The teams went back and forth early in set four, but four straight Nebraska errors allowed the Aggies to pull ahead 11-7, and three straight Lednicky kills extended the advantage to 16-10. Ogbechie checked in again with the Huskers down 18-11 and teamed up with Reilly for a block, sparking a 3-0 run. Reilly served a 5-0 run after that to tie it up at 19-all — which only proved to be the halfway point of the set.

Sixteen more ties and five more lead changes followed. Texas A&M saved nine set points and Nebraska saved three match points, leading to a 35-all score. Murray gave Nebraska’s a 10th chanced to end it with a kill, and that’s what Adriano did, drawing a touch call off the block.

“I think that set showed that we weren’t going to just let them take it from us on our home court and in our gym,” Murray said. “It obviously didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but I think we showed a lot of fight, and that’s something to be proud of.”

The set saw 43 kills — including eight apiece for Murray and Lednicky — as Nebraska hit .250 and A&M .226. Both teams ran out of subs in the set, and Nebraska played through the grueling finish without any timeouts or challenges.

The Cornhuskers show their appreciation to the fans at the Devaney Center following their season-ending five-set loss to Texas A&M. Photo by John S. Peterson.

“Honestly, I had a lot of confidence that we were going to win that,” Busboom Kelly said. “We train all the time, everybody to do everything. I had a lot of trust Virginia could go back there and hit a serve, and it’s Teraya in the front row, and it wasn’t like a panic moment when we ran out of subs. It was like, ‘well, this crew is good enough to win this set,’ and I kept telling myself that, and it was pretty great to see us make it two times through with no subs. I thought they were just really confident, even though they hadn’t done that all year.”

In the fifth set, the teams battled to a draw through the first 10 rallies, but Nebraska never found a way to get its offense clicking and the Aggies gradually began to pull away, winning seven of the next nine rallies to build a 12-7 edge.

Nebraska made one more push, pulling within one at 13-12 with a 5-1 run including two kills from Allick and an ace from Choboy, but two kills from A&M’s star, Lednicky, sandwiched a Murray kill to end the match and Nebraska’s season.

Nebraska only managed six kills on a .050 hitting percentage in the final game. A&M hit .286 with 10 kills, including four from Stowers and three from Lednicky.

Lednicky earned Regional Most Outstanding Player honors, headlining an all-tournament team also including Waak, Stowers, A&M libero Ava Underwood, Louisville outside hitter Chloe Chicoine, Murray and Allick.

The Aggies punched their ticket to Kansas City, where they will face 1-seed Pittsburgh in the national semifinals.

SPOKANE, WA – Jedidiah Barnaby highlighted the season opener for LC State Track and Field on Saturday at the Spokane Invitational. The senior shattered his own record in the 60m dash with the fastest time this season in the NAIA, and multiple newcomers etched their name in the record book in the meet at The Podium.

“A real nice start to our indoor season,” coach Mike Collins said. “Definitely highlighted by Jed shattering of our indoor 60m record, and last I checked, this was the No. 1 time in the nation. Might have a shot at conference and national runner of the week with a performance like that. Although overshadowed a little bit, freshman Collin Wimer made a big splash today etching his name no less than three times onto the record board.”

Wimer put himself in the top five at LC State in the triple jump, 100m and 200m in his collegiate debut, and transfer Reid Thomas did so in the weight throw and shot put.

“A bit of a rust buster, generally speaking, but from a coach’s perspective an opportunity to see where we are at, gauge some strengths and weaknesses and make adjustments to our training where it seems appropriate,” Collins added. “Tough to compete at this time as I know all of these kids have come off a tough week of finals that are very draining, but they really stepped up.”

TRACK

Barnaby solidified his title as the fastest Warrior in school history with the fastest time in the NAIA this season at 6.70. The time is more than one-tenth of a second faster than his previous personal best and had him at the top of the leaderboard in the prelims. He clocked 6.79 in the final to finish second.

Preston Cooper placed 14^th in the prelim (6.95) and Collin Wimer joined the LC State top five with his time of 7.08 to place 27^th. Camden Koerner was 35^th (7.14), Jordan Castillo was 39^th (7.19), Bryan Kinene placed 40^th (7.19), Avery Seal finished 48^th (7.29), James Bogdanowicz was 49^th (7.30), Isahi Salinas was 53^rd (7.33) and Brandon Decker placed 66^th (7.66).

Cooper had a career-best run in the 200m where he clocked the third-best time in program history. His time of 22.10 earned fourth place and Wimer claimed the fifth spot in the record book with his 14^th-palce finish (22.51). Luke Siler was 16^th (22.84), Aiden Grenier was 17^th (22.85), Bogdanowicz placed 22^nd with a PR of 23.38, Salinas finished 25^th (23.66), Milo Kunnap was 31^st (24.03) and Decker placed 36^th (25.56).

Grenier had a strong collegiate debut in the 60m hurdles with the fourth fastest time in LC State history (8.59). He finished 12^th overall, Cameron Carrara was 20^th with a personal best time of 9.24 and Perry Severijnse was 22^nd (9.44).

Transfer junior Avery Seal ran the fifth-best 400m in program history to earn a 13^th-place finish (51.29). Freshman Luke Siler was just behind in 14^th with a time of 51.33. Kobe Wessels finished 20^th in the 3,000m with a time of 8:55.78.

FIELD

Senior Trenton Johnson led a trio of Warriors in the triple jump. He placed fourth overall with a mark of 13.93 and a pair of freshmen made their mark on the record book. Wimer cleared the second-best distance ever by a Warrior (13.37m) to place 10^th and Kinene was 13^th with the third-best mark in school history (13.20m).

Johnson placed seventh in the long jump with a mark of 6.71m, Koerner placed 12^th (6.31m), Kinene was 14^th (6.20m) and Milo Kunnap finished 23^rd (5.59m). Kinene found success in the high jump where he was the top LC State finisher in 13^th (1.80m). Carrara and Isahi Salinas cleared the same height, and Severijnse was 18^th in his first attempt in the event (1.65m).

Reid Thomas and Ian Roeber made their LC State debuts and placed in the top 20 of the weight throw. Thomas hot a mark of 15.84m, which ranks second in school history, to place seventh and Roeber was 19^th (12.61m). Thomas went on to throw the second-best shot put in Warrior history at 14.89m to place eighth overall.

Decker competed in the open pole vault and finished ninth (4.05m).

UP NEXT

LC State is back in action at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open in Moscow Jan. 23-25.

Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.