Sports

Showcase Q&A: Scotland County’s Hamlin discusses her grandfather’s legacy, music and pickleball

The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10. MEMPHIS, Mo. — Kwyn Hamlin signed a letter of intent for more than just herself. By […]

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4 weeks ago

June 10, 2025

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MEMPHIS, Mo. — Kwyn Hamlin signed a letter of intent for more than just herself.

By signing with the University of Central Missouri to continue her track and field career, Hamlin is continuing a family tradition. Her grandfather, Charley Hamlin, brought home five state medals for Knox County in 1961.

Charley will not get to see Kwyn live out her college track and field dreams, though. The Hamlin family lost Charley to cancer in August 2020.

“To honor him and carry on the Hamlin legacy, I guess you could say, meant a lot because he helped me a lot with track,” Kwyn Hamlin said.

Even as Charley fought cancer, he was still there for Kwyn.

“When he was really sick, he would still come to all my track meets in my seventh and eighth grade year,” Kwyn Hamlin said.

Charley was also there in spirit with Kwyn, a six-time state qualifier in her career at Scotland County and state medalist in two events this spring, when she signed with UCM on January 19 — Charley’s birthday.

“It means everything,” Hamlin said of carrying on her grandfather’s legacy.

Hamlin will lace up her high tops one more time before beginning her college track career. Hamlin will represent Scotland County for the Missouri girls in the fourth annual Muddy River Showcase. Hamlin discussed her future as a physical therapist, music, pickleball, and more with Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey in this Showcase Q&A.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about playing in the Muddy River Showcase?

A: Definitely being able to lace up the shoes one last time before college and playing with and against some of the best girls in the area.

Q: You’re going to UCM for track. What events are you going to be participating in there?

A: We talked about high jump and some sprints, maybe some different new events.

Q: What are you doing this summer to prepare for what lies ahead?

A: I’m in contact with my college coach a lot. I went and performed in the all-star track meet not too long ago, and he said that he was watching it. He sends workouts and all that. I’ve just been going into the weight room and lifting, getting ready for the college experience.

Q: Will one last time on the basketball court be like one last hoorah? It’s not for a district title or anything. You’re just out there hooping.

A: Yeah, I’m really excited. Basketball was definitely something I wanted to go to college for, but when it came down to it, I was enjoying track more than basketball. It was close, though. I had a few offers for basketball, but UCM really stuck out to me, so I decided to keep doing track.

Q: Did you ever think about doing both basketball and track?

A: I did, but I’m studying kinesiology, so I’ll need to focus more on my studies.

Q: What made you want to get into kinesiology?

A: I have awful ankles. It’s like an inside joke. We have a Barstool page for our school, and I get posted a lot just because of how bad my ankles are. I spend a lot of time in physical therapy because of them, so I want to be able to help other people who have also struggled. Not being able to play a sport is really hard on someone mentally and physically, so I want to help people get back to what they want to do.

Q: Do you have to do anything different as you’re preparing for a meet or a game because of your ankles? Do you wear a brace?

A: I do in basketball. I wear two ankle braces playing basketball, but not during track. I think it’s the defensive slides and things like that that are hard on my ankles. You’d think high jump would be hard on them but it’s really not.

Q: Do you have any crazy ankle injury stories?

A: I was playing AAU basketball this summer, and I had to have my right foot in a boot. I got hurt at the beginning of July. Then softball came along, and I slid into second base, and I rolled my left ankle, so I was in a boot and then I had a brace on my left ankle.

Q: What other hobbies do you have outside of track, basketball, softball, and school?

A: I love pickleball. My friends and I play pickleball all the time. It’s just so fun. We have really nice courts at our town park, so my friends go up there and have little tournaments. I go golfing a little bit here and there, too.

Q: Do you know what your rating is?

A: No, we just play. There are some old people out there every once in a while, and they get very serious.

Q: How long have you been playing pickleball?

A: Since about last July, but then I hurt my ankle, so I had to sit out for a while.

Q: Have you played pickleball much this summer?

A: It hasn’t really been great weather, so maybe like three or four times. I play with my grandpa a lot. He’s a big pickleball guy, but like I said, the older people always take it very seriously, so it’s hard to play with them.

Q: What’s your favorite dessert?

A: Probably apple pie. That’s always so good.

Q: Who’s your favorite musical artist?

A: Probably Usher. I like the 2010s rap. Usher or Drake. I was really big on the Kendrick Lamar-Drake drama there for a while. I probably changed sides like every week.

Q: Did you end up on Drake’s side?

A: Kind of. I like his old music more than Kendrick, but I like Kendrick’s new music more than Drake’s.

Q: So, you were on both sides then?

A: Yeah. The Super Bowl halftime performance by Kendrick kind of sealed it, though. Name dropping at the Super Bowl is crazy.

Q: Do you have a playlist or a few songs that you listen to before a meet or a game?

A: Not really a playlist. It kind of depends. I’ll just come across a song and be like man, “This is really good.” Something by Drake, we’ll just say that.

Q: Is there anything else people should know about Kwyn Hamlin?

A: I hate to lose. I might be the biggest sore loser on the planet. I hate losing. I will do anything in my power not to lose.

Check out more of the Muddy River Showcase Q&As at the links below:

Illini West’s Reagan Reed

Payson Seymour’s Blake Schwartz

South Shelby’s Callie McWilliams

Canton’s Tyler Frazier

West Hancock’s Lewis Siegfried

Quincy Notre Dame’s Alex Dance

Mendon Unity’s Chloe Shaffer

Western’s Casen Tobias

Palmyra’s Clare Williams

Payson Seymour’s Ella Archer

Palmyra’s Mason Smith

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Switzerland Brazil Beach Volleyball | Wire

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of […]

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2 minutes ago

July 8, 2025

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Greece, Spain and Italy win big on day one of the Men’s U16 European Water Polo Championships

Spyridon Deligiannis struck twice in Greece’s victory over Croatia. Photo: Nikola Krstic/European Aquatics As the Elite Men’s U16 European Water Polo Championships kicked off in Istanbul on Monday, Greece, Spain and Italy all got off to a flying start with commanding victories over their close rivals. Elsewhere, in Ljubljana, the Division One action saw several […]

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7 minutes ago

July 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

*Spyridon Deligiannis struck twice in Greece’s victory over Croatia. Photo: Nikola Krstic/European Aquatics*

As the Elite Men’s U16 European Water Polo Championships kicked off in Istanbul on Monday, Greece, Spain and Italy all got off to a flying start with commanding victories over their close rivals. Elsewhere, in Ljubljana, the Division One action saw several big wins for the favourites.

Men’s U16 European Water Polo Championships
Day 1 Elite Division
Group Stage – Istanbul, Türkiye
Monday 7 July 2025

Group A

Serbia 11-10 Türkiye
Hungary 10-16 Spain

Group B

Montenegro 11-17 Italy
Greece 17-10 Croatia

Group C

Malta 8-11 Georgia
Netherlands 19-13 Moldova

Group D

Germany 27-6 Poland

Day 1 Division One
Group Stage – Ljubljana, Slovenia
Monday 7 July 2025

Group A

Bulgaria 15-9 Slovakia
France 17-11 Portugal
Slovenia 14-12 Cyprus

Group B

Czechia 9-21 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Ukraine 41-4 Latvia
Switzerland 11-9 Lithuania

*Croatia’s Nardo Skejic fired in a hat-trick in his team’s loss to Greece. Photo: Nikola Krstic/European Aquatics*

After all the recent drama of the women’s U16 European Water Polo Championships in Istanbul, the spotlight has now turned to the men, as the Elite teams entered the same impressive arena to do battle on Monday.

The first big clash of the day saw Hungary take on Spain, and the Magyars had the upper-hand early on, taking a two-goal lead twice in the first half and they led 7-6 at the turnaround.

Spain equalised within a minute of the restart, and the momentum started to swing their way. After taking the lead with 5:17 on the clock, they were never behind again and it was now Hungary’s turn to chase the game.

They managed to level twice in the third at 8-8 and 9-9, but the game was slipping away from them, and after 10-11, Spain finished with an unstoppable 0-5 surge that secured the three points in style.

Italy also came from behind to sink Montenegro. Despite taking a 0-2 advantage, Montenegro hit back and were 6-4 ahead at the beginning of the second. The scores were then locked at 8-8 three minutes into the third, but a 0-3 rush put the Italians in charge at the last break.

Montenegro struck twice at the start of the fourth to make it 10-11, but Italy found another gear and a stunning 0-4 rush put them out of sight with 3:08 remaining.

*Italy’s players celebrated their commanding victory against Montenegro. Photo: Nikola Krstic/European Aquatics*

Greece started strongly against Croatia as they went 8-4 up after an outstanding first half, and that trend continued in the second as they ran out comfortable 17-10 winners.

In the day’s final game, Türkiye caused Serbia plenty of headaches, as the hosts nearly pulled off a remarkable result. The Serbs were never behind, but they could never shake off their determined opponents, who levelled the scores at 8-8 late in the third.

Two further Serbian goals still failed to disrupt Türkiye’s belief, as they fought back to within one goal twice in the fourth. Goalkeeper Ayhan Burak Aydemir was also having the game of his life, making several stunning saves to keep his side in contention.

Serbia were forced to desperately kill time in their final possession, leaving Türkiye only four seconds to find an equaliser, but their shot from their own half was easily blocked, much to the relief of the Serbian players and coaches.

Earlier, Georgia produced a 0-4 third quarter to help them down Malta, Netherlands dominated the second half 11-5 to sink Moldova, and Germany demolished Poland 24-3 in the last three quarters after a cagey 3-3 start.

*Slovakia’s David Velsic scored a hat-trick in his team’s 15-9 defeat to Bulgaria in Ljubljana. Photo: European Aquatics*

Elsewhere, in Ljubljana, the Division One action saw opening-day victories for Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, France, Ukraine, Switzerland and Slovenia.

Ukraine showed no mercy to Latvia, as they took a 19-3 first-half lead and added 22 more goals in the second. Ivan Komchadalov and Danylo Benyakh had a particularly fruitful afternoon, netting seven apiece.

The two closest contests were between Switzerland and Lithuania, and Slovenia and Cyprus, as each game was won by only two goals, but both Switzerland and Slovenia were firmly in charge in the closing stages.

Slovenia led Cyprus 14-10 with only a minute remaining, while Switzerland were 11-7 up with just 1:40 on the clock.

–

Watch all the action live from Istanbul and Ljubljana for free on the European Aquatics TV channel, which can be found by clicking here.

For the full results/tables and schedule from Istanbul, click here.

For the full results/tables and schedule from Ljubljana, click here.

Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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Williams Promoted to Vice President of Athletics & Recreation

Story Links Union, N.J. (7/7/25) – Kean University has announced the elevation of Kelly Williams to Vice President of Athletics and Recreation. Williams has been at Kean since the summer of 2020, serving as Director of Athletics and Recreation. During the past five years, he has led groundbreaking initiatives including: ONNJ media partnership; […]

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40 minutes ago

July 8, 2025

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Union, N.J. (7/7/25) – Kean University has announced the elevation of Kelly Williams to Vice President of Athletics and Recreation.

Williams has been at Kean since the summer of 2020, serving as Director of Athletics and Recreation.

During the past five years, he has led groundbreaking initiatives including: ONNJ media partnership; Opendorse NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) partnership; mental health programming; revenue generation efforts; and transformative upgrades to the athletic training facilities. In addition, he has led the athletics department through tremendous growth with the addition of 10 sports during the same time period (eSports, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s wrestling and women’s flag football).

The multi-phase deal with ONNJ includes Kean Athletics as the title sponsor of On Sports with Mike Black, ads on both the On New Jersey streaming channel and MeTV, streaming of Kean Athletics contests on the On New Jersey platforms and a student-mentor partnership.

Kean’s partnership with Opendorse includes compliance, content and education, while every Kean student-athlete receives an Opendorse profile, which is customizable and able to be promoted on their personal social media platforms. Each athlete has the opportunity to review opportunities, accept deals and compensation and disclose the activity all within the Opendorse app. Kean was the first in the NJAC to partner with Opendorse.

Mental health initiatives have been at the forefront of the Kean Athletic Department since Williams was appointed as the athletic director. He began by creating a position for Student-Athlete Development that was filled by a Clinical Sport Social Worker to enhance the complete student-athlete experience. The Athlete Mental Health Link App was purchased to provide student-athletes with mental health resources and tools, including a self-assessment questionnaire, links to resources on and off campus and Kean’s mental health emergency action plan. The student-athletes also fill out a PHQ-9 and GAD-7 as part of their annual physical forms and the sports medicine staff meets with anyone with concerns prior to the start of the season to discuss resources and availability. Kean athletics has also partnered with Morgan’s Message and Hillinski’s Hope for programming opportunities and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Cougar Leadership Academy Workshops (CLAWs) have had guest speakers to discuss mental health issues. In addition, all support staff and coaches will be certified in Mental Health First Aid by next summer.

Williams spearheaded the development of the annual Kean Athletics Golf Outing and a donation from Karl-Anthony Towns and his family to provide the Jacqueline Towns Women’s Empowerment Series.

Almost every athletic space has seen some form of an upgrade in the past five years: Kean Alumni Stadium, Jim Hynes Stadium and Cougar Field all received new turf surfaces; Alumni Stadium new Daktronics video board; Alumni Stadium tennis courts surface replaced; Harwood Arena padding replaced; new Harwood Arena digital scorers tables; remodel and enhancement of East Campus gymnasium (scoreboard, shot clocks, backboards, playing surface, painting); replacement of East Campus weight room equipment and designation of space for faculty and staff; complete remodel and expansion of the D’Angola Fitness Center (enlarged space, new equipment); D’Angola Pool enhancements (new starting blocks, new deck surface); D’Angola Small Gym remodel (painting, doors, surface, wall padding).

The athletic training rehabilitation facilities have also seen upgrades with recent additions: Student-Athlete Recovery Lab (recliner chairs, Normatic leg, hip and arm attachments, Hyperice Hypervolt 2 heated massage guns, Hypersphere 2 vibrating massage spheres, and Vyper 3 vibrating massage rollers); AlterG anti-gravity treadmill; VALD Performance (ForceDecks Dual Force Plate System, NordBord Hamstring Testing System, DynaMo Handheld Strength and Range of Motion Testing, SmartSpeed Timing Gate System).

Williams supported the department’s recent transition to TeamWorks (Compliance + Recruiting) and TeamWorks Sports EMR (Emergency Medical Records), software meant to enhance and simplify documents, workflows, records and communication.

Williams’ background prior to Kean includes both coaching and athletic administrative experience, most recently at The College of New Jersey.

Previously the Director of Community Relations at TCNJ, Williams spent 25 years working at TCNJ, first as the assistant director in the Office of Admissions from 1995-2008 before moving back into the athletic arena as the head men’s basketball coach (2008-2015). He later served as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics.

He enjoyed his brightest season coaching at the college in 2015. The Lions went 15-11 overall, qualified for the conference playoffs and Williams was named 2014-15 New Jersey Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. While the Director of Community Relations he served as the Co-Chairperson of Diversity Equity Empowerment Pipeline (DEEP) at TCNJ. The committee facilitates the educational, cultural, and social development of middle and high school students by organizing programs that grant opportunities and prepares them for post-secondary education.

Named the Senior Associate Director of Athletics/External Affairs in 2015, Williams oversaw game and event operations, marketing, camps and clinics, facility rentals, sports information, fundraising and managing day to day operations including teams and coaches. While serving in administrative roles, he graduated several NCAA programs including the selective 2018 NCAA Pathway Program and the NCAA Division III Institute for Administrative Advancement for Ethnic Minority Males and Females (2015). The Pathway Program is a year-long course for the top 25 emerging athletic administrators in college athletics across all divisions that prepares participants to run all facets of an athletic department.

Williams was a four-year member of the Lions men’s basketball team (1989-1993) scoring just shy of 1,000 points in his career. Shortly after graduation he served as an assistant men’s basketball coach (1995-1999) at TCNJ before embarking on a successful, nine-year tenure (1999-2008) at Mercer County Community College in his first head coaching position. There he compiled a record of 154-100 and led the Vikings to six Garden State Athletic Conference championships, three National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Region XIX Finals appearances, which included one year that MCCC advanced to the District IX playoffs. In 2000, he was honored as the Junior College, Division II/III Coaching Staff of the Year by the New Jersey Collegiate Basketball Coaches Association.

Prior to his playing career for the Lions, Williams was a standout at Ewing High School (1,218 career points) and in 2008 was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame. He was also inducted into the Catholic Youth Organization (C.Y.O) Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Just this spring he was inducted into the Mercer County Basketball Hall of Fame, as part of the sixth induction class for both his high school and coaching career accolades.

Recently his philanthropic efforts include a donation to MCCC in honor of his parents and subsequent naming of the David and Willie Mae Williams scoreboard.

Outside of Kean, he serves as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Athletic Director At-Large member for the Board of Athletic Administrators. He also serves as the NJAC men’s basketball sport chair and is a member of both the Membership Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Williams graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from TCNJ in 1993 and a Master of Arts in Sports Leadership from Concordia University (Chicago) in 2020.

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26th Annual IHSA Officials Conference Set For July 11-12 In Normal

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will host its 2025 Officials Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 11-12, 2025, at Normal Community West High School in Normal. The annual conference provides professional development and networking opportunities for athletic contest officials from around the state who officiate 25 IHSA sports. IHSA officials can register […]

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1 hour ago

July 8, 2025

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IHSA officials can register for the event online via the IHSA Officials Center and walk-up registration is also welcome on the days of the event (for any questions on registration, please contact Melissa Burt at mburt@ihsa.org).

Each summer, the IHSA offers the opportunity for its 12,000-plus licensed athletic officials to attend the conference, providing training in all sports in a collegial atmosphere focused on empowering officials to grow in their craft.

“The high school officiating community in Illinois is a special group of people, and the success and longevity of this conference is a direct reflection of that,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “These officials are driven by a passion for their sport and a desire to give back. This conference is a unique opportunity for them to gather together to celebrate their shared passion and to improve their skills by learning from each other’s experiences.”

The IHSA will have a community service piece to the conference once again in 2025, as the IHSA will team up with Donate Life Illinois to encourage attendees to become organ, eye, and tissue donors.

“Working in surgery I have seen both sides of organ donation,” said Joseph Meyer, a 25-year IHSA official who resides in Springfield. “The wonderful way the hospital does honorary walks for the person donating and their families. I have also seen how families get the chance to live normal lives after receiving a donation. That’s why all my family members are organ donors.”

Despite a national shortage in officials, the IHSA has seen an increase in the number of officials licenses it has issued in each of the past three school years.

“We are excited about the progress, but we can never have enough officials,” said IHSA Associate Executive Director Kurt Gibson. “We are striving to continue to find ways to recruit new officials while retaining our current officials. We hope that the uptick in licenses will correlate to greater attendance at the conference, as we believe this conference is an exceptional resource for officials to simultaneously celebrate officiating, improve their skills, and network with their peers.”

The conference will feature clinic opportunities, breakout sessions on specific officiating topics, a delegate meeting for all recognized officials’ associations, and an awards ceremony where the Officials of the Year and service awards will be presented.

National leaders in the officiating space, such as Arbiter, Referee Magazine, RefReps, and the YMCA will all have a presence at the conference as well.

Walk-up registration at the event is allowed, but interested individuals are strongly encouraged to register online in the IHSA Officials Center or by contacting Melissa Burt at mburt@ihsa.org.

The 2025-26 IHSA Officials of the Year include:

IHSA OFFICIALS OF THE YEAR

Sport	Official of the Year	Hometown
Boys Soccer	Pasquale “Pat” Mattera	Arlington Heights
Girls Soccer	Mike McDermott	Lockport
Football	Chris Terpstra	Lisle
Boys Basketball	Richard Doman	Gibson City
Girls Basketball	Thomas Strohl	Neoga
Boys Lacrosse	Nitin Rao	Northbrook
Girls Lacrosse	Elizabeth Demara	Bloomington
Baseball	Jim Urbanek	Chicago Heights
Softball	Dale McConnell	Centralia
Girls Volleyball	Jeffrey Crow	Mt. Vernon
Boys Volleyball	Kym McKay	Batavia
Boys Swimming & Diving	Emil Barbato	Schaumburg
Girls Swimming & Diving	Randy Clark	Bloomingdale
Water Polo	Joseph Trickey	DeKalb
Cross Country	Jesse Rocha	West Chicago
Boys Track & Field	Michael Gibbs	River Forest
Girls Track & Field	Tiffany Seay	Chicago
Girls Gymnastics	Betty Axelson-McClelland	South Barrington
Competitive Cheerleading	Amber Cruser	Waterloo
Competitive Dance	Allison Stewart	Grayslake
Boys Wrestling	Dave Fellinger	Chicago
Girls Wrestling	Dr. Dan McDonnell	Morris

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CAC Releases 2025-26 Championship Postseason Sites

The Continental Athletic Conference has announced postseason championship tournament sites, dates and formats for its 13 sports during the upcoming 2025-26 athletic season. Planned championship events are: Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Date: Friday, November 7, 2025 Host School: Florida College Site: Holloway Park in Lakeland, Florida Women’s Volleyball (Six Teams) Dates: November 14-15, 2025 […]

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1 hour ago

July 8, 2025

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The Continental Athletic Conference has announced postseason championship tournament sites, dates and formats for its 13 sports during the upcoming 2025-26 athletic season.

Planned championship events are:

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

Date: Friday, November 7, 2025

Host School: Florida College

Site: Holloway Park in Lakeland, Florida

Women’s Volleyball (Six Teams)

Dates: November 14-15, 2025

Host School: Haskell Indian Nations University

Location: Lawrence, Kansas

Men’s and Women’s Soccer (Six Teams Each)

Dates: November 7-11, 2025

Host School: Georgia Gwinnett College

Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Men’s and Women’s Basketball (Eight Teams Each)

Dates: February 26-March 1, 2026

Host School: Georgia Gwinnett College

Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field

Date: Monday, April 20, 2026

Host School: Florida National University

Location: Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida

Softball (Five Teams)

Dates: April 29-May 2, 2026

Host School: Georgia Gwinnett College

Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Baseball (Five Teams)

Dates: April 29-May 3, 2026

Host School: Georgia Gwinnett College

Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Championship-winning teams and top individuals at the cross country and track and field events will represent the CAC in the NAIA national championships in their sports.

With 12-member institutions from across the country, the CAC promotes the education, development and welfare of student-athletes through their various experiences and participation in NAIA intercollegiate athletics.

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Emilia Guerra-Acuna Joins Beach Volleyball Staff

Story Links TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona beach volleyball head coach Steve Walker announced on Monday that Emilia Guerra-Acuna will serve as an assistant coach for the program after recently finishing her career four-year at Boise State. “Emilia is a proven winner and team leader,” Walker said. “She is a great role […]

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1 hour ago

July 8, 2025

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona beach volleyball head coach Steve Walker announced on Monday that Emilia Guerra-Acuna will serve as an assistant coach for the program after recently finishing her career four-year at Boise State.

“Emilia is a proven winner and team leader,” Walker said. “She is a great role model for aspiring young athletes, bringing high character, discipline and a strong work ethic to positively impact those around her. We are delighted to welcome her to the Arizona Beach Volleyball program and she will be a great addition to our staff.”

Guerra-Acuna registered 86 career wins for the Broncos, the most in program history, and picked up all-conference honors three times in her career. She earned first team accolades in 2023 and 2025 and second team honors in 2024 in addition to being named to the Southland Conference All-Academic team on two occasions.

“This is an incredible opportunity to begin my coaching career with Arizona Beach Volleyball,” said Guerra-Acuna. “I want to thank head coach Steve Walker and Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois for believing in me and welcoming me to Arizona Athletics. I also want to thank head coach Allison Voigt and assistant coach Alex Venardos from Boise State University, for creating the relationships and the respect for this program during my playing career. I can’t wait to get to Tucson and get started.”

A native of San Antonio, Guerra-Acuna attended Brandeis High School and was a four-year member of the indoor volleyball team. She played club volleyball for 210 Beach Volleyball Club in San Antonio, where her team won the inaugural BVCA Club National Championship in 2021.

Guerra-Acuna graduated from Boise State in May 2025 with an undergraduate degree in Health Studies while minoring in Psychology and earning a certificate in Spanish.

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