FLORENCE, Ala. (September 9, 2025) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team claimed a 3-0 home victory Tuesday night over the Samford Bulldogs in CB&S Bank Arena.

North Alabama (4-4) rung in the home opener in style with a three-set triumph over the in-state foes. The Lions fended off the competitive first set with Samford to take the opening point. Samford (2-3) came back in the second to seize the momentum, yet a late run gave UNA the two-set advantage. The third frame found North Alabama down by as many as seven points, but a comeback ensued and UNA downed the Bulldogs, 26-24.

The victory also marked UNA’s first win over Samford in the Division I era and the first since 1997.

Junior Kendall Barnes led UNA with 10 kills and a career-high three service aces. Junior Nicole Sargent and sophomore Dylann Garner added seven kills apiece. Kinslee McGowan, the reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Setter of the Week, tallied 30 assists.

Defensively, junior Ava Martindale posted a match-high 20 digs, and ASUN Freshman of the Week Jenna Kolosta contributed three blocks.

Samford and North Alabama opened the frame with a competitive affair. UNA took the lead after being down 2-0, going on a 6-2 run for the 6-4 advantage. The Lions held strong toward the halfway mark, but used a run midway to all but claim the opening frame. North Alabama led 15-12 and used a 5-0 run to open the score to a 20-12 UNA advantage. Two of Barnes’ three service aces came in the run, fueling the Lions to a 25-19 win in set one.

The Lions faced more competition in set two with the frame decided towards the end. Neither team lead by more than three points, but UNA used defense and the service line to take a 2-0 lead. North Alabama outscored the Bulldogs, 5-1, with UNA trailing 20-21 towards the end of the set. Sargent’s kill tied the set on the next point, with Sargent following with sophomore Reese Ricketts on a block. A second-straight block from Kolosta and Garner put the Lions up 23-22, and a service ace from Garner helped win set two, 25-22.

The Bulldogs responded from the first two sets with a strong opening third frame. An even start led to a 10-7 Samford lead and expanded to 14-8 midway through. The Bulldogs built a 17-10 advantage, but the Lions came alive with a 9-2 run to tie the set at 19. Garner was the catalyst in the comeback, contributing three kills and a block with additional kills from Barnes, Kolosta and Sargent. Samford quelled the run by outscoring North Alabama, 4-1, and took a 23-20 lead. The Bulldogs needed one point to send the match to a fourth, but UNA went on a 5-0 run to send the set to a win-by-two situation. The winning point came on a bad set from Samford, but a kill each from Barnes and Ricketts helped secure the Lions’ triumph in set three, 26-24.

UP NEXT

UNA continues its homestand Friday, Sept. 12, against Western Carolina. First serve is set for 6 p.m. in CB&S Bank Arena.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – For the first time since 2016, volleyball swept a ranked opponent at home as the Tar Heels shut down No. 11 Florida (25-23, 25-18, 25-21). Tonight’s victory gives Carolina the first win against the Gators since 1985 and the highest ranked victory in the Mike Schall era of volleyball. The sweep marks the first 5-0 start since 2021 when the team started 10-0.

The last time the Tar Heels beat a top 15 team at home was 2020 against No. 14 Duke 3-1 on Oct. 9. The last top 15 non-conference win was beating No. 2 Wisconsin in 2016. The 2016 team advanced to the sweet sixteen.

“That had nothing to do with them at all,” Safi Hampton said. “That was the first time that we played our game. We did the scout — everyone on the team did their job. That’s about us.”

The most anticipated home matchup of the last decade lived up to the hype as the two ranked foes went back and forth in the first set, which featured four lead changes and eight ties. Carolina came out on top, 25-23, giving them the first set victory against the Gators since 1999. Florida tied the match 23-23, but back-to-back kills from Safi Hampton sealed the first set win. 

The momentum carried over as Carolina took the second set 25-18.The Tar Heels came out swinging as they jumped out to a 14-5 lead off an 11-2 run. The Tar Heels scored the first point of the second set and never gave up the lead. The Gators tied the set twice but the Tar Heels responded both times.

“We practice more than we play, and if our team is deep, then we’re playing against a really good team every day,” head coach Mike Schall said. “We have great players who didn’t get opportunities tonight, and they’ll get them in the future, but they’re going to keep working on it and they’ll get those opportunities. They’re gonna be ready when they do, and I’m confident in that.”

The final set mirrored the first set with four lead changes and eight ties. Florida looked to be in the driver’s seat at the start of the set as they held the lead before the Tar Heels went on a 5-0 run to tie the match 13-13. before Carolina pulled away for good, closing out the match on 4-2 run giving Carolina its first win against Florida in four decades. 

Hampton has led the team in kills in every single match that she played in all of the sets and tonight’s victory was the same.

“She is one of the most creative attackers that I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach, and she’s such a good problem solver,” Schall. It never looks exactly the same, but she figures out ways to get kills and we’re fortunate to have her.”

The undefeated Tar Heels will head on the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks for the second straight season on Friday, Sept. 12, at 6:00 p.m. on SECN+.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Two former West Virginia University track and field standouts will compete on the international stage next week at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
 
Sarah Tait and Amy Cashin are both set to compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. While the championships open on Saturday, Sept. 13, their event begins with preliminaries on Monday, Sept. 15, at 8:15 p.m. ET/9:15 a.m. JST. The finals are scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 8:57 a.m./21:57 p.m. JST.
 
While at WVU, Tait became one of the most decorated distance runners in program history. She was a two-time First Team All-American and currently holds both the West Virginia University and Scottish national records in the steeplechase.
 
Cashin ranks third all-time in WVU steeplechase history and earned two Second Team and one Third Team All-America honors during her career. She has represented Australia at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 2025 championships will be her third consecutive World Athletics Championships appearance.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on X, Facebook and Instagram.
 

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Over 5,000 fans filled the McLeod Center on Tuesday night as the UNI volleyball team scored a key 3-1 win over the Iowa State Cyclones as part of non-conference play.

In a match led by a career-high 23-kill double-double performance by Cassidy Hartman, the Panthers evened their record on the season at 3-3, handing the Cyclones their first loss of the season, including their two set losses of the year.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Panthers overcame back-to-back Cyclone service errors on the first two points of the match and carried a lead from there on out in a strong offensive set against one of the nation’s top offensive units. Five kills and five digs from Hartman, along with four terminations from Lily Dykstra and a pair of blocks from Maryn Bixby helped fuel an opening set where the Panthers notched a .571 hitting clip with 16 team kills and zero attack errors. Keeping Iowa State’s at bay, UNI prevailed with a 25-20 first set victory.

Northern Iowa faced another stiff challenge from the Cyclones in the second stanza, but found continued success on offense off the ISU block. Led by seven kills from Hartman and a .310 hitting percentage, UNI was able to force bonus ball after Iowa State rallied for set point, but came up short as the Cyclones evened the match at one set a piece with a 28-26 win.

UNI bounced back with a strong performance in the third set with Reese Booth dishing out an ace and the Panthers leading wire to wire. Calia Clubb and Dykstra continued to grow their kill totals as the Panther defense notched 20 team digs in the frame to build an 18-10 advantage. Tallying 17 team kills on .350 hitting, UNI withstood a late ISU push to take the third set by a score of 25-19, and a two-to-one set lead in the match.

The Panthers surged across the finish line in the fourth set, notching 19 team stops on .444 hitting with 18 assists. After scoring the first three points of the set and taking an 8-5 lead, UNI withstood a 3-0 Iowa State run that tied the set at 11-11 before the Panthers took the lead for good by strong sets from Hartman, Dykstra, Bixby and Isabelle Elliott that helped seal the match with a 25-19 set win.

Hartman finished the match with a career-high 23 kills, plus 11 digs for a double-double, while Dykstra tallied 15 kills, as well as a career-best three aces in the win. Clubb posted a season-high 12 kills, with Lindsay Oldendorf recording nine terminations, Elliott five kills and Bixby four kills and a team-high four blocks. Booth registered a season-best 28 assists along with two aces, while Kate Shafer also posted 28 assists, a new career-high. Jadyn Petersen finished with 17 digs in the Panther victory.

“What an amazing environment to play in front of,” said UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen after the win. “”Offensively we hit really well against a team that is really good at defense. On the other side I think our defense did a nice job of pushing them out of system.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• UNI improves to 36-32 all-time against Iowa State, including 10-13 under head coach Bobbi Petersen. Tuesday’s win also marks the first time the Panthers have beaten the Cyclones in consecutive meetings since the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
• Tuesday night’s crowd of 5,170 fans was the sixth-largest volleyball attendance in McLeod Center history, and the most attended UNI volleyball match since the Panthers hosted Iowa State last in 2021.
• Tuesday was Bobbi Petersen‘s 17th career win against a Big 12 Conference opponent. Northern Iowa has now beaten one Big 12 opponent in each of the last four seasons, including four of its last five (Iowa State in 2022, 2025 / TCU in 2023 / West Virginia in 2024).
• Cassidy Hartman recorded her 500th career kill on Tuesday, as well as her fourth career match of 20+ terminations. She also notched her ninth career double-double and second of the 2025 season.
• Lily Dykstra has now recorded nine or more kills in all six matches this year, including seven straight outings dating back to last season. Tuesday was also Dykstra’s tenth career match with double-digit kill numbers.
• Dykstra also surpassed 300 career kills in the Panther win, while Calia Clubb notched her 200th career kill. Lindsay Oldendorf is one termination shy of 300 for her career.

UP NEXT

The Panthers return to action beginning Friday afternoon at the Bluejay Invitational in Omaha, Nebraska, opening up against Rice at 4:30 p.m. CT. UNI will also take on No. 4 Louisville in a 2024 NCAA Tournament rematch on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT, as well as No. 18 Creighton on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CT. 

Friday and Saturday’s matches will be livestreamed on YouTube, while Sunday’s will be broadcast on ESPN+. Live radio coverage of all three matches can be found on the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2).

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

By: SU Sports Information

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Seven Shippensburg University alumni were among the individuals announced on Wednesday to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)’s “75 Greatest Female Athletes” list.
 
The list recognizes former female student-athletes who had exceptional athletic careers during or after their participation in the PSAC.
 
The PSAC is celebrating its 75th anniversary season in 2025-26 and will honor 300 of its most prominent contributors throughout the month of September.
 
“While the path for women in college athletics was not always paved equally, the women of the PSAC have more than made their mark,” said Steve Murray, PSAC Commissioner. “They’ve redefined what’s possible. From the early trailblazers to today’s champions, these 75 greatest female athletes represent courage, excellence, and the relentless pursuit of opportunity. Their achievements speak not only to talent, but to the progress Title IX helped make possible and the power of sport to transform lives.”

The PSAC was founded on March 11, 1951, and comprised 14 institutions as the Pennsylvania State Teachers College Athletic Conference (PSTCAC). Since then, it has grown into one of the largest conferences in the NCAA across all three divisions.

 

Shippensburg University student-athletes selected to PSAC list:

 

Lauren Beckley – Basketball, 2006-10

2-time All-American, 3-time PSAC Player of the Year, 4-time All-PSAC First Team; PSAC’s 2nd All-Time Leading Scorer (2,407 points) and No. 10 All-Time Leading Rebounder (1,151)…7th in PSAC history in career 3-pointers (263) and career free throws (532)…59 career double-doubles…first player in league history to reach 1,000 career points as a sophomore

 

Dee Fichter Cross – Field Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse, 1977-81

1979 AIAW Division III National Field Hockey Player of the Year; tri-captain of SU’s 1979 AIAW Division III National Championship Field Hockey Team, graduated as SU’s all-time field hockey goals leader (49), basketball points leader (826) and lacrosse assists leader; 9-year member of U.S. National Lacrosse Team (1980-89), 1999 inductee to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame

 

Ariel Jones – Basketball, Track & Field, 2017-23

3-time All-American; 2-time PSAC Player of the Year; 4-time All-PSAC First Team; PSAC’s all-time leading scorer (2,806 points; fourth-most in D2 history); NCAA Division II’s all-time leader in free throws (850); PSAC single-game scoring record (51) and single-season scoring record (795), 3-time PSAC place-winner in outdoor track & field as a jumper

 

Hannah Marsteller – Softball, 2018-22

3-time All-American; 3-time PSAC Athlete of the Year; 2-time Ron Lenz Division II Player of the Year; 2021-22 Pete Nevins PSAC Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year; PSAC’s all-time leader in RBIs (249); 2nd in PSAC history in home runs (62) and slugging percentage (.857), 3rd in doubles (62), extra-base hits (134) and total bases (550)

 

Jazmin Petrantonio Kuhn – Field Hockey, 2017-21

2021-22 Division II Honda Athlete of the Year; 2-time NFHCA Division II Player of the Year (2018, 2021); 3-time NFHCA Regional Player of the Year; 4-time All-American; 106 career goals (3rd in NCAA D-II history), all-time leading scorer in the history of the NCAA D-II Field Hockey Championships (10 goals in eight games)

 

Neely Spence Gracey – Cross Country, Track & Field, 2008-12

8-time NCAA National Champion, 11-time NCAA All-American, 2-time USTFCCCA National Cross Country Athlete of the Year, 2-time PSAC Pete Nevins Scholar-Athlete of the Year, named PSAC Athlete of the Year after all 10 of her competitive seasons, 21-time PSAC Champion spanning XC and T&F, 2010 NCAA Division II Women’s Sportsmanship Award

Kelley Tiesi Key – Softball, 2003-06

3-time All-American; 2006 PSAC Pitcher of the Year; 2004 PSAC Player of the Year; 4-time All-PSAC First Team; 2004 NCAA Division II Player of the Year; 2nd in PSAC history in career strikeouts (1,095), 3rd in shutouts (51); 5th in PSAC history in wins (99) and complete games (91)…set NCAA D-II record with 83.2 consecutive scoreless innings in 2004

PSAC Announcement  |  PSAC 75th Anniversary Homepage

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Slippery Rock University landed five former student-athletes and one current coach on the “75 Greatest Female Athletes” list released by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Wednesday in celebration of its 75th anniversary.

 

The PSAC will release lists of 75 honorees each Wednesday in the month of September as a kickoff to celebrating the 75th year of the conference. The first list, announced last week, was the “Made in the PSAC” list, which celebrated 75 former student-athletes that went on to influential careers. 

 

This week’s list is the “75 Greatest Female Athletes,” which highlights 75 student-athletes that achieved greatness in competition during their time in the PSAC.

 

Future lists will include the “75 Greatest Male Athletes” being released Sept. 17 and “75 Distinguished Keystones” being released on Sept. 24. The Keystones list will recognize individuals who have been historically influential in the PSAC, whether it be staff, administrators or coaches.

 

The Rock are represented on the Greatest Female Athletes list by four alumni, one student-athlete that began her career at SRU and one current assistant coach that competed at another PSAC institution.

 

The alumni group includes track & field athletes Karyn McCready and Andi Rose, women’s soccer athlete Meghan McGrath and gymnastics national champion Julie Morrow Caito.

 

Former basketball player Becky Siembak, who was the PSAC Freshman of the Year at SRU before transferring to California (Pa.) and current track & field assistant coach Tabitha Bemis, who competed at Edinboro, are also on the list.

 

Brief bios for each of The Rock’s honorees can be found below.

 

KARYN McCREADY

• Sport: Track & Field

• Years at SRU: 2000-04

• Accomplishments: McCready was a three-time All-American in the javelin and recorded the highlight of her career when she won the 2004 NCAA Division II national title in the event. Her performance was so strong at the collegiate level that she qualified for and competed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She won three PSAC titles in the javelin and closed her career as a two-time Academic All-American. McCready was inducted into the Rock Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

 

MEGHAN McGRATH

• Sport: Soccer

• Years at SRU: 2003-07

• Accomplishments: McGrath was a four-time first team All-PSAC honoree and a four-time All-Region honoree during a storied career leading The Rock women’s soccer program. She earned a pair of All-America honors and was named the PSAC Rookie of the Year. McGrath led The Rock to an overall record of 57-20-7 (.720) with four PSAC tournament appearances, two conference titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. She ranks third all-time at SRU in points (101), goals (38) and assists (25) and is still the all-time record holder for game-winning goals (13). McGrath was inducted into the Rock Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

 

JULIE MORROW CAITO

• Sport: Gymnastics

• Years at SRU: 1981-85

• Accomplishments: Caito was Slippery Rock’s only NCAA national champion in women’s gymnastics when she won the balance beam title during her senior season in 1985. She was also the national runner-up in the all-around competition in 1985. Caito finished her career as a five-time All-American and a three-time Academic All-American. She was inducted into the Rock Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.

 

ANDI ROSE

• Sports: Track & Field

• Years at SRU: 2003-07

• Accomplishments: Rose was the best hurdler in Slippery Rock history and closed her career as a six-time All-American and a 14-time PSAC champion. She won 11 PSAC outdoor titles during her career, including three 100-meter hurdle titles and three 400-meter hurdle titles. She also claimed three PSAC indoor titles. Rose was named the MVP of the PSAC championships five times during her career, winning both the indoor and outdoor track and overall MVP awards in 2007. She still owns the SRU indoor 55-meter and 60-meter hurdle records. Rose was inducted into the Rock Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

 

BECKY SIEMBAK

• Sport: Basketball

• Year at SRU: 1999-00 (transferred to Cal after freshman year)

• Accomplishments: Siembak began her college career at Slippery Rock, where she helped The Rock win 23 games and a regional title as a freshman in 1999-00. She was named to first team All-PSAC honors and was the PSAC West Rookie of the Year. She transferred to California (Pa.) to follow former SRU head coach Darcie Vincent after her freshman year and helped lead the Vulcans to a national title in her senior season.

TABITHA BEMIS

• Sport: Track & Field at Edinboro

• Coach at Slippery Rock: 2015-17, 2021-Present

• Accomplishments: Bemis was a graduate assistant at Slippery Rock from 2015-17 and has been a full-time assistant coach at The Rock since 2021. Before coming to SRU, she was a standout track & field athlete at Edinboro, where she was a six-time All-American and a 15-time PSAC champion. She qualified for the National Championships in 14 events during her career. Bemis owns the PSAC record for the most PSAC Top 10 honors (six) in a career and was named the PSAC Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in her senior year.  

To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter,@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).