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U.S. Men Storm Back From Two Sets Down to Defeat Iran at 2025 VNL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 12, 2025) – After dropping the first two sets, the U.S. Men’s National Team rallied to defeat a veteran Iran squad in its second match of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15) on Thursday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The final score of the deciding […]

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 12, 2025) – After dropping the first two sets, the U.S. Men’s National Team rallied to defeat a veteran Iran squad in its second match of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15) on Thursday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The final score of the deciding set was the only two-point lead of the set. Outside hitter Jordan Ewert scored the go-ahead point on a kill at 15-15 and middle blocker Patrick Gasman closed out the reverse sweep with an ace.

After a day off, the U.S. (1-1) will next play Slovenia on Saturday, June 14, at 9:30 a.m. PDT. Watch the match live on VBTV.

The U.S. held a slight edge in kills (58-56) but the real difference was its 14-5 advantage in blocks. Though Iran served nine aces to the U.S. team’s four, six of those were in the opening set before the U.S. serve receive settled in.

“The guys have so much to be proud of. That was a true team effort,” said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Karch Kiraly. “Lots of guys came in. Some people call those people waiting out ‘substitutes.’ We call them ‘game-changers,’ and every guy who came in changed the game in some way. All of us are learning together. It was great that we got better as that match went along.”

Opposite Kyle Hobus, playing for the U.S. Men’s National Team for the first time in this VNL, led the team with 17 kills and 19 points, adding two blocks. Ewert finished with 17 points on 16 kills and one block.

Middle blocker Merrick McHenry finished with seven blocks, two more than the entire Iran team, and contributed three kills to reach double figures with 10 points. Outside hitter Cooper Robinson also scored in double figures with 14 points on 13 kills and an ace.

Libero Mason Briggs led the team with seven digs and nine serve receptions, with his biggest pass coming on a sliding play that helped give the U.S. a 10-9 lead in the final set. Setter Quinn Isaacson came in to lead the offense in the third set and had a key kill in the deciding set.

“That win shows that we have a lot of passion with this group and no matter how much we are down, we are still fighting very hard,” Isaacson said. “There is a lot of fight and if we can continue that through the next four summers, we are going to be in a really good spot when we get to L.A. (for the 2028 Summer Olympics).”

Opposite Gabi Garcia joined middle blockers Gasman and Matthew Knigge with five points apiece. Garcia came in to provide strong serving, including a pair of aces to go with two kills and a block. Gasman recorded four kills before his match-clinching ace, while Knigge contributed two kills and three blocks.

Though the U.S. fell behind 2-0 by losing the second set, it started to build momentum by scoring five of the last seven points. Ewert scored seven points on six kills and a block in that second set.

Another strong finish to the third set, ending on a 7-2 run, propelled the U.S. comeback. Hobus scored five points on three kills and two blocks, Ewert recorded three kills, and McHenry posted a pair of blocks as he and Hobus teamed up for four of the team’s five blocks in the set.

A Garcia ace gave the U.S. a 20-17 lead in the fourth set, but Iran scored four of the next five points to even the set at 21 apiece. Iran completed a 6-2 run to take a 23-22 lead, but after a U.S. timeout, a service error evened the set at 23. From there, McHenry slowed down an attack at the net leading to a Hobus kill, and then ended the set on a block to send the match to a fifth set. Robinson (five) and Hobus (four) combined for nine kills in the set.

Isaacson’s kill and a Garcia block gave the U.S. a 6-5 lead in the final set. Though they would never relinquish the lead, the set would be tied 10 more times before the Ewert and Gasman heroics.

Seven U.S. players registered at least one kill in the fifth set with Hobus (four) and Ewert (three) leading the way. Hobus scored off the block to give the U.S. 11-10 and 12-11 leads. His final kill of the night made it 15-14.

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

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
17 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
19 Patrick Gasman (MB, 6-10, Clovis, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Northern California)
23 Nolan Flexen (OH, 6-9, Rio Rancho, N.M., UC Irvine, Southern)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
28 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)

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

U.S. Men’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV, CBS Sports Network and Big Ten Network

(All times PDT)
Week 1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 11: Ukraine def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23)
June 12 USA def. Iran, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15)
June 14 at 9:30 a.m. vs. Slovenia
June 15 at 1 p.m. vs. Cuba



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Shipyard redevelopment includes concert/festival spaces, playground, dog park and beach

GREEN BAY (WLUK) — The City of Green Bay is ready to move forward with phase two of the Shipyard project. The outdoor space sits along the west bank of the Fox River, just north of the Mason Street bridge. A riverfront promenade, boat slips and a kayak launch are just part of the original […]

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GREEN BAY (WLUK) — The City of Green Bay is ready to move forward with phase two of the Shipyard project.

The outdoor space sits along the west bank of the Fox River, just north of the Mason Street bridge.

A riverfront promenade, boat slips and a kayak launch are just part of the original redevelopment of the Shipyard. The swings and serenity of the former brownfield appeal to locals.

“I actually brought my grandbabies here just the other day, just so they can take a look at it. This is a great place, we can come here,” said Mary Trevino of Green Bay.

With another $10 million, including half in grant funding, for the project, the city is prepared to attract even more people to the riverfront.

Officials unveiled concept renderings for phase two of the Shipyard during a committee meeting. The plans lay out what the city and residents want to see in the project.

“A lot of different features, a lot of different things. It will really kind of bring this park kind of to the next level,” said James Andersen, the deputy director of Green Bay’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department.

Plans include the addition of a great lawn — a space where festivals and concerts can be held. A statement art piece framing the riverfront will be the focal point, and a stage could be brought in for shows.

The Shipyard will also include a dog park, a playground for kids of all ages and a splash pad.

Andersen said, “We’re putting a lot in here, but the things that are in here are going to really be, I think, a little bit higher level than what we’re traditionally used to in a neighborhood park.”

Close to the water with river views, there will be a beach. The city is proposing space for two to four sand volleyball courts where leagues or tournaments could be played.

“Near the bridge is going to be where the sand volleyball courts and beer garden are,” Andersen said. “You’re also going to have an urban beach feel, with hammocks and different things that people can put their toes in the sand.”

The Shipyard isn’t just a park. It’s meant to be a destination for recreation and tourism.

“There’s a lot of different things in here, amenities that will bring people together. But it’s really the programming and the space activation that will anchor this and that comes obviously down the road once you have the amenity,” added Brian Johnson, executive director of OnBroadway and a Green Bay city councilmember.

Construction on phase two at the Shipyard is expected to get underway sometime next year.

In phase three of the project, the city would like to see a container park built. It would be a space for businesses to operate, within the park, attracting more visitors.



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Top women’s water polo teams prevail, Day 1 of World C’ships sees low attendance

SINGAPORE – Day one of the World Aquatics Championships may have kicked off with a swathe of empty seats in the 3,000-seater OCBC Arena, but it was still business as usual for the big guns as the women’s water polo tournament got underway on July 11. Olympic silver medallists and world No. 6 Australia recorded […]

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SINGAPORE – Day one of the World Aquatics Championships may have kicked off with a swathe of empty seats in the 3,000-seater OCBC Arena, but it was still business as usual for the big guns as the women’s water polo tournament got underway on July 11.

Olympic silver medallists and world No. 6 Australia recorded the biggest win of the day with an opening 34-2 win over the 22nd-ranked Singapore. In the other Group A game, Italy came from behind to down New Zealand 14-9.

Despite the defeat, the hosts felt they had improved from their 32-1 loss to the same opponents in their championship debut in Doha a year ago.

Singapore goalkeeper Rochelle Ong said: “There are definitely still more things to work on in defence and attack, but we have grown as a team in terms of chemistry, strategies, gameplay and bonding since we last played Australia.

“We are excited for our upcoming games against New Zealand (July 13) and Italy (July 15) and we aim to continue to improve.”

Earlier in the day, Olympic champions and world No. 1 Spain kicked things off with a 23-4 drubbing of South Africa in Group D, while 11th-ranked Britain came from behind to beat France (10th) 12-9.

In Group B, world No. 2 the Netherlands thumped Argentina 25-6, while China was level at 4-4 with defending champions and world No. 3 United States, who eventually pulled away with a 15-9 win.

Japan gave Asia something to cheer about with a 25-12 victory over Croatia in Group C, while Hungary edged Greece 9-8 in a rematch of their 2024 semi-final, which the Hungarians won in a shoot-out after a 9-9 draw.

Recent rule changes have made the game faster as the maximum first and second ball possession times have been reduced for both the men and women.

Singapore goalkeeper Rochelle Ong said: “Game play is definitely a lot faster now, and we have to be more mobile in moving the ball, and be more careful of the time. It forces us to play a more dynamic game, to move the ball quicker and try to find a free man to score.”

While the changes appear to suit the faster and stronger teams, South Africa skipper Shakira January felt they also provide the impetus for weaker teams to improve.

She said: “The professionals swim so much faster, so it’s better for them and more challenging for us because we take a little bit longer to get up the pool. But we have to do our best with our coach to be fitter and faster so we can become more competitive.”

As the action heats up in the pool, the players – many of whom are here for the first time – have only praise for the hosts’ sporting facilities, accommodation, food, hospitality and cityscape.

Noting that the people she has met here are “so nice and welcoming”, January said: “The competition venue is nice and big, and the pool is triple the size of what we see in South Africa. We don’t have facilities like this at home, so it’s so nice to come and play here.”

Spain centre-forward Paula Leiton struggled with the 32 deg C heat and 80 per cent humidity, but liked how the pool’s water temperature was cool and regulated, while China’s Zhang Qishuo enjoyed the food options at her team hotel.

There have been some teething issues for the first-time hosts.

Netherlands captain Sabrina van der Sloot noted that the team bus was arranged too early as they arrived at the OCBC Aquatic Centre more than two hours before their 10.35am start time – they usually arrive 90 minutes ahead of their match.

While she liked how it “feels like a special competition pool”, she also noted that the lane line fasteners on the drain covers may cause players to trip, pointing out that players have broken their toes at other venues. During the Greece-Hungary match, there were also a number of lengthy Video Assistant Referee review delays.

Local players also hope to see more fans turn out to watch them play.

While some of the July 11-Aug 3 championship events, such as the high diving finals and some swimming and diving finals are already sold out, the first-day attendance for water polo was in the low hundreds and mostly comprised the athletes’ friends, international fans and Team Nila volunteers.

The Straits Times understands that sales for tickets – priced between $10 and $140 – for the water polo, open water swimming and artistic swimming events have been slower.

Ong said: “My family, friends and colleagues are here to watch, and that’s good enough for me because they don’t usually get to watch me play in person.

“But I do agree that more people can come and watch women in sports, or just top-level aquatic sports in general. Hopefully, over the weekends, there will be more Singaporeans bringing their families down to come and watch us play.”



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University of Utah Athletics

SALT LAKE CITY – Recent Utah Ski Team alumni Joe Davies and Kaja Norbye have hauled in Academic All-America honors, announced this week by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Davies earned a second team spot, while Norbye was placed on the third team.   It is the second straight season Davies has been recognized for his […]

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SALT LAKE CITY – Recent Utah Ski Team alumni Joe Davies and Kaja Norbye have hauled in Academic All-America honors, announced this week by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Davies earned a second team spot, while Norbye was placed on the third team.
 
It is the second straight season Davies has been recognized for his racing and academic prowess; in 2024 he was a third-team honoree. Norbye has earned third-team placement for the second straight year.
 
A civil engineering major, Davies came to Utah before the 2024 racing season as a transfer from Alaska Fairbanks. He made 14 collegiate starts over his two seasons with the Utes, totaling 11 podiums and four wins. Davies finished his overall four-year career as a two-time NCAA individual champion, seven-time all-American, four-time All-RMISA selection and an RMISA/NCAA West Regional Champion.
 
He made six starts with the Utes in 2025—each netting a podium result—with a pair of victories along the way. The native of Pemberton, British Columbia, put on a dominant victory at the NCAA Championships in the 20K freestyle mass start, winning that race by over a minute as Utah came away with its 17th team national title all-time. He took his talents to the World Cup circuit again this past season, making six starts with four top-20 finishes.
 
During his time with the Utes, the coaching staff presented Davies with the Alf Engen Sportsmanship Award (2025) and David Novelle Memorial Award (2024).
 
Norbye completed her Bachelor’s degree in finance in 2024 and went on to complete a Master’s in the same discipline this past May. She had a standout career on the alpine side, making 48 starts during her four-year career at Utah with 18 podiums and four wins. Originally from Oslo, Norway, she was a four-time all-American on the hill at Utah and named the 2024 RMISA MVP in women’s slalom. She was part of national championship-winning teams in 2022, ’23 and ’25 as well as a runner-up squad in 2024.
 
In 2025, she started all 14 races, earning 11 individual top-10 results and first-team all-America in women’s giant slalom. Over her final six starts, she skied to five podiums, including silver in slalom during the RMISA Championships. At NCAAs, Norbye placed fifth in GS and 15th in slalom.
 
Following her freshman season, the program’s coaching staff named Norbye the recipient of the 2022 Toril Forland Award. She received that honor again in 2024 as the outstanding female skier, as well as the Alpine MVP Award in 2025.
 
With this pair of honorees, the Utah Ski Team now has had 23 Academic All-America selections (12 men, 11 women) in its recorded history, and at least one in four straight seasons. This honor is generally considered more difficult to attain in skiing than in other sports; most sports have their own CSC Academic All-America selections, but skiing is part of the “at-large” program which groups 10 sports together.
 
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow @utahskiteam on social media.
 
 



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Volleyball to Host 2025 Chattanooga Classic in McKenzie Arena

Story Links Tournament Central Full 2025 Volleyball Schedule CHATTANOOGA — For the first time in school history, Chattanooga volleyball will be playing matches in McKenzie Arena later this fall as the Mocs will officially host the 2025 Chattanooga Classic at […]

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CHATTANOOGA — For the first time in school history, Chattanooga volleyball will be playing matches in McKenzie Arena later this fall as the Mocs will officially host the 2025 Chattanooga Classic at the Roundhouse from September 4-6, head coach Julie Torbett Thomas announced on Friday.

Built in 1982 and entering its 43rd year of existence, McKenzie Arena has played home to wide variety of events ranging from Chattanooga men’s and women’s basketball games to Taylor Swift concerts to WWE title bouts. The Roundhouse will now officially add Chattanooga volleyball to that list for the first time EVER, as the team’s annual Chattanooga Classic tournament is set to be played under the McKenzie Arena lights later this September.

“Getting the opportunity to play in McKenzie Arena for the first time in school history is a dream come true for our program,” Torbett Thomas said. “This moment represents growth—not just for our team, but for the sport of volleyball as a whole. We are incredibly grateful to Athletic Director Mark Wharton and SWA Laura Herron for their unwavering support and guidance in making this vision a reality.”

A total of seven matches make up the tournament slate for the 2025 Chattanooga Classic, which marks the 18th installment of the tournament all-time. The Mocs will welcome opponents from near and far alike to take part in the momentous weekend for UTC volleyball, as Alabama, Cincinnati, Ohio and Jacksonville State are all set to attend.

“Volleyball is taking the country by storm, and we hope hosting Alabama, Ohio, Cincinnati and Jacksonville State in McKenzie Arena will be a celebration that the entire university, city and surrounding communities will rally behind,” continued Torbett Thomas. “We are so excited!”

The entire weekend’s slate of matches, much like the rest of Chattanooga volleyball’s 2025 home schedule, will be free to attend for the public. All of UTC’s matches in the tournament will also be available to stream via ESPN+.

2025 Chattanooga Classic hosted at McKenzie Arena

Thursday, September 4


6:00 p.m. ET – Cincinnati vs. Ohio

Friday September 5

12:00 p.m. ET – Chattanooga vs. Ohio

3:00 p.m. ET – Cincinnati vs. Jacksonville State

6:00 p.m. ET – Chattanooga vs. Alabama

Saturday, September 6

12:00 p.m. ET – Ohio vs. Jacksonville State

3:00 p.m. ET – Cincinnati vs. Alabama

6:00 p.m. ET – Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville State

FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA VOLLEYBALL

Follow @GoMocsVB on Twitter and @GoMocsVolleyball on Instagram for the most up-to-date information and news regarding Chattanooga volleyball.

Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here. Check out the Mocs on the Mic podcast here.





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Cardinal Leads The Way Among ACC All-Academic – Stanford Cardinal

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford was well represented among the All-ACC Academic Rowing Team, highlighted by Julietta Camahort being named the ACC Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Cardinal produced a conference-best 38 recipients during its first season in the ACC. Camahort earned a 4.046 GPA while majoring in Management Science and Engineering. Camahort becomes Stanford’s […]

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STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford was well represented among the All-ACC Academic Rowing Team, highlighted by Julietta Camahort being named the ACC Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The Cardinal produced a conference-best 38 recipients during its first season in the ACC.

Camahort earned a 4.046 GPA while majoring in Management Science and Engineering. Camahort becomes Stanford’s fourth ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year overall, joining Maxime Raynaud (men’s basketball), Elia Rubin (women’s volleyball) and Jack Ryan (men’s swimming and diving).

Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous quarter and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.

Stanford captured its third NCAA title in school history in 2025, highlighted by victories in the second varsity eight and varsity four crews in their respective Grand Finals as racing concluded at Mercer Lake. The Cardinal also became the first conference team since 2021 to sweep all championship regatta races and break four conference records en route to winning the ACC title.

The full list of Cardinal honorees is as follows:

Kathryn Alexander, Stanford, Jr., Human Biology
Taya Anderson, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Luise Bachmann, Stanford, Sr., Human Biology (BS)/Biology (MS)
Alice Baker, Stanford, Jr., Mechanical Engineering
Charlotte Botha, Stanford, So., Undeclared
Carly Brown, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Lucy Burrell, Stanford, Sr., Science, Technology and Society
Julietta Camahort, Stanford, Sr., Management Science and Engineering
Ella Casano, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Grace de la Torre, Stanford, So., Undeclared
Reese DiBiase, Stanford, So., Economics
Julia Doss, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Matilda Drewett, Stanford, So., Undeclared
Celia Dupre, Stanford, So., Undeclared
Valentina Fenton, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Aliza Fisher, Stanford, Gr., Aeronautics and Astronautics (MS)
Nora Goodwillie, Stanford, Jr., Human Biology
Madeleine Greenstock, Stanford, So., Human Biology
Abbey Heinemann, Stanford, Jr., English
Annika Jeffery, Stanford, Jr., Human Biology
Charlotte Jett, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Carolyn Kennedy, Stanford, Jr., International Relations
Iris Klok, Stanford, Sr., Human Biology
Susie Mallen, Stanford, Jr., Psychology
Sarah Marriott, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Fiona Mooney, Stanford, Sr., Environmental Systems Engineering (BS)/Civil and Environmental Engineering (MS)
Lily Moore, Stanford, Sr., Science, Technology and Society/English
Katherine Mote, Stanford, So., Political Science
Harriet Noyes, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Elli Rowley, Stanford, Jr., Human Environmental Systems
Paloma Sequeira, Stanford, Sr., Science, Technology and Society
Martha Shepherd, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Sofia Simone, Stanford, So., Undeclared
Quincy Stone, Stanford, So., Undeclared
Ellie Sutro, Stanford, Jr., Economics
Ellie Vander Ploeg Fallon, Stanford, Fr., Undeclared
Julia Veith, Stanford, Sr., Creative Writing
Honor Warburg, Stanford, Sophomore, Undeclared



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Save the Date: Bears Club Annual Social

Story Links HICKORY, NC – The Bears Club is pleased to invite you to its Annual Social which will officially kick off the 2025-26 year for Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics! This year’s event will combine traditions of past annual dinners with a new look and feel that includes a strolling, social format and a […]

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HICKORY, NC – The Bears Club is pleased to invite you to its Annual Social which will officially kick off the 2025-26 year for Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics!

This year’s event will combine traditions of past annual dinners with a new look and feel that includes a strolling, social format and a “Taste of Hickory” theme.

The featured guest is Lenoir-Rhyne’s new President, Dr. Summer McGee. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet new Vice President for Athletics, Daron Montgomery ’95, and the new Director of the Bears Club, JuJu Phillips ’83.

Get the inside scoop from athletic staff and coaches while welcoming the five newest members of the LR coaching family:

  • Bob Braman – Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
  • Chris Jones ’97 – Head Coach, Men’s and Women’s Golf
  • Justin Maullin – Head Coach, Women’s Soccer
  • Vic Riggs – Head Coach, Men’s and Women’s Swimming
  • Emry Tsitouris – Head Coach, Women’s Basketball

Tickets

$75 per person or $125 per couple

$45 for young alumni (classes of 2015 to 2025)

Event Sponsorship Opportunities:  Activate your brand to the Bears Club membership – includes event sponsorship recognition and up to ten (10) complimentary tickets to the event – $2,000





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