Sports
Yankees prospects

Welcome to Week 11 of the Yankees minor league recap! Rehab appearances from Giancarlo Stanton and Marcus Stroman were among the top headlines from a competitive week across the organization. Each of the affiliates held their own in their respective series, and Scranton broke through with their best week to date in 2025. Here’s how the Yankees’ minor-league affiliates performed last week:
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders
Record: 35-31; Fifth place in International League (East), 9.5 GB
Past Week: 6-0 vs Syracuse Mets
Coming Up: Away @ Louisville Bats (Reds)
The RailRiders were firing on all cylinders this past week against the Syracuse Mets, and it resulted in a clean sweep as they won all six games to bring their record above .500 on the year. It was without a doubt their best week of the season, and while they still have a long way to go, the sweep helped them make up some ground in their division.
The week began with a 5-3 win on Tuesday, as home runs from T.J. Rumfield, Bryan De La Cruz, and Jose Rojas accounted for four of Scranton’s runs and Anthony DeSclafani pitched six innings of one-run ball. (DeSclafani would then opt out of his minor-league contract with the Yankees and land in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen.) They won 7-5 on Wednesday behind five more strong innings from Allan Winans, who struck out eight and allowed two runs — the most he’s given up in any start this season. Rojas and Rumfield homered again in the win, and Brennen Davis and Jorbit Vivas joined the power party as well. Vivas and Braden Shewmake both had three-hit performances.
Cam Schlittler took the hill on Thursday and allowed just one run over 5.1 innings, walking three and striking out seven in a 6-1 victory. Everson Pereira provided the big blow on offense, a two-run double that extended the lead in the bottom of the seventh. The hot streak for Scranton’s rotation continued into Friday, as J.T. Brubaker pitched five no-hit innings but allowed one run as a result of two walks. The same couldn’t be said for Syracuse’s starter, the rehabbing Frankie Montas, who got pummeled for eight runs in just 1.2 innings. Jesus Rodriguez had three hits for Scranton, and Pereira, Davis, Rumfield, and Andrew Velazquez drove in two runs each.
Pereira homered again and drove in three runs in a 5-1 win on Saturday, as Scranton defeated Nolan McLean, one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects. They wrapped up the week with an 8-6 victory on Sunday, despite a four-run ninth inning for the Mets in a comeback effort that fell short. Davis and Rojas homered and combined to drive in five of the eight runs. The flawless series could signal a shift in momentum for Scranton, and they’ll look to keep it up in Louisville this week.
Players of Note:
Jesus Rodriguez: 219 PA; .282/.377/.476, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 9 SB, 13.2 BB%, 14.6 K%, 145 wRC+
T.J. Rumfield: 244 PA; .312/.425/.440, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 4 SB, 11.9 BB%, 19.7 K%, 128 wRC+
Brennen Davis: 41 PA; .405/.463/.892, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB, 7.3 BB%, 24.4 K%, 248 wRC+
Allan Winans: 44 IP; 0.61 ERA, 30.1 K%, 6.8 BB%, .209 BAA, 1.05 WHIP
Double-A Somerset Patriots
Record: 29-34; T-Fourth place in Eastern League (Northeast), 14 GB
Past Week: 4-3 vs Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)
Coming Up: @ New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
Somerset held their own against Portland this past week, winning the series 4-3 as a double-header added an extra game to the schedule. They started with a decisive 8-1 win on Tuesday, as Brendan Beck tossed six shutout innings and Roc Riggio kept up his hot hitting with two doubles. Spencer Jones added a double of his own, and a rehabbing Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-3 with three RBI. The two teams split Wednesday’s double-header, as Portland won the first game 4-3 and Somerset took the second 9-2. A rehabbing Marcus Stroman pitched 3.1 innings of one-run ball in the loss, and Riggio added his fifth home run since being called up to Double-A just a couple weeks prior. George Lombard Jr. hit his first Double-A homer in the blowout win, and Spencer Jones hit his 11th of the season in a 3-4 game.
Somerset lost 6-1 on Thursday, as breakout starter Carlos Lagrange just didn’t have it and allowed five walks and five runs in four innings. Rafael Flores accounted for three of the four hits in the loss, but not much went right for the Patriots in this one. Brock Selvidge got them back on track on Friday, striking out six and allowing just one run in 5.2 innings of work. Jones picked up two more hits and a walk, and Garrett Martin went 3-for-3 with a triple in a 4-1 win. Somerset lost 7-2 on Saturday behind poor defense and a bad start from Trent Sellers, but Jones picked up his 12th homer of the year as a silver lining. The week wrapped up with a 3-1 win in the rubber game of the series, as Beck tossed 4.2 more shutout innings and Martin combined with Brendan Jones for five of the Patriots’ seven hits. They’re still below .500 on the season, and will look to make up some ground in New Hampshire.
Players of Note:
George Lombard Jr: 153 PA; .208/.340/.296, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 11 SB, 15.7 BB%, 25.5 K%, 98 wRC+
Rafael Flores: 264 PA; .277/.333/.475, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 5 SB, 7.6 BB%, 28.0 K%, 137 wRC+
Spencer Jones: 167 PA; .241/.359/.546, 12 HR, 22 RBI, 8 SB, 15.0 BB%, 35.3 K%, 163 wRC+
Brendan Beck: 54.1 IP; 1.82 ERA, 24.8 K%, 5.7 BB%, .192 BAA, 0.92 BAA
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades
Record: 37-25; Third Place in South Atlantic League (North), 5.5 GB
Past Week: 3-3 vs Greenville Drive (Red Sox)
Coming Up: Away @ Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins)
The Renegades split a home series with the Red Sox’ High-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive, holding steady at 12 games above .500 as they remain competitive in a tough division. The week began with a tight 2-1 victory on Tuesday, as an early RBI single for Coby Morales and RBI double for Alexander Vargas proved to be all the offense the Renegades needed to pull out the win. Kyle Carr looked great on the mound, striking out five over 6.2 innings with just one run allowed. They dropped a tough one 6-4 on Wednesday, as five late runs from Greenville were enough to secure a win. Josh Grosz pitched well, allowing one run over 6.1 innings with six strikeouts, but the bullpen imploded and cost him a win. Omar Martinez hit his eighth homer of the year in the loss.
Hudson Valley lost another close one on Thursday by a score of 3-2, with Parks Harber driving in both runs on an RBI single and a sac fly. They then went on to win two straight 1-0 games on Friday and Saturday, with Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz pitching five shutout innings with eight strikeouts in a rare relief performance on Friday and Griffin Herring tossing 6.2 shutout innings, also with eight strikeouts, on Saturday. The week ended with a tough 8-4 loss to split the series down the middle, with Dillon Lewis providing a bright spot on offense with his second home run since the promotion. Hudson Valley hasn’t quite been able to keep up their dominant start to the season, but they’ll look to find the momentum in Jacksonville.
Players of Note:
Parks Harber: 152 PA; .326/.395/.489, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB, 10.5 BB%, 23.0 K%, 151 wRC+
Bryce Cunningham: 46.2 IP; 1.93 ERA, 25.7 K%, 6.0 BB%, .201 BAA, 0.96 WHIP
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: 60 IP; 2.70 ERA, 30.3 K%, 10.2 BB%, .171 BAA, 1.03 WHIP
Low-A Tampa Tarpons
Record: 34-28; Second place in Florida State League (West), 2 GB
Past Week: 3-3 vs Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)
Coming Up: Away @ Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)
The Tarpons split a home series against Clearwater this past week, keeping them just two games out of first place after a red-hot month of baseball. Weather threatened to derail the week entirely after rainouts on Wednesday and Thursday, but doubleheaders on Friday and Sunday allowed the two teams to get in all six games of the series. The week started with a 4-0 shutout victory on the back of starter Andrew Landry, who dazzled over seven innings with six strikeouts and just three hits allowed. Edgleen Perez broke open the scoring with a two-run single in the fifth, and Tyler Wilson and Marshall Toole drove in runs in the seventh to seal it for Tampa.
The teams wouldn’t play again until Friday’s doubleheader, which they split one game apiece. Clearwater won the first game 4-2, though Juan Matheus went 3-for-3 with a double for the Tarpons. Tampa won a close one 7-6 in the second game on a walkoff single from Wilson. It was all Clearwater on Saturday, as they won 14-1 with Aroon Escobar and Dante Nori combining for eight RBI. Roderick Arias, Engelth Urena, and Marshall Toole each had two hits for the Tarpons. The week ended with another split doubleheader, as Clearwater won the first game 6-3 and Tampa picked up another walkoff win in the second game on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Toole. Hans Montero hit his fifth homer of the year in the win. The Tarpons will travel to Bradenton this week, where they’ll try to take over first place in their division.
Players of Note:
Tyler Wilson: 236 PA; .291/.377/.383, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 15 SB, 12.3 BB%, 24.2 K%, 120 wRC+
Engelth Urena: 256 PA; .215/.352/.325, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB, 14.8 BB%, 18.0 K%, 101 wRC+
Marshall Toole: 161 PA; .304/.410/.481, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 17 SB, 14.9 BB%, 21.7 K%, 150 wRC+
FCL Yankees
Record: 15-17; Third Place in Florida Complex League (North), 4 GB
The FCL Yankees went just 1-4 over the past week, and their record on the season now sits at 15-17. In Brando Mayea’s absence, Gabriel Lara has been the team’s hottest hitter with a .381/.435/.619 slash line over his first 46 plate appearances. He has an 8.7 percent walk rate, a 13 percent strikeout rate, and 176 wRC+. The FCL Yankees have yet to identify a player who can match the combination of production, approach, and age-to-level success required to qualify as a rookie-ball standout.
DSL Yankees and DSL Bombers
Records: 3-6; 3-6
The Yankee affiliates in the Dominican Summer League are off to rough starts, as both the DSL Yankees and DSL Bombers are 3-6 to start the season. Richard Matic and Fransisco Vilorio have been bright spots for the Yankees, as Matic is slashing .286/.360/.667 with a 133 wRC+ and Vilorio has a 29.2 percent walk rate on his way to a 132 wRC+. Izaias Castillo is also off to a hot start with a 1.233 OPS through his first 18 plate appearances. Queni Pineda has been the Bombers’ hottest hitter, with a 18.2/12.1% BB/K rate, a .370 average, and 158 wRC+ in 33 plate appearances. It’s still a very early in the DSL season, so we’ll need to see wider samples from these players before identifying them as true breakout candidates.
Sports
O’Sullivan Sets School Record at Penn Select
O’Sullivan owned the previous record which he set in 2025 at the Armory. His new school record cleared the bar at 18′ 2.5 (5.5m) and was an Ott Center record as well.
“Great start to the year,” said Bobby Farrell, director of track & field and cross country. “We were able to come out of the gate strong and get some NCAA top ranked performances. The field events were outstanding today. We’re looking forward to next week when we open up the majority of the track events.”
A dominant showing in the field events helped spark one of the program’s best season-opening performances. The Scarlet Knights posted six first-place finishes and a number of marks near the top of the NCAA rankings.
Rutgers took the top spot in the triple, long and high jump events. Malachi Yehudah was first in the high jump, clearing 2.11m (6′ 11″), while Sincere Robinson won the long jump. The Big Ten Champion and NCAA qualifier posted a mark of 7.77m (25′ 6″) in his first action in nearly a year after returning from injury. Donavan Anderson finished first in the triple jump with a leap of 15.89m (52′ 1.75″).
The Scarlet Knights also took second place in three field events on the men’s side. Anthony Conrey finished runner up to Robinson in the long jump with a leap of 7.03m (23′ 0.75″), while Daniel Arana followed Anderson in the triple jump with a distance of 15.33m (50′ 3.50″). Brian O’Sullivan was second in the pole vault, clearing a height of 5.45m (17′ 10.5″).
Andrew Krall finished first in the weight throw, earning a mark of 19.43m (63′ 9″) and Celine-Jada Brown turned in the first-place effort on the women’s side. Also coming back from a yearlong hiatus, Brown returned to her Big Ten Champion and NCAA qualifier form as she took first in the long jump with a distance of 6.45m (21′ 2″). The distance from Brown set the Ott Center record for the event.
Also supporting the effort on the women’s side was Jenovia Logan, who took second in the high jump with a height of 1.78m (5′ 10″), followed by Alanna Woolfolk in third, clearing 1.72m (5′ 7.75″). Tey’ana Ames finished second in the shot put with a throw of 15.45m (50′ 8.25″), while Llyric Driscoll and Ayotunde Folawewo went 3-4 in the triple jump. Driscoll jumped 12.34m (40′ 6″), followed by Folawewo with a distance of 12.33m (40′ 5.50″).
Anna Barber finished third in the weight throw, recording a distance of 16.70m (54′ 9.5″).
Rutgers will make a return trip to the Ott Center next week for the Quaker Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Penn Select
Men’s Results
Pole Vault
1. Kevin O’Sullivan 5.55m (18′ 2.5″) – SCHOOL RECORD
2. Brian O’Sullivan 5.45m (17′ 10.5″)
High Jump
1. Malachi Yehudah 2.11m (6′ 11″)
Long Jump
1. Sincere Robinson 7.77m (25′ 6″)
2. Anthony Conrey 7.03m (23′ 0.75″)
Triple Jump
1. Donavan Anderson 15.89m (52′ 1.75″)
2. Daniel Arana 15.33m (50′ 3.50″)
Weight Throw
1. Andrew Krall 19.43m (63′ 9″)
400M
2. Gabriel Rodriguez 48.83
Women’s Results
High Jump
2. Jenovia Logan 1.78m (5′ 10″)
3. Alanna Woolfolk 1.72m (5′ 7.75″)
Long Jump
1. Celine-Jada Brown 6.45m (21′ 2″)
Shot Put
2. Tey’ana Ames 15.45m (50′ 8.25″)
Triple Jump
3. Llyric Driscoll 12.34m (40′ 6″)
4. Ayotunde Folawewo 12.33m (40′ 5.50″)
Weight Throw
3. Anna Barber 16.70m (54′ 9.5″)
Sports
Isaiah Cadengo Posts Pair of Top 10 Marks as Vikings Close Season-Opening Silver & Blue Invitational
RENO, Nev. — Isaiah Cadengo sat and watched as two of his teammates set top 10 marks on the first day of the Silver & Blue Invitational Friday. Saturday, Cadengo ran like a man eager to put his own name in the record books as the freshman sprinter posted a pair of top 10 marks to lead the Vikings on the second day of the meet at Reno Sparks Convention Center.
Cadengo opened the day in the men’s 400 meters where he placed second overall in 48.56 seconds. The time set a freshman record and moved him up to No. 2 overall in the indoor 400 meters at Portland State, all in his first-ever race as a Viking. Freshman Zach Payne followed at fourth in 49.80 seconds, moving him up to fifth in the freshman top 10.
Cadengo wasn’t done, however. He returned to the track for the 200 meters later in the day, and finished fifth in the event in 21.91 seconds. The time moved him up to second in the freshman rankings and fourth overall at Portland State.
Fellow freshman Jack Macdonald – one of the two stars for the Vikings Friday alongside Emma Stolte – nearly bettered Cadengo in the 200. Running in a later heat, Macdonald finished in 21.95 seconds, putting him third in the freshman rankings and fifth overall. Macdonald may have been able to push for a faster time but won his heat by more than half a second.
It was the second top 10 mark of the weekend for Macdonald. He got his first with a time of 6.93 seconds in the 60 meters Friday, moving him up to second in the freshman rankings and sixth overall.
Payne, meanwhile, followed his classmates with a time of 22.38 seconds in the 200 meters, earning him a second freshman top 10 of the day. Payne now ranks sixth in the 200 in the freshman record book.
Stolte, like Macdonald, followed a top 10 mark Friday with another Saturday. Fifth all-time in the mile after Friday, Stolte moved up to second all-time in the 800 meters with her finish in 2:11.99.
Stolte came within 0.34 seconds of the school record that Katie Camarena set at 2:11.65 in 2022. Camarena set seven school records that season, none of which have fallen since. Stolte came as close as anyone has to bettering one of Camarena’s records Saturday, however.
The Vikings also got a pair of event wins out of their field athletes Saturday. One didn’t come with much suspense as Edward Niyongere was the only athlete in the men’s triple jump after another athlete scratched. Even still, Niyongere jumped 46-07.50 (14.21m) on his second attempt, a mark that would have put him in the top 10 if he wasn’t already ranked sixth all-time.
Freshman Natalie Fisher, meanwhile, had a more dramatic win in the women’s shot put. She passed Nevada’s Johanna Haas on her final attempt with a personal-best throw of 40-00.00 (12.19m). Fisher, who improved on all six attempts during the competition, added close to 15 inches to her overall best in the shot put with the winning mark.
The winning throw also moved Fisher up to third in the freshman rankings in the shot put. She entered the freshman top 10 in the weight throw Friday, moving up to eighth with a throw of 38-04.00 (11.68m).
A number of other Vikings competing Saturday showed improvement over their season openers a year ago. That group included all four Vikings competing in the women’s 200 meters. Tori Forst and Sienna Rosario led that group at third and fourth overall, respectively, while finishing in 25.36 and 25.66 seconds. Forst’s time was better than her first two 200-meter times last season. Rosario’s, meanwhile, was close to two seconds faster than their season opener a year ago.
Savannah Beasley placed 14th in the women’s 200 meters in 26.76 seconds, setting a personal best by 1.7 seconds. Ashley Peterson placed 16th in 26.90 seconds, eleven-hundredths of a second faster than her season opener in 2025.
Dillon Brost did the same thing on the men’s side of the 200 meters. The sophomore placed 17th overall in 22.98 seconds, not a personal best but two and a half seconds better than his season opener as a freshman.
Aidan Sweeney set an overall personal best with his 200-meter finish in 23.71 seconds.
Freshman Farhan Ibrahim shaved close to eight seconds off his indoor best in the 3k while finishing second in the event in 8:56.79. Luke Gillingham followed at fourth in 9:03.13, shaving 13 seconds off his best in the 3k.
The Vikings will be back in action next week when they head to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Preview next Friday and Saturday.
Silver & Blue Invitational
Reno Sparks Convention Center
Reno, Nev.
Jan. 9-10, 2026
Women’s Results:
60m (Prelims): 3. Tori Forst, 7.74; 7. Sienna Rosario, 7.94; 11. Aida Wheat, 8.14. 60m (Final): 2. Tori Forst, 7.67; 7. Sienna Rosario, 7.92. 200m: 3. Tori Forst, 25.36; 4. Sienna Rosario, 25.66; 14. Savannah Beasley, 26.76; 16. Ashley Peterson, 26.90. 400m: 4. Ashley Peterson, 1:00.85. 600m: 6. Hannah Butterfield, DQ. 800m: 2. Emma Stolte, 2:11.99. 1,000m: 1. Hannah Butterfield, 3:07.26. Mile: 1. Emma Stolte, 4:54.25; 9. Sam Sharp, 5:33.24; 11. Libby Fox, 5:45.67. 3,000m: 7. Sam Sharp, 10:59.76; 10. Libby Fox, 11:26.42. 60H (Prelims): 15. Savannah Beasley, 9.66. Shot Put: 1. Natalie Fisher, 40-00.00 (12.19m). Weight Throw: 3. Natalie Fisher, 38-04.00 (11.68m).
Men’s Results:
60m (Prelims): 4. Jack Macdonald, 6.99; 16. Dillon Brost, 7.25. 60m (Final): 4. Jack Macdonald, 6.93. 200m: 5. Isaiah Cadengo, 21.91; 7. Jack Macdonald, 21.95; 9. Zach Payne, 22.38; 17. Dillon Brost, 22.98; 21. Aidan Sweeney, 23.71; Preston Jones, DNF. 400m: 2. Isaiah Cadengo, 48.56; 4. Zach Payne, 49.80; 5. Preston Jones, 51.36. 1,000m: 1. Amir Ahmed, 2:41.49. Mile: 5. Luke Gillingham, 4:29.48; 6. Farhan Ibrahim, 4:31.46. 3,000m: 2. Farhan Ibrahim, 8:56.79; 4. Luke Gillingham, 9:03.13. 60H (Prelims): 4. Aidan Sweeney, 8.66; 5. Deghlan Johnson, 8.68. 60H (Final): 4. Deghlan Johnson, 8.60; 5. Aidan Sweeney, 8.68. Triple Jump: 1. Edward Niyongere, 46-07.50 (14.21m). Weight Throw: 1. Daniel Coppedge, 50-10.75 (15.51m); 3. Carter Green, 36-05.75 (11.12m).
Sports
Meet The Journal’s high school girls volleyball All-State teams
Jan. 11, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET
The Providence Journal is proud to announce the 2025 All-State Girls Volleyball first and second teams. The Journal Sports staff, with some help from the coaches associations, determines the first- and second-team members.
2025 Providence Journal All-State Girls Volleyball Team
First Team
Lyla Auth, Westerly
Senior, Outside hitter
Auth steered Westerly to its second girls volleyball championship as the best player in Division II. The Manhattan University commit finished with 268 kills and a 49.8 kill percentage this fall. The Bulldogs finished the year undefeated and Auth’s near-perfect play on the outside was the biggest reason.
Sports
Virat Kohli Creates History at 38, Smashes Three World Records in First ODI Against New Zealand
With this feat, Kohli surpassed the record of legendary Sachin Tendulkar by becoming the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs, achieving the landmark in just 624 innings. In comparison, Sachin Tendulkar took 644 innings, while Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara reached the mark in 666 innings.
Kohli reached the milestone with a boundary, needing just 25 runs before the match to complete 28,000 international runs. Earlier, only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara had entered this elite club.
The New Zealand ODI also saw Kohli become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket history. By scoring 42 runs in the match, he overtook Kumar Sangakkara, who has 28,016 international runs to his name. Sachin Tendulkar remains at the top of the list.
In Test cricket, Virat Kohli has scored 9,230 runs in 123 matches, while in T20 Internationals he has amassed 4,188 runs across 125 matches. Before the New Zealand series, Kohli had played 556 international matches, scoring 27,975 runs in 623 innings at an impressive average of 52.58, including 84 centuries and 145 half-centuries.
Adding to his rich vein of form, Kohli has registered two centuries and three half-centuries in his last five matches, underlining his consistency and match-winning ability.
Virat Kohli’s latest achievement not only reinforces his place among the greatest cricketers of all time but also highlights his unmatched longevity and hunger for excellence on the international stage.
Sports
Long Beach State vs. McKendree, Men’s Volleyball – The562.org
Rasheed, also known as Casper, is a sports photographer who interned for The562 throughout his senior year of high school and is currently attending CSULB while continuing to freelance. To access his work, you can check his Instagram and site below:
Instagram: @visuals.casper
https://casper-visuals.com/
Sports
No. 3 Long Beach State Sweeps McKendree to Close Opening Weekend – The562.org
The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
The No. 3 Long Beach State men’s volleyball team didn’t need to drop a set on opening weekend to shake off any early-season jitters.
The defending national champions opened the season at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid with a pair of sweeps, dispatching Lindenwood on Friday before closing the weekend with a straight-set win over McKendree on Saturday night. While the Beach never dropped a set, Saturday’s match provided a sterner test, highlighted by a thrilling second set in a 25–22, 35–33, 25–16 victory.
“We’re proud of how our guys responded after last night,” head coach Nick MacRae said. “Tonight we played a good McKendree team, who we could very well see later in the season. We say in our locker room that we can learn as much from a win as we can from a loss. Last night was halftime, and we got our third-quarter response today.”
The Beach trailed by their largest margin of the night at three points during the second set and went on to fight off a preposterous eight McKendree set points. First-year setter Jake Pazanti led a balanced attack during that stretch and nailed an ace to give the Beach their final set point, followed by a McKendree hitting error that secured a two-set lead.
“It’s good for us long term,” said standout senior Skyler Varga of the second-set rally. “I think we needed to go through that, and even if we didn’t pull out the win in that set, I think it still would’ve been good for us to show that we can come back after being down. It definitely shows our team values, and we really need to go through those moments to be a national championship–level team this year.”
Varga had himself a match, finishing with nine kills on a team-high .368 hitting percentage along with five assists and 11 digs. Perhaps the most impressive stat came from behind the service line, where Varga accounted for seven of the Beach’s 10 aces with just one service error.
The senior outside hitter is coming off a stint as the youngest member of Team Canada in the Volleyball Nations League this past summer, where he emerged as one of the go-to options and capped the season with a 24-kill performance. Varga spoke about his experience and how it has prepared him for his future in the sport.
“Things are faster in international volleyball, and people are consistently hitting harder and making fewer errors,” he said. “It’s forced me to focus more on error management and helped me read the game better. No disrespect to NCAA volleyball, but it’s a little slower, which has made it easier for me to read.”
Opening weekend also gave the Beach a chance to flex some of its depth at opposite, where freshman Wojciech Gajek made his home debut on Friday before Daniil Hershtynovich got the start on Saturday night. Hershtynovich is coming off an injury last season and had a productive night, finishing with a game-high 12 kills.
“We flex our depth yet again, and you’re going to constantly see that,” MacRae said. “[Hershtynovich] got 30 swings and hit nearly .400—that’s a shoutout to him. Maybe early on he wasn’t able to find his serve, but that was part of the process tonight of building him up and letting him be himself, knowing that he’s been in those moments again and again. He was very physical tonight, and that’s exactly what this team needs him to be, and we’re very proud of him.”
Long Beach State also showed its depth on the outside, where Alex Kandev got the start and finished with seven kills. Connor Bloom entered the match permanently while the Beach trailed midway through the second set and chipped in a pair of kills.
At the net, the Beach totaled just 6.5 blocks after recording 12 on Friday night, but Saturday provided the middle blockers opportunities to make an impact elsewhere. Ben Braun had a solid night with seven kills on .500 hitting, while freshman Jackson Cryst finished with four kills on .500 hitting.
“They’re in charge of our entire unit at the net,” MacRae said. “Just because we don’t have the block stat, it’s about being on the other side of the net as much as possible. It was a good response by McKendree, so instead of saying we have to get 20 blocks, it’s about saying, ‘Ok, we had six blocks, but how many balls did we dig?’ It’s a credit to them. They did their job getting across the net.”
Long Beach State will now go on the road next to Ohio, where they’ll face a trio of games next week. That trip will conclude with a match at Ohio State on Saturday, before the Beach returns home to host Fort Valley State on Jan. 23.
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