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U.S. Women Fend Off Serbia to Open 2025 VNL Week Two Behind Madi Skinner’s 32 Points

Published

6 months ago

June 18, 2025

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 18, 2025) –The U.S. Women’s National Team opened week two of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 15-11) win over host Serbia before a sellout crowd in Belgrade on Wednesday.

The U.S. (2-3) earned its second consecutive win while Serbia fell to 0-5. The U.S. Women will next play Poland (4-1) tomorrow, June 19, at 7:30 a.m. PT.

Outside hitter Madi Skinner doubled her point total from the first week of VNL play with 32 points on 30 kills and two blocks, while also reaching double-digits in digs with 12. She scored six points on five kills and a block in the decisive fifth set.

Libero Lexi Rodriguez made her VNL debut a memorable one with a match-high 17 digs.

“The crowd was amazing and getting to play them on their home court, you could really feel the buzz. Going to five and battling with my teammates was really fun. It was a great day,” Rodriguez said.

The U.S. held a 65-61 advantage in kills and a one-point margin in blocks (10-9) with both teams serving five aces. Serbia made one more error (29-28).

Outside Sarah Franklin scored 20 points on 18 kills and two blocks, while registering nine digs and eight successful receptions. Middle blockers Amber Igiede and Dana Rettke, making her 2025 VNL debut, combined for 18 points with each posting two blocks and an ace. Igiede recorded seven kills and Rettke added five.

“I thought we did a great competing in a wonderful environment. Congratulations to Serbia on filling the gym. What a great experience for our players. I thought we were real consistent, whether things were going our way or not,” head coach Erik Sullivan stated. “We stayed on the next play mentality and competed. I was confident we could do the same in the fifth set.”

Captain outside hitter Roni Jones-Perry finished with seven points on five kills, a block and an ace. She led the team with nine successful receptions and added 11 digs. Setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres recorded eight digs, two aces and a block.

The U.S. took an early 12-6 lead in the opening set and still led by five, 16-11, on a Rettke block. An ace by Ka’aha’aina-Torres made it 20-17 and a kill by Igiede brought it to 21-18 before Serbia cut the lead to one point. It was still a one-point difference when Rettke recorded a kill for a 23-21 lead. Two Serbia errors accounted for the final U.S. points of the set. Skinner recorded five kills and Franklin added four.

The second set was tightly contested with the U.S. finally taking a two-point lead at 15-13 with a perfect pass from Rodriguez setting up a Jones-Perry kill. After a Serbian hitting error, the U.S. closed out a 4-0 run on a Franklin kill.

An Igiede kill extended the lead to five points, 19-14. With the lead down to three at 22-19, the U.S. won a key point on the longest rally of the match that featured great defense on both sides. A great dig by Franklin led to a Jones-Perry kill. The U.S. went up two sets on a back row attack by Franklin and a set-clinching kill by Rettke. Franklin led all players in the set with six points on four kills and a pair of blocks, while Skinner contributed four kills.

Serbia raced out to 5-1 lead in the third set before the U.S. climbed back in the set and eventually took a 14-12 lead on a block by Ka’aha’aina-Torres. Two more Skinner kills gave the U.S.Women leads at 15-14 and 16-15, but they would not lead again. An Igiede kill on an overpass after a strong Ka’aha’aina-Torres serve to even the set at 18 but Serbia finished on a 7-4 run to extend the match. Skinner totaled 10 kills in the set.

The U.S. led 19-16 in the fourth set before Serbia finished on a 9-3 run to send the match to a fifth set, the fourth time in five VNL matches that Serbia has played a five-setter. Skinner added seven more points on six kills and a block.

“They made a lot of adjustments during the set and we were a little slow on our end. After the fourth set, we just came out with a clean slate being ready to adjust and play USA volleyball and that’s what we did,” Rodriguez commented.

The U.S. looked like it may run away with the fifth set, scoring the first three points and taking a 5-1 lead. Rettke scored the first two points, one on a slide and another with an ace. Skinner put a ball down cross court at the 10-foot line for a 6-2 lead, made it 7-3 on a right-side swing, and bumped the lead to 8-3 with a block.

A Serbian hitting error made it 9-3, but an ace off the net culminated an 8-3 run that closed the gap to one point, 12-11, forcing the U.S. to use its second timeout. Skinner scored back-to-back points, the second on a successful block touch challenge, to give the U.S. match point. A Ka’aha’aina-Torres ace sealed the victory.

Week Two Roster for 2025 VNL

U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Delta)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)

Reserve
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Coaches
Head Coach: Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors: William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

Week 2 Schedule: Belgrade, Serbia (all times PDT)
Matches will be shown on VBTV, Big Ten Network and/or CBS Sports Network. Please check listings for BTN and CBSN.

June 18 USA def. Serbia, 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 15-11)
June 19 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Poland
June 21 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Netherlands
June 22 at 7:30 a.m. vs. France

Week 1 Results: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 4 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28)
June 5 Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
June 6 Czechia def. USA, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25)
June 8 USA def Korea, 3-0 (25-13, 28-26, 25-17)

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Jenkins Signs Two Power Four Transfers to 2026 Class

Published

13 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Volleyball Head Coach Benavia Jenkins has announced the signings of two power four conference transfers in Harper Hall (Setter) and Gia McGrew (Outside Hitter) on Tuesday (Dec. 23). Hall transfers to Charlotte from Oklahoma while McGrew comes by way of Iowa.

Hall is set to enter her third year of college volleyball, spending her freshman season at USCB where she registered seven double-doubles appearing in all 30 matches. She led the team with 649 assists, 245 digs, and averaged 5.74 assists per set. During her sophomore season at Oklahoma, Hall eclipsed the 1,000 career assist milestone with a season-high 31 assists coming in a win at Missouri.

A graduate of Highland Park High School in Texas, Hall was a three-year letter winner and three-time district champion. She was named Newcomer of the Year in her conference and earned First Team All-District honors. Throughout her high school career, she accumulated over 2,500 assists and was named the District Setter of the Year. Hall garnered Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State honors and played club volleyball for the nationally ranked TAV Black.

“I chose Charlotte because of the coaching staff, beautiful campus, and the great culture,” said Hall. “I’m excited to be a part of a team that is in a great position to pursue a championship.”

McGrew tallied 51 kills, 15 total blocks, and 12 digs in 13 matches played during her freshman season at Iowa. Her best performance came in a win over Maryland when she finished with five blocks. A graduate of Santa Fe High School, McGrew impressed as team MVP and first team all-conference in 2023, followed by serving as team captain in 2024 finishing her senior season with 322 kills. She helped lead her team to the Oklahoma 5A state championship in 2022.

On the AAU Circuit, McGrew was a 2024 Nationals Premier Division National Champion and MVP. In 2021, she was an invitee to the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program and was named to the USA Girls Junior National Championship All-Tournament Team.

“The family atmosphere within the program is special,” said McGrew. “Along with that, I chose Charlotte because of the amazing coaching staff and the beautiful location.”

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Penn State Women’s Volleyball Falls Out Of AVCA Polls

Published

30 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Penn State women’s volleyball has fallen out of the AVCA Polls for the first time since 1988, breaking a 565-week streak.

The Nittany Lions finished with 82 points in the poll, 25 behind No. 25 BYU. Their season ended with a record of 19-13, falling to Texas 0-3 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State fell out of the polls for the first time since the final poll of 1988, breaking a streak of 565 straight weeks.

The Nittany Lions (19-13) finished with 82 points in the poll, 25 behind No. 25 BYU.

— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) December 22, 2025

Kennedy Martin led the Big Ten in points per set (6.22), kills per set (5.42), and tallied 634 kills and over 700 points. Her former Florida teammate, Alexis Stucky, will join her next season as the Nittany Lions’ setter.

Setter Addie Lyon, middle blockers Maggie Mendelson and Jordan Hopp, and libero Gillian Grimes graduate, and Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley will look to fill their notable shoes in the upcoming season.

The program will look ahead toward its ninth national championship, hopeful to repeat its stellar 2024 season.

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Karlee is a freshman majoring in Broadcast Journalism. She is from Schuylkill Haven, PA. She loves all things sports and is a big Luka Doncic fan! You can follow her on Instagram and X @karleefeger or email her at [email protected]

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MEAC Announces Burgin as Bowler of the Week For Nov. 2-9

Published

46 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

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Women’s Bowling | 12/23/2025 11:52:00 AM

GREENSBORO – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced this week that North Carolina A&T junior bowler Savannah Burgin was the winner of the MEAC Bowler of the Week award for competition held November 2-9.

The tournament Burgin won her first-ever weekly award for was MEAC Meet #1, where Burgin helped the Aggies finish the meet at 5-2, claiming a share of first place. The North Carolina A&T bowling team’s bounce-back performance on Sunday at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Meet #1, hosted by Morgan State University at AMF Towson Lanes, should make February in Norfolk, Va., fascinating.

After going 2-2 on Saturday and falling behind the Delaware State and Coppin State teams, who went 4-0, the Aggies won all three of their Baker-format matches on Sunday to end the weekend at 5-2.

Now, the five-time defending MEAC champions will enter MEAC Meet #2, scheduled for February 21-22 in Norfolk, Va., tied for the conference lead with the Delaware State Hornets, the 23rd-ranked team in the nation. A&T will have the total pins advantage after a 6,564 total pinfall over the weekend, averaging 187.5 over 35 games played.

The UAB Blazers had the second-highest total pinfall at 6,276, followed by Morgan State at 6,084. A&T looked super impressive on Sunday, totaling 2,877 pins for an average of 191.8 over 15 games bowled.

Burgin finished first in average per frame (20.16) and Baker fill percentage, while also leading the field in overall fill percentage (80.6 percent). She ranked second in overall spare percentage at 74.2 percent. The Aggies will head into 2026, and the spring semester of the season ranked 13th in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll released on December 9.

The Aggies received 895 points, falling from seventh to 13th. Jacksonville State is the No. 1 ranked team in the country, followed by Vanderbilt, Arkansas State, Nebraska, and Louisiana Tech in the top 5. Burgin and the Aggies open the second half of the season at the Northeastern Classic hosted by Sacred Heart in New Castle, Del. The Aggies are 29-17 overall.

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Volleyball Announces Addition of Reese Dunkle to Roster

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College volleyball head coach Jason Kennedy announced the addition of middle blocker Reese Dunkle, a transfer student from Stanford University, to the Eagles’ roster.

The Eagles previously announced a six-player recruiting class last month.

Reese Dunkle, Middle Blocker, Greenwood, Ind.

One year member of Stanford VB

A 2025 graduate of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind.

Four-year letterwinner, captained her team as a junior and senior

Regional champions (2024)

Four-time Sectional champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Four-time County champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

AVCA All-America honorable mention (2024)

AVCA All-Region (2024)

AVCA Best and Brightest (2024)

County Player of the Year (2024)

Indiana Girls Volleyball Player of the Year finalist (2024)

Two-time All-State (2023, 2024)

Three-time All-District (2022, 2023, 2024)

Three-time All-County (2022, 2023, 2024)

All-County honorable mention (2021)

Indiana Senior All-Star (2024)

Indiana Junior All-Star (2023)

Team MVP (2023)

First Team Academic All-State (2024)

Holds high school’s record for blocks (486)

Played club for Circle City

“Reese adds to a strong presence in the middle for us for the next several years,” says Kennedy. “She’s quick laterally and can close well to either pin and we’re excited to get her in the gym this spring and get to work.

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Kiki Granberry Signs with Volleyball Program

Published

2 hours ago

December 23, 2025

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Veteran middle blocker Kiki Granberry, who has four years of college experience under her belt, will join the Indiana volleyball program for the 2026 season. Head coach Steve Aird made the signing official on Tuesday (Dec. 23) morning. Granberry will enroll for the spring semester in January.

“Our program is thrilled to add Kiki to the roster,” Aird said. “She brings a mix of experience and skill to the table, along with a personality that meshes so well with our team. Our goal is to continue to build on a fantastic season and adding a player of this caliber is a great step in that direction. We have a group that is physical, tough and proud to represent IU. I am positive that Kiki will have a tremendous impact on the group, compete like crazy and develop into a pro that will thrive at the next level.”

Granberry spent the last four seasons at Tennessee where she was one of the nation’s most efficient offensive forces. In her time on Rocky Top, Granberry was a career .376 hitter (509-134-997). During her junior campaign in 2024, she hit .455 with 189 kills and just 36 attacking errors and finished second in the country in hitting percentage.

The 6-foot-3 native of Florida will join a deep and talented collection of middle blockers in Bloomington. Current freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray hit .378 with 152 kills and 106 blocks in her debut season. Sophomore middle blocker Ella Boersema was the conference’s leading blocker (1.40 per set) before a season-ending injury in October. Collectively, IU’s four middle blockers for next year have a career hitting percentage of .366.

Granberry was one of Tennessee’s best blockers during her career in Knoxville. She recorded 314 blocks in four seasons including over 100 in each of her first two years. She had a career-high 11 blocks in a contest against Western Kentucky in 2024. Her career high in kills (14) came against Elon in 2022.

She will have one year of eligibility in 2026 after taking a medical redshirt last season. She played in just three matches in 2025 but finished her time in Knoxville as the second-most efficient hitter (.376) in program history. Granberry was a 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team member and a 2024 AVCA South All-Region Team selection.

Granberry will wear the 77 jersey for the Hoosiers, becoming the first player in program history to wear the number. She graduated from Tennessee with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Electronic Media this December. She will join the Hoosiers for the beginning of spring practice in January.

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David Nguyen named head coach of North Dakota volleyball program

Published

2 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Bill Chaves announced on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 that David Nguyen (pronounced WIN) has been named the 15th head coach of the North Dakota volleyball program..

“We are tremendously excited to announce David as our next head coach of UND volleyball,” said Chaves. “What he has been able to do at FDU was nothing short of remarkable in such a short amount of time. To be a two-time NEC Coach of the Year and leading the Knights into the NCAA tournament for the first time in their history is something that he and we believe can be replicated at UND.”

Nguyen comes to North Dakota following a successful run as the head coach at Division I Fairleigh Dickinson, where he helped the Knights set multiple program highs in his four years. He guided the Knights to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and captured both the 2022 NEC Tournament Championship and the 2023 regular season title, each a program first.

“I am excited and honored to be selected as the next head coach at UND,” said Nguyen. “I would like to thank Director of Athletics Bill Chaves, Deputy Director of Athletics Erik Martinson and the entire search committee for having the confidence in me to lead the volleyball program into future success.”

His leadership helped claim the program’s first 20-win season in the modern era and earned him back-to-back NEC Coach of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023. Under his direction, FDU reached three consecutive NEC Tournament finals and four straight conference semifinals.

“My mission is to provide our student-athletes a first-class experience by being competitive on-and-off the court,” Nguyen continued. “We are going to work together to build a legacy our student-athletes, alumni, fans and donors can be proud of. I am excited to take this next step in my career, and I look forward to building a volleyball family at North Dakota.”

His teams produced the NEC Player of the Year, an AVCA All-American, nine all-conference selections and multiple all-tournament honorees. The Knights also recorded the four winningest conference seasons in school history during his tenure.

Nguyen brings more than a decade of Division I experience, including assistant coaching roles at Coastal Carolina and William & Mary, as well as an operations role at Virginia and a student position at Virginia Commonwealth.

Nguyen holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University. He will be introduced to the media at a later date.

THE DAVID NGYUEN FILE

Position: Head Coach

Hometown: Glen Allen, Va.

Education: Virginia Commonwealth (2018)

Family: David and his wife, Kaylin, have two children

CAREER IN VOLLEYBALL

AS A COACH

2022-25: Fairleigh Dickinson (Head Coach)

2021-22: Coastal Carolina (Assistant Coach)

2019-21: William & Mary (Assistant Coach)

2018-19: Virginia (Director of Operations)

2013-18: Virginia Commonwealth (Manager)