Sports
Montclair High School Boys Volleyball Came Close in ’25 season
The Montclair High School boys volleyball spring season can be summed up with the old saying that dates back to the 20th century carnivals.
The Mounties finished with a 7-16 record and showed some flashes in most games especially in the county and state tournaments, but could not get by their opponents in the end.
“To say that I was happy with a 7-16 record would not be truthful,” said Montclair head coach Pam Reilly. “However, the season had its bright moments and disappointments. The ‘close but no cigar’ outcome was very frustrating with the talent we had. I believe we were ready to compete at the American Division level but lacked the experience to finish.”
Mounties Stun Livingston
One of the matches that Montclair finished off in the end was a 2-0 victory over Essex powerhouse Livingston on April 10.
“Beating Livingston for the first time in the history of the program in my tenure was exciting,” said Reilly. “The victory against Livingston was particularly rewarding as the Lancer’s mystique was overtaken by a determined Bulldog team.”
Despite losing to The Mounties saw their season come to an end in the North Group 4 first round, falling 2-0 at East Orange.
Welsh, Emehelu, Reesch Power Montclair
The 2025 Montclair team was led by three players, all seniors, in Benjamin Welsh, Nnamdi Emehelu and Patrick Reesch.
Welsh was the top Mountie and was named to the All-Super Essex Conference American first team, the second year in a row for that honor. The senior averaged 10 kills per contest including 20 kills against Bloomfield in a three-set loss on May 5.
“Ben added a little more thunder to some of his kills this season,” added Reilly about Welsh. “He helped us out tremendously at the net with blocking. I was confident that he would be able to handle most one-on-one situations and present a solid assist to our middles. He definitely answered the call in that respect. However, I would like to have seen better production from him in the back row. Ben was our leading attacker.”
Reesch was the team’s top defender while second on Montclair in kills averaging five a match. “He was our defensive player of the year primarily due to the combination of his serving up our opponents into predictable attacks and his blocking at the net with balls terminated and kept in play for our back row,” said Reilly. “I would like to have seen Patrick get set more but also be more productive with the attempts he had.”
Emehelu is a Force at the Net
Emehelu was the leader in blocks with 53. The Mounties head coach admitted they did not utilize him enough on offense. “We didn’t get the ball to him as much as we should have but he often made his presence felt when we did,” said Reilly.
In addition, there were several other players who contributed, led by Brendan Gibbons who led the team in assists with 246 for the season.
“Brendan struggled early on in the season but settled down a bit past the halfway point in the season,” said the Montclair head coach. “His serve was one of the most difficult to pass but it was inconsistent. He began to serve more consistently. I believe this helped him to contribute more defensively. It was also at this point that he began to run the offense more smoothly and make solid decisions with ball distribution.”
One of the few returning players next season is junior Ryan Yi who was second on the team with 215 assists.
Yi Setting up for More in 2026
“Ryan did a good job handling his responsibilities as our second setter,” said Reilly about Yi. “He worked on his ball distribution and got more comfortable with making those decisions. Ryan did a great job from behind the end line and led the team in service points. He also played a bit as a right-side hitter and spent time doing both for our junior varsity team until we were able to solidify their lineup.
Two other seniors, Logan Martinez and Nathaniel Sena, contributed significantly to the victories this season for the Mounties.
“Nate (Sena), two-time team Bulldog Award winner, was a multi position player for us who played with a reckless abandon that many times placed him at risk of physical harm,” said Reilly who added about Martinez. “Logan was one of our most consistent passers and a solid defender who led the team in digs.”
Two other Montclair seniors also contributed were Sam Katchur and Evan Melanson. Unfortunately, both were hampered by injuries.
For next season Reilly and the Mounties will have a tall task with almost their entire graduating class after this spring. Only Yi and junior Aleksander Hube will be returning for the spring of 2026.
“To say that we will be rebuilding next year is an understatement of great proportion,” said Reilly. “With only two varsity players returning, our staff has much to do in the offseason.”
Related
STANFORD, Calif. – In its season opener, No. 9 Stanford fell in straight sets to No. 12 Lewis, 30-28, 25-21, 25-22, Saturday, in Burnham Pavilion.
Stanford (0-1) hit .231 as a team, while Lewis (2-0) posted a .355 clip. The Flyers registered 11.0 blocks to just 2.5 by the Cardinal. Both teams tallied three service aces.
Senior opposite Moses Wagner led the team with 12 kills, six digs, an ace and a block. Outside hitter Alex Rottman, who redshirted last season, added seven kills on .417 hitting.
Senior Theoren Brouillette started the match at setter, totaling 21 assists and a team-best seven digs in two sets played. Sophomore Ryan Gant set in the third, finishing with 12 assists and two digs.
In total, 15 of 19 Cardinal players appeared in the match, including true freshmen Luke Morrison and Erik Ask. Morrison came off the bench as a serving sub in all three sets, while Ask started the third at outside hitter and totaled three kills and a dig.
Senior Theo Snoey notched five kills, four digs, two assists and two aces, while junior Nate Clinton chipped in with three kills, five digs and a block. Both Snoey and Clinton stated at outside hitter.
Junior Gray Mandelbaum and sophomore Kaumana Carreira were the starting middle blockers for the Cardinal. Mandelbaum registered four kills on six swings with just one miscue. Carreira finished with a kill, a dig and two blocks.
Sophomore Kai Schmitt started at libero, collecting two digs in two sets. Sophomore Evan Porter replaced Schmitt in the third and had six digs.
Up next, Stanford travels to Phoenix for the First Point Collegiate Challenge, Jan. 17-18. The Cardinal will face No. 7 Loyola Chicago and No. 16 Ball State at the Phoenix Convention Center.
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).
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.
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/
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