Sports

U.S. Men’s National Team Charges Back to Defeat China to Start 2025 VNL Week Two

Published

6 months ago

June 27, 2025

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 25, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team rallied from a 2-1 set deficit to defeat China, 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11) in the opening match of the second week of Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Wednesday at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The U.S. win was the ninth in its last 10 meetings with China.

The U.S. (3-2) will return to the court tomorrow, Thursday, June 26m at 5:30 p.m. PT to face North American rival Canada (2-3).

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The U.S. finished with 13 more kills than China (65-52), and though the U.S. men were outblocked 16-12 for the match, most of the blocks came in the first three sets as China had only one block in each of the final two sets. Both teams served three aces with China making three fewer errors.

Eleven U.S. players scored and all 14 played in the match. Outside hitter Jordan Ewert led all players with 16 kills and 18 points, adding a pair of blocks, and paced the team with six successful receptions.

“It was an important match for a lot of us, the first time getting to play in front of our friends and family representing the national team. For the first match having such a big crowd and supportive fans and then to get the ‘W’ is huge. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the week,” Ewert commented. “We were playing against a good team. They made adjustments and we had to make adjustments. We made those adjustments in the fourth set and it worked out. The fifth set is always a battle and we pulled it out. They were a great team and they did some impressive things defensively, so we had to adjust and did well.”

Opposite Kyle Ensing scored 12 points on 10 kills, a block and an ace. Outside hitter Jacob Pasteur recorded 11 kills and outside Ethan Champlin came in to start the fourth set and finished with 10 kills. In addition to running the offense, Micah Ma’a scored five points on three kills, a block and an ace. In just under two sets, veteran libero Erik Shoji registered five successful receptions and led the team with four digs.

“It was a 14-man effort. Everybody was on the floor at some point and eventually we found a combination that put together some really good volleyball. It’s not a bad thing to play a little extra as we are learning, even if it gives me a few more grey hairs,” head coach Karch Kiraly said. “I’m really proud of the way the guys responded after losing that third set. They came out really strong in the fourth and really strong in the fifth. It’s nice to come out to a lead. Whatever combination we put out, they were working and there was a lot of effort. It didn’t always work but credit to all the guys for enduring, for rolling with all the changes we threw at them.”

A perfect Pasteur pass led to a second consecutive kill by Ensign to give the U.S. a 16-10 lead in the first set. The U.S. was passing at a 71 percent efficiency at that point. The lead was still six points, 18-12, when China went on a 6-1 run to close the lead to one point.

A Pasteur kill made it 20-18 and with a 21-19 lead, Pasteur’s strong serve led to a well-placed tip by Ewert. Ensign followed with a block on an attempted tip for a 23-19 lead. China fought off two set points after falling behind 24-20 but a kill on a back row attack by Pasteur ended the set. Ensign led the team with seven points on six kills and his late block.

Strong serving sent China out to a 6-3 lead in the second set. The U.S. called a quick timeout and rebounded to even the set 7-7, but China scored the next three points and led by at least two points the remainder of the set. Pasteur led the U.S. with five kills in the set.

Trailing 21-17 in the second set, the U.S. suffered a big blow when three-time Olympian Shoji landed awkwardly after going up for a jump set and had to be assisted off the court.

The teams split the first 12 points of the third set before China ran off six consecutive points and forced the U.S. to use both of its timeouts. A block by Cooper Robinson after a strong serve by Matthew Knigge brought the U.S. within two points, 18-16. China scored five of the next six points to put the set out of reach. Through three sets, China was serving at 54 percent.

Champlin and Hobus entered the match in the fourth set and keyed a 7-1 U.S. start that forced China to use both its timeouts early in the set. The lead quickly grew to eight points 12-4 on a Champlin kill. China pulled no closer than five points the rest of the set.

Middle blocker Shayne Holdaway made his U.S. National Team debut in the set and served an ace for a 21-13 lead. Champlin ended the set with his seventh kill, hitting .545. Holdaway added two blocks for three points and Ewert recorded three kills.

Ewert scored the first two points of the deciding set, one on a tip and another on a block, and a Gabi Garcia kill put the U.S. ahead 3-0. Champlin made a perfect pass and then scored on a back row attack and Garcia pounded a ball as the U.S. scored five of the first seven points in the set.

China pulled within two points three times but could get no closer. With a 9-7 lead, the U.S. scored three consecutive points. After a net violation on China, Jeff Jendryk came up with a block and then Robinson put a ball away after a great dig by Ma’a and a set from Dagostino.

A Holdaway kill and Champlin’s 10th point in just a set and a half gave the U.S. five match points at 14-9. China scored two points before Garcia sealed the comeback win with a kill. Jendryk, Garcia and Champlin each scored three points in the set which saw six different U.S. players score.

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

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
5 Kyle Ensing (Opp, 6-7, Valencia, Calif., Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
7 Jacob Pasteur (OH, 6-4, Westminster, Md., Ohio State Univ., Chesapeake)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
12 Shane Holdaway (MB, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
22C Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
26 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

2025 Volleyball Nations League Schedule for Week 2
NOW Arena
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
All times PDT; Matches will be shown live on VBTV and either CBS Sports Network or Big Ten Network

June 25 USA def. China, 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11)
June 26 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Canada
June 28 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Poland
June 29 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Italy

Week 1 Results
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 Slovenia def. USA, 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 25-23)
June 15 USA def. Cuba, 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23)

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Central hosts Dutch Holiday Preview track and field meet

Published

8 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

PELLA — Winning 12 events, the Central College men’s and women’s track and field teams put on a strong showing in its home Dutch Holiday Preview Friday.

Truman State University (Mo.) was the only other school competing Friday. Several key contributors for Central were not in action as they competed at other meets last weekend or are competing at the University of Iowa tomorrow.

Karlee Warnke (junior, Primghar, South O’Brien HS) was responsible for two of Central’s individual titles, taking the women’s long jump with a mark of 16 feet, 7.25 inches and the 60-meter dash in 8.24 seconds. Her time in the 60 meters was a new personal best.

Gaurav Nair (freshman, McKinney, Texas, Frisco Heritage HS) made a splash in his first collegiate pole vault, clearing 15-3.75 for the win. It’s No. 9 in Division III this season and second on Central’s all-time men’s list.

Lance Bunde (sophomore, Guthrie Center, ACGC HS) and Gunner Meyer (junior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) both made a high jump clearance of 6-7.5, but Bunde won the men’s event after taking fewer attempts. They are tied for seventh in NCAA Division III

In her first action since the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, Maddy Stevens (freshman, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) won the women’s 3000 meters in 10 minutes, 23.80 seconds. She’s No. 22 nationally.

Other individual champions were Leah Howard (senior, Auburn, N.Y.) in the women’s pole vault (11-1), Cor Huyser (senior, Pella) in the men’s 60-meter hurdles (8.84 seconds), Kyra Cordes (freshman, Marion) in the women’s mile (5:23.23), Donovan Card (junior, Norwalk) in the men’s mile (4:35.68), Olivia Phillips (freshman, St. Charles, Interstate 35 HS) in the women’s 300 meters (42.71 seconds), Elijah Ajiri (freshman, Urbandale) in the men’s 300 meters (37:05 and Alex Volden (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) in the men’s 600 meters (1:25.00).

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Aggies upset Louisville, move to Elite Eight

Published

10 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It has been 364 days since Texas A&M played a Sweet 16 match but unlike last year, the Aggies advanced to the regional finals for the first time since 2001 pulling a reverse sweep over Louisville.

The front row led the way for the Aggies and outside hitter Logan Lednicky was three stops shy of a triple-double with 20 kills, 12 digs and seven blocks. Kyndal Stowers had a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs. Cos-Okpalla was shy of a double-double, tallying nine kills and 12 blocks on the night.

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Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison celebrates during a timeout in the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

A&M (26-4, 14-1 SEC) started strong offensively, hitting .353 then .235 in the first two sets. It made it into the red zone but Louisville went to big hitters Cara Cresse and Payton Peterson to snatch the sets away from the Aggies. Louisville’s 8-0 run to win the second set put it in position to sweep the Aggies.

RELATED: Texas A&M looks to prove it belongs against Louisville

But A&M takes pride in its grit and battled in the third set with 15 ties.

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A&M found the red zone first thanks to a Louisville service error and a 2-1 run put A&M ahead 22-20. Coming out of the Louisville timeout, the Cardinals went on a 3-1 run to tie it at 23. A&M found Stowers for back-to-back kills and the set win.

With the offense humming, Cos-Okpalla woke up and took control in set four. A&M jumped to an early lead. Cos-Okpalla and Co. combined for four blocks on a 6-0 run to take the 17-8 lead; they had six blocks over the first three sets in total.

Louisville made late-set pushes, but A&M’s service pressure and two straight Stowers kills, forced the fifth set.

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In a fight to keep their seasons alive, the Aggies and Cardinals’ decisive set had nine ties.

A&M had a small 11-10 lead leading into a rally without a libero or defensive specialist on the court. Eight Aggies digs and a Morgan Perkins block later, A&M took control, 12-10. After a Louisville kill, Perkins followed up with a shot of her own for the 13-11 hold.

Louisville went to Peterson once more to cut the deficit to one. But A&M had great success hitting off Louisville hands late in the match and kills from Hellmuth and Stowers sent the Aggies to the regional finals.

A&M will play Sunday against the winner of No. 1 Nebraska and No. 4 Kansas.

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Texas A&M players celebrate winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Here are highlights of Texas A&M’s regional semifinal game against Louisville:

2025 NCAA Tournament, Nebraska Regional

FINAL: TEXAS A&M 3, LOUISVILLE 2

Set 5: Texas A&M 15, Louisville 12

Louisville again goes with the bigs and Lednicky is blocked to cut the deficit to one. Perkins takes advantage of a free ball to return to a two-point lead. Peterson takes the angle to cut to one. Hellmuth pushes through the block for match point and Stowers’ off-handed kill sends A&M to the regional final.

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Set 5: Texas A&M 12, Louisville 10

Texas A&M attacks the ball on a tight set, but the error ties it for the ninth time at 10. Lednicky fires a shot to the back corner to retake the lead. A&M did not have a defensive specialist or Libero on the court, and after at least four blocks and digs, Perkins’ block gets the Aggies the point. Louisville considered challenging a Lednicky lift at the net but do not because they have one left. Louisville calls a timeout.

Set 5: Texas A&M 10, Louisville 9

After trading errors, Cos-Okpalla ties the match with a block. A&M retakes the lead after an out-of-system long ball from Louisville. Louisville takes a timeout.

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Set 5: Louisville 8, Texas A&M 7

A Lednicky service error ties the match at four. Louisville uses its bigs to challenge A&M’s offense and the Cardinals take the lead. But A&M retakes it after a Perkins kill out of the middle. Cresse gets the point on a long dig to go back in front. Stowers tools the block to tie the match. Cabello finds Cos-Okpalla’s hand on the throw down and Stowers ties the match for A&M. Chicoine gets the Louisville point for the 8-7 lead but A&M challenges that the ball landed in; the call is confirmed.

Set 5: Texas A&M 4, Louisville 3

Louisville opens the fifth set with a high swing. Lednicky responds with a cross-court kill. Hellmuth gets the kill on a rally with two strong blocks from A&M. Chicoine fights through the double block of Lednicky and Cos-Okpalla to tie the match. Cos-Okpalla throws down a kill that popped up on a block deflection. Chicoine tools the block to tie the match. Blackshear’s shot goes long but Louisville challenges there was a touch; the call is confirmed.

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Set 4: Texas A&M 25, Louisville 18

Louisville’s defense challenges the Aggies who scramble, but fail to dig the ball. Perkins sends the ball back after a tight kill from Louisville. Stowers stuffs Sherman’s swing on the left side and two straight Stowers kills sends the Aggies to a fifth set.

Set 4: Texas A&M 21, Louisville 17

Louisville tools the A&M block out of the timeout. Perkins out of the middle sends the Aggies into the red zone. Louisville goes on a 3-0 run and it ends with a Lednicky point from the back row. Louisville starts a 3-0 run thanks to Cresse’s offensive power at the net and service line. Morrison calls a timeout.

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Set 4: Texas A&M 19, Louisville 10

Louisville ends the 6-0 Aggies run with a kill from Blackshear. Texas A&M is called for a net violation. A bad Louisville set gives the Aggies another point and Hellmuth comes up with a block that ricochets off Cresse’s kill. Louisville calls another timeout.

Set 4: Texas A&M 17, Louisville 8

Lednicky keeps going for her 17th kill and Peterson is blocked at the net. Louisville calls a timeout.

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Set 4: Texas A&M 15, Louisville 8

After a 2-2 run, Cos-Okpalla blocks Louisville, stopping Chicoine on the left side. Applegate tries to dig a Chicoine kill but the ball goes flying into the stands. Stowers takes the angled kill. Lednicky meets the Louisville block to make it 11-8. Cos-Okpalla slams the ball into the middle on a close set. Cos-Okpalla has three straight blocks to hold onto the lead.

Set 4: Texas A&M 7, Louisville 3

Texas A&M’s first point is a block from Cos-Okpalla. Lednicky wins a joust at the net to take an early lead. Peterson’s out-of-system swing goes wide. Louisville sets a ball short to the net and the attempt goes wide. Peterson’s kill ends a 3-0 Aggies run. Blackshear works through the defense for a point that falls in the front row, but Lednicky cannot be stopped going cross-court to hold a three-point lead. Lednicky follows it up with an ace.

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Set 3: Texas A&M 25, Loisville 23

Stowers takes the angle to break the 15th tie of the set. Thomas serves then digs a return and finds Stowers, who softly touches the ball over to take the set.

Set 3: Texas A&M 23, Louisville 23

Chicoine gets the touch on a long kill attempt out of the timeout. Waak sends an out-of-system ball over the net and a Chicoine swing ties the match.

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Set 3: Texas A&M 23, Louisville 21

Out of the Cardinal timeout, Peterson sends a shot into the stands. Hellmuth takes a swing and tools the Louisville block. Louisville calls another timeout after freshman Megan Fitch rotates into the match.

Set 3: Texas A&M 22, Louisville 20

Cresse breaks the tie, but Lednicky re-knots it at 21. Hellmuth sends a powerful kill across the court and Louisville calls a timeout.

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Set 3: Texas A&M 20, Louisville 19

Perkins explodes out of the middle but Hellmuth serves the Aggies’ ninth service error. Stowers goes down the line to cut the deficit to one. Thomas serves an ace to tie the match and her free-hand dig finds Stowers to take the lead. Louisville ties the set for the 11th time, this time at 17, after Chicoine goes high on her swing. Cos-Okpalla uses a free ball to her advantage and finds the floor for an Aggies lead. A&M loses a joust and the match is tied at 18. The Aggies go to Cos-Okpalla again for another kill but a Stowers service error knots it at 19. A Louisville service error puts A&M in the red zone.

Set 3: Louisville 15, Texas A&M 13

For the seventh time, this set is tied after an attack error goes awry. Hellmuth takes an aggressive swing on an out-of-system point. A Louisville service error ties the match for the ninth time at 13. Peterson and Chicoine start a 2-0 run to get to 15 first.

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Set 3: Texas A&M 11, Louisville 10

The Cards go on a 4-0 run but Waak has an aggressive throw down in the middle of the court. Lednicky’s kill ties the match at nine with a cross-court kill. Blackshear swings through the triple block but Cos-Okpalla throws down a kill in the middle. Louisville has no answer for the middle blocker at the net. Lednicky tags the line on an angled shot to retake the lead.

Set 3: Texas A&M 6, Louisville 5

Cos-Okpalla blocks Chicoine to open the set. Stowers tries to go angle but the ball goes wide. The Aggies go on a 2-0 run but momentum is stopped by a Peterson kill through the block. The two teams trade service errors until Lednicky sends a rocket down the line. Louisville tried to send a free ball to Louisville but is stuffed at the net and another Louisville block stuffs Hellmuth to tie the match at five. Hellmuth goes cross-court to retake the lead.

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Set 2: Louisville 25, Texas A&M 22

Louisville finds Chicoine for two straight kills through the Aggies block. Blackshear’s kill is the exclamation point on an 8-0 run for Louisville as they take the second set.

Set 2: Texas A&M 22, Louisville 22

Cardinals tool the block and get an ace that drops quickly in front of Underwood to tie the match at 22. A&M calls another timeout.

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Set 2: Texas A&M 22, Louisville 20

Hellmuth’s serve finds the net for the Aggies’ fifth service error of the night. But Stowers gets the point back by going down the line. The Cardinals go on a 3-0 run and force the Aggies to call a timeout as Louisville enters the red zone.

Set 2: Texas A&M 21, Louisville 16

Louisville calls a timeout in the middle of a 4-0 Aggies run. But the fourth point goes to Louisville after challenging an Aggies net fault and the call is overturned. The teams trade four points until a Peterson kill cross-court kill. A&M goes on a 2-0 run and Louisville calls a timeout. The Cardinals call another timeout after a 2-1 run that puts the Aggies into the red zone.

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Set 2: Texas A&M 13, Louisville 12

Hellmuth leads a 3-0 run with two kills but A&M’s block didn’t chase an offspeed shot. Hellmuth’s kill and Perkins’ block starts a 2-0 run, but errors from A&M tie the match at 10. Sherman finds a kill for Louisville, but the Cards tie the match with a service error. The Aggies and Cards trade points and the lead until Cos-Okpalla taps the ball over.

Set 2: Louisville 7, Texas A&M 6

Stowers attacks through the block of Louisville to open the set, but Louisville finds Blackshear and Peterson for quick points. Hellmuth is stuffed on the left side to give the Cardinals the lead and a corner-to-corner ace in a 4-0 run. Lednicky is hammering kills to keep the Aggies close.

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Set 1: Louisville 23, Texas A&M 21

After a 2-0 run, A&M ties it at 23. A Peterson kill makes it Louisville set point. A free ball to Louisville gives the Cards time to set up for the kill to take set one.

Set 1: Louisville 21, Texas A&M 21

Louisville’s scoring run continues out of the timeout by stuffing Hellmuth. Its block is coming alive and has three so far in the set. The Cardinals step over the service line gifting A&M a small lead, but Chicione is hard to stop as she notches her fifth kill. Peterson’s kill gives Louisville the lead, but is short lived after a Lednicky offspeed.

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Jimmies competed in the Dakota Alumni Classic at NDSU

Published

26 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

FARGO, N.D. — The University of Jamestown men’s track and field team opened their indoor season Friday and Saturday at the NDSU Alumni Classic, posting competitive marks across sprint, hurdle, jump, and throw events.

Competing against strong regional competition, the Jimmies showed depth and talent throughout the meet.

Sprint and Hurdle Highlights

Freshman Conrad Baard placed 28th in the 60 Meters Preliminaries with a time of 7.51 seconds and added a 14th-place finish in the 400 Meters at 58.80 seconds. Senior Cael Church secured 12th place in the 400 Meters, crossing the line in 53.29 seconds. Freshman Andrew Rexin posted a 5th-place finish in the 60 Hurdles with a time of 9.72 seconds.

Jumping Events

Junior Ashton Judge had a strong showing in the Long Jump, placing 4th with a leap of 6.70 meters (21’11.75″). Freshman Matthew Hoppe placed 13th in the Long Jump at 6.24 meters (20’5.75″). Sophomore Jayden Bittner contributed two top-20 finishes, placing 16th in the Long Jump (6.11 meters / 20’0.5″) and 5th in the Triple Jump with a mark of 12.59 meters (41’3.75″).

Pole Vault and Throws

Freshman Brady Crabtree finished 6th in the Pole Vault with a vault of 4.22 meters (13’10”). Sophomore Evan Schmit earned 10th place in the Shot Put at 14.58 meters (47’10”) and 12th in the Weight Throw with a mark of 14.95 meters (49’0.75″).

WHATS NEXT?

The Jimmies will return on January 15 to compete in Aberdeen, S.D., at the Northern State Dual.

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Panthers Play Purdue in Regional Final Saturday Night

Published

27 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

PITTSBURGH – The No. 1 seeded Pitt volleyball team (29-4, 18-2 ACC) will play No. 3 seed Purdue (27-6, 15-5 Big Ten) for a chance to advance to its fifth consecutive National Semifinal on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center. The match will be streamed on ESPN2.

Pitt and Purdue meet for the 13th time, with the Boilermakers holding an 11-1 advantage. Most recently, the Panthers defeated Purdue in the 2021 Regional Final in the Fitzgerald Field House to advance to the program’s first National Semifinal. Pitt great Leketor Member-Meneh recorded 21 kills, and 2024 ACC Setter of the Year Rachel Fairbanks added 28 assists, 10 kills and eight digs as a freshman to lead the Panthers. That victory marked the first of four consecutive National Semifinal appearances for Pitt.

ALL THE SWEEPS!

• Pitt swept Minnesota in the Regional Semifinal to advance to its sixth consecutive Regional Final.

• For the first time in program history, the Panthers have opened the NCAA Tournament with three straight sweeps.

• Olivia Babcock led the way with 19 kills, and Bre Kelley hit .800 with eight kills on 10 swings.

EAST COAST’S BEST

• Many Panthers were honored with All-Region accolades on Tuesday.

• Dan Fisher was named the back-to-back AVCA East Coast Region Coach of the Year. This marks the fourth time Fisher has earned the award.

• Olivia Babcock won the AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.

• Six Panthers were dubbed AVCA East Coast All-Region – Olivia Babcock, Bre Kelley, Brooke Mosher, Blaire Bayless Marina Pezelj (honorable mention) and Ryla Jones (honorable mention).

SIXTH SWEET 16

• The Panthers advanced to their sixth consecutive Regional Semifinal with a 3-0 sweep over Michigan.

• Olivia Babcock recorded 24 kills on a .370 hitting percentage.

• This marks the third most kills in an NCAA Tournament match in program history with Babcock holding the first and second spots as well with 33 and 31.

LIV BREAKING RECORDS AGAIN

• Olivia Babcock broke Pitt’s single-season kills record with her 556th of the 2025 campaign against UMBC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

• Wendy Hatlestad owned the previous record set in 2003 with 555.

• Babcock achieved this milestone a year after setting the 25-point rally scoring kill record, finishing the 2024 season with 538 kills.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• Pitt is on a 51-match winning streak at home, dating back to Sept. 14, 2023.

• The Panthers have won 14 straight matches in the Petersen Events Center in the last three seasons.

• Pitt has not lost in the Petersen Events Center since Dec. 7, 2019 when it fell to Cincinnati in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

PREMIUM VOLLEYBALL AT THE PETE

• The Panthers will host the second Opening Spike Classic at the Petersen Events Center next Aug. 28 and 30.

• Pitt will play Kansas the first day of the tournament and conclude with Wisconsin.

• All four programs are competing in the 2025 Regional Semifinal.

• Stanford boasts nine national championships, and Wisconsin won its first in 2021.

FOUR STRAIGHT!

• The Panthers earned a share of the ACC Championship with a sweep over Georgia Tech.

• This marks Pitt’s fourth consecutive ACC title and seventh overall.

• Bre Kelley, Olivia Babcock, Blaire Bayless and Haiti Tautua’a have captured a conference title in every season of their Pitt careers.

SWEPT SEASON SERIES

• Pitt defeated Louisville in three sets to earn a season sweep over the conference rival.

• This marked the first time the Panthers have swept the Cardinals since 2020.

• Olivia Babcock notched 22 kills on a .404 hitting percentage, and Brooke Mosher recorded 30 assists and a season-high five kills.

ROOKIE COMING ALIVE

• Freshman middle blocker Abbey Emch was named the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Dec. 1.

• She averaged 2.33 blocks per set in two sweeps and recorded a career-high 10 blocks against Georgia Tech to help secure the ACC Championship.

ALL-ACC AWARDS

• The Pitt volleyball team was well represented on the ACC awards list.

• Olivia Babcock was named the ACC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

• Bre Kelley is the first Panther in program history to earn ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

• Babcock, Kelley and Brooke Mosher were named First Team All-ACC, and Blaire Bayless notched Second Team honors.

• Marina Pezelj impressed as a rookie and saw her name on the All-ACC Freshman Team.

PRO PANTHERS!

• Bre Kelley and Brooke Mosher were chosen in the MLV Draft.

• Kelley was drafted number six overall in the first round by the reigning champion Orlando Valkyries, and Brooke Mosher went in the second round as the 15th pick by the Omaha Supernovas.

• Kelley will be joining Pitt libero great Emmy Klika in Orlando.

A NATIONAL PHENOM

• Olivia Babcock made an appearance on SportsCenter with Christine Williamson on Nov. 25, breaking down her record-breaking season and the team’s success.

• In addition, Babcock was highlighted on NFL Countdown heading into the match against Louisville on Oct. 19.

FIELD HOUSE FINALE

• The Panthers played their final match in the Fitzgerald Field House on Nov. 23

• Pitt defeated Boston College in three sets, and Olivia Babcock recorded a match-high 13 kills while Brooke Mosher added 36 assists.

• The Panthers haven’t lost at home since Sept. 14, 2023, when they fell to Oregon in five sets.

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Szepieniec Tops the Podium Three Times in Season-Opening Blue Demon Holiday Invitational

Published

42 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Milwaukee women’s track & field team opened its season at the Blue Demon Holiday Invitational hosted by DePaul University on Friday.

“I thought it was a good season opener for us” head coach Andrew Basler stated. “We didn’t bring a full squad, but I felt that the athletes we brought really stepped up and started us off on a strong foot.

Anna Szepieniec led the way for the Panthers, securing victories in three events on the day. Szepieniec took home first-place in the 60-meter hurdles (8.53) and secured a new personal best in the prelims with a time of 8.49. She also finished at the top of the podium in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.68, the third best time in program history, and in the long jump (5.76m).

The Black & Gold claimed the top two spots in the 400-meter dash, with Leah Handshoe taking first with a time of (56.88), and Katie Burns following closely behind, crossing the finish line in 56.91. Taylor Thimmesch added a fourth-place finish in the event as well, registering a time of 57.78

Also finding the top of the podium was Olivia VanZeeland who cleared 1.72m in the high jump.

Success in the high jump continued for Milwaukee with Kallie Volk taking second, soaring over 1.66m.

“Our women’s 400 group performed really well,” added Basler. “We had some seniors in the high jump that showed another strong event for us with VanZeeland taking some attempts at school records. Szepieniec had an awesome start to her junior campaign with a top third best 200 in school history, second best in the 60m hurdles and a really good long jump performance from short approach.”

In her first meet as a Panther, freshman Kara Meeteer secured a second-place finish in the 300-meter dash, clocking a time of 42.90.

“Overall, very happy with how things went. We have a good sense of where we are at and a good sense of what we have to work on going forward,” concluded Basler.

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Sports

Kansas Falls to No. 1 Nebraska in the Sweet 16

Published

43 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LINCOLN, Neb. – Playing in their fourth Sweet 16 in program history, the Kansas Jayhawks fell to the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers, 3-0, in the NCAA Volleyball Regional Semifinal at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb., on Friday.

Kansas finishes its season at 24-11 (13-5 Big 12) in its first year under head coach Matt Ulmer, while it was Kansas’ fourth appearance in the Sweet 16 in program history. Nebraska improves to 33-0 (20-0 Big Ten) and will take on No. 3-seed Texas A&M in the Elite 8 on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Nebraska hit .450 for the match, recording 41 kills, 10 blocks and only five errors. The Cornhuskers were led by Rebekah Allick and Andi Jackson with nine kills each, while Reilly Bergen led the way with 30 assists.

For the Jayhawks, freshman Jovana Zelenovic led the team with seven kills on 22 attacks, while senior Katie Dalton added 11 assists. Kansas hit .029 as a team.

Nebraska wasted no time getting started, jumping out to a 4-0 lead early in the first set. Kansas found its first point on a kill by freshman Selena Leban, but the Cornhuskers would extend their lead to 8-1, forcing a Kansas timeout.

Kansas stayed aggressive and found points from seniors Dalton and Rhian Swanson to make the score 10-3. After another first set timeout for the Jayhawks, Kansas rallied for three-straight points to cut into the deficit at 13-6. Nebraska would grow its lead to as many as 13 and would go on to take the opening set, 25-12.

The second set started with both teams trading the opening points, before Nebraska rallied for three-straight points to open with a 4-1 lead. Kansas would strike back with points from Zelenovic, sophomore Reese Ptacek, sophomore Grace Nelson and Swanson and Dalton to bring the score to 10-7 early in the second set. Nebraska would then score three-straight points to force a KU timeout at 13-7.

After Kansas scored back-to-back points, Nebraska rallied for six-straight points to take an 11-point lead at 20-9. Nebraska would go on to finish on a 5-0 run to finish the second set, 25-11.

Nebraska remained in control going into the third set by claiming an early 5-1 advantage to force a Kansas timeout. Out of the timeout, Nebraska expanded its lead to 8-2, before Kansas responded with two-straight points on Nebraska errors to make the score 8-4. The Cornhuskers’ attack was too much as they would pull ahead 13-6 midway through the third set.

The Cornhuskers continued their success late in the third set, hitting .621 as a unit in the third set. Nebraska would go on to pull away to clinch the match with a third set win, 25-12.

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