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Published

5 months ago

July 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Welcome ladies and gentlemen, Iowa wrestling fans of all ages.

With Independence Day in our rearview mirror, the middle of July lies ahead of us. And that can only mean one thing:

It’s time for the USMC Junior Nationals.

Or in other words, it’s time for Fargo.

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That’s right, the world’s largest wrestling competition has arrived once again, and thousands upon thousands of the top high school wrestlers from around the country will descend upon the Fargodome for a week of wall-to-wall action.

Among the mass of humanity will be plenty of prep stars worth monitoring – including several signees/commits to the Iowa men’s and women’s programs, plus a whole host of recruiting targets in the upcoming 2026 and 2027 classes.

I can’t watch every match/competitor for you, of course. But I can serve as a compass of sorts, so you’ll have a better idea of when/where to look.

So please, allow me to be your guide for this edition of this annual wrestling extravaganza.

And as such, let’s first look at the schedule for the week’s proceedings.

How to watch

A handy Fargo event schedule can be found at THIS LINK courtesy of FloWrestling – or if you prefer, RIGHT HERE in slightly greater detail thanks to USA Wrestling’s event page.

The quick and dirty of it, however, is as follows:

Junior/16U Girls Freestyle

Saturday/Sunday (July 12-13)

Junior/16U Boys Freestyle

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday (July 14-16)

Junior/16U Boys Greco-Roman

Friday/Saturday (July 18-19)

Finals will be held on the final day of each given timeframe, with action ongoing from 8:00/9:00 a.m. until the late afternoon/evening just about every day of the tournament.

Every single Fargo match will be livestreamed on FloWrestling, with all results/brackets/statistics/bout orders/etc. accessible through USA Bracketing (free profile required).

Now, with all the housekeeping out of the way, let’s get into the fun stuff.

Women’s signees

A quartet of (known) future Hawkeyes will toe the line in Fargo over the next eight days. And in keeping with the order in which they’ll compete, we’ll start with the women.

Two incoming freshmen from the 2025 class will officially conclude their prep careers this Saturday/Sunday – ideally with a freestyle national title in hand.

Harlee Hiller, IL – 115lbs (JR)

#4 at 115lbs (#23 pound-for-pound)

Libby Dix, IA – 190lbs (JR)

#5 at 190lbs

Hiller – who joined Iowa’s 2025 class back in early May – is a must-watch for any unfamiliar Hawkeye fans.

Her elite Judo background constantly shows up in her wrestling – where she’ll hit big throws from all angles.

The Evanston (IL) native – whose mom and dad are head/assistant coach of the powerhouse Northwestern women’s lacrosse program – is a three-time Fargo placer to date. Her best finish thus far was a runner up result in 2023.

If Hiller wants to nab a ‘Stop Sign’ (the moniker for an individual Fargo title) in her final opportunity, she’ll have to navigate a field at 115 pounds littered with 11 other ranked wrestlers. Tops among them is #3 Taylor Whiting (WI) – a returning Fargo champ and potential 2026 target for the Hawkeyes.

Meanwhile, Libby Dix will be making her Fargo debut just days after announcing her commitment to the Iowa program.

In fact, one of the best upper weight prospects in America was a complete freestyle novice until this summer. Now, the multi-sport prep star will see where she stacks up amongst the nation’s best in the unfamiliar discipline.

The field at 190 pounds includes 11 nationally ranked wrestlers – five of whom reside in the top 10 (including Dix).

Men’s commits

The other two Iowa pledges in the Fargo field are on the men’s side – both from the Class of 2026.

Each is entered in the Junior Men’s Freestyle division, set to be contested Monday-Wednesday (July 14-16).

Owen McMullen, PA – 150lbs (JR Freestyle)

Unranked at 144/150lbs

Michael Mocco, FL – 285lbs (JR Freestyle)

#3 at 285lbs (#15 overall in 2026)

For Owen McMullen – Iowa’s first 2026 commit as of last fall – Fargo is another step in a long, arduous return.

The Pennsylvania native missed his entire 2024-25 high school season due to injury and only recently returned to competition. And while he may not be nationally ranked due to that long absence, Fargo represents a prime opportunity to reestablish his standing within the prep hierarchy.

Of the nine ranked wrestlers in the field at 150 pounds, none sits higher than #10. It wouldn’t shock me in the least to see McMullen make a deep run and show he’s just as deserving of a number next to his name when the next Flo rankings are released.

On the flip side, it’s no secret what Michael Mocco is capable of, nor whom he’ll likely have to prove it against this week.

Iowa’s heavyweight of the future was a double Fargo champ (Freestyle/Greco) in the 16U division back in 2023. He took a break last summer to bring home a U17 World title instead.

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But after falling just short of the 2025 World team, he’s heading back to the Fargodome to throw down amongst possibly the toughest field at the event.

#1 Dreshaun Ross (Oklahoma State), #2 Coby Merrill and #4 Dean Bechtold (Lehigh) all present huge challenges.

Mocco may well have to knock off two of the three to be crowned champion.

Class of 2026 women’s wrestlers to watch

I won’t get too deep in the weeds with the following prospects – each of whom I detailed much more in my 2026 women’s recruiting breakdown.

However, all will be worth watching as they (potentially) audition to be a part of what could be an extremely small 2026 recruiting class for Coach Chun.

Madison Nieuwenhuis, MI – 105lbs (JR)

#5 at 100lbs

Taylor Whiting, WI – 115lbs (JR)

#3 at 115lbs (#22 pound-for-pound)

Carley Ceshker, WI – 140lbs (JR)

#3 at 135lbs

Faith Bane, NC – 145lbs (JR)

#6 at 145lbs

Michigander Madison Nieuwenhuis has reached back-to-back 16U finals at 100 pounds – winning in 2023. She steps up to 105 in the Junior Division this year, where several hammers await – including McKendree commit Heather Crull.

Elsewhere, the aforementioned Whiting/Hiller matchup is one I’d very much like to see during Sunday evening’s 115-pound final, especially with Whiting looking to repeat as Fargo champ.

At 140, Carley Ceshker bumps up from her weight class of current ranking to join a field filled with top competition. In the process, the two-time 16U Fargo runner up (2022-23) may get a rematch of her 2025 Wisconsin High School state final loss against Riley Hanrahan.

And at 145, Faith Bane is one of my sleeper recruits to watch. She doesn’t have a plethora of high-end results just yet, but she’ll have every chance to earn some this week amidst a bracket filled with six other athletes ranked #12 or better in the country.

Keep an eye on the following in-state prospects as well:

Katie Biscoglia – 105lbs (JR)

#24 at 105lbs

Greta Brus – 145lbs (JR)

#12 at 140lbs

Skylar Slade – 145lbs (JR)

Unranked at 145lbs

Anastasia Simon – 155lbs (16U)

#25 at 145lbs

Autumn Elsbury – 170lbs (JR)

#13 at 170lbs

Class of 2026 men’s wrestlers to watch

And to no surprise, you’ll find many of the same names in the list to follow.

Rylan Seacrist, OH – 113lbs (JR Freestyle) *Arizona State commit

#9 at 113lbs (#96 overall in 2026)

Jordyn Raney, KY – 138lbs (JR Freestyle + Greco) *Oklahoma State commit

#4 at 138lbs (#5 overall in 2026)

Haakon Peterson, WI – 144lbs (JR Freestyle) *Michigan commit

#18 at 150lbs (#24 overall in 2026)

Liam Crook, WI – 165lbs (JR Freestyle) *Virginia commit

Unranked at 165/174lbs (#23 overall in 2026)

You’ll notice that all four of the wrestlers listed are currently committed to schools other than Iowa. And in indeed, that’s one of the major challenges as the Hawkeyes seek to salvage a once promising 2026 class.

The top 38 prospects in Flo’s rankings are either committed to Iowa, elsewhere, or are not on Iowa’s board for various reasons. And that leaves flipping current commits as the only viable option to reel in some top talent before this cycle ends.

Each member of the quartet above has either visited (Raney/Seacrist) or once planned to visit Iowa City (Crook/Peterson) before committing to their current school – which makes all of them sensible targets to rekindle their recruitment.

Or perhaps a lesser ranked, uncommitted prospect will make waves at Fargo this week and Iowa can pounce.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see.

Class of 2027 women’s wrestlers to watch

Once again, I’ll spare folks (and myself) an exhaustive breakdown of these 2027 prospects.

(I already went through that process a few weeks ago – which I’d highly encourage checking out if you missed it.)

But it’s safe to say there will be no shortage of potential Iowa targets from the soon-to-be women’s junior class present in Fargo this week. That’s because as many as 15 Hawkeyes could exhaust their eligibility following the 2026-27 season – and this will be the class stepping onto campus to fill their massive shoes.

(Yeah, no pressure.)

Here are some of the national names to keep an eye on:

Jaclyn Bouzakis, PA – 100lbs (JR)

#1 at 100lbs (#4 pound-for-pound)

Kayla Batres, CT – 110lbs (JR)

#7 at 110lbs

Emma Bacon, PA – 125lbs (JR)

#1 at 125lbs (#12 pound-for-pound)

Taina Fernandez, MD – 135lbs (JR/16U)

#1 at 135lbs (#2 pound-for-pound)

Riley Hanrahan, WI – 140lbs (JR)

#2 at 140lbs (#20 pound-for-pound)

Violette Lasure, PA – 145lbs (JR)

#1 at 145lbs (#10 pound-for-pound)

Ella Poalillo, NJ – 155lbs (JR)

#1 at 155lbs (#14 pound-for-pound)

Janiya Johnson, TN – 155lbs (16U)

#3 at 155lbs

Kaili Manuel, MI – 170lbs (16U)

#5 at 155lbs

Brooke Huffman, WI – 190lbs (JR)

#3 at 190lbs

And on the in-state front, keep tabs on these local prospects as well:

Violet Diaz – 105lbs (JR)

#21 at 110lbs

Camille Schult – 120lbs (JR)

Unranked at 120lbs

Isabella Miller – 130lbs (16U)

#15 at 135lbs

Eve Skrocki – 145lbs (16U)

#3 at 145lbs

Class of 2027 men’s wrestlers to watch

My comprehensive deep dive into 2027 recruiting for the Iowa men also went up on the site last month.

There, you’ll find detailed information on most of the prospects listed below – though there have been a few additions since.

Regardless, the Iowa coaching staff has reached out to each of these rising juniors since the recruiting contact period opened in mid-June. And they’ll all be in North Dakota this week to strut their stuff in front of the wrestling world.

We’ll start with the national recruits:

Shamus Regan, PA – 126lbs (JR Freestyle)

#5 at 120lbs (#22 overall in 2027)

Joe Bachmann, PA – 138lbs (JR Freestyle)

#10 at 138lbs (#3 overall in 2027)

Lucas Boe, FL – 157lbs (JR Freestyle + Greco)

#15 at 157lbs (#10 overall in 2027)

Jimmy Mastny, IL – 190lbs (JR Freestyle + Greco)

#5 at 190lbs (#6 overall in 2027)

And here are your local products who’ve jumped onto Iowa’s early recruiting radar for 2027:

Gage Spurgeon – 126lbs (JR Freestyle)

Unranked at 126lbs

Dawson Youngblut – 138lbs (JR Freestyle)

Unranked at 138lbs (#29 overall in 2027)

Maximus Dhabolt – 165lbs (JR Freestyle + Greco)

Unranked at 165lbs (#49 overall in 2027)

Other names to watch (men/women)

Since we’ve all come this far, I figured I’d leave you with a few more names to watch just for fun.

Most are members of the 2028 class or beyond, and all have some sort of tie to Iowa wrestling.

Chase Karenbauer, PA – 113lbs (16U Boys Freestyle)

Class of 2028
#3 at 106lbs
Has previously visited/camped at Iowa

Hadyn Strittmatter, PA – 132lbs (16U Boys Freestyle + Greco)

Rocco Cassioppi, IL – 138lbs (JR Boys Freestyle + Greco)

Class of 2027
Unranked at 138lbs (#49 overall in 2027)
Younger brother of former Hawkeye wrestlers Tony/Rose Cassioppi, twin brother to Bruno

Bruno Cassioppi, IL – 144lbs (JR Boys Freestyle + Greco)

Class of 2027
Unranked at 144lbs
Younger brother of former Hawkeye wrestlers Tony/Rose Cassioppi, twin brother to Rocco

Mario Hutcherson, PA – 190lbs (16U Boys Freestyle)

Class of 2028
#19 at 175
Has previously visited/camped at Iowa

Peter Mocco, FL – 190lbs (16U Boys Freestyle + Greco)

Class of 2028
Unranked at 190lbs
Younger brother of 2026 Iowa commit Michael Mocco, son of former Hawkeye Steve Mocco

Amalia Djoumessi, IA – 155lbs (16U Girls Freestyle)

Class of 2028
#23 at 155lbs
Younger sister of current Iowa women’s wrestler Kiara Djoumessi

Short time

Alright that should just about do it.

The world’s largest wrestling competition warranted a Hawkeye-centric preview of equal proportions, I think. And some 2000 words later, I feel as though I’ve delivered such – for better or worse.

Thank you all so much for sticking with me this far and/or skipping to the end where you’re reading this now.

I’ll be back with a Fargo wrap-up article once all the action has concluded many moons from this typing. But in the meantime, enjoy the heck out of an incredible week of wrestling.

I know I will.

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Why On Is Entering Football

Published

4 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Hi everyone, welcome back to SportsVerse, my twice-weekly newsletter that tells stories you can’t find anywhere else about the intersection of sports, fashion, business, and culture. This will be the final SportsVerse edition of 2025 (unless I decide to put a special edition out in the event of big industry news, which often happens around this time of year). I wanted to say thank you again to everyone who has engaged with this newsletter since January. It’s been so much fun seeing it grow and grow and grow. I’ll catch you all in 2026 for more. And if you need best-in-class sports culture analysis and fun content in the meantime, be sure to sign up for OffBall’s daily newsletter, written by the incredible Ashtyn Butuso, edited by yours truly. Peace.

When On first entered the tennis category after attracting investment from Roger Federer in 2019, it became clear that the brand had ambitions far greater than dominating just the running footwear market where it first made a name for itself. When the Swiss sneaker company began branching out into high-end fashion collaborations with the likes of Loewe, Beams and Post Archive Faction, it also became apparent that the brand had intentions far greater than simply producing performance shoes and apparel for sports.

Very early on, the brand’s founders and executive team set out a strategy that, if executed correctly, would see the once-niche disruptor brand from Zurich transform itself into a bona fide sportswear powerhouse, taking its place alongside the likes of Nike, Adidas, New Balance, and others.

For years, I’d wondered which sport the brand would look to for its next expansion. Naturally, I asked all the On executives and co-founders whenever I came across them in meetings or interviews, but they all remained tight lipped (a wise decision) while adding that the brand was always assessing new sports or categories for potential growth.

I’d been told that a lot of (very serious) golfers compete in the On’s training and running shoes, so I wondered if it could be that. But late last week, On gave the biggest indication yet of its next big move, with its surprise signing of Sydney Schertenleib, a fast rising star of FC Barcelona and the Swiss national team.

The 18-year-old is joining On specifically as an ambassador to promote the brand’s training and lifestyle collections, meaning we won’t be seeing On products on the football pitch just yet. It also doesn’t mean that two years from now, On will be churning out football gear and boots (cleats) for athletes or the general public. But make no mistake, On’s signing of Schertenleib — the first deal of any kind for On in football — was a very intentional play and a major indication of its trajectory.

Yes. Signing Schertenleib presents a perfect opportunity for On to begin lightly introducing its brand to the football world, opening the door to scores of fans and consumers who may not have bought products from — or even heard of — the brand so far. It’s relatively low risk and low cost, since it’s not like On will be investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into R&D to develop and market football products, given she will simply be endorsing the brand’s training and lifestyle clothing, which already exists. Schertenleib is expected to continue wearing Adidas boots in-game.

This is a key growth category for On. Training and lifestyle essentially = sports-inspired fashion gear for everyday use, either in the gym, around the house or out and about. It’s the category that generates the lion’s share of sales for sportswear powerhouses, which is helping scale On from a specialist footwear maker into an all-round sportswear giant that will generate over $3 billion in annual revenue this year. It’s the reason why the brand has pushed hard into popular culture and lifestyle over the past 18 months, signing big-ticket ambassadors from Zendaya to FKA Twigs to Burna Boy, splashing out on multi-million dollar Super Bowl ads.

Schertenleib is clearly an outlier when placed against the above names. But her signing makes a lot of sense. She’s a generational talent with the footballing world at her feet. On is getting in early, backing her while she’s still a young talent and hoping to benefit tenfold from the association down the line. She is also the first athlete to be signed to specifically promote training and apparel, rather than a sport like tennis or track and field. This is a smart move: it’s all well and good using famous actors or music stars to promote lifestyle and training gear, but no one underscores the authenticity and credibility of sportswear better than an elite, highly marketable athlete.

Yes. She fits the profile that On is looking for when it comes to assembling its next-gen roster of ultra-marketable Gen-Z athlete talent.

For many years now, On has been executing a strategy to find elite sporting talent who may have been overlooked or undervalued by other brands in the market. These athletes represent major upside potential for a brand like On, making it a very mutually beneficial partnership. The brand is building a unique roster of the next

We saw it happen with Ben Shelton, who has publicly admitted he never wanted to be one of 30 other tennis players in Nike’s roster, and has steadily grown to represent On’s ambitious brand building in the world of tennis as his own stature in the game — and wider culture — has grown. 23-year-old Swiss hurdler Ditaji Kambundji signed for On in January this year, again helping the brand speak to a younger audience through her compelling social media content, and providing an instant return in a sporting sense with her gold medal showing at the World Championships.

Sydney Joy Schertenleib on Instagram: “BTS archives, loved it! …

Schertenleib aligns with both the age profile and the style of athlete that On is looking for right now — young, highly marketable and with the world at her feet. At just 18 years old, she has amassed over 460,000 followers on Instagram alone, and has already started promoting the brand with collaborative content on the platform. Her choice to sign with On is a reflection of her savvy ambitions for her own personal brand, knowing she will get far greater marketing focus at a brand like On rather than Adidas or Nike.

That’s that for today, friends. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

See you next time,

DYM

Also, shoutout to Cherry Beagles and her incredible platform, The 400 Club, for including SportsVerse in the holiday season’s “gift ideas for the sports girl.”

The 400 Club on Instagram: “Gift ideas for the sports girl ✨”

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Slekis Announces 2026 T&F Slates & Staff Updates

Published

5 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls State University track and field coach Stefanie Slekis announced the 2026 schedule along with the hiring of assistant coach Cameron Bolt on Monday afternoon.

Nicholls will compete in two in state meets and two out of state meets for the indoor season. The teams will begin the season in Baton Rouge at the LSU Purple Tiger on Jan.16 followed by the McNeese Indoor II on Jan. 30. The Colonels will cross state lines to compete in the Bulldog Invitational hosted by Samford University on Feb. 13 before concluding the season at the Southland Conference Championship on Feb. 25-26.

The outdoor season is action packed with three out of state completion’s and four instate events. The Red & Gray will begin outdoor action at the Louisiana Classics hosted by Louisiana in Lafayette on March 20-21. Next, the squads will open the month of April in Austin, Texas at the Texas Relays on April 1-4. The Colonels return to the boot for the Pelican Relays (4/10-11), Strawberry Relays (4/17), and the LSU Alumni Gold (4/25). Nicholls will wrap up regular season action at Texas A&M’s Alumni Muster in College Station, Texas on May 1-2. The Southland Conference Championship is in Nacogdoches, Texas on May 14.

Coach Slekis is looking forward to the new season with some new opportunities for her student-athletes. Bolt joins the staff after coaching over 200 National qualifiers, 15 All-Americans, four National Champions. Additionally, he is the owner of Bolt Track and Field Club team that he started in 2023 and has had more than 20 National qualifiers.

We are so excited for our 2026 Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field schedule. For our schedule we changed up the second half of both our Indoor and Outdoor seasons from the past few years,” Slekis said. “Indoor we will head to Birmingham to compete at Samford’s Bulldog invitational which will give our team the opportunity to test themselves on the facility we will return to for the indoor championship. Outdoor we close out the season at two of the best SEC track & field programs in the country who have phenomenal facilities. Going first to LSU and then bringing full teams to Texas A & M for the Alumni Muster. Before we return to Texas for the Southland Championship hosted by SFA.”

Coach Slekis gave her overall thoughts on the addition of Coach Bolt and how he can help the team improve.

“We are changing things up a bit this year and I am also really excited to see how well our student-athletes perform this season especially our track & field only student-athletes who had the entire fall semester working with our new assistant coach Cameron Bolt,” Slekis said. “Cam comes with a wealth of knowledge as a young coach who founded his own track & field club and continuously worked to prepare himself for his first NCAA Division I collegiate coaching opportunity. His energy combined with his knowledge base make him a phenomenal hire. He understands how to develop student-athletes and maximize their potential. Through fall testing his event group has seen improvement across the board so it will be fun to see that hard work translate to their specific events this next semester.”

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Wisconsin volleyball beats Texas in four to reach Final Four

Published

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December 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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Four Zips Named to the 2025 Academic All-MAC Volleyball Team

Published

7 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the 78 student-athletes placed on the Academic All-MAC Team for the 2025 volleyball season, as Martina Villani, Gabby Brissett, Vanessa Del Real and Sarah Bettis represented the University of Akron.

The Academic All-MAC honor is awarded to a student-athlete who has excelled in both athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests in that sport.

Martina Villani, Junior Criminology and Criminal Justice, 3.861

Gabby Brissett, Senior, Biology, 3.745

Vanessa Del Real, Junior, Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, 3.81

Sarah Bettis, Junior, Biomedical Science, 3.363

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Five Rockets Receive Academic All-MAC Honors

Published

8 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women’s volleyball team had five student-athletes named to the Academic All-MAC team for the 2025 season, the league office announced on Monday.

Senior Macy Medors led the Rockets, tallying a 3.989 GPA as she earned her third conference honor. Anna Alford and Sierra Pertzborn received the honor for a second-consecutive season. Grace Freiberger and Olivia Heitkamp were named honorees for the first time.

To qualify, student-athletes must be a sophomore or higher academic standing, have maintained a 3.20 cumulative GPA or higher and competed in 50% of contests during the 2025 season.

2025 Toledo Women’s Volleyball Academic All-MAC Team

Anna Alford, Senior, Public Health Management, 3.415

Grace Freiberger, Sophomore, Recreational Therapy, 3.909

Olivia Heitkamp, Sophomore, Early Childhood Education, 3.501

Macy Medors, Senior, Recreational Therapy, 3.989

Sierra Pertzborn, Redshirt Sophomore, Nursing, 3.558

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ESPN serves up NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Semifinals and Championship, Dec. 18 & 21

Published

8 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Kansas City field consists of No. 1 Kentucky, No. 1 Pitt, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 3 Wisconsin
Championship broadcast live on ABC for the third straight year; semifinals slated for ESPN, Thu., Dec. 18
All matches will also stream on the ESPN App

It all comes down to Kansas City as ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship culminates this week live from the T-Mobile Center with the National Semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 18, followed by the Championship match on Sunday, Dec. 21.

The stage is set as the final four teams face off in the semifinals beginning with No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh in the first semifinal on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed 30 minutes later by No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky. Both matches will be presented on ESPN and available on the ESPN App.

For the third consecutive year, ABC is home to the Championship match, broadcasting live on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 3:30 p.m. and for the first time, ABC will also air a dedicated 30-minute preview show ahead of the Championship’s first serve, beginning at 3 p.m. Both the preview show and the match will be available on the ESPN App.

On the Mic
For the fourth straight year, game action for all three matches will be called by play-by-play commentator Courtney Lyle, alongside analysts Holly McPeak (three-time beach volleyball Olympian) and Katie George (2015 ACC Player of the Year). For the second consecutive year, the trio is joined by sideline reporter and former FSU beach volleyball standout Madison Fitzpatrick.

Studio Coverage
Studio Coverage will originate from the T-Mobile Center as Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman (four-year Northwestern standout) and Mary Wise (three-time AVCA Coach of the Year) bring viewers pre- and post-game insights and analysis throughout the semifinals and Championship.

The trio will prep viewers for all they need to know ahead the National Semifinals and National Championship match, bringing additional insight and analysis as a champion is crowded.

Every Serve, Every Angle
ESPN has all the action in Kansas City covered from every angle, including exclusive and behind-the-scenes coverage. This year, along with 25-plus cameras and two dozen replay sources, ESPN will have new and enhanced telestrations, giving the fans an additional in-depth look at the Xs and Os of the game.

Additionally, the presentation will have multiple jibs, giving fans a sweeping view over the arena. ESPN will also use six state-of-the-art slow-mo cameras to give viewers a look at the action at the net.

For the first time at the National Championship, the broadcast will feature Bolt 6, showcasing enhanced technology that shows viewers serve speed, spike speed, spike height and other statistical facets of the game.

In addition to the traditional main telecast, an alternate “High End Zone” viewing option will be available on ESPN+/ESPN App for the semifinals and the Championship, giving fans the option to watch the match from the end zone angle.

Kansas City Bound
The National Semifinals boast programs that have made a combined 15 national semifinal appearances. Pittsburgh is making its fifth consecutive trip to the National Semifinal with a No. 1 seed behind them as the Panthers look to hoist their first NCAA trophy. The Wildcats are making their first trip back to the semifinals since the ’20-21 season in which they cut down the nets in Omaha. Storied program Wisconsin makes its seventh trip to the national semifinals, looking to win the program’s second national title (2021). Rounding out the field are the Texas A&M Aggies, who are on the quest to win the program’s first national championship.

2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship

Date	Time (ET)	Match	Network
Thu, Dec 18	6:30 p.m.	No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick	ESPN ESPN App *
	Between Match Coverage	NCAA Women’s Volleyball Studio Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman, Mary Wise	ESPN ESPN App *
	30 mins after Semifinal 1	No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick	ESPN ESPN App *
Sun, Dec 21	3 p.m.	NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Preview Show Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman, Mary Wise	ABC ESPN App
	3:30 p.m.	NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick	ABC ESPN App *
	Following Championship match	NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Trophy Ceremony	ESPN App

* There will be two streams available on the ESPN App (Traditional Simulcast and High End Zone angle)

All of ESPN. All in One Place.
ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a limited time offer for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit stream.espn.com.

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