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The best coast? A new photo book makes the case it’s here in the Great Lakes region.

Published

5 months ago

July 15, 2025

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Life is good.

You can’t help but get that feeling during beach season on the Great Lakes.

It’s lying out in the sun in pursuit of a tan. Or sitting in the shade to avoid the rays.

It’s diving into the waves. Or running away from the tide.

It’s noticing the music and the scent of barbecue cutting through the air.

That is how photographer David Zurick describes summers on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, which he documents in his new book, “The Third Coast: America’s Great Lakes Shoreline.”

City Park, Port Huron.jpg — City park, Port Huron, Michigan, 2020

But Zurick is just as fond of those quieter moments on the beach, like just before sunrise on Lake Michigan in St. Clair County. There, he photographed two people capturing the pink and blue hues of the horizon on their phones.

“You can almost see the earth turning on its axis,” said Zurick, 69, who lives in the hills outside of Berea, Ky.

That is just one of many unplanned moments recorded in the book, which he said reflects his personal view of the Great Lakes.

“The beauty of any art is it allows you to see the world in a certain way and, frankly, to see yourself in a different way while you’re engaged in it,” he said.

ZURICK_cov.indd — Cover of “The Third Coast: America’s Great Lakes Shoreline” by David Zurick

Released July 15 by Northwestern University Press, “The Third Coast” celebrates the Great Lakes’ 4,500-mile shoreline, which covers more distance than the country’s Atlantic and Pacific Coasts combined. Organized by season and lake, the collection highlights cherry blossoms along Lake Michigan in spring, golden foliage bordering Lake Huron in autumn, ice climbers and fishermen braving Lake Superior in winter, and even more merrymaking in the presence of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

The book inspires readers to consider not just the beauty and diversity of the Great Lakes, but the industries it feeds, the challenges it faces and the people it influences.

Known for his international work photographing sites such as the Himalayas and Polynesia, Zurick had to put his travels on hold during the pandemic. Instead, he decided to embark on a stateside project with personal ties. Having grown up in a town on Lake Huron, exploring the Great Lakes with his Sony RX1R digital still camera proved to be a meaningful experience.

“The biggest surprise that I had is the realization that I had just as big of an adventure and came away as creatively satisfied as I have on any of my projects anywhere in the world,” he said.

Ice Climber.jpg — Ice climber, Munising, Michigan, 2022

While “#SummerTime Chi is top of mind this time of year, readers won’t see familiar images of North Avenue Beach or Oak Street Beach in the book. Instead, they may be inspired to take a road trip north to see the sand dunes in Michigan. Zurick showcases the scale of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, as well as the fun of riding a dune buggy at Silver Lake Park. He also photographed the downward slope of a dune in Oceana County. The perception is that trees are growing out of the sand, but the reality is that the dune is migrating into a forest.

The book’s cold-weather images of Lake Superior are just as intriguing. The journey to capture the cover shot began with a walk on the ice at the Apostle Islands in Wisconsin. After a couple miles, Zurick spotted a rock formation with a narrow base and wide top covered with snow and vegetation.

“It looks like it’s going to topple over at any second,” he said.

Zurick also met people who seemed unfazed by the frigid temperature. In Marquette, Mich., he took a portrait of a woman and her dog, Shadow, both bundled up in the below-zero weather.

Point Betsie Lighthouse.jpg — Pointe Betsie Lighthouse, Benzie County, Michigan, 2023

“It was amazing to see this woman out there,” he said. “I don’t know how much her dog was enjoying it, but she was definitely enjoying being out there.”

Photos of ice-bearded surfers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan didn’t make it into print, but Zurick found the men fascinating.

“These are wild guys,” he said. “They get in wetsuits and they go out and ride these waves. And when they’re done, they’re just frozen.”

Zurick illustrates the lakes’ impact on the economy through simple yet interesting photos of mill logs in Alger County, Mich., a sugar beet harvest in Sebewaing, Mich., and a nuclear power plant in Port Clinton, Ohio.

Beach volleyball.jpg — Beach volleyball, Cleveland, Ohio, 2022

And he doesn’t shy away from showing the effects of pollution. The book features images of leftover materials from an iron ore mine in Marquette County, Mich.; a layer of smog in Lake County, Ind.; and brown runoff in Ottawa County, Ohio.

Documenting those environments prompted Zurick to reflect on the downside of human interaction with the lakes. But he said he was heartened by their resiliency, especially when regulations are put into place.

“That is a great lesson for us to know about the planet at large,” he said. “The lakes gave me an opportunity to explore that as well.”

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Men’s Volleyball Picked Second In Preseason AVCA Poll

Published

57 minutes ago

December 27, 2025

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team was picked No. 2 in the AVCA preseason poll, marking the eighth consecutive year it earned a top 3 preseason ranking.

The Rainbow Warriors earned seven first place votes and 473 total points, just eight points behind preseason favorite UCLA, who garnered 12 first place votes. Long Beach State was third with five first place votes and 460 points.

UH’s schedule features seven teams ranked in the preseason Top 10 and 11 teams in the Top 20.

Hawai’i finished last season with a No. 3 final AVCA ranking after advancing to the NCAA Championship semifinal round. The No. 3 ranking marked the eighth consecutive year with a Top 5 national finish. The Warriors completed the year with a 27-6 mark and captured their fourth Big West Championship title, defeating eventual national champion Long Beach State in the championship match.

Head coach Charlie Wade, who became the program’s all-time winningest coach last season, is entering his 17^th season at the helm with a career record of 319-131.

UH opens the 2026 season with a two-match series against NJIT, Friday, Jan. 2 and Sunday, Jan. 4.

#HawaiiMVB

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Gibbs-Lawhorn Named Raising Cane’s Outstanding Rebel Of The Week

Published

1 hour ago

December 26, 2025

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LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV men’s basketball junior Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn has been named the Raising Cane’s Outstanding Rebel of the Week, the school announced Friday.

Gibbs-Lawhorn has earned the recognition for the first time this season, while it’s also the men’s basketball team’s second of the year.

The award goes to the student-athlete who turned in the best individual performance during the previous week of competition from Monday through Sunday as voted on by the UNLV Athletics Strategic Communications department.

A native of Lafayette, Indiana, Gibbs-Lawhorn led the Runnin’ Rebels to a Mountain West opening 84-72 win over Fresno State. He scored a career-high 28 points, while grabbing seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a blocked shot.

Additionally, Gibbs-Lawhorn shot 9 of 15 from the field, made all four of his free throw attempts and shot 60% on 3-pointers (6 of 10).

2025-26 Outstanding Rebel of the Week Award Winners
Sept. 3 – Aamaris Brown, Football
Sept. 11 – Jaida Harris, Volleyball
Sept. 16 – Alondra Alarcon, Volleyball
Sept. 23 – Marsel McDuffie, Football
Sept. 30 – Zi Yu Foong, Women’s Golf
Oct. 7 – Kayden McGee, Football
Oct. 14 – Anthony Colandrea, Football
Oct. 22 – Jaida Harris, Volleyball
Oct. 27 – Ilia Snitari, Men’s Tennis
Nov. 5 – Michelle Madrid, Women’s Soccer
Nov. 12 – Jai’Den Thomas, Football
Nov. 12 – Meadow Roland, Women’s Basketball
Nov. 18 – Issac Williamson, Men’s Basketball
Nov. 26 – Ilia Snitari, Men’s Tennis
Dec. 3 – Jai’Den Thomas, Football

Dec. 10 – Bryson Huey, Men’s Swim & Dive
Dec. 26 – Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Men’s Basketball

-UNLV-

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Out of indoor eligibility, Texas A&M’s Hellmuth transfers to LSU beach volleyball program

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2025

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M outside hitter Emily Hellmuth is transferring to LSU to play with the Tiger beach volleyball program, LSU announced on social media Friday.

Hellmuth could not have returned to defend the national championship with A&M this season, as she is out of eligibility in the indoor game. In switching sports, she will gain a year of eligibility and will be able to play two spring seasons for the Tigers while earning a master’s degree.

Hellmuth finished third on the Aggies in kills (316) and kills per set (2.70) this season as a key piece of A&M’s balanced attack. In 2024, Hellmuth tallied a career-high 330 kills, with a 3 kill average per set. The Highland Park native transferred to A&M after spending her first two seasons at Pepperdine.

The Aggies will need to find a significant number of replacements on the attack, returning only outside hitter Kyndal Stowers in their top 6 attackers from the national championship season.

On Dec. 23, A&M added Marquette outside hitter Natalie Ring and Ohio State middle blocker Kaia Ring through the transfer portal, according to releases and social media posts by the program. Friday, A&M announced the addition of Boise State middle blocker Eliza Sharp.

Ring paced the Golden Eagles with 497 kills and a 4.6 kill per set average, while hitting. 274. Castle recorded 200 kills, with seven double-digit kill matches, and 91 blocks last season.

“We value speed at the middle blocker position and it’s rare to see someone with Kaia’s length who can move the way she does,” A&M head coach Jamie Morrison said in a statement. “Beyond the physical tools, she is an incredible human. I truly enjoyed every part of the recruiting process with Kaia and can’t wait to have her here in Aggieland.”

Sharp was the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year after ranking second on the Broncos’ in kills with 250, averaging 2.21 per set. She hit at a .323 clip and tallied 140 blocks.

“It’s hard to win conference awards as a middle blocker and Eliza comes to us as the reigning Freshman of the Year in her conference,” Morrison said in a statement. “She is an elite athlete as both a blocker and an attacker who will continue the lineage of great middle blockers at Texas A&M. From our first phone call, I knew she would be a great fit for our culture, not just as a player, but as a person who embodies the values of Texas A&M.”

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A&M Volleyball’s Lednicky signs professional contract with LOVB Houston | KWKT

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2025

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BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas (FOX 44) – Texas A&M Volleyball’s Logan Lednicky has signed her first professional contract with League One Volleyball (LOVB) Houston, the organization announced Friday.

Texas A&M Athletics says Lednicky joins the Houston based LOVB team after spearheading the Aggies to the program’s first national title. The opposite hitter etched her name in Texas A&M history, as she broke the program rally-scoring record for career kills concluding her four years with 1,686.

The Sugar Land, Texas, native developed a well-rounded game throughout her four years but offensively is where she excelled. She recorded double-digit kills in 94 matches during her career, including 23 straight to conclude the 2025 campaign which led to a national crown.

Texas A&M Athletics says Lednicky showed her versatility during her time in Aggieland, racking up 379 blocks which ranks 11^th in program history and secured back-to-back 100-block seasons in her junior and senior campaigns. She also tacked on 808 digs which helped account for 28 career double-doubles.

Lednicky cemented herself as an all-time great for the program and received a pair of AVCA Second Team All-America honors, was a four-time All-SEC and All-Region selection, AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist, NCAA Tournament Team recipient, NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player and five-time SEC weekly award winner.

Texas A&M Athletics says yhe pin hitter got her international career started this past summer, as she received her first senior-national team call up for the United States and was named to the Volleyball Nation’s League roster for the opening two weeks in Brazil and Serbia. She competed in seven of the eight matches over the two weeks, tallying 43 points on 38 kills and five blocks, while adding 26 digs.

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Purdue Volleyball Loses Freshman to NCAA Transfer Portal

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2025

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One member of Purdue’s 2025 recruiting class has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Defensive specialist Mattie Casale decided to explore opportunities following the conclusion of the Boilermakers’ 2025 campaign, which concluded in the Elite Eight.

Casale, a 5-foot-7 freshman, has also already found a new home. On Christmas Eve, Houston posted on social media that it had received a commitment from the former Boilermaker. She will have all four seasons of eligibility remaining with the Cougars.

Purdue ➡️ Houston

Mattie is joining the Cougar Volleyball family! 🏐 pic.twitter.com/BEvGaS98Ee

— Houston Volleyball (@UHCougarVB) December 24, 2025

Casale spent one season in West Lafayette but did not play in any matches. She used the 2025 campaign as a redshirt year.

Houston added three new players to the roster in recent weeks, trying to bolster its squad ahead of the 2026 campaign. The Cougars also received commitments from middle blocker Kaitlyn Evans (Loyola Marymount) and outside hitter Sydney Jones (Tennessee).

“Our volleyball staff has been working to rebuild Houston Volleyball and with the two transfers we announced last week, we have improved our team for the 2026 season,” head coach David Rehr said in a statement. “The additions of Casale, Evans and Jones continue to make us a better volleyball team.”

Casale joined Purdue as a member of the 2025 recruiting as the No. 1 defensive specialist/libero in the state of Florida, per PrepDig.com. She was a national finalist for Libero of the Year in 2023.

Houston ended the 2025 regular season with a 9-20 record.

Purdue in great shape at DS/libero

Purdue Boilermakers defensive specialist Ryan McAleer (3) hits the ball | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Losing a talented freshman to the transfer portal isn’t a great feeling, but Purdue is in really good shape at the libero spot moving forward. Ryan McAleer just concluded her sophomore season and was an All-Region honorable mention for the 2025 season. She also earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.

McAleer has solidified her spot as Purdue’s top libero, especially after a stellar season. She averaged 3.634 digs and 1.267 assists per set for the Boilermakers this past season. She also developed into one of the top servers on the team, especially late in the year. The sophomore had 21 service aces for the season.

The Boilermakers also have depth at defensive specialist, with both Rachel Williams and Sienna Foster in the back row. Those two have primarily been utilized as serving specialists, but have also improved as defensive players in coach Dave Shondell’s system.

Purdue prides itself on the defensive end and has plenty of skill, even with Casale’s departure from the program.

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Aggies Sign Mountain West Freshman of the Year Eliza Sharp to 2026 Class – Texas A&M Athletics

Published

3 hours ago

December 26, 2025

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BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M volleyball team added redshirt sophomore middle blocker Eliza Sharp to the 2026 roster, head coach Jamie Morrison announced Friday.

Sharp joins the Aggies from Boise State, where she had a historic debut campaign for the Broncos being named Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. The middle blocker also garnered All-Mountain West Team honors, as she was only one of five freshmen in the conference to be named in the postseason awards.

“It’s hard to win conference awards as a middle blocker and Eliza [Sharp] comes to us as the reigning Freshman of the Year in her conference,” coach Morrison said. “She is an elite athlete as both a blocker and an attacker who will continue the lineage of great middle blockers at Texas A&M. From our first phone call, I knew she would be a great fit for our culture, not just as a player, but as a person who embodies the values of Texas A&M.”

The Burlingame, California, native impresses offensively, as she ranked second on her team in kills after tallying 250 on the year, averaging 2.21 per set and hitting at a .323 percent clip. She eclipsed double-digit kills on nine occasions, setting her career high at 15 and hitting that number twice versus Navy and Utah State.

On the defensive end she also finished the year second in blocks, stuffing 140 swings in her debut campaign. She set her career high of 11 total blocks versus San Diego State and had another 10-block outing versus Montana.

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Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.

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