McKinney North libero Gabi Rodriguez and Prosper Walnut Grove setter Danielle Whitmire will spend this week battling for the chance to represent their country in Indonesia.
It’s the latest sign that the Dallas area is one of America’s hotbeds for volleyball.
As they prepare for the start of their senior year, Rodriguez and Whitmire were among 19 players chosen for the U.S. under-19 girls national team, with it being the first national team selection for each. They will train this week in Colorado Springs, Colo., and USA Volleyball is expected to announce Friday the 12 players who will be on the travel squad that will compete in the FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship that is Aug. 5-18 in Surabaya, Indonesia.
“I’m incredibly grateful,” Whitmire said. “The second I got that email, I called my parents and I was freaking out. It was like a kid on Christmas morning. It’s really cool that I even get the opportunity to try out and be with the best athletes in my age group and the country.”
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Because of a scheduling conflict with the NCAA season, the U19 team will compete on the international stage in the U21 age category for the second time. In 2023, a team comprised of U19 athletes placed sixth at the U21 World Championship.
“It means the world. I have always dreamt of making this specific team,” Rodriguez said. “I’m trying to stay calm. It’s a big stage, and if I start to overthink, that wouldn’t be ideal. The what ifs are hard, because anything can happen, but if I do make it, I’m just going to be so grateful and I’m going to work even harder to provide for our team.”
If they get to travel to Indonesia, they will miss the start of the high school season. UIL teams can begin practicing Friday and can start playing matches Aug. 11, but the trade-off is worth it.
“It would be the coolest experience ever,” Whitmire said. “I don’t want to go into anything expecting [to make the travel team]. But if I got the opportunity to make it, that would be so much fun traveling with all of my friends. I think the best part would be getting to meet the international people and getting to play against girls that speak different languages and learn about their culture and learn more about Indonesia.”
This is a golden age for D-FW volleyball, with past and current high school stars from the area sprinkled all over U.S. national teams.
Texas’ Ayden Ames (from Prosper), Pittsburgh’s Blaire Bayless (from Plano West) and SMU’s Jadyn Livings (from Plano Prestonwood) and Favor Anyanwu (from Sachse) are on the U21 national team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup on Sunday in Costa Rica. Ames, the 2023 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year, also helped the U.S. win the FIVB Girls U19 World Championships in 2023.
“I think just Texas in general, aside from North Texas volleyball, every sport in Texas is stacked, and it’s intense since a young age,” Rodriguez said. “Everybody started so early in our area, and it starts to get super, super competitive. Around the 15s age group is when I really started to see a change. Just growing up together and all of us wanting to play at the next level, that’s kind of the reason it’s so competitive here, especially in North Texas and the Dallas area.”
Lovejoy’s Averi Carlson was named the Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year.
Former Lovejoy four-time All-American setter Averi Carlson, the 2021 Gatorade national player of the year, is now at SMU and is playing this week for the U23 national team alongside Ifenna Cos-Okpalla from Flower Mound Marcus and Texas A&M in the NORCECA Women’s U23 Pan American Cup in Mexico. Two-time national champion Asjia O’Neal from Texas and Southlake Carroll was in Arlington earlier this month to play for Team USA in the FIVB women’s Volleyball Nations League, and former Coppell and Texas phenom Chiaka Ogbogu won Olympic gold (2021) and silver (2024) medals with Team USA.
“I think it’s an advantage that all of us are really close to one another and all of our clubs, all of our high schools compete against one another,” Whitmire said. “It’s healthy competition in the North Texas region. Everyone wants to beat out one another and be their best while also being really good friends.”
Whitmire and Rodriguez trained together ahead of their trip to Colorado Springs, even though their schools are district rivals in 9-5A.
“We’ve known each other forever, and we play each other in high school, so her and I have always been friends. We live really close to one another,” Whitmire said. “I think it’s really cool that we’re both working toward the same thing. She is a total stud.”
The U19 team will compete in Pool B at the U21 Worlds and will face China, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Korea and Croatia. Rodriguez isn’t concerned that it would be against older players.
“I’m looking at it as an opportunity to grow and get a taste of what international ball is like and having no fear,” she said. “It’s easy to be fearful of older girls, especially at the international level.”
Both players were first-team All-Area selections last year. Whitmire, committed to Penn State, was also an AVCA third-team All-American and had 791 assists, 282 kills and 326 digs while being named the District 9-5A setter of the year.
Rodriguez, committed to Texas A&M, was the District 9-5A defensive MVP and had 937 digs for 5A Division I state runner-up McKinney North. She had 43 digs in a five-set loss to Corpus Christi Flour Bluff in the state final, setting a new record for most digs in a state tournament match in the UIL’s second-highest classification.
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HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Ivy vs. America East Challenge, marking their final home meet of the indoor season.
Both teams had impressive finishes, placing first overall. The women wrapped up the meet with a final score of 73.83, while the men finished with a score of 63.
Andie Murray won the women’s 500m, finishing the race in 1:15.39. Emmy Thornton clinched the 800m with a final time of 2:20.65. Claire McDonald placed first in the 3000m with her 9:59.68 mark. Mariella Schweitzer won the 60m hurdles with an impressive 8.67 finish, as well as the long jump with a 5.97 mark.
Charlotte DiRocco secured points for Dartmouth after clearing 1.65m in the high jump, finishing in first place. Similarly, Ellison Weiner cleared 3.65m to clinch first place in the pole vault. As for the throws, Kylee Bennett and Zaneta Pivcova clinched the weight throw and shot put, with 15.41m and 14.54m marks, respectively.
Jack Rousseau won the 400m for the men with his final time of 50.13, followed by Noe Kemper clinching the 800m with a 1:54.31 finish. Michael Bueker, Keion Grieve, Jack Inglis and Jack Intihar clinched the men’s 4×4 with a 3:27.64 finish. As for the jumps, David Adams cleared 4.95m to clinch the pole vault for the Big Green, Intihar clinched the long jump 7.14m mark and Roy Leibovitz won the triple jump with a 15.45m mark, which is good for No. 14 in the nation.
Colton McMaster rounded out the meet for the men, clinching the shot put and weight throw with 17.53m and 19.17m marks, respectively.
The Big Green will return to action when heading to New Haven, Conn., for the annual Dartmouth-Yale-Columbia meet on Saturday, Jan. 17.
A brand-new track and field facility will open in Athens on Feb. 18, aiming to serve both the University of Georgia campus and the local community, according to its athletic department.
Located on South Milledge Avenue, the complex will feature a 400-meter, nine-lane Spec Towns Track with an infield long jump, a triple jump and a pole vault facility. The venue will have a capacity of 2,500 that can accommodate up to 4,000 for select events with a grandstand, a press box, an observation deck, restrooms and concession stands.
The new venue replaces the old one on South Lumpkin Street, which had not hosted an event for the Georgia men’s or women’s track and field team since April 2023. Now, the Bulldogs are slated to host the Spec Towns Invitational at the new complex this April, the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in May and the SEC championships in 2027.
High school competitions will also be held at the new facility with theClassic City Track and Field Invitational scheduled for March, making it the first competition on the venue’s calendar, and the GHSA state track meet in May.
The project, which cost $59.8 million, was funded exclusively by donations and gifts, and will become one of the “premier track and field destinations in the country,” according to the university’s director of athletics Josh Brooks.
“We are excited about the opportunities this facility will create for our athletes, our campus and our community,” Brooks said. “While it will support our student-athletes at the highest level, it will also create opportunities that will bring athletes of all ages to our campus throughout the year.”
The new complex will have a strong emphasis on strengthening ties between the university and local community, as public usage hours will give residents a new place to run and exercise, while big events can boost the local economy through hotel stays and visits to local businesses and restaurants.
“The Classic City Track and Field Invitational in March will mark the first competition in the new facility, bringing a regional high school meet to campus and expanding access to elite facilities for local student-athletes,” Alison McCullick, the university’s director of community relations, said. “In addition to competitions, the space will remain open for walking, running and everyday recreation, making it a year-round asset for the university and Athens.”
LONG BEACH, Calif. — In their collegiate debuts, Jackson Cryst and Jake Pazanti made immediate impacts for Long Beach State men’s volleyball, earning Big West Player of the Week honors following a dominant opening weekend. The Beach opened the 2026 season with two straight-set victories, defeating Lindenwood and McKendree at the Pyramid, as Cryst was named Men’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week and Pazanti earned Long Beach State Freshman of the Week recognition.
Cryst anchored the Long Beach State defense in his first collegiate action, averaging 1.50 blocks per set and totaling nine blocks over the weekend. His presence at the net helped limit opponents to a combined .157 hitting percentage and contributed to the Beach averaging 3.33 blocks per set across the two matches. Cryst also added seven kills on .462 hitting, showing efficiency and composure on both sides of the net.
Pazanti also impressed in his collegiate debut, directing the Long Beach State offense with poise and balance. The freshman setter recorded 58 assists (9.67 per set) while guiding the Beach to a .351 team hitting percentage in the opening weekend.
In addition to his setting responsibilities, Pazanti contributed six kills on .750 hitting, 16 digs, five blocks, and two service aces, impacting the match in every phase during his first career starts.
Long Beach State men’s volleyball returns to action this week with a three-game road stretch through the Buckeye State to face Central State, George Mason and Ohio State as the Beach continue early-season competition following a successful opening weekend.
WESTON, Mass. — Hannah Griffin, Zoe Kirk, and Justin Thuotte each represented the Pride this week in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly awards. Kirk earned her second Rookie of the Week honor of the season, while Griffin collected her first career Track Athlete of the Week award. Thuotte was named Field Athlete of the Week, marking his first honor of the season and the fifth weekly award of his career.
Zoe Kirk continued her strong rookie campaign with a pair of top-10 finishes. She placed third overall in the high jump with a mark of 1.50 meters, setting a new indoor program record and surpassing the previous mark of 1.46 held by teammate Grace Micklon. Kirk also finished ninth in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 9.93.
Hannah Griffin captured the top spot in the 800 meters with a time of 2:44.36, edging her nearest competitor by nearly one second.
Justin Thuotte delivered another standout performance at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational, winning the long jump with a mark of 6.70 meters to set a new indoor program record, besting his own previous mark of 6.65 from the last meet. He also placed third in the triple jump at 12.99 meters and rounded out his day with a 10th-place finish in the weight throw, posting a personal-best mark of 13.59 meters.
Regis track and field stays close to home this weekend, traveling to Brighton, Massachusetts, to compete at the Suffolk Ice Breaker at The Track at New Balance.
MILWAUKEE – Ella Parker has been announced as the newest addition to the Milwaukee volleyball roster, head coach Susie Johnson announced on Monday afternoon.
Parker will join the Panthers this spring after spending the last three semesters at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., where she was a member of the Red Storm for the past two seasons.
“We are excited to add Ella to our team this spring,” said Johnson. “Having played in the Big East Conference, she has match experience and will bring a lot to our program in the Horizon League. We’re excited that she not only can score points for us but defend as well.”
This past fall, Parker played in 16 matches for St. John’s and recorded 138 kills, along with 10 service aces, 26 digs, and 15 blocks. She posted a season-high 16 kills on Oct. 4 at UConn while hitting .361 and later recorded a season-best .692 hitting percentage with nine kills without an error against LeMoyne earlier in the year.
As a true freshman in 2024, Parker saw action in three matches before an injury ended her season.
Originally from Corrales, New Mexico, Parker was a three-year member of the Cougar volleyball team at Cibola High School in Albuquerque. During her prep career, she earned AVCA Girls High School All-Region honors as both a junior and a senior and was named to the All-American Watch List.
A multiple-time All-State, All-Region, All-Area, and All-Conference selection, Parker was also chosen for the New Mexico Red and Green All-Start Team. She set Cibola program records for both most kills in a season and most kills in a match.
Parker played club volleyball for Duke City Volleyball Academy and competed in beach volleyball with the Albuquerque Beach Volleyball Academy. Away from the court, she was also a competitive swimmer for more than 10 years.
Parker joins fellow transfer Kameron Stover, along with incoming freshmen Olivia Doerre, Emma Duffy, Kayla Landerud, and Hope Wagner as newcomers for the 2026 volleyball season.
PORTLAND, ORE. – The University of Alaska Anchorage had three Seawolves earn GNAC Athlete of the Week honors for indoor track and field.
Liv Heite was named the women’s track athlete of the week. Her top effort was a 60-meter hurdles time of 8.91 seconds, upping her name to third on the GNAC performance list this winter. Heite is the reigning GNAC silver medalist in the event from last season. She also ran 8.09 seconds in the 60 meters, 26.02 seconds in the 200 meters and ran a leg of a UAA 4×400 meter relay squad that posted 3:57.48 minutes to round out her productive weekend. Now in her third season at UAA, Heite is a four-time GNAC medalist earning silver in both the 2024 and 2025 100-meter hurdles (outdoor), silver in the 2025 60-meter hurdles (indoor), and silver in the 2025 400-meter hurdles (outdoor)
“Liv looks like she is ready to pick up where she left off,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “She started the season off faster than she did last year and ran consistently over the weekend. I think she is ready to take it to the next level.”
Sarah Dittman was named the women’s field athlete of the week. She kicked things off with a high jump mark of 4-11.75 feet (1.52 meters) and a long jump of 17-4.25 feet (5.29 meters), placing fifth in both events. Each of those marks slotted her fourth among GNAC competitors so far in the indoor season. Dittman also contributed on the track, running a 200 meters time of 26.79 seconds, a 60-meter hurdles time of 10.61 seconds and running a leg of UAA’s 4×400 meter relay unit that posted a time of 4:14.89 minutes.
“Sarah had an encouraging start to her college career,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “I am really looking forward to seeing where her growth and development over the course of this season is going to take her.”
Tyler Drake was named the men’s field athlete of the week. His weekend was highlighted by a third-place finish in the long jump, as he cleared 22-3 feet (6.78 meters). That stands as the second-best long jump by a GNAC athlete so far this season. On the track, he posted times of 23.55 seconds in the 200 meters and 8.36 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.
“Tyler had himself a great start to his college career,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “He set personal bests in the hurdles and long jump and moved himself into the top-10 on UAA’s performance list. His long jump start is even more encouraging because of how obvious it is that he still has so much room to grow.”
