Sports

Lake Mary Little League boy, girls on championship run

Published

4 months ago

August 2, 2025

Lake Mary Little League boy, girls on championship runs | Tournament details

STAR TEAMS ON THE ROAD TO THE WORLD SERIES. THE GIRLS 12 U. SOFTBALL TEAM AT LAKE MARY LITTLE LEAGUE BEGIN THEIR SOUTHEAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND, AND TODAY THEY ARE HEADING TO GEORGIA. PLAY BEGINS ON SUNDAY. HERE WITH ME NOW IS TEAM MANAGER RYAN BONO AND ONE OF THE PLAYERS, BROOKLYN CATALANO. GUYS, WELCOME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE’RE EXCITED TO BE HERE. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN. OKAY. SO WE ALSO HAVE THE ENTIRE TEAM RIGHT OVER THERE. HEY GUYS. WELCOME TO THE SOFTBALL TEAM HERE. THE BELLEVIEW. OKAY. SO SUCH AN EXCITING TIME. RYAN, LET’S BEGIN WITH YOU. HOW ARE YOU GUYS FEELING AS YOU HEAD INTO THE SOUTHEAST REGIONAL? THIS IS A BIG DEAL. YEAH, WE’RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE. YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE GIRLS. WE’VE WORKED SO HARD OVER THE LAST SIX WEEKS. YOU KNOW, TO GET TO THIS POINT. YOU KNOW WE PLAYED A STIFF COMPETITION. BUT THE PRACTICES IN THE GIRLS HAVE BEEN FOCUSED THIS SEASON. WE FELL A LITTLE SHORT LAST YEAR. BUT THIS YEAR I THINK WE HAVE A BETTER MINDSET. WE’RE JUST LOOKING TO GO AND COMPETE AND DO OUR BEST. AWESOME RYAN, SO MUCH TO DIVE INTO. OKAY, SO THIS IS THE ROAD THEN TO THE WORLD SERIES, CORRECT? YES, MA’AM. OKAY. SO TAKE ME TO THAT. TO GET TO THIS POINT THOUGH, YOU HAD TO BEAT EVERYBODY HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. SO WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? HOW HARD ARE YOU GUYS WORKING? WE’RE WORKING EXTREMELY HARD. I CAN’T SAY IT ENOUGH. THE GIRLS ARE DETERMINED. LIKE WE HAD TO GO THROUGH OUR SECTIONALS, PLAY TOUGH GAMES. WE HAD TO GO TO DISTRICTS. AND THE STATE TOURNAMENT WAS VERY, VERY INTENSE. WE HAD SOME RAIN DELAYS, SOME ADVERSITY. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE GIRLS FOUGHT THROUGH ALL THAT. BUT WE’RE DETERMINED. IT’S JUST OUR MINDSET IS, YOU KNOW, IT’S OUR YEAR TO DO THIS. WE WANT WE ACTUALLY KIND OF WANT TO DO WHAT THE BOYS DID LAST YEAR. THAT’S THE GOAL, TO RUN IT ALL THE WAY BACK AND MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES. THAT’S THAT’S TERRIFIC. IT’S BEEN SO FUN TO WATCH. OBVIOUSLY THE BOYS LAST YEAR. I’M SO EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT THE GIRLS HERE THIS YEAR. BROOKLYN LET ME ASK YOU, WHAT’S THE PROCESS BEEN LIKE? ARE YOU GUYS PRACTICING EVERY DAY? YOU PLAYING EVERY WEEKEND? YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF KIDS ON THE SUMMER BREAK. THEY’RE KIND OF HANGING OUT AT THE SWIMMING POOL. THEY’RE GOING TO THE BEACH EVERY DAY. YOU GUYS AREN’T. TELL ME ABOUT THE WORK YOU’RE PUTTING IN. SO WE’RE PUTTING IN, LIKE, TEAM PRACTICES AT LEAST THREE TIMES A WEEK. AND WHEN WE DON’T HAVE PRACTICES, GIRLS ARE GOING TO THEIR LESSONS AND THEY’RE DOING HITTING AT HOME AND DOING, LIKE, ALL THE STUFF. AND THAT’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, RIGHT, TO BE THE BEST. AND YOU’RE SO DEDICATED TO DO THAT. I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS TEAM SHIRT. WE’RE HEARING ONE TEAM, ONE DREAM SIX, TWO EIGHT. TELL ME ABOUT THIS T SHIRT. SO THIS T SHIRT REPRESENTS HOW MANY MILES IT IS FROM GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH IS WHERE THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES IS PLAYED TO LAKE MARY. AWESOME. OKAY. IN BROOKLYN, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LAST YEAR, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WERE PART OF THE TEAM, RIGHT, THAT YOU GUYS PLAYED LAST YEAR. YOU CAME UP A LITTLE SHORT IN THE SEMIFINALS, RIGHT? SO WHAT MAKES THIS SEASON DIFFERENT? WHAT’S THE GAME PLAN? BROOKLYN WELL, WE ALL HAVE A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE NOW, SO WE KNOW WHAT WE’RE GOING TO EXPECT. AND WE’VE ALL BEEN WORKING OUR TAILS OFF TO DO BETTER THIS YEAR, AND THAT’S GOING TO DO IT RIGHT. AND COACH LET ME ASK YOU, SO WHAT IS THE GAME PLAN GOING IN. AND AND HOW DO YOU COME OUT VICTORIOUS AS OPPOSED TO LAST YEAR. JUST DO WHAT WE’RE SUPPOSED TO DO. WE TELL OUR TEAM ALL THE TIME. WE HAVE A VERY TALENTED GROUP. DON’T DO MORE THAN WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO. WE’RE BASICALLY COMPETING AGAINST OURSELVES AT THIS POINT. WE HAVE A VERY LIKE OUR PITCHING DEFENSE HITTING. IF WE JUST PLAY AT OUR LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WE THINK WE CAN COMPETE WITH ANYBODY. DON’T LET THE OTHER TEAMS DICTATE THE GAME AND JUST PLAY OUR GAME. AND BROOKLYN HOW SPECIAL IS THIS TO BE DOING THIS WITH? I’M SURE THAT ALL THOSE GIRLS OVER THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS, CLOSEST TEAMMATES. SO WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS? IT’S REALLY SPECIAL. I’VE BEEN WITH MOST OF THEM SINCE TEN. YOU OKAY? WHICH IS LIKE THREE YEARS NOW. SO YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES. GOT A LOT OF TEAM, YOU KNOW, TEAMWORK. THEIR DEDICATION TO ONE ANOTHER. COACH TELL ME A LITTLE BIT. I KNOW ONE OF THE PLAYERS TO MISS THE HOME RUN DERBY. RIGHT. TO PLAY IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. CORRECT? YES, MA’AM. AND TELL ME ABOUT THAT. YEAH, THAT WAS MY DAUGHTER, ADDISON. LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHE GOT TO GO LAST YEAR TO DO THE HOME RUN DERBY FOR THE T-MOBILE THING. AND WE UNFORTUNATELY, THIS OVERLAPPED OUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. AND SHE REALLY, REALLY WAS DEVASTATED AT FIRST. BUT SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT TEAM FIRST. AND LIKE SHE KNEW THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO MISS THAT TO BE HERE WITH OUR TEAM. BUT YOU KNOW, TEAM OVER ME, WE VERSUS ME WILL BE OUR OUR WE VERSUS ME IS GREATER THAN ME IS OUR MOTTO FOR THE WHOLE SEASON. SO SHE CHOSE HERSELF OVER THE TEAM. THAT’S WONDERFUL. AND WHAT DO YOU SAY TO ALL THE YOUNG LAKE MARY LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMS? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GOT SEVERAL GOING TO STATES TO PLAY THIS WEEKEND. RIGHT. SO WHAT DO YOU TELL ALL THE ALL THE YOUNG GIRLS THAT LOOK UP TO YOU GUYS? WE JUST GIVE THEM ENCOURAGEMENT, TELL THEM THAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO GREAT BECAUSE THEY WILL. AND YEAH, THAT’S GOOD. THAT’S THE THING. THEY’RE ALL LOOKING UP TO YOU GUYS. SO BROOKLYN, WE’RE GOING TO HEAD OVER HERE TO YOUR TEAM. LET ME ASK YOU THIS THOUGH, AS WE TAKE OUR WALK OVER ALL YOUR PARENTS, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY TO YOUR MOMS AND YOUR DADS THAT ARE THERE EVERY DAY TAKING YOU TO PRACTICE, TAKING ALL THE PITCHING LESSONS, THE COACHING LESSONS? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY TO YOUR PARENTS? I WANT TO THANK THEM BECAUSE THEY’RE PUTTING IN ALL THIS TIME. THAT’S WONDERFUL. AND HERE WE ARE WITH THE TEAM NOW. GUYS, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY TO YOUR MOMS AND DADS? AND THIS IS YOUR CHANCE, YOUR LITTLE CHANCE. LITTLE LAKE MARY LITTLE LEAGUE. WHAT DO YOU HAVE? KISSIMMEE. YEAH. GO AHEAD. WE CAN HEAR YOU. I’M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR MY PARENTS AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY’VE DONE FOR US AND THEY’VE GIVEN US UP SO MUCH FOR OUR SUMMER. AND I’M JUST REALLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING. EXCELLENT. OKAY, SO WE HAVE A LITTLE LAKE MARY LITTLE LEAGUE CHANT OR SOMETHING, A LITTLE CHEER BEFORE WE GO. WHAT DO WE HAVE ON THREE, ONE, TWO, THREE LAKE MARY 3123 LAKE MARY. WOOHOO! I LOVE IT! OKAY LADIES, GOOD LUCK THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN TODAY. WE’RE WISHING YOU

Lake Mary Little League boy, girls on championship runs | Tournament details

Updated: 7:36 PM EDT Aug 1, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Two Lake Mary Little League teams are making a run at championships. The softball team, girls’ 12U, secured its spot at the 2025 Little League Softball World Series and will play this weekend. >> More about Little League World SeriesThe boys’ 12U team, which took the World Series title last year, won its first game on Thursday, beating Tennessee 2-1 in the Southeast Region tournament. They go on to play Saturday. The boys’ regional tournaments runs all weekend. The championship will be Aug. 5. The girls’ softball championship takes place Aug. 10. Lake Mary softballSchedule Game 1 10 a.m. (ET) – August 3Florida vs. Washington>> Full bracketLake Mary baseball In 2024, Lake Mary defeated Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the Little League World Series championships.The boys’ team on Thursday won their first game in the Southeast Region tournament.On Friday, Lake Mary defeated West Virginia 10-0 in five innings to advance to Sunday’s Southeast Region semifinals against the winner between South Carolina and Alabama. ScheduleGame 122 p.m. (ET) – August 3Florida vs. South Carolina or Alabama >> Full bracketHistory of the leagueLake Mary Little League plays at the Lake Mary Sports Complex and is a nonprofit organization providing “a safe, instructional and fun environment for the children of area of Lake Mary, Florida, ages 4-16,” according to its website.

LAKE MARY, Fla. —

Two Lake Mary Little League teams are making a run at championships.

The softball team, girls’ 12U, secured its spot at the 2025 Little League Softball World Series and will play this weekend.

>> More about Little League World Series

The boys’ 12U team, which took the World Series title last year, won its first game on Thursday, beating Tennessee 2-1 in the Southeast Region tournament. They go on to play Saturday.

The boys’ regional tournaments runs all weekend. The championship will be Aug. 5.

The girls’ softball championship takes place Aug. 10.

Lake Mary softball

Schedule

Game 1
10 a.m. (ET) – August 3
Florida vs. Washington

>> Full bracket

This content is imported from Facebook.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Lake Mary baseball

In 2024, Lake Mary defeated Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the Little League World Series championships.

The boys’ team on Thursday won their first game in the Southeast Region tournament.

On Friday, Lake Mary defeated West Virginia 10-0 in five innings to advance to Sunday’s Southeast Region semifinals against the winner between South Carolina and Alabama.

Schedule

Game 12
2 p.m. (ET) – August 3
Florida vs. South Carolina or Alabama

>> Full bracket

This content is imported from Facebook.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

History of the league

Lake Mary Little League plays at the Lake Mary Sports Complex and is a nonprofit organization providing “a safe, instructional and fun environment for the children of area of Lake Mary, Florida, ages 4-16,” according to its website.

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Women’s Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Against USF on Friday – Penn State

Published

13 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 25 Penn State opens its 45th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament with a first-round match against USF on Friday at Texas’s Gregory Gymnasium. The match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET and will stream on ESPN+.

The winner of Friday’s match advances to play the winner between Texas and Florida A&M in the second round on Saturday.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Dec. 5 | 5:30 p.m. ET
No. 25 Penn State (18-12, 12-8 B1G) vs. USF (17-12, 12-4 AAC) | Live Stats | ESPN+

OPENING NOTES
• Penn State is set to open its 45th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It is the only program in the country to play in all 45 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournaments since the inaugural event in 1981.
• The Nittany Lions received an eight seed in the Austin Region and will play the first and second rounds away from Rec Hall for just the first time since the tournament was expenaded to 64 teams in 1998.
• Friday marks Penn State’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and 13th postseason match under Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who is in her fourth season as Penn State head coach. They are 10-2 in the NCAA Tournament under Schumacher-Cawley after going 6-0 and winning the program’s eighth national title last season.
• The Nittany Lions made it to at least the NCAA Regional Semifinal in each of Schumacher-Cawley’s first three seasons as head coach.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Penn State, which has won eight national titles, including the most recent in 2024, is 116-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Penn State has made the National Semifinals 14 times and the National Championship match 11 times.
• USF and Penn State will meet for the first time in the NCAA Tournament, making the Bulls the 76th different postseason opponent for the Nittany Lions. Just eight of those teams have a winning record against Penn State in the NCAA Tournament.

PENN STATE IN ROUND OF 64
• Penn State is 26-0 in the NCAA Tournament round of 64 since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1998.
• The Lions are 78-3 in sets played during that stretch, dropping one set to Howard in 2017, one to Towson in 2021, and one to Yale last season.
• Rec Hall was the venue for 24 of the 26 matches.
• Penn State is 3-0 in the Round of 64 under Schumacher-Cawley, beating UMBC in 2022, Yale in 2023, and Delaware State in 2024.

HOW THEY GOT HERE – PENN STATE
• Penn State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 18-12 overall and 12-8 in the Big Ten.
• The Nittany Lions are one of 14 teams in the nation with four wins over teams ranked in the top 25 of RPI, beating No. 6 Creighton, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 13 USC, and No. 15 Kansas.
• The Nittany Lions helped secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament with four wins in their final five matches, beating Ohio State (3-2), Michigan State (3-0), Maryland (3-0), and Iowa (3-1).

HOW THEY GOT HERE – USF
• USF received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 17-12 overall and 12-4 in the American Conference on its way to a second-place finish in the conference standings. The Bulls lost to Tulsa in the semifinal round of the American Conference Tournament.
• The Bulls will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. They beat Florida State in the first round that year before falling to Florida in the second round.
• USF’s highest RPI win came in conference play with a sweep over No. 36 Tulsa. The highest non-conference RPI win came in five sets over No. 47 Dayton. They also pushed Purdue to five sets before losing in their season opener.
• Senior outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade was named the American Conference Player of the Year for the second-straight season. She was joined on the all-conference team by sophomore setter Raegan Richardson (first team) and junior outside hitter Laila Ivey (second team).

SERIES HISTORY – USF
• Penn State is 3-0 in the all-time series with USF. The teams first played in 1986.
• The Nittany Lions swept all three matches, winning 3-0 in 1986, 1988, and 2015. All three matches were played in Tampa.
• Penn State and USF have never met in the NCAA Tournament.
• Kennedy Martin is the only player on the Penn State roster that has played against USF. She hit .449 with 27 kills, six blocks, and two aces in Florida’s 3-2 win over the Bulls in 2023.

PENN STATE VS. AMERICAN CONFERENCE
• Penn State is 32-4 all-time against current members of American Conference.
• The Nittany Lions have played eight of the 13 teams in the conference and have a winning record against all eight. They are unbeaten against UAB (1-0), Charlotte (1-0), East Caroline (3-0), Memphis (2-0), Rice (3-0), South Florida (3-0), and Wichita State (1-0).

TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
• Eight Penn State players have combined for 50 matches of NCAA Tournament experience.
• Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley (1999) and assistant coach Megan Hodge Easy (2007, 2008, 2009) combined for four national titles as players at Penn State.

Catherine Burke – 1 match
Ava Falduto – 6 matches
Gillian Grimes – 12 matches
Jordan Hopp – 6 matches (2 Iowa State, 4 Penn State)
Caroline Jurevicius – 6 matches
Kennedy Martin – 5 matches (5 Florida)
Maggie Mendelson – 8 matches (2 Nebraska, 6 Penn State)
Jocelyn Nathan – 6 matches

The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.

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Toledo Falls in First Round of NCAA Tournament to Indiana, 3-0

Published

30 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Toledo women’s volleyball team closed out its historic 2025 season by falling to No. 4 seed Indiana in the NCAA Tournament First Round, 3-0 (18-25, 15-25, 17-25) on Thursday evening in Bloomington, Ind.

The Rockets finish the season with a 23-11 record, posting the second-most wins in program history .(1983 – 27 matches)

Sophomore Olivia Heitkamp led the Toledo offense with 11 kills, including five in the first set, for her 19th match this season in double-figures. Redshirt junior Sophie Catalano poured in seven terminations while redshirt sophomore Sierra Pertzborn chipped in six kills of her own.

Senior setter Kelsey Smith tallied 26 assists and a team-high nine digs. Sophomore Grace Freiberger and senior Macy Medors each totaled six digs.

Quoting Head Coach Brian Wright

“We’ve had a pretty special season in the past 11-and-a-half months that I’ve been at Toledo. I am so proud of this team and how they played tonight’s match. This team accomplished many great things this season, from leading the MAC in attendance, to winning their first MAC Tournament championship and playing in their first NCAA Tournament match. I want the team to understand that they are enough and capable to compete with the best teams and programs in this country.”

Senior Anna Alford

(on the 2025 season)

“This group has made Toledo history and it’s been such a great season. We’ve been working so hard for the past 11-and-a-half months and we just wanted a chance to showcase our abilities on the court and the love that this team has for one another.”

Senior Macy Medors

(on the future of the Toledo volleyball program)

“Our program is built on being a family and there is a great atmosphere amongst everyone involved. The younger players will continue that tradition and help Toledo volleyball continue to grow to new heights.”

Key Moments

Olivia Heitkamp started the match with a kill as the Rockets and Hoosiers traded points early in the first set. Heitkamp’s fifth kill of the set kept it even, 11-11, before two quick points from Indiana gave the Hoosiers a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. A block from Anna Alford and Heitkamp kept UT within four, 22-18, but a quick 3-0 run for the Hoosiers gave them the set win.

Both sides went back-and-forth to begin the second set before Indiana jumped out to a 7-4 lead. A solo block from Jessica Costlow sent the Rockets on a 3-0 run to even the frame, 9-9. The Hoosiers responded with an 8-2 run of their own to take a seven-point advantage, 19-12. Kills from Heitkamp and Sophie Catalano put UT within five, 19-14, but Indiana took the set win with four-straight points.

Catalano fired off a kill to give Toledo a lead in the third set, 4-3. A quick 3-0 surge by the Rockets, highlighted by a kill from Sierra Pertzborn and Catalano, kept Toledo ahead, 7-5. Two service aces and two kills from the Hoosiers put IU in front, 12-9, before Heitkamp and Catalano each buried terminations to even the frame, 13-13. Indiana went on a 3-0 run to retake the lead, 17-14. Catalano and Pertzborn combined for a second block to stay within three, 19-16, but the Hoosiers ended the match on a 6-1 run to take the win.

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Volleyball sweeps Fairmont State in first round of Atlantic Regionals

Published

45 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ERIE, Pa. – Indiana (PA) swept Fairmont St. 25-22, 25-19, 25-20 on Thursday at Highmark Events Center in Erie, Pa., in a neutral non-conference matchup.

Indiana (PA) was led by Charlotte Potvin, who posted 13 kills on a team-high .455 hitting percentage, adding four aces and 17.5 points in the three-set win. Delaney Concannon contributed 16 kills with 22 digs, while setter Ellie Rauch dished 45 assists and recorded two service aces.

Jessica Neiman added 14 kills on .464 hitting, while libero Lexi McLanahan finished with 15 digs. Rylee Brown anchored the front row with one solo block and two block assists, totaling three blocks and 2.0 points.

Indiana (PA) hit .268 for the match with 49 kills and 59 digs.

Fairmont St. saw 33 kills from a balanced attack and 49 digs defensively. Outside hitter Joey Borelle recorded 13 kills and seven digs, while Josie Nobbe totaled 11 digs and four kills. Chloe McDaniel added eight kills and four block assists.

The match featured 14 ties and nine lead changes in the opening set before Indiana pulled away late, scoring two straight points from the service line to close it out.

Indiana (PA) improved to 21-8 on the season, while Fairmont St. fell to 23-11.

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Kentucky volleyball tops Wofford in Lexington NCAA tournament bracket

Published

1 hour ago

December 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Updated Dec. 4, 2025, 11:27 p.m. ET

Top-seeded Kentucky volleyball defeated Wofford in three sets to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
Brooklyn DeLeye led Kentucky with 14 kills during the first-round victory.
Kentucky will now face No. 8 seed UCLA for a spot in the Sweet 16.

LEXINGTON — Top-seeded Kentucky volleyball defeated Wofford in three sets Thursday night at Historic Memorial Coliseum to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Brooklyn DeLeye led the Wildcats with 14 kills.

“This team especially, our depth, is so strong, and I think that just helps in practice,” DeLeye said after the match. “We’re pushing one another. No spot is guaranteed, and I think that’s truly helped us get to this No. 1 seed.”

UK will battle No. 8 seed UCLA Friday at 7 p.m. for a spot in the Sweet 16. UCLA defeated Georgia Tech in five sets Thursday night. A familiar face in former Louisville and current UCLA middle blocker Phekran Kong will sit across the net.

The ability to play in their home gym is huge for the Wildcats, coach Craig Skinner said.

“There’s a lot of really good teams, and every night out you got to be ready. You got to be ready for an enormous amount of challenges. And for us to be able to do that on our home floor is significant, and definitely we aren’t going to take that for granted.”

Kentucky takes a 23-match win streak into the second round after going undefeated in SEC play en route to the No. 2 overall seed. UK won the 2020 national championship, the first in program history.

Coverage during the match:

The Wildcats recorded 66 digs in three sets against the Terriers, led by junior libero Molly Tuozzo (19).

“I think it just all comes down to scouting and preparation,” Tuozzo said after the match. “I think we watched their hitters a lot beforehand, so we knew kind of their hard shots and what they like to do.”

UK completes its 15th sweep of 2025, besting Wofford in three sets (25-11, 25-19, 25-12). The Wildcats will face the No. 8 seed UCLA Bruins tomorrow night at Historic Memorial Coliseum. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

UK is moments away from advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Brooklyn DeLeye leads all players with 13.5 points and 12 kills.

The Wildcats are one set away from their 15th sweep of the season and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UK ended that frame on a 5-0 scoring run. Brooklyn DeLeye leads all players with nine kills.

The Wildcats regain the lead, marking the fourth time advantage has changed hands in this set. There have been 13 ties.

The Terriers lead with 11 kills.

UK takes the first set in a true team effort. Eva Hudson led the Wildcats with five kills, but five different Kentucky players notched at least one in the opening frame: Brooklyn DeLeye and Lizzie Carr have three each; Brooke Bultema has two; and Asia Thigpen has one. Kentucky ended the first set on a 4-0 scoring run.

The Wildcats lead early. Four UK players have kills already: Brooklyn DeLeye (2), Eva Hudson (2), Brooke Bultema (1) and Lizzie Carr (1).

Tonight’s match between No. 1 seed Kentucky and Wofford will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of a 4:30 p.m. first-round match between Georgia Tech and No. 8 seed UCLA at Historic Memorial Coliseum.

Buy Kentucky volleyball tickets here

The match between the Wildcats and the Terriers will not air on a traditional TV channel.

It’ll be on ESPN+, which is available exclusively via livestream. Click here to subscribe.

UK will play No. 8 seed UCLA at 7 p.m. Friday. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule:

First and second rounds: Dec. 4-6
Regionals: Dec. 11-14
Semifinals: Dec. 18 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
Championship: Dec. 21 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri

Click here to view the complete bracket.

Aug. 23: Kentucky 4, Ohio State 0 (exhibition)
Aug. 30: Kentucky 3, Lipscomb 0
Aug. 31: Nebraska 3, Kentucky 2
Sept. 5: Kentucky 3, Penn State 0
Sept. 6: Kentucky 3, New Hampshire 0
Sept. 10: Pitt 3, Kentucky 0
Sept. 13: Kentucky 3, SMU 1
Sept. 14: Kentucky 3, Houston 0
Sept. 18: Kentucky 3, Louisville 2
Sept. 20: Kentucky 3, Washington 0
Sept. 24: Kentucky 3, South Carolina 0
Sept. 26: Kentucky 3, Georgia 0
Oct. 3: Kentucky 3, Ole Miss 0
Oct. 8: Kentucky 3, Texas A&M 1
Oct. 12: Kentucky 3, LSU 0
Oct, 15: Kentucky 3, Auburn 0
Oct. 19: Kentucky 3, Florida 2
Oct. 24: Kentucky 3, Mississippi State 1
Oct. 26: Kentucky 3, Alabama 0
Oct. 31: Kentucky 3, Vanderbilt 0
Nov. 2: Kentucky 3, Texas 0
Nov. 6: Kentucky 3, Missouri 1
Nov. 9: Kentucky 3, Tennessee 1
Nov. 14: Kentucky 3, Oklahoma 2
Nov. 16: Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0
Nov. 23: Kentucky 3, Auburn 0 (SEC Tournament Quarterfinals)
Nov. 24: Kentucky 3, Tennessee 1 (SEC Tournament Semifinals)
Nov. 25: Kentucky 3, Texas 2 (SEC Tournament Final)
Dec. 4: Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (NCAA Tournament First Round)
Dec. 5: Kentucky vs. UCLA (NCAA Tournament Second Round)

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UNI volleyball stuns Utah in NCAA Tournament reverse sweep

Published

3 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

OMAHA, Neb. — Lily Dykstra, Cassidy Hartman and Reese Booth all posted double-double performances for the UNI volleyball team on Thursday as the Panthers rallied from down two sets to none to stun the Utah Utes in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at D.J. Sokol Arena.

Northern Iowa was unblocked by an 18-4 margin and struggled early out of system in the first two frames, but roared back with a gritty third set win, a fourth set victory thanks to a strong start and a wire-to-wire win in the winner-take-all fifth. The reverse sweep marks the first time UNI has rallied from down 2-0 in an NCAA Tournament match to advance since 2002 against Missouri.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Utah set an early tone with a 6-0 scoring run in the opening frame with a service ace to open the match. The Panthers would struggle offensively with seven attack errors and seven kills on .000 hitting as the Utes tallied a .448 hitting clip with 14 terminations and four blocks en route to a 25-15 win over UNI. Hartman and Isabelle Elliott would record two kills each in the frame.

Northern Iowa would put up a strong fight in the second stanza with 12 kills on .122 hitting. The Panthers used a 4-0 run to tie the set up at 10-10 before the Utes took the lead back with a 3-0 run of its own. UNI would even the score at 18-18 with a 4-0 run on a kill by Molly Shafer, back-to-back aces and a rare termination from Jadyn Petersen, but the Utes, hitting .343 with 12 kills, pulled away for a 25-21 lead and a two-set lead in the match. Dykstra led the Panthers with five kills in the set, with Hartman tallying three terminations.

The Panthers battled the Utes in another tight set in the third frame featuring ten ties and four lead changes. Booth dished out a service ace with Maryn Bixby blocking to give UNI a 9-7 lead as Utah grabbed and held a narrow lead for much of the frame. Northern Iowa would fight back however, led by eight kills from Dykstra and four from Hartman to recapture the lead, survive bonus ball and win the third set, 26-24 on 19 team terminations and .286 hitting.

UNI carried its momentum into set four with a 6-0 scoring run and would lead from start to finish with Dykstra adding an ace for a 9-1 advantage. Utah would chip away at the Panthers’ lead, but a .317 hitting clip by UNI and 19 more team terminations would help push the Panthers across the line, led by eight additional kills from Dykstra and five for Hartman.

In set five, the Panthers continued their momentum with a 5-1 scoring run to begin the decisive frame before Utah closed the gap. Hitting .389 with nine terminations, UNI never relinquished the lead and closed on a 3-0 run, including an ace from Sydney Golden to set up match point with Hartman delivering the winning point for a 15-10 win and the come-from-behind match victory.

Dykstra led the Panthers with career-highs in kills (25) and digs (14), with Hartman notching 19 kills and 11 digs, as Shafer, Bixby and Elliott each tallied six terminations. Booth posted a 32 assist, 11 digs double-double, while Golden notched 18 assists. On defense, Petersen led UNI with 16 digs, as Bixby posted three of the Panthers’ four total blocks on the night.

“I am so proud of this crew,” said UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen. We were a little unsure with this match with so many who haven’t experienced an NCAA Tournament match before. It didn’t look pretty in those first two sets but I felt we never gave up, kept fighting and finding ways to score. They definitely put pressure on us and it was a battle and a fun NCAA Tournament match!”

ADDITIONAL NOTES

UNI improves to 3-1 all-time against Utah in the first NCAA Tournament matchup between the Panthers and Utes.

Northern Iowa is now 18-26 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches. Thursday’s win marks the first time the Panthers have won matches in the tournament in consecutive seasons since 2002 and 2003. The win was also UNI’s first over a Big 12 Conference opponent since 2012 (Kansas State).

The Panthers extended their winning streak on the season to 22 matches, the eighth-longest streak in program history.

UNI is now 5-5 in five-set matches in the NCAA Tournament with victories in 1999 (Ball State), 2001 (Minnesota), 2002 (Missouri) and 2003 (UC Santa Barbara).

Lily Dykstra recorded her fourth 20+ kill match of the year on Thursday (Southern Illinois, Drake, UIC). She has also posted at least eight kills in 29 of 31 matches this season, as well as 18 matches with ten or more terminations and her second career double-double, both coming this year.

Cassidy Hartman notched her 26th match this year with ten-plus terminations with her 14th double-double of the season.

Reese Booth’s double-double was her ninth of the 2025 season.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will face off against the winner of No. 11 and third-seeded Creighton and Northern Colorado on Friday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 Corn Country).

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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Sports

No. 3 Badgers stifle Panthers to kick off postseason action

Published

4 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MADISON, Wis. – The No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team dominated in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, sweeping Eastern Illinois (25-11, 25-6, 25-19) behind another strong performance on the offensive end.

The Badgers (25-4) advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament with the help of a .435 (47 – 10 – 85) hitting percentage—jumping out of the gates in set one.

Outside hitter Mimi Colyer continued to lead the way for UW, tallying six kills on eight attempts in set one. The Badgers won 13-of-14 rallies early on to take a 17-3 lead, forcing a Panthers’ (24-8) timeout.

From there, UW never looked back in the first frame, as right side Grace Egan racked up a kill to put away Eastern Illinois with a 25-11 final score.

The Badgers put together their best showing of the season in the second set, winning 25-6. The six points allowed were the least by a Wisconsin unit in the rallying scoring era in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to 2007. UW earned four service aces in the set—including a pair from setter Charlie Fuerbringer.

Wisconsin enjoyed another large run in the second frame, winning seven-straight rallies to go up 19-5. Outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres provided a quality spark off of the bench in set two, recording back-to-back kills in the latter half of the frame. The sophomore earned four kills on four attempts, a season-best.

Eastern Illinois provided a response in the third set, but the Badgers were able to answer quickly to earn the sweep. Middle blocker Tosia Serafinowska concluded the match with her first kill of her postseason career, punching the Badgers’ ticket to a battle with North Carolina tomorrow evening at the UW Field House.

Colyer tallied double-digit kills for the 16th consecutive match, finishing with 10 on a .562 swinging percentage. Vajagic put together a solid showing in her postseason debut, also accumulating 10 kills to complement her five digs.

Defensively, libero Kristen Simon was a staple in the back row, as the freshman notched 15 digs—tying her highest total since the Badgers’ match against Indiana on Nov. 9.

The middle blockers for UW continued to be efficient, as seniors Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew combined for 12 kills and zero hitting errors.

Fuerbringer did it all for the Badgers to round out the standouts, paced by 35 assists. The sophomore added eight digs, four blocks and a pair of service aces, too.

Straight from the Court

Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on tonight’s performance): “Really happy with the way we came out and played. We did a lot of good things. Kristen really set the tone behind the service line and was aggressive defensively, getting balls and just hunting, making strong moves.”

(On everyone gaining in-match experience): “You certainly don’t go into the match thinking you’ll empty the bench. We have a lot of people who work hard and when an opportunity presents itself in the NCAA Tournament where you can add year played to their experience, especially in the Field House, that is pretty special.”

Middle Blocker Alicia Andrew (on what went well tonight): “I was really impressed with both Mimi and Kristen. They were really going for it on their serves and it showed. They got the team out of the system a lot and that was so much fun to watch. I think our side out transition game, like Coach mentioned, we were able to be in the system a lot of the time courtesy to Kristen and that was really good.”

Libero Kristen Simon (on continuing to build confidence): “It’s been a process just building up my confidence and going for every ball. Obviously, you find more range and just find more confidence behind the defensive line and just reading your hitters.”

Notes:

With the sweep over EIU, Wisconsin moves to 27-1 all-time in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, and 71-29 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

The match-up against EIU marked the first time the two teams met since 1995. Wisconsin improves 5-2 all-time against the Panthers.

For the seventh time this season, the Badgers hit .400 or better (47-10-95). The Badgers outhit EIU .435 to .022.

The Badgers surrendered just six points in the second set to EIU making it the lowest point total by an opponent in program history of the NCAA tournament.

For the 16th-consecutive match, outside hitter Mimi Colyer totaled double-figure kills. She led the team with 10 kills. The senior is now tied at third in program history with Arlisa Hagan (1991-92) for most consecutive matches with double-digit kill totals.

Sophomore Morgan Van Wie made an appearance in the third set as a serving substitute.

The 49 digs marks the fourth-highest dig total in a three set match this season for the Badgers.

Sophomore Maile Chan recorded her first service ace in the third set.

Senior Carter Booth recorded her seventh match without a hitting error. Both totaled seven kills on 11 swings.

Libero Kristen Simon led the team with 15 digs. This marks Simon’s 20th match with double-figure digs.

Up Next: The Badgers are back in action tomorrow evening in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, as they will take on North Carolina at 7:00 p.m. CT at the UW Field House. Wisconsin holds an 8-2 record all-time against the Tar Heels, as the two teams last competed against each other back in 2019. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

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