Sports
What can MLB learn from the Savannah Bananas? A lot, it turns out

BALTIMORE – The sellout crowd of more than 45,000 fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards stood on their feet, screaming and celebrating Saturday’s walk-off home run.
There had been a palpable buzz at the stadium all night long. It started hours before first pitch, as fans packed merchandise booths and waited in food lines — the kinds of lines typically only seen on Opening Day and in October — as soon as the gates opened.
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Saturday’s game was closely contested, with the crowd hovering near full capacity the entire night. When it was over, fans reluctantly headed to their car.
They weren’t there to see an Orioles game (the O’s had trouble selling out their two home playoff games last year), or even a Major League Baseball game. They were there to see the Savannah Bananas, an independent barnstorming group of professionals who have, in founder Jesse Cole’s words, “removed the friction in baseball” and play a fast-paced, backflipping brand of “Banana Ball” that’s taken the sports world by storm, generating millions of fans and seemingly growing at warp speed.
“I get it now,” said former Baltimore manager Buck Showalter after the old-school baseball man served as an honorary coach during Friday’s game against an opposing team called the Firefighters. “(The Bananas) are doing a lot of things right. My son said it was like a Caribbean World Series game on steroids.”
While some of Banana Ball’s 11 rules would be tough to envision implementing in MLB — like foul balls caught by fans counting as outs — there are a host of other lessons about the fan experience and growing the game that the Commissioner’s Office (and MLB’s 30 teams) might want to consider.
Lesson 1: Fans First
That’s the actual name of Cole’s company, which more than lives up to its namesake. Cole has turned down what he says are “stupid numbers” from outside investors, as well as a seven-figure offer from a ticket broker. Instead, the Bananas use an internal system for everything from tickets to merchandise and pay all their own fees and taxes on those items, meaning a $35 ticket is actually $35.
Yes, it costs Cole money, but he said the decision was a no-brainer. “I’m not trying to make a billion dollars,” he said. “I want a billion fans.”
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Lesson 2: Make pregame an event
In Banana Ball, the gates open two and a half hours before first pitch, and there’s a steady stream of player and fan entertainment that encourages people to get to the ballpark hours before first pitch (and potentially buy food and merchandise, too).
Most MLB teams open their gates 90 minutes before night games, though select games or groups may get in two hours early. Most of the time, the home team is done with batting practice by then, and there’s very little if anything going on other than a video blaring on the JumboTron. Fans may catch the end of the road team’s batting practice, but for young fans, there’s virtually no chance of seeing their favorite players or having any pre-game interactions with them.
In Banana Ball, players go into the stands during the game (Cole does, too). And while it would be borderline irresponsible to ask Bryce Harper to mingle in the upper deck between innings, why can’t stadiums open early enough for home fans to watch batting practice? Why can’t players on the injured list and with the team be required to spend a half-hour pregame signing baseballs? This is how you create meaningful fan interaction and ensure loyal customers for life, which leads us to our next lesson.
Lesson 3: Market players better
I attended Saturday’s game and was struck with how popular many of the players were. Fans were wearing jerseys with names on their back I had never heard of (despite 15 years covering MLB, I’m a Banana newbie).
My 9-year-old nephew waited more than two hours at a local Dunkin Donuts Saturday morning just to meet two Bananas and two Firefighters. Impressed, I checked TikTok, where Banana Jackson Olson has 2 million followers (more than MLB stars Harper and Mike Trout combined), as well as deals with Reebok and Gatorade. The Bananas have 10.5 million followers on their TikTok account, which is more than MLB’s official account (8.3 million).
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They will play in more than a dozen MLB stadiums this year, and they are selling out NFL stadiums, too. All four Fans First teams — in addition to the Bananas and Firefighters, there are the Party Animals and Texas Tailgaters — are made up of players who are recruited and paid to play at salaries higher than the minor leagues. All players on Fans First teams are carefully selected for talent, playing ability and makeup. The latter is perhaps the most important.
Everyone on the Bananas truly wants to be there, and they don’t complain about making trick plays or signing autographs. Cole says dancing was initially met with trepidation by all but a handful of players — until they saw how wildly popular it was. Now, everyone dances.
80,000 people reportedly attended the Bananas’ first game at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium in April. (Sean Rayford / Getty Images)
Lesson 4: Rethink the schedule
The Bananas don’t play Monday through Wednesday — “Does playing on a Monday night in April serve our fans?” Cole asked — so games are held Thursday through Sunday nights. On this world tour, Banana games were played in warm-weather cities like Peoria, Ariz., and Miami, Fla., until May.
MLB doesn’t have that luxury in a 162-game season (the Bananas will play 73 games this year), and whether the sport should cut down games is a subject for another day. Still, there has long been the idea among baseball people for a universal off day during the season, perhaps Mondays.
The league can’t only schedule the first half of April in domed/warm cities because it would delay other clubs’ home openers by so much. But there are ways to mitigate that, too. How about more day games — when the temperatures are higher — in the first month of the season? (And in the playoffs, so young fans can watch games until the end.) MLB and its clubs have done a better job of pushing up game times when weather is an issue, but having every Monday off would also make rescheduling postponements a lot easier.
Lesson 5: Get creative with rules
Blowouts don’t keep fans engaged, so Cole tweaked the rules to make sure the ninth inning would always matter (a team gets an individual point for winning each of innings one through eight, but in the ninth, runs are unlimited). It sounds crazy, but it works, providing more thrilling late-game heroics, like it did on Saturday. There’s also a two-hour game clock, though contests are often done before then.
Under Commissioner Rob Manfred, MLB implemented the pitch clock to cut out the sport’s dead time, a move that has received almost universal praise. Last year, Manfred noted that the sport is considering more rule changes, including the “Golden at-bat,” which got some buzz at the owners meetings. That’s a page right out of Cole’s playbook. In Banana Ball, the Golden Batter rule allows a team to send any hitter to the plate in any spot once per game.
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The pitch clock was just the beginning. MLB has been open to many rule changes and adjustments, and they should be. In an era of three true outcomes (walk, strikeout, home run), getting the ball in play and showcasing the players’ athleticism, speed and defense is exciting.
Lesson 6: Remember why you started
Some readers who have made it this far probably view the Bananas as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball. (That comparison irks Cole, who points out that his players are very competitive on the field and that every night is a different show.) But the Bananas have more than 3 million fans who have submitted information to the team’s ticket waitlist, so MLB should be paying attention.
Some of what the Bananas are doing is impossible to replicate. Everyone wants to see the show when it’s only in town one or two nights a year.
But baseball may be barrelling toward another lockout. MLB’s current collective bargaining agreement with its players expires after the 2026 season. Manfred has been meeting with players about a potential salary cap, and the relations between players and the league are already contentious. If it’s not careful, MLB may find that fans have moved on, perhaps in favor of another brand of the game that’s a little lighter on the wallet.
Banana Ball is wacky, but it’s also a competitive brand of baseball that prioritizes fun and fan experience. Isn’t that what professional sports were supposed to be about in the first place?
(Photo: Sean Rayford / Getty Images)
Sports
Elite Performance Lifts #11 Creighton Volleyball to Regional Final
Courtesy of Rob Anderson, Creighton Athletics
LEXINGTON, KY — Seniors Ava Martin, Annalea Maeder, and Kiara Reinhardt helped No. 11 Creighton Volleyball to a second straight Regional Final with a 3-1 win over No. 8 Arizona State on Thursday afternoon at historic Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky.
Scores of the match were 26-24, 19-25, 25-13, 25-18.
Creighton led 10-7 and 11-8 early before Arizona State countered with a 7-2 run to take a 15-13 lead into the media timeout after back-to-back aces by Brynn Covell. The Jays regrouped, getting a kill from Jaya Johnson and two more by Kiara Reinhardt to move in front 20-18. The teams continued to trade 3-0 runs, as after falling behind 21-20, Creighton bounced back with three of its own to move in front 23-21 on Sydney Breissinger’s serve. ASU tied it up at 23-all before Johnson went line to earn the Jays a set point opportunity at 24-23. Noemie Glover put down a kill to extend the set, but a service error and a Martin kill gave CU the 26-24 set. Martin owned seven kills in 11 errorless swings to pace a Bluejay offense that hit .333. Maeder dished 17 assists and Breissinger had six digs for CU. Glover topped the Sun Devils with five kills.
CU led much of the second set before a 4-0 Arizona State gave the Sun Devils a 17-14 lead. The Sun Devils led by two or more the rest of the way, closing out the 25-19 victory with back-to-back blocks to even the match heading into intermission. Martin had nine kills in the second frame and Breissinger 10 digs, but it wasn’t enough to offset six kills from Glover and five kills by Kiylah Presley. ASU hit .368 in the second set and would side out at 70 percent clip.
The Bluejays bolted to a 9-3 lead to open the third set and stayed in control throughout, hitting .600 in a 25-13 rout. With all the focus on Martin, it was six kills from Reinhardt and three by Johnson that did the trick. Johnson served her first ace since October 17th to close out the set. The .600 hitting percentage was CU’s best ever in an NCAA Tournament set.
A pair of aces from Breissinger helped CU to a 3-0 lead to open the fourth game, and the Jays posted a second straight wire-to-wire victory. Martin’s 22nd kill to make it 15-10 at the media timeout tied Jaali Winters’ career NCAA Tournament record with 175.
Martin led CU with 23 kills, while Maeder had 55 assists and 15 digs. Reinhardt had 14 kills on .722 hitting, while Johnson added 12 kills of her own and Breissinger dug a career-high 20 balls. CU finished the match with 65 kills, 57 digs, eight aces and six blocks on .370 hitting.
Glover topped ASU with 17 kills and Henry dished out 26 assists while Omaha native Faith Frame collecting a team-high 15 balls. ASU closed the match with 50 kills, 48 digs, 4 aces and seven blocks on .273 hitting.
With the win, Creighton (28-5) advances to play the winner of this afternoon’s Cal Poly/Kentucky match on Saturday night on ESPN2 for a spot in the Final Four. A start time for that match will be announced later this evening. The Big 12 champions, Arizona State ends its season with a 28-4 mark.
NOTES:Kiara Reinhardt set a program record by playing in her 12th career NCAA Tournament match, while tying another mark with her 11th NCAA Tournament start … Ava Martin became the third player in CU history with 500 or more kills in a season … Arizona State libero Faith Frame is an Omaha native and the sister of former Creighton Softball player Ensley Frame … Creighton has won 23 straight matches, tied for its second-longest win streak in program history … Creighton is now 20-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 3-2 record in the Regional Semifinals … Creighton has won eight straight matches against Big 12 Conference teams, including a 3-0 mark this season … Creighton has won 28 or more matches seven times now, all since 2012 … Creighton Volleyball has joined men’s soccer (in 2002-03, 2011-12 and 2014-15) as the only programs in the history of Creighton Athletics to make back-to-back Elite Eights … Brian Rosen joined former men’s soccer coach Elmar Bolowich as the second head coach in the history of Creighton Athletics to take his first team to the Elite Eight. Rosen also joined Bolowich as the only coaches in CU history to win his first three NCAA Tournament games … Creighton’s 89 victories since the start of the 2023 season rank third-most nationally, trailing only Nebraska and Pittsburgh. Arizona State entered the today fourth on that list with 86 victories … Creighton improved to 5-2 all-time inside Memorial Coliseum with its fourth straight win in the historic facility … Arizona State fell to 0-8 in Regional Semifinals … Ava Martin had five or more kills for the 110th straight match and 10 or more kills for the 27th consecutive contest … Ava Martin (1,630) passed Leah Ratzlaff (1,622) for third-most kills in CU history … Ava Martin led or tied for the Creighton lead in kills for the 26th match in a row … Annalea Maeder had her 15th double-double of the season … Creighton improved to 6-0 when taking a 2-1 lead in a match … Annalea Maeder reached 4,000 career assists.
Sports
Nebraska volleyball readies for a Sweet 16 showdown with Kansas at home
No. 1 seed Nebraska volleyball hosts No. 4 Kansas in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.
The Huskers enter the match at 32-0 and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. With all the success this season, junior outside hitter Harper Murray said the team is focusing on being grateful and staying present.
“Because if you look too far into the future, you’re probably going to get a little nervous and feel a little stressed out,” Murray said, “so (we’re) just really focusing on what we’re doing in the moment and focusing on where our feet are.”
Playing at home is a big advantage in the tournament, she added.
Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson echoed that sentiment.
“I think the whole team feeling like we can play free really helps me, because the whole vibe on the court, regardless of who’s in, you can just feel that there’s so much confidence,” Jackson said. “Obviously, if the team is feeling pressure, then you’re going to start to feel pressure for yourself.”
Jackson and Murray said the team’s difficult practices and preparation helps them play with confidence.
First-year head coach Dani Busboom Kelly, who coached in two national championship games at Louisville, acknowledged there’s pressure to follow through on the Cornhuskers’ high-level success this year.
“But I do think this team has a lot of experience with it,” Busboom Kelly said. “The staff has a lot of experience with it. So it’s nothing new, which I think helps to alleviate some of that.”
Busboom Kelly’s former team, No. 2 seed Louisville, will compete against No. 3 seed Texas A&M at 6 p.m. CT on Friday. That match will be played at the Bob Devaney Sports Center followed by the Huskers.
First serve between the Cornhuskers and Jayhawks is set for approximately 8:30 p.m. CT Friday. Both Sweet 16 matches will air on ESPN2.
Winners of the Louisville-Texas A&M match and the Nebraska-Kansas match will face off on Sunday for the right to go to the Final Four. Serve time is yet to be determined.
The Final Four will be played at T-Mobile Arena in downtown Kansas City on Dec. 18 and 21.
Sports
VUU track and field posts standout results at indoor opener | Richmond Free Press
Virginia Union University’s track and field teams opened the indoor season with a surge of early success, highlighted by multiple school records, event wins and breakout performances across two meets.
At the season opener, freshman Kornti Searles broke the indoor school record in the women’s weight throw, with fellow freshman Ellis Oshawnna moving to No. 2 all-time in the event. In the long jump, Angell Garrison and Taylor Porter opened their seasons with personal bests.
Freshman J’meriyon Osborne delivered the top men’s performance of the opener, winning the men’s open long jump ahead of 22 competitors in his collegiate debut. Timothy Butler broke the indoor school record in the weight throw and advanced to the finals, finishing sixth in a field of 29 athletes. In the invitational long jump, Jeremiah Palacious placed third with a collegiate-best mark of 23 feet, 6½ inches.
“The first day of the meet was a strong showing for both the men’s and women’s teams — a great way to kick off the season,” said Franck Charles, VUU head track and field coach.
The Panthers carried that momentum to Liberty University, where day two produced three more women’s school records.
Yamilet Cruz broke a 15-year-old school record in the shot put with a throw of 11.83 meters, surpassing Shakeema Browne’s 2010 mark. Abijah Jepkemboi set a new program record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 19:47, eclipsing the previous record set in 2017. Victoria Louis added the third record of the day, finishing the 300 meters in 42.08.
“Day two was another good day for our ladies as they broke three more school records,” Charles said. “Our women’s team is heading in the right direction and, in total, they’ve already shattered four school records this season.
Sports
Elite Performance Lifts #11 Volleyball Past #8 Arizona State
Scores of the match were 26-24, 19-25, 25-13, 25-18.
Creighton led 10-7 and 11-8 early before Arizona State countered with a 7-2 run to take a 15-13 lead into the media timeout after back-to-back aces by Brynn Covell. The Jays regrouped, getting a kill from Jaya Johnson and two more by Reinhardt to move in front 20-18. The teams continued to trade 3-0 runs, as after falling behind 21-20, Creighton bounced back with three of its own to move in front 23-21 on Sydney Breissinger’s serve. ASU tied it up at 23-all before Johnson went line to earn the Jays a set point opportunity at 24-23. Noemie Glover put down a kill to extend the set, but a service error and Martin kill gave CU the 26-24 set. Martin owned seven kills in 11 errorless swings to pace a Bluejay offense that hit .333. Maeder dished 17 assists and Breissinger had six digs for CU. Glover topped the Sun Devils with five kills.
CU led much of the second set before a 4-0 Arizona State gave the Sun Devils a 17-14 lead. The Sun Devils led by two or more the rest of the way, closing out the 25-19 victory with back-to-back blocks to even the match heading into intermission. Martin had nine kills in the second frame and Breissinger 10 digs, but it wasn’t enough to offset six kills from Glover and five kills by Kiylah Presley. ASU hit .368 in the second set and would side out at at 70 percent clip.
The Bluejays bolted to a 9-3 lead to open the third set and stayed in control throughout, hitting .600 in a 25-13 rout. With all the focus on Martin, it was six kills from Kiara Reinhardt and three by Johnson that did the trick. Johnson served her first ace since October 17th to close out the set. The .600 hitting percentage was CU’s best ever in an NCAA Tournament set.
A pair of aces from Breissinger helped CU to a 3-0 lead to open the fourth game, and the Jays posted a second straight wire-to-wire victory. Martin’s 22nd kill to make it 15-10 at the media timeout tied Jaali Winters’ career NCAA Tournament record with 175. A kill from Reinhardt sent the Jays to their third Elite Eight in program history, and second straight.
Martin led CU with 23 kills, while Maeder had 56 assists and 16 digs. Reinhardt had 14 kills on .737 hitting, while Johnson added 12 kills of her own and Breissinger dug a career-high 20 balls. CU finished the match with 65 kills, 57 digs, eight aces and six blocks on .370 hitting.
Glover topped ASU with 17 kills on .517 hitting and Henry dished out 26 assists. Omaha native Faith Frame collecting a team-high 15 balls. ASU closed the match with 50 kills, 48 digs, 4 aces and seven blocks on .273 hitting.
With the win, Creighton (28-5) advances to play the winner of this afternoon’s Cal Poly/Kentucky match on Saturday night on ESPN2 for a spot in the Final Four. A start time for that match will be announced later this evening. The Big 12 champions, Arizona State ends its season with a 28-4 mark.
NOTES: Kiara Reinhardt set a program record by playing in her 12th career NCAA Tournament match, while tying another mark with her 11th NCAA Tournament start … Ava Martin became the third player in CU history with 500 or more kills in a season … Arizona State libero Faith Frame is an Omaha native and the sister of former Creighton Softball player Ensley Frame … Creighton has won 23 straight matches, tied for its second-longest win streak in program history … Creighton is now 20-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 3-2 record in the Regional Semifinals … Creighton has won eight straight matches against Big 12 Conference teams, including a 3-0 mark this season … Creighton has won 28 or more matches seven times now, all since 2012 … Creighton Volleyball has joined men’s soccer (in 2002-03, 2011-12 and 2014-15) as the only programs in the history of Creighton Athletics to make back-to-back Elite Eights … Brian Rosen joined former men’s soccer coach Elmar Bolowich as the second head coach in the history of Creighton Athetlics to take his first team to the Elite Eight. Rosen also joined Bolowich as the only coaches in CU history to win his first three NCAA Tournament games … Creighton’s 89 victories since the start of the 2023 season rank third-most nationally, trailing only Nebraska and Pittsburgh. Arizona State entered the today fourth on that list with 86 victories … Creighton improved to 5-2 all-time inside Memorial Coliseum with its fourth straight win in the historic facility … Arizona State fell to 0-8 in Regional Semifinals … Ava Martin had five or more kills for the 110th straight match and 10 or more kills for the 27th consecutive contest … Ava Martin (1,630) passed Leah Ratzlaff (1,622) for third-most kills in CU history … Ava Martin led or tied for the Creighton lead in kills for the 26th match in a row … Annalea Maeder had her 15th double-double of the season … Creighton improved to 6-0 when taking a 2-1 lead in a match … Annalea Maeder reached 4,000 career assists late in the fourth set.
Arizona State Postgame Quotes
Arizona State Head Coach JJ Van Niel
Opening Statement…
“Hats off to Creighton, really clean volleyball. They put a lot of pressure on us from the serving line and we weren’t able to find the right answers.”
On the adjustment Creighton made in the third set…
“They just spun the rotation just slightly, and they were getting their really, really good servers on the line. They mixed up really well, and they got us in some trouble there. They were playing really clean volleyball, and we’re patient, and we block a ball, and they cover it, and they just kind of kept chipping away and chipping away. They’re really, really scrappy, so that was probably the big adjustment.”
On what surprised them about Creighton…
“Honestly, nothing. I mean, they played their game, and they’ve got some really nice players. Their middle we knew was going to be tough to stop, and 15 kills in four sets is pretty impressive. I thought we’d be able to get them in a little more trouble, which in the second set, we really did. We were getting them off the net, and it makes a big difference because then they have to become a little more reliant, but I don’t think there’s anything that surprised us. They’ve been playing great volleyball all year. They probably don’t get the credit because they’re not as tough of a conference, but they were really good in the preseason. I think in any conference, going undefeated is an impressive feat, and they did it, so I wouldn’t say there’s anything they did in particular was any different. They executed really, really well.”
Arizona State Student-Athletes
#5 Sydney Henry, S
On momentum going to the 3rd set…
“Yeah, for sure. There was definitely some momentum there and we made it known that we were gonna stay together and we were going to stay connected and we were going to use it in the third set. But like they said, Creighton came out, they punched us, but we wanted to punch back as well. definitely after that second set, we could use some momentum.”
On a defining moment from the season…
“There wasn’t one defining moment but I think we all kind of knew coming into this how bad we wanted to repeat this year and Noemie and I both coming in this year. We knew the history of ASU and I wanted to continue that legacy, so I think from the moment that we all stepped in there together, we knew what we wanted to do, how to get there, we knew it was going to take hard work and so I think just all along, that was the plan for us.”
#10 Noemie Glover, OH
On what was working for Noemie…
“I think Sydney was putting me in good positions to score. I think that was kind of the main reason that I’m able to find openings there, our passers were doing well to put the ball in good position, and then just seeing the floor and having diverse shot selection.”
On their successful season …
“I think in the summer, we did a lot of summer camps with younger players and I think just seeing how those players interacted with our younger people, being new people in the community, seeing how much the community cared for ASU and just volleyball in general. I think that kind of pushed the momentum throughout the season, you know, we’d see campers that came, they’d wear their shirts, and they’d just be so excited to, you, watch us play. I think that that is easy to play when you have like when people that are saying, you know, they’re looking up to you or they’re looking up to the team and just seeing how the younger players were interacting with our team in general, I think that that was just really fun to continue on and especially being at home and just being able to see all those kids from the summer and seeing what kids will come again this summer. I think that that was just really fun, and it’s a big momentum push for all of us.”
Creighton Postgame Quotes
Creighton Head Coach Brian Rosen
Opening Statement….
“First just congrats to Arizona State on an incredible season- a battle tonight. Yeah, their right sides are so good. The ESPN question at halftime was, their right sides are really good-what should you do to stop them? That was a good question. Our goal to stop them was to really ramp up service pressure and try to take them out and put them into tough situations as much as we could. I thought defensively, we made some great plays. We talked before this match, all kind of week in practice, that they’re gonna get their kills, you know, Noemie (Glover) is gonna bounce the ball on the floor somewhere and we got to roll that one back to them. So what can score is the tip, the role, the offspeed. And I don’t know if one did today. We were so good defensively on everything else. That’s what allowed us opportunities to transition and score. And then offensively, man, we were special good today. I thought all of our seniors were incredible. If these two aren’t high team all Americans, I don’t know what is. And I just thought we’re lucky to have them and everyone again stepped up. Like, Jaya (Johnson) made some humongous swings for us, even like she got blocked once at the end of, I think it was the third set, and came back and swung harder on the next one. I thought we had that mentality all match. They have a huge block. And I thought anytime any one of them got blocked, the next one came harder. Maybe with a little bit more angle. And so I just thought they showed incredible poise. We’ve shrilled at times this season to allow one point to be one point. I thought all match tonight, they were able to move on quickly to the next one. Our side out percentage was so good against a really good Arizona State team and just really proud of the group and what they’ve accomplished so far this season. And as Ava (Martin) prematurely put us into the finals, that’s the goal on Saturday too.”
On what adjustments were made to service pressure in the third set…
“Yeah, and that’s who we’ve been all year. I know they mentioned Adam (Kessenich), one of our assistants. Like, he works tirelessly on our serving system games, all those things that we serve every single day in practice, and we’ve talked since the spring about being the best serving team in the country. We make our team say it every day. It’s on every scattering report we have that we are the best serving team in the country and they passed way too well in those first two sets. And so, really talked about picking up the pressure, like going for it, and if you make an error, it’s okay. That’s how we are as a coaching staff. Nora (Wurtz) going on that big run in the third set, I think was almost like a relief for our team. Like she is the person that always goes on runs for us and she struggled on the first two sets to kind of get in a rhythm. So her going on that run, I think, allowed our team to be like, oh, here we go. And I thought everyone kind of relaxed and got a little more free in those scenarios. But yeah, I thought our first context on both sides were really good today.”
On the success of passing throughout the entire match…
“Oh, it was really good. The second set was the one set where we didn’t pass kind of to our level. We talked about it in the locker room and between those two sets, how we know we can pick up some of these. They did a really nice job working in some short (and) deep, and a couple of those got us. But I thought third set on, we really protect it, though. There was one late in the third set that Ava (Martin), like, went down under and got, and then I thought Anna (Maeder) made some special sets tonight. There were a few times where she was pushed like all the way across the net and was able to reverse balls to Jaya (Johnson), find Kiara (Reinhardt) in some tough situations to kind of hold their block because Arizona State’s a great scheme blocking team and I thought she did a nice job kind of going against the flow.”
On Ava Martin reaching the most kills in program history in the tournament…
“She just always gets it done. I was looking, they handed me a stat sheet in the second set. And I think she had like sixteen kills or something like that in the second set. I looked at Izzy (Ashburn), my assistant next to me, I was like, God, does Ava really have sixteen kills right now? Um, it didn’t feel that way. I knew she was playing well but, it didn’t feel like she already had sixteen kills and she kind of does it that way. Like, she’ll kind of get you, get you, get you. And then you know at 23-23, she’s going to get that one too. Those are the ones that stand out, but it’s all the points, like up to that, that she does such a great job. And again, she was on Glover (Noemie) a ton today, and that’s a big block. And I thought she did such a good job using low on the block and trying to tool off her points, work in the court, working some tips in. We were able to get the back row going too. So she’s just such a complete player and one of the best passers in the gym too.”
Creighton Student-Athletes
#5 Kiara Reinhardt, MB
On what it meant to win today …
“People kept asking us that at the beginning of the season, you guys’ lost Kendra, you guys’ lost Nora, but I think they really underestimated the girls that we have on this team right now. That was what I kept saying at the beginning of the year, I am so excited for some more girls who have had to take, kind of a backseat, obviously to some stellar athletes, but I just kept saying I am so excited for girls to find their role and to find their confidence, and that is what the nation is seeing right now too. So I am really just so proud of this team and how we’ve had a group of 17 who are stepping up and who are putting others before themselves and are just playing special good right now, and it’s been so fun and such a joy to be alongside them.”
On ASU tipping and rolling their blocks …
“I mean, yeah, our game plan was every time they tip a roll or shot at us, like, we have to take care of that and put the ball away. And so that’s something we’ve wanted to hang our hats on all year and that was just, again, super important for today’s game plan. So I think just as hitters like, when our defenders get a great day out of those, like, we’re just like, okay, it’s our time now. Like, let’s go, like, let’s go put the ball away for them. Like, it said, like, they make a great day on anything. We want to just, like, continue that point and finish that point for them. So, yeah, which I felt like we all fed off each other so well today.”
On Coach Rosen …
“Yeah, I think he’s just at a really good foundation and has just kept us so consistent. All year in just trying to, again, remember back to who we are, like, Craig Molleyball and Cate and Good is great enough to be anyone. And so I think he’s really helped reinforce that in us of like, going back there and we’re able to come out every match being able to be confident in ourselves and that our training that we do every single day in the gym is great enough and we can trust and lean in on that. And again, like the culture and the relationships we’ built here too, like, there’s so much to say that like, we can fall back on that and we can trust in that, and that we put in the work on the court and off the court to, to be able to keep pushing through and win another game.”
#24 Sydney Breissinger, DS
On if there was a specific adjustment they made during the game …
“That’s all Adam K. He’s calling our zones all the time and he does such an awesome job at it. We talked about mixing short and deep in like working depth against this team and that was something I think we were able to do and we worked that in a lot more and sets three and four just kind of keep them guessing and just really putting the pressure on them. We trust every single person to go back behind the line and put in a great serve, and that’s what we were doing.”
On if a certain player made a play to spark the team …
“Honestly, I think Sid had a lot of digs that were just like wow digs. And I think when you make some of those plays, especially after their right side’s going off and her making some of those digs really makes us hitters want to dig deeper and, you know, get a kill for that point. KR had some amazing deep corner swings that I mean; they’re just untouchable. I mean, you can’t do anything about it. I think there’s just a lot of little things, but I think our team as a whole played so well today, and we played together, and I think that’s really what won us this game and that’s what’s going to help us really go far is when we all lean on each other and play for each other.”
On potentially playing Kentucky the next match …
“I think they’re both just really well-balanced teams, and like, we love our matchup against teams like that. Like, we just believe in ourselves so much. But we try not to worry too much about what’s on the other side of the net. We focus so much on ourselves and so we’re going to go sit out there, we’re going to scout, we’re going to watch a little bit more, but our main focus is ourselves.”
#8 Ava Martin, OH
On winning with the team …
“It’s so fun, and we just keep going. We just want to keep playing because we love this group of girls, and it’s just so fun when we’re out there playing together. Obviously, winning is amazing, but we get to do it with each other. And I think that’s the big thing we keep going back to. Also, there’s a good amount of us that lost last year, and we’re all pretty hungry. We’re still upset about that loss last year and our goal this year is to make it to the final four. And so just taking it one game at a time and, I mean, that’s been our goal this whole season and so fighting for that final four.”
Sports
LLH Healthcare buys naming rights to UH indoor track facility
The University of Houston’s indoor track facility will be known as LLH Healthcare Indoor Track as part of a multi-year naming rights partnership announced Thursday.
In a joint statement, Live Life Healthy (LLH) Healthcare and UH said the partnership “strengthens UH’s commitment to providing student-athletes with world-class resources while highlighting LLH Healthcare’s dedication to advancing health, wellness and innovation across the Greater Houston area.”
The naming rights deal with UH’s nationally recognized track and field program joins TDECU Stadium and the Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center as university athletic facilities to enter a corporate sponsorship. Other facility names, among them Fertitta Center and Schroeder Park, are named after individuals or families.
“We wanted to do something different and outside the box with this partnership with LLH Healthcare,” UH vice president for athletics Eddie Nuñez said. “We believe this collaborative partnership between Houston Athletics and LLH raises the bar for health and wellness in our community and in our athletics department. This partnership also bolsters our historic track and field program and continues to improve the facilities needed for our track and field athletes to compete at their best. LLH is another great example of a valued partner who sees the whole picture plan and supports Houston Athletics in every facet from NIL to facilities.”
Installed in 2019, LLH Healthcare Indoor Track hosts thousands of athletes yearly for professional, collegiate, high school, youth and all-comers meets. The track includes a six-lane, 200-meter banked oval and an eight-lane straightaway for 60-meter hurdles and sprints. The installation also includes two horizontal jump runways with sand pits and two pole vault runways, boxes and pits.
“I’m so excited about the partnership with Live Life Healthy,” UH track and field coach Carl Lewis said. “It’s such an important message to people of all ages, and the support that we’re getting from the community is incredible. This partnership is going to benefit the entire City of Houston, not just the University of Houston.”
As part of the deal, UH athletes will collaborate with LLH Healthcare in a name, image and likeness (NIL) program to promote a “Live Life Healthy” initiative.
“Partnering with the University of Houston reflects exactly who we are: committed to elevating health, performance, and opportunity for the communities we serve,” said Zachary Rogers, CEO of LLH Healthcare. “Under the legendary leadership of Coach Carl Lewis, UH has built a culture defined by speed, discipline, and excellence.”
Sports
Kentucky volleyball score today vs Cal Poly, UK vs Creighton game time
Updated Dec. 11, 2025, 5:28 p.m. ET
- Lizzie Carr led the Kentucky Wildcats in kills with 11 on 15 attack attempts. She also led the team in blocks (six).
- UK earned several American Volleyball Coaches Association awards for its performance in the tournament’s first weekend. Five Wildcats made the All-South Region first team.
LEXINGTON — No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball defeated Cal Poly in three sets Thursday afternoon at Historic Memorial Coliseum to advance to the NCAA Tournament Regional Final.
Lizzie Carr led the Wildcats in kills with 11 on 15 attack attempts. She also led the team in blocks (six). And Kassie O’Brien led UK with 31 assists.
Kentucky will battle No. 3 Creighton Saturday night for a spot in the Final Four in Kansas City, Missouri. It’ll be the Wildcats’ fourth Elite Eight under head coach Craig Skinner.

UK earned several American Volleyball Coaches Association awards for its performance in the tournament’s first weekend. Five Wildcats made the All-South Region first team: Carr, Brooklyn DeLeye, Eva Hudson, O’Brien and Molly Tuozzo. This tied the program record from 2020-21.
Hudson, an outside hitter, was named AVCA Region Player of the Year. O’Brien, a setter, was named AVCA All-South Region Freshman of the Year. And Skinner earned his fifth AVCA All-South Region Coach of the Year honor.
Click here for how to watch the match.
Coverage during the match:
The Wildcats will battle the Creighton Bluejays Saturday night for a trip to the Final Four.
The Wildcats are on an 8-0 scoring run as they look to clinch a fourth Regional Final appearance under coach Craig Skinner.
Another ace for UK (this time by libero Molly Tuozzo) clinches another set. Kentucky is holding Cal Poly to a hitting percentage of 18.8%. Lizzie Carr leads the Wildcats with eight kills (with a 63.6% hitting percentage), tying her with Cal Poly’s Emma Fredrick (with a 23.5% hitting percentage) for most by any player so far in this match.
Kentucky responded to a 3-0 scoring run by Cal Poly with a 3-0 run of its own, prompting a Cal Poly timeout. Eva Hudson has five kills to go with Lizzie Carr’s six (and 100% hitting percentage). Emma Fredrick has eight for Cal Poly, followed by Kendall Beshear’s seven.
An ace from Trinity Ward clinched the first set for Kentucky. Middle blocker Lizzie Carr leads the Cats with five fills and a 100% hitting percentage.
UK has 11 kills so far, as Eva Hudson and Lizzie Carr have three apiece. Emma Fredrick for Cal Poly leads all players with five of her team’s 10 kills.
If UK beats Cal Poly this afternoon, the Wildcats will take on the Bluejays Saturday for a Final Four berth.
No. 1 seed Kentucky versus Cal Poly will start 30 minutes after No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 2 Arizona State, which is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Buy Kentucky volleyball tickets here
No. 1 seed Kentucky versus Cal Poly will be broadcast live on ESPN2 30 minutes after the conclusion of No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 2 Arizona State, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Historic Memorial Coliseum.
Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN2 via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.
Those without cable can access ESPN2 via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial.
If UK defeats Cal Poly, the Wildcats will take on the winner of the No. 3 Creighton Bluejays vs. the No. 2 Arizona State Sun Devils in the Lexington Regional Final this weekend. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule:
- 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 3, UCLA 1 (NCAA Tournament Second Round)
- Dec. 11: Kentucky vs. Cal Poly (NCAA Tournament Regional Round)
Reach college sports enterprise reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com and follow her on X @petitus25. Subscribe to her “Full-court Press” newsletter here for a behind-the-scenes look at how college sports’ biggest stories are impacting Louisville and Kentucky athletics.
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