By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech student-athletes posted the highest GPA (3.5097) outside of the Spring 2020 COVID semester in program history.  

This is the 34th consecutive semester that the Athletics Team Composite GPA has exceeded 3.0, a legacy that began in spring 2009. Fall 2025 was the second straight semester that all 15 teams tallied a team GPA above 3.0.

Men’s Golf led all teams with a 3.77 GPA, which is their highest GPA ever recorded.  Soccer finished in a very close second place with an impressive (3.766), which is their highest ever recorded GPA, and Tennis completed the top 3 with a strong (3.71).

Volleyball (3.475) continues the longest streak of uninterrupted semesters (51) with a team GPA exceeding 3.0, and Soccer ranks second with a streak of 44 straight semesters.

Softball (3.557) and Women’s Track & Field (3.537) have consecutive 3.0+ streaks of 43 semesters.  Tennis just completed its 35th and Women’s Cross Country (3.589) reached its 27th consecutive 3.0+ semester. While the Women’s Golf (3.542) team streak stands at 25 semesters.

Men’s Golf, Soccer, and Men’s Basketball all achieved their highest GPAs ever recorded (excluding COVID-19).  Football achieved its highest-ever GPA during the Fall semester, and Women’s Basketball and Men’s Cross Country achieved the second-highest GPA ever recorded.

Other notable team GPAs include: Women’s Basketball (3.609), Men’s Cross Country (3.492), Beach Volleyball (3.445), Baseball (3.294), Men’s Basketball (3.236), and Football (3.086).

Fall 2025 Athletics Director Honor Roll (Alphabetically by team)

Baseball

Barnett, Ty

Bennett, Tyler

Bragga, Luke

Casabella, Carter

Casteel, Cooper

Davis, Carson

Denton, Tyler

Fallon, Justin

Fuller, Cade

Garza, Manny

Holpuch, Garrett

Huddleston, Eli

Jimenez, Jorsixt

Jones, Jaxon

Kirby, Drew

Kuntz, Alex

Marchetti, AJ

McDuffie, Reece

Moffitt, Aaron

Moller, Logan

Robertson, Jamie

Smelser, Landon

Stricklin, Lawson

Summar, Micah

 

Men’s

Basketball

Ayers, Colin

Cameron, Mekhi

Floreence, Ja’Quavian

Owens, Ty

Payne, Jah’Kim

Slatten, Grant

Varnado, Owen

 

Women’s

Basketball

Cawthorn, LaReesha

Larry, Chloe

Mathews, Cambridge

Newman, Maddy

Pfeiffer, Amelia

Redd, Amaya

Thomas, Amaya

 

Men’s

Cross Country

Bridges, Sam

Chambers, Nicholas

Gambling, Luca

Glisson-Schlitt, Jack

Hesling, Cruz

Legault, Isaac

Myles-Hawkins, Zak

Torres, Dante

 

Women’s

XC/Track

Amos, Savanna

Beneke, Ally

Bowles, Paris

Brewer, Rachael

Bush, Mattie

Dotson, Alexis

Forstner, Megan

Hoover, Angela

Jackson, Lauryn

Jepleting, Joy

Johnson, Madison

Joy, Kyla

Knoyle, Riley

Little, Hannah

Lokiles, Jane

Ludwig, Sophia

Stanton, Sidnee

Stegall, Hayley

Wells, Rylee

Winbush, Kennedi

 

Football

Ashby, Spencer

Baker, Torin

Bolton, Toby

Booker, Cameron

Brooks, Kanstin

Brown, Steve

Bryant, Richard

Bryson, Gavin

Courtney, Brian

Coutras, Tim

Crawford, AJ

Delk, Wes

Downs, Brady

Edwards, Jyi

Gaines, Theron

Giles, Naquavious

Graves, Luke

Hand, Josh

Haston, Ahmad

Holloway, Tre

Holmberg, TJ

Jackson, Isaac

Johnson, Thomas

Jones, Aja

Jordan, Justin

Kendrick, Jack

King, Idris

Knowles, Isaac

Lapierre, Maurice

LeBlanc, Dominic

Lehal, Armaan

Lindsey, Dylan

Linkins, DJ

Littles, Aiden

Mendez, Jeremy

Meyer, Luke

Moss, Ty

Munoz, Richie

Nix, Tyler

Opara, Chinonso

Owens, Nick

Pozniak, Sean

Purdy, Kaleb

Randolph, Xavier

Rodriguez, Laz

Shaw, Christian

Shephard, Jalin

Shields, Luke

Simmons, Nason

Smith, Andrew

Smith, Jayun

Swafford, Aaron

Swann, Tyler

Swift, Tayton

Taylor, Eric

Taylor, Mason

Thomas, Leon

Thompson, Cole

Turner, Greg

Vaughn, Seth

Visperas, Kekoa

Vorhees, Parker

Walton, Coburn

Weedman, Logan

Wharton, Jameson

Wilder, Drew

Wilson, Gavin

Young-Rolle, Stefon

 

Men’s

Golf

Bright, Owen

Broyles, Alex

Etherton, Nicklaus

Gettler, Cooper

Maxwell, Haden

Shull, Matthew

Thompson, Hil

White, Bryson

 

Women’s

Golf

Baker, Lydia

Branson, Sydney

Griffith, Chloe

Kaiser,Ella

 

Soccer

Bibbee-Page, Halle

Ham, Sophie

Hardardottir, Krista

Howard, Natalie

Johnson, Addison

Lee, Ally

McCloud, Cheyenne

McNamee, Laila

Nappier, Diana

Nye, Mary

Palya, Claire

Schroeffel, Samantha

Wade, Delaney

Wood, Ashley

 

Softball

Abell, Addison

Bishop, Gabrielle

Capelouto, Ashley

Carroll, Sofia

Fitzgerald, Lainey

Gooden, Skylar

Harris, Makayli

Harvey, Ella Grace

Klinefelter, Abbee

McElhaney, Addison

Midkiff, Kaylee

Miller, Jayla

Ochoa, Isabella

Paderez, Jailynn

Pitzer, Kyleigh

Schlageter, Alina

Stack, Bailee

Sybesma, Skylar

Wampler, Ella

York, Emily

 

Men’s

Tennis

Alvarez Moreno, Alex

Antunes Burckhardt, Murilo

Dao, Oliver

Garavi Yepez, Ricard

Oshnavie, Elyad

Spaks, Davids

 

Volleyball

Berkebile, Audrey

Falk, Tuva

Milhouse, Jordyn

Noto, Sarah

Pierce, Alayna

Powell, Bella

Roberts, MK

Schubert, Ava

Spradley, Eryn

Watford, Ella

 

Beach Volleyball

Jones, Piper

Kamp, Margaret

Kilgore, Audrey

Mish, Zoe

Robards, Vivian

 

Managers and

Trainers, etc.

Andrews, Will

Baker, Jayden

Bennett, Hudson

Davis, Abigail

Day, Owen

Douglass, Christian

Everett, Jack

Fox, Jaxon

Garrett, Shaela

Goins, John

Griffith, Austin

Hilliard, David

Hook, Hayden

Jamison, Jerhen

Linder, Luke

Morgan, Kendall

Reynolds, Jarick

Sells, Matthew

Swann, Caden

White, Weston

Williamson, Anabeth

Wood, Grace

 

Cheer and Dance

Akande, Lauren

Askins, Akeyra

Aslinger, Emma

Baucom, Kaitlyn

Britton, Addison

Cannon, Abbigail

Chandler, Jacey

Craig, Alanah

Crateau, Mariah

Crump, Isabella

Edwards, Ella

Engstrom, Brett

Greene, Emily

Gresham, Isabella

Jackson, Madison

Jones, Jaylian

Joyce, Kennedy

Karstens, Grace

Kelley, Ashlyn

Mccann Rojas, Fancy

Michaelson, Hayden

Sells, Autumn

Terry, Ashlyn

Turner, Kimsey

Watts, Ava

Williams, Jasmine

 

Student-Athletes with 4.0 GPA for Fall Semester

Baseball

Crowell, Nash

Crowson, Connor

Mattox, Andrew

Parrott, Carson

Pease, Jaxson

 

Men’s

Basketball

Evans, Maguire

Mcpherson, CJ

Muntu, Brandon

 

Women’s

Basketball

Girgenson, Angelika

Grimes, Reghan

Hurst, Reagan

Miller, Sofi

 

Men’s

Cross Country

Bradford, Carter

 

Women’s

XC/Track

Faudi, Hannah

Flowers, Carrie

Jessee, Makaleigh

Kennedy, Aliyah

Seratt, Annalee

Tilt, Zaely

Wolfenbarger, Chase

 

Football

Cooney, Miles

Crummie, Kalvyn

Fauntleroy, Kennedy

Jacobs, Robbie

Patterson, Griffin

Sanni, Obie

Thomas, Christian

Tucker, Hudson

Turnbow, Branson

Wagner, Tyler

 

Men’s

Golf

Bolton, Drew

Stuke, Spencer

 

Women’s

Golf

Julian, Lexus

Lane,Kailey

Pilot, Summer

 

Soccer

Baker, Anna

Conrad, Maggie

Cuadra, Lucia

Davis, Abigail

Hamm, Melina

Lott, Phoebe

Melin, Ebba

Sauers, Brooke

Smiley, Reagan

Soutuyo, Victoria

Toney, Katie

Williams, Presley

 

Softball

Evans, Olivia

Kimmell, Reece

Lange, Hannah

Martin, Julie

Power, Olivia

Stewart, Brooklyn

 

Men’s

Tennis

Bitzer, Lucas

 

Volleyball

Fruge, Caroline

Karlen, Jordan

Lineberger, Bella

Rodgers, Ayanna

 

Cheer and Dance

Bettencourt, Faith

Crowley, Kamyah

Davis, Krista

Dyer, Norah

Fish, Kylie

Fleenor, Chloe

Grissom, Sarah

Haggard, Seneca

Hale, Katie

Murphy, Jordan

Smith, Mia

Tito, Cassie

Walker, Tinsley

Whitton, Alivia

Williams, Maya

 

LOS ANGELES – No. 5 USC men’s volleyball (1-0) opens league play on the road with a Thursday-night (Jan. 15) match at Vanguard (1-1). The Trojans and the Lions—also USC’s first MPSF opponent last spring—will meet at the Freed Center for Leadership in Costa Mesa for a 7 p.m. PT contest that will be shown live on Big Ten Plus. The Trojans then host EIVA foe No. 18 Princeton (0-0) on Friday (Jan. 16) at Galen Center. USC takes on the Tigers under the Galen Night Lights featuring a neon t-shirt giveaway for the first 500 fans in attendance. The USC-Princeton match is also a Kids Corner night, which features free attendance for guests under the age of 18. Visit USCTrojans.com/promos for more information.

MATCH #2 • Thursday, January 15 • 7 p.m. PT

No. 5 USC (1-0, 0-0) at Vanguard (1-1, 0-0)

Freed Center for Leadership • Costa Mesa, Calif.

SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 3-0 (1.000)

LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (Feb. 28, 2025 • Galen Center)

STREAK: Won 3 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 3-0

TV/STREAM: B1G+

OPPONENT WEBSITE: VanguardLions.com

MATCH #3 • Friday, January 16 • 7 p.m. PT

No. 5 USC (1-0) vs. No. 18 Princeton (0-0)

Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.

SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 5-0 (1.000)

LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (Jan. 11, 2025 • Galen Center)

STREAK: Won 5 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-0

TV/STREAM: B1G+ (Avi Singh & Makena Arteaga)

OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoPrincetonTigers.com

FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)

• USC is led by 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard, a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time NCAA champion.
• The Trojans are ranked fifth in the AVCA Coaches Poll; the program’s 504th appearance in the national poll.
• USC is 36-20 all-time in conference openers and defeated Vanguard in its first MPSF match in 2025 (3-0 at Freed Center for Leadership, Feb. 26).
• The Trojans are 1-0 at Galen Center. Last year, they won 11 home matches. USC will play 16 times at home in 2026 and plays in Southern California for all but two regular-season matches (at BYU, April 10-11).
• USC returns five players in 2026 that were recognized by the AVCA All-America committee in 2025 including first-team choice OH Dillon Klein and second-team MB Parker Tomkinson. S Caleb Blanchette, OH Sterling Foley, and LIB Johnny Dykstra each received All-America honorable mention.
• The Trojans lead the MPSF (2nd in the NCAA) in opponent hitting percentage (.056) and are second in the league (4th NCAA) for hitting (.417).

LAST TIME OUT: The Trojans collected their first sweep of the season with a win over St. Thomas Aquinas at Galen Center. Dillon Klein led all players with 12 kills on 16 swings without an error to register a .750 hitting percentage. In his first action as a Trojan, Thiago Zamprogno went straight to work and collected nine kills on 10 swings (.900) to go with four blocks. Caleb Blanchette had 28 assists and shared team-high honors with Johnny Dykstra with five digs apiece. 
 
POLL POSITION: The Trojans were ranked No. 5 in the AVCA Preseason Poll. USC ranks fifth in the Jan. 12 poll for the Trojans’ 504th time in the coaches poll. Last season, the Trojans reached fifth on Feb. 3 to mark their highest position since they were also ranked No. 5 in 2022 (April 18). On March 10, USC’s spot at No. 5 marked the 200th time the Trojans had been ranked in the poll’s top five; now 209 times. The Trojans’ reached the top three (March 24) for the first time in over 10 years and were previously ranked as high as third on Feb. 16, 2015.
 
EXTENDED: 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard had his contract extended through the 2028 season. He is the longest-tenured coach in program history and has collected 124 wins at USC. In 2025, he led the Trojans to their highest ranking in over a decade.
 
1K DK: OH Dillon Klein has reached double-digit kills in 62 of 79 career matches and reached the 1,000-kill mark in his career on April 17, 2025, in a match at UCLA. He now has 1,057 career kills and counting.
 
2K GOLD: S Caleb Blanchette crossed the 2,000-assist mark in his career in the Trojans’ season opener against St. Thomas Aquinas (Jan. 10). He dished out 28 assists in a 3-0 win over the Spartans and is now up to 2,011-career assists. In 2025, he led the MPSF—ranked fourth in the NCAA—in assists (10.61 aps) and equaled his career-high (61) twice.
 
RECORD HIGH: USC set a new single-match hitting record in 2025 with a .691 hitting percentage against Dominican (Feb. 8). Last seaosn, the Trojans hit north of .300 in 19 matches with 10 matches over the .400 mark. Six times, USC logged a hitting percentage higher than .450.
 
MOUNTAIN SPECIFICS: USC was picked to finish second in a preseason poll of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation head coaches and tied with defending league champion Pepperdine with 72 points each. The Trojans had two first-place votes while the Waves had four. UCLA also received four first-place votes and finished in first with a narrow three-point margin (75 points). In 2025, the Trojans were also chosen to finish second and went 8-4 to take second. The Men of Troy are 36-20 all-time in conference openers.
 

Major League Volleyball (MLV) is partnering with LTN to power live video production and distribution for its most expansive broadcast schedule to date in 2026.

With a record 50-match broadcast slate across major national networks, streaming services and local stations, the collaboration enables continued audience growth for MLV, providing fans with wider access to their favorite teams and high-quality live experiences on multiple viewing platforms.

After the unification of Major League Volleyball and Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) in 2025, MLV is continuing to elevate professional women’s volleyball in the United States.

As an evolution of PVF, its 2026 campaign will be recorded as the league’s third season following a high-growth year where broadcast coverage grew 350%. LTN will again serve as MLV’s live production and distribution partner, powering the largest media rollout in league history through a suite of on-site and remote production, live event customization and intelligent video transport services.

“We’re kicking off a milestone season for MLV with new energy, closer fan connection and our widest broadcast coverage to date,” says Rob Carolla, Vice President, Public & Media Relations at MLV. “LTN has been a vital part of our growth journey, advancing our production quality, working across any venue and enabling new graphics and viewing features to enhance the fan experience — all while simplifying customization and distribution for multiple rights partners.”

Purpose-built IP infrastructure for live sports

MLV will harness a comprehensive range of LTN production and transport services, leveraging a multi-camera setup and ultra-reliable remote transmission technologies while enabling fully centralized production from LTN’s state-of-the-art Kansas City technical operations center (TOC). LTN manages all the complexities of live event production, from announcer integration to audio mixing, replay, custom graphics insertion and playout. LTN’s purpose-built global IP network provides 99.9999% reliability and <200ms latency, providing seamless signal transport from all venues, real-time customization, and delivery to all downstream rights partners.

“We’re seeing huge growth in a new generation of dynamic, innovation-first sports leagues,” says Bryan McGuirk, Chief Revenue Officer at LTN. “With rights models evolving and demand for live events surging, MLV is a standout example of how sports organizations can harness agile production models and purpose-built IP distribution to enhance reach and monetization.”

The 2026 MLV season builds on a breakthrough year for professional volleyball broadcasting. Last year, LTN supported the league in delivering over 45 linear broadcast matches and 70 live digital events, including generating 4.7 million YouTube views, up one million year-over-year, and an All-Star Match with 455,000 viewers on CBS.

As a start to the current season, LTN also underpinned the annual MLV Draft of collegiate players, which was broadcast live on the Roku Sports Channel for the first time. The California-based studio production was managed remotely from LTN’s centralized production facility, seamlessly connecting distributed draft teams to participate with presenters in real-time from locations nationwide with ultra-low latency, IP-based video transmission.

Enhanced volleyball viewing experiences

MLV is leveraging innovative technologies, supported by LTN’s flexible video infrastructure and production expertise, to elevate fan engagement and enhance the depth of data for viewers. Its latest advances include:

• An enhanced tracking system that delivers real-time ball tracking, improving officiating accuracy and powering advanced performance analytics — enabling teams and fans to better understand attacking patterns and player dynamics.
• Displayed for the first time on opening weekend, viewers will see enhanced visuals including ball speed and jump height metrics on matches aired by CBS Sports, offering deeper insights into the athleticism of the game.
• In another league-first, teams like the Indy Ignite will now air both home and away games in their local market outside of the national broadcast schedule, offering fans unrivaled access to their teams via local stations.

Alongside CBS Sports and the Roku Sports Channel, which aired opening weekend games this January 9, 10 and 11, MLV’s media partners include ION — the national network from The E.W. Scripps Company with exclusive rights for the championship finals — and VICE, both new for 2026. The second MLV All-Star Match will air live on CBS and Paramount+, with all other matches available via MLV’s YouTube channel and team-led local market agreements.

Molly Schotzko, an assistant professor with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, is now serving as Washington State University’s faculty athletics representative.

On Jan. 1, Schotzko was appointed to a three-year term by President Betsy Cantwell following an extensive search process.

“Serving WSU and our student-athletes in this role is an honor and responsibility I deeply value, Schotzko said. “As a former student-athlete and now mentor to students, my experience allows me to understand the unique challenges they face. I will be an advocate for their health, well-being, and support equipping them for success in the classroom and in life.”

During her time as a WSU student, Schotzko earned four varsity letters across track and field as well as cross country and served as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee president.

As a former student-athlete and now mentor to students, my experience allows me to understand the unique challenges they face.

Molly Schotzko, assistant professor and faculty athletics representative
Washington State University

“Molly has filled a vital role in bridging the university’s academic mission with the success and wellness of our student-athletes,” Cantwell said. “As a current Murrow College professor and now key advisor for intercollegiate athletics, she brings the necessary credibility, judgment, and strong commitment to academic integrity to advocate for student-athletes as scholars and members of our university community.”

The university’s faculty athletics representative acts as a liaison between the academic enterprise of the institution and its athletics program, ensuring academic standards, integrity and student-athlete welfare are maintained. The faculty athletics representative also ensures compliance with NCAA and Pac-12 regulations as well as university policies, in cooperation with the director of intercollegiate athletics and the department’s chief compliance officer.

Schotzko succeeds Nancy Swanger, who was appointed to the role of faculty athletics representative in 2017. WSU is deeply grateful to Swanger, who served in this role in three consecutive terms, for her nearly decade-long commitment and tireless advocacy for Washington State’s student-athletes.

Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Lola Gitlin

Lola Gitlin won the 3,000-meter race by more than 12 seconds at Cornell’s Southern Tier Invitational as she clocked a time of 10:37.55. Gitlin’s time is good for 24th nationally.

Women’s Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week – Lily Seyfert

Lily Seyfert placed third in the shot put at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational with a mark of 12.72 meters, which is just shy of her top mark of 12.78 this season (17th in Division III). Seyfert also finished third in the weight throw at 16.20 meters and ranks eighth in the country after that performance.

Men’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Raphael Campanile

Raphael Campanile placed fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 4.50 meters at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational on Saturday and currently ranks 25th in Division III with that performance.

HONOR ROLL

Matthew Zenker totaled 44 points on 18-of-31 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals in a 1-1 week for Ithaca. Zenker netted 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a 101-72 win over RIT and followed up with 24 points and eight rebounds as he shot 10-of-15 from the floor in a loss to Union.

Junior forward McNamara delivered a pair of strong performances despite setbacks against RIT and Union. Against the Tigers, she was flawless from the floor, going 3-for-3 while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. She carried that momentum into the Union matchup, coming just shy of her first career double-double with nine points and eight boards.

 

Shenandoah University men’s volleyball freshman Simon Bellenbaum was named the ODAC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

The York, Pennsylvania, native accumulated six solo blocks and eight digs in SU’s two matches against Randolph and Regent, with three blocks in each game and five digs versus the Royals.

Boys’ basketball: Sherando 48, Strasburg 44

STEPHENS CITY — Sherando defeated Strasburg for its fourth straight win on Monday. The Warriors are 9-4.

Girls’ basketball: Strasburg 39, Sherando 29

STRASBURG — Strasburg completed a season sweep with a win over Sherando on Monday.

The Warriors (3-11) trailed 18-7 after one quarter, 23-10 at the half and 29-22 after three quarters.

Sherando leaders: Kinsley Richardson 10 points, 8 rebounds; Avery Ryan 8 points, 2 assists, 2 steals.  

— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki