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World champions return to Budapest for Gyulai Memorial | PREVIEWS

Published

5 months ago

August 10, 2025

Six individual world champions will return to the venue of their global triumphs to compete at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – in Budapest on Tuesday (12).

The Gyulai Memorial – also known as the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix – has been held in Szekesfehervar since 2014, but this year it returns to the Hungarian capital. Budapest’s National Athletics Centre, which has been reconfigured since the 2023 World Championships, will welcome a host of the sport’s leading stars for what will be the penultimate Continental Tour Gold meeting before the World Championships in Tokyo.

Pole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis is one of six athletes who’ll be returning to the Hungarian capital for the first time since winning a world title in Budapest two years ago. On that occasion, the Swede won with a Hungarian all-comers’ record of 6.10m; in the two years that have passed since then, Duplantis has increased his world record to 6.28m, set in Stockholm in mid-June.

Duplantis, who set a meeting record of 5.80m in Szekesfehervar in 2022, will take on rising Greek vaulter Emmanouil Karalis, who recently moved to third on the world outdoor all-time list with 6.08m. Ernest Obiena and Kurtis Marschall, who joined Duplantis on the podium in Budapest at the 2023 World Championships, are also in the field.

The hammer is often a big focus of any athletics competition held in Hungary, and this year’s Gyulai Memorial is no different. World and Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg, who won in Szekesfehervar last year with 81.87m, will seek a repeat victory as he takes on a field that includes home favourite Bence Halasz, the Olympic silver medallist who recently set a PB of 81.94m in Budapest.

Olympic bronze medallist Mykhaylo Kokhan is also in the line-up, as is 2021 Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki and five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek.

Multiple world and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is part of a 100m field that also includes her compatriot Shericka Jackson, the two-time world 200m champion. Jamaican champion Tina Clayton, Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith and US duo Jacious Sears and Tamari Davis add further quality to the line-up.

Femke Bol, winner of her past 40 consecutive invitational races in the 400m hurdles, returns to the Gyulai Memorial, looking to add to the victories she achieved in 2020 (54.67) and 2021 (52.81). Being back in the stadium where she won her world title could even inspire her to attack the meeting record of 51.68, held by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

The men’s long jump reunites three of the top four finishers from the 2023 World Championships, led by multiple world and Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou. The Greek athlete takes on Jamaican duo Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod as well as Sweden’s Thobias Montler.

In the women’s long jump, world champion Ivana Spanovic takes on world indoor champion Claire Bryant and double Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Moore.

World leaders in action

Along with Duplantis, Tentoglou and Bol, the world-leading performers in several other disciplines will be in action in Budapest.

Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, who reduced his PB to a world-leading 9.75 at the recent Jamaican Championships, stars in a 100m field that also includes meeting record-holder Akani Simbine, African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala, USA’s Ronnie Baker and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake.

In the men’s 400m, world leader Zakithi Nene takes on 2019 world champion Steven Gardiner, who has won the 400m at this competition six times and holds the meeting record of 43.74. World record-holder Wayde van Niekerk, Olympic bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga and European indoor champion Attila Molnar of Hungary are also in the line-up.

Fresh from a world-leading 22.82m at the Italian Championships, world silver medallist Leonardo Fabbri forms part of a shot put field that includes world indoor champion Tom Walsh, meeting record-holder Joe Kovacs, Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell and world indoor silver medallist Roger Steen.

Molly Caudery, who recently cleared a world-leading 4.85m in the pole vault, reunites with the athlete who took silver behind her at the 2024 World Indoors, New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney.

Elsewhere, European champion Gabriel Tual features in a men’s 800m field that includes world bronze medallist Ben Pattison, European indoor champion Samuel Chapple and Kenya’s Alex Ngeno Kipngetich.

Puerto Rico’s 2021 Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, three times a winner at this meeting, faces Jamaican record-holder Ackera Nugent and Nadine Visser of the Netherlands in the women’s 100m hurdles.

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Hawkeyes Knock Down Nebraska – Iowa Hawkeyes Athletics

Published

1 minute ago

January 2, 2026

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – No. 14 Iowa (12-2, 3-0) defeated No. 20 Nebraska (12-2, 1-2) on New Years Day inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 86-76.

Sophomore Chit-Chat Wright dominated the day for the Hawkeyes with a career-high 24 points, three assists, and two steals. Senior Hannah Stuelke followed with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists to notch her third double-double of the season.

The Huskers came out to a fast-paced 8-0 run to start the game. Stuelke got the scoring started for Iowa by getting to the line, sinking both free-throws. Three minutes into gameplay, the Hawkeyes began to capitalize on Nebraska miscues. Sophomore Ava Heiden led a 7-0 run for Iowa to bring the gap to 9-12 with 4:46 left in the quarter. The Huskers contained a narrow 21-18 lead headed into the second quarter.

Wright drained a three-pointer to start the second period, tying up the score for the first time on the day. The Hawkeyes went on to gain nine points on seven forced Husker turnovers in the half. Heiden led the quarter with eight points going 4-for-4 on field goals. A combined 26 points, shooting 66.7 percent in the quarter, left Iowa behind 44-45 at half.

The Hawkeyes came out of the locker room with an 8-2 run to put them in front. Iowa forced four Husker turnovers in the first three minutes of the third quarter, capitalizing five points off of them. Stuelke continued to be a difference maker for Iowa with seven points and two rebounds. This momentum pushed Iowa up 64-61 heading into the fourth.

In the final quarter, the Hawkeyes continued their defensive pursuit, forcing five more turnovers, adding to their total of 18 on the day. Senior Taylor McCabe hit a three-point basket at 4:32 to power Iowa to the end. The Hawkeyes pushed out a 15-6 run to secure a Hawkeye victory.

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Dallas Pulse set to make history in season opener at Comerica Center

Published

2 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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North Texas’ first women’s professional volleyball team will officially launch its inaugural season on Saturday, Jan. 10.

DALLAS — For North Texas volleyball fans, Saturday’s season opener represents more than just a first serve, it’s the beginning of something the region has been waiting for.

The Dallas Pulse, the region’s first women’s professional volleyball team, will open its inaugural season Saturday, Jan. 10, hosting the Indiana franchise at Comerica Center in Frisco.

The matchup marks the first Major League Volleyball game played by a Dallas-based team and is a milestone moment for the metroplex.

The Pulse will play 14 home matches during the 2026 Major League Volleyball season, giving local fans a consistent opportunity to support a women’s pro team built in their own backyard.

Saturday, Jan. 10 – Indy
Thursday, Jan. 15 – San Diego
Thursday, Feb. 5 – Omaha
Sunday, Feb. 8 – Grand Rapids
Thursday, Feb. 19 – Indy
Sunday, Feb. 22 – Grand Rapids
Friday, Feb. 27 – Orlando
Friday, March 13 – Columbus
Sunday, March 15 – Atlanta
Saturday, March 21 – San Diego
Thursday, March 26 – Atlanta
Friday, April 17 – Columbus
Friday, May 1 – Omaha
Sunday, May 3 – Orlando

Leading the team into its first season is head coach Shannon Winzer, who was named to the role in September. The January debut places Dallas at the center of the league’s early growth as women’s professional volleyball continues to gain momentum nationwide.

The timing feels right for North Texas. The region has long been a volleyball hotbed, producing elite athletes through nationally recognized club programs, championship high school teams and top-tier collegiate programs. Until now, many of those players, and the fans who followed them, had no local professional team to rally behind.

Dallas Pulse leadership told WFAA that they hope to change that.

Season ticket deposits are currently open, and the Pulse holds the No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Volleyball Draft scheduled for Nov. 24, giving the team a chance to add a cornerstone player ahead of its debut season.

Major League Volleyball is also preparing for future growth, announcing plans to add expansion teams in Washington, D.C. and Northern California in 2027.

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Iola outside hitter takes top honor on Texas 2A all-state volleyball team | APG State News

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2 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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Tritons Set for Preseason North American Challenge

Published

4 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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LONG BEACH, Calif. — UC San Diego men’s volleyball will prepare for the upcoming season with four exhibitions this weekend as part of the North American Challenge. The event will be hosted by Long Beach State on Friday and Sunday at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.

The Tritons will play two Canadian sides, Alberta and Calagry. They will play each team once on both days of the challenge.

SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 2

2 PM – vs Calgary

4:30 PM – vs Alberta

Sunday, Jan. 4

12:30 PM – vs Alberta

3 PM – vs Calgary

Live stats for all four matches will be available HERE. Fans interested in attending matches can purchase tickets through Long Beach State HERE.

UP NEXT
The Tritons open the 2026 season at home next Tuesday, Jan. 6. Jessup will visit LionTree Arena for a match that begins at 7 PM.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.

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Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Hosts The North American Challenge

Published

4 hours ago

January 1, 2026

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – With the season just around the corner, the Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball team will host the North American Challenge, a preseason exhibition tournament featuring four teams from the United States and Canada. The two-day event will take place Friday, January 2, and Sunday, January 4, with matches held at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.

Joining the Beach in the tournament are UC San Diego, Calgary, and Alberta, bringing together a competitive mix of NCAA and U SPORTS programs for early-season action. The tournament will feature eight total matches across the two days, providing fans with a full slate of high-level volleyball.

Schedule
Friday, January 2

Time	Matchup (Home vs. Away)
11:30 AM	Long Beach State vs. Alberta
2:00 PM	UC San Diego vs. Calgary
4:30 PM	UC San Diego vs. Alberta
7:00 PM	Long Beach State vs. Calgary

Sunday, January 4

Time	Matchup (Home vs. Away)
10:00 AM	Long Beach State vs. Calgary
12:30 PM	UC San Diego vs. Alberta
3:00 PM	UC San Diego vs. Calgary
5:30 PM	Long Beach State vs. Alberta

Following each match, a Player of the Match from each team will be recognized. At the conclusion of the tournament, an All-Tournament Team will be selected.

Tickets can be purchased HERE.

Live statistics for all matches will be available via BeachLiveStats.StatBroadcast.com.

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Pitt volleyball | Panthers add Kentucky MB Jordyn Dailey

Published

5 hours ago

January 1, 2026

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Pitt received a commitment from former Kentucky middle blocker/right-side hitter Jordyn Dailey.

Dailey is a redshirt sophomore and will have two years of eligibility. The 6-foot-2 North Carolina native racked up 188 kills, 116 blocks and 42 digs over the past two seasons. Dailey recorded 142 kills, 82 blocks and a .314 hitting percentage in 2024. Her numbers dipped to 46 kills, 34 blocks and a .211 hitting percentage in 2025.

Pitt lost middle blocker Ryla Jones to Penn State through the transfer portal.

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