Tim Nollan’s first season in Evanston was one of experimentation. Junior Drew Wright, once listed on NU’s roster as an outside hitter, donned the libero jersey again as she had at times in high school. Then-graduate student Alexa Rousseau, who spent her career as a setter, took on a Swiss army knife-esque role where she was both a setter and a hitter. However, with an additional offseason under his belt, Nollan has had the time to recruit and adjust. Last season’s 5-23 finish is a record that many would like to forget, and with it comes new additions who hope to instill a winning culture in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Sports
Northwestern volleyball’s 2025 roster preview
Five new transfers and three first-years join the fray for the ‘Cats this year, looking to fill some big shoes. Among those departing are Rousseau, who finished fifth on NU’s career assists leaderboard over her five seasons with the ‘Cats. The middle blockers are perhaps the greatest loss for Nollan and co, however, with Sophia Summers finishing her year as a graduate transfer and Kennedy Hill nowhere to be seen on the Northwestern roster, despite another year of college eligibility. The latter was 11th in the Big Ten in blocks/set in 2024. That being said, a lot of change is coming to Evanston, with each position different from the last.
Outside and opposite hitters
Among players who were purely outside and opposite hitters in 2024, Northwestern had four who contributed significant kills. All are returning, including kills leader Buse Hazan, seniors Rylen Reid and Kathryn Randorf and junior Lily Wagner. Ava Pratt is also set to return after redshirting in her first-year season.
While these hitters were effective at times last season, the addition of Ayah Elnady will certainly add some additional kills to the team’s repertoire. The back-to-back All-Big 12 first team selection is likely to be the new kills leader for Tim Nollan and anchor Northwestern’s scoring efforts in 2025. Also new to Evanston is Campbell Paris, who consistently scored double-digit kills in her two seasons at South Carolina, including a 16-kill game against Alabama in November.
Rounding out this group is Bella Bullington, a first-year out of Marist High School. While this group of hitters is very deep, her high school resume is quite impressive, boasting all-state and all-American awards while leading her team to a state final. Fans shouldn’t be surprised if Bullington notches a few kills this season.
Middle blocker was certainly a question mark for the Northwestern staff entering the offseason, and with it came some unique outlets to find a replacement. To start, softball fans may recognize the name Lauren Curry as a mainstay arm and utility bat. Well, this fall, she is trading an outdoor venue for an indoor one, joining the volleyball team as a middle blocker.
Three middle blockers were also added through the transfer portal and will likely be sharing a majority of the time at the position. Beste Ayhan spent parts of five seasons at three different schools, including UMBC, where she set the school’s single-season blocks record, and Bradley, where she continued to deliver blocks in 2024. Ayhan also comes to Northwestern with NCAA tournament experience, which should help to provide a veteran presence.
Bella Simkus was also added as a graduate transfer from Colorado. While it took until last season for Simkus to receive consistent playing time, she made the most of her opportunity, leading the Buffaloes in attacking percentage and having the second most kills among middle blockers. Gabrielle Gerry, the third middle blocker addition in the transfer portal, struggled to gain playing time on a solid South Carolina team in her first two seasons. The 6’5” Louisville-native has now come to Evanston in search of more consistent playing time. While this will be a crowded group competing for minutes, Gerry will look to emerge from the group as a reliable option at the net.
The final addition is first-year Kayla Kauffman, who will attempt to garner some playing time. But in a crowded roster full of veterans, this is likely to be a tall task. This doesn’t mean that she can’t blow everyone away to earn the job, but her competition has a combined 11 seasons on collegiate volleyball rosters.
The outlook of the setter position is a unique one for the ‘Cats as it currently stands. With many teams, there is typically one setter who accounts for 80% or more of the team’s total assists. In Northwestern’s case, they lost Rousseau, but she also accounted for about 55% of the team’s total assists last season. On top of this, two very capable veteran setters can step into a full-time role, without the hybrid positioning of Rousseau’s 2024 campaign.
After three seasons, one of which as a red-shirt, for Northwestern, Sienna Noordemeer has been named a team captain and is a prime candidate for assists. Now a graduate student, she averaged three assists/set last season and logged 73 total assists across 24 sets. She also logged 33 digs, averaging 1.38 per set.
Noordemeer’s competition for the starting setter job? Lauren Carter. The Denver transfer truly came into her own last season with Northwestern, notching 238 assists, an average of 3.35 per set, over 71 sets. This was alongside 103 digs, a 1.45 digs/set average. Carter also surpassed Noordemeer with high-octane plays at the service line with 10 service aces. This did, however, come with the downside of 29 service errors.
It’s unclear who will garner the majority of playing time at setter quite yet. While most teams do commit to one primary setter, there could be a more even split of time during non-conference play as the team begins to learn its identity and preferred positional rotations.
Libero & defensive specialists
Those who watched Northwestern volleyball last season won’t be in for very many surprises on the defensive end this season. Wright and Gigi Navarrete are competing for the libero jersey in summer practices, with the other likely to slot in as a defensive specialist. Wright was the go-to libero last season, but that could change depending on performance as the season approaches. It’s worth noting that the team roster has the DS tag removed from Navarrete, listing her just as a libero, while Wright’s position has changed from OH to L/OH.
First-year Lauren Dignan is the new addition at libero. The No. 26 player in California per Prep Dig, Dignan could play herself into some sets from Northwestern, but it will likely be hard to break into major playing time in an established position with two returners. Fans should expect Navarrete and Wright to be the first two options, but Dignan could certainly look to make her mark during low-stakes sets and earn more playing time.
With questions still circulating about the exact ways in which Tim Nollan will play his cards this season, fans will begin to find out on August 29, as the Wildcats will have three games in three consecutive days to start the season in La Jolla.
Sports
Jane Hedengren Obliterates the NCAA 5K Record in Boston
Two weeks after finishing second at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships, freshman Jane Hedengren shattered the collegiate record in the 5,000 meters.
On Saturday, December 6, the Brigham Young University standout won the women’s elite race in 14:44.79 at the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. With a huge surge in the second half of the race, Hedengren improved on the previous indoor collegiate record (14:52.57) set by Doris Lemngole of Alabama at the same meet in Boston last year.
Hedengren also broke the combined collegiate record (indoor and outdoor track), 14:52.18, set by Parker Valby at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Hedengren is now No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list and No. 11 on the world all-time list in the event, indoors.
“This season, there’s been a lot of growth, and I think there’s still so much to build on, lots of gratitude approaching this race and this season, and I’m excited to keep working,” Hedengren told Nia Gibson on the FloTrack broadcast after the race.
Hedengren showed her dominance early at Boston University’s indoor facility. From the gun, Hedengren and Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico both positioned themselves behind pacesetter Ellie Leather through the first mile in 4:48, on pace for a 14:55 finish. By the 2K split, both athletes had pulled ahead of the chase pack by 50 meters.
That gap continued to grow heading into the halfway mark as the cross-country rivals dueled for the lead. Just after the 3,000-meter split, which the pair covered in 8:59, Hedengren surged ahead of Kosgei and never looked back.
For the last 2,000 meters, Hedengren knocked off blazing 34 to 35-second splits for each lap until throwing down an impressive 66-second close for the final 400 meters. Her teammate, Riley Chamberlain, battled for second-place in 14:58.97, a 25-second personal best. Kosgei finished third in 15:05:41.
Before she graduated from Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, last spring, Hedengren broke nine national records on the track—including the 5,000 meters in April when she became the first high school girl to go sub-15 for the distance.
At 19 years old, Hedengren has already emerged as an NCAA leader in her first season running for the Cougars. In October, she dominated the Pre-National Invitational and shattered the course record in her collegiate cross-country debut. She went on to win the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Mountain Region Championships by huge margins.
In late November, Hedengren was competing for the win at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships but couldn’t match the closing speed of Lemngole, the defending champion. With a surge in the last kilometer of the race in Columbia, Missouri, the junior from Kenya claimed the 6K title in 18:25, about 13 seconds ahead of Hedengren.
In a quick turnaround to the track season, Hedengren earned a form of redemption in Boston. She is the most recent athlete in the last several years to break the collegiate record at the indoor season opener, which many elite athletes utilize as a final push of fitness before the holidays. Lemngole—and Valby prior to her—set the indoor record at the same meet.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
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Gophers volleyball wins NCAA Tournament opener, avoids St. Thomas matchup
Minnesota volleyball opened NCAA Tournament play on Friday at Maturi Pavilion with a dominant sweep over Fairfield University. It marks the 11th straight year that the Gophers have won a first-round game.
And we dance on 💃 pic.twitter.com/k5zoEO1vPU
— Minnesota Volleyball (@GopherVBall) December 6, 2025
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The Gophers were seeded fourth in their region after a 22-9 regular-season campaign. The other game in their Minneapolis pod was five-seed Iowa State against in-state foe St. Thomas, which played its first-ever game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. The Cyclones won a five-set battle before Minnesota’s game.
“I’m proud of our team for playing our brand of volleyball. Serving, blocking and playing really clean. Tomorrow will be a big challenge. Iowa State is a great team in a lot of facets, especially defensively,” Minnesota head coach Keegan Cook said after the game.
Minnesota already beat St. Thomas three sets to one in a nonconference game in August, but an NCAA Tournament clash in the Tommies’ first season eligible would’ve felt like a huge contest. Ultimately, Iowa State will face the Gophers on Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT at Maturi Pavilion with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
The Cyclones had an impressive 22-7 regular-season campaign, and a 12-6 mark in the Big 12. Saturday’s showdown should be a great contest between two of the better college volleyball programs in the Midwest.
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Sports
Elliot and Thuotte Highlight Men’s Indoor Track and Field Season Opener
BOSTON, Mass. — Regis College men’s track and field kicked off their indoor season today at the Reggie Lewis Center, competing in the Suffolk Relays and setting two new program records.
Senior Brady Elliot (Charlestown, N.H.) made an impressive debut for the Pride, placing second in the men’s high jump with a leap of 1.85 meters, establishing a new indoor program record. Elliot also competed in the long jump, finishing 12th with a distance of 6.06 meters. Joseph Doughty (Woburn, Mass.) added a seventh-place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.70 meters.
Justin Thuotte (Lebanon, Conn.) earned three top-ten finishes. His best came in the shot put, where he took third with throw of 12.82 meters to set a new personal best. Thuotte also placed fifth in the long jump, setting a new indoor program record with a leap of 6.65 meters, and finished seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 13.28 meters. Ryan Sweeney (Lynn, Mass.) joined Thuotte on the shot put leaderboard, finishing fourth with a toss of 12.65 meters. Sweeney also set a personal best in the weight throw with an 11.28 meter toss.
Jalen Jones (Everett, Mass.) claimed fifth place in the triple jump with a mark of 11.94 meters. Meanwhile, DJ Marks (Medford, Mass.) and Luc Willems (Belchertown, Mass.) rounded out the top ten finishers in the high jump and men’s 1000m, respectively. Marks cleared 1.60 meters in the high jump, and Willems crossed the line in 3:18.18 in the 1000-meter run.
In the men’s 1600 sprint medley relay, the team of Zach Olaywole (Marlborough, Mass.), Jones, Elliot, and Nathan Thomas (Medford, Mass.) finished 13th overall with a time of 4:13.28.
The Pride will quickly turn around as they head to UMass Boston tomorrow for the Beacon Season Opener.
Sports
No. 25 Women’s Volleyball Falls to No. 3 Texas in NCAA Second Round – Penn State
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 25 Penn State’s 45th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament came to an end in the second round Saturday with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19) loss to No. 3 Texas at Gregory Gymnasium. The Nittany Lions close the season at 19-13 overall, while the Longhorns move on with a record of 25-3.
The loss snapped Penn State’s seven-match NCAA Tournament winning streak, which included six victories on the way to last year’s national title. The Nittany Lions remain second in the nation with eight national titles, trailing only Stanford’s nine.
Kennedy Martin tallied 16 kills for Penn State and has now recorded double-digit kills for the 83rd-consecutive match when she plays at least three sets. Caroline Jurevicius finished with seven kills, while Emmi Sellman chipped in with five.
Gillian Grimes wrapped up an outstanding collegiate career with a team-high 11 digs. She leaves Penn State as a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, making the first team this season and the second team as a junior last season. She now turns her attention to the pro ranks, where she will play for the San Diego Mojo of Major League Volleyball. Grimes was recently picked by the Mojo in the third round of the MLV Draft.
Torrey Stafford led Texas to the win, hitting .556 with 21 kills. Abby Vander Wal joined her in double-digits with 10 kills, while Cari Spears was next with nine.
Penn State now holds an 11-10 lead in the all-time series with Texas. The teams are knotted at 2-2 in NCAA Tournament matchups against each other.
Saturday’s matchup featured the past three national champions as Texas won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 and Penn State took home the trophy last season.
The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.
Sports
Men’s Track and Field Starts 2026 Campaign With Strong Showing at Springfield College Season Opener
Springfield, Mass. – December 6, 2025 – The Springfield College men’s track and field team had a strong showing as it hosted the Springfield College Season Opener for the first meet of the season.
Shane Erb (Marion, Iowa) took first place in the mile after finishing with a time of 4:23.30 and was the second place finisher in the 3000-meter run after crossing the finish line at 9:02.42. Erb’s mile time ranks sixth in Division III to start the campaign, while his 3,000-meter time ranks 14th.
Mike Anderson (Cromwell, Conn.) and Isaiah Hannah (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) finished first and second, respectively, in the 60-meter hurdles. Anderson finished with a time of 8.16 to tie his school record he broke just a season ago, while Hannah finished at 8.59. Anderson’s time currently ranks second in Division III this season.
In his debut, Luca Kabel (Merrimack, N.H.) won the 60-meter dash crossing the finish line at 7.04. He also competed in the 200-meter dash where he finished second at 22.58.
Colin Hansen (Ipswich, Mass.) won the 400-meter dash at 50.54 and Seth Twarog (Hubbardston, Mass.) was close behind at 50.70 which was good for a second place finish with both now ranking inside the top-20 nationally to kick off the seaosn. Parker Ruger (Rhinebeck, N.Y.) won the 600-meter run finishing in 1:26.74 while Eli Burt (Topsham, Maine) came in third at 1:29.34 in their first meets for the Pride.
The 4×400-meter relay team of Twarog, Ruger, Hansen, and first-year Caleb March (Hampden, Maine) took the win after crossing the finish line at 3:37.78.
In the field events, Alex McKenney (Ossining, N.Y.) won the pole vault after clearing 4.45-meters (14 feet, 7.25 inches), which currently stands eighth in the country, while Jamil Manu (Manchester, Conn.) claimed second in the high jump after jumping 1.92-meters (6 feet, 3.50 inches).
Martin Nyagilo (Randolph, Mass.) won the shot put with a throw of 15.21-meters (49 feet, 10.75 inches), a mark that ranks sixth in the country early in the season and Peyton Blanchard (Kennebunk, Maine) came in third with a mark of 14.28-meters (47 feet, 2.25 inches). Charles Botelho (Middleboro, Mass.) finished third in the weight throw with mark of 15.01-meters (49.3 feet).
Springfield will await the new year and travel to Tufts on Saturday, January 17 for the Branwen Smith-King Invitational.
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West Fargo volleyball coach Kelsey Titus resigns after four seasons – InForum
WEST FARGO — West Fargo High School volleyball coach Kelsey Titus has resigned after four seasons guiding the Packers.
West Fargo activities director Justin Behm confirmed the resignation to The Forum late Friday.
In an email to The Forum Saturday, Titus cited family as the primary reason in her decision to step down.
“The main reason is to be more present with my family,” Titus said. “The decision was extremely difficult as I have absolutely loved my time coaching at West Fargo. (Behm) has been an incredible person to work for and with. I am extremely grateful for his support and guidance.
“The decision came after a lot of prayer. My husband is also a (football) coach, and having both of us coaching in the fall — with a very active 7-year-old — has become challenging. As hard as it is to be done, I know that being more involved and present in our son’s activities is where I am supposed to be. I have peace knowing it’s where the Lord wants me to be.”
David Samson/The Forum
Titus took the reins of the West Fargo program ahead of the 2022 season. Over four seasons, she led the Packers to a 96-48 record that included two state tournament appearances and an East Region tournament championship.
The Packers first advanced to state under Titus during her first season in 2022 where the team placed fifth that season. The 2025 campaign was West Fargo’s strongest with Titus at the helm, finishing 28-8 overall to go with a third-place finish at the state tournament and the East Region tournament title — which ended in
a five-set thriller
over crosstown rival West Fargo Sheyenne.
Titus coached three all-conference and all-state players throughout her tenure. Raina Chwialkowski was a four-time all-conference selection under Titus while Ellee McIntosh was named to the all-conference team three times. Olivia Soine was an all-conference player for Titus in 2022.
Chwialkowski was also an all-state selection four times, McIntosh three times and Soine one time. Chwialkowski was named both East Region and Division AA Senior Athlete of the Year in the sport of volleyball this season. She’ll head to NCAA Division I Maryland next season to continue her career while McIntosh will play for North Dakota.
Titus received Division AA Coach of the Year honors this season upon conclusion of the state tournament. West Fargo
defeated Bismarck in five sets
during this year’s Division AA quarterfinals before
falling to Fargo Davies
in the semis. The Packers proceeded to defeat Bismarck Century in five sets in the third-place match.
“The girls have truly bought in to our culture and have been so much fun to work with,” Titus said. “I truly feel blessed to have gotten the chance to coach such wonderful young women. They mean so much to me and my family. This past season was an incredible one for me to witness on and off the court. I am so thankful for the girls and their trust in me and our coaching staff. These girls are truly special and have brought so much joy into the game of volleyball, to each other and to us coaches.”
Titus previously served as an assistant volleyball coach at the University of Jamestown for seven seasons prior to coming to West Fargo. There, she also served as associate athletic director for three years.
A search for Titus’ successor will begin immediately.
“Again, I can’t thank West Fargo High School and Justin Behm enough for the opportunity and the trust they put in me to run the volleyball program the last four years,” Titus said. “I also want to thank my coaching staff — they have become such a huge part of my life and I’m so thankful they chose to do this with me. I will forever be grateful for my time at West Fargo High School. Go Packers.”
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