Sports
Montenegro, Hungary and Italy reach Men’s U18 European Water Polo Championships quarter-finals
Second victories earned Montenegro, Hungary and Italy quarter-final places in the elite level of the Men’s U18 European Water Polo Championships being staged in Oradea, Romania. Spain bounced back from their shoot-out loss to Croatia to blow away the Serbs in the fourth period. Group C and D action saw real thrillers, including Malta’s stunning shoot-out win over Germany on a day when only teams wearing dark caps won matches in Oradea.
Group A&B: Fourth period thrashings secure big wins
The Montenegrin boys are on fire. After taking down Serbia on the opening day, they came up with another commanding performance to beat their other arch-rival, Croatia. Perhaps, the Croats would have needed a bit more recovery time after their intense battle with the Spanish, with a penalty shoot-out at the end, which finished around 22.00 – and they were in the pool today at 13.30.
Even if it’s U18, the fight is already on – Montenegro’s Relja Vukanic marks Croatia’s Duje Sinovcic, Credit: EA/Aniko Kovacs
Montenegro jumped to a 1-3 lead early on, but Len Dujmic equalised with two great action goals in 49 seconds, and the Croats killed a man-down in between. Still, Montenegro led after the opening period as the remaining 10 seconds were enough for Andrija Roganovic to fire one in for 4-3. The Croats struggled to penetrate their rivals’ defence, they could score just 1:12 before the middle break, by then Montenegro had gone 3-6 up with a couple of extra-player goals.
Strahinja Gojkovic’s sharp finish in a 6 on 5 kicked off the third to reset the three-goal gap, which went up to four as the Croats missed their next man-up while Luka Todorovic buried another one for 8-4, only two and a half monutes into this quarter. An emergency time-out from head coach Hrvoje Koljanin didn’t help much, though Petar Kulas could pull one back with 2:27 to go, they missed two more 6 on 5s before the last interval.
And the Croatian offence didn’t start clicking in the fourth, while Todorovic netted one from action which appeared to demoralise the other side. With only 3:25 remaining, Nikola Petrovic hit a great one from the centre for 5-10 and the Montenegrins kept that difference till the end to secure their spot in the quarter-finals.
In the next match, also in Group B, Spain took a 0-2 lead in 64 seconds, only to see the Serbs respond with three connecting goals, while Javier Sancher-Toril missed a penalty in the middle of the opening quarter. The Spanish missed two more 6 on 5s but the coming break offered them two minutes to calm down and they equalised right away in the second as Mark Comabella converted a 6 on 5.
Spanish goalie Aran Pina came up big in the following minutes as he stopped not one but two penalties in a row and that rocked the Serbs, who then not only missed their following 6 on 5, but failed to react to a counter from which Comabella put Spain ahead once more. However, Luka Urosevic pulled off a brilliant shot from the centre to get his team back on board and that was successful as they even retook the lead, thanks to Milan Zelic’s fine shot in a 6 on 5, 33 seconds from time.
It was Spain’s turn to reply with a double which they did early in the third and even though the Serbs could level it up, Tiago Carrio hit a nice one from action and Mauro-Andres Millan also buried a penalty for 6-8, while the Serbs hit the post from two promising opportunities.
Spanish counters demolished the Serbs in the fourth, Credit: EA/Aniko Kovacs
The fourth brought a quick exchange of goals, then, at 7-9, the Serbs missed a crucial man-up and Sanchez-Toril scored from the ensuing counter to make it 7-10, instead of 8-9. Thirty seconds later another counter ended up in a goal which practically floored the Serbs. The third in 62 seconds triggered an emergency time-out, but it took another 28 seconds to see a fourth Spanish counter – in 91 seconds they knocked out their rivals. All in all, a 9-2 rush in the second half clearly showed who was the better side.
In Group A, the Netherlands put up a good fight once more, this time against Italy. The Dutch turned onto the fourth period from an even more promising position as they trailed 8-9 – on the opening day they had been down by three against the Hungarians at that time -, thanks to their relentless efforts to keep up with the Italian favourites. They came back from 3-5 to level it up by half-time, while their rivals missed three man-ups before the middle break.
Teun Blankhorst even took the lead for the Oranje right away in the third, but Antonio Chianese, a great prodigy from Italy’s European champion U16 squad, converted two extras in 36 seconds and the Italians doubled their lead twice, before Fabio Jukic’s last-gasp hit set the 8-9 result at the end of the third.
Diego Teresa’s truly sensational centre action kicked off the fourth and that was a huge boost for his side which hit another gear and hitting three more in 77 seconds practically put the game to bed. There was no way back for the Dutch at 8-13, though they reached almost the same result as against Hungary (11-16 – after 11-15), it was telling how Italy crashed their defence in the final eight minutes by scoring seven goals.
The Netherlands were close for three periods but Italy prevailed at the end. Credit: EA/Aniko Kovacs
The last match of the day provided everything water polo fans love – much to the joy of the spectators who turned out in high numbers. Fans from the local Hungarian minority were in shock, though, as the Greeks took a 3-0 lead before Csanad Bella put his side onto the scoreboard after six minutes. That triggered a flood of goals in the remaining two, still, the Greeks led 5-3 after the first period.
The Magyars caught a wave in the second and staged a 1-5 rally to go 6-8 up, but two fine shots in back-to-back man-ups put the Greeks back on equal terms and with one more goals apiece in the last minute, it stood 9-9 at halftime.
Evangelos Lampatos’ nice finish from another 6 on 5 gave back the lead to Greece but it was temporary as the two of U18 world champions from 2024, Maxim Cseh and Mor Benedek quickly replied with fierce finishes in extras, in 37 seconds it swung back to the other side at 10-11. Csaba Jambor’s powerful centre-shot reset the two-goal lead for the Hungarians and even those Dimitrios Chatzis could pull one back twice with his pinpoint shots, the Hungarian goalie, Kristof Damosy managed to put a hand on the ball in the following man-downs, and a counter launched after his first save ended in a penalty. Benedek converted it for 14-12, so Hungary seemed to sit in the driving seat before the last quarter.
Wearing his late father Tibor Benedek’s No 8 cap, Mor Benedek led Hungary’s charge with six goals, Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics
Indeed, they never looked back as they blew away the Greeks in the fourth. They killed two more man-downs, between the two Benedek Rabb’s fierce bouncer expanded the gap to four for the first time. A quick finish brought Greece a bit closer but only for 45 seconds or so as Dejan Divjak put away a 2 on 1 for 13-16. The Greeks broke here, in the last four minutes they wasted three more 6 on 5s while the Hungarians added three more goals, including a sixth hit from Benedek, and that sealed their spot in the quarters, together with the Italians.
Group C&D: Thrillers in a row, Malta stun Germany in shoot-out marathon
Two thrillers filled the morning with sheer excitements. First, Malta came back from 8-4 down against Germans, then even managed to score the last two goals after falling behind once more at 11-9, to make it 11-11 and force a shootout. Which offered even more thrilling moments as it took 13 rounds to determine the winner. In the 12th round, the German goalie Eric Heinrich stopped Max Lanzon’s shot, but Tobias Scherrieble hit the post. Then Julian Chircop buried his penalty and Maltese netminder Zack Dzanovic delivered the game winning save.
Malta’s hero: Zack Dzanovic, in the middle, delivered the game-winning save in the shootout, Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics
The next match between France and Turkiye was heading to the same ending. Here the French controlled the match, built a three-goal lead at one stage and still held a 11-9 advantage with 3:07 from time. Alp Yildiz pulled one back and with 31 seconds to go, he stood at the five metre line with the ball – all he needed was to send it to the net but Camille Dervieux stopped the penalty shot and secure all three points to the French.
Only the opening match lacked the tensions as the Georgians did a clean job against Ukraine, with an 11-2 run in the middle two quarters sealing their first victory here.
In the evening match, hosts Romania had to dig deep to down Poland, the underdog team. The home players were tense and unable to fend off their rivals’ renewing surges. It was tied at halftime, 6-6, and even though two quick goals gave Romania a 6-8 lead, they couldn’t hold it long. At least, Cosmin Popa’s action goal gave them a slim advantage before the last period.
Poland were still coming, they equalised for 9-9 and did that twice more, to make it an open game at 11-11, with 1:08 to go. Still, the hosts had the last laugh as Cristian Rosan’s action shot made it all the way to the net 48 seconds from time to keep their hope on making the crossovers alive.
Division One, Rio Maior: Portugal come from behind to win by penalties
After the Monday power outage, hitting the entire region, the schedule had to be rearranged as the Swiss and the Danish had to come back first to play a game halted by the darkness. The Swiss did a clean job, though they couldn’t repeat that performance in the afternoon when Bulgaria beat them in Group B. The Swiss youngsters, who barely had to play matches on back-to-back days, now needed to hit the water twice on the same day – and were understandably worn out for the second half when they conceded seven goals apiece in both quarters.
There was something to cheer for, then came a loss – it was a special day for the Swiss team. Credit: European Aquatics
The Danes were luckier to face underdog Ireland and clinched their first win.
In Group A, Moldova secured their first place and the quarter-final spot by blasting the Czechs, while in Group C, Israel bettered the Brits to book their QF spot, while Belgium thrashed Austria.
Portugal graced the scene for the first time and the hosts managed to produce the most entertaining encounter of the day as they beat Lithuania in a shootout. Their rivals started dominating after staging a 3-0 run to make it 10-7 and led by two with 2:15 to go, but the Portuguese forced the match to a draw. The decision was left to the penalties where nerves took over, four of the eight attempts were missed, three by the Lithuanians, so the home side prevailed.
Results, Day 2
Elite Championship, Oradea
Group A
Netherlands v Italy 11-16, Greece v Hungary 13-19
Group B
Croatia v Montenegro 7-12, Serbia v Spain 7-13
Group C
Turkiye v France 10-11, Poland v Romania 11-12
Group D
Germany v Malta 11-11, pen: 9-10, Ukraine v Georgia 8-17
Division One, Rio Maior
Group A
Moldova v Czechia 20-9
Group B
Switzerland v Denmark 12-6, Denmark v Ireland 14-10, Bulgaria v Switerland 23-14
Group C
Austria v Belgium 9-26, Israel v Great Britain 15-8
Group D
Portugal v Lithuania 13-13, pen: 3-1
Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics
Photo taken by Next Level Portrait
Avery Vogt, a senior at Waukee Northwest High School, has been named the 2025–26 Gatorade Iowa Volleyball Player of the Year, one of the top honors in high school athletics. The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes student-athletes for success in athletics, academics, and community involvement.
Avery helped lead the Wolves to an impressive 38–1 season and the program’s second state championship. She finished the year with 939 assists, along with 216 kills, 171 digs, 45 blocks, and 38 service aces, highlighting her versatility and leadership on the court. Her season also earned her AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and AVCA All-Region recognition.
In addition to the Gatorade honor, Avery was named to the IGCA Elite All-State Team, selected as the State Tournament Most Valuable Player, and received the 5A Ms. Volleyball award. She played a key role in Northwest closing the season with 52 consecutive set victories.
Off the court, Avery enjoys giving back to the community. She volunteers as a mentor at camps and clinics and supports literacy outreach by reading to elementary students throughout the Waukee Community School District.
After graduation, Avery will continue her volleyball career at Drake University. Congratulations, Avery, on this incredible honor
Men’s Basketball (8-9, 2-4)
Men’s basketball had just one game last week, falling 70-57 at UIC. Damien Mayo Jr. was the game’s leading scorer with 17, and he also tied Quel’Ron House to lead all players in assists with five.
Two games await Southern this week. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, they host Drake at 7 p.m. SIU then welcomes Belmont to Banterra Center on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m.
Women’s Basketball (4-11, 1-5)
The women’s basketball squad split their two conference games last week.
First, the team lost to Evansville on Thursday, 75-70. Jeniah Thompson reset her career-high in points with 19, and grabbed 12 rebounds to complete a double-double. Karris Allen had a nice game as well with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Indya Green was the final Saluki to hit double-digit points with her 11.
SIU then picked up their first conference win of the season on Saturday, defeating Valparaiso 97-59. Thompson set a new career-high in points once again with 25, and had 14 rebounds as well for another double-double. Green, Kayla Cooper, and Tkiyah Nelson all had 10+ points as well.
This week, the Salukis host Murray State on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m. They then welcome UIC to Carbondale on Sunday, Jan. 18, for a 2 p.m. match.
Swim and Dive
It was a busy weekend for swim and dive, who competed for the first time following winter break.
On Friday, the men’s squad traveled to Purdue and fell 207-103. Carter Ruthven won SIU’s first event of the day by taking gold in the 100-butterfly. Alex Cimera won the 200-freestyle event as well as the 100-freestyle. Southern’s last win of the meet came in the 400-IM thanks to Juraj Barcot.
SIU then hosted Evansville and Indiana State’s women’s team on Saturday for Senior Day. Both Southern squads took down Evansville, but the women’s team fell to Indiana State in a close meet. The Salukis started the meet by winning both sides of the 200-medley relay, and Joshua Aceves was the team’s first individual winner in the men’s 1000-freestyle. Susy Hernandez then won the 200-freestyle, as did Willem Huggins for the men’s team. In the 100-backstroke, Liseska Gallegos Gutierrez and Cimera both grabbed gold. Olivia Herron, Maddax Thompson, Nate Worsham , Tomáš Peciar, Benedek Andor, and Barcot all won events as well, and Oliver Mebs provided SIU a diving win in the one-meter dive.
It is another busy week for swim and dive. On Friday, Jan. 16, the team hosts McKendree at 2 p.m. before welcoming Vanderbilt’s women’s team on Saturday, Jan. 17, for a 1 p.m. meet.
Track and Field
The indoor track and field season resumes this week when the Salukis head to the Indiana Invitational on Friday, Jan. 16, and Saturday, Jan. 17.
Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIUSalukis, on Instagram at @siusalukis, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/. Fans can also download the “Salukis” Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
WASHINGTON – After three years as head coach and nine years in the American University volleyball program, Ahen Kim has been named the new head coach of Duke University volleyball. Kim most recently led AU to a historic season in 2025, capturing the program’s first Patriot League title since 2019. He leaves American with a 44-25 overall record at the helm.
“We are incredibly grateful to Ahen for everything he has given to American University volleyball,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation JM Caparro. “His connection to this program runs deep, from his time as an assistant under Barry Goldberg during one of the most successful eras in our history to leading the program through an important transition as head coach. This past season’s Patriot League championship and NCAA Tournament berth were a testament to his leadership, commitment to our student-athletes, and belief in this program. While we will miss Ahen, we are proud of the work he has done at AU and understand the significance of the opportunity he has earned. We wish him nothing but success in his next chapter.”
“I’m forever grateful to American University Volleyball and will cherish the time I’ve had coaching here both as an Assistant and as Head Coach,” said Kim. “It has been an honor to serve the program after Coach Barry, and I am extremely proud of the work by our student-athletes and staff to restore its competitive legacy. I want to thank President Alger, JM, Katie Benoit and the AU community for all the support for me and our program over the years. With the addition of the Meltzer Center and Goldberg Court, I know this program will continue to be a winner. AUVB will always be special to me and I wish the program continued success. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.”
As an assistant from 2012 to 2017 and a head coach since 2023, Kim has been synonymous with many of AU volleyball’s greatest moments. He was on the bench for five Patriot League championships and all three of AU’s NCAA Tournament wins, and returned in 2023 to find more success as a head coach. Kim led the Eagles to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, leading to one of the best campaigns in program history in 2025. American won 24 games up through the Patriot League final, with Kim guiding several players to unprecedented individual success. AU earned six All-Patriot League selections and took home all five major postseason awards, including the Coaching Staff of the Year distinction given to Kim and his assistants. In total as a head coach, Kim oversaw 12 All-Patriot League players, six major award winners, two AVCA All-Region selections, and two All-Americans.
With undeniable success on the court, Kim made an equal impact off the court. 30 of his players have landed on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and three players earned spots on the Academic All-Patriot League team in 2025, which recognizes both on-court and academic performance.
American University will conduct a national search for its next volleyball coach.
Keep up With Us
For the latest on American University Volleyball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Volleyball), Facebook (/AU.Volleyball) and Instagram (@au_volleyball).
Men’s Track and Field | 1/12/2026 2:21:00 PM
Wichita, Kan – McPherson College started their 2026 off with an indoor meet on the campus of Wichita State for the First Chance Qualifier. Following their Christmas break, the Bulldogs sought after a solid performance in their first meet of the new year.
The Basics
Location: Heskett Center
Women’s Highlights
In the Women’s 60m Hurdles, Blake Posey would run her personal best time of 9.47 and place 2nd in the meet. Nina Zimmerman finished the Women’s 60m with a 9.24 personal record. Chloe Guzman, a dual-sport athlete for the Bulldogs (women’s soccer), would continue the personal best category after running a 9.40 in the Women’s 60m.
Johanna Walker’s mile time in the Women’s Mile was also a personal best time, running a 6:19.02; this would beat her previous best time by an astonishing 29 seconds.
In the throws department, Cara Shultz’s shot put would travel 12.44m for a personal best throw; she would have a personal-best weight throw of 15.14. In both event Schultz competed in, she placed fourth.
Men’s Highlights
For the men, Eric Brown began his indoor season with a time of 1:29.86 in the Men’s 600m. Lamar Gordon lit up the competition taking first place in the Shot Put and the Weight Throw events. His shot put would travel 15.29m and his weight throw landed at 17.99m.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will travel to Maryville, Missouri this upcoming weekend for the Coach Alsup Invitational hosted by Northwest Missouri State University on January 17th.
Granby Recreation Department/Courtesy photo
As of Jan. 5, the Granby adult co-ed volleyball league has continued its season with some hard-hitting competition.
Results from last week’s games
Washed Up downed Net WERK
Timberline over Spike Tysons
CV Electric beat Sagebrush
Prather Plumbing beat Eastside Gang
Washed Up downed Ski Pigs
Spike Tysons over Liberty Spikes
Drowsy Water Ranch downed Float Goats
CV Electric beat Prather Plumbing
Ski Pigs downed Liberty Spikes
Drowsy Water Ranch over Timberline
Float Goats beat Sagebrush
Net WERK over Eastside Gang
Drowsy Water downed Ski Pigs
League Standings as of Jan. 5
Washed Up 8-0
Drowsy Water Ranch 8-1
Timberline 7-2
Float Goats 6-2
CV Electric 6-3
Sagebrush 5-4
Net WERK 5-4
Prather Plumbing 4-5
Spike Tysons 2-7
Ski Pigs 2-7
Eastside Gang 0-9
Liberty Spikes 0-9
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