GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love says the thumb on his non-throwing hand feels fine a week after he underwent surgery on it.
Love was limited to participating in 7-on-7 drills Thursday during a joint practice with the Seattle Seahawks, but said he’d be able to play if the Packers had a regular-season game this week. Love has been practicing all week with his left thumb heavily taped.
“It feels good right now,” Love said.
The health of his receiving group is a bit less certain with Jayden Reed (foot), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and rookie third-round pick Savion Williams (hamstring) all limited to varying degrees as the Packers close training camp and prepare for their Sept. 7 opener against the Detroit Lions.
Green Bay’s injury issues at receiver may help explain why Love went just 3 of 12 in red zone drills against Seattle’s defense on Thursday.
“I think those guys have been doing a great job staying locked in on the side,” Love said. “Obviously, they’re missing a lot of reps, which isn’t great, but I think once they get back out there, we’ll be able to hit the ground running.”
As for the Seahawks’ quarterback situation, coach Mike Macdonald said rookie third-round pick Jalen Milroe will play the entire preseason game Saturday at Green Bay as Sam Darnold gets to rest for the regular-season opener Sept. 7 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love watches during an NFL football joint training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Westfield, Westfield, Ind. Credit: AP/Darron Cummings
“I think it’s just a great opportunity for him to get great experience,” Macdonald said. “All rookies, they need reps, they need experience. Jalen’s right there. He’s really excited for the opportunity. He’s going to do a great job. Go out, operate the offense and go play ball the way you know how.”
Joint practice features multiple fights
Two fights took place in rapid-fire succession between Green Bay’s offense and Seattle’s defense during red zone drills. Some of the main participants included Packers right tackle Zach Tom, Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Tom said afterward that he was kicked out of the joint practice for throwing a punch.
“They were in our huddle and I saw somebody to my left got hit, so I just reacted,” Tom said. “So, it’s really nothing more than that.”
The jawing between the two teams continued even after practice had ended, which annoyed Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams.
“I didn’t appreciate in general them coming to our sideline while practice is over and we already broke the huddle,” Williams said. “Our guys are on our side, their guys are on their side, and people were coming over. It’s hard with these joint practices because stuff like that always happens. You don’t want it to happen, but it just happens. We try to avoid it as much as possible. Yeah, I didn’t appreciate it.”
Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon was one of the players doing some trash-talking at the end of the practice. Nixon said it shouldn’t be much of a surprise when fights occur during joint practices.
“I mean the coaches are not going to like it, but it just comes with the territory, for real,” Nixon said. “That’s just how it goes. It’s too many alphas on the field.”
NOTES: Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker Jr., who has been limited by a sore foot for much of camp, was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. … Macdonald says he plans to announce the Seahawks starters at center and right guard next week. Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford, Olu Oluwatimi, Christian Haynes and Josh Jones are competing for the two spots. … Packers S Evan Williams delivered one of the best plays of Thursday’s practice when he intercepted a long pass from Darnold during two-minute drills. Other standouts included Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Packers TEs Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. … Packers S Xavier McKinney participated in individual drills Thursday. The All-Pro selection has been dealing with a calf issue during training camp. “I feel good,” McKinney said. “Like said before, I’ll be ready to go. Right now, I’m just trying to make sure that my wind is where it needs to be and just continuing to sharpen up while I’m not actually out there practicing. So that’s really all I need.”
No. 3 Texas A&M swept No. 1 Kentucky to win the 2025 DI women’s volleyball championship on Sunday, Dec. 21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Both programs earned their spot in the final after clinching victories on Thursday, Dec. 18 to set up the first ever all-SEC national championship in DI women’s volleyball history.
The Aggies knocked off No. 1 Pitt in three straight sets, continuing their historic season by etching their names in the program’s first-ever national championship. Kyndal Stowers powered the Maroon and White with 16 kills on .433 hitting while setter Maddie Waak orchestrated her balanced offense to an impressive .382 clip with four different Aggies earning at least eight put-aways. Texas A&M has now knocked off back-to-back No. 1 seeds (Nebraska, Pitt) and look to the next in No. 1 Kentucky.
Big Blue earned a dramatic five-setter victory over No. 3 Wisconsin to earn its second ever national championship appearance and first since their 2021 national title. The Badgers seemed to have all control after a Set 1 25-12 victory, but Kentucky wouldn’t be denied. Eva Hudson was on fire, accruing 29 kills on .455 hitting while Molly Tuozzo’s back-court defense with 17 critical digs fought off a career night from Mimi Colyer. The Cats have the momentum heading into Sunday’s match with 27 straight wins.
The full 64-team bracket was announced on Sunday, Nov. 30. Thirty-one conference champions earned automatic bids to the tournament, with the NCAA DI women’s volleyball committee selecting 33 other teams as at-large picks.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 women’s volleyball championship.
2025 DI women’s volleyball championship bracket
👉 Click or tap to see the interactive bracket
2025 DI women’s volleyball championship schedule
All times listed in ET
Selection show: 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30
First round:
Thursday, Dec. 4
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2
No. 5 Miami (Fla.) 3, Tulsa 1
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0
No. 6 UNI 3, Utah 2
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1
Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2
No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0
No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0
No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0
Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2
No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0
No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0
Friday, Dec. 5
Marquette 3, No. 7 Western Kentucky 0
Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0
Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0
No. 6 TCU 3, SFA 0
No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas (Minn.) 2
No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1
Kansas State 3, No. 8 San Diego 2
No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola Chicago 0
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, UMBC 0
No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0
Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0
No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0
No. 1 Nebraska 3, LIU 0
No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0
No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1
Second Round:
Friday, Dec. 5
Saturday, Dec. 6
Regionals
Thursday, Dec. 11
Friday, Dec. 12
Saturday, Dec. 13
Sunday, Dec. 14
Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
National championship: Sunday, Dec. 21
DI women’s volleyball championship history
Here is the complete history of DI women’s volleyball champions:
College Football Playoff rankings predictions: What 2025’s final CFP top 25, bracket could look like
The final College Football Playoff rankings of 2025 will be revealed on Sunday, Dec. 7. Here’s what the top 25 could look like.
READ MORE
2025 SEC Championship Game: Date, time, TV channel, history
Here’s the quick guide to the 2025 SEC Championship Game.
READ MORE
College football’s longest active regular-season win streaks
Here are the longest active regular season win streaks in college football.
Charlie Creme projects the women’s NCAA tournament bracket for ESPN.com.
The buzz from a thrilling NCAA volleyball tournament final four in Kansas City and a Texas A&M national championship hasn’t dimmed, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t too early to start thinking about next season. With the transfer portal already open, most of the country’s players and coaches already have.
Nebraska’s dominance this season looked like a forgone conclusion. Then one afternoon in Lincoln, Texas A&M shocked the world and turned the run to the national championship into a wide-open affair.
That’s what 2026 should be from the outset. So many great players like Pitt’s Olivia Babcock, Nebraska’s Harper Murray and Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye are back and will be on teams with a chance at a title.
The transfer portal has yet to take hold in full. Many rosters could get a shake up in the coming weeks. This top 10 is based on what we know now and is a little peek into how the run to next season’s final four in San Antonio could shake out.
1. Texas Longhorns
The freshman class, led by Cari Spears and Abby Vander Wal, was instrumental in getting the Longhorns back to a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed. The Longhorns’ recruiting class for 2026 looks just as good with top-rated outside hitter, Henley Anderson, and top setter, Genevieve Harris. They will all still be led by Torrey Stafford, the 12th-best point producer in the country and one of the best all-around players.
2. Stanford Cardinal
Stanford tied for the ACC championship and did it with 14 freshmen and sophomores on the roster. Top hitter Elia Rubin will be tough to say goodbye to, but the Cardinal will have the depth and talent to win their first national title since 2019.
3. Nebraska Cornhuskers
The invincibility of 2025 Nebraska won’t be there with the losses of Rebekah Allick and Taylor Landfair. But Bergen Reilly, Murray and Andi Jackson form a core capable of the national championship that eluded the Huskers following their stunning loss to Texas A&M in the regional finals.
4. Wisconsin Badgers
The offseason might be nearly as long for Wisconsin as it is for Nebraska, as the Badgers ponder how it let the national semifinal match against Kentucky slip away. Coach Kelly Sheffield will also have to worry about replacing the likes of Mimi Colyer and Carter Booth, but a talented group of underclassmen led by All-American setter Charlie Fuerbringer will make Wisconsin a final four contender again.
5. Pittsburgh Panthers
The good news is that Pittsburgh has reached five straight final fours and still has Babcock for one more season. The bad news — the Panthers again failed to advance to a national championship game and will lose all-ACC setter Brooke Mosher.
6. Kentucky Wildcats
With the graduation of Eva Hudson, who was so vital to the Wildcats’ run to the final four, and the jump that Texas is expected to take, Kentucky’s streak of nine straight SEC titles could be in jeopardy. But top hitter DeLeye is back for her senior year and she’ll be joined by Lizzie Carr, Asia Thigpen and Kennedy Washington, Kentucky’s third-, fourth- and fifth-best scorers from this season.
7. Louisville Cardinals
With the ACC Freshman of the Year in Kalyssa Blackshear, the conference leader in blocks in Cara Cresse, the ACC’s second-leading setter in Nayelis Cabello and their top two hitters — Payton Petersen and Chloe Chicoine — all back, the Cardinals will be in position to shake off the disappointment of a fourth-place ACC finish and a loss in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament, their earliest exit since 2020.
8. SMU Mustangs
While setter Averi Carlson and top hitter Malaya Jones have used up their eligibility, the sophomore trio of Jadyn Livings, Favor Anyanwu and Natalia Newsome are expected back. Full, healthy seasons from Livings and Newsome would be a big boost. So will the addition of Big 12 Freshman of the Year Suli Davis, who has already announced her transfer to SMU from BYU.
9. Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue, the surprise team of the season, was picked seventh in the Big Ten in the preseason yet reached the Elite Eight. Ravaged by transfers (Hudson and Carr were Boilermakers in 2024) and graduation and with a roster with just two seniors, Purdue leaned into its underdog role. That won’t be the case in 2026 if Purdue can keep a well-balanced team led by Kenna Wollard and Grace Heaney intact.
10. Texas A&M Aggies
The losses of program mainstay Logan Lednicky and setter Maddie Waak make repeating this season’s magic seem unlikely. However, the star power of Kyndal Stowers is obvious, which might be good enough to make the SEC a three-team race.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Logan Lednicky had 11 kills, Maddie Waak had 29 assists and Texas A&M won its first NCAA volleyball championship, sweeping Kentucky 3-0 on Sunday.
The Aggies (29-4) accomplished the rare feat of defeating three No. 1 seeds. They defeated Nebraska and Pittsburgh earlier in the tournament. They did not drop a set in the final four.
Texas A&M led 13-10 in the third set before a kill by Lednicky started a 6-1 scoring run for a commanding 19-11 lead, six points from the national championship.
At 24-18 in the third set, Kentucky held off a couple of match points before the Aggies took advantage of a free ball and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla delivered the championship point, crushing a set from Waak out of the middle.
Kyndal Stowers finished with 10 kills and hit .304. Cos-Okpalla added eight kills, hitting .235 and Lednicky hit .250.
Eva Hudson had a match-high 13 kills for Kentucky and Kassie O’Brien had 34 assists.
The Aggies hit .257 as a team, compared to Kentucky’s .148.
Set scores were 26-24, 25-15, 25-20.
The Aggies trailed throughout the first set until they tied the score at 20 and also saved a set point to tie it at 24. The Aggies took their first lead at 25-24 on an attack error by Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye, her fifth of the set. Stowers finished off the 26-24 first-set win for the Aggies with a tip off the Kentucky block.
After taking that 25-24 lead, the Aggies did not trail at any point in the rest of the match.
Kentucky (30-3) continued to struggle at the net in the second set. The Wildcats had nine errors in the first set and six more while falling behind 19-9 in the second. The Aggies continued to dominate, winning 25-15 after outhitting their SEC rival .253 — .077.
Stowers and Lednicky had eight kills each in the first two sets, with Stowers hitting .368 and Lednicky .240.
For the first time in program history, the Aggies were crowned NCAA Volleyball champions after sweeping SEC rival Kentucky in three sets on Saturday.Fanatics/Canva
If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
The Texas A&M Aggies are national champions!
For the first time in program history, the Aggies were crowned NCAA Volleyball champions after sweeping SEC rival Kentucky in three sets on Saturday.
Fans can show their Aggies pride with commemorative championship gear at Fanatics here.
You can also browse a variety of Texas A&M volleyball merch on Fanatics — like this Texas A&M Aggies Volleyball Pullover Hoodie, this Texas A&M Aggies GameDay Greats Pick-A-Player Jersey or this Texas A&M Aggies Volleyball Long Sleeve T-Shirt.
NCAA Volleyball Tournament
Final Four Results
Thursday, Dec. 18
Texas A&M 3, Pittsburgh 0
Kentucky 3, Wisconsin 2
Elite Eight Results
Saturday, Dec. 13
Kentucky 3, Creighton 0
Pitt 3, Purdue 1
Sunday, Dec. 14
Texas A&M 3, Nebraska 2
Wisconsin 3, Texas 1
Sweet 16 Results
Thursday, Dec. 11
Creighton 3, Arizona State 1
Kentucky 3, Cal Poly 0
Pitt 3, Minnesota 0
Purdue 3, SMU 1
Friday, Dec. 12
Texas 3, Indiana 0
Wisconsin 3, Stanford 1
Texas A&M 3, Louisville 2
Nebraska 3, Kansas 0
Joey Chandler is a sports commerce reporter for NJ.com. She’s earned Associated Press Sports Editors honors and won first-place writing awards for features, columns and breaking news in Ohio, Alabama and North…
Local high school runners have once again shifted to the oval following an exciting cross country season as the indoor track schedule has begun with the PVIAC’s weekly meets kicking off on Sunday, Dec. 14.
Smith College’s Indoor Track and Tennis Complex will once again host the competitions that feature teams throughout western Massachusetts. Meets will take place on the weekends, either on Saturday or Sunday, until the MIAA postseason commences in early February.
Here’s a closer look at all six area teams:
Amherst
The Hurricanes should be contenders once again this winter. The girls squad lost a fair amount of talent from last season, but as the cross country season showed, runners are always waiting in the shadows to step up for Amherst.
Ololara Baptiste returns with the most accolades for the ‘Canes girls as the junior was part of the state-championship winning 4×200-meter relay quartet last year. Ella Jamate (mid-distance), Juliana Albo (sprints, field events) and Genevieve Dole (long distance) will round out Amherst’s depth.
The boys will look to see continued growth from Nico Lisle (mid-distance) and Wesley Dunford (field events) this season.
Northampton
An encouraging cross country campaign should carry over into the indoor season for the Blue Devils, who bring back some skilled athletes.
Mairead O’Neil will be the catalyst for the girls team as the reigning Western Mass. cross country champion will attack the mile and 2 mile events for Northampton this winter. Ella Hoogendyk should collect plenty of points for the Blue Devils in field events as the senior will compete in the long jump, high jump and 600. Maddalena Figueroa-Starr (mid-distance, long distance) Maya Zink (long distance) and Allie Sullivan (sprints, field events) are other athletes to watch.
The boys team’s strength will reside in the long distance events, led by Gus Frey and Henry Daggett as Northampton’s 2-milers. Kai Webster (mid-distance) is another name to keep an eye on for the Blue Devils.
Holyoke
Yasani Thompson brings back a winning pedigree to the Purple Knights’ girls team this winter as the defending state champion in the 300. The senior will also strive to qualify for the New England Championships, according to fifth-year head coach Matt Benoit.
Seniors Ryan Kennedy (short, mid-distance) and Jaybriel Rivera Soto (short distance) will carry the Holyoke boys.
Frontier Regional
Expect the Redhawks to be in and around the top of the Valley North standings as both the boys and girls teams have impressive athletes sprinkled throughout their rosters.
The Frontier boys have a pair of seniors in Luke Howard (long distance) and Adrien Pazmandy (sprints) that’ll acquire the bulk of its points. Last season, the Redhawks won the league title after going 13-0. Head coach Walter Flynn enters his fifth season at the helm.
The Frontier girls have a near even split between returners and newcomers this winter. Maddie Antes, Julia Morse and Ashley Rivard count as the Redhawks’ senior class, while the Flagollet sisters (Emmanuelle and Louise) highlight their new runners. Louise Flagollet was Frontier’s top cross country runner on the girls team this past fall.
Head coach Bob Smith, who is in the midst of his 47th season leading the Redhawks, feels experience and team pride are the strengths of this year’s team, while sprints will be an area to grow.
Hampshire Regional
The Raiders girls have a handful of distance runners that’ll secure plenty of points this winter. Brooke Hockenberry, Charlotte Letendre and Kathleen Barry all earned first or second-place finishes at the first PVIAC meet.
Hampshire’s boys trio of Aidan Conklin (mid-distance), Owen Cubi and Oscar Schiff (both long distance) will surely be athletes to keep track of for the Raiders.
South Hadley
The Tigers may not have the high-end talent as some of the other Hampshire County teams, but both boys and girls teams have several athletes who will hold their own on the oval.
Grace Cooney and Margaret Healey raced well in the first PVIAC meet and will anchor South Hadley’s girls’ distance crew.
For the boys squad, Matt Gillis (sprints, field events) and Trevor Sullivan (long distance) are two Tigers athletes who can make an impact this season.
