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Quaker Valley swimmers gearing up for postseason success

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Quaker Valley swimmers gearing up for postseason success

“Amelia slid right into the hole in the fly spot that was left when Emily Connors graduated,” McCarthy said. “Amelia has WIP cuts in 100 fly, 200 IM and 100 freestyle and helps make contributions in the relays.

“Both boys and girls relay teams have earned all the relay cuts. We will work to improve our seed times for WIPs,” McCarthy said. “When you have a small team, everyone counts. I like to think we are small but mighty.”
Quaker Valley junior Adlan Hifri competes last season.
Thomas Fuener earned four WIP cuts in the first meet of the season at South Fayette. Fuener, a senior, advanced to the PIAA finals last winter in the 100 butterfly.
“Lydia has her WIP cut in the 200 IM and MAC cuts in the 100 backstroke, 50 and 100 freestyles,” McCarthy said.
Adlan Hifri, also a senior, already has registered a faster WIP seed in the 100 breast this season than he did all of last year.
Junior Ryan Steinfurth advanced to WPIALs in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle last year and already has earned WIP cuts in both events this season.
QV’s boys squad includes three swimmers from Sewickley Academy — junior Marcus Zhan, freshman Augustin Zhan and Youran Li.
Getty swam a personal-best time of 1 minute, 57.10 seconds to place fifth in the 200 free at last year’s WPIALs. She also logged a PR of 5:19.48 to take third in the 500 free.
One of the Quakers’ team strengths are the relay events.
LaLomia advanced to the WPIAL championships last year and has attained MAC cuts in 100 and 50 freestyles and 100 back.
“And that will surely get faster,” McCarthy said. ”Next up for Adlan will be the 50 free.”
Chappell and Gibson have been swimming in the freestyle events.

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“His goal is to rack up every individual WIP cut,” McCarthy said. “He has three more events to knock off — the 500 free, 100 breast and back. The plan is to place in the top 5 in the 100 fly at WIPs and possibly in our three relay entries.”
In the Quakers junior class, Alexa Westwood is a returning state swimmer who adds speed to the relays. Westwood was a WPIAL qualifier in the 100 backstroke.
Yenick is the diving coach at Quaker Valley.
“Charlotte favors swimming the breaststroke, as well,” said her coach, “while Murawski favors the sprint events, the 50 and 100 freestyles, which she has MAC cuts in. She also has her MAC cut in the 100 backstroke.”
Quaker Valley diver Ruby Olliffe

Submitted | Sharon Steinfurth
Olliffe will continue her diving career at Bucknell next year. Located in Lewisburg, Bucknell is a member of the NCAA Division I Patriot League.
“Ruby has improved her strength: her jump off the springboard and her entries into the water. Her rip is excellent. She has been training with several coaches, which is always the case with the top kids in diving, and has responded well to the various coaching styles.”
“Ruby is one of the most talented divers I’ve seen come through the sport. Her diving is graceful, strong and extremely precise,” Vernick said. ”She is feeling good physically, and I know this will be her best season yet.”
“Having swum in his homeland, Youran is getting a feel for the way the high school sports are here in America,” McCarthy said. “He likes the freestyle events and the fly.”
MAC cut refers to the time standard that qualifies an athlete for the Midwestern Athletic Conference meet.
“Alexa excels in the 100 backstroke and the 50 and 100 freestyles,” McCarthy said, “all of which she has her MAC cuts in.”
“I have great expectations for Ruby this year,” Yenick said. “She’s diving better than ever and has competed in some USA diving events with great success.
Fuener, Steinfurth, Hifri and Zhan swam in both state-qualifying relays (200 medley, 200 free) in 2023-24.
Suhayda has made an awesome first impression.
Quaker Valley coaches Mercedes McCarthy and Vernon Yenick are anticipating at least a few — if not more — breathtaking performances by senior diver Ruby Olliffe this season.
QV is a MAC member school and also a cooperative program with Sewickley Academy in swimming and diving.
QV junior Austin Young always seems to be hitting the MAC cut time in the 50 and 100 freestyles. He was a WPIAL qualifier in the 100 free last season.
Top freshmen on the girls team this season include Charlotte Chappell, Lilly Gibson, Cali Murawski and Amelia Suhayda.
“Margaret no doubt will get her WIP cut in every event,” McCarthy said, “but her heart is in the distance events. Already earning her WIP cuts in the 500 and 200 freestyles this season, her goal is the podium at states.”
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Sunday, January 5, 2025 | 11:01 AM
A fourth-year diving specialist, Olliffe repeated as a state qualifier last year after finishing as the WPIAL Class 2A runner-up. Olliffe placed fourth at the PIAA championships.

Submitted | Marna Blackmer
She finished in the WPIAL’s top 20 in the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley, and also was a relay competitor.
“Ruby earned her WIP (WPIAL qualifying) cut after her first meet,” McCarthy said. “She is so skilled at the higher dives and is very artistic in the execution. She really knows how to put on a show. We expect she will do amazing her final year in high school diving.”
Li is new to swimming in the United States. He is an exchange student from China.
QV junior Kendra Hines favors the distance events, particularly the 500 free, and Makenna Burns is another junior on the radar for her MAC cut.
Batina has achieved MAC cuts in the 100 and 200 freestyles, as well as the 100 butterfly. Fiedler, who attends Sewickley Academy, has hit the MAC cut in the 200 IM, 100 breast and 100 free.
The older Zhan brother made his presence felt last season as a PIAA finalist in the 200 and 500 freestyles. He also swam with the PIAA-qualifying 200 medley and 200 free relayers.
“Austin powers through the water every time he swims,” McCarthy said.
Quaker Valley junior Adlan Hifri competes during the 2023-24 swimming season.
“Marcus dominates in the distance events,” McCarthy said. “He has WIP cuts in both the 500 and 200 freestyle. And his younger brother Augustin piles on WIP cuts in anything he swims.”
Getty qualified for the PIAA Class 2A championships in four events, advancing in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles and two relays.
Fuener has attained the MAC cut in the 100 breast and is close in the 500 free.
Also looking to make a splash this winter is Margaret Burns, who is back in the pool after recovering from surgery.

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Former Alabama Volleyball Standout Alyiah Wells Rejoins Crimson Tide as Assistant Coach

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January 12, 2026

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Former Alabama standout player Alyiah Wells has rejoined the Crimson Tide as its newest assistant coach, it was announced Monday by head coach Rashinda Reed.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to return to Tuscaloosa, where I committed to at just 15 years old,” Wells said. “I spent five years helping to grow this program on the court and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to do so from the sidelines alongside the same staff who believed in me from the very beginning.

“I’m incredibly thankful for Coach Reed’s mentorship over the past four years. She pours her heart and soul into developing this program and its players every day, on and off the court, even long after they leave the Capstone. During my time playing for her, we always discussed building a program people would be proud to be a part of, creating a winning culture and leaving a legacy. Now, I’m even more excited to bring my loyalty and passion for Alabama into a new role.”

Wells played at Alabama from 2019-23, accumulating 987 career kills over 117 matches played with the Tide. She was an SEC All-Freshman team selection in 2019 and finished her career with a .312 hitting percentage and 411 blocks. Following her graduation, she played professionally in Europe with the Elite Féminine league in Sens, France for Sens Volley 89 in 2024-2025 and the Hungarian first division for MÁV Elore Foxconn in Székesfehérvár, Hungary serving as team captain 2025.

“Thank you to Coach Reed, Greg Byrne and the entire compliance and administrative staff who watched me grow from an 18-year-old student-athlete into someone ready for this opportunity,” Wells said. “I’m proud to be home with my family after my professional career in Europe.

“Thank you to my parents and grandparents for your endless support of a little girl chasing her dream of becoming a professional athlete and always putting me in the best position to be successful. I would not be here without my village! I can’t wait to get to work and be back in Foster Auditorium this fall. Bama has always had my heart. Roll Tide!”

  • Memphis, Tenn. native

  • 2018-19 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year at Briarcrest Christian School

  • 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team

  • Finished her Alabama career (2019-23) with 987 kills, a .312 hitting percentage and 411 blocks over 117 matches played

  • Played professionally in Europe for the Elite Féminine league in Sens, France for Sens Volley 89 in 2024-2025 and the Hungarian first division for MÁV Elore Foxconn in Székesfehérvár, Hungary serving as team captain 2025



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Rising Phoenix: This Week In Elon Athletics

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January 12, 2026

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ELON – The Elon women’s tennis team is set to begin its spring season at Charlotte this Friday. The Phoenix is coming off of the 2025 CAA Championship win over William & Mary at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center last spring. 

Each Monday, Rising Phoenix will preview the week ahead in Elon athletics. Here is a look at each Elon team competing this week.

Men’s Basketball

After trailing the entire contest against Campbell on Saturday night, the Phoenix prevailed, going on a 10-0 run to defeat the Camels, 83-82. Kacper Klaczek and Chandler Cuthrell paced the team with 20 points each, followed by Randall Pettus II and Ja’Juan Carr, who scored 17 apiece. Pettus II scored the go-ahead layup to secure the victory. The Phoenix will spend the week on the road, facing Northeastern in Boston on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Hofstra in Hempstead on Saturday at noon.

Women’s Tennis

For the first time this spring, the Elon women’s tennis team will take the court, facing off against Charlotte on the road Friday. The Phoenix returns with junior Simone Bergeron, the 2025 CAA Player of the Year, 2025 CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and member of the All-CAA First Team in both singles and doubles. Also returning is Bergeron’s doubles partner junior Mariana Reding, seniors Helen Sarikulaya and Madison Cordisco and sophomore Lisa Kranec. Elon welcomed three newcomers this offseason in Cornelia Kack, Nathalie Marinovitch and Alexis Nyborg.

Men’s Tennis

The Elon men’s tennis team earned its first victory of the 2026 season against St. Joseph’s on Saturday, 6-1. Elon secured the doubles point via victories from Rafael Ymer and Jack Curtis on Court 2 and Veljko Krstic and Nikola Parichkov on Court 1. Krstic, Ymer and Parichkov, as well as Charles Pilet and Oskar Antinheimo, also earned their first singles victories of the season. Elon heads to Durham to face No. 17 Duke on Friday at 5 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

The road slate continues for the Elon women’s basketball team, who will face UNCW on Friday at 7 p.m. and College of Charleston on Sunday at 1 p.m. Against Campbell last week, Ashanti Fox scored a career-high 14 points with a career-high and team best four steals. LaNae’ Corbett led the team with 17 points and one block.

Track & Field

The Elon University track & field team will compete for the first time in 2026 on Saturday at the Mondo College Invitational in Winston-Salem. At the Liberty Kickoff, Jasmine Young took home first place in the 5,000 and Winter Oaster also placed first in the mile. In Boston for the Sharon Colyear-Danville Opener, Sarah Petitjean ran a personal-best 9:49.97 in the 3,000 while Hannah Weber ran a personal-best 16:29.00 in the 5,000.

 

‘Rising Phoenix’ is a student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department’s various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Sydney Spencer at sspencer9@elon.edu.

–ELON–



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What to know about the 2026 NCAA Convention

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January 12, 2026

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The 2026 NCAA Convention begins Tuesday in the Washington, D.C., area, where all three divisions will gather for the annual event, which includes education sessions on important topics, action on legislative proposals and celebrations to honor the achievements of many people in college athletics. 

The event runs through Friday. Roughly 3,000 attendees from member schools and conferences across the country are expected to attend. Below is a snapshot of the event. View the full schedule here.

New championships

All three divisions will vote on recommendations to make stunt and acrobatics and tumbling NCAA championship sports. If the measures are approved, the two sports will host their first championships in spring 2027. They would also join the following sports to earn NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015) and wrestling (2025).

Additionally, Divisions II and III will vote on proposals at their business sessions to create division-specific championships for women’s bowling (Division II) and women’s wrestling (Division III). If approved, both division-specific championships first would be held in 2028. 

Division I

Division I will hold a full membership vote on a proposal that would add three units each to the men’s and women’s basketball distribution funds: one unit for each team competing in the respective championship games and an additional unit for each national champion. If approved, teams competing in championship games during the 2026 tournaments will begin earning distributions that will be paid out to conference offices starting in 2027.

The Division I Cabinet is expected to consider a proposal to allow additional commercial logos on uniforms, apparel and equipment — except during NCAA Championships. The measure would become effective in August. The Cabinet also will consider proposals to create National Collegiate Championships for women’s stunt and women’s acrobatics and tumbling and may introduce women’s flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program. Additionally, the Cabinet will review proposals from oversight committees in several sports — men’s and women’s basketball, track and field, wrestling and men’s ice hockey — to adjust notification-of-transfer windows in those sports.

The Division I Board of Directors will receive an update on the Decision-Making Working Group’s recommendation to decentralize certain regulatory areas of NCAA rules and will consider a proposal that requires a supermajority to approve changes to Division I membership requirements, effectively preventing the autonomy conferences from unilaterally acting without the support of at least one other voting member of the Cabinet or board.

Division II

Division II’s Convention week will include key committee meetings, impactful education sessions and its business session. 

The business session Friday will include 17 proposals, with 11 membership-sponsored proposals and a resolution specific to the Division II Football Championship date formula. The Division II Official Notice and Question and Answer Guide provide details on all the proposals. In addition, the winner of the 2026 Division II Award of Excellence will be announced during the business session. The finalists were revealed last week. 

The Division II Executive Board, Management Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will also meet individually and collectively during the week. 

Division II will hold division-specific education sessions on topics covering business models and enrollment strategies, the future of Division II championships, strengthening the Division II academic and compliance framework, and the impact of Division I decisions on the Division II landscape. 

Additionally, Eric Gaynor from Bentley will be recognized at a reception Thursday as the 2025 Dr. Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor Award recipient. Also at the reception, Division II will celebrate 20 years of Division II faculty athletics representative institutes, which provide professional development and education.

Division III

Division III will vote on legislative proposals and continue its divisional analysis. The NCAA’s largest division will focus on the betterment of student-athletes and its schools and conference offices.

Key legislative proposals for Friday’s business session include establishing a Division III women’s wrestling championship, redefining how a season of eligibility is used, permitting multiple automatic qualifiers for conferences and requiring use of the Transfer Portal. Dive deeper into the proposals.

The Presidents and Management Councils and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee all will gather. During those meetings — as well as the Presidents and Chancellors Forum and the Issues Forum — delegates will engage in initial discussions of the Division III analysis the Presidents Council is undertaking.

The Division III educational sessions include “Connecting With Generation Z,” “Building Campuswide Relationships for Athletic Success” and “How Technology Can Help an Athletics Department.”

The annual Special Olympics event will occur Wednesday afternoon, and the Division III LGBTQ of the Year Award celebration will be held that evening. This celebration recognizes those in college athletics for their service and leadership. Division III delegates are encouraged to attend these events.

For more information, visit the Division III Convention resources page.

Awards

Several student-athletes, coaches and administrators will be celebrated during the Convention for their success on and off the field, as well as their positive contributions to college sports and society. 

The NCAA Honors Presentation will be livestreamed from 5-6:30 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday. The following award winners will be recognized during the event, which will also include the State of College Sports address from NCAA President Charlie Baker. (Livestream)

  • Theodore Roosevelt Award: Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown men’s basketball.

  • NCAA Woman of the Year: Sam Schott, The University of Texas at Tyler softball.

  • Silver Anniversary Awards: Nick Ackerman, Simpson men’s wrestling; Drew Brees Purdue football; Tamika Catchings, Tennessee women’s basketball; and Dr. Lauren Witmer, Millersville women’s tennis. 

  • Gerald R. Ford Award: Charlene Curtis, Radford women’s basketball.

  • Pat Summitt Award: Nikki Franke, Temple fencing.

  • Inspiration Award: Francesca Loiseau, Marymount (Virginia) women’s tennis.

  • Award of Valor: Alex Guerra, Radford baseball. 

  • Impact Award: Ella Brissett, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s tennis; Mia Levy, Yale rowing; Brayden Long, Slippery Rock football; Aino Martikainen, Franklin Pierce women’s soccer; Micaylon Moore, Nebraska men’s indoor and outdoor track and field; and Matt Wrather, John Carroll football. 

Featured Association-wide sessions (all times Eastern)

The Power of Partnership: Leveraging Team IMPACT To Transform the Student-Athlete Experience (2:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesday): This panel will highlight how NCAA member schools are partnering with Team IMPACT to create life-changing experiences for children facing serious illness and disability while enhancing student-athlete development. Panelists will share best practices, outcomes and stories that demonstrate the profound influence on community engagement and the leadership development of student-athletes. (Livestream)

Sports Betting (10-11 a.m. Wednesday): This session will educate attendees about prevention and harm-reduction strategies related to gambling and sports betting in collegiate athletics, including educational and mental health resources available for member schools. Experts will also discuss integrity trends and social media abuse research and monitoring techniques. (Livestream)



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Week Ahead: Monday, Jan. 12 to Sunday, Jan. 18

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January 12, 2026

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By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Here’s a look at the week ahead (Jan. 12-18) for the Bridgewater State University athletics teams:

WEDNESDAY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, at Anna Maria College, 5:00 PM: The Bears travel to Paxton, Mass., for a game against the AMCATS.

Anna Maria is a new member of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference after moving from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

The AMCATS are 4-7 overall and dropped their lone conference game to Salem State, 71-67.

BSU, after a 1-9 start in non-conference games, are 2-0 in the MASCAC with wins over Fitchburg State and Salem State.

MEN’S BASKETBALL, at Anna Maria College, 7:00 PM: BSU takes on a MASCAC newcomer on the road.

The teams played non-conference games the past two seasons with the Bears winning both. They opened the 2023-24 season with a 119-110 overtime win on the road and defeated Anna Maria, 89-64, in a game played at Wheaton College last season.

The AMCATS are 4-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference with a loss to Salem State and a win over the Mass. College of Liberal Arts.

BSU is 3-10 overall and is 1-1 in the MASCAC, defeating Fitchburg State and losing to Salem State.

FRIDAY

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Bates Invitational & Multi, 10:00 AM: Ryker King and Drew Alves will compete in the heptathlon at the two-day meet held at Bates College’s Merrill Gymnasium.

The University of New Hampshire finished first last season while Bates was second in the seven-team field.

SATURDAY

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational, 10:00 AM: The Bears will take part in the meet held at Tufts University.

Last season, BSU was third in the six-team field with Kevin McBirney winning the 1,000-meter run, breaking the school record with a time of 2:29.42.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Bates Invitational & Multi, 10:00 AM: King and Alves will wrap up their two-day stay at the Bates College meet in Lewiston, Maine.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational, 10:00 AM: The Bears compete in the meet at Tufts University.

Kiara Abrantes led BSU by winning two events last season, setting a school record of 25.26 seconds in the 200 and placing first in the 60.

Serenity Sands was also first for BSU in the high jump, helping the Bears wind up third overall.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at home, Brandeis and Keene State, Noon: The Bears have their first competition since Dec. 6 when they host a tri-meet against the Judges and the Owls.

BSU lost to both Keene State, 166-133, and Brandeis, 165-121, in a tri-meet in New Hampshire last year.

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at home, Brandeis and Keene State, Noon: The Bears return to the pool for the first time since hosting the BSU Invitational on Dec. 6.

In a tri-meet a year ago in New Hampshire, BSU split a pair, defeating Keene State, 145-112, and losing to Brandeis, 184-77.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, at home, Mass. College of Liberal Arts, Noon: The Bears close out January with four of five games at the Tinsley Center, beginning with a matchup with the Trailblazers.

The teams are meeting for the first time since Feb. 3, 2024.

WRESTLING, at home, Williams College, 12:30 PM: The Bears will host Senior Day at Kelly Gym as part of the final home match of the season.

BSU lost at home to Williams a year ago, 42-9.

Williams was No. 3 in the last New England Wrestling Association rankings.

MEN’S BASKETBALL, at home, Mass. College of Liberal Arts, 2:00 PM: After playing just two home games in the opening two months of the season, the Bears will be playing four of five games at the Tinsley Center to finish January.

BSU and Mass. College split two games last season, each winning at home.

The Trailblazers begin the week 3-8 with three straight losses and are 0-2 in the MASCAC.

SUNDAY

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Bentley University, 1:00 PM: The Bears will be in Waltham, Mass., to face the Division II Falcons.

Desmond Ng led BSU last season against the Falcons, winning the 100 breaststroke and placing second in the 200 freestyle. the Bears were defeated at home, 173-50.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Bentley University, 1:00 PM: The Bears compete in the first of two straight road meets, traveling to Waltham, Mass., to take on the Division II Falcons.

BSU lost at home to Bentley, 189-99, a year ago.



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VOTE for the 2025 Las Cruces Sun-News Female Athlete of the Year

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January 12, 2026

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Updated Jan. 11, 2026, 1:02 p.m. MT

This post has been updated to correct a duplicate nominee.

Voting is now open for the 2025 Las Cruces Sun-News Female Athlete of the Year award.

100 nominees have been chosen by the Sun-News across Las Cruces-area schools, including Las Cruces, Mayfield, Organ Mountain, Centennial, Mesilla Valley Christian, Gadsden, Santa Teresa, Chaparral and Hatch Valley. They have been chosen from volleyball, basketball, softball, soccer, track and field, cross country, wrestling, golf and tennis teams from all nine of those schools.

The nominees represented themselves, their schools and their communities in the best possible way they could during their respective seasons. They each accomplished something notable and made their friends, family, coaches and loved ones proud. They were All-State players, All-District players, strong performers at state championships, or members of the Sun-News’ Super Teams.



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UNC Bears volleyball’s busy offseason

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January 12, 2026

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The UNC volleyball team’s fall season ended a little more than a month ago, and the Bears are already moving on toward 2026

In a rare occurrence, two freshmen will join UNC this month with the start of the spring semester. The program also said good-bye to associate head coach Pi’i Aiu, who announced his retirement in December.

Freshmen Gillian Walton and Riley Taylor were among six players to sign for 2026, the program announced in November. Walton and Taylor are expected to be on campus for the start of the spring semester Monday with both athletes opting to graduate a semester early from high school.

UNC has since announced the signing of three transfer students in setter Emily Bruss, middle blocker Summer Snead and outside hitter Kylie Cackovic.

Walton was an outside hitter, defensive specialist and opposite hitter at Overland Park High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Taylor was a right-side outside hitter at Green Level High School in Apex, North Carolina.

University of Northern Colorado head volleyball coach Lyndsey Oates, right, and associate head coach Pi'i Aiu walk off the court at Bank of Colorado Arena following a stoppage of play Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 in Greeley. UNC defeated Montana State 3-0 for its first sweep of the season and to remain in a tie for second place in the conference standings. (Anne Delaney/Staff Reporter).
University of Northern Colorado head volleyball coach Lyndsey Oates, right, and associate head coach Pi’i Aiu walk off the court at Bank of Colorado Arena following a stoppage of play Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 in Greeley. UNC defeated Montana State 3-0 for its first sweep of the season and to remain in a tie for second place in the conference standings. (Anne Delaney/Staff Reporter).

UNC, 17-16 overall in 2025, turned in one of its most successful seasons under head coach Lyndsey Oates.

After starting their nonconference season with a 3-9 record, the Bears turned things around during the Big Sky Conference season.

UNC won the conference tournament title on its home court, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. UNC then pushed nationally ranked Creighton to five sets in a first-round match on the Bluejays’ home floor in Omaha, Nebraska.

The match was the final one for Aiu, who’d been with Oates for seven years.

Aiu came to UNC before the 2019 season after 12 years at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He was promoted to associate head coach in January 2020, and was really a right-hand man for Oates.

She said this week the search for a successor will soon begin. Oates was aware of Aiu’s plans to retire long before the end of the season. She said she heard from several people on her coaching connection with Aiu as news of his retirement became public.

“I don’t know that I took that for granted,” Oates said of Aiu as a coaching colleague. “It is maybe true how much success the two of us had together in the last seven years.”

Oates said she previously had the same camaraderie with assistants Jenny Glenn and Tom Hunter, both of whom spent close to a decade in the program.

Northern Colorado Bears head coach Lyndsey Oates talks to her players on the court during the Big Sky Conference Volleyball Tournament championship match against Idaho State at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)
UNC Bears volleyball coach Lyndsey Oates talks to her players on the court during the 2025 Big Sky Conference Volleyball Tournament championship match against Idaho State on Nov. 26, 2025 at the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley. UNC beat the Bengals in three sets to earn the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)

In the last seven years, UNC’s record is 150-64 with four Big Sky Conference Tournament titles leading to four NCAA Tournament appearances. In the same span, UNC also won a Big Sky Conference regular-season championship (2024). Also in 2024, UNC qualified for the National Invitational Volleyball Championship after a runner-up finish at the Big Sky tournament.

“It just shows you how valuable assistant coaches are,” Oates said. “I mean, they are doing a bulk of the recruiting and their training, and they create our culture as much as a head coach does.”



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