Sports
Eastern Seeking 2
Story Links YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Seeking a 2-0 start in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since 1999-2000, the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team travels to Toledo for a game at Savage Arena Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. ON AIREastern Michigan and Toledo will air on ESPN+ from Savage Arena. Tom Helmer […]
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Seeking a 2-0 start in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since 1999-2000, the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team travels to Toledo for a game at Savage Arena Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m.
ON AIR
Eastern Michigan and Toledo will air on ESPN+ from Savage Arena. Tom Helmer and Greg Steiner will have the call live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network App. Live stats will also be available on EMUEagles.com.
OPENING TIPS
»Led by a dominating 32-point, nine-rebound performance from senior Da’Sean Nelson, Eastern Michigan edged Northern Illinois, 75-71, in the MAC opener, Jan. 4.
»In the NIU game, Jan. 4, junior Christian Henry added 13 points and nine assists. His nine assists are the most by an Eagle since Paul Jackson had 10, Jan. 26, 2019, against Western Michigan.
»Toledo native and senior Da’Sean Nelson, who is averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game, has nine-straight games scoring at least 10 points.
»Eastern Michigan, which has four different players to score 28 points in separate games this season, is the only school in the nation to have four different players score even 27 points in separate games this season. A total of 12 other schools have three players to each reach 27 points as 359 different players have a 27-point performance this season and 287 different players have a 28-point performance.
»EMU’s 6-0 mark in games decided by four points or fewer is the best in the nation.
»Eastern Michigan has four players averaging at least 11.5-plus points each for the first time since the 1990-91 season.
»After topping Northern Illinois, 75-71, Jan. 4, Eastern is seeking a 2-0 start in MAC play for the first time since 1999-2000.
»Eastern Michigan’s Stan Heath is in his fourth year at the helm of the Eagles, holding a 37-68 record at EMU and a 247-275 record over 17 years as a head coach.
2-0 IN THE MAC?
After topping Northern Illinois, 75-71, Jan. 4, Eastern is seeking a 2-0 start in MAC play for the first time since 1999-2000. The Eagles are 1-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2021-22 season. The 85-79 road win over Western Michigan, Jan. 4, 2022, also marks the last time EMU won its first MAC away contest of the season.
DA’SEAN NELSON IN TOLEDO
Senior Da’Sean Nelson is set to return to is hometown for Tuesday, Jan. 7’s game against the Rockets. Nelson, who was not recruited by Toledo out of Robert S. Rogers High School in the Glass City, played some summer ball in Savage Arena, but never played with Rogers on the Rockets’ home floor. Nelson is expected to have more than 60 friends and family in attendance for Tuesday’s game.
ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY VS. TOLEDO
Eastern and Toledo are meeting for the 116th time as Toledo leads the all-time series, 63-52, as the Rockets have won the last seven meetings, including a narrow 91-87 win in Ypsilanti, Feb. 6, 2024, in the teams’ most recent meeting, despite EMU holding an 81-74 lead with 3:35 left to play. Eastern’s 87 points were its highest mark in the series since winning 91-85, Feb. 20, 2016. The 87 points also marked the second-most scored by EMU in a loss against Toledo as the top mark is 88 in a 95-88 overtime loss to the Rockets, March 3, 1981.
The Eagles have dropped four-straight in Toledo, including a 70-63 loss, Feb. 11, 2023, the teams’ most recent meeting at UT.
DA’SEAN NELSON CAREER-HIGH 32 POINTS
Senior Da’Sean Nelson netted a career-high 32 points to go with nine rebounds in the win over Northern Illinois, Jan. 4. Nelson, who scored 16 points in each half, also set a career high with 12 made field goals.
DA’SEAN NELSON 10+ POINTS IN 9-STRAIGHT
After scoring 32 points against Northern Illinois, Jan. 4, senior Da’Sean Nelson has nine-straight games with at least 10 points for the first time in his career.
With 18 regular-season games remaining, Nelson would need the Eagles to qualify for the MAC Tournament to have the opportunity to top Tyson Acuff‘s 27-game double-digit scoring streak from the 2023-24 season.
DA’SEAN NELSON MAC POTW (x3)???
Senior Da’Sean Nelson, who was named MAC Player of the Week Dec. 2 and Dec. 23, will have a good shot to earn his third conference weekly honor of the season after an impressive 32-point, nine-rebound showing against Northern Illinois, Jan. 4.
Nelson is the first Eagle since the 2019-20 season to earn two MAC Player of the Week honors in the same season as Boubacar Toure and Ty Groce each earned MAC West Division Player of the Week twice.
If he were to earn the recognition for the third time, Nelson would be the first player in the MAC to accomplish that feat since former Akron Zip and current Indiana Pacer Enrique Freeman earned the honor eight times in 2023-24.
CHRISTIAN HENRY NINE ASSISTS
Junior Da’Sean Nelson dished out a career-high nine assists against Northern Illinois, Jan. 4, the top mark by an Eagle since Paul Jackson had 10, Jan. 26, 2019, against Western Michigan.
FIVE STARTERS MADE A THREE AT DAVIDSON
Against Davidson, Dec. 28, all five Eastern starters made at least one three-pointer for the first time since at least the 2008-09 season.
SEVEN PLAYERS MADE A THREE AT DAVIDSON
Against Davidson, Dec. 28, the Eagles had seven different players make at least one three-pointer for the first time since Nov. 12, 2019, against Goshen. It marks the first time EMU has had seven players with one made three-pointer against a Division I team since Dec. 20, 2010, against Valparaiso.
ONLY SCHOOL WITH 28+ POINTS (x4)
With senior Da’Sean Nelson‘s 28 points against Northern Illinois, Jan. 4, junior Christian Henry‘s 28-point showing against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 30, senior Jalen Terry‘s 28 points against IU Indy, Nov. 14, and senior Jalin Billingsley‘s 32 points against Siena Heights, Nov. 8, Eastern Michigan is the only team in the nation with four different players reaching 28 points this season. EMU is also the only team with four reaching 27 points.
Different Players Scoring 27+ Points:
T1. Eastern Michigan 4
T2. 12 Schools 3
In total, 338 different players have scored at least 27 points in a single game nationally.
SUCCESS IN CLOSE GAMES – NATIONAL LEADER
After a four-point win against Northern Illinois, Jan. 4, Eastern moved to 6-0 in games decided by four points or less. Eastern’s six wins by four or fewer is the most in the nation. The trend has continued from the 2023-24 season when the Eagles were 8-3 in games decided by four points or less.
Wins by Four Points or Less:
1. Eastern Michigan 6
T2. Nicholls 5
T2. Northeastern 5
T2. Princeton 5
T2. UC-Riverside 5
FOUR EAGLES AVERAGING 11.5+ POINTS
Eastern has four players averaging 11.5 points for the first time since 1990-91.
Player PPG 2024-25
Da’Sean Nelson 15.7
Jalen Terry 15.2
Christian Henry 13.2
Jalin Billingsley 11.8
Player PPG 1990-91
Marcus Kennedy 20.0
Carl Thomas 14.1
Lorenzo Neely 11.6
Kory Hallas 11.5
Eastern is the only team in the MAC with four players averaging at least 11.5 points per game.
DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS
Eastern Michigan has 12 consecutive games with at least 10 assists for the first time since a 13-game streak during the 2017-18 season.
JALEN TERRY, A BIT OF EVERYTHING
Senior Jalen Terry is averaging 15.2 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 3.3 assists per game.
Terry is one of 34 players nationally to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
Adding in his 1.5 steals per game, Terry is one of just 12 players nationally to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.
JALEN TERRY MAC MINUTES LEADER
Senior Jalen Terry leads the MAC in minutes, averaging 37.0 minutes per game.
National Minutes Leaders:
1. Bennett Stiritz (Drake) 38.0
2. Luke Barrett (St. Mary’s) 37.2
3. Kino Lilly, Jr. (Brown) 37.1
4. Brooks Barnhizer (NW) 37.0
5. Gibson Jimerson (SLU) 37.0
6. Jalen Terry (EMU) 37.0
With former Eagle Tyson Acuff ranking fourth in the nation in minutes per game at 37.9 in 2023-24, EMU is the first school since Stony Brook (2021-23) to have different players rank inside the top six in minutes nationally in different seasons.
JALEN TERRY REBOUNDING AT 6-FEET TALL
Despite standing at 6-feet-0, senior Jalen Terry is averaging 5.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 19th in the MAC. Terry ranks eighth in the MAC in defensive rebounds per game at 4.7.
JT 25+ POINTS, 6+ THREE-POINTERS
Senior Jalen Terry posted back-to-back games with at least 25 points and six made three-pointers at IU Indy, Nov. 14, and at Cleveland State, Nov. 16. He is one of five MAC players to accomplish that feat and the first to do so since Jordan Dartis for Ohio University in 2019.
MAC Players With 25 Points AND 6 Three-Pointers in CONSECUTIVE Games (Since 2002-03):
MOH Michael Bramos 4 Dec. 3-13, 2008
EMU Jalen Terry 2 Nov. 14-16, 2024
OU Jordan Dartis 2 Nov. 24-30, 2019
CMU Marcus Keene 2 (x2) Dec. 3-6, 2016; Jan. 17-21, 2017
BSU Skip Mills 2 March 4-6, 2006
Terry is one of just five Eagles since 2002-03 to record multiple games with at least 25 points and six made three-pointers in a season. If he can accomplish the feat again, he would be the first in that time frame to record three such games in one season.
EMU Players With 25 Points AND 6 Three-Pointers TOTAL Games in One Season (Since 2002-03):
Jalen Terry 2 2024-25
Tyson Acuff 2 2022-23
Emoni Bates 2 2022-23
Elijah Minnie 2 2018-19
Willie Mangum 2 2016-17
Terry was also the first Eagle since Carlos Medlock, Feb. 11-15, 2006, to knock down six three-pointers in back-to-back games.
BELOW THE CENTURY MARK
In 376 games at the George Gervin GameAbove Center since opening in 1998-99, only one team has reached 100 points against the Eagles as 2022-23 Florida Atlantic, which reached the 2023 Final Four, scored 101 at EMU, Dec. 4, 2022.
Horizon League preseason favorite Purdue Fort Wayne fell one point shy becoming the second Eagle foe to reach 100 points at the George Gervin GameAbove Center as Eastern fell, 99-76, Dec. 15.
Top Point Totals by Foes at the George Gervin GameAbove Center
Date School Points
12/4/2022 Florida Atlantic 101
12/15/2024 Purdue Fort Wayne 99
11/30/2024 Detroit Mercy 98
11/12/2023 Illinois State 98
THR33-POINT STR3AK, 626-STRAIGHT GAM3S
Eastern, which hit five threes against Northern Illinois, Jan. 4, has now hit at least one triple in 626-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
The Eagles have converted at least five three-pointers in 14-consecutive games, dating back to the final game of the 2023-24 season. The 14-game streak is EMU’s longest since a 15-game streak extending from the 2020-21 to the 2021-22 season.
2024-25 PRESEASON ALL-MAC TEAMS
First Team
Payton Sparks, Senior, Center, Ball State
Anthony Pritchard, Senior, Guard, Central Michigan
VonCameron Davis, R-Senior, Forward, Kent State
AJ Clayton, Senior, Forward, Ohio
Javan Simmons, Sophomore, Forward, Toledo
Second Team
Isaiah Gray, Senior, Guard, Akron
Jalen Sullinger, Senior, Guard, Kent State
Shereef Mitchell, Graduate Student, Guard, Ohio
AJ Brown, R-Sophomore, Guard, Ohio
Isaiah Adams, Fifth Year, Guard, Toledo
PRESEASON PICKED NINTH
After finishing 10th in 2023-24, EMU was picked ninth in the MAC preseason coaches’ poll.
2024-25 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Ohio (11) – 121
2. Akron (1) – 106
3. Kent State – 99
4. Toledo – 95
5. Bowling Green – 73
6. Miami – 72
7. Ball State – 67
8. Central Michigan – 55
9. Eastern Michigan – 36
10. Western Michigan – 33
11. Northern Illinois – 24
12. Buffalo – 11
Tournament Champion: Ohio (8), Kent State (3), Toledo (1)
The six Ohio schools made up the top six while the bottom six is filled with the rest of the MAC schools.
MICHIGAN MATCH-UPS
The Eagles play three in-state opponents in non-conference action with contests against Siena Heights (Nov. 8), Oakland (Nov. 21), and Detroit Mercy (Nov. 30).
NEW FOE, WHO DIS?
The Eagles added competition against three first-time opponents this season; they face off against Texas State, Nov. 4 (L, 44-64), Houston Christian, Nov. 25 (W, 74-73), and Wright State, Dec. 21.
WHO’S BACK??
EMU returns four players from its 2023-24 roster including seniors Jalin Billingsley, Yusuf Jihad, and Micah Schnyders, as well as sophomore Arne Osojnik.
WHO’S GONE??
EMU lost 10 players from its 2023-24 game one roster including Tyson Acuff (Rutgers), Orlando Lovejoy (Detroit Mercy), Legend Geeter (Detroit Mercy), Conner Serven (Virginia Tech), Cyril Martynov (Eastern Kentucky), Julius Ellerbe (Coppin State), John McGriff (transfer portal – no destination), Javantae Randle (Central State), Prakash Ketterhagen (Lourdes), and Andrew Wells (graduation). The Eagles also lost Director of Operations LaMonta Stone (Assistant Coach – Detroit Mercy) and Graduate Assistant Nick Madray (graduation –> Utah Jazz).
WHAT’S GONE??
EMU lost 1,332 of its 2,047 points (65.07%) from the 2023-24 season, most notably leading scorer Tyson Acuff, who averaged 21.7 ppg (8th in the nation) on 43/29/81 shooting splits and transferred to Rutgers.
FRESH FACES
EMU added 11 newcomers to its 2024-25 roster including seniors Jalen Terry (DePaul), Da’Sean Nelson (DePaul), John Shanu II (UTRGV), and Cooper Smith (Michigan), juniors Christian Henry (Panola College), Julian Lewis (Miami), and Trey Pettigrew (Salt Lake CC), and freshmen Mario Brunetto (Classical Gymnasium), Mbaye N’Diaye (SEED Academy), Godslove Nwabude (Zion Prep), and Dillon Tingler (Huntington Prep).
DEPAUL DUO TO YPSILANTI
Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson both came to Ypsilanti from DePaul and are expected to have big roles for the Eagles in 2024-25. Terry averaged 8.5 ppg and Nelson scored 9.7 ppg for the Blue Demons in 2023-24.
STAYING HOME
Eastern Michigan has just four players (Yusuf Jihad, Farmington Hills; Jalen Terry, Flint; Cooper Smith, Mio; and Julian Lewis, Ypsilanti) from the Mitten State on its 2024-25 roster, EMU’s fewest since 2020-21 (four).
INTERNATIONAL INFLUX
International student-athlete representation doubled on the Eagles 15-player roster this season, as they added three true freshmen from Senegal (Mbaye N’Diaye), Nigeria (Godslove Nwabude), and Italy (Mario Brunetto), respectively. The trio joins sophomore Arne Osojnik who represented Slovenia twice as a member of the U18 national team at the Euro Championships. A complete breakdown of the EMU roster can be found on page 11.
Most international true freshmen in the nation:
1. Buffalo – 6
2. Florida Atlantic – 5
t3. Eastern Michigan – 3
Manhattan – 3
Oregon State – 3
San Francisco – 3
Seattle – 3
UT-Martin – 3
Weber State – 3
Most African true freshmen in the nation:
t1. Eastern Michigan – 2
Seton Hall – 2
Osojnik is one of five players from Slovenia in the country.
Slovenian MBB Players at NCAA Division I:
Arne Osojnik – Eastern Michigan
Klemen Vuga – UAPB
Urban Klavzar – Florida
Jan Vide – LMU (Calif.)
Sasa Ciani – UIC
Brunetto is one of 17 Italians players while N’Diaye is one of 32 Senegalese players and Nwabude is one of 38 Nigerian players.
DOUBLEHEADER DAY
The Eagles are scheduled to play three double-headers with the EMU women’s basketball team in 2023-24 with four of the five doubleheaders taking place in Ypsilanti. Both the EMU men’s and women’s teams will play Jan. 11 (vs. Akron), Feb. 15 (men vs. Toledo, women vs. Ball State), and Feb. 22 (Northern Illinois).
The men’s team was 5-0 at home in doubleheader games in 2023-24.
EMONI BATES NBA + G-LEAGUE
Former Eagle Emoni Bates was named a G-League All-Star with the Cleveland Charge in 2023-24, averaging 24.8 ppg. Bates also appeared in 15 games with the Cavaliers during the 2023-24 season. He underwent surgery in early October to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to return to action at some point during the 2024-25 season.
EASTERN HADN’T PLAYED WRIGHT STATE?
Despite being separated by 174 miles, Eastern Michigan and Wright State have never competed against each other in men’s basketball, prior to Eastern’s 86-82 win, Dec. 21.
Of the 44 Division I schools within 300 miles (straight line on map) of Ypsilanti, Eastern had played all but four of them, meeting 37 of the 44 multiple times.
Schools Within 300 Miles Eastern Had Not Played:
School Distance
Wright State 174
Northwestern 211
West Virginia 264
Morehead State 279
NEXT UP
Eastern Michigan hosts Akron in both men’s and women’s basketball Saturday, Jan. 11. The women’s game is set for 1 p.m. while the men’s game is listed as a 3:30 p.m. start.
FOLLOW US
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
Sports
Five Aggies Earn 2025 Big West Women’s Water Polo Awards
Story Links IRVINE, Calif. – Sophomore Bridget Miller earns a spot on the All-Big West Second Team, while sophomore Chelsea Johnson, redshirt junior Gianna Nocetti, sophomore Sadie Henry, and senior Kelly Hungerford pick up the honorable mention titles. After the 2024 season, Johnson and Miller were named to the All-Big West […]
IRVINE, Calif. – Sophomore Bridget Miller earns a spot on the All-Big West Second Team, while sophomore Chelsea Johnson, redshirt junior Gianna Nocetti, sophomore Sadie Henry, and senior Kelly Hungerford pick up the honorable mention titles.
After the 2024 season, Johnson and Miller were named to the All-Big West Freshman squad, while Nocetti has a repeat offense with the honorable mention title; making it the second year in a row that the trio earns conference nods. This is Hungerford’s first award after her knockout curtain closing season, and Henry’s first title as well.
The center from Ladera Ranch, California put up some impressive stats for the Aggies, posing as a consistent threat in the water to the other teams. Miller led the team in goals with 47 on the season, and added 8 assists, 15 steals, and drew a whopping 57 exclusions. She totaled up fifteen multi-goal games of the 28 played, scoring 4 against Cal Baptist, UC Merced, and Cal State Fullerton. A marksman in her craft, Miller has maintained a perfect shooting rate in the game five times this season as well.
Hungerford, originally rooted from Santa Ana, California, led the team in assists with 47 on the season; also breaking the Davis career assist record, now crowned at the top with 154. She has also put up 20 goals, 45 steals, 14 drawn kickouts, and 14 field blocks. Hungerford had a monumental game versus UC Irvine, where she found the back of the net five times and added two assists to her stat line in the one game alone. She aided her teammates’ offense and made five assists on two separate occasions: versus Pacific and Cal State Monterey and has had five multi-goal games this season.
From Carmichael, California, Nocetti is notorious for her sprint winning and relentless attacker for the Aggies. With 38 goals on the season, she balanced that with 29 assists, 30 steals, 10 drawn exclusions, and five field blocks. She won 72 sprints for the Aggies, with an 86% success rate to begin the quarters off with a victory. She registered multi-goal game streaks on three separate occasions for the team and put up a season-high of four goals against Loyola Marymount.
Henry, the San Diego native is second behind Miller in goals with 44 to her name. The feisty attacker has also generated the wheel of offense for the Aggies with 9 assists, 51 drawn ejections, and has added 13 steals and 7 field blocks. She has logged five hat tricks on the season, four of which are coupled up in back-to-back matches. She has had 11 multi-goal games on the season, and has scored a career-high of five against Loyola Marymount. Most notably at the Triton Invite, she netted 14 goals across the four games the Aggies competed in.
Finally, from Brisbane, Australia, Johnson was the starting defender for the Ags, trusted to lead the team in minutes played with 582. Elevating her game beyond the defensive end, she has made 26 goals, 32 assists, 42 steals, 35 drawn ejections, and five field blocks. She tallied up tow hat tricks, one against Loyola Marymount and one against Stanford. She made a season’s best of four steals versus USC, showing off her ability to play both ends of the pool.
Miller is the 17th in Aggie history to make the second team’s roster, while the quartet of honorable mentions total the count up to 28.
Sports
NBC News Uses Kentucky Derby for New Swing at Sports Coverage
NBC News wants to play a game that has not always interested the nation’s biggest purveyors of TV news. As NBC Sports prepares its coverage for this weekend’s Kentucky Derby, NBC News’ digital outlet, NBCNews.com, will feature a hub that offers content from NBC Sports, access to NBC Sports’ free ad-supported streaming channel and sports […]
NBC News wants to play a game that has not always interested the nation’s biggest purveyors of TV news.
As NBC Sports prepares its coverage for this weekend’s Kentucky Derby, NBC News’ digital outlet, NBCNews.com, will feature a hub that offers content from NBC Sports, access to NBC Sports’ free ad-supported streaming channel and sports coverage from a team NBC News has been building to cover sports. Also on hand: sports explainers from Steve Kornacki. The new sports hub will also surface in NBC News’ mobile app.
There is more to come, says Rebecca Blumenstein, president of editorial for NBC News. “We are combining NBC Sports’ deep expertise and exclusive content with the editorial strengths and wide reach of NBC News to establish a destination on NBCNews.com for smart, accessible sports coverage for a broad audience. Sports has a growing influence on American culture, and this collaboration comes as interest in major leagues, events, moments and athletes are greater than ever.”
At TV companies, sports coverage has often been the province of a network’s sports division. While local stations always feature a regular anchor for sports news, there’s rarely a break from David Muir on, say, “World News Tonight” for the scores of the day. Offering that, of course, could dissuade a viewer from wandering over to ESPN – like ABC News, part of Walt Disney — and watching an hour of “Sports Center.”
Nor have cable-news outlets devoted much time to sports coverage in recent years. CNN once made sports a staple of its lineup, with a nightly show anchored by Nick Charles called “Sports Tonight.” In a different era, CNN even launched a sports-news network, CNN/SI. And Fox News Media has tested sports concepts, launching a documentary about the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide in February for its Fox Nation streaming service.
There may be more reasons now to open a new playbook. Sports programming has become increasingly important to the economics of traditional media outlets — particularly NBC. The network already devotes Sunday nights to NFL football games, and will, thanks to the debut of a new rights deal with the NBA, add basketball as many as two nights per week (and a third on the Peacock streaming hub). Indeed, next February, NBC will feature hours of Winter Olympics coverage as well as a Super Bowl.
Other NBC News outlets have tried to follow the ball. At “Today,” co-anchors Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie have described an effort aimed at weaving more sports into the program, reflecting NBC’s ties to the NFL and the NBA. Melvin has also taken part in Olympics coverage and is expected to do so again for next year’s Winter Olympics in Milan.
CNBC has in recent months also put a new focus on sports. The business-news outlet now operates a vertical devoted to the business of sports ,and its offering includes a weekly newsletter, events, data and even documentaries. The venture is a separate one from NBC News, and will likely remain so. CNBC is among the properties slated to be spun off into a new publicly traded company by the end of the year.
NBC News has launched an editorial team devoted to sports. Editor Greg Rosenstein joined from The Athletic, while Rohan Nadkarni came from Sports Illustrated. Andrew Greif, a former sports reporter for the Los Angeles Times, also contributes.
NBC News will next tackle the Preakness Stakes on May 17. “We’re excited to continue to build on this,” says Blumenstein.
Sports
NCAA national championship beach volleyball tourney now through Sunday in Gulf Shores
Gulf Shores is the headquarters for the NCAA national championship tournament for beach volleyball. The Alabama beach town has hosted the tourney since its inception in 2016. This year, the 16-team tourney is going on now through Sunday. Schedule, details and tickets are available here. The tourney was not supposed to return to Gulf Shores […]
Gulf Shores is the headquarters for the NCAA national championship tournament for beach volleyball. The Alabama beach town has hosted the tourney since its inception in 2016.
This year, the 16-team tourney is going on now through Sunday. Schedule, details and tickets are available here.
The tourney was not supposed to return to Gulf Shores this year. For the first time, it was slated for Huntington Beach, Calif. However, the Good Lord and the California fires of 2024 did not cooperate with that site, and the tourney unexpectedly returned to its Gulf Shores home.
Two SEC teams made the national tourney this year, LSU and Texas.
In the nine years of the tourney, one team has been dominant: the University of Southern California. The Lady Trojans have won six of the nine national championships, including the past four. This year, USC is back in Gulf Shores trying for a five-peat.
The games played are single elimination and involve 16 colleges that earned selection after the regular season. The final game to determine the national champion will be played on Sunday.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
Sports
Rainbow Wahine Sweep Top Big West Water Polo Awards
Story Links 2025 Big West Women’s Water Polo Awards HONOLULU — After claiming the conference regular season and championship titles, the University of Hawai’i women’s water polo team swept the Big West’s major awards and a total of seven members of the program received […]
HONOLULU — After claiming the conference regular season and championship titles, the University of Hawai’i women’s water polo team swept the Big West’s major awards and a total of seven members of the program received postseason recognition from the conference.
The Big West announced its 2025 awards on Friday and Bernadette Doyle’s all-around performance earned the senior conference Player of the Year honors in voting of the league’s coaches. Ema Vernoux, the team’s leading goal scorer, was named the Freshman of the Year, and James Robinson was voted Coach of the Year in his first season leading the Rainbow Wahine.
Doyle and Vernoux, both attackers, also made the All-Big West First Team along with goalkeeper Daisy Logtens. Senior utility Jordan Wedderburn was a second-team selection and junior attacker Roni Perlman earned honorable mention recognition. Vernoux and attacker Gabrielle Doyle also made the All-Freshman team.
Bernadette Doyle became the fifth UH student-athlete to be voted Big West Player of the Year and the Rainbow Wahine program claimed the honor for the seventh time in 12 years of conference membership. The left-hander from New Zealand has served as a catalyst for the ‘Bows on both ends of the pool, ranking second on the team with 91 total points with 53 goals and a team-high 38 assists. She’s also tied for the Big West lead with 51 steals and is second on the team with 13 field blocks. In Big West regular-season play, she led the conference with 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) and tied for second with 14 steals. She has 12 hat tricks this season and posted a career game in the Big West Championship semifinals on April 26 when she tied her previous best with five goals and set a new high with eight steals in an 11-9 win over UC San Diego. She also became just the second player in program history to post at least 100 goals, assists and steals in a career.
Coming off an appearance in the Paris Olympics in her home country, Vernoux made an instant impact in Mānoa, becoming the sixth UH player to be named Big West Freshman of the Year. Her total of 75 goals is the fourth highest single-season total in program history and she is on pace to become just the third UH player to average at least 3.0 goals per match in a season. She’s led the UH attack in volume and efficiency with a team-high 16 hat tricks and a .556 shooting percentage.
Logtens made the All-Big West first-team for the second consecutive season and leads the conference with a 9.02 goals-against average and ranks fourth with 193 saves in her sophomore season. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the Big West Championship after posting 14 saves in UH’s 8-6 win over Long Beach State to capture the ‘Bows’ second straight title.
Wedderburn earned All-Big West honors for the first time in her career while anchoring the middle of the UH attack. She’s second on the team 65 goals, tied for UH’s eighth highest single-season total, and created power-play opportunities with a team-high 69 drawn exclusions. The senior from South Africa has 14 hat tricks this season and scored a career-high seven goals in a win over UC Irvine on Feb. 2 in the Triton Invitational. In Big West matches, she led the team and ranked second in the conference with 22 goals. She tied program records with three Big West Player of the Week awards this season and four in her career. Wedderburn also earned the UH athletic department’s highest honor on Wednesday as a recipient of the Jack Bonham Award.
Perlman also earned conference honors for the first time after posting 32 assists to rank second on the team to go along with 15 goals.
Gabrielle Doyle joined the roster in January and ranks second on the team with 34 steals, trailing her older sister. She also has 14 goals and 10 assists.
Robinson ascended to head coach after two seasons as UH associate head coach under Maureen Cole and extended the ‘Bows’ Big West reign. After losing four of the team’s top five scorers following the 2024 season, UH was voted second in the Big West preseason poll. The ‘Bows went on to sweep through the conference’s regular-season schedule for the second straight year and retained the Big West Championship title. Robinson guided the ‘Bows to their third straight 20-win season and 12th overall.
The Rainbow Wahine (21-4) are preparing for the National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship in Indianapolis. UH is the fourth-seed in the bracket and will face California in a first-round match on May 9 at the IU Natatorium.
#WahineWP
Sports
University of Tennessee at Martin Athletics
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association released its annual list of Top Flight award winners today and the University of Tennessee at Martin racked up the honors. The Skyhawks placed three pairs (Kayla Bryant/Olivia O’Keefe, Lauren Mariscal/Jenna Vallée and Sydney Eckhardt/Reagan McGee) on the prestigious list, doubling the previous amount of winners the […]
Today’s announcement marks the second career AVCA Top Flight award for both Vallée and McGee, joining Kayla Carrell as the only two-time honorees of this accolade. The six 2025 UT Martin winners join Carrell/McGee (2024), Haeleigh Paulino/Vallée (2023) and Carrell/Addison Conley (2022) as the program’s all-time recipients of this award.
Now in its seventh year, the AVCA Top Flight program recognizes beach pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight and win at least 75 percent of their matches prior to the NCAA Tournament. This year, just 88 pairs representing 45 schools from all three NCAA divisions, NAIA, and two-year colleges earned Top Flight status.
The Skyhawks were one of just eight NCAA Division I schools to boast at least three pairs on this year’s Top Flight list. Overall, 51 Division I pairs made the cut – including only a dozen recipients out of the No. 2 position in the lineup and nine apiece in both the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. UT Martin is responsible for three of the seven Ohio Valley Conference pairs on the 2025 AVCA Top Flight list.
An All-OVC first team duo, Bryant/O’Keefe become the first Skyhawks to win an AVCA Top Flight award out of the No. 2 slot in the lineup. That pair reeled off a 25-7 overall record this spring, which ranks as the most pair victories in school history. The duo actually qualified for the Top Flight award in both the No. 2 (12-3, .800 winning percentage) and No. 3 (13-4, .765) positions, going 9-1 against OVC competition. They reeled off two different winning streaks of at least nine matches in 2025, including a stretch of 20 victories in 21 decisions (with 11 wins in a row at one point) from March 14 through April 19. The tandem set a school record with three separate OVC Pair of the Week honors this spring, winning that award on March 5, March 25 and April 15.
Mariscal/Vallée are the first-ever UT Martin pair at No. 3 to claim the AVCA Top Flight award. This pair did not team up together until March 22 but went on a torrid stretch thereafter – going 13-3 (.813 winning percentage) overall with a 5-1 mark against league foes. Mariscal, the 2025 OVC Freshman of the Year, and two-time All-OVC honoree Vallée won six of their first seven matchups and eight of their last nine decisions, capping off a spectacular season with OVC Championship All-Tournament medallions.
Fresh off a selection on the All-OVC second team, Eckhardt/McGee also earned a spot on the OVC Championship All-Tournament squad. Joining forces for the first time on March 7, this pair went 25-4 overall – equaling Bryant/O’Keefe for the most single-season wins in school history – and solidified its Top Flight status at the No. 4 slot with a 24-2 mark, easily setting the school record for highest career winning percentage (.923) at that position. They won their first 14 matchups together – not suffering a loss until March 29 – and ended the season with 11 wins in their last 12 tries.
These six helped the Skyhawks finish the 2025 campaign with a 24-10 record, trailing only the 2023 squad’s 27 wins as the most in school history. UT Martin advanced to the OVC Championship finals for the fourth time in the five-year history of the tournament but narrowly fell by a 3-2 margin at Chattanooga.
Sports
Boise State Athletics
GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 14 Boise State beach volleyball fell to No. 3 Stanford, 3-0, in the opening round of the 2025 Beach Volleyball National Championship, Friday afternoon. The Broncos, who competed at the national tournament for the first time in program history, finished the season with a 23-12 record. With all five courts beginning […]
The Broncos, who competed at the national tournament for the first time in program history, finished the season with a 23-12 record.
With all five courts beginning at the same time, Stanford’s No. 5 pair of Daria Gusarova and Emmy Sharp claimed the first point, defeating Boise State’s Charlee Ellena and Lily Patock, 21-11, 21-15.
Moments later, the Cardinal grabbed another victory, this time from the No. 4 position as Chloe Hoffman and Logan Tusher defeated Emilia Guerra-Acuña and Elli Wolthuis, 21-14, 21-13
Stanford clinched the dual from the No. 3 court, as Kelly Belardi and Charlotta Bell defeated Avery Allen and Abbie Wolf 21-18, 21-12.
Quotables
“This group should be incredibly proud of the season that they had. This team accomplished something that no other team in Boise State history has ever accomplished. They set a goal at the beginning of the season to reach the National Tournament and they went out and did it. It sucks losing in the moment but this group has so much to be proud of.” – head coach Allison Voigt
“As a coach, I’m wired to constantly be thinking of the future. Stanford is an incredible team. It took them a couple of years to get used to it here and now they’re one of the top teams in the nation. We just got to this tournament and got a taste of what it’s like. Now we have to come back. Our program has been on the rise the last couple of years and we have zero plans of slowing down.” – Voigt
Full Results
No. 3 Stanford def. No. 14 Boise State 3-0 (Order of Finish: 5,4,3)
1: Allyson Alden/Sharli O’Neil (BOI) vs. Ruby Sorra vs. Taylor Wilson (STAN) 11-21, 18-20 unfinished
2: Ava Anderson/Addison Wolden (BOI) vs. Avery Jackson/Brooke Rockwell (STAN) 18-21, 17-19 unfinished
3: Kelly Belardi/Charlotta Bell (STAN) def. Avery Allen/Abbie Wolf (BOI) 21-18, 21-12
4: Chloe Hoffman/Logan Tusher (STAN) def. Emilia Guerra-Acuña/Elli Wolthuis (BOI) 21-14, 21-13
5: Daria Gusarova/Emmy Sharp (STAN) def. Charlee Ellena/Lily Patock (BOI) 21-11, 21-15
2025 Texas Würth 400 Picks & Predictions | NASCAR Betting Odds
Five Aggies Earn 2025 Big West Women’s Water Polo Awards
NBC News Uses Kentucky Derby for New Swing at Sports Coverage
Draft Notes: Early Entrants, T. Johnson, C. Bryant, Combine
Ball State University – Official Athletics Site
Bemidji fire chief receives Northwest Technical College’s inaugural IMPACT Award
Connor Zilisch gives health update after being sidelined by Talladega wreck
EoS Fitness Plans Bold 2025: 28 Gyms, $14M in Club Upgrades
Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM delivers unpopular NIL take that stuns college football fans
NCCU’s Levelle Moton Has Thoughts On Where The Game Is Today
Editorial: 5 players for Miami hockey to target in the 2025 transfer portal window
NASCAR Saturday schedule at Texas Motor Speedway
LeBron vs Steph 
‘Cardiac Pack’ fights for NIL money for NCAA use of 1983 highlights – Tar Heel Times
Michael Amato-Montanaro SEAS’25 | Columbia College and Columbia Engineering
-
College Sports2 weeks agoFormer South Carolina center Nick Pringle commits to Arkansas basketball, John Calipari
-
Rec Sports1 week agoDeputies investigating incident that caused panic at Pace youth sports complex
-
Fashion1 week agoThis is poetry in motion.
-
High School Sports1 week agoAppling County football to forfeit all 10 wins from 2024
-
Sports2 weeks agoSports Roundup
-
College Sports1 week agoLehigh wrestlers prepare for wrestling U.S. Open
-
NIL2 weeks agoPatriots Legend Rob Gronkowski Makes Surprising Career Move
-
Fashion2 weeks agoWatch Saudi Arabian GP free live stream
-
NIL1 week agoSave Like a Pro: NIL money isn’t free cash—taxes take a bite! Set aside part of …
-
Sports1 week agoHow to watch Yahoo Sports' NFL Draft Live show