Florida volleyball’s new coach Ryan Theis will begin the 2025 season without the program’s best player from 2024 due to a transfer portal stunner.

As Ryan Theis looks to fill the shoes of a legend after taking over for longtime head coach Mary Wise, he and Florida volleyball will be without its best player.

DALLAS – Missouri State beach volleyball’s Becca Bach and Rylie Cepicky earned Conference USA All-Conference honors for the 2025 season, the league announced Friday. Bach is the first player in MoState history to make a CUSA all-conference team, earning a nod on the second team. Cepicky also became the first Bear to make a CUSA All-Freshman Team.

“I am incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication that this team and all the players before them have put in to reach this moment,” head coach Ashley Emery said. “It is an honor to be recognized in this conference, and I couldn’t be more proud of Becca and Rylie for their unwavering commitment to the team, their personal growth and contributions to our program. It’s a great time to be a Bear.”

Bach (Clearwater, Florida) makes the All-CUSA Second Team after going 17-9 at Flight No. 1 alongside Allyson Larkin. Bach started the season on a nine-match winning streak, which included going 8-0 across both of Missouri State’s season-opening home tournaments. Bach won 15 of her first 18 matches of the season and ended the year with a straight-set victory against UAB’s three-time conference Pair of the Week, Olivia Stant and Jasmine Haas, at the CUSA Tournament in Louisiana last weekend. Bach finished her Missouri State career second on the program’s all-time wins list with 53. 

“After four years of grit, growth and gratitude, I am proud to have left it all on the sand for Missouri State,” Bach said.

Cepicky (Eureka, Missouri) joins four other players on the CUSA All-Freshman Team, all from teams that have either been ranked or received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association polls this season. Cepicky went 20-6 in her first season with the Bears, including a 20-5 showing at Flight No. 4 alongside Manuela Niemeyer. Cepicky and Niemeyer became just the fifth pair in team history to reach 20 wins in a season. The 20 wins for Cepicky are the second-most by a Bears freshman, only behind Maddie Schrandt’s 27 wins last season alongside Brooke Plessner for the single-season team record.

“I’m incredibly honored to be picked for the All-Freshman Team for our conference,” Cepicky said. “A huge thanks to my coaches, teammates and everyone who supported me this season. I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Missouri State finished 18-10 in its second season as an affiliate member of Conference USA. The Bears advanced to the second day of the CUSA Tournament for a second straight season, defeating Tarleton State in three sets in the contender’s bracket.

Second Team All-Conference

Becca Bach, Missouri State

McKenzie Cutler, Tulane

Samantha Green, Tulane

Sara Hall, Tulane

Emily Heintzelman, Tulane

Molly Trodd, Tulane

 

All-Freshman Team

Mia Scanlon, Florida Atlantic

Shantel Starling, Florida Atlantic

Brianna Luoma, FIU

Rylie Cepicky, Missouri State

Gigi Gallegos, Tulane 

#BearsUnite

The GoCardless Swim England Water Polo National Age Group Championships 2025 (U17/U19) take place at the Alan Higgs Sports Centre in Coventry this weekend.

In the build up to the competition, we’re taking a closer look at each of the sides that are looking to become national champions in the Midlands on Sunday.

Here, in the first of our four previews we take a look at the U19 open teams that have qualified for finals weekend.

Each of the previews for the event will be posted on the Swim England website within the water polo hub, whilst those who haven’t had the chance to get their tickets in advance can purchase them on venue, subject to availability.

Cheltenham

After finishing as runners-up for the past two years, Cheltenham come into this year’s event looking to go one better in Coventry.

And with defending champions Worthing narrowly missing out on finals weekend, they’ll be hopeful of their chances this weekend.

In the Qualification Round they finished second in Group B, one point behind a Manchester side who narrowly defeated them in Matlock. However, two impressive wins over Caledonia and Beckenham secured their spot back at finals weekend where they’ll face West London Penguin.

Speaking on the competition, Head Coach Stu Mckie is excited to see his side continue their development.

He said: “We were delighted to qualify from Matlock with some great teams on show there. Quality polo in all matches with strong performances from our senior players.

“This is a developing squad with about 75% being eligible for next year’s competition so we are excited about getting to Coventry and doing what we love to do – play water polo, have fun and keep getting better!

“They’re a great bunch of boys who can’t wait to get going. I’m extremely proud of what they’re all currently achieving.”

West London Penguin

West London Penguin return to the National Age Group Championships finals in this age group for the first time in three years.

Their strong side went undefeated in the Qualification Round, earning three wins from three to top Group A.

That included some impressive victories, including a 12-9 victory over defending champions Worthing and a 16-8 win against fellow national finalists Watford.

Those victories showed the class that this team possesses, and they’ll be confident that they can continue that form in Coventry.

Ahead of the competition, Head Coach Mehdi Nesaei shared the clubs pride in the group heading to the Alan Higgs Centre.

“It’s a pleasure to lead this Penguin squad to the finals,” Nesaei said.

“This group has trained hard and really come together in a tough year for the club and fought to earn our first U19 finals place since 2022.”

Squad: Riaz Garnie, Shai Saltman, Max Walton, Henry Anjala, Sidney Gruber, Matteo Antonelli, Leonard Stocker, Victor Laslop, Michelangelo Antonelli, Rafe Pool, Francesco Bernini, Leonardo Guidi, Jack Benson.

City of Manchester

After missing out on finals weekend last year, City of Manchester are back at finals weekend and looking to add to clubs illustrious list of honours.

They come into this one in good form, both in the Qualification Round and in the Junior Men’s National Conference Water Polo League.

They topped that league with an unbeaten record but missed out on the trophy in the finals, where Saturday’s opponents Watford went on to lift the trophy.

Securing their place at finals weekend by topping Group B with seven points from nine will have boosted their confidence coming into this one and Head Coach Charles Booth is looking forward to a great weekend of water polo.

He said: “We’re so happy to be back in the finals after missing out on a top four spot last year.  We’ve had a really strong season in the U18 National Conference Water Polo League, unbeaten in the group stages only to miss out at the finals.

“Our first match this weekend is a semi-final rematch against Watford where we’re looking to reverse the result of the conference semis.”

Squad: George Billington, Charlie Chadwick, Freddie Dean, Tobias Khawar, Miles Kinloch, Will McGeehan, Otis McKelvey, Joseph Roxburgh, Lucas Roxburgh, Oliver Salimbeni, Yaroslav Shemanov, Andrew Stephenson, Eli Wass. Head Coach: Charles Booth. Assistant Coach: Steve Kinloch. Team Manager: Jon McGeehan.

Watford

Watford return to the finals in this event for the first time since 2019 where they narrowly missed out on a medal.

Six years on and they will be desperate to make the podium this time around after coming through both the Preliminary and Qualification rounds.

They boast some quality players amongst their ranks, including the likes of Ed Carpenter, Bailey Sapsed and captain Dusan Crompton who are all part of Great Britain’s U18s Junior Men’s squad.

They will no doubt be key as they look to reverse the result they had against Manchester in the preliminary round where they lost out by just a single goal in a 10-9 defeat.

For coach Paul Dix however, this weekend is all about demonstrating their team values each time they enter the pool.

He said: “Discipline, hard work and humility have been the team’s focus for this year. We are looking forward to competing against some very strong teams and demonstrating our values.”

Squad: Keeyan Shah, Edward Carpenter, Dusan Crompton (C), Bertie Dix, Niko Obradovic, Bailey Sapsed, Samuel Wood, Ilija Crompton, Rishi Patel, Owen Dorrington, Dinil Rodrigo, Michael Barrett, Gethin Dorrington. Head Coach: Paul Dix. Assistant Coach: Adam Page. Team Manager: James Crompton.

You can keep up with all the action from the weekend by following our live scoreboard, whilst the Swim England website and social media channels will be providing regular updates on everything happening in Coventry.

Swim England’s official event’s photographer, Will Johnston Photography, will also be on hand throughout the weekend and the full gallery will be available here.

MADISON, Wis. – 2025 Wisconsin volleyball season tickets are available for order today! Don’t miss out on your opportunity to keep the tradition alive in the UW Field House.
 
Wisconsin volleyball is a model of consistency – finishing in the Top 10 nationally in 11 of the last 12 seasons and seven years in a row, and the Badgers have ranked No. 2 in national attendance in every season since 2018 (excluding 2020). 

This season, fans can catch Big Ten opponents Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan, Rutgers, UCLA, and USC in the Field House. Dates and times will be announced at a later date, in addition to the Badgers non-conference schedule.

 

The Badgers are excited to open the 2025 season with the Opening Spike Classic at the Kohl Center with matches against Kansas and Texas over Labor Day weekend. While this third-party showcase is not included in the 2025 season ticket package, season ticket holders will still enjoy the benefit of 15 home matches in their package, consistent with past years.

 

Secure your seat for 2025 today!

 

GULF SHORES, Ala. – The No. 8 Florida State beach volleyball team is set to face No. 9 Long Beach State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

FSU has earned a spot in all nine NCAA Tournaments since the event’s inception and has reached the National Championship match three times, most recently in 2022.

The Seminoles (25-12) enter the tournament following an appearance in the CCSA Championship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last weekend. Leading the way are Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig, who were recently named AVCA First-Team All-Americans. The top pair compiled a 24-8 record this season and solidified their status among the nation’s elite.

Friday’s match marks the 13th all-time meeting between FSU and Long Beach State and their second of the season. The Seminoles lead the series 7-5 and won the previous matchup in March, 3-1.

Long Beach State (27-11) comes in as the Big West Champion, having defeated No. 6 Cal Poly 3-1 in Santa Monica last week. The Beach owns key wins this season over No. 9 Cal, No. 16 Washington, No. 17 Hawai’i, No. 14 Stetson, No. 6 Cal Poly, No. 16 North Florida, and No. 19 FIU.

For more information on the Florida State beach volleyball program, check Seminoles.com and follow us on social media at fsubeachvolleyball (IG) and @FSU_BeachVB (X). 

By: Callie Cyr

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth Volleyball Head Coach Kevin Maureen Campbell has announced the addition of five student-athletes as part of the incoming Class of 2029.
 
“We are very excited to welcome this group of highly skilled volleyball players to The Woods and to Dartmouth. They bring talent and deep knowledge of the sport of volleyball and will make an immediate impact to the program on and off the court,” said Campbell.
 
Zori Brown
5-11 | OH | Pembroke Pines, Fla. | St. Thomas Aquinas
 
Before Dartmouth: Four Years varsity in volleyball, Second Team All-County freshman year, First Team All-County junior and senior year, Varsity Offensive Player of the Year junior year, Season MVP senior year, Principal’s Honor Roll every quarter, Two-time state champion, 2025 ACVA All-American Third Team, National Athletic Honor Society, Rho Kappa, National Honor Society, College Board National African American Recognition Award.
 
Why Dartmouth? “My high school prides themselves on having a tight community. There are many resources for students to succeed as well as a support system of amazing teachers and administrators. I have always wanted to attend a college that valued having a close community. I visited Dartmouth at the beginning of April. As I met and spoke to more students and faculty, I realized how special Dartmouth is. The students all support each other and value one another. Getting the chance to be a part of a community like that would be an opportunity of a lifetime.”
 
 
Julia York
6-1 | S | Chicago, Ill. | Loyola Academy
 
Before Dartmouth: Three-year varsity letter winner and senior captain for Loyola Academy volleyball, four-year captain MOD Volleyball Club Blue Elite Team, three-year JVA Class of 2025 Watch List, three-year AVCA Class of 2025 Phenom Watch List, Prep Dig Shooting Star, Under Armour Next Volleyball Camp National Team Tryout Invitee, USVA NTDP Great Lakes Accelerator Invitee, LWC Autumn Nights Invite All-Tournament Team, Adidas President’s Day Classic St. Louis Open Division All-Tournament Team, Milwaukee Grand Slam Open Division All-Tournament Team, National Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, Loyola Academy Humanities Dumbach Scholar, AP Scholar.
 
Why Dartmouth? “There are so many reasons why I chose Dartmouth. However, the two most influential reasons are the volleyball program under the leadership of Coach Kevin Campbell and the launch of Dartmouth Dialogues. I want to play for a school where athletics are supported, celebrated, and competitive and the coaches care about me as a human, not just as an athlete. I want to go to school where the students listen to each other and strive to understand different perspectives. I know in my heart that I will find both at Dartmouth. On the volleyball court and in the classroom, Dartmouth is where I will become the best version of myself.”
 
 
 
Elle McCreery
6-1 | MB | Phoenix, Ariz. | Xavier College Prep
 
Before Dartmouth:
Four-year volleyball varsity letter, All-Region First Team Recognition, All-Region Honorable Mention Recognition, Tournament MVP at NYC Juniors Collegiate Camp, All-Conference First Team Recognition, USA 18 National Division Champion with Arizona Sky, Named All-Tournament Team Honorable Mention, First Team All-Academic for all four years of high school, Honor Roll every quarter all four years, Student Athlete Scholars Merit Society.
 
Why Dartmouth? “I chose Dartmouth because of the high academics and the chance to play volleyball. Although the school also drew me in with its tight-knit community, the endless opportunities they provide for students to get involved, the vast alumnae group and aid they give students for the future.”
 
 
 
Riley Imamura
5-11 | OH/RS/MB | Carmel, Calif. | Carmel
 
Before Dartmouth: Four-year varsity letter winner in volleyball and track & field, All-Monterey County MVP (2024), All-Monterey County First Team (2022, 2023 & 2024), All-Gabilan League MVP (2024), Pacific Coast Athletic League First team (2022, 2023, & 2024), Highest Honor Roll (2021-2025), Top 100 Students (2021-2025).
 
Why Dartmouth? “I chose Dartmouth because of the unique academic opportunities and the amazing volleyball program. The remarkable sense of community I felt when I visited campus immediately made me feel at home. I know Dartmouth is a place where I will be challenged and supported to grow as an athlete, a student, and a person and I can’t wait for the next four years!”
 
 
 
Annika Roberson
6-2 | OPP | New Orleans, La. | Benjamin Franklin
 
Before Dartmouth: Three-year Varsity starter, two-time All-State selection, LHSCA All Star, 2024 Division II State Runners Up, Captain, National Merit Finalist, All Academic Composite Volleyball Team, National Honor Society.
 
Why Dartmouth? “I chose Dartmouth because of its strong sense of community. I attended camp the summer before my senior year of high school and immediately knew that I wanted to spend the next four years in Hanover. What stood out to me most was how genuinely welcoming and supportive everyone was—from the coaches and players to my admissions tour guide and the Dartmouth Coach driver. That spirit of support and camaraderie is woven into the culture at Dartmouth, and it made me confident that I would be joining a place where I could thrive. Dartmouth offers the unique opportunity to pursue both athletic and academic excellence within a supportive environment—one that will challenge me to grow not only as a student-athlete, but also as a person.”