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Top NCAA DI, NCAA DIII Squads Shine Across The Nation ::: USTFCCCA

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USTFCCCA News & Notes

By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA
October 17, 2025  &nbsp

This is the biggest weekend of the regular season, bar none.

Top NCAA DI and NCAA DIII teams take center stage across the nation.

From The USTFCCCA InfoZone: Meets & Results

You have the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Verona, Wisconsin, the Pre-National Invitational in Columbia, Missouri, the Augustana Interregional Invitational in Rock Island, Illinois, and the Connecticut College Invitational in Waterford, Connecticut, among others.

Here are the highlights from each of those meets.

Pre-National Invitational

CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS

Men’s Invitational 8k

Unheralded champions reigned on Friday.

Kelvin Cheruiyot of Florida and the unranked Georgia Bulldogs stole the show at the Missouri Pre-National Invitational. Cheruiyot surged late to win the individual crown in 22:44.6, while Georgia took down No. 19 Missouri and No. 24 Ole Miss to claim the team title.

The Bulldogs took control between 2k and 3k after trailing by a single point at 2k, then stretched the advantage to 63 at 7k before sealing a 119-164 victory over the Tigers.

Women’s Invitational 6k

What a debut!

Prized recruit Jane Hedengren stormed the individual title – and powered No. 1 BYU to the team crown – at the Missouri Pre-National Invitational. Hedengren shattered the course record by 25 seconds with her 18:42.3 victory, and the top-ranked Cougars rolled to a 25-170 rout over No. 19 Villanova.

BYU packed five runners in the top ten behind the debuting Hedengren: Riley Chamberlain (third, 19:08.6), Taylor Rothanisky (sixth, 19:41.6), Jacey Farmer (seventh, 19:45.6), Lexi Goff (eighth, 19:46.5), and Nelah Robert (tenth, 19:50.5).

Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational

CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS

Men’s 8k Championship

Two shoes is better than one – but four athletes in the top 13 is even better when you’re looking to impress, as New Mexico did on Friday.

Habtom Samuel led the third-ranked Lobos to the team title over 18 other ranked programs at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. Samuel, who famously finished second at the NCAA Championships last year in Wisconsin wearing just one shoe, kept both on this year and cruised to the individual title in 22:58.0.

Behind him, Collins Kiprotich (sixth) and Evans Kipligat (ninth) finished in the top ten, while Vincent Chirchir placed 13th. That quartet, along with Matthew Kosgei in 22nd, propelled New Mexico to an emphatic 51-149 victory over No. 5 Colorado.

No. 11 Syracuse took third with 152 points, followed by No. 13 Northern Arizona (203) and No. 6 BYU (218) in fourth and fifth.

Women’s 6k Championship

“Enough is enough” – Grace Hartman and No. 2 NC State, probably.

Hartman and the Wolfpack made a statement on Friday, sweeping the individual and team titles. The senior from Oakwood, Ohio, cruised to a 4.6-second victory in 19:30.1 over teammate Angelina Napoleon – both of whom made their season debuts – as the Wolfpack dismantled a loaded field featuring 18 other nationally ranked programs, including five in the top ten.

Hartman had run shoulder-to-shoulder with Washington State’s Rosemary Longisa through more than 4k of the 6k race before breaking away from the Gans Creek Invitational individual champion. Napoleon eventually passed Longisa, as well, with Hartman and Napoleon among four NC State runners in the top 11. Bethany Michalak and Hannah Gapes rounded out the Wolfpack’s top performers in ninth and 11th, respectively.

The Wolfpack dominated the team standings with 41 points, a full 84 points ahead of No. 7 Notre Dame. No. 16 Iowa State surprised with third place at 176 points, followed by No. 9 West Virginia (190) and No. 18 Northwestern (225) in fourth and fifth.

Augustana Interregional Invitational

CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS

Men’s Gold Division 8k

Recap coming soon.

Women’s Gold Division 6k

Recap coming soon.

Connecticut College Invitational

CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS

Men’s 8k Blue Championship

Recap coming soon.

Women’s 6k Blue Championship

Recap coming soon.





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3 takeaways from Wisconsin volleyball’s Final Four loss to Kentucky

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December 19, 2025

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Updated Dec. 19, 2025, 9:07 a.m. CT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kentucky had all the laughs – or at least almost all of them.

“I’m glad I get to do it almost in my home state,” said Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye, who is from Topeka, Kansas. “I know we’re in Kansas City, Missouri, but who even looks at that.”

Wisconsin had all the heartbreak. One could hear the emotion in Charlie Fuerbringer’s voice in the press conference as she talked about playing with Mimi Colyer being “so fun.” The joy that usually comes with the band’s post-match rendition of “Varsity” was hollow considering the team already left the court.



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Texas A&M’s different take on NCAA volleyball tournament run

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December 19, 2025

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  • Elizabeth MerrillDec 19, 2025, 10:52 AM ET

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      Elizabeth Merrill is a senior writer for ESPN. She previously wrote for The Kansas City Star and The Omaha World-Herald.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As she has been known to do lately during this unbelievable run by the Texas A&M volleyball team, All-America hitter Logan Lednicky lifted 5-foot-7 teammate Ava Underwood Thursday night and hoisted her in the air.

“We’re going to the national championship!” she told Underwood.

“I know,” Underwood replied.

The Aggies survived another marathon postseason set and knocked off No. 1 seed Pittsburgh 29-27, 25-21, 25-20 in the NCAA volleyball tournament’s final four at T-Mobile Center. The win set up an SEC showdown against Kentucky in Sunday’s championship match.

A week ago, Texas A&M was teetering on the brink of elimination and pulled off a reverse sweep of second-seeded Louisville in the Sweet 16. The Aggies followed that up by ending Nebraska’s undefeated season in a five-set nailbiter on Sunday in Lincoln that included a 37-35 fourth-set setback. Lednicky called the Aggies the “grittiest team in volleyball” after that one. The label was tough to dispute Thursday, when they calmly withstood an 8-0 run in the second game against Pitt.

The Aggies have become fan favorites during the NCAA tournament, a sort of Cinderella story, a seemingly overachieving team that got hot at the perfect time and is riding a wave of momentum. But coach Jamie Morrison bristles at the idea that his team has arrived at the title game because of something as fleeting and flukey as momentum.

He says it’s by design.

“I think volleyball is a game of momentum if — this isn’t a sound bite — you have a weak mind,” Morrison said Thursday night. “The thing I talk a lot about in our program is I care less about mistakes and I care more about responses.

“We talk a lot about mental strength and mental fortitude, and the skills that go into that … We started this season talking about who you are as a human being, then in the middle of the season we talked about who you are as a competitor. When you get in these big moments, you get sways of four points, then it’s a game of momentum because you start losing track of who you are.”

The most relevant theme for the Aggies’ success is where they’ve been.

Four seniors — Lednicky, Underwood, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Lexi Guinn — went 5-13 in SEC play as freshmen in 2022. Lednicky and Underwood were A&M legacies who dreamed of wearing the maroon and gold, and turning A&M into a volleyball powerhouse. It wasn’t until 2023 when that dream came into focus. When Morrison arrived.

“When he took the job,” Underwood said, “it was not a question in my mind that I was going to stay. I knew that he was the guy that could make this place a great place for volleyball and just for people to go to, and that was something that I wanted to be a part of. It didn’t take much convincing for me.”

“He’s got a lot of buzzwords, but I think the biggest thing is just be yourself. He’s not going to make a bunch of copies of the same type of competitor. He really embraces all of us for the differences that we have, and I think that’s what makes our team so special.”

By 2024, Morrison had the Aggies in the Sweet 16. They ran into second-seeded Wisconsin and lost in five sets, coming within two points of victory. Morrison, who on Thursday was named the 2025 Division I AVCA coach of the year, said this year’s team is reaping the benefits of that experience. Underwood takes it a step further.

“To be honest, I think last year, losing in the tournament, that was the pivotal turning moment for us,” Underwood said.

A few weeks later, the Aggies added Kyndal Stowers to their roster. The sophomore had been medically retired at Baylor after suffering four concussions in a span of eight months. Stowers has been one of the Aggies’ most dominant players, and led the team with 16 kills and hit .433 on Thursday.

She has been a perfect fit. When Stowers smashed a kill to give the Aggies a 13-11 lead in the third game Thursday, she squinted and flashed a knowing smile to her teammates. Texas A&M had taken control.

“I think we just came together as a team,” Stowers said of their rally in the second game that set the tone for the match. “A very similar thing happened when we were playing Nebraska. We were up by quite a bit, and they went on a run. The fourth set, that went forever. We’re like, ‘Hey, we’re not doing that again.

“‘They’re going on a run right now, we’re going to recognize that, props to them for what they’re doing, but we’re going to respond and we’re not going to let that keep happening.'”

It was an uncharacteristically short postseason night for the Aggies. Cos-Okpalla smashed a ball that zipped through the Panthers’ defense in the third game, sealing the victory. After the ball landed and the crowd erupted, Cos-Okpalla casually sauntered back to the center of the court, joining her teammates, who were bouncing around in a circle.

The pro-A&M crowd held up big head cutouts of their favorite players, and Lednicky high-fived children and hoisted a few more teammates in the air.

Neither she, nor the rest of the Aggies, were surprised. They’d been building toward this.

“Honestly, I think [the postseason mentality] has been the same,” Lednicky said. “I know it’s probably like beating a dead horse, but y’all keep hearing, ‘Why not us?’ Literally why not us?

“We are considered the underdog in a lot of these moments just ’cause we haven’t been here before. But we know we have all the right pieces.

“So why not us?”



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Emmaus track and field’s McCartney, Walls headed to Division I colleges

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December 19, 2025

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Emmaus track & field standouts Claudia Walls and Madelyn McCartney are continuing their career next year at the Division I level.

Walls committed to Lehigh. McCartney is headed to the University of Kentucky.

“I chose Lehigh University because it has a great reputation athletically and academically,” Walls said. “The Patriot League is a very good fit for me. I plan on pursuing a degree in engineering. Coach Brooke Astor at Lehigh and I have formed a nice relationship, and I believe she will be instrumental in getting me to new heights.”

Walls is a three-time EPC high jump champion, 2025 District 11 Class 3A high jump champion, a two-time PIAA qualifier in the high jump and a one-time qualifier in the triple jump. She owns the school records in those two jumping events.

“I want to compete at a very high level, including participating in the New Balance Nationals again and Penn Relays,” Walls added, “and medaling at states and breaking the Emmaus long jump record.”

Walls was District 11 and EPC champion last spring in the high jump and finished 18th at the PIAA Championships. She was fourth in the long jump at districts and 22nd at states, plus EPC second, District 11 fourth and PIAA 22nd in the triple jump.

Emmaus track & field standout Claudia Walls is continuing her career at Lehigh. (Photo courtesy of Darin Walls)

Darin Walls

Emmaus track & field standout Claudia Walls is continuing her career at Lehigh. (Photo courtesy of Darin Walls)

McCartney is a 2025 PIAA Class 3A cross country champion as well as a three-time EPC and District 11 gold medalist. She owns four individual school records between indoor and outdoor track and is part of three school relay records.

“I chose the University of Kentucky because I developed a good rapport with the coaching staff and liked what the school had to offer both athletically and academically,” she said. “I am going to pursue a career in the medical field at Kentucky because of the strong reputation it has in the medical field. I am planning on studying exercise and health sciences.

“My goals for the upcoming season are to have strong indoor and outdoor seasons. In addition, I am looking forward to competing again at New Balance indoor nationals again in March and possibly New Balance outdoor nationals again later in the spring.”

McCartney set EPC meet records last spring in the 1,600 and 3,200. She won EPC titles in those two races as well as the 800. She also was District 11 and PIAA 3A runner-up in the 3,200 plus District 11 champion and PIAA 11th in the 1,600.

Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com



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Emmaleigh Allen named SAC Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year

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December 19, 2025

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HICKORY, N.C. – Thanks to her contributions both on and off the court, Emmaleigh Allen has been named the South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year. 

The honor recognizes a student-athlete’s combined excellence in academics, athletics, service, and leadership. Allen is the first Bear to win this award. 

Allen was an All-SAC Second Team honoree this season, helping the Bears reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in program history. The senior finished the year with 304 digs, 246 kills, 36 service aces, and started all 31 matches, playing in all but two sets. She was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Week on September 29th for her performances against Catawba and Mars Hill. 

The former SAC Freshman of the Year and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American had to persevere these past two years as she missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to injury. Allen didn’t miss a beat this season and was named a team captain by head coach Nicole Barringer.

“Emmaleigh has been a leader for us since she got here. She’s been a leader on the court, in the weight room, and in the classroom. She’s a high achieving individual and is very deserving of this award. We are proud of her and grateful she is a Bear!”

Off the court Allen is just as impressive, holding a 3.95 cumulative GPA in accounting, finance, and management. She was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team in both 2023 and 2025, the only years she was eligible. In 2024 the Wooster, Ohio, native was honored as the Broyhill Family Foundation Scholarship recipient from the Charles M. Snipes College of Business and Economics. She is also involved on campus a tutor and is the vice president of The Hidden Opponent, a club dedicated to mental health advocacy. 

Her commitment to excellence and character has earned high praise from university leadership and her coaching staff, who cite her discipline, leadership, and ability to elevate those around her as hallmarks of her collegiate career.





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18 Husker Grads Win in Competition, Classroom – University of Nebraska

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December 19, 2025

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Lincoln – A total of 18 current and former Husker student-athletes across all sports will receive their degrees during University of Nebraska-Lincoln Winter Commencement ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 9 a.m.

Seven members of the Nebraska football team headline the graduating class, led by honorable-mention All-Big Ten defensive backs DeShon Singleton, Ceyair Wright and Malcolm Hartzog Jr. The trio of Blackshirts are joined by Janiran Bonner, Aidan Flege, Tyler Knaak and Dylan Parrott. The seven football players who came to Nebraska from seven different states helped the Big Red to back-to-back bowl games in 2024 and 2025.

AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten volleyball middle blocker Rebekah Allick will earn her degree as a management major. The Lincoln native helped the Huskers to an unbeaten regular season, a Big Ten championship and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2025. During her career, she was part of three straight teams that won Big Ten titles and advanced to a pair of NCAA Final Fours, including the 2023 NCAA Championship match.

Baseball’s Riley Silva added a pair of Big Ten titles to the graduating class. The outfielder from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada helped the Huskers to back-to-back Big Ten Tournament championships in 2024 and 2025.

Husker soccer players Lauryn Anglim and Sadie Waite also graduated from Nebraska with Big Ten championships in their careers. Anglim (Omaha, Neb.) and Waite (St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada) were starters on NU’s conference title-winning team that advanced to the 2023 NCAA Elite Eight.

The Nebraska track and field/cross country programs contribute six members to the graduating class, including the most decorated individual in the class –  2025 NCAA indoor high jump champion Tyus Wilson. The senior from Sterling, Kan., is a four-time Big Ten high jump champ and a two-time first-team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American.

Teammate Adria Navajon added a Big Ten individual championship for the Husker men’s track and field in the heptathlon in 2025. Liem Chot, Jacquelyn Abanses, Hannah Godwin and Rebecca Pecora round out the list of track and field graduates.

Current men’s basketball guard Sam Hoiberg will add a degree as a sports media and communication major. Hoiberg, who helped the Huskers capture the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament title a year ago, has started every game during Nebraska’s nation-leading 15-game winning streak. The 11-0 Huskers are ranked No. 13 nationally heading into Sunday night’s home game with North Dakota at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Overall, the 18 Husker graduates in December came to Nebraska from nine states and three foreign countries.

Nebraska continues to feature one of the highest graduation rates in the nation, while leading the nation with 19 NCAA Impact Awards (formerly known as Today’s Top 10) across all sports. Nebraska also leads the Big Ten and ranks second in NCAA Division I with 373 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans across all sports. More than 100 Nebraska student-athletes all time have earned prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.

December 2025 Nebraska Student-Athlete Graduates (18)
Jacquelyn Abanses (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Lutz, Florida (Business Administration)
Rebekah Allick (Volleyball) – Lincoln, Nebraska (Management)
Lauryn Anglim (Soccer) – Omaha, Nebraska (Nutrition & Health Sciences)
Janiran Bonner (Football) – Ellenwood, Georgia (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
Liem Chot (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Lincoln, Nebraska (English)
Aidan Flege (Football) – Lincoln, Nebraska (Management)
Hannah Godwin (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Kearney, Nebraska (Biological Sciences)
Malcolm Hartzog Jr. (Football) – Silver Creek, Mississippi (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
Sam Hoiberg (Basketball) – Lincoln, Nebraska (Sports Media & Communication)
Tyler Knaak (Football) – Cottonwood Heights, Utah (Environmental Studies)
Adria Navajon (Track & Field) – Rubi, Barcelona, Spain (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
Dylan Parrott (Football) – Eldridge, Iowa (Management)
Rebecca Pecora (Track & Field) – Pioltello, Milan, Italy (Biochemistry/Biological Sciences)
Riley Silva (Baseball) – Cambridge, Ontario, Canada (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
DeShon Singleton (Football) – Amite, Louisiana (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
Sadie Waite (Soccer) – St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada (Marketing)
Tyus Wilson (Track & Field) – Sterling, Kansas (Elementary Education)
Ceyair Wright (Football) – Los Angeles, California (Child, Youth & Family Studies)



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Wisconsin volleyball NCAA semifinal talking points

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December 19, 2025

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