Sports

Women’s Volleyball Faces San Diego, LMU in Pivotal Road Matches

Published

2 months ago

November 19, 2025

MALIBU, Calif. — Making its most consequential road swing of West Coast Conference play, the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team (18-7, 11-2 West Coast Conference) will travel to San Diego (21-4, 14-0 West Coast Conference) and in-city rival LMU (5-19, 3-12 West Coast Conference) this week.

The road swing starts with a 7 p.m. match against San Diego on Thursday, then the Waves will take on LMU Saturday at 1 p.m. All West Coast Conference matches will be livestreamed on ESPN+, which requires a subscription. Live stream and live stat links can be found on the women’s volleyball team’s schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.

Pepperdine will put its 10-match win streak on the line during Thursday’s match, which will be a battle between the West Coast Conference’s top two teams. San Diego is unbeaten in league play and two games ahead of the Waves in the conference standings. A win would immensely boost Pepperdine’s RPI; the Waves are a season-high No. 45 in the latest NCAA Division I rankings, while the Toreros are No. 32.

LAST TIME OUT

In the lone match of last week, Pepperdine throttled Santa Clara in a three-set sweep that featured two set wins by 10 points or more.

Chloe Pravednikov led the offense with 13 kills, which was her 17th time finishing in double-figures.

The Waves’ block held Santa Clara to hitting -.077, which is a season-low mark for any Pepperdine opponent. The team had 12 total blocks to Santa Clara’s three.

Ella Piskorz was named the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week after leading Pepperdine with nine total blocks — including six solo blocks. Her nine blocks are tied for the fourth-most in a three-set match in Pepperdine history.

AWESOME ARIZONANS

Stepping into a bigger role as a sophomore, Chandler, Ariz. native Maggie Beauer is second on the team with 246 total kills, averaging 2.86 per set. She has recorded double-figure kills in 13 matches.

Peoria, Ariz. native Tristen Raymond has given the Waves a spark as a do-it-all setter. Raymond ranks in Pepperdine’s top five in nearly every statistical category: The lefty leads Pepperdine with 6.73 assists per set, is second in service aces per set (0.41), fourth in blocks per set (0.73) and second in digs per set (2.44).

Raymond is a two-time West Coast Conference Setter of the Week and one of two Waves to win multiple weekly West Coast Conference awards this season.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP

Sophomore outside hitter Chloe Pravednikov leads the team with 253 kills, which is No. 12 in the WCC. Her 2.92 kills per set lead the team.

A West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team selection last year, Pravednikov is picking up where she left off late last season, when she emerged as Pepperdine’s consistent third option on offense. Earlier this season, Pravednikov set her career high with 20 kills against Oregon State — one of a team-high 17 matches with 10 kills or more.

O CANADA

Sophomore middle blocker Ella Piskorz is one of the best young middle blockers in the nation. She ranks No. 25 in the NCAA with 131 total blocks and No. 20 with 1.44 blocks per set.

She leads the league with 131 total blocks, 1.44 blocks per set and 106 block assists.

Piskorz earned her conference-leading third West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week award after leading the Waves with nine total blocks — including six solo blocks — in a three-set win over Santa Clara last Thursday.

STAY IN YOUR LAINE

Laine Briggs is one of the best servers in the country: Her 45 aces rank No. 23 in all of Division I, while her 0.49 aces per set rank No. 21 in Division I.

Earlier this season, she set her career-high with five aces against Portland, which is one of her 17 matches with multiple aces this year.

Briggs also leads the team and ranks No. 5 in the West Coast Conference with 3.56 digs per set.

GOING BACK TO CALI

San Diego native Irelynd Lorenzen has been a key piece for Pepperdine’s block during her first year of playing collegiate volleyball in her home state. The Lafayette transfer is second on the team with 1.10 blocks per set, which ranks T-No. 6 in the West Coast Conference.

Lorenzen also ranks in the top 10 in the West Coast Conference with 81 block assists (No. 5) and 95 total blocks (No. 6).

BLOCK PARTY

Pepperdine has one of the best blocking defenses in the nation, ranking No. 15 with 2.76 blocks per set and No. 51 with 251 total blocks. They hold opponents to hitting .154, which is No. 9 in the NCAA.

The Waves lead the league with 239 total blocks are second with 378 block assists.

Individually, Pepperdine has three players ranked in the top 15 of the West Coast Conference in block assists: No. 1 Ella Piskorz (106 block assists), No. 5 Irelynd Lorenzen (81) and No. 8 Vanessa Polk (70).

Sophomore Ella Piskorz leads the charge with 122 total blocks, which ranks No. 23 in the nation, while Irelynd Lorenzen‘s 93 blocks rank No. 178 in Division I.

STRONG SERVING

Pepperdine is No. 11 in the nation with 2.04 aces per set and No. 40 with 186 aces. Both figures lead the West Coast Conference.

Four Waves rank in the top 20 in the league in service aces per set: Laine Briggs (No. 2, 0.49 per set), Tristen Raymond (No. 4, 0.41), Charis Kai (T-No. 9, 0.33), and Ryan Gilhooly (T-No. 12, 0.32).

The team has had at least one player with multiple aces in every match this season.

Multiple Waves have recorded multiple aces in 21 of the 25 matches this year.

COMEBACK KIDS

On Oct. 2, Pepperdine trailed San Francisco 18-7 in the first set but came back to win 25-23, which was their biggest single-set comeback of the season.

At that point, the comeback was one of four comebacks of 11 points or more. Northeastern came back from a 13-point deficit, while DePaul and Wisconsin rallied back from 11-point deficits.

Two out of Pepperdine’s four five-set wins have been reverse-sweeps.

SOLID SCHEDULING

At the end of non-conference play, Pepperdine’s non-conference schedule ranked No. 35 in the nation in terms of opponents’ combined win percentage.

The Waves’ strength of schedule currently ranks tied for No. 30 in the nation, as their opponents have a combined win percentage of .635.

Using that same metric, the Waves are second in the West Coast Conference (LMU is No. 15) and eighth among all mid-major schools.

Pepperdine is the only West Coast Conference team to face two top-10 programs in non-conference play (No. 9 Pitt and No. 8 Arizona State).

RPI WATCH

Pepperdine is currently No. 45 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings, which is a season-high.

As one of the last teams left out of the NCAA Tournament last year, the Waves had a season-high RPI of No. 46 and were No. 53 in the final RPI rankings.

With two weeks left in the regular season, Pepperdine’s resume features four wins over top-100 RPI teams: No. 38 UCLA, No. 56 UC Santa Barbara, No. 54 UC Davis and No. 100 Oregon State.

Conversely, six of the Waves’ seven losses have been against teams in the top-100 RPI: No. 3 Arizona State, No. 4 Pittsburgh, No. 15 UTEP, No. 32 San Diego, No. 72 GCU and No. 94 Jacksonville.

SERIES HISTORY

Pepperdine is 46-39 against San Diego, yet the Toreros have won the last three matches.

The Waves are 65-28 against LMU and are looking to go for their first series sweep since 2023.

SCOUTING THE TOREROS

The San Diego Toreros have a perfect 14-0 record in West Coast Conference play and are at a season-best No. 33 in the RPI rankings.

San Diego boasts several of the West Coast Conference’s best players and one of the best blocks, making it one of the few complete teams Pepperdine will face in league play.

Sophomore Nemo Beach ranks No. 56 in Division I with 4.03 kills per set, setter Kylie Munday ranks No. 39 in the nation with 10.05 assists per set, while Kali Engeman ranks No. 95 with 111 blocks per set.

SCOUTING THE LIONS

LMU is looking to snap out of a nine-match losing streak — the longest active losing streak in the league.

Maddie Boerstra is tied for No. 4 in the West Coast Conference with 3.39 kills per set, while fellow hitter Sophie Stephenson is No 11, averaging 2.97 kills per set.

LMU also has two players in the top 10 of the West Coast Conference in digs per set: Cecily Bramschreiber (No. 6, 3.52) and Delfina Schuh (No. 10, 3.09).

SEASON OVERVIEW

In Scott Wong‘s eleventh season at the helm, the Pepperdine Waves were picked second in the West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches’ poll behind San Diego and ahead of LMU. The top three teams in the poll were the last three teams to win the West Coast Conference title.

Pepperdine also put three players on the West Coast Conference Preseason Team: redshirt junior Vanessa Polk, sophomore Ella Piskorz and Bradley transfer Iva Popovic, who was one of three conference newcomers to make the team.

Pepperdine has ten returners but brings back just one starter from last year: middle blocker Ella Piskorz. However, fellow middle blocker Vanessa Polk, who was a key piece on Pepperdine’s 2023 West Coast Conference Championship squad, will return after redshirting in 2024. Sophomore opposite hitter Chloe Pravednikov, an All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team selection from a year ago, worked her way into the starting rotation late last season and will be expected to have a larger role this season.

NEW WAVES

The Waves also welcome six newcomers to the team, consisting of three transfers and three true freshmen. Junior middle blocker Irelynd Lorenzen and sophomore setter Nalani Muniz are both returning to their home state after competing for Lafayette and Southern Utah, respectively. Iva Popovic also comes to Malibu by way of Bradley University and New Mexico Junior College, where she was a two-time NJCAA All-American.

Pepperdine’s three freshmen are Ryan Gilhooly (Pacific Palisades, Calif.), Tristen Raymond (Peoria, Ariz.) and Alice Vigano (Lake Como, Italy).

For the first time under Scott Wong, the Waves feature three international players on the roster: Ella Piskorz (Canada), Iva Popovic (Serbia) and Alice Vigano (Italy).

THE MOUNTAIN AT MULLIN PARK

The Mountain at Mullin Park will become the new home for Pepperdine’s basketball and volleyball programs in 2026. The 3,600-seat arena will give Pepperdine a state-of-the-art competition venue, complete with a 360-degree high-definition scoreboard, VIP and hospitality spaces, and custom team locker rooms. The facility will improve the experience for student-athletes and provide fans with one of the premier indoor collegiate environments on the West Coast. Connected to the arena is a three-story, 45,000-square-foot student center that will house the University’s RISE Institute along with a broad range of wellness and recreation amenities.

Construction reached a major milestone with the topping-out ceremony in May 2025, marking the completion of the arena’s highest structural point. Following interior build-out and finishing, Pepperdine men’s and women’s basketball teams are expected to be the first teams to compete in the new arena beginning the 2026-27 season.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Pepperdine women’s volleyball has reached 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1981 as one of the most successful collegiate programs on the West Coast. The 12-time West Coast Conference Champions Waves have consistently produced top talent with 21 All-American selections with honorees in six straight decades. With multiple Olympians going through the program, Kim Hill brought home the program’s first gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.

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Avery Vogt Named Gatorade Iowa Volleyball Player of the Year

Published

12 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Photo taken by Next Level Portrait

Avery Vogt, a senior at Waukee Northwest High School, has been named the 2025–26 Gatorade Iowa Volleyball Player of the Year, one of the top honors in high school athletics. The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes student-athletes for success in athletics, academics, and community involvement.

Avery helped lead the Wolves to an impressive 38–1 season and the program’s second state championship. She finished the year with 939 assists, along with 216 kills, 171 digs, 45 blocks, and 38 service aces, highlighting her versatility and leadership on the court. Her season also earned her AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and AVCA All-Region recognition.

In addition to the Gatorade honor, Avery was named to the IGCA Elite All-State Team, selected as the State Tournament Most Valuable Player, and received the 5A Ms. Volleyball award. She played a key role in Northwest closing the season with 52 consecutive set victories.

Off the court, Avery enjoys giving back to the community. She volunteers as a mentor at camps and clinics and supports literacy outreach by reading to elementary students throughout the Waukee Community School District.

After graduation, Avery will continue her volleyball career at Drake University. Congratulations, Avery, on this incredible honor

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This Week in Saluki Athletics: January 12-18

Published

25 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

CARBONDALE, Ill. – School is back in session at Southern Illinois and Saluki athletics is back in full swing. Last week, both basketball squads were in action as well as the swim and dive team. And this week, track and field returns to competition.

Men’s Basketball (8-9, 2-4)
Men’s basketball had just one game last week, falling 70-57 at UIC. Damien Mayo Jr. was the game’s leading scorer with 17, and he also tied Quel’Ron House to lead all players in assists with five.

Two games await Southern this week. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, they host Drake at 7 p.m. SIU then welcomes Belmont to Banterra Center on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m.

Women’s Basketball (4-11, 1-5)
The women’s basketball squad split their two conference games last week.

First, the team lost to Evansville on Thursday, 75-70. Jeniah Thompson reset her career-high in points with 19, and grabbed 12 rebounds to complete a double-double. Karris Allen had a nice game as well with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Indya Green was the final Saluki to hit double-digit points with her 11.

SIU then picked up their first conference win of the season on Saturday, defeating Valparaiso 97-59. Thompson set a new career-high in points once again with 25, and had 14 rebounds as well for another double-double. Green, Kayla Cooper, and Tkiyah Nelson all had 10+ points as well.

This week, the Salukis host Murray State on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m. They then welcome UIC to Carbondale on Sunday, Jan. 18, for a 2 p.m. match.

Swim and Dive
It was a busy weekend for swim and dive, who competed for the first time following winter break.

On Friday, the men’s squad traveled to Purdue and fell 207-103. Carter Ruthven won SIU’s first event of the day by taking gold in the 100-butterfly. Alex Cimera won the 200-freestyle event as well as the 100-freestyle. Southern’s last win of the meet came in the 400-IM thanks to Juraj Barcot.

SIU then hosted Evansville and Indiana State’s women’s team on Saturday for Senior Day. Both Southern squads took down Evansville, but the women’s team fell to Indiana State in a close meet. The Salukis started the meet by winning both sides of the 200-medley relay, and Joshua Aceves was the team’s first individual winner in the men’s 1000-freestyle. Susy Hernandez then won the 200-freestyle, as did Willem Huggins for the men’s team. In the 100-backstroke, Liseska Gallegos Gutierrez and Cimera both grabbed gold. Olivia Herron, Maddax Thompson, Nate Worsham , Tomáš Peciar, Benedek Andor, and Barcot all won events as well, and Oliver Mebs provided SIU a diving win in the one-meter dive.

It is another busy week for swim and dive. On Friday, Jan. 16, the team hosts McKendree at 2 p.m. before welcoming Vanderbilt’s women’s team on Saturday, Jan. 17, for a 1 p.m. meet.

Track and Field
The indoor track and field season resumes this week when the Salukis head to the Indiana Invitational on Friday, Jan. 16, and Saturday, Jan. 17.

Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIUSalukis, on Instagram at @siusalukis, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/. Fans can also download the “Salukis” Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.

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Ahen Kim Named Head Coach of Duke Volleyball

Published

28 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

WASHINGTON – After three years as head coach and nine years in the American University volleyball program, Ahen Kim has been named the new head coach of Duke University volleyball. Kim most recently led AU to a historic season in 2025, capturing the program’s first Patriot League title since 2019. He leaves American with a 44-25 overall record at the helm.

“We are incredibly grateful to Ahen for everything he has given to American University volleyball,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation JM Caparro. “His connection to this program runs deep, from his time as an assistant under Barry Goldberg during one of the most successful eras in our history to leading the program through an important transition as head coach. This past season’s Patriot League championship and NCAA Tournament berth were a testament to his leadership, commitment to our student-athletes, and belief in this program. While we will miss Ahen, we are proud of the work he has done at AU and understand the significance of the opportunity he has earned. We wish him nothing but success in his next chapter.”

“I’m forever grateful to American University Volleyball and will cherish the time I’ve had coaching here both as an Assistant and as Head Coach,” said Kim. “It has been an honor to serve the program after Coach Barry, and I am extremely proud of the work by our student-athletes and staff to restore its competitive legacy. I want to thank President Alger, JM, Katie Benoit and the AU community for all the support for me and our program over the years. With the addition of the Meltzer Center and Goldberg Court, I know this program will continue to be a winner. AUVB will always be special to me and I wish the program continued success. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.”

As an assistant from 2012 to 2017 and a head coach since 2023, Kim has been synonymous with many of AU volleyball’s greatest moments. He was on the bench for five Patriot League championships and all three of AU’s NCAA Tournament wins, and returned in 2023 to find more success as a head coach. Kim led the Eagles to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, leading to one of the best campaigns in program history in 2025. American won 24 games up through the Patriot League final, with Kim guiding several players to unprecedented individual success. AU earned six All-Patriot League selections and took home all five major postseason awards, including the Coaching Staff of the Year distinction given to Kim and his assistants. In total as a head coach, Kim oversaw 12 All-Patriot League players, six major award winners, two AVCA All-Region selections, and two All-Americans.

With undeniable success on the court, Kim made an equal impact off the court. 30 of his players have landed on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and three players earned spots on the Academic All-Patriot League team in 2025, which recognizes both on-court and academic performance.

American University will conduct a national search for its next volleyball coach.

Keep up With Us

For the latest on American University Volleyball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_V olleyball), Facebook (/AU.Volleyball) and Instagram (@au_volleyball).

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Sports

Bulldogs See Two First Place Finishes in First Chance Qualifier

Published

41 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Men’s Track and Field | 1/12/2026 2:21:00 PM

Wichita, Kan – McPherson College started their 2026 off with an indoor meet on the campus of Wichita State for the First Chance Qualifier. Following their Christmas break, the Bulldogs sought after a solid performance in their first meet of the new year.

The Basics
Location: Heskett Center

Women’s Highlights
In the Women’s 60m Hurdles, Blake Posey would run her personal best time of 9.47 and place 2^nd in the meet. Nina Zimmerman finished the Women’s 60m with a 9.24 personal record. Chloe Guzman, a dual-sport athlete for the Bulldogs (women’s soccer), would continue the personal best category after running a 9.40 in the Women’s 60m.
Johanna Walker’s mile time in the Women’s Mile was also a personal best time, running a 6:19.02; this would beat her previous best time by an astonishing 29 seconds.
In the throws department, Cara Shultz’s shot put would travel 12.44m for a personal best throw; she would have a personal-best weight throw of 15.14. In both event Schultz competed in, she placed fourth.

Men’s Highlights
For the men, Eric Brown began his indoor season with a time of 1:29.86 in the Men’s 600m. Lamar Gordon lit up the competition taking first place in the Shot Put and the Weight Throw events. His shot put would travel 15.29m and his weight throw landed at 17.99m.

Up Next
The Bulldogs will travel to Maryville, Missouri this upcoming weekend for the Coach Alsup Invitational hosted by Northwest Missouri State University on January 17^th.

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Sports

Granby adult volleyball standings (Jan. 5)

Published

44 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Your Sports Nation

**First place winners of the Granby volleyball tournament in April 2025, K-Town.**
*Granby Recreation Department/Courtesy photo*

As of Jan. 5, the Granby adult co-ed volleyball league has continued its season with some hard-hitting competition.

Results from last week’s games

Washed Up downed Net WERK
Timberline over Spike Tysons
CV Electric beat Sagebrush
Prather Plumbing beat Eastside Gang
Washed Up downed Ski Pigs
Spike Tysons over Liberty Spikes
Drowsy Water Ranch downed Float Goats
CV Electric beat Prather Plumbing
Ski Pigs downed Liberty Spikes
Drowsy Water Ranch over Timberline
Float Goats beat Sagebrush
Net WERK over Eastside Gang
Drowsy Water downed Ski Pigs

League Standings as of Jan. 5

Washed Up 8-0
Drowsy Water Ranch 8-1
Timberline 7-2
Float Goats 6-2
CV Electric 6-3
Sagebrush 5-4
Net WERK 5-4
Prather Plumbing 4-5
Spike Tysons 2-7
Ski Pigs 2-7
Eastside Gang 0-9
Liberty Spikes 0-9

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