“I’m really glad everyone came out to support me,” he said. “It’s just really heartwarming.” COALGATE, Okla. (KTEN) — Surrounded by family, friends and teammates, Kolt Hock earned another milestone in a young life with already so much to celebrate. More from this section 3
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Volleyball is no longer only a fall sport in Minnesota. The boys’ season plays in the spring, and next week, the first ever state tournament as a sanctioned sport starts on Tuesday. All eight teams are motivated to win the first one. One of the teams in the mix is Eastview. The Lightning beat Rochester […]
Volleyball is no longer only a fall sport in Minnesota. The boys’ season plays in the spring, and next week, the first ever state tournament as a sanctioned sport starts on Tuesday. All eight teams are motivated to win the first one.
One of the teams in the mix is Eastview. The Lightning beat Rochester Mayo in their section title game which clinched their state berth. They will have a shot at being the first ever boys volleyball state championship team with the Minnesota State High School League.
“Very competitive, I think everyone there, everyone who qualified, is going to try to win the first state title,” said Eastview senior Owen Kunisaki. “I’m excited for that.”
Eastview has played 30 matches on the season, and has won 27 of them. The Lightning have yet to lose a single set in the playoffs.
“There’s always the appeal of being number one, going down in the history books as the first team,” said Eastview junior Colin Nathan. “It’s such an honor to be able to witness not only the creation of the sport, but to be so involved in it.”
“It’s going to be full of emotions, but in the end just like a dream come true.” said Eastview junior Jay Thammavongsa about the idea of winning a state title.
The Lightning are coached by Ryan Dehnel.
“To be part of the first one, I know they are excited about, but it will be fun to be there and see the whole thing unfold as well,” Dehnel said.
The entire boys state volleyball tournament will be played at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
Click here for more information about the tournament.
Beach volleyball will attract nearly 400 visitors (competitors and fans) to Sámara de Nicoya thanks to a competition that will take place on June 21 and 22. The Sámara Beach Volleyball Challenge 2025 is scheduled for that weekend, with 128 athletes already registered in the Open Category for men and women. Fernando Guerra, coordinator of […]
Beach volleyball will attract nearly 400 visitors (competitors and fans) to Sámara de Nicoya thanks to a competition that will take place on June 21 and 22. The Sámara Beach Volleyball Challenge 2025 is scheduled for that weekend, with 128 athletes already registered in the Open Category for men and women.
Fernando Guerra, coordinator of the event, which is supported by the Sámara Beach Tourism Chamber (CTPS), emphasized that “the public response has been extraordinary, so much so that we already have over a hundred registered participants.”
“Usually, each athlete travels with two or three people; therefore, it is possible that around 400 people will arrive at the beach that weekend, boosting the local economy,” Guerra said.
The new sporting event will be the second time that Playa Sámara hosts this type of volleyball. Last March, this tourist area in the canton of Nicoya hosted a round of the National Beach Volleyball Championship.
“We have leveraged this experience to organize this new event for several weeks now, thanks to the logistical support of the Chamber of Tourism, which was fully involved in the organization as part of its projects to increase visitation,” Guerra emphasized.
Massimo Gambari, President of the CTPS, indicated that the Sámara Beach Volleyball Challenge 2025 is a project that falls “within the plans to promote sport as one of the great strengths of local attractions, along with natural beauty and a safe environment, among other strengths.”
“At the Chamber, we have accumulated experience organizing highly successful sporting events thanks to advantages such as facilities like excellent transportation, available accommodations for all market segments, and a group of collaborators who work with commitment to this type of initiative,” Gambari emphasized. Those who wish to register for this event can do so by calling 86562486.
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The highest ranked 3×3 basketball player in Spain, Carlos Martínez is well known for his versatility on the court. When he isn’t blazing a trail on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, the 6’7” playmaker is making waves away from basketball, too – helping to turn used fishing nets which blight the world’s oceans into netting […]
The highest ranked 3×3 basketball player in Spain, Carlos Martínez is well known for his versatility on the court. When he isn’t blazing a trail on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, the 6’7” playmaker is making waves away from basketball, too – helping to turn used fishing nets which blight the world’s oceans into netting used in an array of European sports leagues, including across professional basketball and LaLiga football, among others top-level competition.
His investment into cleaning the oceans began in 2020 when Carlos set up Ecoballution in his home city of A Coruña (Galicia) in Spain’s north-west. “I live in a city right next to the sea and I recognize the problems with the pollution in the ocean,” Carlos told FIBA 3×3, marking World Environment Day (June 5). “Initially, I came up with the idea of making handmade basketball nets by upcycling used fishing nets. Nowadays we are recycling between six to eight tonnes of marine debris every year.”
Among other business investments in the health and fitness industry, Ecoballution forms part of Carlos’ vision for changing the planet for good through the power of sport. The re-purposed fishing nets are stronger than traditional basketball hoops, he explains, and have been adopted outside basketball too. As well as Spanish football top-flight, aquatic sports such as water polo also adopt the innovative product. His vision, Carlos says, is “to make the world a better place through sports”, highlighting his unique position as a professional basketball player to advocate positive change. He adds: “Sport is a way of life and can be a way of changing lives, too.”
Carlos, 29, came up with the idea for Ecoballution during a transitional period in his basketball career. Having played professional basketball since the age of 14, when Covid forced the industry’s global shutdown, Carlos says he was even considering retiring from basketball to focus on his business ventures. At the age of 24, he turned to 3×3 basketball instead, a decision which presented him with a change of direction, as well as the motivation and energy to grow the values of the Ecoballution brand alongside his basketball career.
“Sport is a way of life and can be a way of changing lives, too.”
Carlos Martínez, Ecoballution
“Like a lot of people, I recognized the problem of the plastic in the sea,” Carlos continues. “Nobody wants to see plastic bottles and old fisherman nets in the water. At the time, I knew about some netters who were working in this space already and we explored options for this project. In the first year, we worked out how to create the product and, five years on, now sell nets in shops throughout Spain and via many distributors.
“I invest everything in this project to create social good within our community, and for the planet, while my main goal is to make a better world through our initiative. At the time, I saw that FIBA 3×3 was growing and, with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics hosting the 3×3 basketball for the first time, I thought it was the best moment for me to enter this sport.
“Although I was, at one point, thinking about retiring from basketball and exploring other interests in entrepreneurship and business investment, now I am in my fourth year with the Lausanne 3×3 team and I’m continuing to enjoy both my sport and my passion projects. Sport is a really good tool to transmit good things, let’s say. It plays an important role in helping to change things that maybe are not fair or can teach younger generations to adopt.”
Thus far, Ecoballution serves sports teams and leagues throughout Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. While there are lots of opportunities for Ecoballution to expand its customer base, and support other sports, Carlos says he would “love to bring the product to more clubs and league around the world” and to use his platform as a professional athlete to accelerate FIBA 3×3’s sustainability drive.
“Sometimes people think it’s an athlete’s obligation to show these types of values,” Carlos says. “While I don’t necessarily think it’s an obligation, morally we have a good platform to share these social initiatives, including those environmental projects like Ecoballution.
“For me, it follows my vision to make the world a better place through sports. I follow the same mission as a player – to give the best on the court. This keeps my energy high. The work we are doing and the revenue we are investing back into the project I have to say is super satisfying. This is not only a trend but in many ways is a necessity also. For me, our goal is to spread our vision with as many people as possible. It’s not only a basketball net, but in doing what we do, we are bringing about positive change to our relationship with the sea.”
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Kellen Ball discusses Meadville’s win in PIAA boys volleyball opener Kellen Ball and the rest of Meadville’s boys volleyball team began defense of its PIAA Class 2A championship without star junior Luc Soerensen. NEW CASTLE — Meadville boys volleyball star Luc Soerensen admitted to some semblance of jet lag before and during the team’s PIAA […]
Kellen Ball discusses Meadville’s win in PIAA boys volleyball opener
Kellen Ball and the rest of Meadville’s boys volleyball team began defense of its PIAA Class 2A championship without star junior Luc Soerensen.
NEW CASTLE — Meadville boys volleyball star Luc Soerensen admitted to some semblance of jet lag before and during the team’s PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal vs. Ambridge.
Soerensen, a junior outside hitter for the Bulldogs, missed their previous state match because of an invitation to a week-long tryout camp for USA Volleyball’s under-19 boys national team.
The camp, held in Anaheim, California, concluded late June 6. That meant the the Penn State University recruit required a red-eye flight to Cleveland if he wanted to return home in time for Meadville’s latest playoff match.
By its end, though, it was the Bridgers who were wearied by Soerensen and his teammates.
Meadville maintained its bid to repeat as the state’s best 2A program with a 25-23, 25-15, 25-21 victory at Laurel High School’s gymnasium. The District 10 champion will carry a 17-0 dual record into its June 10 semifinal against Shaler or Brandywine Heights.
Ambridge’s season ended at 16-3. The Bridgers, the PIAA’s small-school titlists for its 2009 season, sought to reach a state final for the first time since 2016.
This is an ongoing story that the Erie Times-News will continue to follow.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
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