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White Announces New Contract Extension For Kim Caldwell

Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced that Tennessee Athletics and head women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell have agreed to a one-year contract extension. The extension keeps Caldwell under contract through March 31, 2030. “From our first meeting with Kim, it was clear that she is a groundbreaking innovator destined to lead the future of women’s basketball,” […]

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White Announces New Contract Extension For Kim Caldwell

Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced that Tennessee Athletics and head women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell have agreed to a one-year contract extension. The extension keeps Caldwell under contract through March 31, 2030.
 
“From our first meeting with Kim, it was clear that she is a groundbreaking innovator destined to lead the future of women’s basketball,” said White. “In just one season, we experienced firsthand how her winning formula can revolutionize the game with her dynamic, high-octane offense and relentless defense. The promising future of Lady Vols basketball is in great hands under Kim’s leadership, setting the stage for a remarkable journey ahead!”
 
Caldwell guided the Lady Vols to 24 wins and an appearance in the Sweet 16 in her first season at the helm on Rocky Top. The 24 wins ranked second among first-year Lady Vol head coaches behind only Holly Warlick (27 in 2012-13).
 
“I am grateful for Danny’s continued trust and belief in me after a foundational first season here at Tennessee,” Caldwell said. “I am very proud of our players and staff for the effort they put in and for what we accomplished together. I look forward to getting back to work, finding ways we can improve our program and continuing to take the steps necessary to compete for championships.”
 
In her first season at Tennessee and at the Power 4 level, Caldwell guided the Lady Vols to as high as No. 11 in the national rankings en route to a 24-10 record, and she extended the program’s record-setting run to 43-straight NCAA Tournaments. UT, a No. 5 seed in the tourney, advanced to its 37th all-time NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to No. 1 seed and fifth-ranked Texas.
 
Her squad earned four victories over ranked opponents in 2024-25, including a home triumph over No. 5 UConn that was witnessed by a crowd of 16,215 that ranked as the best for a women’s game at Food City Center since the 2011-12 campaign. That total helped the Lady Vols average 10,647 in attendance per game, ranking No. 5 nationally and standing as the best season mark since leading the nation at 11,038 in 2013-14.
 
Caldwell’s first squad on Rocky Top showcased the up-tempo, high-intensity system that has enabled her to compile a 241-41 (.855) record in nine seasons as a head coach. The Lady Vols finished second nationally in three-pointers made per game (10.1) and were third in scoring offense (86.6) and offensive rebounds per game (16.9). They also finished fifth in bench points per game (29.8) and ninth in turnovers forced per contest (22.18). 
 
Tennessee set SEC and school records for three-pointers made (343) and attempted (1,054) in a season. It also set NCAA, SEC and UT records for threes made in a game, hitting 30 vs. North Carolina Central on Dec. 14, and the Big Orange set SEC and program bests for treys attempted in that contest with 63. Additionally, the Lady Vols scored 139 points vs. N.C. Central, notching a program best with that total and tying for the fifth-most in NCAA Division I history.
 
With a new coaching staff in place for only six months, Tennessee pulled in a five-player signing class that is ranked No. 1 or No. 2 by most recruiting services. Caldwell and her staff landed a group that is rated No. 1 by 247Sports and No. 2 by ESPN as well as several other organizations.
 
It marks the first time the Lady Vols have been ranked in the top 10 by any organization since 2019 (No. 9/ ESPN), in the top five since 2018 (No. 4/ESPN) and in the top two since 2017 (No. 1/ESPN). Additionally, this marks UT’s first group with four ESPN top-50 rated signees since landing four in 2018 and its first class with five high school players inking paperwork since the program reeled in six scholarship players (all in the top 35) back in 2008.

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Beach Volleyball’s Historic Season Comes to an End at the 2025 NCAA Championships

Story Links GULF SHORES, Ala. — A season to remember for the Chattanooga beach volleyball squad came to a close on Friday at the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships, as the No. 16 seed Sandy Mocs fell to top-seeded UCLA 3-0 in the opening round of the tournament in Gulf […]

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GULF SHORES, Ala. — A season to remember for the Chattanooga beach volleyball squad came to a close on Friday at the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships, as the No. 16 seed Sandy Mocs fell to top-seeded UCLA 3-0 in the opening round of the tournament in Gulf Shores.

After going back-to-back as Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament champions, the Mocs (26-6, 10-0 OVC) looked to put the Scenic City on the beach volleyball map as they took center stage on national TV against the No. 1 seeded Bruins (31-6). UTC leaves Gulf Shores having done just that, as the Sandy Mocs can hang their hats on competing with one of the top beach volleyball programs in the country.

“A team like this and a year like this, you just never really want it to end,” head coach Darin Van Horn said. “I’m just so proud of everybody and the way that they’ve battled throughout the year. I have all these memories from this year and I just don’t want them to stop, but every great thing has to come to a close.

“I think we can be proud of the way we showed up and competed against UCLA. Obviously they got the best of us, but as the No. 1 seed in the tournament you expect them to be tough and handle their business, and we still had some great back-and-forths with them. I think we shocked them and probably some other people watching with how well we competed today.”

The Sandy Mocs will now say goodbye to a group of four impactful seniors that have truly left their mark on Chattanooga beach volleyball. Neva Clark, Joy Courtright, Paige Gallentine and Kit Gresham leave having built up a foundation for the future of the program, while also leaving behind a legacy that no one can take away from them.

“For us to go out swinging today, I think we should all be proud of ourselves,” Coach Van Horn added. “A lot of tears and a lot of hugs were had, but this was definitely one that we’re all going to remember for a very long time.”

No. 16 Chattanooga vs. No. 1 UCLA – L, 0-3

With the ESPN2 cameras rolling and the bleachers packed at Gulf Beach Place, the Sandy Mocs came into their matchup against the No. 1 seeded UCLA Bruins with one thing in mind: putting Chattanooga beach volleyball on the map. While the overall 3-0 result may not have gone in UTC’s favor, the team still leaves Gulf Shores having accomplished its goal.

The Mocs put together admirable performances across all five courts of action, most noticeably in the opening sets on Courts 1, 2 and 5. Starting first on Court 1, the top-flight pair of Neva Clark and Corina Vale left every last ounce out on the sand against a pair of All-Americans for the Bruins. Clark and Vale were able to hang tight with the UCLA duo, only falling 21-17 in the opening frame before eventually losing the second 21-10.

The match marked the end of Clark’s collegiate career, one that consists of countless awards, honors, records and memories. The three-time OVC Player of the Year concludes her time at UTC as the program’s all-time winningest player.

UTC’s Court 2 pair of McKenna Faychak and Maddie Lecik had an unbelievable performance for the Mocs, pushing UCLA’s No. 2 pairing to a 21-18 result in the first set and going unfinished overall. The same can be said on Court 5, as Ansley Gulledge and Sydney Jackwin also dropped a very narrow 21-18 first set before their match went unfinished on the day.

On Court 3, the senior duo of Paige Gallentine and Kit Gresham saw their Sandy Moc careers come to a close as they would drop a pair of 21-12 sets to give UCLA yet another point on the board. The match would not conclude, however, without Gallentine showcasing some astounding digs on defense alongside Gresham tallying not one, but two of her patented windmill kills.

And finally, the No. 4 pairing of Joy Courtright and Julia Lawrence marked the clinching blow for the Bruins as UCLA would pick up a 21-11, 21-16 match win to seal a 3-0 victory over the Mocs. The match also marked the end of yet another illustrious career, as Joy Courtright made her final appearance in a UTC uniform.

Mocs fans have plenty to be excited about for next season, as starters Vale, Faychak, Lecik, Lawrence, Gulledge and Jackwin are all set to return to the team’s 2026 squad.

1. Sally Perez/Maggie Boyd (UCLA) def. Neva Clark/Corina Vale (UTC) 21-17, 21-10

2. McKenna Faychak/Maddie Lecik (UTC) vs. Peri Brennan/Natalie Myszkowski (UCLA) 18-21, 11-16 unfinished

3. Jessie Smith/Kenzie Brower (UCLA) def. Kit Gresham/Paige Gallentine (UTC) 21-12, 21-12

4. Alexa Fernandez/Kaley Mathews (UCLA) def. Joy Courtright/Julia Lawrence (UTC) 21-11, 21-16

5. Ansley Gulledge/Sydney Jackwin (UTC) vs. Harper Cooper/Ensley Alden (UCLA) 18-21, 13-15 unfinished

Order of finish: 3, 1, 4

FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA BEACH VOLLEYBALL

For the most up-to-date information regarding Chattanooga Beach Volleyball, please follow us on Twitter (@GoMocsBeachVB), Instagram (@GoMocsBeachVB) & Facebook (Chattanooga Athletics Department) or visit GoMocs.com.

GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.





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Trio of Gauchos Earn All-Big West Honors

Story Links IRVINE, Calif. — The Big West announced its 2025 Women’s Water Polo all-conference teams Friday, honoring three UC Santa Barbara student-athletes. Annie Kuester earned a spot on the All-Big West Second Team, Imani Clemons earned All-Big West Honorable Mention, and Bella Mady was named to the conference’s All-Freshman team. This […]

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IRVINE, Calif. — The Big West announced its 2025 Women’s Water Polo all-conference teams Friday, honoring three UC Santa Barbara student-athletes. Annie Kuester earned a spot on the All-Big West Second Team, Imani Clemons earned All-Big West Honorable Mention, and Bella Mady was named to the conference’s All-Freshman team. This is the first time since 2019 that the Gauchos have had three all-conference honorees, and this year’s honors are the first in each Gaucho’s respective careers.
 
One of Santa Barbara’s captains and the focal point of their attack this season, Kuester started the season hot and just never cooled off, scoring 60 goals on the year, the first Gaucho to reach that number since Sarah Snyder scored 66 in 2019. Kuester opened the season with four consecutive hat-tricks, then tallied a five-goal game against Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 1, more than half of her team’s goals in the 9-8 win. She was just as unstoppable in conference play, scoring at least once in each of Santa Barbara’s Big West matches, including three at UC San Diego, three at Cal State Fullerton and five at UC Irvine, a haul which earned her the title of Big West Player of the Week. On the year, Kuester finished eighth in the conference in total goals and 10th in total points (goals plus assists), with 81.
 
Clemons was just as dominant as Kuester in conference action this season, tying her senior classmate with 19 goals in Big West games to share the title of Gauchos’ leading conference scorer. The center came alive down the stretch, scoring four goals in each of the final regular-season games, two of eight hat-tricks on the season. In March, she scored eight goals in three days with three against Hawai’i and a career-best five against UC Davis. Earlier in the year, she also tallied four against Indiana. Her 50 goals on the season make 2025 the first time since 2013 that two Gauchos have reached the half-century mark in the same year.
 
They nearly had three members in the 50-goal club this year, as Mady put together a tremendous rookie campaign, tallying 45 goals in her first year of collegiate water polo. The 45 tallies are the most by a UC Santa Barbara freshman since Samantha Murphy and Jessie Porter’s excellent 2013 seasons, where Murphy scored 78 and Porter 51. In 2025, Mady’s 45 goals were the second-most by any Big West rookie, behind only Freshman of the Year Ema Vernoux, of Hawai’i. Mady made a big splash early, scoring four goals in each of her first two games as a Gaucho and recording at least one goal in each of her first nine collegiate games, including four hat-tricks in that span. She tallied the first five-goal game of her career against Villanova, then announced herself to the conference with a three-goal game against Long Beach State in what was her first-ever Big West match. Mady ended the season on a five-game scoring streak, including a goal on her Big West Championship debut in the quarterfinal against UC Irvine.
 



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No. 17 Winter Haven beach volleyball advances to regional final

WINTER HAVEN ― It’s expected that the farther a team goes in the regional beach volleyball playoffs, the stiffer the competition will get. That’s exactly what happened in the Class 3A regional semifinals on Friday at Winter Haven, as Winter Haven, the No. 1 seed in regionals and the No. 17 team in all of […]

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WINTER HAVEN ― It’s expected that the farther a team goes in the regional beach volleyball playoffs, the stiffer the competition will get.

That’s exactly what happened in the Class 3A regional semifinals on Friday at Winter Haven, as Winter Haven, the No. 1 seed in regionals and the No. 17 team in all of Florida, took on Riverview Sarasota as the No. 4 seed in regionals. The Rams took the momentum early before the Blue Devils recaptured its magical momentum that has been evident all year, ultimately winning 3-1 and advancing to the regional finals.

“(I’m) proud of the team for getting one step closer — 100%. This is two out of five. The third one is going to be big for a regional championship and to advance to a final four. But I’m so proud of them ― the fight that they showed today and the resolve playing against a better team and better competition where everything wasn’t going our way all the time. We had to battle some adversity, and the kids responded and answered that call. All the credit too. All the credit to the girls for seeing better competition and stepping up to the plate,” Winter Haven head volleyball coach Dylan Sechrest said.

Boasting some talented players, the No. 1 line of Sarasota won over Winter Haven’s, which comprises The Ledger’s Player of the Year Rylee Tanner and Kylie Catrett. But Tanner and Catrett put up a fight.

Still, the No. 2 line comprised of Sophia Whitaker and Kindyl Goff was challenged as well but eventually came up victorious 2-0.

For the No. 3 line, Emily Drier and Addison Traina seized control the entire time, winning 2-0.

Additionally, in an effort to play much better than last week’s performance, the No. 4 line of Hala Heath and Isabella Sumner fought tooth and nail down to the wire and would go on to go down 2-1.

“…I got to give them their flowers: They fought a lot better. They did lose the first set. Still came out a little slow there. But then the second set they came fighting back and took the second set from them. … So, a much better battle today (for)the 4 line, especially seeing some better competition as well. They played better today. (They) just got to continue to do a little bit better of a job of following the game plan and making in-game adjustments.”

And the No. 5 line, Camila DeJesus and Leah Robles, put on a dominate show from start to finish, also winning 2-0.

With an overall good showing, Sechrest said it will be all about honing skills, practicing solid serves, putting the opposing team in compromising situations and minimizing errors.

The regional final will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Winter Haven High School vs. Venice — the No. 22 team in Florida.



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Volleyball Returns to West End

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The re-introduced Vanderbilt volleyball program will play its first-ever NCAA match in Nashville on Aug. 29 versus Belmont with first serve slated for 7 p.m. The match will take place on Wyatt Lawn with a concert to follow. There will be special seating for season ticketholders based on availability. Fill out the season […]

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May 2, 2025

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The re-introduced Vanderbilt volleyball program will play its first-ever NCAA match in Nashville on Aug. 29 versus Belmont with first serve slated for 7 p.m. The match will take place on Wyatt Lawn with a concert to follow.

There will be special seating for season ticketholders based on availability. Fill out the season ticket interest form to be notified when season tickets go on sale.

Those interested in supporting Vanderbilt volleyball can do so through the program’s giving page.





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Utah dropping beach volleyball and cites its change in conferences as a factor

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in… SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in part because of conference realignment. Utah introduced beach volleyball — an Olympic sport since 1996 […]

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in…

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in part because of conference realignment.

Utah introduced beach volleyball — an Olympic sport since 1996 — in 2017, when the Utes competed in the Pac-12 Conference. The Pac-12 had nine beach volleyball programs at the time but most of those schools have since left for the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12.

Utah is now in the Big 12, which has just three other beach volleyball programs and no automatic qualifying spot for the NCAA Tournament for its league champion.

“This was an extremely difficult decision,” athletics director Mark Harlan said this week. “We looked at the landscape of intercollegiate beach volleyball and the future opportunities of our student-athletes.”

Calling beach volleyball’s growth at the college level “stunted,” Harlan noted that just 12 power conference schools sponsor such teams “with little evidence of the sport expanding at this time.”

Harlan said the Utah athletic department would “work closely with each of our impacted student-athletes to provide them with all of the support they need” and honor the scholarships of those who decide to complete their education at Utah.

“Should a current or incoming student-athlete elect to pursue their sport at another school, Utah will do all that it can to facilitate the process,” Harlan said, adding that scholarship funds which had been dedicated to the beach volleyball program will be redirected to our other women’s sports.

Utah will now sponsor 19 intercollegiate sport programs in the coming academic year.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.



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Hear Aussie Olympian Kyle Chalmers Predict Inaugural 50s Stroke OLY Champions

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last month, you know that World Aquatics announced the addition of 50s of backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games event lineup. The swimming community’s response has been mostly positive, with Olympians and swim enthusiasts vocalizing their excitement for these rapid-fire races. Speculation […]

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last month, you know that World Aquatics announced the addition of 50s of backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games event lineup.

The swimming community’s response has been mostly positive, with Olympians and swim enthusiasts vocalizing their excitement for these rapid-fire races.

Speculation of who potentially could be the first-ever 50m sprint Olympic champions is happening all over the world and it’s not just limited to swim fans in the stands.

World Aquatics recently asked Australian Olympic multi-medalist Kyle Chalmers who could be at the top of the podiums just about three years from now.

To start, he’s not shy about pegging an Aussie duo for the men’s and women’s 50m backstroke, identifying Isaac Cooper and Kaylee McKeown as the inaugural champions.

Via the social media post below, hear who else Chalmers has tabbed for gold and his reasoning for the predictions.

Chalmers’ Predictions:

  • 50m back – Isaac Cooper (AUS) & Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
  • 50m breast – Adam Peaty (GBR) & Ruta Meilutyte (LTU)
  • 50m free/fly – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE)





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