AUBURN, Ala. –  As part of an SEC/ACC showdown, Auburn volleyball will host Virginia in the inaugural ‘Showdown at the Net’ volleyball tournament, the conference and ESPN Events announced Thursday. 

The Tigers will host the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Sept. 9, inside Neville Arena.  The match will be streamed live on SECN Network Plus and a first serve time will be announced at a later date. 

Other action around the league on Tuesday features Stanford at Missouri, Texas A&M at SMU, Georgia Tech at Tennessee, Florida at North Carolina, Georgia at Clemson, LSU at Notre Dame and Boston College at Arkansas. The slate continues on Wednesday, Sept. 10, with Florida State at Oklahoma, South Carolina at NC State, Ole Miss at Miami, Vanderbilt at Cal, Wake Forest at Alabama and Duke at Mississippi State.

A four-team showcase, including Pitt, Kentucky, Louisville and Texas will clash on Wednesday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The Panthers will face the Wildcats, while the Cardinals will take on the Longhorns. Both matches will air on ESPN. 

“We are excited to have the Southeastern Conference participate in the first edition of ‘Showdown at the Net’,” said Misty Brown, SEC Assistant Commissioner. “We look forward to seeing some high-caliber volleyball as the storied programs from the SEC prepare to build upon their recent successes during the 2025 season.”

Head coach Brent Crouch and Co. will announce the remaining non-conference schedule at a later date.

About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2024-25 academic year, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

Waterville, Maine – After months of preparation, the final cuts have been made and ten Mules will be attending the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championship starting Thursday. The squad will be competing in six events, the same amount as last year, consisting of three individual events and three relays. 

The four day event starts Thursday, May 22 and wraps up on Sunday, May 26 taking place at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio. Fans can check out the full event schedule with results and live video using these links. 

For each individual event contested, including the decathlon and heptathlon, the top 22 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested, the top 16 declared relay teams, one per institution, were accepted into the competition.  

Colby Athletes and Events: 

Levi Biery – Men’s 400m Hurdles, 4x400m Relay

Charlotte Brake-Hoffman – Women’s 4x100m Relay

Jackson Coelho – Men’s 4x400m Relay

Olivia Doherty – Women’s 4x400m Relay

Kaitlyn Ewald – Women’s 4x400m Relay

Peter Martel – Men’s 4x400m Relay

Fiona Mejico – Women’s 400m Hurdles, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Simone Waheed – Women’s 100m, 4x100m Relay

Ren Zanze – 4x400m Relay

Tally Zeller – Women’s 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Samuel Graubart – Men’s Relay (alternate)

Michelle Barnes – Women’s Relay (alternate) 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – ESPN Events announced the inaugural “Showdown at the Net”, set for September 9-10, which will feature 16 of the 18 Atlantic Coast Conference volleyball teams taking on teams from the Southeastern Conference.

“We are thrilled to showcase these two conferences in the ‘Showdown at the Net’,” said Stephanie Grant, Director of ESPN Events. “The sport of volleyball is continuing to skyrocket and we are excited for the opportunity to stage this event not only in Fort Worth, but in SEC/ACC matchups across the country.”

The Showdown at the Net is a two-year agreement that will feature 16 ACC and 16 SEC volleyball teams going head-to-head. ESPN will host one neutral site event with two teams from each conference while all other matches will take place on ACC or SEC campuses. All matches will be aired on ESPN, ACCN and SECN linear networks and ACCN+ and SECN+ digital platforms.

Teams were selected and seeded based on the RPI that was released on December 1, 2024, at the time of the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Championship selections.

The ACC is proud to partner with ESPN and the SEC on a volleyball challenge that will showcase both conferences, including two neutral-site games as part of the inaugural ‘Showdown at the Net’,” said Jared Romance, ACC Assistant Director of Championships. “We look forward to competing in this premier event and watching our student-athletes and programs be nationally showcased as part of this exciting initiative.”

The neutral site event, named the Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net, is a four-team showcase that will take place on Wednesday, September 10, featuring Pitt versus Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. ET and Louisville versus Texas at 9 p.m. ET at the Dickies Arena in Forth Worth, Texas.

Shriners Children’s Hospital serves as the title sponsor of the four-team showcase, adding to their portfolio of ESPN Events. Tickets for the Fort Worth event are set to go on sale early this summer, but fans are encouraged to sign up for pre-sale alerts via www.showdownatthenet.com.

“The Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net is another way for our healthcare system to showcase the life-changing efforts that we perform for children across the nation and worldwide,” said Bob Roller, Shriners Children’s Vice President for Sports. “We are extremely pleased to join these universities to highlight an NCAA women’s sport that is growing at an incredible pace.” 

Showdown at the Net Game Schedule

Tuesday, September 9

Stanford at Missouri | ESPN2

Texas A&M at SMU | ESPN2

Florida at North Carolina | ACCN

Georgia Tech at Tennessee | SECN

Georgia at Clemson | ACCNX

LSU at Notre Dame | ACCNX

Boston College at Arkansas | SECN+

Virginia at Auburn | SECN+

Wednesday, September 10

Louisville vs. Texas | ESPN

Pitt vs. Kentucky | ESPN

South Carolina at NC State | ACCN

Florida State at Oklahoma | SECN

Ole Miss at Miami | ACCNX

Vanderbilt at Cal | ACCNX

Duke at Mississippi State | SECN+

Wake Forest at Alabama | SECN+

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premier regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.

About Shriners Children’s:

Shriners Children’s is a leader in providing care for orthopedic conditions, burn injuries, spinal cord injuries and other spine disorders, rehabilitation, sports injuries and craniofacial conditions. We also offer specialized services, including orthotics and prosthetics and motion analysis. We strive to provide the care and support our patients need to reach their goals and discover their full potential. In addition, our healthcare system conducts research to improve our patients’ quality of life and offers outstanding educational programs for medical professionals. All care and services are provided regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status.

Shriners Children’s is a nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. For more information, including the full range of care disciplines, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.

For the first time since its founding in 1956, Cor Jesu Academy has added water polo to its athletic offerings. Though monumental for the school itself, the team is making regional history as the first and only all-girls private school water polo team in St. Louis that is not co-opted with another high school. 

“I think it’s really cool to be a part of history,” freshman Mia Tettamble said.

This all came to be thanks to Cor Jesu’s swim coach, Qi Franz, her son, Mark Franz, and a few inquisitive parents. 

Qi explained that a few years ago, a family from the area involved with water polo came to Cor Jesu for an open house. They inquired about water polo at Cor Jesu, as their son’s private high school had a team, wanting the same experience for their daughter. 

“I told the AD (athletic director), we’re going to have water polo. You have a coach, you have swimmers, just get going,” Qi said.

To form the inaugural team, Qi began with recruiting the Cor Jesu swim team, then looked to contact sports athletes wanting to try something new in order to find players not as intimidated by aggression.

“I didn’t come from the swim team, so it’s a little more challenging, the swimming aspect of it. But the aggressiveness was kind of right up my alley because I played a lot of soccer,” freshman Claire Madsen said.

Since its formation this winter, the team’s skills have grown exponentially, with almost every player on the 10-man team scoring against well-established, large teams in the area at least once. Couple this with the fact that the entirety of Cor Jesu’s had never played the sport before February makes this season that much more impressive, despite their losing record.

“Our team is (pretty much a) JV team, everybody’s brand new, with no knowledge (of the sport before this season),” Qi said. “They’re getting better. They’re having more fun.”

“It’s really cool to see that the girls took a leap of faith, playing a sport that they’ve never done before,” Mark, who played water polo when he was in high school at SLUH, added. “Coming from swimming, they don’t make contact. It’s hard to get in the mindset of doing something with the ball before it comes to you, having something planned out. It was a lot of panicking at the beginning of the season, but (as) the season went on, people are a lot more comfortable. It’s pretty cool to see.”

As the team is currently made up of 10 members, with seven playing at any given point during each game, Cor Jesu water polo hopes to grow its numbers next season and for seasons to come.

“Some days we have negative one subs,” senior Sophia Spivey, one of the team’s captains and the only goalie, joked. 

“I think through social media and talking about it, people have heard more about our team, and a lot of people at our school want to join it next year,” junior Nora Cooke, one of the team’s captains, said. “When they talk about it on our CJATV broadcast system in the morning, everyone’s like, ‘oh, I want to do water polo,’ so I think the team will actually grow a lot next year.”

In the meantime, to prepare for a successful second year, the team plans on practicing and enhancing their newfound skills during the off-season. Many will also compete in summer swim leagues, keeping their swimming strength up.

Though the future looks bright for Cor Jesu water polo, not all members of the inaugural team will be there for it as seniors – and captains – Spivey and Ella Kuntz graduate this month from Cor Jesu.

“It feels absolutely spectacular,to be a captain of the first-ever all-girls school water polo team in St. Louis,” Spivey said.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri volleyball will host Stanford in the 2025 “Showdown at the Net” Southeastern Conference/Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge, ESPN Events announced Thursday.

The Tigers will take on Stanford on Tuesday, Sept. 9 in a linear matchup on ESPN at Hearnes Center. Start time to be announced at a later date.

MU is 0-2 in its all-time series with Stanford as the two teams last met in the 2006 NCAA Tournament on Dec. 3, with the host Cardinal taking a 3-2 decision in Palo Alto, California.

Prior to that meeting, Stanford swept the Tigers on Sept. 5, 1997.

Besides the Mizzou-Stanford match on Tuesday, Sept. 9, “Showdown at the Net” action SEC-ACC matchups also include Texas A&M at SMU (ESPN2), Georgia Tech at Tennessee (SECN), Florida at North Carolina (ACCN), Georgia at Clemson (ACCNX), Virginia at Auburn (SECN+), LSU at Notre Dame (ACCNX) and Boston College at Arkansas (SECN+).

“We are thrilled to showcase these two conferences in the ‘Showdown at the Net’,” said Stephanie Grant, Director of ESPN Events. “The sport of volleyball is continuing to skyrocket, and we are excited for the opportunity to stage this event not only in Fort Worth, but in SEC/ACC matchups across the country.”

Wednesday, Sept. 10 continues the cross-conference challenge with Florida State at Oklahoma (SECN), South Carolina at NC State (ACCN), Ole Miss at Miami (ACCNX), Vanderbilt at Cal (ACCNX), Wake Forest at Alabama (SECN+) and Duke at Mississippi State (SECN+).

“We are excited to have the Southeastern Conference participate in the first edition of ‘Showdown at the Net’,” said Misty Brown, SEC Assistant Commissioner. “We look forward to seeing some high-caliber volleyball as the storied programs from the SEC prepare to build upon their recent successes during the 2025 season.”

Wednesday, Sept. 10 also includes the inaugural Shriners Children’s ‘Showdown at the Net’. The four-team showcase will feature Kentucky vs. Pitt and Texas vs. Louisville at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Both matches will air on ESPN, with start times to be announced at a later date.

“Showdown at the Net” Schedule

Tuesday, September 9

Wednesday, September 10

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

• For all the latest information on Mizzou volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram, and Facebook

DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University Athletics and the Huskie Athletic Fund have once again paired up with the Sycamore Education Foundation to present the SEF Huskie Royale, an evening of fun, food and games with this year’s “Summer Solstice” theme celebrating the long, hot days of summer. This 2025 event is set for Friday, June 6 from 6-11 p.m. at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center on the NIU campus.
 
Fans, friends and community members are invited to come together to enjoy an evening of entertainment featuring casino-style games, a Brazilian steakhouse-themed buffet and a private concert by Chicago country music artist Mackenzie O’Brien.
 
Proceeds from the 2025 SEF Huskie Royale support NIU Athletics and educational opportunities in the community through the Sycamore Education Foundation.
 
Tickets to the event are $150 each with a “Couples Package” available for $475 that includes two tickets and 20 High Roller raffle tickets, which will be on sale for purchase to anyone in attendance at a cost of $100 for 10 tickets if purchased in advance or seven for $100 at the Huskie Royale. Attendees will enjoy an open bar cocktail hour featuring select beer and wines from 6-7:30 p.m., the buffet with food available throughout the evening, music, and $100 in entertainment casino chips with unlimited refills.
 
Play blackjack, roulette, craps and more while mingling with Huskie coaches and staff, including football head coach Thomas Hammock, new women’s basketball head coach Jaycee Brooks and Sean T. Frazier, vice president and director of athletics and recreation. With the Huskie Summer Circuit on hiatus this year, the SEF Huskie Royale is the perfect place to check in with your favorite coach and program in a relaxed and fun-filled setting while supporting Huskie Athletics and the local community.
 
Note that casino games are set up for your enjoyment and entertainment only and do not have a monetary value. 
 
Several unique experiences will be up for bid for those in attendance at the event, while the Huskie Royale silent auction is now open to anyone at NIUHuskies.com/HuskieRoyale25 and offers travel experiences with NIU teams, including NIU football trips to Mississippi State and Maryland, exclusive packages during home games and more. Click the link to see details.
 
Attendees can purchase High Roller raffle tickets, either in person at the event (7 for $100) or online in advance (10 for $100), for a chance to win items like a signed Huskie football helmet, $150 Victor E. Threads shopping spree, suites at NIU basketball or a Kane County Cougars game, items commemorating NIU’s historic win at Notre Dame, specialty gift baskets and more.  Raffle winners must be present to win. Stay tuned to the Huskie Athletic Fund social media platforms for more on the raffle items. 

Purchase tickets, including raffle tickets, to the 2025 SEF Huskie Royale online at NIUHuskies.com/HuskieRoyale25 today.  For more information or to register by phone, call the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923.

 

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