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Tristan H. Cockcroft Apr 9, 2025, 10:24 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The early stages of the MLB season tend to be critical for close-up pitching examinations. That’s because it’s a time where each year’s unexpected aces often surface, with 2024 presenting as good an example for us as any. On this date just one […]

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Fantasy baseball

The early stages of the MLB season tend to be critical for close-up pitching examinations. That’s because it’s a time where each year’s unexpected aces often surface, with 2024 presenting as good an example for us as any.

On this date just one year ago, Garrett Crochet had a 2.00 ERA and a 31.3% strikeout rate through his three starts, on a path to a major breakthrough campaign. Eventual AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal had a 2.08 ERA and a 32.6% K rate through his two turns. And that’s not to say that either’s microscopic sample was precisely what mattered, but rather, each had already shown us skills-related signs of what might be to come over the subsequent five-plus months.

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This is the dilemma for us in fantasy baseball analysis: We caution not to read too deeply into small sample sizes, yet we must make judgments upon them nevertheless, or risk missing out on league-deciding possibilities. I therefore consider April to be a time to closely scrutinize the starting pitching field, dig deeply into the underlying numbers, and see what’s there to hint at the potential emergence of which unexpected sources could become 2025’s versions of Crochet or Skubal.

Let’s identify five starting pitchers who already appear to be on track to take sizable steps forward this season. Based upon their offseason adjustments, spring training outlooks and/or early season returns, I’m labeling this quintet as my five DO NOT TRADE pitchers.

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    Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves: Here’s a pitcher I’ve written about before, not to mention aggressively targeted in my own leagues. Through two starts, Schwellenbach has looked every bit the part of the fantasy ace. Despite questions about the effects of his 2024 workload spike — he totaled 168 2/3 IP between the majors and minors, after only 65 in 2023 and zero in 2022 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery — his stuff hasn’t looked any less filthy than it did when he had a 2.47 ERA and a 27.1% K rate across his final 12 starts of 2024.

    Schwellenbach already has positive Statcast Run Values on five of his six pitches — his cutter, just as it was last year, remains his weakest offering. Plus, he’s doing a much better job of locating his fastball up and away to left-handed hitters, who have a 42% whiff rate against it thus far (after only 10% in 2024). Yes, he’s actually improving, which is exactly what we want to see from a pitcher with whom we might otherwise have had stamina concerns.

    The upshot is that, fingers crossed on said stamina holding, Schwellenbach is a legitimate Cy Young Award contender, and a boost beyond the 180-IP threshold would make him a virtual lock for a top-10 positional valuation.

    Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies: Another pitcher cited in my preseason “Kings of Command” column, Sanchez has continued to exhibit the heightened sinker velocity that he did during spring training, with the pitch averaging 96.1 mph through two starts (compared to 94.5 mph in 2024 and 92.1 mph in 2023). That boost, and the contrast it provides to his put-away pitches, the changeup and slider, make it all the tougher for opposing hitters to handle them, too.

    One of the reasons Sanchez makes this list is the reminder that, despite his 4.09 ERA, he remains one of the year’s bigger breakthrough candidates. Bear in mind that his ERA has been adversely impacted by one of his two starts coming against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a game in which Teoscar Hernandez took him deep twice on sinkers. Even with that, Statcast says that Sanchez’s expected wOBA on his most-used pitch should be .268, not its current .349, so tuck that away as a matchups-driven aberration.

    Sanchez concluded spring training as my No. 36 starting pitcher, but his upside is within the position’s top 25, making him a poor choice to trade away (and, naturally, an excellent target if you didn’t get him in the draft).

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    MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals: Gore was all the rage in fantasy after striking out 13 Phillies across six shutout innings on Opening Day and his roster rate soared by 10% the following day. However, he was also awfully impressive in his most-recent start against the Dodgers, generating 12 swinging strikes and 19 called strikes among his 100 total pitches. What’s changed for Gore this season is a greater reliance upon his secondary pitches, especially when ahead in the count or in put-away mode, which is a big deal for a pitcher who has a curveball (19% career usage) with a 35% whiff rate, a slider (11%) at 37% and a changeup (6%) at 48%.

    Gore is now effectively a fastball/slider pitcher against lefties. Other than the three hits (a single, a triple and a home run) he surrendered to Shohei Ohtani on Monday, lefties are just 2-for-15 with 10 K’s and a 41% whiff rate against him. That Gore is also doing a better job of getting ahead in the count — his 64% first-pitch strike rate thus far would represent a career high, coming on the heels of his 65% rate in that category over the final two months of 2024 — only helps his cause, with all those filthy pitches with which to generate punchouts.

    There might not be any pitcher I’m more disappointed to have missed out on this season, as other than Gore’s fly ball tendencies (a 24th percentile 39% career ground ball rate) and difficulties minimizing hard contact (a 19th percentile 42% hard-hit rate), little stands in his path to a breakthrough, top-20 SP caliber season.

    Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers: The “shot in the dark” pick on this list, Mize’s 2025 transformation is far too interesting to peddle him on the fantasy trade market at the probable expected level of return. Yes, he has made only two starts. Yes, he has durability concerns underscored by his having exceeded 110 professional innings in only one of the last five uninterrupted seasons, but the adjustments he has made amplify his upside in a way that most fantasy managers don’t yet fully appreciate.

    Mize, another of the increasing number of pitchers who went to Driveline during the offseason, has made his splitter — a staple of his repertoire dating back to his days at Auburn — more of a focus of his game this season. He’s throwing it considerably harder this season, averaging 88.1 mph with the pitch, nearly 2 full mph faster than in any prior year. He has also generated seven strikeouts and 11 swings-and-misses with it (with many of them coming in Monday’s start against the vaunted New York Yankees lineup).

    This isn’t to say that Mize should immediately be treated like a top-40 fantasy starting pitcher. Sure, if that’s the caliber of trade package you’re being offered for him, by all means cash in now. His ceiling is certainly within that range.

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    Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies: Like Gore, I missed out on many shares of Luzardo. In this case, it was a matter of my being unimpressed by how he looked during the brief spring action in which I saw him. His 9.49 spring ERA probably turned many prospective fantasy managers away. Between that and his injury history — a pair of IL stints in 2024 and an average of only 21 starts annually from 2022-24 — he probably won’t currently fetch you an appropriate return via trade.

    Luzardo has, thus far, shown excellent fastball velocity (96.8 mph, which would be a career high) and is getting oodles of swings-and-misses with both his sweeper and slider (14 total K’s, 18 whiffs). It was always apparent during his time in Miami that he had front-of-the-rotation stuff and, considering all the questions surrounding him during the offseason and early stages of spring training, it’s promising to see his stuff registering with some of the best rates of any point in his career.

    As with Mize, Luzardo is a pitcher worth cashing in on if the offer is generous — I’d say a top-30 starter’s price point should do it — but I’ll point out that he was a pitcher I considered mentioning in my “Phillies dominate the Cy Young balloting” hot take over on our MLB pages. If he somehow could stay healthy for 180 innings — a bold, bold leap, I know — he’d have every bit as good a shot at those votes as would the aforementioned Sanchez.

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    Southern Virginia Beach Volleyball’s Milius and Grasteit Earn AVCA Top Flight Honors in Inaugural Season

    Story Links Buena Vista, Va. — The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has announced its 2025 Top Flight award winners, and Southern Virginia University’s Flight 1 duo, Kami Milius and Claire Grasteit, have been recognized among the nation’s best. The Top Flight program, now in its seventh year, celebrates beach volleyball […]

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    Buena Vista, Va. — The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has announced its 2025 Top Flight award winners, and Southern Virginia University’s Flight 1 duo, Kami Milius and Claire Grasteit, have been recognized among the nation’s best.

    The Top Flight program, now in its seventh year, celebrates beach volleyball pairs who compete in at least 15 matches at the same flight and win at least 75% of those matches. This year, only 88 pairs from 45 schools across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, NAIA, and two-year colleges earned this distinction—highlighting the elite level of performance required to make the list.

    Milius and Grasteit, both freshmen, stood out in Southern Virginia’s inaugural beach volleyball season, finishing the year with a team-best 23-6 record at the top flight. Their remarkable chemistry, and competitive spirit anchored the Knights throughout a groundbreaking debut campaign that lead up to a seventh-place finish at the AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball Championships.

    BVB at Lynchburg University Grasteit 2025

    Head Coach Jon Baker shared high praise for the standout freshmen duo:

    “Way to go Kami and Claire. I’m so proud of them. I believe they are the only freshmen pair to be recognized. They are so awesome and they worked so hard this year. I see big things happening for them in the future.”

    The Knights closed their first-ever season with 12 total wins, establishing themselves as a rising force in NCAA Division III beach volleyball. With Milius and Grasteit leading the charge, the future of Southern Virginia beach volleyball looks brighter than ever.

    For the latest updates on Southern Virginia beach volleyball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_beach on Instagram.



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    University of Utah Athletics

    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Utah outside hitter Kamryn Gibadlo, who is entering her junior season with the Utes in 2025, has been named one of 18 athletes on the U.S. Women’s U21 National Team that will train for the 2025 NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup in July.   Gibadlo, who earned honorable mention […]

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    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Utah outside hitter Kamryn Gibadlo, who is entering her junior season with the Utes in 2025, has been named one of 18 athletes on the U.S. Women’s U21 National Team that will train for the 2025 NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup in July.
     
    Gibadlo, who earned honorable mention All-America honors in her sophomore season at Utah, competed for USA Volleyball in 2024 as a member of the U21 National Team.
     
    “I’m so happy for Kamryn’s invitation to represent the USA for a second straight summer,” said head coach Beth Launiere. “She worked extremely hard this spring and is ready to go to another level with her game. Competing with and against other top players in the country will be a great challenge, but she is well prepared for this opportunity.”
     

    The 18 athletes announced this week by USA Volleyball will take part in a training block from July 13-19 at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 12-member team determined from that training block will compete for the Cup July 20-28, in San Jose, Costa Rica.
     
    Gibadlo started all 31 matches for the Utes in 2024 and was named first-team All-Big 12 and AVCA All-District, in addition to her honorable mention All-America nod. She appeared in 111 sets and led the Utah offense on multiple fronts with 22 double-digit kill matches, putting away 370 total kills and averaging 3.33 kills per set. The Cave Creek, Ariz., native, recorded double-digit kills with a .300+ hitting percentage 12 times during the 2024 season. In 22 matches against AVCA top-100 opponents, Gibadlo posted a .259 hitting percentage, averaging 3.49 kills per set.

    Gibadlo also excels in the classroom, as she earned 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors.

     



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    UCLA

    GULF SHORES, Ala. — Third-ranked and top-seeded UCLA (30-6) is in Gulf Shores, Ala., for the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship (May 2-4) at Gulf Place Beach. The Bruins will face 16th-seeded Chattanooga (26-5) on Friday, May 2 at 10:00 a.m. CT/8:00 a.m. PT. The dual will be televised live on ESPN2. THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE Opponent: No. 16 Chattanooga […]

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    GULF SHORES, Ala. — Third-ranked and top-seeded UCLA (30-6) is in Gulf Shores, Ala., for the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship (May 2-4) at Gulf Place Beach. The Bruins will face 16th-seeded Chattanooga (26-5) on Friday, May 2 at 10:00 a.m. CT/8:00 a.m. PT. The dual will be televised live on ESPN2.

    THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

    Opponent: No. 16 Chattanooga (26-5)

    Links: LIVE STATS | WATCH DUAL | COURT 1 | COURT 2 | COURT 3 | COURT 4 | COURT 5

    Location: Gulf Place Beach | Gulf Shores, Ala.

    Date: Friday, May 2, 2025

    Time: 10:00 a.m. CT/8:00 a.m. PT

    TV: ESPN2

    Series History: First ever meeting | Streak: n/a

    BRUINS IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

    UCLA is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025 and has won two national titles (2018 and 2019). The Bruins set a school, Pac-12, and NCAA record with 40 wins during the 2018 and 2023 campaigns. UCLA is 26-11 (.703) all-time in duals at the NCAA Championship and has three second-, two third- and one fifth-place finish in addition to the two national titles. Additionally, the Bruins have a 233-144 (.618) record in total sets played during the NCAA Championship.

    BRUINS AGAINST THE 2025 NCAA FIELD

    UCLA plays one of the most difficult schedules in the country every year and this year’s slate was no different, having faced teams in the 2025 NCAA Championship field a total of 24 times out of 36 completed duals for a record of 18-6 (.750). The Bruins were just 9-6 (.600) against the Top 5 seeds and 9-0 against teams seeded sixth through 16th. On the year, UCLA went 2-1 vs. No. 2 TCU, 3-1 vs. No. 3 Stanford, 2-1 vs. No. 4 LMU, 1-2 vs. No. 5 USC, 1-1 vs. No. 6 Cal Poly, 2-0 vs. No. 7 Texas, 2-0 vs. No. 8 Florida State, 1-0 vs. No. 9 Long Beach State, 2-0 vs. No. 10 California, 2-0 vs. No. 11 LSU, 0-0 vs. No. 12 North Florida, 0-0 vs. No. 13 Florida Atlantic, 0-0 vs. No. 14 Boise State, 0-0 vs. No. 15 Georgia State, and 0-0 vs. No. 16 Chattanooga.

    2025 AVCA ALL-AMERICANS

    The UCLA Bruins have four players represented on the 2025 AVCA All-America teams, as announced by the AVCA, which unveiled its 13th annual Collegiate Beach All-America Teams on April 30. This year, the first and second teams include 16 members each, and the 32 players honored represent 12 schools. UCLA has now produced 30 AVCA All-Americans. The Bruins’ court one pair of junior Maggie Boyd and freshman Sally Perez were both named AVCA First Team All-Americans. It marked the third-straight year that Boyd has made the First Team. Perez was the only freshman in the country to earn First Team accolades. The duo is 28-4 (all on court one) on the year entering the NCAA Championship. UCLA’s court two pair of graduate Peri Brennan and senior Natalie Myszkowski landed on the Second Team. For Brennan, it was her third-straight Second Team All-America plaudits while it was the first for Myszkowski. A quartet of schools each have four All-Americans. That group includes Cal Poly, Stanford, UCLA, and USC.

    BRUINS SWEEP 2025 MPSF AWARDS

    The UCLA Bruins swept the 2025 MPSF Beach Volleyball postseason awards as announced by the league on May 1. Junior Maggie Boyd was named Player of the Year, her partner on court one, Sally Perez, was named Freshman of the Year, the duo was named the MPSF Pair of the Year, and Bruin Head Coach Jenny Johnson Jordan was tabbed the Coach of the Year.

    Boyd (Flower Mound, TX) earned the inaugural MPSF Beach Volleyball Player of the Year award. Boyd has played on court one for 32 of UCLA’s 36 matches. She takes a 29-4 record (.879) into the NCAA Tournament, including 28-4 on court one and 1-0 on court two. She is currently on an 11-match win streak, including an unbeaten MPSF Tournament, completing a stretch of seven wins over the top-five in April. Of her 29 wins, 25 have come against ranked opponents (24 with Sally Perez on court one), including 17 wins against the top-10, and 10 wins over top-five competition. Boyd earned two MPSF/Molten Pair of the Week awards (Apr. 15 & Mar. 11). Her second honor was following the Bruins’ capturing of the Center of Effort Challenge in San Luis Obispo, in which she went 4-0, including handing Daniela Alvarez and Hailey Hamlett of No. 1 TCU their first loss of the year. Boyd’s first weekly award came after she and the Bruins went 4-0 at Stanford’s Midseason Rumble, which also earned her and Perez AVCA National Pair of the Week honors.

    Perez (Apex. NC) earned the inaugural MPSF Beach Volleyball Freshman of the Year award. Perez has played on court one for 32 of UCLA’s 36 matches, taking a 28-4 record (.875) into the NCAA Tournament, including a 10-match win streak. Of her 28 wins, Perez has partnered with Maggie Boyd to defeat 24 ranked opponents, including 17 wins against the top-10, and 10 wins over top-five competition. Perez was unbeaten in the MPSF Tournament, completing a stretch of seven wins over the top-five in April. Perez earned two MPSF/Molten Pair of the Week awards (Apr. 15 & Mar. 11). Her second honor was following the Bruins’ capturing of the Center of Effort Challenge in San Luis Obispo, in which she went 4-0, including handing Daniela Alvarez and Hailey Hamlett of No. 1 TCU their first loss of the year. Perez’ first weekly award came after she and the Bruins went 4-0 at Stanford’s Midseason Rumble, which also earned her and Boyd AVCA National Pair of the Week honors.

    Johnson Jordan earned the inaugural MPSF Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year award. The Bruins take the top seed to the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a 30-6 record (.833). UCLA has posted 25 wins over AVCA ranked opponents, 10 wins over the Top-10, and seven wins over the top-five which included the final three matches of the regular season. Additionally, UCLA has spent the entire season ranked in the AVCA’s Top-three, and ranked either first or second since late February. UCLA picked up five of the nine MPSF/Molten Pair of the Week awards, as well as an AVCA National Pair of the Week recognition for Maggie Boyd and Sally Perez (Mar. 9), and placed three of its four all-conference student-athletes on the first team.

    Additionally, Boyd and Perez were joined by graduate Peri Brennan as First-Team All-MPSF selections. Brennan’s partner on court two, senior Natalie Myszkowski was the lone Bruin to earn Second-Team All-MPSF honors. Brennan and Myszkowski have gone 29-6 on the year (27-6 on court two and 2-0 on court one).

    Perez also landed on the MPSF All-Freshman team where she was joined by Bruin Alexa Fernandez. Fernandez is 19-13 on the year going 17-8 on Kaley Mathews (1-0 on court three, 14-8 on court four, and 2-0 on court five), 2-4 with Tessa Van Winkle (all on court four), and 0-1 with Kenzie Brower (on court three).

    BRUINS SWEEP 2025 MPSF AWARDS

    The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) named Jose Loiola as the AVCA National Assistant Beach Coach of the Year on May 1, 2025. Loiola just completed his second season as an assistant with the UCLA beach volleyball team in 2025, helping the Bruins earn a No. 1 seed in this weekend’s NCAA Championship.

    • Loiola and the Bruins arrive in Gulf Shores as the top seed in the NCAA Championship after going 30-6 during the 2025 season.
    • This is the beach volleyball Hall of Famer‘s second year as an assistant under Bruin Head Coach Jenny Johnson Jordan.
    • He has helped the Bruins to the No. 1 ranking in the AVCA Beach Poll in seven of the 11 weeks this season.
    • The 2025 UCLA team had four players earn AVCA All-American honors: Maggie BoydPeri BrennanNatalie Myszkowski, and Sally Perez.
    • This is Loiola‘s first AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year award.

    UCLA Head Coach Jenny Johnson Jordan also earned this distinction in 2019.

    MPSF BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP

    The top-seeded Bruins finished third in the inaugural 2025 MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship (April 23-25). UCLA opened with a 3-0 win over ninth-ranked California in the semifinals (April 24) but fell to third-ranked Stanford, 3-1, in the winner’s bracket final (April 24). Fifth-ranked USC defeated UCLA, 3-1, in the finals of the contender’s bracket (April 25), eliminating the Bruins from the tournament.

    BOYD, PEREZ NAMED MPSF/MOLTEN BEACH PAIR OF THE WEEK AGAIN

    UCLA junior Maggie Boyd (Flower Mound, Texas) and freshman Sally Perez (Apex, N.C.) have been named the MPSF/Molten Pair of the Week as announced by the league office on April 15. The Bruin duo went 4-0 to help UCLA win all four duals and capture the Center of Effort Challenge crown in San Luis Obispo, Calif. (April 11-12). UCLA opened with a 3-2 win over No. 4 LMU with Boyd and Perez winning in straight sets, before the pair defeated No. 12 Arizona State in straight sets. Day two began with the Bruins knocking off No. 1 TCU, 3-2, with Boyd and Perez rallying for a three-set win after dropping the first set, which handed Daniela Alvarez and Hailey Hamlett their first loss of the year. The top pair concluded the tournament with a straight-set win over No. 5 Stanford. This is the second MPSF award for Boyd and Perez this season.

    BRENNAN, MYSZKOWSKI NAMED MPSF/MOLTEN BEACH PAIR OF THE WEEK

    UCLA graduate student Peri Brennan (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and senior Natalie Myszkowski (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) have been named the MPSF/Molten Pair of the Week as announced by the league office on March 18. The Bruin duo helped UCLA go 6-0 last week with four wins over ranked teams. The Bruins defeated (RV) Concordia and Morehead State, 5-0 (Mar. 11) before heading to Manhattan Beach to host the East Meets West Invitational (Mar. 14-15). There, the Bruins took down No. 12 Texas and No. 11 LSU 4-1 on day one, and beat No. 8 Florida State and No. 19 FIU 5-0 on day two. Myszkowski and Brennan went 6-0 on the week without dropping a set. They went 5-0 on court two and 1-0 on court one, and only allowed their opponents to reach 17 in three of the 12 sets they played. This is the second MPSF award for Brennan and Myszkowski.

    BOYD, PEREZ NAMED MPSF/MOLTEN BEACH PAIR OF THE WEEK

    UCLA junior Maggie Boyd (Flower Mound, Texas) and freshman Sally Perez (Apex, N.C.) have been named the MPSF/Molten Pair of the Week as announced by the league office on March 11. The UCLA duo played a pivotal role in the Bruins’ 4-0 team record at the inaugural MPSF Midseason Rumble at Stanford (March 7-8), where the court one pair was also unbeaten. Boyd and Perez secured the team-clinching dual victories over No. 5 Stanford and No. 9 California, which included a 5-1 run at the end of set three for the win over Cal. The duo also finished off the 5-0 team sweeps with their top court wins over Oregon and No. 16 Grand Canyon. This is the first MPSF award for Boyd and Perez.

    BOYD, PEREZ NAMED AVCA/CBVB NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BEACH PAIR OF THE WEEK

    Junior Maggie Boyd (Flower Mound, Texas / Marcus HS) and freshman Sally Perez (Apex, N.C. / Middle Creek HS) have been named the AVCA/CBVB Collegiate Beach Pair of the Week as announced by the AVCA on March 10. This is the second AVCA/CBVB weekly national honor for Boyd and the first for Perez. Boyd and Perez played a pivotal role in UCLA’s impressive performance at the inaugural MPSF Midseason Rumble where the Bruins went 4-0, as did this tandem. Boyd and Perez showcased their resilience and skill by securing crucial victories at No. 1. They clinched the dual against No. 5 Stanford and No. 9 California and completed the 5-0 sweeps over Oregon and No. 16 Grand Canyon.

    BRENNAN, MYSZKOWSKI NAMED MPSF/MOLTEN BEACH PAIR OF THE WEEK

    UCLA graduate Peri Brennan (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and senior Natalie Myszkowski (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) were named the MPSF/Molten Beach Pair of the Week as announced by the league office (Feb. 25). The Bruin duo helped UCLA go 5-1 (all against Top-12 teams) to win the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic for the fourth consecutive year in Honolulu, Hawaii (Feb. 20-22). The No. 2 pair also went 5-1 in the tournament, including the clinching point of the Bruins’ win over No. 2 TCU in straight sets, 21-17, 29-27. They also posted straight-set wins over No. 12 Hawai’i (21-14, 21-8), No. 7 LMU (23-21, 21-16), and No. 1 USC (21-14, 23-21), and had a three-set victory over No. 11 Arizona State (21-9, 19-21, 15-13). This is the first-ever recognition of any kind presented in MPSF Beach Volleyball. For Brennan, this is her fourth weekly conference award (three-time Pac-12 Pair of the Week; March 21, 2023, March 19, 2024, April 16, 2024), and for Myszkowski, this is her third (two-time Pac-12 Pair of the Week; March 22, 2022, April 2, 2024).

    RETURNING STARTERS

    The Bruins return seven of 10 starters from last year’s second-place team at the NCAA Championship that saw UCLA end the year with an overall record of 35-7. The Bruins lost the services of Lexy Denaburg (33-7 overall, 133-36 career), Devon Newberry (32-7 overall, 103-27 career), and Jaden Whitmarsh (25-13 overall, 110-29 career). UCLA also lost the services of reserve Rileigh Powers (3-1 overall, 95-29 career). The seven starters returning include: from court one, All-American Maggie Boyd (33-7 overall and 60-13 career), from court two, Peri Brennan (32-7 overall, 69-12 career), from court three Kenzie Brower (26-15 overall, 26-15 career), and Jessie Smith (24-13 overall, 77-30 career), from court four Tessa Van Winkle (26-13 overall and 56-24 career) and from court five Ensley Alden (29-6 overall and 29-6 career) and Natalie Myszkowski (30-6 overall, 69-15 career).

    RETURNING BRUINS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT

    The Bruins also return a starter from the 2022 season in Sophie Moore (2-1 overall, 43-12 career). There are two additional players coming back from last year’s team and ready to compete for a spot in the Bruins’ lineup. This group includes Madeline Bonanni (1-0 overall, 1-0 career), and Reagan Hope (2-0 overall, 21-12 career). Additionally, Jayla Shanks (0-0), Ky Vaickus (0-0), Taylor Ford (0-0), Hannah Fleming (0-0), Harper Cooper (0-0), and Kaley Mathews (0-0) all return looking to make an impact in 2025.

    FRESH FACES

    The Bruins also brought in a trio of young players that will all debut in 2025. The class includes Sally Perez (Apex, N.C./Middle Creek HS), Alexa Fernandez (Friendswood, Texas./Lutheran South Academy), and Adelina Okazaki (San Diego, Calif./Point Loma HS).

    NO DUAL PARTICIPATION

    For the fifth time in program history (and fifth consecutive year), the UCLA beach volleyball program does not have a single player from the Bruins’ indoor volleyball team currently playing on the roster. UCLA only has one player with collegiate indoor experience in senior transfer Reagan Hope (Oregon in 2021-22).

    A BRUIN SHALL LEAD US

    In her 12th year with the Bruins and second season as UCLA’s Head Coach in 2025, Jenny Johnson Jordan sports an overall record of 65-13 (.833).She served three seasons as the Associate Head Coach at UCLA prior to assuming the lead role. She guided the Bruins to second-place finishes at the Pac-12 Championship and NCAA Championship with an overall record of 35-7 in her first year as the mentor. An Olympian, a National Champion, and a UCLA Hall of Famer (2018), Johnson Jordan won NCAA titles as both a player (1991 – indoor) and a coach (2018 and 2019 – beach). Jordan was inducted into the CBVA Hall of Fame (Nov. 3, 2018) and was named the AVCA National Assistant Beach Coach of the Year on May 9, 2019.

    ASSISTING TRIPLE J

    Jose Loiola: Beach volleyball Hall of Famer (CBVA in 2014 and International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2017) and USA Beach Volleyball National Team head coach Jose Loiola returns for his second season an assistant coach. He was named the AVCA Collegiate Beach Assistant Coach of the Year on May 1, 2025. Loiola was a volunteer assistant coach for the Bruins in 2021, helping guide UCLA to a Pac-12 Championship and NCAA runner-up finish. After Loiola’s previous season with the Bruins, he went on to coach 2020 Olympian Tri Bourne and also served as head coach of the USA Volleyball squad that won gold at the 2021 U19 World Championships. In 2022, he coached Miles Partain and Andy Benesh to gold at the FIVB Challenger Dubai.

    Kelly Reeves: UCLA standout, Kelly Reeve, the Bruins’ first-ever All-American in beach volleyball (2013) returns for her second season as an assistant coach. In addition to her playing career, Reeves has developed a coaching career in all levels of the sport, including juniors, collegiate, USAV development, and amateurs. In 2022, Reeves helped the LMU Lions finish 4th at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship, the best finish in the program’s history. That same year, Reeves was a recipient of the Thirty Under 30 Beach coaches award from the AVCA. Reeves is also a National Champion, helping the Bruins win the indoor title in 2011. She has played on the AVP since 2016 and has also competed on the NORCECA Tour and FIVB World Tour.

    MPSF BEACH VOLLEYBALL, THE FIRST SEASON

    The Bruins have moved into the MPSF for beach volleyball starting with the 2025 season. UCLA will be joined by California, Grand Canyon, Oregon, Stanford, USC, and Washington. In 2024-25, the MPSF will sponsor competition in 15 Intercollegiate Olympic sports, while serving 86 teams from 46 universities across 14 states. MPSF teams compete primarily at the NCAA Division-I level in men’s and women’s water polo, indoor track and field, gymnastics, swimming and diving, fencing, beach volleyball, and men’s volleyball. MPSF teams are eligible to compete in the NCAA Championships with men’s and women’s water polo, men’s volleyball, and beach volleyball conference champions earning automatic qualification. The MPSF’s newest sports–beach volleyball, men’s rowing, and men’s and women’s wrestling–make their debut seasons in the conference in 2024-25.

    MPSF BEACH VOLLEYBALL EXPANDING IN 2026

    The MPSF has announced the addition of Florida State, LSU, South Carolina, and Texas to its beach volleyball programs, giving the conference 11 teams beginning with the 2026 season. The Seminoles, Tigers, Gamecocks, and Longhorns, who are competing in their final season in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) this year, will each be making their first-ever appearance in any sport in the MPSF. The MPSF’s inaugural beach volleyball season in 2025 features California, Grand Canyon, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Washington. The first edition of the MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship will be held at Spiker Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif., April 23-25, 2025.

    A TRIO OF BRUINS CHASING 100 CAREER WINS

    Three Bruins are seeking to reach 100 career wins in 2025 and two of them are all currently tied for 11th place on the UCLA career wins list with 98 victories. Those two include graduate Peri Brennan and senior Natalie Myszkowski. Senior Jessie Smith is currently in 14th place with 91 victories. Four-time All-American, Lexy Denaburg, became the UCLA all-time leader in career victories last year with a win over Stanford in the semifinals of the contender’s bracket of the 2024 Pac-12 Championship.

    1. Lexy Denaburg (133, 2020-24)

    2. Abby Van Winkle (128, 2019-23)

    3. Izzy Carey (123, 2016-19)

    4. Savvy Simo (119, 2017-21)

    5. Lea Monkhouse (117, 2019-22)

    6. Megan McNamara (111, 2016-19)

    7. Jaden Whitmarsh (110, 2019-24)

    8. Nicole McNamara (109, 2016-19)

    9. Devon Newberry (103, 2019-24)

    10. Elise Zappia (102, 2015-18)

    11. Peri Brennan (98, 2021-25)

    11. Natalie Myszkowski (98, 2022-25)

    13. Rileigh Powers (95, 2020-24)

    14. Jessie Smith (91, 2022-25)

    15. Lily Justine (87, 2017-20)

    UCLA AS NO. 1 AND VS. NO. 1

    As the No. 1 team in the country, UCLA has gone 134-19 (.876) all-time, and is 9-9 (.500) against USC when the Bruins are No. 1. The first time UCLA was ranked No. 1 came in April of 2018 and since then, UCLA has been ranked No. 1 for multiple weeks every season, including going 16-1 in 2018, 31-3 in 2019, 7-2 in 2020, 13-3 in 2021, 12-2 in 2022, 19-3 in 2023, 17-2 in 2024, and 15-3 in 2025 as the nation’s top-ranked team.

    The UCLA Bruins are 12-20 (.375) all-time against the top-ranked teams in the country. UCLA began 0-5 against the nation’s top-ranked programs (2013-16) before breaking through with its first-ever win over a No. 1 team in the 3-2 home win over then top-ranked Pepperdine on March 30, 2016. Here’s a breakdown of the Bruins against the No. 1 teams: Pepperdine 2-3; TCU 2-0; USC 8-17.

    The Bruins have been involved in No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups 30 times in program history with a 12-18 record (.400) in those meetings. Interestingly, UCLA is just 3-11 (.214) as the top-ranked team in those matchups but 9-7 (.563) as the underdog.

    MORE ON RANKINGS

    • UCLA has been ranked in the AVCA Poll in 122 of 123 weeks.
    • UCLA has been ranked No. 1 in 42 of 123 weeks (Leaders: USC 50, UCLA 42, Pepperdine 17, TCU 9, LSU 4, Florida State 1, Hawai’i 1).
    • Only seven teams have ever been ranked No. 1: USC (50, last 2/13/25), UCLA (42, last 4/22/25), Pepperdine (17, last 3/26/18), TCU (9, last 4/29/15), LSU (4, last 3/2/21), Florida State (1, last 3/16/21), Hawai’i (1, last 3/10/15).
    • UCLA has been ranked in Top 3 in 89 of 123 weeks (Leaders: USC 98, UCLA 89, Florida State 45, Pepperdine 45, TCU 29, Hawai’i 19).
    • UCLA has been ranked in Top 5 in 106 of 123 weeks (Leaders: USC 120, UCLA 106, Florida State 105).
    • Since 2018, no team has been ranked No. 1 for more weeks than the UCLA Bruins (42). Others: USC (27), TCU (9), Pepperdine (4), LSU (4), Florida State (1).


    POLLING THE BRUINS

    UCLA slid two spots to No. 3 in this week’s 2025 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Poll (April 29).

    AVCA COLLEGIATE BEACH VOLLEYBALL POLL (April 29, 2025)
























    Rank

    School (First-Place Votes Adjusted)

    Total Points Adjusted

    Record

    Previous Week

    1

    TCU [9]

    537

    28-5

    2

    2

    Stanford [8]

    530

    31-8

    3

    3

    UCLA [10]

    523

    30-6

    1

    4

    Loyola Marymount [1]

    473

    35-6

    4

    5

    USC

    433

    26-10

    5

    6

    Cal Poly

    415

    29-7

    6

    7

    Texas

    396

    27-9

    7

    8

    Long Beach State

    356

    27-11

    10

    9

    Florida State

    346

    25-12

    8

    10

    California

    315

    27-9

    9

    11

    LSU

    280

    24-12

    11

    12

    Arizona State

    251

    22-14

    12

    13

    Grand Canyon

    201

    23-11

    13

    14

    North Florida

    181

    26-10

    17

    15

    FAU

    167

    21-14

    16

    16

    Stetson

    149

    25-11

    14

    17

    Georgia State

    110

    22-16

    18-T

    18

    Hawai’i

    63

    14-21

    15

    19

    Florida Gulf Coast

    56

    22-13

    18-T

    20

    Washington

    53

    17-18

    20

    Others receiving votes: Boise State (20), Tulane (14), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3), Coastal Carolina (2), FIU (2), Utah (2), South Carolina (1) and Concordia (1).

    Dropped Out: None

    Next Poll: May 6 (Final 2025 Poll)

     



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    Speedo Extends Partnership With German Swimming Federation (DSV) Through 2029

    Courtesy of Speedo, a SwimSwam partner. (Friday 2nd May, 2025) Global swimwear brand Speedo and the German Swimming Federation (DSV) have furthered their commitment to the common goal of sustainably promoting and developing swimming in Germany by signing a new long-term agreement through to 2029. This new chapter in the relationship includes Speedo supplying all DSV […]

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    Courtesy of Speedo, a SwimSwam partner.

    (Friday 2nd May, 2025) Global swimwear brand Speedo and the German Swimming Federation (DSV) have furthered their commitment to the common goal of sustainably promoting and developing swimming in Germany by signing a new long-term agreement through to 2029.

    This new chapter in the relationship includes Speedo supplying all DSV athletes – from youth to senior level – with high-quality swimming apparel and equipment. This includes competition and training suits, swimming goggles, swimming caps, accessories, as well as training aids, and is extended across all watersport disciplines of the DSV, including. swimming, diving, high diving, synchronised swimming, water polo, open water swimming, and ice swimming.

    In the future, DSV athletes will be fully outfitted in Speedo when appearing at competitions including the European Championships, World Championships, and Olympic Games, with Speedo joining Aquafeel as the outfitter of the federation.

    Commenting on the partnership, Chairman of the DSV, Jan Pommer, said: “This special relationship with Speedo is integral to the future of German swimming, arriving as we embark on the current Olympic cycleOur aspiration is to create the best conditions for peak performance of our athletes – with Speedo we have a powerful, innovative partner at our side, who lead in shaping swimming worldwide. This partnership lays the foundations for the success of our team on the way to Los Angeles 2028.”

    The partnership builds on the previous agreement which commenced in 2023, with Speedo products available on the German market via a direct to retail model, with distribution managed from the brand’s sales office in Munich. Landmark moments included the signing of leading German swimmers Isabel Gose and Angelina Köhler. Köhler won the title at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha in 2024, with both athletes impressing at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, Gose won the bronze medal over 1500m freestyle in record German time, while Köhler finished in a strong fourth place in the final over 100m butterfly. Speedo accompanies the two athletes as well as all other DSV athletes on their way to the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore this year and the Olympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles.

    Johannes Graff, Business Development Director (DACH) at Speedo, said: “With the new partnership between Speedo and the German Swimming Federation, we will take our relationship to the next level. Our common goal is clear: to equip the DSV swimmers with the highest quality and best equipment, supporting them on their journey towards 2028 and beyond. We will strive for peak performance, innovation, and trust – in and outside the water.

    Simon RoweSpeedo SVP Global Sports Marketing, said: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with leading swimming federation, DSV, through to 2029. German swimming is on an exciting trajectory, showcased by recent World Record performances, and this deeper collaboration reflects our shared ambition to keep pushing forward together at an elite level, bringing confidence, and joy to more people in and around the water.”

    About Speedo®:

    The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations, and supports swimming from grassroots through to the elite level. In the 1920s Speedo® made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2008 Speedo® redefined swimwear again with Fastskin® LZR RACER® – the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuit ever created. 2011 saw Speedo unveil another world first with the Fastskin Racing System – a cap, goggle and suit designed to work together as one. Speedo continued its legacy of dominance in the pool at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, with over half of Olympic swimming medals won in Speedo. Sported by 170 athletes across the competition, the majority of swimmers competed in Speedo’s latest Fastskin 2.0 race suit. Speedo is distributed in over 170 countries around the world. Speedo’s registered trade marks are owned by Speedo Holdings B.V. To find out more visit: www.speedo.com.





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    ESPN Digital & Social 2025: No. 1 in March

    ESPN Digital & Social topped the U.S. Sports Category in March with 194.0 million unique users, reaching 69% of the U.S. adult population across digital, YouTube and social media platforms, according to recently released Comscore data. The ESPN App remained No. 1 in March, reaching 28.4 million unique users, more than the next seven non-ESPN […]

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    ESPN Digital & Social topped the U.S. Sports Category in March with 194.0 million unique users, reaching 69% of the U.S. adult population across digital, YouTube and social media platforms, according to recently released Comscore data.

    • The ESPN App remained No. 1 in March, reaching 28.4 million unique users, more than the next seven non-ESPN apps combined and four times its nearest competitor in the Mobile Sports App category.
    • With 5.8 million unique users, the ESPN Fantasy App was No. 1 among fantasy sports apps and the ESPN Tournament Challenge app reached 3.1 million unique fans.
    • ESPN Social reached more than 793 million engagements – 25.6 million per day – in March (up 16% YoY), the 45th month in a row at No. 1 among sports properties.
    • ESPN Digital & Social reached 91% of audiences 18-44.

    ###



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    Altoona boys volleyball comes up short | News, Sports, Jobs

    MECHANICSBURG — Undefeated Cumberland Valley swept Altoona, 25-12, 25-18, 25-17, in high school boys volleyball on Thursday. Lukas Weathersbee had 10 kills, four digs and a block for the Mountain Lions. Caleb Terza had 18 assists, and Nino Yohn finished with 15 digs. SERVICE POINTS ALTOONA: Coldwell 5, Weathersbee 4, Mitchell 2. Records: Altoona (3-10); […]

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    MECHANICSBURG — Undefeated Cumberland Valley swept Altoona, 25-12, 25-18, 25-17, in high school boys volleyball on Thursday.

    Lukas Weathersbee had 10 kills, four digs and a block for the Mountain Lions. Caleb Terza had 18 assists, and Nino Yohn finished with 15 digs.

    SERVICE POINTS

    ALTOONA: Coldwell 5, Weathersbee 4, Mitchell 2.

    Records: Altoona (3-10); Cumberland Valley (14-0).

    JV: Cumberland Valley, 25-9, 24-26, 15-7.

    CC girls win

    EBENSBURG — Central Cambria defeated Penn Cambria, 83-66, in high school girls track and field on Wednesday.

    Paige Alexander won both the 800 and 1600 runs for the Lady Devils.

    Kate Eckenrode won the 100 dash and the long jump for Penn Cambria.

    GIRLS

    100 dash: 1. K. Eckenrode PC 12.64; 2. R. Ronan PC 13.35; 3. D. Farabaugh PC 13.36. 200 dash: 1. R. Ronan PC, 27.75; 2. S. Mahalko, PC, 28.04; 3. K. Zernick, CC, 28.54. 400 dash: 1. L. Gergley, PC, 1:03.02 ; 2. C. Gleason CC 1:03.64; 3. Ab. Sheehan, CC, 1:04. 800 run: 1. P. Alexander, CC, 2:44.72; 2. A. Long, CC, 2:44.75; 3. A. Kubat, CC, 2:44.96. 1600 run: 1. P. Alexander, CC, 6:44.87; 2. Al. Sheehan, CC, 6:44.89; 3. M. Brandis CC, 6:45. 3200 run: 1. K. Krumenacker, CC, 14:16.84; 2. Ab. Sheehan CC, 14:16,90; 3. M. Brandis CC, 14:17.25. 100 hurdles: 1. C. Karabinos 17.49 PC; 2. H. Campbell CC 3. M. Pablic, CC 19.22. 300 hurdles: 1. M. Pablic, CC, 53.43; 2. G. Grimaldi, CC, 55.40; 3. H. Campbell, CC, 55.90.

    400 relay: 1. Central Cambria (Kim, Venslosky, Zernick, Grimaldi), 54.27. 1600 relay: 1. Central Cambria (Gleason, Al. Sheehan, Hite, Alexander) 4:23.12. 3200 relay: 1. Central Cambria (Alexander, Long, Ab. Sheehan, Al. Sheehan), 11:07. High jump: 1. A. LeMaster ,PC, 5-0; 2. C. Karabinos, PC, 4-8; 3. K. Benko, CC, 4-4. Long jump: 1. K. Eckenrode, PC, 16-6; 2. R. Ronan, PC, 16-3; 3. D. Farabaugh, BC, 15-8. Triple jump: 1. A. Hite PC, 34-6; 2. A. LeMaster PC, 34-3; 3. K. Benko CC, 28-7. Shot put: 1. C. Anderson, CC, 30-10; 2. K. Galovich, PC, 27-2; 3. E. Kasecky, CC, 23-10. Discus: 1. C. Anderson CC, 88-8; 2. K. Galovich, PC, 80-2; 3. L. Wise CC, 70-6. Javelin: 1. A. Shoemaker, PC, 90-7; 2. E. Davison PC, 71-11; 3. L. Wise, CC, 70-5. Pole vault: 1. H. Amigh, CC, 7-0; 2. A. Kabo, CC, 6-0.



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