CLEVELAND, Ohio – As announced by the Division II Athletic Directors Association on Thursday, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference earned the most student athletes recognized with the 2024-24 Academic Achievement Awards.  Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) had 130 of the 2051 PSAC Student Athletes Recognized.
 
To be recognized, the student athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, attend a minimum of four semesters of college, and be an active member of their team.
 
According to the release sent out by the PSAC, this is the sixth time in seven years that the PSAC has led the nation in the number of student-athletes recognized. 2,051 is nearly 300 more than the next conference, and the conference saw a 6.88 % increase in student-athletes nominated. IUP is one of 11 PSAC institutions with at least 100 student-athletes nominated.
 
Follow the link to read the complete release by the PSAC.
 

San Giljan 16

Neptunes 10

(7-1, 2-2, 5-4, 2-3)

San Giljan clinched their fifth BOV Water Polo Knockout title in the past six years – the 16^th time in the club’s history –  after overcoming arch-rivals Neptunes 16-10 in the final. The Saints, in front of an enthusiastic crowd of jubilant supporters, were superior from the start and delivered a commanding performance, showcasing their attacking firepower and defensive resilience, while Neptunes could not find a solution to break San Giljan’s strength, sealing yet another chapter of dominance in the competition.

They opened a 7-1 lead in the first session, an advantage that they held on to for the rest of the game, with Neptunes unable to bridge the gap.

The Saints pushed harder to establish a 9-1 gap at the start of the second session, and it was clear there and then that Neptunes had already thrown in the towel.

San Giljan continued to respond to Neptunes’ goals to retain the healthy advantage they had, and, in spite of missing two penalties, their victory was never in doubt.

Younger was instrumental in the saints victory, scoring three goals and setting up others. Matthew Zammit, Daniel Tully, Jake Bonavia, Nikolai Zammit and Darren Zammit also scored two goals each, with Russell Caruana, Ben Plumpton and Jeremy Abela netting the others.

Neptunes goals were scored by Jordan Camilleri (3), Stevie Camilleri and Gergo Zalanki and Sam Gialanze (two each) and Alec Fenech.

The two sides will meet again for the league final, with the team winning two of three games scheduled later this month to be crowned champions.

The BOV Water Polo Premier Division Knockout Trophy was presented in a celebratory ceremony held poolside at the National Pool in Tal-Qroqq. Bank of Valletta’s Chief Operations Officer, Ernest Agius, together with ASA President Karl Izzo, handed over the prestigious silverware to the San Giljan’s Captain Matthew Zammit. The moment was met with jubilant cheers from fans as the team lifted the trophy high, marking yet another milestone in their storied legacy.

This year’s knockout competition holds special significance as the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta celebrates its 100th anniversary. Bank of Valletta is proud to stand alongside the ASA in marking this historic milestone, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to the development of aquatic sports in Malta. Through continued sponsorship and collaboration, BOV remains dedicated to nurturing local talent and promoting excellence in water polo and swimming across generations.

The 2025 college volleyball season opens at the AVCA First Serve from Aug. 22-24 in Lincoln, Neb., and Aug. 25 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Some of the nation’s premier programs are slated for competition in the first few days of the season.

The matches are set to broadcast across FOX, FS1, ESPN and Big Ten Network throughout the weekend. 

Check out the storylines, schedule and teams below. 

2025 AVCA First Serve Schedule

All times ET

• Friday, Aug. 22 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.:
  • No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh | 7 p.m. | FOX | Live Stats
  • No. 6 Stanford vs. No. 16 Florida | 9 p.m. | FOX | Live Stats
• Saturday, Aug. 23 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.:
  • No. 15 Kansas vs. Vanderbilt | 3 p.m. | FS1 | Live Stats
  • No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 12 Creighton | 5 p.m. | FS1 | Live Stats
• Sunday, Aug. 24 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.:
  • No. 3 Pittsburgh vs. No. 16 Florida| 1 p.m. | ESPN | Live Stats
  • No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 6 Stanford | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN | Live Stats
• August 25, 2025 at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.:
  • No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 15 Kansas | 6:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network | Live Stats
  • No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 Minnesota | 8:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network | Live Stats

History of AVCA First Serve

The 2024 AVCA First Serve in Louisville marked the revival a similar preseason event that the association sponsored from 1995-2011 and 2014. Due to new NCAA exemptions prior to the 2024 season, the AVCA was once again able to host four of the nation’s top teams.

In 2024, the then one-night, two-match event featured Nebraska, Kentucky, Louisville and Wisconsin at the KFC Yum! Center. The Huskers defeated the Wildcats 3-1, while the Cardinals rallied for a 3-1 comeback win over the Badgers. 

REMEMBER: Nebraska and Louisville post wins in 2024 AVCA First Serve Showcase

All four teams concluded the 2024 season by at least reaching a NCAA regional finals, with the KFC Yum! Center welcoming back Nebraska for the Final Four and Louisville in the National Championship match.

RELIVE: Penn State wins the 2024 National Championship

Storylines to watch this year

The start of the 2025 season kicks off with a wave of new names, faces and stories to watch unfold. 

First of all, the AVCA First Serve Showcase is shifting from four to 10 teams and is set to take place over two locations: Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., and the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The first six matches over the first three days are in Lincoln, with the fourth and final day of competition taking place at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota with No. 14 Kansas vs. No. 2 Penn State and No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 Minnesota. The Sanford Pentagon venue holds 3,250 fans and is home to the NBA G League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. 

The high-profile nonconference matchups between volleyball’s top programs make this event just a taste of the regular and postseason ahead.  

No. 1 Nebraska team brings high expectations and a stacked lineup to the field at the helm of a new head coach in Dani Busboom Kelly. Veterans like Harper Murray and Rebekah Allick plus a highly touted freshmen round out their roster. They are set to face No. 3 Pittsburgh. No. 6 Stanford, equipped with experience in Elia Rubin and Lizzy Andrew, will challenge the Huskers to round out their showcase. 

Coming in at No. 2 in the preseason rankings, defending national champion Penn State looks to make a statement. Though the Nittany Lions lost some veteran players in the offseason, they bring back plenty of experience and some big-name newcomers. Penn State opens up against No. 12 Creighton in a rematch of the 2024 regional finals, where the Nittany Lions knocked off the Bluejays in a five-set thriller. They finish with a matchup against No. 14 Kansas. 

The championship moment 🏆 #WeAre pic.twitter.com/5CSn8AvBdF

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) December 23, 2024

2024 NCAA tournament top overall seed No. 3 Pitt comes to Lincoln, bringing back National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. With some big moves in the portal and veteran leadership under coach Dan Fisher, the Panthers should make some waves against No. 1 Nebraska and No. 16 Florida. 

LEARN ABOUT THE AVCA Player of the Year Award

After an impressive run to the regional semifinals, No. 9 Texas A&M looks to continue its momentum in 2025. The Aggies bring back star talent in Logan Lednicky as they face No. 11 Minnesota. 

The AVCA First Serve marks not just a new season but the beginning of several new tenures in college volleyball.

Besides Nebraska having a new coach No. 12 Creighton arrives with a new leader in Brian Rosen. No. 14 Kansas will additionally kick off the season under fresh leadership in Matt Ulmer, and the No. 16 Florida Gators begin a new era as Ryan Theis steps into his first year following the retirement of legendary coach Mary Wise. 

Vanderbilt joins the field for one match against No. 14 Kansas, as the newly instated Commodores compete for the first time since 1980. The Commodores brought in talent from Ivy League Player of the Year Kamryn Chaney.

READ MORE: Storylines to know before the 2025 season

By Sean Shevlin

The 2025 Rockaway Beach Volleyball League (RBVL) playoffs kicked-off on Saturday, August 9, under beautiful, sun-splashed skies and temperatures in the 70s at Riis. Perfect weather for the league to conclude its 36th season. Sixty-six teams across 10 divisions gathered to compete for a championship and, the ultimate prize, the vaunted sweatshirt.

Spirits were high as players, friends and family packed the beach for the commencement of the first round, at 10:30 a.m. However, during the early afternoon ambulances could be seen by the flagpole, at the top of the beach, and all play soon stopped as word filtered down that a player had suffered a heart attack and was being treated in one of those ambulances. That player was Rockaway resident Charles Nopper, who later died. He was 43. Nopper, beloved by many, was a former DSNY worker, who spent time behind the bar at Jamesons and as manager at Bishops Barn. The RBVL committee extends its heartfelt condolences to the Nopper family, on this devastating loss. A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, August 14 at 11 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Church.

Meanwhile, all but the Sun division, Charles’ division, elected to continue play, and nine champions were crowned. Congratulations to all!!

The winners include Storage Place of the Ocean Division, Rockaway Soda of Ocean Breeze, BHYC Snotty Yachties of the Wave Division, the 123 Bangouts of Beach, Leo’s Tavern of Beach Breeze, Danger Zone of Boardwalk, Boarder’s Surf Shop on Sun Ray, DysFUNctional of Moon and the BHYC Social Yachties of the Star Division.