Sports
A transgender sports pioneer reflects on Trump's first 100 days
At age 90, Renée Richards plays a lot of golf.
“Yesterday I played 18 holes. I’m going to play 18 holes in my league today, and if I feel okay, I’ll play 18 holes tomorrow,” said Richards recently.
The former professional tennis player and ophthalmologist made headlines in the 1970s, when after transitioning to female she sued and won the right to play in the U.S. Open. During her half-decade pro career, Richards peaked at 20th in the world and in 1977 made the U.S. open finals in doubles, where she lost to a pair that included tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images 
Half a century later, her views have evolved — she believes transgender women who transition after puberty should not compete in women’s sports — but she’s aghast at broader restrictions on transgender rights during the Trump administration’s first 100 days.
The State Department has halted the practice of issuing passports with “X” gender markers. The Office of Personnel Management directed agency heads to strip “gender ideology” from websites, contracts and emails. An executive order calls on the federal government “to rescind all funds from educational programs” that allow transgender girls and women to compete. Another order restricts access to gender-affirming care for youth. The Department of Defense has reinstated President Trump’s first term transgender military ban, and transgender federal inmates are now regarded by their sex at birth. The changes are the subject of ongoing lawsuits.
First and foremost on Richards’ mind: the Navy veteran believes transgender Americans should be able to serve openly in the military.
“That’s terrible. You know, I can only think of myself because I was in the Navy when nobody knew that I was a transgender. I hadn’t had surgery yet, but it was still me,” said Richards, who won the All-Navy tennis championship while serving. “That goes a long way back, but I’m still representative of the same ilk even though they didn’t know it at the time.”
Richards is the subject of a forthcoming book, tentatively titled “Finding Renée,” by former Sports Illustrated editor Julie Kliegman. Richards believes the fierce debate over transgender athletes has fueled a “jump…from the sports to the military, to the education, to the bathrooms, to the passports, to the existence, to the teaching of any kind of gender.”
It’s a trend that has played out in state legislatures, before and during the current Trump administration, according to Logan Casey, the director of policy research at the nonprofit Movement Advancement Project, which tracks state laws and executive orders regulating gender.
Casey said state-level bans on sports prior to the current Trump administration “laid the groundwork for all of the anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ attacks more broadly.”
“It sort of put sports as a foot in the door, and a framework, for how many people who had not previously thought about transgender people very much — let alone in the context of policy and law — are now thinking about it and framing it,” said Casey, who noted the vast majority of state legislation targeting LGBTQ rights fails to become law.
Ash Lazarus Orr, a spokesperson for Advocates for Trans Equality, said the language of Mr. Trump’s executive orders bore similarities to orders and legislation coming out of state capitals.
“It signals back to states that, yes, this is a priority. You should continue to do this, and in fact do this and other attacks,” said Orr, who is also the title plaintiff in a lawsuit over the Trump administration’s policy requiring U.S. passports to reflect sex assigned at birth. “While we were seeing attacks on the trans community escalating at a state level under the Biden administration, what we are seeing now under the Trump administration is absolutely an escalation.”
Former Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead, a Democrat who founded the nonprofit advocacy group Champion Women, believes the party is suffering from self-inflicted wounds.
Hogshead, who supports efforts to align participation in sports with gender at birth, said Trump and Republicans have found a galvanizing issue.
“It is a winner for them. It is a winner for Republicans,” Hogshead said. “Fifty percent of all girls play sports. That is a meat and potatoes issue for them. It’s not a fringe issue.”
Richards believes Trump has a similar view. She said, as an ophthalmologist, she treated one of his sisters and has met Mr. Trump once.
“He knows I’m not an ogre,” she said. “He sees, and his advisors advise him, that his popularity rests with the small group of people that hate the idea of transgender, period.”
Richards, whose professional tennis career began in 1977 when she was more than 40 years old, largely agrees with Hogshead. In April 2024, she provided the Women’s Tennis Association with a position paper on participation of transgender women in sports, and this year allowed Sports Illustrated to publish it. In the paper, Richards concluded that people who have undergone male puberty should be ineligible to compete against biological females.
Richards’s paper included reflections on her time playing both as an amateur and professionally, analysis of “the current literature on the subject,” citing her decades as a doctor, and policy recommendations.
It also touched on golf.
“My lifetime in sports is still ongoing,” she wrote. “I have been a member of the ladies’ golf league at the public/private club near my home for the past 20 years.”
Richards spoke to CBS News on opening day last week. She said, despite politics, the women in her league still welcome her competition.
“Not only welcome and accepted, but if I didn’t show up, they would have a cemetery ceremony, believe me,” Richards said.
Are there a lot of 90-year-olds there, still hitting the links?
“Yeah, me. Amongst the men and the women, I’m the only one,” Richards said, adding that she guesses the average age at the club is 60. “I play the forward tee, but I don’t play any gold tees that are in front of that — and I hit the ball as well as they do, too.”
Sports
Michael ‘Woody’ Woodring ’74 Scholarship established to support Mountaineer track & field and cross country student-athletes
The Woodring family has committed $25,000 to the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation to establish the Michael “Woody” Woodring ’74 Scholarship to support Mountaineer track & field and cross country student-athletes.
“The Michael ‘Woody’ Woodring ’74 Scholarship is a way for his generosity and desire to help others to continue to live on, positively impact Mansfield students and give back to a place that meant so much to him,” explained Lauren Woodring, Michael’s daughter.
A native of Pittsburgh, Woodring earned a scholarship to compete on the Mansfield track & field and cross country teams. He graduated from Mansfield with a degree in political science in 1974 and earned his juris doctorate at Duquesne University. Woodring used his law degree working in the leasing office of PNC Bank.
He is survived by his wife, Diane, and two children, Lauren and John.
“Just as the impact of a campus experience extends beyond four years, a donation ensures that Mountie Athletics continues to thrive for generations,” said Andrew Petko, Mansfield director of athletics. “This scholarship will sustain our support of Mansfield student-athletes who strive for excellence in competition, in the classroom and in life.”
Learn more about the MU Mountaineer Foundation at mountaineerfdn.org.
Jan. 13, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ET
It was quite the volleyball season for Westerly’s Lyla Auth.
The outside hitter steered the Bulldogs to an undefeated championship-winning season in Division II and she graduated from Westerly in December. The 6-foot-1 star already enrolled at Manhattan University, a Division I program, after excelling in the classroom and on the court.
Auth now adds more to her high school trophy case as she earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors, which Gatorade announced on Dec. 9. She managed 268 kills with a .401 hitting percentage as Westerly won its second girls volleyball crown overall. Auth also added 256 assists, 151 digs and 41 service aces this past fall.
Auth, after earning enough credits, chose to graduate on Dec. 21. It gives her the chance to train, and become acclimated to college life, early so she can hit the ground running with the Jaspers next season. She started planning for early graduation in the summer, well before Westerly went undefeated.
“I’m moving to New York City. Anyone would be nervous about that,” Auth told the Journal in October. “But I’m really excited, and I have a good group of girls behind me and a lot of support.”
Auth, who recently made The Providence Journal All-State Girls Volleyball First Team, maintained a weighted 4.75 GPA in the classroom, according to the release. And donated her time to organizing a fundraiser that raised $6,000 for the Westerly Hospital Foundation. She also volunteered locally as a mentor to elementary school students and was a tee-ball coach for the Westerly Girls Softball League.
“Westerly was dominant in [D-II] and [Auth] was the focal point of the team,” Cranston West coach, Tom Ferri said in a statement. “She was the best hitter we faced all year — in D-I and D-II —and she set from the back row, and did it very well.”
Westerly was never truly challenged this season, outside of the D-II championship against Barrington. The Bulldogs edged the Eagles, (25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 18-25, 15-8), in a thrilling D-II championship. Auth was the best player on the court that day at Rhode Island College and helped finish off the Bulldogs’ perfect season.
Westerly (18-0) compiled 16 sweeps in the regular season and snagged a pair of 3-1 victories to open its playoff run.
“We definitely had our nerves,” Auth said after winning the title. “But it all boiled down to the fifth set. This is the set that matters, so we need to either take home the trophy or leave it behind.”
Syracuse, N.Y. — Several of Section III’s best girls winter volleyball players have proved vital to their teams this season.
We contacted volleyball coaches to get nominations for their team’s midseason MVP. Here are the responses we got.
Kaylynne Bennett, Tully, outside hitter, senior
“Kaylynne eats, sleeps and breathes volleyball since I can remember and has done everything in her power to help the program and her team be successful. When a play needs to be made she is typically involved in some way. She plays with an energy and a power like very few others and has the way to impact a game right when it is needed the most. Always a powerful and intelligent hitter, but has turned into a real threat both defensively and from the service line. Every team prepares for her and she goes head-to-head with other teams’ best players and always finds an advantage and way to contribute.” — Jeremy Cook
Brooke Egresits, Rome Free Academy, setter, senior
“(She) has stepped up tremendously this season as the primary quarterback (setter), a position that does not get the recognition that it should as the setter position has a huge effect on the volleyball court. As a coach, it’s not always about the stats, but Brooke is someone who makes a significant contribution that has an enormously positive effect on the entire team. Brooke is one of the best setters in the game who changes the dynamic of the match with her athleticism, great court vision and volleyball IQ to keep the ball in play. She is a team player that is always looking for ways to help her team succeed. Brooke sees the game as opportunities to add value.” — Pete Keoviengsamay
Ella Griffin, Morrisville-Eaton, senior
“Ella is our quarterback. She distributes the ball to keep our offense balanced and moves quickly to set effectively anywhere on the court. Ella possesses a high volleyball IQ, works hard in the off-season and is a positive motivator in practice and in the game. When Ella is on the court, good things happen. The Lady Mavs are in good hands with Ella serving as the quarterback and a tri-captain.” — Wil Curtis
Phoenecia Hathway, Sandy Creek, outside hitter, senior
“Her overall insight, team leadership, execution of skills under pressure and ability to encourage her team to excel no matter what the circumstances is an important quality an MVP must possess.” — Dori Hathway
Chloe Jubar, Cooperstown, middle hitter, senior
“Chloe leads our team in kills and blocks, (has) double digits in kills in five of our seven matches.” — Rich Jantzi
Alachiir Kuany, East Syracuse Minoa, middle hitter, sophomore
“Alachiir is becoming a dominant player in our league. She is proving that she is going to be a problem for other schools for years to come. When she has it going, she is probably the toughest player in the league to stop.” — Jake Cline
Jaiden Maher, Remsen, middle hitter/blocker, senior
“As a middle hitter/blocker, Jaiden leads the team in both blocks and kills. She is quickly approaching a career total of 500 kills. Her leadership both defensively and offensively has helped our team be in such good standing this year.” — Amy Piaschyk
Michaela Mousaw, Fabius-Pompey, setter, junior
“Michaela has been the heartbeat of our offense. Michaela elevates the entire team with her communication, decision-making under pressure, and relentless competitiveness. Her ability to control tempo and lead in critical moments have been instrumental to our success this season, making her a deserving midseason MVP.” — Amy Wagner
Brooklyn Palmer, Whitesboro, libero, senior
“Brooklyn is the backbone of our defense and covers the whole court. Not only has she been averaging over 20 digs a match, she has over a 95% serve receive rate. She also serves at a 95% rate.” — Carl Manganaro
Morgan Penizotto, Pulaski, senior, setter
“She plays with such heart and positivity. She hustles and is determined to turn every pass into a perfect set.” — Monique Ritter
Melina Poturovic, Utica Academy of Science, middle blocker, freshman
“Melina has been doing an incredible job this season. She is one of our three captains, and leads our team in both blocks and kills thus far. The team is continuously inspired by her unmatched energy and we are so lucky to have her.” — Ku Ku
Layla Rice, Mount Markham, hitter, senior
“She is our team leader in kills and aces. But her leadership on and off the court are equally as vital to our success.” — Terry McKane
Alayna Richards, General Brown, hitter, senior
“She’s not necessarily the strongest, but she’s one that will lead the team. So definitely just a good person to have on the court at all times and is one of my leading servers and headers. She’s a senior, so she’s very dedicated to making her team better. She knows how to place the ball. She’s very strategic, I guess would be a good word to describe her in that respect.” — Carrie LaSage
Lucy Storms, Carthage, sophomore
“I pulled her up at the end of last season and she had proven to be a consistent, solid player all around the court. I feel this goes unnoticed as she is not some 6-foot middle hitter or libero but Lucy is a key player on our offense and defense. This became evident more so as she just suffered an injury that has put her on the sideline for an extended period of time.” — Joelle Decillis.
Remington Stull, McGraw, middle hitter, sophomore
“Remington is a middle hitter, however we can depend on her at any position. She is our go-to girl if a ball needs to be chased down. We can always depend on Remington to go get it and feed it back to her team. Remington gives 100% at practice and in games. We look forward to watching her continue to grow and develop.” — Jessyca Doran
Rachel Zdep, Christian Brothers Academy, setter, junior
“She plays all the way around all the time. She’s also my captain. She’s a great player. Just very motivated, very good teammate. She’s just very consistent. I feel like all my other players kind of have ups and downs, but she’s very stable through every game.” — Kristen DeLorenzo
Updated Jan. 13, 2026, 11:21 a.m. ET
- Reese Shugart of Dorman volleyball was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
- The Auburn commit led her team with 452 kills, 246 digs, and 57 aces during the 2025-26 season.
Reese Shugart of Dorman volleyball was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season for the second straight year.
Shugart, an Auburn commit, finished the season with 452 kills, 246 digs, and 57 aces this season. Shugart made the Class 5A All-State team, the AVCA All-Region team, and was named to the North team for the North-South girls’ all-star game.
Dorman finished the season with a 30-6 record, 14-0 in Region 2-AAAAA, and a third consecutive state championship after the Cavaliers topped River Bluff 3-2 in the state final.
The team is led by National High School Hall of Fame coach Paula Kirkland, who has won 16 state championships with the program.
This marks the third consecutive season a Dorman volleyball player was named Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina. Carly O’Brien won the award in 2024.
Kamryn Jackson covers high school sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Anderson Independent Mail, Greenville News, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com and please follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @KamxJack.
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech student-athletes posted the highest GPA (3.5097) outside of the Spring 2020 COVID semester in program history.
This is the 34th consecutive semester that the Athletics Team Composite GPA has exceeded 3.0, a legacy that began in spring 2009. Fall 2025 was the second straight semester that all 15 teams tallied a team GPA above 3.0.
Men’s Golf led all teams with a 3.77 GPA, which is their highest GPA ever recorded. Soccer finished in a very close second place with an impressive (3.766), which is their highest ever recorded GPA, and Tennis completed the top 3 with a strong (3.71).
Volleyball (3.475) continues the longest streak of uninterrupted semesters (51) with a team GPA exceeding 3.0, and Soccer ranks second with a streak of 44 straight semesters.
Softball (3.557) and Women’s Track & Field (3.537) have consecutive 3.0+ streaks of 43 semesters. Tennis just completed its 35th and Women’s Cross Country (3.589) reached its 27th consecutive 3.0+ semester. While the Women’s Golf (3.542) team streak stands at 25 semesters.
Men’s Golf, Soccer, and Men’s Basketball all achieved their highest GPAs ever recorded (excluding COVID-19). Football achieved its highest-ever GPA during the Fall semester, and Women’s Basketball and Men’s Cross Country achieved the second-highest GPA ever recorded.
Other notable team GPAs include: Women’s Basketball (3.609), Men’s Cross Country (3.492), Beach Volleyball (3.445), Baseball (3.294), Men’s Basketball (3.236), and Football (3.086).
Fall 2025 Athletics Director Honor Roll (Alphabetically by team)
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Baseball |
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Barnett, Ty |
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Bennett, Tyler |
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Bragga, Luke |
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Casabella, Carter |
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Casteel, Cooper |
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Davis, Carson |
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Denton, Tyler |
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Fallon, Justin |
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Fuller, Cade |
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Garza, Manny |
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Holpuch, Garrett |
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Huddleston, Eli |
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Jimenez, Jorsixt |
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Jones, Jaxon |
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Kirby, Drew |
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Kuntz, Alex |
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Marchetti, AJ |
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McDuffie, Reece |
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Moffitt, Aaron |
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Moller, Logan |
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Robertson, Jamie |
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Smelser, Landon |
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Stricklin, Lawson |
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Summar, Micah |
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Men’s |
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Basketball |
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Ayers, Colin |
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Cameron, Mekhi |
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Floreence, Ja’Quavian |
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Owens, Ty |
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Payne, Jah’Kim |
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Slatten, Grant |
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Varnado, Owen |
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Women’s |
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Basketball |
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Cawthorn, LaReesha |
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Larry, Chloe |
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Mathews, Cambridge |
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Newman, Maddy |
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Pfeiffer, Amelia |
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Redd, Amaya |
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Thomas, Amaya |
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Men’s |
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Cross Country |
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Bridges, Sam |
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Chambers, Nicholas |
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Gambling, Luca |
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Glisson-Schlitt, Jack |
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Hesling, Cruz |
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Legault, Isaac |
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Myles-Hawkins, Zak |
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Torres, Dante |
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Women’s |
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XC/Track |
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Amos, Savanna |
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Beneke, Ally |
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Bowles, Paris |
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Brewer, Rachael |
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Bush, Mattie |
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Dotson, Alexis |
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Forstner, Megan |
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Hoover, Angela |
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Jackson, Lauryn |
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Jepleting, Joy |
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Johnson, Madison |
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Joy, Kyla |
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Knoyle, Riley |
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Little, Hannah |
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Lokiles, Jane |
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Ludwig, Sophia |
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Stanton, Sidnee |
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Stegall, Hayley |
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Wells, Rylee |
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Winbush, Kennedi |
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Football |
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Ashby, Spencer |
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Baker, Torin |
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Bolton, Toby |
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Booker, Cameron |
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Brooks, Kanstin |
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Brown, Steve |
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Bryant, Richard |
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Bryson, Gavin |
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Courtney, Brian |
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Coutras, Tim |
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Crawford, AJ |
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Delk, Wes |
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Downs, Brady |
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Edwards, Jyi |
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Gaines, Theron |
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Giles, Naquavious |
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Graves, Luke |
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Hand, Josh |
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Haston, Ahmad |
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Holloway, Tre |
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Holmberg, TJ |
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Jackson, Isaac |
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Johnson, Thomas |
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Jones, Aja |
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Jordan, Justin |
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Kendrick, Jack |
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King, Idris |
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Knowles, Isaac |
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Lapierre, Maurice |
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LeBlanc, Dominic |
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Lehal, Armaan |
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Lindsey, Dylan |
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Linkins, DJ |
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Littles, Aiden |
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Mendez, Jeremy |
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Meyer, Luke |
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Moss, Ty |
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Munoz, Richie |
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Nix, Tyler |
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Opara, Chinonso |
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Owens, Nick |
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Pozniak, Sean |
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Purdy, Kaleb |
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Randolph, Xavier |
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Rodriguez, Laz |
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Shaw, Christian |
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Shephard, Jalin |
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Shields, Luke |
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Simmons, Nason |
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Smith, Andrew |
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Smith, Jayun |
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Swafford, Aaron |
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Swann, Tyler |
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Swift, Tayton |
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Taylor, Eric |
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Taylor, Mason |
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Thomas, Leon |
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Thompson, Cole |
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Turner, Greg |
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Vaughn, Seth |
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Visperas, Kekoa |
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Vorhees, Parker |
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Walton, Coburn |
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Weedman, Logan |
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Wharton, Jameson |
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Wilder, Drew |
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Wilson, Gavin |
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Young-Rolle, Stefon |
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Men’s |
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Golf |
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Bright, Owen |
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Broyles, Alex |
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Etherton, Nicklaus |
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Gettler, Cooper |
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Maxwell, Haden |
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Shull, Matthew |
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Thompson, Hil |
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White, Bryson |
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Women’s |
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Golf |
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Baker, Lydia |
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Branson, Sydney |
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Griffith, Chloe |
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Kaiser,Ella |
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Soccer |
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Bibbee-Page, Halle |
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Ham, Sophie |
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Hardardottir, Krista |
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Howard, Natalie |
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Johnson, Addison |
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Lee, Ally |
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McCloud, Cheyenne |
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McNamee, Laila |
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Nappier, Diana |
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Nye, Mary |
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Palya, Claire |
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Schroeffel, Samantha |
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Wade, Delaney |
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Wood, Ashley |
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Softball |
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Abell, Addison |
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Bishop, Gabrielle |
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Capelouto, Ashley |
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Carroll, Sofia |
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Fitzgerald, Lainey |
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Gooden, Skylar |
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Harris, Makayli |
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Harvey, Ella Grace |
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Klinefelter, Abbee |
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McElhaney, Addison |
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Midkiff, Kaylee |
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Miller, Jayla |
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Ochoa, Isabella |
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Paderez, Jailynn |
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Pitzer, Kyleigh |
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Schlageter, Alina |
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Stack, Bailee |
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Sybesma, Skylar |
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Wampler, Ella |
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York, Emily |
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Men’s |
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Tennis |
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Alvarez Moreno, Alex |
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Antunes Burckhardt, Murilo |
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Dao, Oliver |
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Garavi Yepez, Ricard |
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Oshnavie, Elyad |
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Spaks, Davids |
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Volleyball |
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Berkebile, Audrey |
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Falk, Tuva |
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Milhouse, Jordyn |
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Noto, Sarah |
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Pierce, Alayna |
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Powell, Bella |
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Roberts, MK |
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Schubert, Ava |
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Spradley, Eryn |
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Watford, Ella |
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Beach Volleyball |
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Jones, Piper |
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Kamp, Margaret |
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Kilgore, Audrey |
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Mish, Zoe |
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Robards, Vivian |
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Managers and |
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Trainers, etc. |
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Andrews, Will |
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Baker, Jayden |
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Bennett, Hudson |
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Davis, Abigail |
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Day, Owen |
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Douglass, Christian |
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Everett, Jack |
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Fox, Jaxon |
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Garrett, Shaela |
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Goins, John |
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Griffith, Austin |
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Hilliard, David |
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Hook, Hayden |
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Jamison, Jerhen |
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Linder, Luke |
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Morgan, Kendall |
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Reynolds, Jarick |
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Sells, Matthew |
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Swann, Caden |
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White, Weston |
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Williamson, Anabeth |
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Wood, Grace |
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Cheer and Dance |
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Akande, Lauren |
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Askins, Akeyra |
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Aslinger, Emma |
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Baucom, Kaitlyn |
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Britton, Addison |
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Cannon, Abbigail |
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Chandler, Jacey |
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Craig, Alanah |
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Crateau, Mariah |
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Crump, Isabella |
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Edwards, Ella |
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Engstrom, Brett |
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Greene, Emily |
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Gresham, Isabella |
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Jackson, Madison |
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Jones, Jaylian |
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Joyce, Kennedy |
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Karstens, Grace |
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Kelley, Ashlyn |
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Mccann Rojas, Fancy |
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Michaelson, Hayden |
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Sells, Autumn |
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Terry, Ashlyn |
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Turner, Kimsey |
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Watts, Ava |
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Williams, Jasmine |
Student-Athletes with 4.0 GPA for Fall Semester
Baseball
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Crowell, Nash |
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Crowson, Connor |
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Mattox, Andrew |
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Parrott, Carson |
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Pease, Jaxson |
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Men’s |
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Basketball |
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Evans, Maguire |
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Mcpherson, CJ |
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Muntu, Brandon |
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Women’s |
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Basketball |
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Girgenson, Angelika |
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Grimes, Reghan |
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Hurst, Reagan |
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Miller, Sofi |
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Men’s |
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Cross Country |
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Bradford, Carter |
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Women’s |
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XC/Track |
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Faudi, Hannah |
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Flowers, Carrie |
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Jessee, Makaleigh |
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Kennedy, Aliyah |
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Seratt, Annalee |
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Tilt, Zaely |
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Wolfenbarger, Chase |
Football
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Cooney, Miles |
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Crummie, Kalvyn |
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Fauntleroy, Kennedy |
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Jacobs, Robbie |
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Patterson, Griffin |
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Sanni, Obie |
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Thomas, Christian |
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Tucker, Hudson |
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Turnbow, Branson |
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Wagner, Tyler |
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Men’s |
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Golf |
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Bolton, Drew |
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Stuke, Spencer |
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Women’s |
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Golf |
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Julian, Lexus |
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Lane,Kailey |
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Pilot, Summer |
Soccer
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Baker, Anna |
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Conrad, Maggie |
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Cuadra, Lucia |
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Davis, Abigail |
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Hamm, Melina |
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Lott, Phoebe |
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Melin, Ebba |
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Sauers, Brooke |
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Smiley, Reagan |
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Soutuyo, Victoria |
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Toney, Katie |
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Williams, Presley |
Softball
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Evans, Olivia |
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Kimmell, Reece |
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Lange, Hannah |
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Martin, Julie |
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Power, Olivia |
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Stewart, Brooklyn |
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Men’s |
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Tennis |
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Bitzer, Lucas |
Volleyball
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Fruge, Caroline |
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Karlen, Jordan |
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Lineberger, Bella |
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Rodgers, Ayanna |
Cheer and Dance
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Bettencourt, Faith |
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Crowley, Kamyah |
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Davis, Krista |
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Dyer, Norah |
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Fish, Kylie |
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Fleenor, Chloe |
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Grissom, Sarah |
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Haggard, Seneca |
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Hale, Katie |
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Murphy, Jordan |
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Smith, Mia |
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Tito, Cassie |
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Walker, Tinsley |
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Whitton, Alivia |
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Williams, Maya |
MATCH #2 • Thursday, January 15 • 7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (1-0, 0-0) at Vanguard (1-1, 0-0)
Freed Center for Leadership • Costa Mesa, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 3-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (Feb. 28, 2025 • Galen Center)
STREAK: Won 3 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 3-0
TV/STREAM: B1G+
OPPONENT WEBSITE: VanguardLions.com
MATCH #3 • Friday, January 16 • 7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (1-0) vs. No. 18 Princeton (0-0)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 5-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (Jan. 11, 2025 • Galen Center)
STREAK: Won 5 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-0
TV/STREAM: B1G+ (Avi Singh & Makena Arteaga)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoPrincetonTigers.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
- USC is led by 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard, a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time NCAA champion.
- The Trojans are ranked fifth in the AVCA Coaches Poll; the program’s 504th appearance in the national poll.
- USC is 36-20 all-time in conference openers and defeated Vanguard in its first MPSF match in 2025 (3-0 at Freed Center for Leadership, Feb. 26).
- The Trojans are 1-0 at Galen Center. Last year, they won 11 home matches. USC will play 16 times at home in 2026 and plays in Southern California for all but two regular-season matches (at BYU, April 10-11).
- USC returns five players in 2026 that were recognized by the AVCA All-America committee in 2025 including first-team choice OH Dillon Klein and second-team MB Parker Tomkinson. S Caleb Blanchette, OH Sterling Foley, and LIB Johnny Dykstra each received All-America honorable mention.
- The Trojans lead the MPSF (2nd in the NCAA) in opponent hitting percentage (.056) and are second in the league (4th NCAA) for hitting (.417).
LAST TIME OUT: The Trojans collected their first sweep of the season with a win over St. Thomas Aquinas at Galen Center. Dillon Klein led all players with 12 kills on 16 swings without an error to register a .750 hitting percentage. In his first action as a Trojan, Thiago Zamprogno went straight to work and collected nine kills on 10 swings (.900) to go with four blocks. Caleb Blanchette had 28 assists and shared team-high honors with Johnny Dykstra with five digs apiece.
POLL POSITION: The Trojans were ranked No. 5 in the AVCA Preseason Poll. USC ranks fifth in the Jan. 12 poll for the Trojans’ 504th time in the coaches poll. Last season, the Trojans reached fifth on Feb. 3 to mark their highest position since they were also ranked No. 5 in 2022 (April 18). On March 10, USC’s spot at No. 5 marked the 200th time the Trojans had been ranked in the poll’s top five; now 209 times. The Trojans’ reached the top three (March 24) for the first time in over 10 years and were previously ranked as high as third on Feb. 16, 2015.
EXTENDED: 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard had his contract extended through the 2028 season. He is the longest-tenured coach in program history and has collected 124 wins at USC. In 2025, he led the Trojans to their highest ranking in over a decade.
1K DK: OH Dillon Klein has reached double-digit kills in 62 of 79 career matches and reached the 1,000-kill mark in his career on April 17, 2025, in a match at UCLA. He now has 1,057 career kills and counting.
2K GOLD: S Caleb Blanchette crossed the 2,000-assist mark in his career in the Trojans’ season opener against St. Thomas Aquinas (Jan. 10). He dished out 28 assists in a 3-0 win over the Spartans and is now up to 2,011-career assists. In 2025, he led the MPSF—ranked fourth in the NCAA—in assists (10.61 aps) and equaled his career-high (61) twice.
RECORD HIGH: USC set a new single-match hitting record in 2025 with a .691 hitting percentage against Dominican (Feb. 8). Last seaosn, the Trojans hit north of .300 in 19 matches with 10 matches over the .400 mark. Six times, USC logged a hitting percentage higher than .450.
MOUNTAIN SPECIFICS: USC was picked to finish second in a preseason poll of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation head coaches and tied with defending league champion Pepperdine with 72 points each. The Trojans had two first-place votes while the Waves had four. UCLA also received four first-place votes and finished in first with a narrow three-point margin (75 points). In 2025, the Trojans were also chosen to finish second and went 8-4 to take second. The Men of Troy are 36-20 all-time in conference openers.
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