LEXINGTON, Ky. – Four Missouri State beach volleyball pairs have earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top Flight Award, the organization announced on Friday. MoState’s regular pairs at Flight Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5 were honored with the award.
The Top Flight program, now in its seventh year, recognizes beach pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight and win at least 75% of their matches. This year, 88 pairs representing 45 schools—from all three NCAA divisions, NAIA, and Two-Year Colleges—have earned Top Flight status. To qualify for the award, the team’s head coach must be an active AVCA member.
Missouri State is one of three Division I teams to win four AVCA Top Flight Awards, along with Chattanooga and Loyola Marymount. Overall, MoState is one of six schools nationally to win four awards. Carson Newman (DII), Fresno City College (Two-Year) and Santa Monica College (Two-Year) also won the honor on four flights.
Becca Bach and Allyson Larkin earned the award at Flight No. 1. The two boasted a record of 17-9 in 2025, which included a nine-match winning streak to start the season. Bach and Larkin only lost two sets during that stretch. The duo ended the season with a straight-set sweep over UAB’s three-time Conference USA Pair of the Week, Olivia Stant and Jasmine Haas, who each made the All-CUSA First Team. Bach was named to the All-CUSA Second Team on Thursday to become the first Missouri State student-athlete to make a CUSA all-conference team. She finished her career with 53 wins, the second-most in program history. Larkin sits at 42 career wins after her first two seasons, good for seventh all-time in team history.
Missouri State’s all-time winningest duo of MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary earned the Top Flight Award for the first time at Flight No. 2. The two ended with a 17-8 record, including a 1-0 result in the Conference USA Tournament with their win over UAB’s Isabel Day and Azmabeth Infante. Steele and Cleary started the season 10-0 while only dropping two sets during that stretch. The 37 wins Steele and Cleary have amassed over the last two seasons are the most in team history, surpassing the previous record of 35 set by Grace Cook and Chloe Tome. Steele became the fourth Missouri State player to reach 50 career individual wins with the victory against UAB in the conference tournament.
Rylie Cepicky and Manuela Niemeyer also earned their first career AVCA Top Flight Awards with a team-best 20-6 record and a Flight No. 4 record of 20-5. The two became the fifth Missouri State pair to reach 20 wins in a single season. Cepicky and Niemeyer also started the season on a 10-match winning streak and had a separate stretch of seven straight wins to start the season as winners of 17 out of 18 matches. Cepicky was named to the CUSA All-Freshman team on Thursday. Her 20 wins are the second most by a MoState freshman in team history. Niemeyer also won her 50th career match during the conference tournament, the third Bears player to reach that milestone.
Lastly, Missouri State earned a Top Flight Award at No. 5 for the second straight year. Olivia Rattler and Erin Eschleman received the honor with a 16-9 record together. The two started their time together on a six-match winning streak, then later won seven consecutive matches spanning from late March to mid-April. Rattler went 19-9 as an individual, including going 3-0 to start the season with Riley Drew at Flight No. 5. Rattler became the first Bears player to reach 50 career wins at the start of the season and finished her beach volleyball career with a program record 61 career victories. Eschleman is the first player in team history to win the AVCA Top Flight Award twice. She won it last season at Flight No. 3 alongside then-senior Olivia Muriel when the pair went 24-7.
Missouri State beach volleyball went 18-10 in 2025 to complete its eighth year as a program and second as a Conference USA affiliate. The Bears advanced to the second day of the CUSA Tournament in Louisiana for the second straight season.
Titan Media industry provides footage for the Kiani North’s signing day.
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VICTORIA, Tx – Victoria East High School athletics continue to shine following the Christmas break, as senior track sprinter Kiani North officially signed with the University of North Texas to continue her track and field career.
North put pen to paper earlier today, marking the next step in a journey defined by hard work and standout performances on the track.
Victoria East girls track head coach Jennifer Gantt praised North’s talent and growth, calling her a special athlete to watch.
“She is a beautiful runner. She’s got such a beautiful stride, and it’s so fun to watch her compete,” Gantt said. “I know I’m looking forward to the next track season — our last one together. You’re going to see great things from her, but more importantly, I’m excited to see what she can do at the next level. Like he said, the door’s wide open. We’re excited for you.”
For North, the signing represents the payoff of years of dedication and discipline.
“It feels really amazing — like, really rewarding,” North said. “If you work hard to achieve your dreams, you will get it. I’m excited for the new environment, I’m excited for the track meets for sure, and I’m just excited to be a part of this program.”
North will join the Mean Green track and field team as she prepares for her final high school track season at Victoria East.
Omaha, NEB — League One Volleyball is set to open its second season in January, and LOVB Nebraska enters the year with momentum, experience, and a culture built on connection.
The Nebraska-based squad features a blend of Olympians, national champions, and former Nebraska Cornhuskers, a mix that players say has helped foster strong chemistry both on and off the court.
“They care a lot about impact and significance and connection and relationships,” head coach Suzie Fritz said. “And I cannot speak enough to the phenomenal women that I spend my days with. They are extraordinary.”
That respect for the game — and for each other — is something players believe will translate directly to success during the season.
“I think one thing Susie does well is creating a culture,” former Husker Jordan Larson said. “Obviously, right now we haven’t competed, so the measurement is ourselves. When tension starts to rise, having a great culture and foundation is important to fall back on.”
LOVB Nebraska leaned on that foundation last season, even when challenges arose.
“You take last season, where we had a few bumps in the road,” Larson said. “What really paid off in the end was that we had a healthy culture and were able to perform when it really mattered.”
Players say that culture feels even stronger heading into year two.
“Chemistry always plays a big part, and that starts with what you do off the court,” former Husker Lexi Rodriguez said. “The coaching staff really emphasizes that culture piece, which helps when things aren’t going as well during the season.”
The result, they say, is a team that not only competes well but is also enjoyable to watch.
“Everyone gets along so well,” Rodriguez said. “We’re really just vibing and jiving and having a good time together, and I think it makes us pretty fun to watch.”
LOVB Nebraska opens the season on the road Jan. 7 at Austin. The home opener is scheduled for Jan. 11 against Houston. The team will also play a March matchup at the Heartland Event Center in Grand Island.
The college volleyball world is still stunned by Texas A&M’s utter domination of its championship run through the Final Four and the national title path. One of the top players in the country played a key role in that run and historic season.
Senior Logan Lednicky is an Aggie legacy who had a childhood dream of attending Texas A&M. As she progressed in her volleyball career, that goal shifted to bringing a volleyball title to Aggieland.
The future Aggie Hall of Famer achieved that goal under the tutelage of A&M head coach Jamie Morrison, the 2025 AVCA Coach of the Year, and helped develop her into a professional volleyball player.
While her name will forever be in the record books as being part of the first-ever Texas A&M volleyball team to win a title, she also set an impressive individual record. Lednicky’s 1,686 kills are the most in program history in the rally-scoring era for one of the more accomplished volleyball careers at A&M.
Logan Lednicky Career stats:
Kills: 1686 / 3.97 per set
Hitting %: .269
Blocks: 378 / 0.9 per set
Aces: 49 / .12 per set
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Player of the Year: Finley Krystkowiak, Torrey Pines
A senior outside hitter, Krystkowiak finished the season with 328 kills, including 20 against Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the Falcons’ CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship win. She also had 251 digs, 30 blocks and 56 service aces. Torrey Pinse finished the season 38-5, ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 9 in the nation, losing to Santa Ana Mater Dei in the Southern California Regionals. The 6-foot-3 Krystowiak has signed to play at Penn State.
Libero of the Year: Lilia Green Torrey Pines
Coach of the Year: Roni Greenwood-Harper, Scripps Ranch
First team
Name, School, Year
Finley Krystowiak, Torrey Pines, Sr.
Jaycee Mack, Torrey Pines, Jr.
Ashlynn Proctor, Coronado, So.
Madyson McCarthy, Cathedral Catholic, Sr.
Alison Dzieciuch, Cathedral Catholic, Sr.
Bryce Leatherwood, Scripps Ranch, Sr.
Cam Holcomb, San Marcos, Sr.
Alice Burgett, La Jolla Country Day, Jr.
Myah Koster, Bishop’s, Jr.
Second team
Name, School, Year
Emery Gonzales, Torrey Pines, Sr.
Danica Nordlicht, Torrey Pines, Sr.
Jojo Wilson, Cathedral Catholic, Jr.
Nariah Johnson, Santa Fe Christian, Fr.
Avalon Haro, Coronado, Sr.
Max Pheasant, Christian, Sr.
Vivian Roberts, Westview, Sr.
Caitlin Prior, Our Lady of Peace, Sr.
Tatum Epstein, La Jolla Country Day, So.
Havani Embry, Carlsbad, Sr.
Note: Teams selected by Coaches Advisory Committee.
Who: NM State (7-3, 1-0 CUSA) vs University of the Southwest (4-9, 1-6 RRAC)
When: Sunday, Dec. 28, 2:00 p.m. MT
Where: Las Cruces, N.M. – Pan American Center (12,200)
THE OPENING TIP
• Coming off an impressive home victory last Sunday to open Conference USA play against Sam Houston, NM State turns its attention to its final non-conference matchup of the season as it welcomes the University of the Southwest to the Pan American Center on Sunday, Dec. 28, at 2 p.m.
• Sunday’s contest marks just the third all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Aggies holding a 2–0 series advantage. The teams last met a year ago on the same date in Las Cruces, where NM State pulled away for an 85–52 victory.
PERIMETER LOCKDOWN
• NM State is one of just five Division I programs to hold opponents under 30.0 percent shooting from three-point range last season and has continued that defensive standard into the current campaign. The Aggies join Tennessee, Montana, Dartmouth and Appalachian State as the only teams in the nation to accomplish the feat in both seasons. NM State currently ranks 50th nationally in three-point percentage defense, limiting opponents to 29.8% from beyond the arc.
BOOST FROM THE BENCH
• NM State’s depth once again proved to be a difference-maker, as Elijah Elliott and Jayland Randall delivered impactful performances off the bench to help lift the Aggies in their Conference USA opener against Sam Houston.
• Elliott matched his season high with 18 points to lead NM State in scoring, marking the second time this season he has finished as the Aggies’ top scorer while coming off the bench. Randall wasn’t far behind, pouring in 16 points for his second-highest total of the season as the duo combined to provide a major spark for the Crimson & White.
• This marked the second time this season that Elliott and Randall have finished as NM State’s top two scorers while coming off the bench, highlighting the Aggies’ ability to lean on their reserve unit.
• NM State’s bench overwhelmed Sam Houston, outscoring the Bearkats 46–17. The 46 bench points marked the Aggies’ second-highest reserve output of the season, trailing only their 49-point bench performance against South Alabama.
PUNCH FROM THE POST
• Julius Mims delivered strong performances in the last outing against Sam Houston. Mims has been a steady presence all season, averaging 9.3 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game which is also ranked eighth in CUSA. Against the Sam Houston, he flirted with double-double finishing the night with nine points while also leading NM State with nine rebounds. Mims has now led the Aggies in rebounding in six of ten games this season.
IN THE PAN AM
• NM State has thrived in front of its home crowd this season, posting a perfect 5-0 record inside the Pan American Center.
• In home games, the Aggies own a +10.6 scoring margin, shooting 47.5% from the field while holding opponents to just 38.8% shooting.
• A few Aggies have elevated their play at home, led by Jones, who is averaging 16.6 points per game in the Pan Am. Julius Mims is averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting an impressive 67% from the field, and Anthony Wrzeszcz is contributing 10.8 points per game while knocking down shots from beyond the arc at a 48% clip.
HISTORIC START
• The Aggies’ 6-0 opening this season marked their best start in more than 50 years. The last NM State team to begin a season this fast was the 1969–70 Final Four team, linking this year’s group to one of the most storied runs in program history.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
• University of the Southwest enters Sunday’s matchup with a 4–9 record and arrives in Las Cruces following a 90–66 road loss to Texas A&M–Texarkana.
• The Mustangs are led by first-year head coach Steven Barker and feature a pair of key contributors in EJ Scroggins and Donovan Holcombe.
• Scroggins leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while Holcombe provides additional production at 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.
For complete coverage of the 2025-26 season NM State Men’s Basketball, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateMBB), Instagram (@NMStateMBB), and like us on Facebook (NMStateMBB).
EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s 2025 volleyball season was filled with record-setting moments and unforgettable performances on the court.
The Vaqueros’ 22-8 regular season and 15-1 Southland Conference record secured a tie of the regular season title, topped with three individuals earning all-conference awards.
Looking back at this season, Head Coach Todd Lowery said, “Nine new faces in the program and just how quickly they came together and how quickly they cared for each other was really fun to be a part of. Of course, all the success on top of that, I think it was really the environment they had and that we had this past season was what was special about this group.”
October 2 marked the turning point of the season. Following a loss to Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, UTRGV went on to win a program-record 16 straight matches. To put the team’s dominance into perspective, only two times UTRGV was pushed to five sets.
“We had the mindset that we were going toward the same direction, and that just made everything easier,” Junior setter Isabella Costantini said. “I feel like after our preseason tournaments, we kind of made that click, that instant switch, of building that chemistry and connection and that made us play the way we did this past season.”
Freshman outside hitter Dimitra Nanou added, “We realized that did not want to be in last place in the conference. We can give some more. We have super talented players on our team, and I was so excited to work more and more every day.”
In the midst of the win-streak, Lowery also reached a milestone: win number 600.
On Nov. 6, UTRGV defeated the University of Incarnate Word, three sets to one, at UTRGV Fieldhouse to clinch to historic win in Lowery’s career.
“Anytime you get to reach a milestone, it’s awesome,” Lowery said. “To reach it with a special group kind of made it more special for me just because even that night, they got the win and everything, but the girls on the team made that night about me, and it should never be about me.”
While Lowery did not want the spotlight on him following the win, his team made sure to give him his flowers.
Sophomore outside hitter Martina Franco said, “Coach literally changed my life when he recruited me to come here, so I’m so happy that he accomplished that with me and the team, you know, just be a part of one of his memories, this important season and his big accomplishment.”
Lowery was also named the Katrinka Jo Crawford SLC Coach of the Year in 2025.
As for outstanding performances, Costantini, Franco and Nanou all shined on the floor, earning Southland Conference awards.
Costantini was named Southland Conference Setter of the Year for the second consecutive time.
She said, “I feel like after my sophomore season where I was recognized as the setter of the year, it was good to get that back, you know, that feeling of all my hard work paid off.”
Franco was named Newcomer of the year.
Franco said, “I was not expecting that at all, but I think when I watch it, I was happy to have something to remember because it was a good season for me and I had a lot of fun and I loved it, so I don’t know. It was a blast to enjoy the season that I have.”
As for Nanou, she was named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year.
“I’m more excited about what we got out of the tournament instead of my award,” Nanou said. “I’m really grateful that I can help my team and receive that award because it’s like a gift from God.”
Despite the historic season for the volleyball program, the team’s final loss to the Ladyjacks in the Southland Conference Tournament Championship Game left a bad taste in the program’s mouth.
The loss fueled them to exceed their performance on the court this season heading into 2026.
Lowery said, “That loss in the conference championship game will drive this team forward. I think just the sentiment. At first, they were sad and then by a week or two later and at this point, they’re angry.”
“The last game we played with the final of the tournament motivates us to push more,” Nanou said. “We can give more. We saw that we can give more, and personally I think everyone is going to put more work in this year.”
