Sports

Long Beach State defeats UCLA to win NCAA men’s volleyball title

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Freshman Moni Nikolov posted six kills, four aces and a pair of digs and Long Beach State beat UCLA 25-17, 25-23 and 25-21 to win the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament Monday night. It was the Beach’s (30-3) fourth championship in program history and first since 2019. Long Beach State also won the title in […]

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4 weeks ago

May 13, 2025

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It was the Beach’s (30-3) fourth championship in program history and first since 2019. Long Beach State also won the title in 2018 and claimed its first title in 1991 when current coach Alan Knipe was a player.

The 6-foot-10 Nikolov, who just turned 18, started the match with an opening-serve ace and ended UCLA’s two-time reign with a thunderous kill.

“Not for one second did we think we were going to lose that game,” Nikolov said. “Before the game in the locker room we told each other we were here. We were born for this …. game.

“Even when we were down five, we trusted each other because we knew we were the better team.”

Trailing 1-0, UCLA led 18-13 in the second set before the nation’s No. 1-ranked team outscored the Bruins 12-5 for a two-point win. In the third set, Alex Kandev’s kill gave Long Beach State a 4-3 lead and the Beach led for the remainder. Kandev finished with a .452 hitting percentage.

The Bruins entered the tournament with the second-highest hitting efficiency in the country but were stifled in part by Long Beach State’s length and were outhit by the Beach .354 to .192. UCLA’s Cooper Robinson finished with a .381 hitting percentage.

The championship match was the third meeting between the two teams this season with Long Beach State owning a 9-1 set advantage.

Long Beach State dropped just a single set as it beat Fort Valley State 3-0 and Pepperdine 3-1.

Two-time defending champion UCLA (22-7) sought to become college volleyball’s first three-peat champion since the Bruins won four in a row from 1981 to 1984.

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Coaches Associations Warn NCAA Settlement Could Undermine Olympic and Non-Revenue Sports, Urge Congressional Action

Coaches Associations Warn NCAA Settlement Could Undermine Olympic and Non-Revenue Sports, Urge Congressional Action Following the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement agreement by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, four major collegiate coaching associations have issued a joint statement warning of serious consequences for Olympic and broad-based sports programs. The American Volleyball Coaches Association […]

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24 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

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Coaches Associations Warn NCAA Settlement Could Undermine Olympic and Non-Revenue Sports, Urge Congressional Action

Following the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement agreement by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, four major collegiate coaching associations have issued a joint statement warning of serious consequences for Olympic and broad-based sports programs.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), and the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) acknowledged that the settlement marks important progress in addressing the rights of college athletes but expressed deep concern over its long-term impact on non-revenue sports.

In a joint statement, the associations cautioned that the financial strain on institutions stemming from the settlement could accelerate the elimination of Olympic and non-football, non-basketball programs. “This is no hypothetical,” the statement read. “Budget cuts and program eliminations have already taken place in anticipation of today’s outcome, and more are likely to follow.”

The House v. NCAA settlement resolves a trio of antitrust lawsuits tied to compensation for student-athletes and could open the door for schools to directly share revenue with athletes. However, the coaches associations argue that without broader structural reform, the decision may disproportionately benefit revenue-generating sports while eroding the foundation of broad-based athletic participation that defines collegiate athletics.

They also flagged unresolved concerns, including the employment classification of student-athletes and Title IX compliance—issues that they say remain dangerously vague and could result in further risk and confusion for sports that operate outside the financial spotlight.

“The future of college sports must not disproportionately benefit a small fraction of the NCAA student-athlete population while jeopardizing opportunities for others,” the statement continued. “Congress must intervene to address these pressing issues and ensure a balanced, equitable path forward for all student-athletes.”

Among the associations’ top legislative priorities are:

Protecting investment in Olympic sports by establishing proportional spending targets.

Maintaining NCAA sport sponsorship requirements, which currently mandate 16 sports for FBS programs and 14 for FCS and non-football Division I schools.

Ensuring athletes are not classified as employees, preserving the traditional collegiate model.

Creating consistent, national NIL regulation to prevent disparate policy enforcement across states.

The USTFCCCA, which represents more than 11,000 coaches and over 98 per cent of all NCAA track and field programs, reiterated its commitment to advocating for track & field and cross country as essential components of collegiate athletics. The organization, along with its fellow associations, emphasized its intent to work collaboratively with lawmakers to ensure the sustainability and integrity of college sports.

As the collegiate athletics landscape continues to evolve in the wake of legal and legislative shifts, the coaching associations made clear that without federal guidance, the sports that form the backbone of Olympic development and broad student participation could face an uncertain future.

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Spring-Ford’s milestone season comes to an end against Central York in state quarterfinals

The unforgettable ride that was the 2025 Spring-Ford boys’ volleyball season has come to a stop. Three years ago, the program did not exist; on Saturday afternoon, the Rams competed in the PIAA-3A quarterfinals as one of the last eight teams still playing in Pennsylvania. Though they were swept 3-0 by established District 3 power […]

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25 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

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The unforgettable ride that was the 2025 Spring-Ford boys’ volleyball season has come to a stop.

Three years ago, the program did not exist; on Saturday afternoon, the Rams competed in the PIAA-3A quarterfinals as one of the last eight teams still playing in Pennsylvania. Though they were swept 3-0 by established District 3 power Central York (set scores were 20-25, 16-25, 22-25) in a season-ending defeat, the prevailing emotions afterward were of pride and gratitude.

“It was special,” Spring-Ford head coach Sam Moyerman said by phone once the Rams returned to campus from Cocalico High School, site of the quarterfinal match. “They all realize that. It’s hard to have that awareness, especially in a moment like this, but they were good about it. They understood how special what was happening was and that it could end at any moment. There were tears and hugs after, but every single person who spoke said it was the best ride of their lives.”

Seven of the program’s nine seniors — PJ Szczerba, Zach Parker, Colton Bogdan, Dawson Beccaria, Luc Nguyen, Ian Right and Peter Van Ness — were there from day one, while the other two, Alan Quintero Uribe and Connor Dadourian, joined as juniors. Over the past two to three years, they have helped set the foundation and build atop it something real and lasting. Spring-Ford is the only boys’ volleyball team in the Pioneer Athletic Conference, and these trailblazers went from no team to one of the final eight in warp speed.

Some of them will be borderline irreplaceable, and it’s entirely possible that the program takes a small step back in 2026 as it resets its rotation. At the same time, the Rams had 25 total players in the program, and interest will likely remain robust thanks to the team’s success this season. As Moyerman said, everybody at Spring-Ford loves to win, and this was the season that the boys’ volleyball program crashed the school’s athletics party.

“There’s no doubt what we’ve built is ready to thrive,” Moyerman said. “The next class is coming up and they want to be better; they saw the work those nine seniors put in and know they have to put in more to keep doing these things. At Spring-Ford I’ve learned that we want to be the best and to keep pushing. People here are not happy to rest on their laurels.”

Against Central York — one of five District 3 schools in the 16-team 3A bracket — the Rams immediately spotted their powerful opponent a lead in the first set and were fighting from behind the entire time. Every time that Spring-Ford fought back to cut the deficit to two or three points, the Panthers answered with another surge.

“We knew that they were talented and we had to be on our game,” Moyerman said. “We had to be perfect. We were under their boot from the start, and every time we fought back to make it close they extended it right back up.”

The second set was close until about midway through before the Panthers ran away with it. The third and final one was the most competitive of the match, with the Rams even claiming their first lead of the day at one point. But once again they could not get over the hump, and Central York got the final push it needed to finish off the sweep.

“Every time we got close, they extended or we stepped on our own toes,” Moyerman said. “We couldn’t make that one needed extra play.”

Szczerba’s final high school match consisted of 12 kills, 14 digs and a block. Nguyen (28 assists, seven digs), Beccaria (25 digs), Parker (three kills, four blocks), Bogdan (six kills, 10 digs, block), Dadourian (18 digs, two kills) and Ethan Smith (five kills, two blocks) all made significant contributions down to the wire.

Moyerman said that the team was still reaping positive tidings even in defeat, as the head volleyball coach at Elizabethtown College attended the match and offered Beccaria a spot on the team. Meanwhile, Szczerba and Parker will both be attending Virginia Tech and aim to keep their careers on the court going at the club level.

The volleyball experience for this group was so positive that it will be hard to stop playing. It was an absolutely seminal season that the Rams endured, and while they all likely had some whiplash in processing all of the emotions following the season’s end, the memories they made will be everlasting when the sting from defeat subsides.

“They weren’t just showing up to play – they were playing to win and playing for each other,” Moyerman said. “They hated losing and didn’t want it to end; they wanted another week, but everyone said that this was the best team they had ever been a part of. We had a losing record the second week of the season and made it to the round of eight.

“There’s only four teams left, and it sucks not being one of them. But these guys got to do something special and got it to click finally. The bond with this group – I can’t even imagine any team coming close to it.”

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Luckless Drogheda ladies come up just shy again in water polo’s Irish Senior Cup Finals

Drogheda’s ladies team came up just short yet again in their pursuit of Irish Senior Cup glory. Picture credit: Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE Drogheda Independent Today at 11:30 While many observers in the world of water polo thought it would be fifth time lucky for the Drogheda senior ladies team in 2025, it turned out […]

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50 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

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Drogheda’s ladies team came up just short yet again in their pursuit of Irish Senior Cup glory. Picture credit: Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE

Drogheda Independent

Today at 11:30

While many observers in the world of water polo thought it would be fifth time lucky for the Drogheda senior ladies team in 2025, it turned out to be an earlier exit from the Irish Senior Cup this spring.

Having under-performed by their own standards early on in the season due to missing a number of key players, the Drogheda outfit began to find their form in recent months as they picked up a number of notable wins in the run-up to the ‘Diamond Event’, the Irish Senior Cup Finals.

The tournament was held in Limerick University, with a total of 14 teams involved between men’s and ladies.

It all started off well enough for Drogheda as, after being paired off against one of their many old rivals North Dublin, the Boynesiders prevailed 12-6 thanks to a well-executed team plan.

Next was a match versus Tribes of Galway who entered the competition as one of the most in-form teams in the country, on the back of a very impressive run of eight wins and just one loss.

It was in this encounter that Drogheda unfortunately were outplayed and so they secured ‘only’ the runners-up position in Group B and therefore had to face Group A winners St Vincents in the semi-finals.

This was a highly anticipated match in light of the fact that Drogheda knocked them out at the same stage in 2024 following a penalty shootout, but this time the Boynesiders were beaten by a better team who went on to win the competition and record their 12th triumph in the last 13 Irish Senior Cup finals.

Still, Drogheda can look forward with optimism to the 2025/26 season which will see the return of some pivotal stalwarts. Perhaps that will boost their chances of finally going all the way in the Irish Senior Cup, having contested four of the last five finals.

The Drogheda senior ladies squad are always looking for new players, as are the junior ranks of the Drogheda underage club who train in Aura in Drogheda on a Monday night.

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Nevada Preps: Boys volleyball All-Southern Nevada 2025 team revealed

First team Regi Beshiri, Sierra Vista — The senior and first-team Class 5A all-state selection led the state with 495 kills and added 251 digs. Dexter Brimhall, Coronado — The senior and first-team 5A all-state selection recorded 324 kills, 242 digs and 38 aces for the 5A state champion. Dane Galvin, Coronado — The senior […]

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2 hours ago

June 8, 2025

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First team

Regi Beshiri, Sierra Vista — The senior and first-team Class 5A all-state selection led the state with 495 kills and added 251 digs.

Dexter Brimhall, Coronado — The senior and first-team 5A all-state selection recorded 324 kills, 242 digs and 38 aces for the 5A state champion.

Dane Galvin, Coronado — The senior recorded 306 kills and 151 digs for the 5A state champion

Ty Hardy, Basic — The junior, the 4A Sky League and state player of the year, had 312 kills and 272 digs for the 4A state champion.

Dylan Ho, Palo Verde — The senior and first-team 5A all-state selection had 135 kills for the 5A state runner-up.

Porter Hughes, Basic — The junior first-team 4A all-state selection had 327 kills, 198 digs and 40 aces to lead the Wolves to their second straight 4A state title.

Kingston Jerome, Shadow Ridge — The senior, the 5A state and Desert League player of the year, recorded a .399 hitting percentage with 161 kills, 102 blocks and 55 aces.

Lincoln Larson, Centennial — The junior led the state with 99 aces and added 370 kills, 175 digs and 47 blocks.

Deacon Menlove, Coronado — The senior and first-team 5A all-state selection was fourth in the state with 388 digs for the 5A state champion.

Eli Nelson, Palo Verde — The senior and first-team 5A all-state selection recorded 99 kills for the 5A state runner-up.

Owen Romzek, Shadow Ridge — The senior and first-team 5A all-state selection was fifth in the state with 95 blocks for the Desert League champion.

Braxton Rowley, Coronado — The senior and 5A Mountain League player of the year was second in the state with 836 assists and added 212 digs, 63 blocks and 40 aces for the 5A state champion.

Coach of the year

Jazlynn Mau, Coronado — The first-year coach led the Cougars to a 38-2 record and the 5A state title.

Second team

Luke Dennett, Basic — The senior and first-team 4A all-state selection had 564 assists and 103 digs for the 4A state champion.

Ridge Gardner, Centennial — The senior and second-team 5A all-state selection had 164 kills and a .322 hitting percentage.

David Haldeman, Arbor View — The senior and second-team 5A all-state selection had 125 digs and 578 assists.

Reece Leavitt, Virgin Valley — The senior led the 3A state champion with 63 blocks and added 308 digs, 235 kills and 47 aces.

Zion Moore, Shadow Ridge — The junior and second-team 5A all-state selection recorded 217 kills and 157 digs.

Zechariah Nissley, Green Valley — The senior and second-team 5A all-state selection had 233 digs, 163 kills and 300 assists.

Gage Poulsen, Sky Pointe — The senior and first-team 4A all-state selection had 519 assists, 132 digs, 56 aces and a .375 hitting percentage.

Yeheshua Ruiz, Foothill — The junior and second-team 5A all-state selection was third in the state with a .418 hitting percentage and added 180 kills and 70 blocks.

Destry Tobler, Virgin Valley — The senior led the 3A state champion with 345 kills and 58 aces and added 191 digs.

Dyson Twitchell, Sky Pointe — The senior and first-team 4A all-state selection had 266 kills and 132 digs.

Kenyon Wickliffe, Arbor View — The junior and second-team 5A all-state selection had 135 kills.

David Zwahlen, Boulder City — The junior and 3A Mountain League player of the year recorded 183 kills, 54 aces and 302 digs.

Honorable mention

Carter Aldridge, Desert Oasis

Jaeden Alexander, Del Sol

Jacob Bay, Legacy

Jack Cox, Durango

David Davila-Matamoros, Green Valley

Dylan Domine, Liberty

Logan Hanshew, Legacy

Matthew Hill, Valley

Kaleb Law, Mojave

Tautai Malauulu, Del Sol

Ellis McGrath, Desert Oasis

Isaiah Moore, Legacy

Jordan Pierce, Chaparral

Levi Randall, Boulder City

Clayton Sellers, Valley

Izaeya Tili, Chaparral

Austen Tippetts, Sky Pointe

Aiden Tran, Bishop Gorman

AJ Tuitele, Mojave

Daniel Vargas, Cimarron-Memorial

Luke Wilkinson, Coronado

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

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Heritage girls win third straight track and field title, Glass’ Smith gets No. 4

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June 8, 2025

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New York Mets sign veteran reliever to minor league contract

The New York Mets have had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball to start the season. Through 64 games, the unit boasts a league-low 2.84 ERA and has paved the way for the team’s 40-24 start. But the club is still looking to add pitching depth, as evidenced by their two transactions on […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2025

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New York Mets sign veteran reliever to minor league contract

The New York Mets have had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball to start the season.

Through 64 games, the unit boasts a league-low 2.84 ERA and has paved the way for the team’s 40-24 start. But the club is still looking to add pitching depth, as evidenced by their two transactions on Saturday, trading for RHP Justin Garza and signing RHP Julian Merryweather to a minor league deal.

Merryweather, a six-year pro, was most recently with the Chicago Cubs, but was DFA’d in late May after 21 appearances out of the bullpen. In 18.1 innings, the righty was 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA and 15 strikeouts. Merryweather’s best season in Chicago was 2023, when he went 5-1 with a career-low 3.38 ERA across 69 appearances out of the pen.

Before joining the Cubs, Merryweather spent his early career in the Cleveland Indians’ minor league system. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and was moved to the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade for former AL MVP Josh Donaldson. It was here where Merryweather made his MLB debut in 2020 at age 28.

Merryweather’s 2024 season was derailed by shoulder, back, and knee injuries, and he only managed to pitch in 15 games. The 33-year-old possesses above-average velocity in his fastball (96 mph), which he pairs with a slider.

David Stearns and the Mets targeted the righty as another injury-plagued arm that has had seasons of high-level production. Merryweather will look to regain this form in the minor leagues to fight for a role in the bullpen.