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Beyond The Diamond – California Golden Bears Athletics

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8 months ago

May 14, 2025

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From an early age, Holly Medina endured many trials and tribulations leading up to the moment she decided to dedicate her life to Christ.

SB5/13/2025 7:45 AM | By: Dermonte Bond

Holly Medina Takes Leap Of Faith

This feature originally appeared in the 2025 Spring edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.

Audience of one.

For some, it doesn’t mean much. But it’s a motto that California outfielder Holly Medina embodies. Reminded every time she’s in the batter’s box and with every sip of water – with the initials AO1 written on her bat and water bottle – she is never concerned about the opinions of others nor needs their acceptance.

Medina’s journey has not always been easy. From an early age, she endured many trials and tribulations leading up to the moment she decided to dedicate her life to Christ.

During her childhood, religion was never a huge factor in the household and was not forced upon her at a young age. Instead, after learning of her friend’s religious views and deeper discussions with her grandparents, she began to beg her parents, Niki and Adam Medina, to start taking her to church. That is where her religious journey began to take form.

“It was never like – we have to go, and I was never in a Christian or Catholic school,” Medina said. “I remember my friends in elementary school were pretty religious, and I would go home and be like – ‘Mom, can you please take me to church and – can we go to church on Sunday?’ My grandparents had a big effect on it. They would talk to me about religion here and there.”

Growing up in Hesperia in Southern California, Medina made the varsity softball team during her freshman year at Oak Hills High School. But that wasn’t enough. She knew if she wanted to reach her career goals, she would have to venture outside her hometown to get exposure. She set a goal to make the Firecrackers Select 18U travel ball team in Huntington Beach, over an hour from her home.

“I was committed to the grind, but it was so much fun,” Medina said. “I finally met people who were at the same level and pushing me to be more. I was the underdog the whole time. I was constantly being pushed. I had the best memories on that team and being in Huntington Beach, playing softball and traveling with all those people. That was when I knew – this is what I am going to do.”

Despite finding success on the field, Medina still had not received any attention from major college programs leading up to her senior year of high school. She earned recognition from mid-major schools and visited several campuses, such as Southern Utah and Montana.

Even though Medina thoroughly enjoyed her official visit to Montana, she ultimately decided to remain patient. She traveled to Texas to compete in a tournament where college coaches were in attendance.

“I go to the tournament and I end up balling out,” Medina said. “We had a recruitment guy on our team that handled a lot of that for us, luckily, and he told me – you’re not going to believe it, but Cal and LMU are both interested.”

Overwhelmed with emotions, she immediately scheduled visits to LMU and Cal that following week. While visiting Berkeley, she immediately knew her future and officially committed to Cal during the visit.

“I knew I wanted to stay in California,” Medina stated. “It felt far enough from home to experience things and the fact I was getting this education and being able to play in a power school. That was great.”

While on campus during the fall of her freshman year, Medina wanted to commit and dive further into her faith. Despite establishing a foundation during her childhood, she finally felt that everything was coming together.

“In high school, a church opened in my hometown, and I started working at the coffee bar there,” Medina said. “I got into fellowship with that, but it didn’t click until college that I truly felt my faith start to flourish.”

In December of her freshman year, she made a New Year’s resolution to fully grow her relationship with Christ. After enduring many hardships throughout the year, she took a leap of faith and got a tattoo, displaying a cross on her lower left forearm. That decision marked a key moment in her religious journey.

“It was kind of the reminder to put God first and to grow in my faith, Medina said. “Ever since that moment, that has been something I have stuck with because I’ve never felt the way I have in my faith as strong as I do right now.”

As she returned to campus for her sophomore year in August 2024, and after many months of compiling the thoughts that raced through her head surrounding the idea of being baptized, she finally felt that she was ready for the next step in her journey.

“I had been wanting to get baptized for a while,” Medina said. “Over the summer, it was a big turning point for me. Prior to it, I was like – I would love to be baptized, but I didn’t know why, what the point was, or if I deserved to be baptized. Those are the thoughts that were going through my head.”

During the nearly seven-hour drive from her hometown back to campus, she convinced herself that it was time. After returning to campus, she visited her church, City Center, and one of the first topics that was being discussed during service was about baptism.

“That’s crazy,” Medina said in disbelief. “I really wanted to do it, but it was happening the next week, and school hadn’t even started.”

As a member of Athletes in Action on campus, Medina went to bible study the next day and confided to one of the mentors and AIA team leader, Karen Butler. During the conversation, she shared her concerns about getting baptized without having her support system with her, as most of her teammates hadn’t returned to campus yet, and her parents were seven hours away. That’s when she discovered that the organization, AIA, holds baptisms. She was immediately sold and committed to a date.

“It was not really about where. It was more about who was doing it and the community,” Medina said. “I knew that AIA had been a big thing at school, and it had helped me a lot. I knew all the people in my support system would be there.”

After crossing off the days on the calendar for months, the moment finally arrived. On November 6, 2024, surrounded by loved ones, teammates, coaches, members from her church, and even her therapist, Holly took the cold plunge into the tub of war and publicly declared her faith in Jesus Christ.

“It was just uniting. All my favorite people filled in one room. It was not just celebrating me but how I felt and the fruits of the spirit. It was such a joyful day.” Medina said. “Not everyone there, I don’t even think, was religious, but they were supporting me. It was so inspirational for them, which is God’s work itself.”

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Emerald Acres Volleyball Tournament | MyRadioLink.com

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3 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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Emerald Acres Volleyball Tournament | MyRadioLink.com

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Former Illini basketball sharpshooter Luke Goode engaged to Illinois volleyball star Kayla Burbage

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3 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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Love is in the air for two of Champaign’s top athletes in recent years. Former Illini men’s basketball wing Luke Goode popped the question to Illinois volleyball middle blocker Kayla Burbage, the couple shared via Instagram on Wednesday.

“Proverbs 18:22: ‘He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord,’” Goode wrote. “Going into the New Years as future Mr. and Mrs. Goode!”

Goode spent the first three years of his college career in Champaign, graduating from the Gies School of Business in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. After his sophomore season was cut short due to a foot injury, Goode bounced back as a junior, playing in all 38 games for the 2024 Elite Eight team. That season, the 6-foot-7 sharpshooter averaged 5.7 points and shot 38.9% from three on just over four attempts per game.

Last season, Goode spent his final year of eligibility playing for his home state Indiana Hoosiers before turning pro. He is currently suiting up for the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League. In 11 games so far as a rookie, Goode is putting up 7.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in just above 20 minutes per game.

Burbage just finished up her final season of college volleyball. After spending her freshman campaign at Missouri, Burbage decided to make the move to Champaign. As a sophomore and junior, Burbage played in every match on Illinois’ schedule: 60 total. A shoulder injury sidelined the 6-foot-4 North Carolina native for her senior season, but she returned for a graduate year in 2025. In her final season at Huff Hall, Burbage ranked second in total blocks (82.0) for the Illini and had the fifth-most kills on the team (98).

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Hawkeyes Knock Down Nebraska – Iowa Hawkeyes Athletics

Published

4 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – No. 14 Iowa (12-2, 3-0) defeated No. 20 Nebraska (12-2, 1-2) on New Years Day inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 86-76.

Sophomore Chit-Chat Wright dominated the day for the Hawkeyes with a career-high 24 points, three assists, and two steals. Senior Hannah Stuelke followed with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists to notch her third double-double of the season.

The Huskers came out to a fast-paced 8-0 run to start the game. Stuelke got the scoring started for Iowa by getting to the line, sinking both free-throws. Three minutes into gameplay, the Hawkeyes began to capitalize on Nebraska miscues. Sophomore Ava Heiden led a 7-0 run for Iowa to bring the gap to 9-12 with 4:46 left in the quarter. The Huskers contained a narrow 21-18 lead headed into the second quarter.

Wright drained a three-pointer to start the second period, tying up the score for the first time on the day. The Hawkeyes went on to gain nine points on seven forced Husker turnovers in the half. Heiden led the quarter with eight points going 4-for-4 on field goals. A combined 26 points, shooting 66.7 percent in the quarter, left Iowa behind 44-45 at half.

The Hawkeyes came out of the locker room with an 8-2 run to put them in front. Iowa forced four Husker turnovers in the first three minutes of the third quarter, capitalizing five points off of them. Stuelke continued to be a difference maker for Iowa with seven points and two rebounds. This momentum pushed Iowa up 64-61 heading into the fourth.

In the final quarter, the Hawkeyes continued their defensive pursuit, forcing five more turnovers, adding to their total of 18 on the day. Senior Taylor McCabe hit a three-point basket at 4:32 to power Iowa to the end. The Hawkeyes pushed out a 15-6 run to secure a Hawkeye victory.

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Dallas Pulse set to make history in season opener at Comerica Center

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5 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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North Texas’ first women’s professional volleyball team will officially launch its inaugural season on Saturday, Jan. 10.

DALLAS — For North Texas volleyball fans, Saturday’s season opener represents more than just a first serve, it’s the beginning of something the region has been waiting for.

The Dallas Pulse, the region’s first women’s professional volleyball team, will open its inaugural season Saturday, Jan. 10, hosting the Indiana franchise at Comerica Center in Frisco.

The matchup marks the first Major League Volleyball game played by a Dallas-based team and is a milestone moment for the metroplex.

The Pulse will play 14 home matches during the 2026 Major League Volleyball season, giving local fans a consistent opportunity to support a women’s pro team built in their own backyard.

Saturday, Jan. 10 – Indy
Thursday, Jan. 15 – San Diego
Thursday, Feb. 5 – Omaha
Sunday, Feb. 8 – Grand Rapids
Thursday, Feb. 19 – Indy
Sunday, Feb. 22 – Grand Rapids
Friday, Feb. 27 – Orlando
Friday, March 13 – Columbus
Sunday, March 15 – Atlanta
Saturday, March 21 – San Diego
Thursday, March 26 – Atlanta
Friday, April 17 – Columbus
Friday, May 1 – Omaha
Sunday, May 3 – Orlando

Leading the team into its first season is head coach Shannon Winzer, who was named to the role in September. The January debut places Dallas at the center of the league’s early growth as women’s professional volleyball continues to gain momentum nationwide.

The timing feels right for North Texas. The region has long been a volleyball hotbed, producing elite athletes through nationally recognized club programs, championship high school teams and top-tier collegiate programs. Until now, many of those players, and the fans who followed them, had no local professional team to rally behind.

Dallas Pulse leadership told WFAA that they hope to change that.

Season ticket deposits are currently open, and the Pulse holds the No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Volleyball Draft scheduled for Nov. 24, giving the team a chance to add a cornerstone player ahead of its debut season.

Major League Volleyball is also preparing for future growth, announcing plans to add expansion teams in Washington, D.C. and Northern California in 2027.

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Iola outside hitter takes top honor on Texas 2A all-state volleyball team | APG State News

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6 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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Tritons Set for Preseason North American Challenge

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7 hours ago

January 2, 2026

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LONG BEACH, Calif. — UC San Diego men’s volleyball will prepare for the upcoming season with four exhibitions this weekend as part of the North American Challenge. The event will be hosted by Long Beach State on Friday and Sunday at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.

The Tritons will play two Canadian sides, Alberta and Calagry. They will play each team once on both days of the challenge.

SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 2

2 PM – vs Calgary

4:30 PM – vs Alberta

Sunday, Jan. 4

12:30 PM – vs Alberta

3 PM – vs Calgary

Live stats for all four matches will be available HERE. Fans interested in attending matches can purchase tickets through Long Beach State HERE.

UP NEXT
The Tritons open the 2026 season at home next Tuesday, Jan. 6. Jessup will visit LionTree Arena for a match that begins at 7 PM.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.