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Southern Illinois Salukis – Official Athletics Website

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In the last 20 years, new Saluki volleyball head coach Brittany Harry says a six-month period is the only stretch she wasn’t coaching. During that period, she was a marketing manager for her uncle’s non-alcoholic beverage distributing company, going into Walmarts, Krogers, and similar establishments to check on endcaps and promotions for their products. 

Initially, she appreciated the consistency of the job, but her true passion called out to her. 

“At first I loved it, because I’m like, ‘Oh, this is eight to five’… but yeah, six months in, I’m like, ‘No, I need to be coaching volleyball,'” Harry said. 

This fall, Harry will pace the sidelines in Davies Gym for her 17th season as a head coach and 19th coaching overall. But her career path shifted drastically from her childhood dream job of being a lawyer.  

Growing up, Harry spent summers interning at the law firm that was built from the ground up her late grandfather, Robert Dodd.  From early on she thought she was headed to law school. At the age of 22, she was still on track to become an attorney scoring well on the LSATs and had plans to take over the firm with her cousin.  But Volleyball held a special place in Harry’s heart.   

From a young age, she would play volleyball with her neighbor in her front yard using cheap bouncy balls found in cages at Walmart.  It wasn’t until middle school where she began playing in organized settings and continued in high school and on local club teams in Champaign, Ill., where she grew up.  

From there, she played collegiately at South Carolina Upstate from 2002-2005 as a libero while coaching club teams on the side.  Even though she mostly coached to make a little bit of extra money while in college, coaching never felt like a job to her. 

When an opportunity presented itself to interview for an opening at Spartanburg Methodist College for their head coaching position, via a little bit of encouragement from her college coach, Jen Calloway, she interviewed for the job.  That interview was a move that would change the course of her career when it came down to law school versus coaching. 

“I had that ‘aha’ moment when you are going through college and you figure out what your passion is, where you’re supposed to be in your career,” Harry said. “And it’s like, man, as soon as I went on that interview, I was like, ‘I need to coach’.” 

She has since been a head coach for 16 seasons for six different programs, winning  Coach of the Year awards four times in that span. Each stop in her career has had aspects that were both challenging and fun, and Harry’s top priority has always been to lead by example. 

“In this industry, in this job, you can’t choose that you’re above certain things. And when that clicks for you, as a young person, you’re probably going to grow pretty far in the industry,” she said. “… If I had to go sweep the floor, I’m going to do it really well, and I’m going to set an example. Because if I do that, that’s the example I am setting for my program and my kids are going to pick up on that.” 

The departures from each head coaching spot were difficult for Harry as none of them were planned. But when Southern Illinois called about its vacancy in the winter, it was an opportunity she could not pass up. Harry relished the school’s desire to win, the passionate fanbase, and how close the Salukis are to her hometown. She is now within driving distance of her family and the move to Carbondale feels like a homecoming for the Dawgs’ new head coach. 

Harry strives to be as authentic and down-to-earth as possible, and it showed with her new team with the ink still drying on her contract. After accepting the position at SIU, an introductory Zoom was set up with Harry, SIU Athletics administration, and the players of Saluki volleyball. Harry recalls all of her accolades being listed to the team but Harry made it a point to humanize herself after that moment. 

“I’m just a regular person. I am just Brittany. I get up just like all of you guys, we eat just like all of you guys,” Harry said. “… And I think that just being regular and easy to talk to, I think that probably had a pretty big impact on them.” 

Of the 13 Salukis remaining on the roster after the 2024 season, eight elected to stay through the spring semester under Coach Harry. One was freshman middle hitter Eva Krakowski who tallied 137 kills for Southern last season. She was excited when hearing about Harry and her feelings were all but confirmed during the initial Zoom meeting. Krakowski is not shy about the eagerness she has for the future of SIU volleyball with Harry at the helm. 

“It’s so easy when you’re talking to a group of girls, that you’re coming in, and you just want to have the best first impression. And I think just coming off that she was so natural, and she is just a normal person like everybody else,” Krakowski said. “Just having a woman in this field, it was just really empowering. And I just loved how honest she was about everything. We had a hard season, so she wasn’t sugarcoating anything and just keeping us motivated and knowing that she still believed in us no matter what. Just gave us all the motivation to see how much potential we have as a group.” 

One way Harry attempts to grow connections with her players is by having routine meetings. She schedules talks on or near the day of a player’s jersey number each month. The conversations can be about anything, from school to internships to boyfriends. For No. 18 Krakowski, these efforts by Harry display a level of authenticity that she doesn’t take for granted. 

“The day of your jersey, she meets with us. And that really stood out to me, because it was like, she’s putting in the effort,” Krakowski said. “… And I think that’s what allowed for such a smooth transition with this group, is because right from the start, there was a level of trust and respect that was built…it’s so much easier to give your all when you know your coach has your back.” 

The first assistant coach brought in by Harry was Aleah Hayes, who spent the previous six seasons as a head coach at the junior college level. Hayes played Division I volleyball at Texas Tech and yearned to return to that degree of competition. She has known Harry for years and says the timing was perfect for her to come to Carbondale. 

Working at the junior college level, Hayes has experience working ahead of the recruiting trail, as those programs don’t have as many resources, especially in this age of college athletics. Harry and Hayes were deep into the recruiting classes at their previous job, but SIU had just one freshman commit for 2025. Harry and her staff were behind the eight ball, needing to start from scratch as they addressed the upcoming freshmen class as well as looking ahead to 2026. It was an excruciating process that Hayes was acclimated to. 

“For me, it was almost a sense of normalcy, because at the junior college level, we do our best to recruit ahead of time. The reality is, our recruiting is a little bit later. So it didn’t feel as necessarily rushed for me,” Hayes said. “So I think that just helped add a different perspective to different things, knowing that we just had to work a little bit longer hours, more travel…” 

The constant on the Dawgs’ staff is athletic trainer Samantha Schiess, who is in continual communication with the head coach on the health and well-being of players. She provides updates to Harry on how certain players are feeling and their status for various activities. Schiess also played college volleyball, so she appreciates talking shop with the coaching staff, as well as seeing their devotion to the sport. 

“I think [Harry’s] got a lot of great ideas about how to grow this program and a lot of passion for the game,” she said. “And her volleyball IQ is really high, which makes it fun to be in the gym and to listen and to learn from her and coach Hayes as well. So I think they’ve got a lot of knowledge that can really help us kind of grow as players.” 

Harry remains sincere with the high school seniors as they take their visits. Growing up poor, living in a duplex, and surviving off food stamps, she resonates with the aura of Davies Gym, built a century ago. It shows potential recruits that they are going to have to work and earn the spotlight and glory. Five freshmen have committed to Carbondale, and Harry believes they exemplify the makeup of players that fit her culture. 

“I need a kid that knows how to survive. I need a kid that’s going to like, ‘Man, you give me five bucks, I’m gonna go stretch this five bucks as far as I can. And if I don’t, if I need more than five bucks, I’m gonna go problem-solve and figure out how I can make $10’,” she said. “…If all you are interested in are bright, shiny things, this is not your spot. But if you want to come win 20-plus matches in T-shirt jerseys, that’s the kid we want. And I think we’ve done a pretty good job of finding those kids that are high-character kids, give more than they take, and aren’t concerned about the arena or this or that. They’re die-hard volleyballers and they just want to play volleyball, they want to win games, and they want to work their butts off.” 

The transfer portal is also an area of focus for Harry and the staff. So far, the team has brought in one transfer who has a lot of familiarity with Harry. Setter Emma Lade was at Texas A&M International for the first three seasons of her collegiate career, two of them with Harry as her head coach. She accumulated 2,785 assists as a Dustdevil, second-most in the program’s history. 

The two have known each other for years, as Harry recruited Lade when she was in high school. Lade was planning to follow Harry at West Texas in 2025, but a phone call from Harry would change her plans. 

Harry told her, “I understand if you don’t want to come, but you know what you’re going to get with me. I’m always going to be a supporter of Emma, wherever you’re at. You’ve got to figure out what’s best for you. I’ll support you with whatever your decision is.” 

The Christmas-time call forced Lade to reconsider her immediate future, a process that lasted about 24 hours. Lade said, “You know what? She trusts and believes in me enough to call me over and say, ‘I want you to come with me.’ I might as well take that no matter how hard it is. Because I know she has always been super direct in everything she says, and she always wants the best for us and will never lead us astray…” 

Harry knows the team is talented enough to win, but knows some steps need to be taken to get back to the program’s winning ways. She quizzed the team on what they want their identity to be, and how they want their opponents to prepare for a match with us. The players relayed that they want to be gritty, relentless, and defense-oriented. Harry was in accord but made it clear that the team must carry that mindset in everything they do. She stressed that players must lead the locker room, practices have to be intentional, and there has to be an unwritten rule to abide by those standards every day.  

The team has done small group positional training to compete with each other and grow that culture, but also to train that belief within themselves individually. 

“We have to understand there has to be a mentality shift here…and that means there’s no choices. When you’re in practice, if there’s a ball flying that way, there’s no choice, like, ‘Should I? Should I not go for that ball?’ If you’re asking yourself, you’re done. There’s zero hesitation in our gym. It’s just go,” Harry said. “… You have to train it… Even if it seems out of reach, it might be out of reach 15 times, but maybe time 16, it’s in reach because we went for it all the other times… If you get beat, it’s because they beat you, not because we didn’t give our effort, right? We’re going to give effort on every single point, and if the team scores on us, good luck.” 

Harry’s perspective as a head coach has shifted over the years. When she was in her first job at 23, the main focus was winning the match, no matter how her players felt about it. She was results driven and even though her teams did win, she was not sure if her players had a good experience.  

Instead of focusing entirely on winning, her new philosophy is the acronym ‘W.I.N.’, which stands for ‘What’s important now?’ It allows Harry to remain in the moment and acknowledge where she can improve to create a positive environment around her, which ultimately helps lead to a winning culture.

“… Really diving deep with these kids so that they understand that not only are we a coaching staff, but we’re mentors, we’re even friends sometimes. We’re somebody that’s going to push you to limits that you didn’t think you could go. But we can see it in you, and you just gotta dig deep yourself,” she said. “So seeing how that has evolved for me, it’s a lot of growing and being able to be humble and realizing over the years that, ‘I probably wasn’t the best. I can improve that,’ and having that mentality of constant growth… I’m always going to be a student of the game. I’m never going to act like I’m the know-it-all… and just being a good example for what our kids can be in their life.” 

Harry’s attitude shifted when she became a mother. Bering a mom impacted whether to stay or leave a certain program as her 14-year-old daughter Melia journeyed through school. She has searched for balance as a single mother and the need for consistency to be a foundation for Melia. Coaching is an erratic job, in turn making her child’s life hectic sometimes but she puts herself second in the household and Melia first, and Harry finds comfort in the stability Carbondale provides for her daughter to finish high school in Southern Illinois. 

The two have a code word in place when volleyball becomes too involved with life at home. Melia says ‘waffles’ and it means her mother has to put down whatever she’s doing, no matter if she’s watching film or on the phone with a recruit. Harry strives to be a precedent for her players on the numerous hats they can hold doing this job as a single mom. 

“You’ve got to go through it to understand it. Having to always put somebody ahead of you gives you a really good perspective of life… Our players are not 100% reliant on me but they are reliant on the coaching staff for so much. As a mom and as a coach you learn to give a whole lot more than you receive,” Harry said. “… And showing that to our kids, our players, hopefully instills some belief in them that you can do whatever they put their mind to.” 



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Texas A&M’s Emily Hellmuth will join the LSU Beach Volleyball team

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December 27, 2025

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Dec. 26, 2025, 7:37 p.m. CT

The historic Texas A&M volleyball season has concluded, and now the seniors are moving on to pursue other endeavors. For some, it might be entering the job market, while for a few, it might be beginning a professional volleyball career. However, for one Aggie, it’s the restart of another college athletic career.

On Friday, it was announced that senior outside hitter Emily Hellmuth will be transferring to LSU to compete in beach volleyball. Although she is not eligible for indoor sports, beach volleyball is considered a separate sport and is not offered at Texas A&M. That means she would have to transfer, regardless of whether she wants to continue playing. She will be eligible for the spring season and will have two years remaining.

Hellmuth was excellent in her role at Texas A&M, appearing in several crucial moments that helped propel the Aggies to their first national title. Below is the official announcement from the LSU beach volleyball X account.





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All Northeast Indiana Volleyball 2025 | High Schools

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3 hours ago

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December 27, 2025

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First Team

Alyssa Anderson, Woodlan

Class: Senior

Position: Middle blocker

Statistics: 289 kills (2.9/set), 47 aces, 53 blocks, 119 digs (1.2/set)

Of note: IHSVCA Class 2A All-State second team

Reagan Beitler, South Adams

Class: Senior

Position: Setter

Statistics: 145 kills (1.3/set), 73 aces, 376 digs (3.4/set), 644 assists (5.9/set)

Of note: 1A/2A Senior All-Star

Sydney Blackwell, Concordia

Class: Junior

Position: Middle hitter

Statistics: 360 kills (4.0/set), 47 aces, 57 blocks, 110 digs (1.2/set)

Of note: 3A/4A Junior All-State

Reagan Bollenbacher, South Adams

Class: Senior

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: 304 kills (2.9/set), 25 aces, 392 digs (3.7/set)

Of note: 1A/2A Senior All-Star

Victoria Crozier, Woodlan

Class: Senior

Position: Setter

Statistics: 56 kills, 27 aces, 32 blocks, 151 digs (1.5/set), 874 assists (8.8/set)

Of note: Signed with Trine

Keira Dommer, Concordia

Class: Senior

Position: Setter

Statistics: 52 aces, 200 digs (2.4/set), 863 assists (10.2/set)

Of note: SAC Glass Spike winner

Sophia Gisslen, Carroll

Class: Senior

Position: Setter

Statistics: 46 kills, 37 aces, 36 blocks, 135 digs (1.6/set), 878 assists (10.5/set)

Of note: IHSVCA Class 4A All-State second team; signed with Quinnipiac

Cala Haffner, Carroll

Class: Sophomore

Position: Defensive specialist

Statistics: 60 aces, 432 digs (4.0/set), 133 assists (1.2/set)

Of note: MaxPreps second-team All-America

Maya Harris, Angola

Class: Senior

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: 637 kills (6.3/set), 177 aces (1.8/set), 228 digs (2.3/set)

Of note: Ms. Volleyball finalist; led the state in aces

Ellie Hepler, Warsaw

Class: Senior

Position: Libero

Statistics: 73 aces, 555 digs (5.2/set), 99 assists

Of note: Signed with Indiana; IHSVCA Class 4A All-State first team

Elyse Mead, West Noble

Class: Sophomore

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: 530 kills (5.6/set), 44 aces, 25 blocks, 314 digs (3.3/set)

Of note: IHSVCA Class 3A All-State second team

Elli Oskey, Carroll

Class: Junior

Position: S/RS

Statistics: 194 kills (1.8/set), 21 aces, 58 blocks, 330 assists (3.1/set)

Of note: 3A/4A Junior All-Star

Abbie Powell, Southern Wells

Class: Sophomore

Position: Middle blocker

Statistics: 503 kills (5.1/set), 83 aces, 79 blocks, 350 digs (3.6/set)

Of note: Led state with a 0.564 hitting percentage; ACAC Player of the Year

MaryKate Scheumann, Bellmont

Class: Senior

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: 508 kills (4.8/set), 30 aces, 434 digs (4.1/set)

Of note: Signed with Purdue

Bailey Sinish, Carroll

Class: Senior

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: 557 kills (5.4/set), 62 aces (0.6/set), 47 blocks (0.5/set), 219 digs (4.0/set)

Of note: Indiana Ms. Volleyball winner; MaxPreps first-team All-America

Sarah Stegall, Carroll

Class: Junior

Position: Outside hitter

Statistics: 270 kills (2.6/set), 19 aces, 24 blocks, 60 digs

Of note: IHSVCA Class 4A All-State second team

Reagan Edwards, Warsaw, MB

Cece Goode, Warsaw, OH

Braelynn Hodgeman, Bishop Dwenger, RS/S

Delaney Johnson, Lakewood Park Christian, L/OH

Victoria Kim, Canterbury, OH/MB

Reagan Lyons, Homestead, OH/OPP

Lindsay Snyder, Bishop Dwenger, OH

Aspen Sutton, Angola, S/DS/L

Laney Trausch, South Adams, S

KaVeaya Turner, Concordia, MH

Emma Vachon, Norwell, S/DS

Kylie Walz, East Noble, L/DS

Nicolette Watercutter, Bishop Dwenger, OH

Emersyn Weaver, Leo, OH/DS

Also honored

High Honorable Mention

Bellmont: Ella Ross, Taylor Sutter

Bishop Dwenger: Genevieve Renbarger, Claire Shively

Bishop Luers: Taylor Albers, Aubriana Flotow

Blackhawk Christian: Cici Sefton, Lily Stangland

Carroll: Hayden Finefrock, Katelyn Peters, Lauren Peters, Lola Sasse, Addi Shippy

Canterbury: Alexa Coble, Sophia Miller

Churubusco: Kelsee Coil, McKayla Reuter

Columbia City: Elizabeth Blackburn

East Noble: Ava Larson

Eastside: Adelaide Elden

Garrett: Sarah DePew, Kaylee Gaar, Amelia Kesterke

Heritage: Maya Ehrman, Ava Johnson

Homestead: Lyla Tindall, Savannah Walker

Huntington North: Grace Anderson

Lakewood Park Christian: Emilia Crider

Leo: Isabella Hensley

Northrop: Madison Corley

Norwell: Macie Saalfrank

Snider: Lindsay Gonzalez, Oriana Smiley, Arielle Stephens

Warsaw: Madison Branam

Wawasee: Hadley Allen

Wayne: Jasmine Fowlkes, Story Gaines

West Noble: Izzy Beers, Reagan Eash, Ella Limerick

Whitko: Meredith Hindbaugh

Honorable Mention

Adams Central: Katie Summers

Angola: Mady Conrad, Khloe Stanner

Bellmont: Gracie Riggs, Lilly Selking

Bishop Dwenger: Maddie Gephart, Kobi Johnson

Bishop Luers: Vahsti Garcia, Victoria Strack

Bluffton: Konley Ault

Carroll: Paityn Lauck

Central Noble: Katie Forker, Jaylee Slone, Grace Swank, Jalayna Winebrenner

Columbia City: Breana Rumschlag, Sophia Van Buskirk

Concordia: Bella Dellinger, Courtney Inman, Shelby Petersen

DeKalb: Vivian Irk, Lilli VanGessel

East Noble: Alyssa Desper, Izzy Leffers, Carys Shire

Eastside: Lauren Hickey, Rylan Moughler

Fremont: Chloe Verdin

Garrett: Rilyn Flotow, Kaelynn York

Heritage: Alana Gutshall, Lexie Walter

Lakeland Christian: Eva Meza

Leo: Mia Norris, Rhianna Wallace Porter, Leah Shappell

New Haven: Annika Koepke

North Side: Desire Buckhanon, Sieriphoe Luangphaxayachack, Shilin Warren

Northrop: Kalaeh Alexander, Maleah Schmucker, Jersey Webb

Norwell: Izzy Anderson, Autumn Lee, Hope Mitchell

Snider: Ava DeFay, Denny-Lynn Dunton, Jasmine Gates

South Adams: Avery Brown, Reece Beitler

South Side: Na’Kayla Williams

Warsaw: Avary Hoeppner, Maddie Williamson

Wawasee: Jadyn Klenke

Wayne: Lexie Clark, Marlo Schinbeckler

Whitko: Caitlin Beer

Woodlan: Makaila Gruber

– Victoria Jacobsen, The Journal Gazette



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Men’s Basketball Closes Calendar Year at Colgate on Sunday in Non-League Finale

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December 27, 2025

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Men’s Basketball closes the 2025 calendar year at Colgate University on Sunday, Dec. 28 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Cotterell Court in Hamilton, New York in the Crimson’s non-league finale.

What to Know

  • Harvard features four double-figure scorers on the year in a group that includes sophomore guard Robert Hinton (16.5 points per game), senior guard Chandler Piggé (13.7), sophomore guard Tey Barbour (11.5), and junior forward Thomas Batties II (10.3).

  • Among the Crimson’s four double-figure scorers, three of them averaged fewer than 7.0 points per game as first-years. Senior Chandler Piggé (1.9 points per game in 2022-23; 13.7 in 2025-26), junior Thomas Batties II (6.8 points per game in 2023-24; 10.3 in 2025-26), and sophomore Tey Barbour (4.8 points per game in 2024-25; 11.5 in 2025-26) have all increased their production over their careers.

  • In the Ivy League rankings, Harvard stands second in free throw percentage (78.5), second in steals per game (7.46), third in scoring defense (68.3), and fourth in field goal percentage (47.0). In the NCAA, the Crimson sits sixth in fewest fouls per game (13.5), ninth in free throw percentage (78.5), and 70th in scoring defense (68.3).

  • Sophomore guard Robert Hinton has averaged 16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on the year, while shooting 84.5 percent on free throws. Hinton ranks first in the Ivy League in field goals (79), second in steals per game (1.6), third in points (214), third in free throws (49), third in free throw percentage (84.5), sixth in points per game (16.5), and sixth in minutes per game (31.2). On the year, he has scored in double figures 10 times, netted 20 or more points four times, and eclipsed 30 points twice. He earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Dec. 8. Hinton – the 2024-25 Ivy League Rookie of the Year – averaged 14.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 2024-25.

  • Hinton dropped a career-high 35 points on 12-of-22 field goals and 11-of-12 free throws with eight rebounds at UMass (Dec. 3). Hinton poured in 34 points on 13-of-17 field goals, 4-of-5 3-pointers, and 4-of-4 free throws vs. BU (Nov. 22). He totaled 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists at Furman (Dec. 6) and scored 22 points vs. UNH (Nov. 9). Hinton notched 16 points and seven boards vs. Holy Cross (Dec. 20) and contributed 16 points at Army (Nov. 15). He netted 13 points, including the go-ahead free throws with 5.1 seconds left at Marist (Nov. 16) and added 12 points and nine rebounds at BC (Nov. 26).

  • Senior guard Chandler Piggé has posted 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on the year. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in field goals (70), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.2), fourth in steals per game (1.5), fourth in minutes per game (32.4), fifth in assists per game (3.5), seventh in points (178), and ninth in points per game (13.7). He has scored in double figures in 10 games on the year. Piggé – an Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection and CSC Academic All-District honoree last season – notched 13.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 2024-25. He has steadily increased his production over his career, averaging 1.9 points per game in 2022-23, 8.1 points per game in 2023-24, and 13.1 points per game in 2024-25.

  • Piggé totaled 23 points and six assists, while shooting 8-of-11 from the floor vs. UNH (Nov. 9). He dropped 21 points with a career-high nine assists at Penn State (Nov. 19). Piggé posted 16 points and seven rebounds vs. Holy Cross (Dec. 20). He registered 14 points against both Army (Nov. 15) and Marist (Nov. 16), connecting on a game-tying 3-pointer with 35.8 seconds left against the Red Foxes. He netted 15 points against both Northeastern (Nov. 11) and Bryant (Nov. 29).

  • Sophomore guard Tey Barbour has registered 11.5 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point distance. Barbour ranks fourth in the Ivy League in 3-pointers made (32), fifth in 3-pointers per game (2.5), fifth in minutes per game (31.5), and 11th in rebounds per game (5.5). He has scored in double figures in nine games on the year. Barbour notched 4.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game on the year in 2024-25.

  • Barbour scored a career-high 18 points with eight rebounds vs. Holy Cross (Dec. 20), hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers. He posted 15 points and nine rebounds at BC (Nov. 26) after scoring 15 points vs. BU (Nov. 22). He posted 14 points, six rebounds, and a career-high four made 3-pointers vs. UNH (Nov. 9) before netting 12 points on four 3-pointers vs. Northeastern (Nov. 11). He compiled 12 points and seven rebounds at Penn State (Nov. 19). Barbour netted 10 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer vs. Bryant (Nov. 29).

  • Junior forward Thomas Batties II has registered 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on the year, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from 3-point distance. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in 3-point percentage (52.4) and sixth in blocks per game (1.0). He has scored in double figures eight times on the year. In 2024-25, Batties II averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on the year after registering 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on the 2023-24 season.

  • Batties II tallied a season-high 17 points, career-high five made 3-pointers, and a career-high six assists at Penn State (Nov. 19). He scored a game-high 17 points against both MIT (Nov. 7) and Army (Nov. 15). Batties II posted 14 points and a career-high six assists vs. BU (Nov. 22) and notched 13 points at BC (Nov. 26) and vs. UMass (Dec. 3). He totaled 12 points and nine rebounds vs. Bryant (Nov. 29).

  • Sophomore guard Austin Hunt has tallied 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 55.1 percent from the field. He ranks sixth in the Ivy League in field goal percentage (55.1). Hunt scored a career-high 19 points on 8-of-9 field goals and 3-of-4 3-pointers vs. Holy Cross (Dec. 20). He notched 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists vs. UNH (Nov. 9) and netted 10 points at Furman (Dec. 6). Hunt averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 2024-25.

  • Sophomore guard Ben Eisendrath has notched 5.1 points, 3.0 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on the year, while shooting 51.1 percent from the field. Eisendrath ranks third in the Ivy League in steals per game (1.6) and 10th in assists per game (3.0). He scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-7 field goals at Penn State (Nov. 19) and netted 10 points at Furman (Dec. 6). Eisendrath distributed a career-high nine assists vs. BU (Nov. 22).

  • Harvard and Colgate have met 24 times with the Crimson holding a slight lead in the all-time series, 13-11. The Crimson has won the last eight matchups, including a 78-67 home victory last season. 

Next Up

Harvard hosts Dartmouth on Monday, Jan. 5 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Lavietes Pavilion in its Ivy League opener.
 



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Iowa City Liberty grad Shelby Kimm stars as a Division II volleyball All-American

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December 27, 2025

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NORTH Liberty, Iowa (KCRG) – A former Iowa high school volleyball star has earned All-American recognition at the college level.

Shelby Kimm, a three-time all-state selection at Iowa City Liberty, was named a Division II All-American this year for St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. The junior led her Husky team this season with nearly 3.4 kills per set.

The Huskies have made it to the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament each of the past two years, which is tied for the best finish in program history.

After winning a state title at Liberty, Kimm wanted to experience college outside of Iowa.

“We had so many people on our team that were probably their best or one of the best on their high school or club team when you put a lot of those players together it can be a little challenging cause they’re not used to maybe not playing as much,” Kimm said. “You definitely have to work really hard and I think I learned that nothing is guaranteed you have to go into college and work your butt off and hopefully your coaches recognize that and that’s why I try to do.”

Kimm says she’s already excited to get back on the court for her senior season next year.

Three other Iowans are listed on the SCSU roster, including Kimm’s Liberty teammate Asta Hildebrand, Grundy Center alum Carlie Willis and Aplington-Parkersburg alum Kinsey Mohwinkle.

Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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Men’s Volleyball Picked Second In Preseason AVCA Poll

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December 27, 2025

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team was picked No. 2 in the AVCA preseason poll, marking the eighth consecutive year it earned a top 3 preseason ranking.
 
The Rainbow Warriors earned seven first place votes and 473 total points, just eight points behind preseason favorite UCLA, who garnered 12 first place votes. Long Beach State was third with five first place votes and 460 points.
 
UH’s schedule features seven teams ranked in the preseason Top 10 and 11 teams in the Top 20.
 
Hawai’i finished last season with a No. 3 final AVCA ranking after advancing to the NCAA Championship semifinal round. The No. 3 ranking marked the eighth consecutive year with a Top 5 national finish. The Warriors completed the year with a 27-6 mark and captured their fourth Big West Championship title, defeating eventual national champion Long Beach State in the championship match.  
 
Head coach Charlie Wade, who became the program’s all-time winningest coach last season, is entering his 17th season at the helm with a career record of 319-131.
 
UH opens the 2026 season with a two-match series against NJIT, Friday, Jan. 2 and Sunday, Jan. 4.
 
 

#HawaiiMVB

 
 



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Gibbs-Lawhorn Named Raising Cane’s Outstanding Rebel Of The Week

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December 26, 2025

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LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV men’s basketball junior Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn has been named the Raising Cane’s Outstanding Rebel of the Week, the school announced Friday.

Gibbs-Lawhorn has earned the recognition for the first time this season, while it’s also the men’s basketball team’s second of the year.

The award goes to the student-athlete who turned in the best individual performance during the previous week of competition from Monday through Sunday as voted on by the UNLV Athletics Strategic Communications department.

A native of Lafayette, Indiana, Gibbs-Lawhorn led the Runnin’ Rebels to a Mountain West opening 84-72 win over Fresno State. He scored a career-high 28 points, while grabbing seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a blocked shot.

Additionally, Gibbs-Lawhorn shot 9 of 15 from the field, made all four of his free throw attempts and shot 60% on 3-pointers (6 of 10).

2025-26 Outstanding Rebel of the Week Award Winners
Sept. 3 – Aamaris Brown, Football
Sept. 11 – Jaida Harris, Volleyball
Sept. 16 – Alondra Alarcon, Volleyball
Sept. 23 – Marsel McDuffie, Football
Sept. 30 – Zi Yu Foong, Women’s Golf
Oct. 7 – Kayden McGee, Football
Oct. 14 – Anthony Colandrea, Football
Oct. 22 – Jaida Harris, Volleyball
Oct. 27 – Ilia Snitari, Men’s Tennis
Nov. 5 – Michelle Madrid, Women’s Soccer
Nov. 12 – Jai’Den Thomas, Football 
Nov. 12 – Meadow Roland, Women’s Basketball
Nov. 18 – Issac Williamson, Men’s Basketball
Nov. 26 – Ilia Snitari, Men’s Tennis
Dec. 3 – Jai’Den Thomas, Football

Dec. 10 – Bryson Huey, Men’s Swim & Dive
Dec. 26 – Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Men’s Basketball

-UNLV-



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