Sports
A Helping Hand – California Golden Bears Athletics
Al Sermeno/KLC fotos
Finley Rollins (right) has made an immediate impact on her team and her community since arriving in the summer of 2023.
Finley Rollins Immerses Herself In Coaching, Mentoring At Local Volleyball Club
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.
The term “student-athlete” is an effective and accurate description of young men and women who engage in both academic and athletic activities, but sometimes it feels as if it falls short of providing the full picture of what many student-athletes bring to the University of California and the surrounding campus community.
It may be time to think of a new term for Finley Rollins, a junior on the Cal beach volleyball team. Rollins immediately began making an impact in the community when she arrived in Berkeley as a transfer from UC Davis in the summer of 2023. Rollins had an itch to get acclimated to the Bay Area, and the perfect opportunity came across her phone screen in the form of a group text from head coach Meagan Owusu.
“[Owusu] sent a message in our team group chat saying there was a chance to coach youth indoor volleyball if anybody is interested,” Rollins said. “Coaching was something I’d done before and I was new to Berkeley at the time, so I thought this can be a fun way to just get to know the community. Why not?”
Rollins responded to Owusu’s call to action and was put into contact with Starlings Volleyball, USA – a club whose mission is to positively impact the lives of at-risk girls through the sport of volleyball. According to its website, the organization aims “to provide at-risk, disadvantaged youth with equal access to quality volleyball programs, regardless of financial hardship, ethnicity or skill level through exposure to training and participation in the sport of volleyball.”
According to Rollins, dues for most youth indoor volleyball clubs can range anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 a year depending on their location and competitive status. Starlings offers membership for less than $1,000.
The club began in 1996 with a small team of 11 girls in San Diego, and in its 29 years of existence has grown to be the nation’s largest junior volleyball club with teams in over 50 cities. Over 40,000 girls have participated and approximately 3,000 participate each year. Over 750 college scholarships have been earned by Starlings players, and the club has a 90% high school graduation rate.
What started as a fun, part-time opportunity quickly became a big part of Rollins’ life as she took on a larger role than she first expected. Luckily, one of her new teammates, Lara Boos, joined forces with her and several other of her teammates have come on since.
“I didn’t really know anyone on the team at that time,” Rollins said. “Coincidentally, Lara Boos, who was going to be my new roommate at the time, also reached out to Owusu, so we went over there together. We had assumed it was just going to be like just us coaching these girls and that would be that, but we ended up taking on much more responsibilities.”
In addition to coaching several different teams and age groups, Rollins and Boos began managing the program’s calendars and books and became the main point of contact for their teams, which includes being a liaison to parents. The Berkeley branch has between 45 and 50 players across four teams and Rollins oversees practices and competitions as a part of the Northern California Volleyball Association (NVCA).
The regular membership dues are not enough to cover the full cost of the operation, so Rollins has also been tasked with fundraising through applying for state and federal grants to afford facility rentals. All of these tasks that have come along with this endeavor have given her a wealth of experience in potential career paths.
“I really love coaching, but this experience has taught me so much about business as well,” Rollins said. “I really feel like I am running a business at this point, and it’s shown me that I would like to have a managerial role. Maybe not in sports specifically, but I am thinking about getting into consulting, client services, or sales now.”
While she loves coaching and values the experience she’s gained from managing a nonprofit organization, the deepest motivation comes from her relationships with the young players.
“It’s been great to learn all this stuff, but [Boos] and I signed up for it because we’ve been coaching forever and we wanted to be a mentor for these girls,” Rollins said. “The girls that we coached literally became our little sisters. I love them; they’re so amazing.
“They get volleyball and to see them fall in love with it like I did is so rewarding. They come into the gym as early as possible and stay as late as possible because they really just want to be there with their friends. The parents love that their daughters are enjoying it, too. When my old players see me in the gym, they run up to me and give me a big bear hug and honestly that’s my favorite part. It’s so worth it.”
One of the players on Rollins’ 12-year-old team, sixth-grader Kora Poirier – who Rollins describes as leader with raw talent and athleticism that’s a joy to be around – has truly fallen in love with the game and has gained so much more from the program beyond learning how to dig, set, and swing.
“So many of my friends from school kept telling me ‘You have to check out Starlings, it’s a great club’,” Poirier said. “So I decided to give it a shot and I love it. I already had some friends from school on the team, but I’ve made so many friends with players other schools now.”
Poirier has had a chance to try different positions and has really fallen in love with serving. She is set on playing for the Berkeley High School team when she graduates from King Middle School in a couple years.
“Coach Finley is the best coach that I’ve ever had,” Poirier said. “She’s great at motivating, is so supportive of us, and is really good explaining stuff and showing us how to improve. She’s our coach but she also feels like friend.”
According to Kora’s father, Julien Poirier, the club has truly been a blessing to their family.
“I think it’s great – I really appreciate the club being there,” Julien Poirier said. “We were sort of at loose ends to find a program and this one seemed so great. It’s so diverse and inclusive and financially accessible. Kora had some friends on the team and it’s being coached by a Cal student, which I loved. Everything just lined up great.”
Sports
Cedar Rapids wrestler chases her dream, from a volleyball player to a young star in the sport
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – When Maggie Peters is home, she’s locked in.
She lifts weights at a gym in her hometown of Cedar Rapids. But it’s not just for strength – it’s for safety.
“One things goes wrong, and you’ve got people’s lives in your hands,” she said. “I mean, you don’t want to drop somebody on their head.”
But more often than not, Peters is on the road. Her sport is professional wrestling.
She’s performed performed in front of thousands in arenas and on television. Her fights may be scripted, but her dream of reaching WWE is real.
Peters has a background in volleyball, playing at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy. But her dream has always been in the wrestling ring.
“I wanted to do it right when I started watching I wanna say I was eight or nine I would just go wrestle on my trampoline,” Peters said.
She went from the volleyball court at Mount Mercy to a wrestling school in Davenport.
“We would have a show on a Thursday night, so I would leave class early,” said Peters. “But at that point, I will say, my senior year was my worst year of school. Once I got the wrestling training done, I was like, ‘ooh, this is what I want to do.’”
In professional wrestling, the winner and loser are predetermined, unlike traditional sports.
“Pro wrestling, I will say, is like a dance,” Peters said.
But there’s nothing fake about the pain wrestlers endure, what they call “bumps.”
“Any time you get put down on the mat, you’re taking a bump. You’re hitting the top of your back,” Peters said. “Higher on your neck, sometimes, (is) not good.”
Maggie wrestles in independent shows across the Midwest under the ring name Maggie Lee. She also performs in front of thousands in TNA Wrestling as the villainous character “M By Elegance.”
“Yeah, I do like being the bad guy,” Peters said. “I’ve worked a mix of both the bad guy and the good guy on the independents. But everybody was like, ‘you look more like you as the bad guy.’ I was like, ‘gee, thanks,” Peters said.
TNA – Total Nonstop Action – is high-level televised professional wrestling, one step below WWE.
“I actually really love the whole TV aspect. It’s very organized. Being able to see myself on TV is really cool,” Peters laughed.
Maggie hopes a full-time contract with WWE is next. She’s banking on it, writing a card to her mother labeled “open when I’m in the WWE.”
“And it was one of many letters. I made them for her birthday,” Peters said.
When asked about the letter’s contents, Peters said she doesn’t remember what she wrote as a girl.
“I don’t even remember what’s in it, so I’m kind of like scared,” she said. “When she does open it, I feel like it’s going to be a big deal and I might get embarrassed.”
Sometimes she’s flying high, sometimes she’s taking bumps.
Either way, she’s racing towards her dream.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
OMAHA (KMTV) — She might have a new name, but Norah (Sis) Tebrake still brings the same infectious smile to the court.
The former CU volleyball star is now married to former Creighton baseball standout Dylan Tebrake.
“He’s always encouraging me and challenging me,” said Norah. “And I try to do the same for him. I think it’s such a cool dynamic.”
After spending her first pro season helping Orlando to a league title, Norah had now returned to Omaha to play for the Supernovas. But returning to her hometown actually did take some getting used to again.
“I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold,” Tebrake said. “But now coming back after spending just one winter away, I feel like I can’t handle the cold.”
Along with reuniting with some former Bluejays, Tebrake has also formed friendships with her former rivals and now current teammates, including ex-NU star Merritt Beason.
“She’s just so joyful and leads with so much grace and so much love,” said Beason. “You can see that in her play. She’s one of the best people that I’ve ever met and it’s been so fun getting to know her.”
“To have people that know just kind of what makes you tick and what you need on the court and off the court is super helpful,” Tebrake said. “Obviously we’re all learning that about each other but just to come in knowing that there’s people that already know that about me has been super comforting.”
The Novas host San Diego in the season opener on Thursday at 7 PM at CHI Health Center.
Jan. 7, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET
After a strong 2024 fall season, high school girls volleyball on the South Shore had an even better one in 2025.
There were two local state-championship-winning teams on the court this year. Oliver Ames finished off the best season in program history by winning it’s first-ever Division 2 state title in it’s second ever appearance (which came last season). On the same day, East Bridgewater followed that up with a program-first of their own, winning it’s first-ever Division 4 state championship in it’s first appearance.
Jan. 7, 2026, 4:05 a.m. CT
The high school volleyball season in the Montgomery area ended in late October with two area teams making pushes for state finals in Class 4A and 5A.
Prattville Christian and Montgomery Catholic ultimately fell short in the respective title matches, but it highlighted what was a successful season in the Montgomery area.
What made the high school volleyball season successful in the Montgomery area was the talent on the court.
With the calendar year turning to 2026, the Montgomery Advertiser wants to hear from the readers on which player is the best in the Montgomery area. Voting will last through Jan. 14 till noon.
2025 Montgomery area volleyball player of the year nominees
Joi McGuire, Montgomery Catholic
McGuire recorded 448 kills in the 2025 season despite the fact that she’s considered undersized at her position at 5-foot-6. McGuire was a well-rounded player on the court, not only did she chip in on the offensive side, but she contributed 512 digs on the season.
Kaci Armistead, Montgomery Academy
Armistead reached the milestone of 1,000-career digs and broke the school record in the 2025 season. Her defensive expertise led to 648 digs and 70 assists on the year. From the serving line, Armistead landed 108 aces to round out her performance.
Baylee Rogers, Prattville Christian
Rogers became the first player in school history to record 5,000 assists, landing on the AHSAA leaderboard at sixth in career assists. In the 2025 season alone, Rogers contributed 1,247 assists along with three other state lines that touched triple digits.
Elaisa Vazquez, Pike Road
As a setter, Vazquez checked all the boxes necessary in the 2025 season, grabbing 405 assists and 206 digs. Vazquez chipped in on the scoreboard with 48 kills and 26 aces, winning Pike Road’s Hard Hat award for the 2025 season.
Ellie Causey, Trinity Presbyterian
Causey played her role as a setter for the Wildcats very well, notching 890 assists and 283 digs in the 2025 season. Causey brought her career totals to 1978 assists, 525 digs, 140 aces and 121 kills.
Kaylin Corley, St. James
Corley averaged 14.7 kills per match and 13.8 digs per match in the 2025 season, and is just shy of 2,000 career digs and has over 1,500 career kills after the 2025 season.
Vote for the 2025 Montgomery area volleyball player of the year
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State volleyball program added an experienced setter to its 2026 roster in Asya Akbulut Tuesday.
Akbulut, a native of Ankara, Turkey, will be a senior for the Vikings this coming fall after spending her first three years at Southern Utah (one year) and Eastern Arizona (two years).
Akbulut led Southern Utah with 5.0 assists per set last season when she ranked seventh in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the category. As a sophomore at Eastern Arizona, Akbulut averaged 5.16 assists and 0.42 aces per set when she was named to the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference D1 All-Region First Team.
“Asya has the experience and skills to have an impact on our program immediately,” Portland State head volleyball coach Michael Seemann said. “She has reliable hands and location and understands how to put her hitters in good situations.”
Akbulut joins a setter group that includes returning starter Ava Blascziek and junior Elisabeth Levick.
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