As it turns out, the third time wasn’t a charm for the Benicia High School boys volleyball team on Thursday.
After losing to Berean Christian twice in the regular season, the Panthers fell to the Eagles once more — this time in a 25-23, 26-24, 25-13 sweep in the North Coast Section Division IV championship game.
“The guys played to the best of their ability,” Benicia head coach Maynard Patacsil said. “Things just didn’t go the way we would have liked. Still extremely proud to get this far.”
Although it wasn’t the ending they envisioned, the 12th-seeded Panthers put together a run to remember, pulling off three straight upsets to reach the program’s first section title game since it returned to having the sport in 2019.
Benicia’s Carlos Solla goes up for the block in front of Berean Christian’s Lukas Mittone during the 2025 North Coast Section Boys Volleyball Championships. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
“It’s just amazing to see how far we’ve gotten,” said sophomore setter Jacob Santos. “Last year we didn’t even make it past the first round of the playoffs. Now here we are at the championship.”
Benicia fought hard against the second-seeded Eagles, but lost each of the first two back-and-forth frames on controversial calls, allowing Berean Christian to take advantage of the demoralized Panthers in the final set.
“I could only fight for the kids as much as I could with the referees,” Patacsil said. “That’s my job, but then they have to fight for themselves on the court. The ball just didn’t fall in our favor.”
The Panthers will now turn their attention towards the Northern California State Playoffs, which begin on Tuesday. Benicia will find out its opponent when brackets are released on Sunday.
“It all just depends on how we take this,” Santos said. “It’s not just one player, it’s the whole team, so the whole team has to work together and bring it back next week.”
The championship atmosphere was on full display in the first set, with both sides trading kills to meet at 5-5 and 17-17.
The Eagles found separation with a 4-0 run, but the Panthers clawed their way back, narrowing the deficit to 23-22 after Duncan Seeley capped off a 3-0 spurt with a service ace.
Berean Christian’s Preston Fehr silenced the run with a cross-court kill before both sides traded errors to clinch the set for the Eagles.
Berean Christian’s front row gave Benicia problems in the first set, recording four blocks – two of which coming on double blocks from Lukas Mittone and Steven Sun.
“They brought the intensity knowing that we were going to be swinging a little bit more,” Patacsil said. “We were trying to adjust, but again, they got lucky with a lot of the balls.”
Mittone showcased his attacking prowess in the second set, landing two kills to give the Eagles an early 7-4 lead.
Seeley and Alex Washburn answered with back-to-back kills before Santos took control of the set, scoring four of Benicia’s next five points to put the Panthers ahead, 11-7.
“I told myself before the game, even if we didn’t win or if we were down, I wanted to play to the best of my ability,” Santos said.
Although it looked like Santos extended Benicia’s run with an assist to Washburn, the line judge ruled it an error, awarding the point to the Eagles instead. Berean Christian settled into a rhythm soon after, taking a 20-16 lead.
Similarly to the first set, the Panthers refused to go down quietly, tying the set at 20-20 after Santos punctuated a 4-0 run with a service ace.
The Eagles and Panthers tied twice more before Berean Christian clinched the set on back-to-back Benicia errors. The second of which looked like a Kahbran Marvin kill, but it was ruled he committed a net violation.
After two tight sets, the Eagles overwhelmed the Panthers in the third, racing out to a 16-7 advantage.
Benicia answered with five straight points, but Berean Christian closed out the victory with a 7-1 run capped by a kill from Mittone.
“Calls didn’t go our way. What can you do?,” Patacsil said. “You want it to go a certain way, but it’s all opinions, it’s all objective…I’m not going to put our loss based on that.”
WINCHESTER, Va. – After a week in Florida leading into the spring semester, the Franklin & Marshall’s women’s track & field team competed at Shenandoah’s Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational. The Diplomats got the January portion of their schedule off to a great start with a pair of school records, with four other marks that rank in the top 10 in program history.
Tara Silverman broke the school record in the 3,000 meters that was formerly held by All-American and F&M Hall of Famer Sheena Crawley ’13. Silverman finished in a time of 10:19.87. Teammates Annalise Kauffman (11:01.19) and Georgeia Hodgson (11:36.98) finished second and sixth in that same event.
Lauren Dunnigan once again broke her own school record in the 60 meter dash as she finished with a time of 7.75 seconds during the finals of that event. That is currently the second-fastest time in the Centennial Conference this season. Dunnigan was also the individual champion in the 200 meter dash as her time of 26.56 seconds was the second-fastest in school history. Dunnigan capped her day with a time of 9.15 seconds to take first (her third event title of the day) in the 60 meter hurdles.
The Diplomats finished with five individual titles on Sunday as Jordyn Collie won the 400 meters with a time of 1:05.42. Her performance highlighted seven Diplomats in the top 10 of that event, as Avery Canady (1:06.33) and Abby Bachman (1:06.52) took the silver and bronze positions. Collie was also the team’s top finish in the 800 meters (2:33.68), with Bachman (2:44.52) and Sophia Bloom (2:53.15) each turning in top 10 individual finishes.
Amanda Imhauser and Hayden Adams both had busy days in their return to competition. Imhauser was third in the 60 meter hurdles (10.24) and long jump (4.84m), sixth in the high hump (1.35m) and shot put (9.30m), and seventh in the 200 meters (29.14). Adams took third in the pole vault as she cleared 3.20 meters to rank second in school history. She added a fifth-place showing in the high jump (1.38m). Max McCoy led the Diplomats in the both throwing events as she took third in the shot put (11.13m) and fourth in the weight throw (12.07m). Both of those marks were top 10 performances in school history.
Women’s track & field will return to competition this Saturday, January 17 when the team travels to Catholic’s Cardinal Classic.
Franklin & Marshall Event Winners / Top 10 Performances
60 Meters
1. Lauren Dunning (7.75) – school record
200 Meters
1. Lauren Dunnigan (26.56) – second in school history
3,000 Meters
1. Tara Silverman (10:19.87) – school record
Pole Vault
3. Hayden Adams (3.20m) – second in school history
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s volleyball team completed a successful weekend at Worthen Arena, defeating NJIT in four sets (25-13, 21-25, 25-12, 25-15) Saturday evening.
The Cardinals (3-0, 0-0 MIVA) limited the Highlanders (0-4, 0-0 EIVA) to a 0.80 hitting clip while averaging .391 themselves, along with a team block total of 15.5 compared to NJIT’s 3. The evening saw just one lead change, three points into the fourth set, as NJIT recorded an attack error at the end of a Patrick Rogers serve.
Rogers led the way as he matched his kill total from the evening prior, tallying 16 while hitting .522, along with six digs, two assists and a team-leading three aces. Ryan Louis was credited with 11 kills on a .318 clip, two aces, four digs and a career-high seven block assists. Wil Basilio earned nine kills, three digs and four block assists.
Ball State’s defense halted the Highlanders at the net, aided by Jacob Surette who recorded a career-best nine block assists, Louis’ seven and Braydon Savitski-Lynde’s five. Savitski-Lynde also completed five kills while hitting .522. Freshman libero Adir Ben Shloosh led the men with eight digs.
Lucas Machado’s hustle was on full display throughout the match, dishing out 37 assists with three kills.
The Cardinals led by as much as 14 in the opening set, highlighted by an 8-0 run which brought them to set-point. After three-straight points by the Highlanders, Rogers punched a kill to finish it, capping off a set that saw Ball State hit an efficient .688 clip.
Set two was a different story, as the score tied seven times until NJIT’s late momentum pushed them just enough to claim the set.
The men’s squad was unfazed, easily taking sets three and four. Rogers swatted nine kills between the two sets, and claimed two of his three aces in set four, with one of those bringing the Cardinals to match point. Surette’s four block assists were also instrumental, including back-to-back blocks assists by him and Basilio.
In his first career appearance with the Cardinals, sophomore Jason Harris put the exclamation point on the weekend with the final kill of the match, finishing with two.
The Ball State men’s volleyball program ride this momentum into next week when it travels to Phoenix, Ariz. for the First Point Collegiate Challenge Tournament at the Phoenix Convention Center. The men square off against No. 1 UCLA Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 9 Stanford Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. ET.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Volleyball team defeated Harvard 3-1 Saturday night to close out the final round of the 61st ASICS Invitational. The Gauchos open the 2026 season undefeated, having also beaten Kentucky State and Maryville earlier in the tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Harvard opened the gate with a first-set win, taking it 25-22. The Gauchos hit just 0.074 in the first and were unable to collapse Harvard’s early lead.
The Gauchos finally clicked during the second, bringing it home 25-18. Santa Barbara and Harvard stayed even through the second, with neither team managing to gain more than a three-point lead until the set’s finale. At 19-18, Santa Barbara went on a six-point scoring run that brought them directly to victory.
Santa Barbara shone in the third, capturing a 25-14 success for their cleanest win of the match. The Gauchos made off with a 7-2 head start and stayed at least three points ahead at all times. Senior Owen Loncar sealed the set with a service ace.
Finally, the Gauchos closed out the match by winning the fourth and final set 25-19. They held a slight initial lead before springing multiple points ahead of the Crimson.
Santa Barbara revived their hitting percentage after the grim first set, hitting 57% in the remaining three. As a team, they dug 42 digs and made ten aces.
George Bruening put on a hitting masterclass, annihilating 26 kills and hitting .455. He tied his career record in kills and made ten in the fourth set alone. Ben Pearson delivered the match’s second highest kill count with nine, while Riggs Guy lasered eight. Guy also placed a career-best six assists.
Cole Schobel achieved all over the court, popping 42 assists, five kills, and a block. He also led the match in service aces with four, hit .714, and tied Jason Walmer for the match-high dig count at nine. Joe Wallace followed with seven digs and freshman Dylan Pilkvist made a team leading 5 block assists
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will continue home play for their next match, hosting The Master’s University on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Thunderdome.
UC San Diego men’s volleyball (1-0, 0-0 Big West) kicked off its 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Jessup (0-1, 0-0 MPSF) on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at LionTree Arena.
The key to the Tritons’ victory was the offensive firepower of junior outside hitter Josh Ewert, who racked up a game-high 17 kills, including the final point in two of the four sets. Junior outside hitter Leo Pravednikov added 15 kills of his own.
The first set showcased opening-game jitters with both sides committing a multitude of attacking errors. Ewert came to play from the first serve, racking up five kills in the opening set alone. However, Jessup had its own go-to guy — senior middle blocker Clement Osahon Jr. caused major issues for the Tritons early on. By the end of the set, UCSD shook off its early errors and created some separation. Fittingly, Ewert scored the set point, a kill that pushed his team over the line to clinch the first set with a score of 25-20.
The second set started sloppily, but a vicious kill from Triton junior middle blocker Leo Wiemelt ignited a spark. A sneaky dump set from senior setter John Luers extended the Tritons’ lead to six. Yet, UCSD was plagued by service errors following strong kills, allowing Jessup to remain on the Tritons’ heels.
“[The offense] is so potent at times, and then, at times, we struggled with the blockers and getting the ball in the court consistently,” head coach Brad Rostratter said in a postgame interview with The UCSD Guardian. “So, our strengths can be our weaknesses.”
Ewert led the Tritons to set point after a crafty tool of the Warriors’ block. Despite a final 3-point push from Jessup, a powerful kill from senior middle blocker Peter Selcho drove UCSD over the line 25-22.
Jessup refused to go quietly in the third. After a couple of early kills from Ewert, the Warriors found their momentum. UCSD responded with a block from Wiemelt and an emphatic kill and ace from junior outside hitter Sebastiano Sani. However, a solo 3-0 run from Jessup’s senior opposite hitter Carter Depue tied the game at 18. Late Triton errors ultimately allowed Jessup to build its lead and eventually take the set 25-22.
“Their middles did a really good job of committing, slowing down our middles, and touching and defending the middle of the court,” Rostratter said. “It’s something they did really, really well. And we struggled; it took a little bit of adjusting to their higher quick set.”
The Tritons decisively regained control in the fourth set, and Ewert set the tone with back-to-back service aces. UCSD went on an 8-2 run, which included a vicious kill from Selcho and another ace from Ewert. For the first time in the match, the Tritons had a comfortable lead at 18-11. Ewert sent one last back-row kill past the unresponsive Warriors to take the fourth set 25-20 for UCSD.
The Tritons stayed hot with a 3-1 home victory against Daemen on Friday, Jan. 9. UCSD will finish off its three-game homestand against Rockhurst on Sunday, Jan. 11, before heading to Utah to face BYU in a two-game road trip from Jan. 16-17.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team collected their first win of the season on Sunday night (Jan. 11), topping NJIT in the Mastodons’ second five set match of the season (25-20, 18-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-12).
Owen Banner and Carlo Huisden led the ‘Dons offensively in the match, combining for 43 of the ‘Dons 67 kills. Banner finished with 21 kills, two aces, nine digs and three total blocks. Huisden tallied 22 kills on a .472 hitting percentage, along with seven digs.
Both teams battled early in the first set, until NJIT took the lead with a 5-1 run. Purdue Fort Wayne rallied back midway through the set with their own 6-1 run to claim a 16-13 lead. The Mastodons finished the set on a .481 hitting percentage to take the frame 25-20.
The Highlanders jumped out to an early second set lead, using a 6-2 run. NJIT added onto their lead with the help of another 6-1 run, sitting on top of a 16-9 score. Despite the ‘Dons boasting another high hitting percentage (.429), the Highlanders maintained the lead and finished out the set at 25-18.
Purdue Fort Wayne rallied to begin the third set, shooting out on a 7-0 run. Banner earned nine of his kills and the Mastodons defense rejected four attacks during the frame. The ‘Dons took a 2-1 set lead after a 25-22 conclusion.
The fourth set was highly contested, neither side owned larger than a three point lead. Both teams were held to under .100 hitting percentage. NJIT forced a fifth set after taking the fourth 25-23.
Purdue Fort Wayne dropped the first two points of the final frame, but bounced back with a 6-1 run. NJIT closed the gap to 9-11 after a 3-0 run of their own. The Mastodons managed to hold on to their lead and close out the contest at 15-12.
Hunter Hopkins finished with a near double-double of 53 assists and nine digs. Casey Lyons tied his career-high with eight block assists. Andrew Mayer dug out 11 attacks in the contest.
Purdue Fort Wayne moves to 1-1. NJIT falls to 0-5. The Mastodons will take on the Under Armour Challenge, hosted by Lindenwood, next weekend. The ‘Dons will face off against Menlo on Friday (Jan. 16) and No. 11 CSUN on Saturday (Jan. 17).
Brian Liebowitz during Jan. 10 race. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics
Stony Brook men’s track & field competed in its first meet of the New Year on Jan. 9 at the TCNJ Invitational from The Armory in New York City. As a team, the Seawolves recorded eight top-eight placements, including a first-place finish in the 3000m race by Brian Liebowitz.
HIGHLIGHTS
Liebowitz won the 3,000m, with a time of 8:33.52, setting a new PR.
Luca Maneri recorded a third-place finish in the mile run (4:23.26).
Freshman Jamal Joseph finished third in the 200m (22.41).
Cain Lawler placed fourth in the mile run (4:23.42).
Andrew Lawler posted a fifth-place finish in the mile run event, setting a new PR with a time of 4:23.65.
The team of Walesky Nowak, Andres Acosta Mondriguez, Jaden Medrano, and Matthew Brodsky finished fifth in the 4x400m relay (3:23.20).
Chris Tardugno recorded an eighth-place finish in the mile run, setting a new PR with a time of 4:27.64.
Brodsky finished eighth in the 500m and set a new PR in the event (1:06.37).
The team continues its busy January slate returning to The Armory for the Ramapo College Invitation on January 16, with action set to begin at 9:30 am.
