Sports

Joel Edgerton on His Cannes Thriller The Plague

Published

7 months ago

May 17, 2025

“I have two almost 4-year-olds, and I’m quite powerful and influential in certain circles, but not with two 4-year-olds,” says Joel Edgerton. “Kids run their own country, in a way.”

Edgerton’s been thinking a lot lately about those nascent years before entering adulthood thanks to his latest project, The Plague, which looks at the complicated and occasionally terrifying social dynamics of kids — specifically adolescent boys.

The feature debut of director Charlie Polinger, the film is set in the world of a competitive water polo summer camp, focusing primarily on the dynamic within a group of 12- and 13-year-old boys who have ostracized one camper because he has “the plague,” a nasty-looking case of eczema. One camper, Ben (Everett Blunck), struggles between his desire to help the outcast camper and his worry about incurring the wrath of the larger group. In the film, Edgerton plays the well-meaning if ineffective water polo coach.

“In the age of renewed questions about and considerations of the manosphere, The Plague is a prescient title,” wrote THR critic Lovia Gyarkye in her review of the film, which is quickly becoming one of the stand-outs of the fest.

Beyond displaying considerable range as an actor in everything from Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby to Paul Schrader’s The Master Gardener and George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat, Edgerton is also a filmmaker — he received a DGA nom for first-time director for his 2015 thriller The Gift, which he also wrote and starred in.

Ahead of Cannes 2025, where The Plague is set to screen in the Un Certain Regard section, Edgerton talked to THR about the inherent horror of being a preteen: “I’ve often said about school experience that it’s like a documentary where you’re watching a depleting watering hole in the African savanna.”

What drew you to a story that is focused on a gaggle of 13-year-olds?

I’m really interested in this idea of when do we become responsible adults. There is an untethered, unchecked period of our life, even though we have parents, we have teachers and, in this case, camp counselors. There’s a nature in children that is natural, that can be beautiful or can be dark. It’s through a passage of experiential moments that we learn what makes others around us feel good, and therefore how that reflects our own character and that shapes who we are. I thought the journey within this film of the central character was a really, really interesting universal exploration of how we shape ourselves in the world. I just wanted to help make sure that the movie got made.

What was it about the script that had you saying, “I want to help it get made”?

There’s a real careful attention and accuracy to how children — while they might be terrible at understanding the ramifications or the collateral damage that they can cause — are excellent at socio-diplomacy. They learn where to position themselves within a flock or a herd. They understand hierarchy. They understand what is dangerous and what is safe. Whether we believe those instincts and cues to be good ones, they very quickly discern where they need to stand and with whom. Ben’s journey is about understanding that it’s dangerous to be caring towards the ostracized, wounded member of the group, but his nature draws him in that direction and draws him into the danger as well.

There is the old adage in film about not working with kids and animals, but in this movie, you are only working with kids. How did you find the experience?

I always marvel at kids, whatever the ages of kids that I’ve worked with. You’ll work with a child who’s never been in a film before and you’ll learn something from them. Kayo [Martin], who plays the bully, he could run rings around me to the point where we would shoot things, and when the lines were blurred, I wanted to throttle him. He knew that his job was just to be cocky to everybody, and so he didn’t stop with me. I don’t just look upwards to the older, wiser actors. There’s something to be learned from everybody. It’s very impressive, too, on Charlie’s side, to create the sense of danger for the character of Ben. Intention and effect are different things. I might say something just to make my friends laugh at me that really hurts you. I think there is a real accuracy and detail within that for the film. It’s not just like bullies going, “I’m going to be mean.” It’s “I’m being mean because I’m trying to survive.” For Kayo’s character, his way of surviving is to be the leader of a group.

When you put it like that, being a kid is pretty Darwinian.

The adult world has its own governing set of rules, and we impose those on our own children, supposedly to show them the ropes to the world that they’re about to take a hold of. But children have their own language, their own rules. They create them. They create their own society. Then an adult, like my character, becomes a foreigner within their country.

You are really the only adult in the film. What did you see as your character’s position in the middle of the kids’ dynamic?

Adults can hover around a camp or a school or a household, but they can’t be all knowing and all seeing. Their advice or their own experience can reflect or offer wisdom, but it doesn’t necessarily help when you’re living in the pain of something. Ben may remember my character as Charlie remembers his experience 30 years later, but I can guarantee it’s hard to receive all of that parental wisdom or teacherly wisdom when you’re in the midst of the turmoil of living in a nation of children. This was the closest thing I’d ever read to a Lord of the Flies type scenario — a society built and run and organized by children. I’ve been a big fan of movies like Thirteen in the past, because they’re like a peephole or a window into a life we don’t get to experience once we’re of a certain age. We don’t know how kids talk when they’re with each other. I think we’re all scared of them. I think we’re scared of youth.

There are times where the movie feels like a true horror film, like there is something audiences should be truly afraid of onscreen.

I’ve often said about the school experience that it’s like a documentary where you’re watching a depleting watering hole in the African savanna, crocodiles, and there’s a baby antelope and everything in between. It’s a dangerous place, and anything can happen. There’s something really Full Metal Jacket about this movie. There are similar tones to this.

I thought the choice of setting it inside a water polo camp was interesting. What did you think of having it set in that world specifically?

It could have been anything. It could be a tennis camp, gymnastics or whatever the culture. The specificity of that culture, cinematically, is beautiful, and the confines of being in one swim center and the danger of the water is very potent. Through the experience, I was just thinking back to so many experiences of my own as a child and everyone on the crew was talking about that stuff. Childhood is full of sentimental, beautiful memories, but it’s also full of crazy trauma. Those things diminish over time, we move on, and events get swallowed up, but they’ve all made their little kind of scars.

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Volleyball Ends Postseason Award Run with Two Earning AVCA Honorable Mention All-American Honors

Published

14 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Wheeling, W. Va. – With the 2025 NCAA DII Volleyball National Championship coming up this weekend, the postseason awards for the 2025 season wrapped up on Wednesday. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released their annual All-America teams and the Wheeling University Volleyball team had two players earn honors. Junior Katie Wilking and freshman Camryn Matus each earned Honorable Mention All-American honors after both led the Cardinal’s offensive push throughout the season.

The Wheeling Volleyball team continued their winning ways after a tough non-conference schedule to start the year. The Cardinals finished the regular season 16-13 overall, including a 10-4 mark in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. It was enough to earn them a share of the MEC North Division title, splitting the crown with West Liberty and Fairmont State, and the Cardinals entered the MEC Volleyball Tournament as the #3 seed from the North. Their run would come to an abrupt end, falling to the eventual MEC Champions the University of Charleston 3-2 in the Quarterfinals, but their postseason award run has been a successful one. The Cardinals had four players earn a spot on the annual All-MEC lists, and added two more honorees on the AVCA’s All-Region list. Despite falling short of the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championships, the young Cardinals got good experience that they can build off of on the court.

The first honoree was junior Katie Wilking, who is taking home the first All-American honor of her career. The junior middle blocker earned First Team All-MEC honors for her work on the Cardinal front line, and coupled that with an Honorable Mention All-Region award. Wilking was one of the most efficient hitters in the conference this past season, sitting third in the conference with a .325 mark, knocking down 257 kills on 622 total attacks, while finishing with just 55 attack errors. Her season-best effort would come against CAL-U on September 20th, when she knocked down 18 kills on 27 total attacks to put together a .556 hitting percentage. Along with her success on the offensive side of the ball, Wilking was one of the team’s premiere defenders, leading the way with 82.0 total blocks. She finished with 14 solo and 68 assisted, ranking 10th in the conference in both total blocks and solo blocks, while sitting eighth in block assists.

The other Cardinal honoree was freshman outside hitter Camryn Matus, who wrapped up a big award season with the an Honorable Mention All-American honor. Matus was named the 2025 MEC Freshman of the Year this past season, while also taking home both First Team All-MEC and AVCA All-Regional honors. She led all freshman in the MEC with 297 kills on the season, while sitting fourth overall in the conference in kills. She would add to that a .220 hitting percentage, having only 126 errors in 778 attempts, while finishing tied for third on the team with 59 assists during the season. She put together a historic night in an October 7th match-up with Frostburg State, where she picked up the first triple double in over a decade for the Cardinals. She would finish with 10 kills and 10 digs, while being the team’s top setter with 23 assists in the effort. Matus would finish with 18 double digit kill efforts on the season and looks to continue building her success on the court.

The 2025 AVCA All-Americans list included 42 players – 14 on the first, second, and third teams from 29 schools. The list would also include 117 Honorable Mention selections, with two programs having three players on those teams. The MEC had six honorees on the list, with all six earning spots on the AVCA Honorable Mention team. Fairmont State led the way with three honorees, followed by Wheeling with two, and Charleston with one. The 2025 All-America selections are made by the AVCA DII All-America Committee, consisting of head coaches from across the country.

The Wheeling University Volleyball team continues their off-season push as they make preparations for the 2026 season.

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Wright Steps Down As Head Beach Volleyball Coach

Published

30 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After four seasons at the helm of North Florida Beach Volleyball, Doug Wright has stepped down from the program.

“It has been an honor and privilege to lead this program and represent the University of North Florida,” Wright said. “The championship culture we built and the milestones we reached are a direct result of our student-athletes’ hard work and our staff’s dedication. This was an extremely difficult decision, but it is the right one as I prioritize what is best for my family. While the timing is not ideal, I believe there is never a wrong time to do what is right. I am deeply grateful to Nick Morrow for the opportunity to lead this program and for all the moments I was able to experience along the way. I care deeply about the coaches and players in this program, and I am confident they will continue elevating it to new heights.”

“Doug Wright has been an incredible coach for the North Florida Beach Volleyball program, and his impact on our student-athletes and the entire Osprey community cannot be overstated,” Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Nick Morrow added. “While we are saddened by his decision to step down, we respect his choice and are deeply grateful for the difference he has made in our program. Doug leaves behind a new standard of excellence that will continue to guide us. We wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter.”

Wright compiled a 100-48 record at North Florida, the fastest to reach the 100-win milestone in program history.

Wright led North Florida to a program-record 26 wins in 2025 that culminated in the program’s second-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship, which have both occurred in the last two seasons under Wright, after it added its sixth and second-straight Atlantic Sun Conference Championship title. North Florida earned a program-best No. 12 seed after it secured the No. 16 seed in 2024. ?

For three-straight seasons under Wright, North Florida secured the most combined selections between the ASUN Conference First and Second Team in 2025. With the six selections in 2025, North Florida collected 26 honorees under Wright and the most in the conference in his tenure. North Florida was a top-three seed at the ASUN Championship each season under Wright. He coached four Ospreys to All-Freshman team honors, including 2023 ASUN Freshman of the Year Madison Espy.

In addition to a program-record win total, North Florida earned its highest ranking in program history at No. 14 in the final AVCA Collegiate Beach Coaches Poll in 2025. The Ospreys were ranked in each installment of the poll in 2025 for the first time in program history.

Wright recorded the program’s first-ever win at the NCAA Championship against No. 17 seed Chattanooga on May 3, 2024. In 2024, North Florida became the first team in ASUN Conference history to sweep the entirety of the ASUN Championship without giving up a single match point.

Wright coached two pairs in Mariana Feliciano Sanchez and Madison Espy in 2025 and Iris Fletcher and Katie Camp in 2024 to ASUN Pair of the Tournament. He developed six pairs to ASUN All-Tournament Team honors. North Florida had two ASUN Scholar Athlete of the Year honorees under Wright.

Wright guided Presley Murray and Mackenzie Murphy to AVCA Top Flight Pair 1 honors in 2025. He coached four AVCA Top Flight pairs at the helm of North Florida.

Wright was named 2023 ASUN Coach of the Year and won at least 24 matches each of his four seasons.

A national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

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Colonels Claim Four ASUN Performer of the Week Honors

Published

46 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s track and field teams took four of the first six ASUN Performer of the Week honors in the 2025-26 indoor track and field season as announced by the conference office on Wednesday.

On the track, Taha Er Raouy and Edna Chelulei earned the men’s and women’s weekly honors, with Daroyce Flemons and Kristan Simmons taking the honors in the field after all four broke school records in their respective events to open the indoor season.

Er Raouy took the men’s track honors after breaking the school record in the invite section of the 3,000 meters with a time of 7:40.56, finishing 6th in a mixed field of top collegiate athletes and professionals at the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener last Saturday.

At the same meet, Chelulei set the EKU indoor record in the women’s 5,000 meters with a time of 15:42.14.

Back in the Commonwealth, Flemons and Simmons set new program records in the men’s and women’s weight throw at the KTCCCA Commonwealth College Opener in Louisville to earn Field Performer of the Week honors.

Flemons’ record-breaking throw went 17.81m (58.05.25) in his Colonel debut to take first in the men’s event, while Simmons threw 17.28m (56-08.50) to take first on the women’s side.

The Colonels will next compete in the new year at the Bellarmine Open on January 16.

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Katelynn Oxley to Join Women’s Basketball Roster for Remainder of 2025-26 Season

Published

47 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHICAGO – DePaul women’s basketball head coach Jill M. Pizzotti announced Wednesday the addition of volleyball student-athlete Katelynn Oxley to the roster for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. Oxley concluded her four-year volleyball career with the Blue Demons in November and is available to compete with basketball immediately.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring a 6-4 player like Katelynn to our roster. It’s a rare occasion when you can add someone with size, who you know well, who you’re genuinely excited about, and who has competed at a high level,” said Pizzotti. “Katelynn is a great fit for our program, and we’re thrilled for her to continue her Blue Demon career with our team.”

In four seasons as a volleyball letterwinner, Oxley appeared in 106 matches for the Blue Demons and totaled 483 kills and 318 blocks. In her senior campaign, the Lincoln, Neb. native ranked sixth in the BIG EAST with 1.12 blocks per set while her .318 hitting percentage ranked eighth.

In her prep career, Oxley played two seasons of varsity basketball at Lincoln Lutheran and led her squad in points, blocks and rebounds her junior and senior campaigns. Her teams went 45-7 in two seasons and finished top three in C1 State championship in back-to-back seasons. Oxley won multiple all-city, all-conference and all-state accolades in her time on the hardwood.

Oxley earned her undergraduate degree in Finance in June of 2025 and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Business Analytics. She has been named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team on three occasions and compiled a 4.0 GPA throughout her time in Chicago.

Up Next

The Blue Demons return home to host UMass Lowell Thursday, Dec. 11. Tipoff from Wintrust Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Follow the Blue Demons

For all the latest information on DePaul Women’s Basketball, please visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Ticket Information

Season tickets for the 2025-26 DePaul women’s basketball season are on sale now, starting at just $115. Season ticket holders receive access to every game at Wintrust Arena and exclusive benefits! Secure your seats today at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets. Group ticket options are also available now for parties of 10 or more, making it easy to bring your team, company or friends to a game. Explore all group ticket options at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Groups.

Flex plans, mobile passes and single-game tickets are also on sale. To stay up-to-date, sign up for DePaul Athletics email updates or text alerts.

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Nabwe Wins Seventh Career Big Ten Weekly Honor

Published

1 hour ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time this indoor season the University of Minnesota women’s track and field team has earned weekly honors from the Big Ten Conference. Anthonett Nabwe earned the Field Athlete of the Week honor, the conference office announced on Wednesday.

Nabwe returned to the college indoor scene at the M City Classic where she tossed a season-opening 23.74m (77-10 3/4) in the weight throw to sit at No. 1 in the NCAA. The toss for Nabwe was over four feet further than her 2024 opening weight throw of 22.45m (73-8) at the same meet. Nabwe’s winning throw of 16.40m (53-9 3/4) in the shot put was also an improvement from last year’s opening indoor competition by nearly two feet (15.95m | 52-4). Nabwe’s shot put mark from the M City Classic is ranked No. 3 in the nation and the No. 1 in the Big Ten after last weekend’s action.

The weekly honor for Nabwe is the seventh the redshirt junior has earned between the indoor and the outdoor season. Last indoor season Nabwe became the first Big Ten weight thrower in nine years to repeat as champion at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and was just the fifth Big Ten women’s weight thrower all-time to defend their conference title. According to the USTFCCCA, Nabwe ranks No. 8 all-time with her lifetime best weight throw mark of 24.22m (79-5 1/2) – which she set at last year’s Big Ten Indoor Championships.

For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.

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Kimm, LaPlant and Thompson Earn AVCA All-America Honors

Published

1 hour ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the fourth time in the last five seasons, St. Cloud State Volleyball had at least three student-athletes named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-America teams as announced by the organizations on Wednesday. Junior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa), sophomore setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) and redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) were each named to the second team.

This is the sixth straight season that the Huskies have had at least two players named to the AVCA All-America teams and the fourth time in program history that SCSU has had three or more All-America selections in a season which have all come in the last four seasons (four in 2021, three in 2022, three in 2024).

Thompson becomes the fifth player in program history to become a multi-time All-American after Lindsey Rachel ’22 (3x; 2019, 21, 22), Phebie Rossi ’22 (2x; 2021, 22), former teammate Kenzie Foley ’24 (4x; 2021, 22, 23, 24) and current teammate Emma Berran (2x; 2023, 24). Last season Thompson was also named to the second team. Kimm and LaPlant are the 12^th and 13^th players in program history to earn All-America honors.

The redshirt senior middle blocker was named a first team All-Central Region performer by the AVCA and Division-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) after being named a second teamer by the AVCA in 2024. Thompson was also named to the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) First Team, to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team, the NSIC All-Tournament Team all for the second consecutive season and was also the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year this season. The Lakeville, Minnesota native averaged 3.89 points, 3.37 kills and 0.96 blocks per set this season on .331 hitting this season.

Kimm earned her first all-region and all-conference honors this season after being named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team and the D2CCA All-Central Region Second team and the All-NSIC First Team. The North Liberty, Iowa native was also named to the to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team, the NSIC All-Tournament Team (second consecutive season). The junior outside hitter averaged 3.88 points, 3.47 digs, 3.40 kills and 0.46 blocks per set this season.

LaPlant also earned the first all-region and all-conference honors of her career this season after being named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team and the D2CCA All-Central Region Second team and the All-NSIC First Team. The sophomore setter was also named to the to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team, the NSIC All-Tournament Team. She also became just the fifth player in program history to be named AVCA DII Player of the Week and was the lone Husky to earn weekly NSIC honors this season after being named Setter of the Week twice (her first career weekly awards). The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native averaged 11.69 assists, 2.21 digs, 1.23 points, 0.62 kills and 0.49 blocks per set this season.

This season, the Huskies won their second consecutive and fourth overall NSIC Tournament Championship (all in the last five seasons) after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country and advanced to the NCAA Central Region Championship/Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season, tying the program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season, with two (4x; 1995, 2022, 2024, 2025). En route to the region championship, the Huskies beat the No. 17 team in the nation before taking down the No. 2 team and tournament host, Nebraska Kearney, on their home court.

AVCA All-America
Second Team:
Shelby Kimm
Braya LaPlant
Ella Thompson

AVCA RELEASE

For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.