Dear Bulls Nation,

As I prepare to begin a new chapter of service at the United States Naval Academy, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our fans, donors, alumni, the greater Tampa Bay community, and, of course, the University of South Florida.

Returning to USF in 2018 was a full-circle moment for me. It was an opportunity to come back to the place where I first served under the legendary Lee Roy Selmon in the early 2000s. To follow in his footsteps and help lead this department has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life. In fact, I have spent more of my career at USF than anywhere else.

Together, we’ve built something truly special. USF Athletics is defined not only by its competitive success but also by its integrity, innovation and unwavering commitment to excellence. Just last year, we were recognized by Front Office Sports as one of the Best College Athletic Departments in the nation.

We’ve welcomed the addition of two new sports — women’s lacrosse and beach volleyball — while our Bulls teams have captured 21 American Athletic Conference championships, made more than 30 postseason appearances and earned three national championships. We’ve proudly celebrated 40 student-athletes earning All-America status, accounting for 50 total honors, with many more receiving all-conference recognition and academic accolades. This past year, we were also one of 15 college football programs across the country to win back-to-back bowl or College Football Playoff games.

Our success has extended well beyond competition.

USF student-athletes have continued to shatter academic records, posting the highest cumulative GPA and graduation success rate in program history. They have maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher for the past 21 consecutive semesters. Watching them grow as scholars, leaders and citizens has been a true privilege.

We also witnessed unprecedented support from alumni, fans and donors, raising more than $108 million in philanthropic contributions to enhance student-athlete success, expand our facilities and advance our vision to transform USF Athletics into a modern, elite and innovative department. That incredible generosity laid the foundation for transformational projects, including the indoor performance facility and the on-campus stadium set to open in 2027. It was a dream shared by so many, now becoming a reality thanks to the passion, belief and commitment of this remarkable community. Helping to break ground on the future home of the Bulls was a deeply emotional milestone I will always cherish.

I leave knowing that USF Athletics is stronger than ever, rooted in purpose and led by exceptional coaches and staff. We’ve benefited from strong alignment with university leadership, the Board of Trustees, and University Advancement. This department is in great hands and well-positioned to continue building on the momentum we’ve created together — truly a model athletic department for modern times.

Thank you for your unwavering support of our student-athletes. The Bulls are on the rise and the road ahead is nothing but Bull Speed Ahead.

With heartfelt gratitude and admiration,

Michael Kelly

 

The end of the Thomas Bach era as president of the International Olympic Committee is near.

The 71-year-old Bach will officially step aside after nearly 12 years in the role on Sunday, announcing last summer that he wouldn’t seek an extension after his current term officially expires.

In a video on olympics.com, Bach thanked athletes for their support and dedication, especially in challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You stood strong and touched our hearts,” Bach said. “You showed in the best possible way that what unites us is stronger than what divides us.”

Bach also said the Olympic movement “is in good hands,” with new IOC president Kirsty Coventry, the first woman and African to be elected president.

Coventry, 41, a former competitive swimmer from Zimbabwe, will take over the role on Sunday. She was elected to an eight-year term.

“She understands your hopes and your challenges because she has lived them herself,” Bach said. “She will keep athletes at the center of everything.”

Bach defended the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to clear 23 swimmers from China who tested positive in 2021 for a banned substance due to food contamination from their hotel kitchen.

At last summer’s Paris Olympics, Bach threatened to take away the 2034 Winter Olympics from Salt Lake City if the U.S. government didn’t end investigations and probes into WADA for its handling of the case.

Bach was initially elected to an eight-year term as IOC president in 2013, but then was elected to another four-year term in 2021 before reaching the limit of his term per a charter he helped write.

Some IOC members tried to convince Bach to seek a waiver so he could pursue another term, but he opted to step aside instead.

Bach won a gold medal for Germany at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in fencing.

Bach’s tenure might be best known for his measures to reform the bidding process for host cities in an effort to curtail astronomical costs.

Instead of having a bidding process for the 2024 Summer Olympics between Paris and Los Angeles, he proposed a joint awarding of the 2024 Games to Paris and the 2028 Games to Los Angeles, which the IOC approved.

The 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were also awarded to those cities without traditional bid processes.

Irvine, CA – June 20 – The USA Women’s National Team beat Spain 9-8 tonight at William Woollett Aquatics Center. Jenna Flynn led the charge for Team USA with three goals while Amanda Longan went the distance in net to record 13 saves. Team USA will play against Spain again on Sunday afternoon at Long Beach City College at 4:00pm et/1:00pm pt. Tickets to the match are available here. The match will stream LIVE on Overnght with stats from 6-8 Sports.

Team USA and Spain were locked in an old school defensive battle in this contest. The United States struck first from Rachel Gazzaniga on a counter attack and then Bea Ortiz leveled the score for Spain. Midway through the opening frame, Anna Pearson earned a penalty and Flynn converted from five meters for a 2-1 lead which stood at the end of one. The second period remained scoreless until Flynn was able to find the back of the net on a power play courtesy of Tara Prentice. Daniela Moreno cut the deficit in half for Spain before Gazzaniga put away her second goal to push the lead back to two. Paula Camus would respond for the visitors on the ensuing possession to make the score 4-3 in favor of Team USA at halftime.

The low-scoring feud continued into the third quarter with great saves from both goalkeepers. Nearly three minutes in, Jovana Sekulic earned an exclusion and Emma Lineback fired one into the back of the net on a player-advantage. Five more minutes went by before Anni Espar scored on a counter attack for Spain to leave the score at 5-4 for the United States entering the final frame. In the fourth, both offenses picked up their games. First, Ryann Neushul converted on a penalty attempt before Moreno scored on a Spanish power play, Elena Ruiz put one away on a penalty try, and Alba Muñoz rang the register during a 6-on-5 opportunity for Spain’s first lead of the game. Flynn and Pearson responded with back-to-back power play goals to regain the American edge prior to Ari Ruiz knotting things back up with just under two minutes to play. Team USA had control of the ball had looked to Pearson in set who drew two exclusions in quick succession leaving Neushul open to step up and put away the game-winner. In an attempt to tie the score late, Spain would not get a shot off and the United States claimed a 9-8 victory.

Team USA went 6/18 on power plays and 1/2 on penalties while Spain went 3/11 on power plays and 1/1 on penalties. 

Scoring – Stats

USA 9 (2, 2, 1, 4) J. Flynn 3, R. Neushul 2, R. Gazzaniga 2, E. Lineback 1, A. Pearson 1

ESP 8 (1, 2, 1, 4) D. Moreno 2, A. Ruiz 1, A. Espar 1, B. Ortiz 1, E. Ruiz 1, P. Camus 1, A. Muñoz 1

Saves – USA – A. Longan 13 – ESP – M. Terre 5

6×5 – USA  – 6/18 – ESP – 3/11

Penalties – USA – 1/2 – ESP – 1/1

 

It has been a season to remember for the Westmoreland Elite 14 Purple girls volleyball team. The squad began playing in October and honed its game throughout the year to make history.

The 14 Purple team qualified for the 2025 USAV Girls Junior National Championship, becoming just the second team from Westmoreland Elite to play in a national tournament. The team will travel to Dallas on June 24-29 to compete in the Freedom division, the sixth tier of the championship.

Coach Gene Larson has overseen his players’ development throughout the season. He has coached volleyball for 45 years, including Westmoreland Elite teams for 10 of those years.

The team embarked on the season with unimpressive finishes of 19th in the Frozen Lake Festival in Sandusky, Ohio, and 16th in the Steel City Freeze in Pittsburgh. Larson thought his players were capable of performing better.

“Early on, we struggled a bit because … we have young players,” Larson said. “After our first couple of tournaments, we started competing.”

The team then strung together two of its best tournament results. It was runner-up in the gold division of the Athletix tournament in Columbiana, Ohio, and it took first in the Erie Sports Center tournament in consecutive weeks to set an improved tone for the season.

The team was playing its best volleyball entering the Lucky Charm tournament in Harrisburg. That was important because finishing third in that tournament allowed it to qualify for the national championship.

Outside hitter Lilah Mrdjenovich has been a key player this year and was a major reason why the team could reach the national tournament.

“She’s been our most consistent player all year long, definitely led us in kills, probably blocking and serving and likely led us in passing every tournament,” Larson said. “We’ve had some all-around good players, but she has been our leader.”

Mrdjenovich, middle blocker Rylee Hestin and setter Lexi Temple are three prominent players in the lineup from Penn-Trafford.

“Penn-Trafford has a strong middle and high school program,” Larson said. “It is nice to get girls from that background.”

Larson also noted that defensive specialist Sofia Weimer and setter Clare Audia, who are both from Hempfield, are key players.

“I hope they’re competitive in every set of every match. … The reality is, at nationals, you can play well in every match and still not win because it’s a really strong tournament,” Larson said. “I haven’t set any expectations, except (to) play how we’ve been practicing.”

In 1978, Larson started playing volleyball in California, and he began coaching in 1980. He came to Pittsburgh to play volleyball at Pitt. The Trinity Christian School coach also played on and coached gold medal-winning teams at the Keystone State Games, so it is far from surprising his 14 Purple team qualified for the national championship.

“Volleyball is one of the defining areas in my life,” Larson said.

The other time one of the club’s teams made the girls junior national championship was the Westmoreland Elite 17 Black team in 2021.

“We’re a really strong team. We’ve had fun throughout,” Larson said. “I think our strengths are serving and timely hitting. (I’m) so proud of the girls for accomplishing this feat.”

In a vote that ended June 20, Cincinnati.com readers selected the Enquirer/Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Athletes of the Year for the 2024-2025 fall season.

LORMAN, Miss. – Gabrielle Harris has been named the Interim Head Volleyball Coach at Alcorn State University for the 2025 season. 

We are excited to announce Gabrielle Harris as the new interim head coach of Alcorn State Volleyball. Coach Harris has demonstrated strong leadership, a deep understanding of the game, and an unwavering commitment to the growth of our student-athletes both on and off the court. Her passion and energy are exactly what we need as we continue building a competitive and culture-driven program. We’re confident she will lead our team with integrity, vision, and purpose during this important transition.” — E. Dwayne Robinson, Director of Athletics, Alcorn State University

 

She previously served as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator during the 2024 season. In that role, Harris was responsible for coordinating the offense, conducting opponent scouting, and overseeing player development. She also assisted with program operations, including but not limited to managing team travel.

Most recently, Harris was selected as a recipient of the 2024 AVCA Diversity Award by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. This prestigious program mentors and develops emerging volleyball leaders through a series of educational seminars focused on both professional and personal growth. Her attendance at the AVCA Convention was proudly sponsored by the Big Ten Conference. 

Before joining Alcorn, Harris served as the Assistant Volleyball Coach and Director of Student Involvement at Tennessee Wesleyan University. While in Athens, she also worked as a Master Coach at Victory Volleyball Academy, where she supported organizational development and mentored fellow coaches. Additionally, she gained valuable experience through a graduate internship with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Volleyball Program.

A former collegiate athlete, Harris played for Tennessee Wesleyan University, where she later transitioned into a coaching role following her playing career.

In 2024, Harris earned a Master of Science in Sports Administration from Arkansas State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Physical Education, which she completed in May 2022.

 

What They’re Saying About Coach Harris

 “I am thrilled for Gabby and even more excited for Alcorn State. Gabby is one of the most passionate coaches I have come across in the last few years. Her light shines through in every conversation. The athletes in her program will have a tremendous experience with her at the helm.” – Jen Flynn Oldenburg, AVCA President/Ohio State University Head Coach 

 

“Coach Harris embodies leader, mentor, and coach.  I am eager to witness her personal and professional trajectory as she takes on this assignment with Alcorn State women’s volleyball! I am confident in her ability to immerse herself into the role and lead the Braves’ program with vision and excellence.” –Mr. Kennedy D. Wells, Director of Membership, American Volleyball Coaches Association

 

“Gabby is on the fast track in the coaching world. She’s earned every opportunity through her work ethic, commitment to learning, and passion for the game.  I’m excited to see where her coaching journey takes her – this is just the beginning.” –Julie Torbett-Thomas, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Director of Volleyball 

 

“Congratulations to Coach Harris on her new title as Interim Head Coach! Gabby has a genuine passion for the game and a strong understanding of how to develop her players on and off the court. Her grit and determination are qualities that make her a great leader. I’m so excited to see her lead and build a successful program!” – Kylie Whaley, Tennessee Wesleyan University Head Coach 

 

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