Sports
Harris Heads to NCAA West Meet with Intimidating Confidence
Story Links RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The minute Nayla Harris arrives at a track meet she has her game face on. When she walks off the bus, as she does her warm-up routine, when she gets into the blocks, Harris has an aura about her that lets the competition know she means business. Her half-frame, polarized shades with impenetrable […]

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The minute Nayla Harris arrives at a track meet she has her game face on.
When she walks off the bus, as she does her warm-up routine, when she gets into the blocks, Harris has an aura about her that lets the competition know she means business. Her half-frame, polarized shades with impenetrable lenses make it impossible to see her eyes, but the intensity they carry is palpable anyway. Her movements are easy but intentional as she prepares for a race – quick and sharp footwork, fluid mobility, explosiveness on full display.
Harris is striking at the starting line. At 5 feet 5 inches she’s not particularly tall, but her toned frame is packed with muscle, from the popping shoulders to the defined arms down to her powerful legs. Tattoos wrap her right lower leg and upper thigh, and her right forearm. She wears a facial expression that portrays a fierce confidence and all-business attitude, almost indicating a disinterest in the competition she’s sure she’ll beat.
It’s all by design.
“I want to look intimidating. I want to put it in people’s minds right when I get there that I’m here to win. When it’s time to warm up, I have to look like I’m there for business. I don’t want people thinking they’re getting inside my head, because they’re not,” Harris said.
Harris wasn’t always that sure of herself. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) junior sprinter was a standout at Seguin High School, qualifying for the Class 5A state meet three times (all years except 2020 due to COVID-19) and winning multiple district, area and regional championships. But she said she used to look and feel scared at meets because she lacked confidence at that time.
Confidence has been the key change in Harris over her three years at UTRGV. She has gotten faster, stronger and more committed every season. This season, Harris put it all together – and it all started from a setback.
Harris’s 2024 season ended in disappointment. She failed to make the final of the women’s 100- or 200-meter dash at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Outdoor Championships. Though she left that meet with a gold medal for the 4×100-meter relay, she felt incomplete, and something flipped inside.
“She fully committed. She literally eats and breaths track & field, and it shows,” head coach Shareese Hicks said. “It’s hard to drop time by a tenth, but to do it by a little over half a second is unheard of. It’s a testament to her hard work and her desire to be the best.”
The relationship between Harris and Hicks is unique. Hicks was a professional track athlete for seven years after a Hall of Fame career at Charlotte, where she was a four-time All-American. She was a 2012 US Olympic Trials finalist and medaled at events like the World Indoor championships, USA Indoor Nationals, Pan American Games, and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships.
Hicks sees a lot of herself in the stoic, determined Harris – who even has similar goals of becoming a coach after pursing a professional track career. Their connection was instantaneous and the main reason Harris chose to compete for UTRGV.
“The chip she had on her shoulder, I had that. Her approach with her ballistic training, her explosiveness, that edge that she has that can’t be coached, I relate to that. I’m looking at her like, I know exactly how to coach you, because I was you,” Hicks said.
Harris enjoys the playful, competitive nature of their relationship. Hicks said it’s a goal of hers “to coach a young woman to run faster than I ever did,” and currently, the two are tied. They both want to see Harris break that barrier and are working together to get it done.
“There’s no other coach for me. She really understands me. Knowing she sees herself in me, wow, that means a lot, and I just hope to beat her and do better than her so I can rub it in her face,” Harris said through a smile.
With a new perspective and the support of her coach, Harris exploded this season. The UTRGV Breakout Athlete of the Year set the indoor program record in the 60-meter dash (7.26) twice, earned a win at Texas Tech, and claimed the first Southland Conference (SLC) Championship in UTRGV history at the indoor conference meet in the 60.
Even after an incredible indoor season, Harris didn’t know how good she could be outdoors. Her season opener wasn’t great, but she responded maturely and made adjustments to run 11.37 the following week – setting a new program record and moving to No. 1 in the SLC and No. 14 on the NCAA West qualifying list. Then, she picked up back-to-back victories at her next two meets.
On May 3 at Texas A&M’s E.B. Cushing Stadium in Bryan-College Station – the host site for the 2025 NCAA West First Round – Harris ran 11.22 to finish third in the 100-meter dash. She improved her own program record and secured her place among the NCAA Championship contenders for the first time in her career.
“At the beginning of the season I didn’t know if I could do it. But when I started running faster, I thought, ‘I have a chance at this,’ so I started manifesting it, pushed myself more in training, and it happened,” Harris said. “I gained confidence. And once you gain confidence, you have the motivation to work out better, train better, lift better, think better, eat better. Once you have that confidence nothing’s going to stop you.”
Harris went on to win the SLC Outdoor Championship in the 100, making it official that she’s the fastest woman in the conference. One could call her the fastest woman the SLC has ever seen, since her NCAA West qualifying time of 11.22 is the Southland Conference record.
Harris didn’t run full-out at the conference meet. She didn’t need to. When she walked up to the blocks, intimidation mode set on high, she knew she had the race in the bag. Five meters out, she did her version of the Michael Jordan shrug, crossing the finish line with a “that was nothing” look on her face.
“I expected it. I could tell I was going to win because, looking at the girls around me, I could tell they were intimidated, and if it’s already in their head then I already got this,” Harris said.
Now, Harris is ready to leave it all on the track as she chases takes on this next phase of the season. She’s heading to the NCAA West First Round ranked 16th on the qualifying list. The top 12 finishers at the meet will punch their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships scheduled for June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon. UTRGV hasn’t sent a woman to the national meet since 2005.
This will be the biggest meet Harris has ever competed in, but she’s not intimated. She knows she belongs among the fastest in the nation, and she’s running to win. When the competition sees her, they’ll know.
“This whole season, I’ve been preparing for this. All summer, I was preparing for this. This is the time for me to really show out. I have everything I need to do it, so I just have to put it all together,” Harris said. “The success that this confidence brings me, I want to keep it going. I don’t have any fear in me. I pray a lot and that really helps me. All I got to do is execute.”
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Sports
Eight Members of Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Recognized by ACC
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Eight members of the Boston College men’s outdoor track & field team were honored by the Atlantic Coast Conference as part of its 2025 All-ACC Academic team, it was announced today. Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous semester and a […]

Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.
2025 Men’s All-ACC Academic Track and Field Team
Sean Coll, So., Economics
Peter Fox, Sr., Chemistry
Colin Kravitz, So., Applied Psychology and Human Development
Max McQuide, Sr., Management
Patrick Mulryan, So., Management/Philosophy
Theodor Schucht, Fr., Economics
Colin Shaver, Jr., Communication
Edward Sullivan, Jr., Management
Sports
Mike Bibby’s daughter Nylah, Class of 2027 standout, commits to Arizona volleyball
Share Tweet Share Share Email Nylah Bibby, daughter of Arizona basketball great Mike Bibby, is a top performer of Arizona Storm Elite volleyball club as an outside hitter (Bibby photo) The distinguished Bibby name will carry on at McKale Center. After graduating from Scottsdale Saguaro […]


The distinguished Bibby name will carry on at McKale Center.
After graduating from Scottsdale Saguaro High School in 2027 — 30 years after her father Mike led Arizona to the NCAA men’s basketball championship — Nylah Bibby is slated to represent Arizona at McKale Center as a member of Charita Stubbs’ volleyball program.
Nylah, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, was offered a scholarship by Stubbs on Thursday night and committed shortly thereafter, her father confirmed with AllSportsTucson.com’s Steve Rivera (host of the “Eye on the Ball” radio show on Fox Sports 1450-AM). Mike, embarking on his first season as Sacramento State’s head coach, was a guest of Rivera’s show on Tuesday.
Nylah provided a commitment via Instagram Friday:
As a freshman at Desert Mountain in 2023, Nylah finished fourth in the 5A Northeast Valley in kills with 232 and was third in kills per set, averaging 2.8 a set.
After transferring to Saguaro last season, she ranked second in the 4A Desert Sky with 255 kills. Her 5 kills per set led the 4A conference statewide.
Nylah, who wears No. 10 like Mike did at Arizona and during his NBA career, is Mike’s youngest daughter following Mia and Janae. His son Michael is the associate head coach with him at Sacramento State. Janae played volleyball at Fresno Pacific University after her high school career at Phoenix Shadow Mountain, her dad’s alma mater.

Nylah, a member of the Arizona Storm Elite volleyball club, has participated in Stubbs’ elite camps at McKale Center over the last few years.
She recently completed her tournament schedule with the Arizona Storm 16U Thunder team that is coached by former Arizona State player and assistant coach Terri Spann.
Verbal commitments are not binding.
Stubbs is unable to comment on recruits until they have signed a financial aid and scholarship agreement in their senior year of high school.

Sports
UCSB Women’s Volleyball Set for Tough 2025 Schedule | Sports
The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Volleyball team announced its 2025 schedule on Thursday, July 10. The Gauchos are set to face a fierce slate of opponents, including four teams with NCAA Tournament appearances – and three of those with wins – in 2024. The team is led by Head Coach Matt Jones, entering his third year […]

The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Volleyball team announced its 2025 schedule on Thursday, July 10.
The Gauchos are set to face a fierce slate of opponents, including four teams with NCAA Tournament appearances – and three of those with wins – in 2024. The team is led by Head Coach Matt Jones, entering his third year at the helm of the program.
The Gauchos kick off the season up north with back-to-back matches against San Jose State on August 29 and 30.
The Blue and Gold will stay on the road the following weekend, heading to Los Angeles to play a three-day tournament hosted by USC.
The first matchup on Friday will see the Gauchos face the hosting Trojans followed by matches with Creighton and San Diego scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The Bluejays are coming off a 2024 NCAA Tournament run where they fell to the eventual National Champion, Penn State, in the Regional Final.
The Gauchos’ home opener comes against Kansas State in The Thunderdome on September 11 as part of a tournament co-hosted with Cal Poly. The Gauchos will look to continue their success from last year when they swept the Wildcats at the K-State Invitational.
The following day, Santa Barbara will face Vanderbilt, who is entering its first season since the program was discontinued in 1980. Northern Colorado will be the last match to cap off the weekend in The Thunderdome on Saturday.
Pepperdine will visit shortly thereafter with a match scheduled in Santa Barbara for Tuesday, September 16 in The Thunderdome.
Non-conference play wraps up with a two-day adventure to Dayton for two matches on September 19 against Illinois State and the hosting Flyers, who achieved an NCAA Regional Tournament appearance last season. The next day sees one match against Wright State before heading back to Santa Barbara.
The Gauchos’ second homestand will consist of their first Big West matchups. Cal State Bakersfield and CSUN come to The Thunderdome on September 26 and 27, respectively.
Headed into October, the Blue and Gold are back on the road to continue conference play. October 3 will have the Gauchos going up against Long Beach State followed by a quick jump down to La Jolla to face UC San Diego on October 4.
The first installment of the Blue-Green rivalry takes place the Tuesday after with a visit up north to Cal Poly on October 7. The trip continues across the Pacific the following weekend as the Gauchos take on the reigning Big West Champions, Hawai’i, on their home court on October 12.
Cal State Fullerton comes to town on October 17 for the third weekend of Santa Barbara Volleyball at home. The Gauchos face UC Irvine in The Thunderdome the following day as well.
A Thursday trip up north has the Gauchos facing UC Davis on October 23. The Blue and Gold return home on Saturday, October 18 to go up against the Highlanders of UC Riverside.
The Gauchos begin their rematches with Big West opponents heading into November with trips to Northridge and Bakersfield. Santa Barbara will face the Matadors on October 31 and the Roadrunners on November 1.
November continues with a four-match homestand. The Gauchos will first see action against UC San Diego on November 7. They host Long Beach State in The Thunderdome the following day, November 8.
The Mustangs and the Gauchos face off on Thursday, November 13 to wrap up the Blue-Green rivalry at home. Fans can catch Santa Barbara’s final regular-season home match on Friday, November 14 as the Gauchos take on Hawai’i in The Thunderdome.
The regular season wraps up with road matches against UC Irvine on November 21 followed by Cal State Fullerton on November 22.
The Blue and Gold will look for a top-six finish in the regular-season conference standings to qualify for the Big West Tournament. The tournament is scheduled for November 26-29 in Long Beach with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
UC Santa Barbara Athletics is excited to announce the Men’s Water Polo and Men’s and Women’s Cross Country schedules later this month.
Season tickets for fall sports will go on sale the week of July 14. Fans can always find the most recent Gaucho news at ucsbgauchos.com.
Sports
LockerRoom: Sailing greats steer water polo team in LA Games effort
And Barbara Kendall, boardsailing’s Olympic triple medallist, is the performance coach of the White Caps – the new moniker for the New Zealand women’s water polo team. Right now, Powrie is in Singapore with the side, who took on Italy in their opening game of the world championships overnight. Kendall, who’s been in Denmark watching […]

Sports
Why Irena Gillarová, former Virginia Tech javelin thrower, would choose a U.S. education over an Olympic medal
Story Links For javelin thrower Irena Gillarová, a low point in her career became a moment that altered the course of her life. The Czech athlete had been training full time, deciding not to pursue higher education to focus on athletics. Yet at the European Athletics Championships, she had not even made […]

For javelin thrower Irena Gillarová, a low point in her career became a moment that altered the course of her life.
The Czech athlete had been training full time, deciding not to pursue higher education to focus on athletics. Yet at the European Athletics Championships, she had not even made it to the final round of competition. I didn’t make it to the finals and I have nothing, so what do I do now? She thought to herself.
As she walked out of the meet, Gillarová ran into Virginia Tech’s track and field coach, who asked her if she wanted to come to the United States to compete for his team.
The answer was an easy yes for Gillarová, fueled by a dream to become an NCAA student-athlete since she was a child.
“I always admired international student-athletes from my country who would decide to go study in the U.S. I always looked up to them,” she said.
At Virginia Tech, the international student-athlete set a school record in her first meet. In her second meet, she broke a 17-year-old Atlantic Coast Conference record.
Yet parts of the student-athlete experience surprised Gillarová. Her coaches would ask her about her grades, checking if she needed tutors and making sure she knew about the academic resources at her disposal.
“In Czech, we don’t have a system which supports education and sports. It’s a huge difference that decides the rest of your life,” she said. “You have all the resources you need. How the whole system cooperates together is amazing.”
On the field, Gillarová broke school and national records throughout her four years in the U.S. Most notably, she won Virginia Tech’s first NCAA championship in javelin, and she repeated that accomplishment in the final meet of her senior year. She is one of only two Virginia Tech female student-athletes to win at least two national titles. She also graduated with degrees in international relations and religion and culture.
After graduation, Gillarová returned to the Czech Republic to pursue an Olympic career, an experience made possible by her time as an NCAA student-athlete.
“It made me a professional athlete,” she said. “The resources you have as an athlete at U.S. universities showed me this is how it’s supposed to look like, and what you need to have to be professional.”
Even with competing on the Olympic stage — she finished 19th at the 2020 Olympic Games — Gillarová’s most valued accomplishments are her NCAA national championships.
“To me, they are the most important ones because it’s the moment where your team relies on you, the school supports you,” she said.
After her athletics career, Gillarová’s gratitude for her U.S. opportunities drove her to create pathways for others to achieve similar experiences. She started an organization, usFutures, to help international athletes become NCAA student-athletes.
“I always tell them, if somebody would ask me if I would get a medal from the Olympics or if I would get education at U.S. universities, I would 100% say I would go with the education and these four years at the U.S. university,” she said. “I’m just trying to pass that experience to others.”
Gillarová has also started an endowment fund to raise money and spend time with children in foster care to encourage them to play sports.
“When other structures let you down, (athletics) gives you friends, it shows you different characters of people which you can be inspired by,” she said.
Additionally, Gillarová began working with the Czech Paralympic Federation on the possibility for international para athletes to become NCAA student-athletes.
Last fall, the NCAA office of inclusion hosted Gillarová at the national office as part of the Global Sports Mentoring Program, which pairs emerging international women leaders with female senior executives at top U.S. sports organizations for an immersive mentorship experience. At the national office, Gillarová focused her time on learning about the possibilities for para athletes to become NCAA student-athletes.
“If it’s in my ability to help them to get to universities, I’m excited to learn anything I can because I’ve always admired the NCAA,” she said.
After an exceptional collegiate and Olympic career, Gillarová helps others become NCAA student-athletes for one reason: She knows it will change the course of their lives — the same way running into Virginia Tech’s coach at the European Athletics Championships changed hers.
“Sport opened the door for my whole career,” she said. “The majority of things I have in life are thanks to sport.
“Before college athletics, I was a kid which had dreams but didn’t have the tools to accomplish them. After college athletics, I became a person who’s given tools to help others accomplish their dreams.”
Sports
Volleyball Adds Freshman Outside Hitter Christa Wilburn To 2025 Roster
Story Links DALLAS (SMU) – Outside hitter Christa Wilburn has been added to the 2025 SMU volleyball roster, head coach Sam Erger announced on Friday. Wilburn initially committed to the Mustangs as part of the 2026 freshman class but has reclassified to join the team this fall. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter was […]

DALLAS (SMU) – Outside hitter Christa Wilburn has been added to the 2025 SMU volleyball roster, head coach Sam Erger announced on Friday. Wilburn initially committed to the Mustangs as part of the 2026 freshman class but has reclassified to join the team this fall.
The 6-foot-2 outside hitter was a standout at Dripping Springs High School and Regents School of Austin. As a freshman and sophomore at Regents, she tallied over 500 kills per season, helping her collect First Team All-State and All-District honors in both seasons.
Wilburn transferred to Dripping Springs to finish out her high school career, and in her senior season finished the year with 344 kills and 346 digs, racking up several accolades including, AVCA Girls High School All-Region, Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) 6A All-State Team, TGCA 6A District Newcomer of the Year, while also being selected to the TGCA 6A All-Star Team as an alternate.
In her club career, Wilburn was a three-time team MVP and a four-time captain for Austin Skyline Juniors.
Wilburn and the Mustangs will begin the 2025 regular season on Aug. 29 in Baton Rouge against LSU.
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