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High school 2025 boys volleyball playoff preview with predictions

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  • North Kingstown is heavily favored to win the Division I boys volleyball title after an undefeated regular season.
  • Lincoln aims to continue their undefeated streak in Division II before moving up to Division I next year.
  • The Division III championship is predicted to be a close contest between Portsmouth and Mt. Hope.

NORTH KINGSTOWN — North Kingstown and La Salle boys volleyball aptly scheduled a state championship rematch on the final day of the regular season.

It provided a perfect launching point for the 2025 playoffs as the Skippers exacted a bit of revenge in a 3-0 sweep. North Kingstown finished with the top seed in the Division I playoffs with just four set losses all year.

They’ll enter as the heavy favorites to win this year’s title and honestly, if NK doesn’t win, it’ll be stunning.

“It felt very good, we’ve been waiting awhile for that,” NK’s Stephen Dufour said after the La Salle match. “We’ve proven that we still have our players and we can win.”

The same goes for D-III where Portsmouth and Mt. Hope have blitzed the league. One of those two teams will win that championship, and any other result would be the upset of the spring.

D-II is led by No. 1 Lincoln and the Lions’ undefeated mark. The Lions will be promoted to D-I as early as next year and they’ve deserved it after this spring.

Here are full playoff breakdowns, with predictions:

Division I boys volleyball

Maybe the hardest challenge NK faced this regular season was staying focused. And even that didn’t seem to faze the Skippers. Returning all-staters Dufour, Ryan Harrington and Cody Tow have higher aspirations than an undefeated regular season on their minds. Evan Shea, Ryan Rathbun, Sean Peters and Connor Valois have supplemented that core perfectly to create the most well-rounded team in the state.

“Even at the end of the regular season and at the beginning of it, it’s really just tunnel vision for us,” Harrington said after the La Salle victory. “The goal throughout the entire season is to get to the end and we stay focused regardless of who we play. If it’s the No. 2 seed or the 10 seed, it doesn’t matter.”

No. 2 Cranston East hasn’t shied away from the Skippers this season. The Thunderbolts scheduled NK three times during the regular season knowing that an eventual playoff meeting might happen. If it does, expect Charles Pincince, Dennis Dixon, Caleb Xum and Co. to bring their best. Cranston East can hit and serve with the best of them as the Thunderbolts are eyeing their first D-I championship appearance.

No. 3 Classical came on late winning five of the final six matches. But the Purple ended the season being swept by Cranston East. Ian Nascimento and Jacob Agramonte can swing it for the Purple and they’re going to need it if they see Cranston East in the semifinals.

The 4 vs. 5 matchup is always fun in the quarterfinals and this year is no different. La Salle at East Providence should be a really entertaining match with the winner getting NK in the semifinals.  

Division I predictions

Preliminary round

No. 7 Chariho over No. 10 Cranston West

No. 9 Coventry over No. 8 East Greenwich

Quarterfinals

No. 5 La Salle over No. 4 East Providence

No. 2 Cranston East over No. 7 Chariho

No. 3 Classical over No. 6 Hendricken

No. 1 North Kingstown over No. 9 Coventry

Semifinals

At Rhode Island College

No. 1 North Kingstown over No. 5 La Salle

No. 2 Cranston East over No. 3 Classical

Championship

At Rhode Island College

No. 1 North Kingstown 3, No. 2 Cranston East 1

Division II boys volleyball

No. 1 Lincoln topped No. 2 Pawtucket in both meetings this spring. The Lions just have the size and depth at the net that the rest of the league can’t match. Jackson Colton, Brian Gugel, Sebastian DeCubellis, Jacob Lizotte and Tyler Biddle all can take over a set in their own ways. It’s no surprise that Lincoln has marched through the season and might do that in playoffs.

How does Pawtucket pull off an upset? The city co-op can’t beat themselves and Lincoln at the same time. They must limit the errors and Hayson Ortiz has to take over stretches. The multi-sport star is the best athlete on the floor and Pawtucket has to set him early and often.

The dark horse of the league, if there is one, is No. 3 Central Falls. Jamilson De Pina Almeida is a stud and he might win matches all by himself. I wouldn’t mind seeing him at Rhode Island College again after the Warriors reached the D-III finals last year.

Division II predictions

Preliminary round

No. 8 South Kingstown over No. 9 Central

Quarterfinals

No. 4 Westerly over No. 5 West Warwick

No. 1 Lincoln over No. 8 South Kingstown

No. 2 Pawtucket over No. 7 Juanita Sanchez

No. 3 Central Falls over No. 6 Johnston

Semifinals

No. 1 Lincoln over No. 4 Westerly

No. 2 Pawtucket over No. 3 Central Falls

Championship

At Rhode Island College

No. 1 Lincoln 3, No. 2 Pawtucket 2

Division III boys volleyball

The championship will be No. 1 Mt. Hope vs. No. 2 Portsmouth. The Patriots won both meetings behind a cast of multi-sport athletes. Sean Wilkey was an all-state goalie for the Patriots in the fall and Jack Loper and Jack Casey both played for Portsmouth soccer. The volleyball club knows how to win and having athletes on your team is never a bad thing. Everything has paid off for Portsmouth in its third season as a program.

Mt. Hope is led by Nathaniel Fisher on the outside. Fisher can certainly take over a match, but the Huskies’ defense might be more important than anything else. They can’t let Portsmouth go on runs like it did in the regular season finale. Wilkey essentially won Portsmouth the third set in the match and it led to a 3-1 final. Mt. Hope has to stop Portsmouth before it can get going in the championship.

Division III predictions

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Mt. Hope over No. 8 St. Raphael

No. 4 Achievement First over No. 5 North Providence

No. 2 Portsmouth over No. 7 Davies

No. 6 Burrillville No. 3 Hope

Semifinals

No. 1 Mt. Hope over No. 4 Achievement First

No. 2 Portsmouth over No. 6 Burrillville

Championship

At Rhode Island College

No. 2 Portsmouth 3, No. 1 Mt. Hope 1



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St. John’s Sweeps First BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Weekly Honors

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NEW YORK – A pair of St. John’s track and field student-athletes swept the first BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Weekly Honor Roll for the 2025-26 season. Nora Haugen captured Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, while teammate Linn Hertz Saebbo was tabbed Field Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Both athletes finished in first place in their respective events to open the indoor campaign at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational on Dec. 6 in Staten Island. 

Haugen opened her indoor season by setting a program record, Norwegian national record, and the Ocean Breeze facility record in the 600-meter run. Her winning time of 1 minute, 26.93 seconds is the fastest time in the NCAA as of Wednesday, Dec. 17.

The senior was also a part of the St. John’s 4×400-meter relay team, which won the event at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational with a time of 3:48.33.

Hertz Saebbo won the long jump at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational on her final attempt. The grad student leapt 6.05 m (19 feet 10.25 inches) to win the event, setting a personal best in the process.

Her mark currently ranks the best in the BIG EAST for the long jump and the first time Hertz Saebbo has broken the six-meter barrier. The performance sits third all-time in St. John’s history and is currently tied for 15th in the NCAA Division I.

Wednesday’s recognition marks the second time that Haugen has garnered Athlete of the Week during her Red Storm career, capturing the honor back on May 8, 2024. 

This is the first time Hertz Saebbo has appeared on the BIG EAST weekly honor roll. The last time a Johnnie was recognized by the conference for a weekly award was Jamora Alves, when she named Field Athlete of the Week on April 15, 2025.

 

St. John’s returns to the oval in late January, competing at the Dr. Sander Scorcher at The Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights, N.Y.

 



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College Notes: Track & field alums continuing success | Sports

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Standout performances were the order of the day for a number of indoor track and field athletes with ties to South County in the opening weeks of the season, with those efforts providing a base for potential improvement later in the campaign.



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Texas Longhorns volleyball: 5 key offseason questions

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Texas Longhorns setter Ella Swindle (1) celebrates a score during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

Texas Longhorns setter Ella Swindle (1) celebrates a score during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

After Sunday’s home loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament regional finals, Texas volleyball coach Jerritt Elliott gave himself about eight hours or so before he jumped back into the grind.

After all, the Longhorns’ staff had to conduct player meetings Monday morning to assess who’s staying, who may leave and who has questions or concerns before the team members left campus for the holiday break. But that’s how Elliott and his peers have to attack the offseason, which no longer means much off time in the portal era.

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“You try to turn it off, but if you’re going to survive in this profession, you can’t turn it off,” Elliott said after the loss to Wisconsin. “Maybe a few hours here and there, but at some point, you’re waking up in the middle of night with the thoughts of what needs to happen and what pieces you need.”

Texas Longhorns head coach Jerritt Elliott cheers on his team as Texas volleyball plays Indiana in a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament match in Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. The Longhorns will advance to Elite Eight with a 3-0 win.

Texas Longhorns head coach Jerritt Elliott cheers on his team as Texas volleyball plays Indiana in a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament match in Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. The Longhorns will advance to Elite Eight with a 3-0 win.

Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

Fortunately for Elliott, Texas doesn’t need many new pieces based on the returning talent as well as a strong crop of freshmen that will arrive in time for the spring semester. The Longhorns lose star libero Emma Halter to graduation and starting middle blocker Ayden Ames to the portal, but enough returning talent from a team that went 26-4 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament should make the Longhorns one of the preseason favorites in 2026.

“We feel really good about it,” Elliott said, referring to the offseason. “We’ve got some really good human beings, and we’re in a healthy spot. Obviously we’ll spend some time as a coaching staff going through a lot of different aspects of the program and evaluating and understanding and then trying to rebuild the blocks that we need to be able to be more successful.”

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Here are five key questions Texas must answer in the offseason:

The Texas Longhorns bench watches from the sideline during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

The Texas Longhorns bench watches from the sideline during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Who will replace Emma Halter?

Texas Longhorns setter Ella Swindle (1) celebrates a score during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

Texas Longhorns setter Ella Swindle (1) celebrates a score during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

It won’t be easy to step into the shoes of the three-year starting libero; one of the Longhorns’ most popular players ever who ended her career No. 8 on the program’s all-time list with 1,307 career digs. But Ramsey Gary, a junior who started as a defensive specialist this season, spent two seasons as an All-Big Ten libero at Indiana before joining Texas and seems like a natural replacement. Reserve Anja Kujundžić also has starting experience as a libero, and incoming freshman Emma Cugino ranks as the No. 2 libero prospect in the 2026 class.

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MORE: Jerritt Elliott excited about new Texas volleyball arena, says it may open for 2029 season

How much will Texas miss Ayden Ames?

A lot, depending on who Elliott can lure in the portal. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker didn’t quite live up to her potential as the nation’s top recruit during a pair of seasons with Texas, but she did have more blocks than any other Longhorn over the past two years while starting almost every game. Right now, freshman Taylor Harvey and redshirt sophomore Nya Bunton are the only middles on the roster, and there wasn’t a middle signed in the 2026 class.

Texas Longhorns outside hitter Cari Spears (23), Texas Longhorns middle blocker Nya Bunton (55) and Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) triple block a hit from Indiana Hoosiers outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (3) as Texas volleyball plays Indiana in a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament match in Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. The Longhorns will advance to Elite Eight with a 3-0 win.

Texas Longhorns outside hitter Cari Spears (23), Texas Longhorns middle blocker Nya Bunton (55) and Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) triple block a hit from Indiana Hoosiers outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (3) as Texas volleyball plays Indiana in a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament match in Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. The Longhorns will advance to Elite Eight with a 3-0 win.

Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

What will be the top portal targets?

The middle blocking position will be the No. 1 priority in the portal. And No. 2. Heck, Elliott may try and sign three portal middles. And there’s already good options available in the portal:

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• Kansas’ Aurora Papac, who earned All-Big 12 freshman honors this past season;

• Florida’s Jaela Auguste, a first-team All-SEC player and a Texas native;

• Tennessee’s Zoe Humphrey, another Texas native who earned All-SEC freshman honors this season;

• and Tennessee’s Kiki Granberry, a multitime All-SEC player who redshirted this season because of an injury and has one year left of eligibility.

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Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) spikes the ball during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) spikes the ball during the NCAA Regional Final volleyball match against Wisconsin at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Austin.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Which freshman has the best chance to make an immediate impact?

Outside hitter Henley Anderson of Dripping Springs is the top pin recruit in the nation for the 2026 class and the two-time Central Texas player of the year may be too good to keep off the court. She’ll join arguably the top set of outsides in the country with junior All-American Torrey Stafford and current freshmen Cari Spears and Abby Vander Wal. Expect Anderson to fill the rotational roll that graduates Devin Kahahawai and Whitney Lauenstein shared this past season.

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Will Ella Swindle remain the starting setter?

It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster career for the fiery Swindle, a 6-foot-3 junior who helps set the emotional tone for the Longhorns. She started as a freshman and led Texas to the 2023 national title, she got benched in favor of the since-departed Averi Carlson in 2024, and she shared time with sophomore Rella Binney this season. Swindle may not be the most efficient setter in the SEC, but her size and spirited play remain an integral part of the Longhorns’ identity. Texas does have a touted setter coming with 2026 recruit Genevieve Harris, but whether the team pursues a setter in the portal could be a telling sign of Swindle’s status as a starter. 



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Householder Earns Honorable Mention All-America Status from AVCA

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Youngstown, Ohio — The circuit of impressive honors continued for Youngstown State’s Abbie Householder on Wednesday as she was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Householder is just the second player in program history to earn All-America status, joining Paula Gursching in 2022. The outside hitter from Canfield, Ohio, was previously named the Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, and she was an Honorable Mention AVCA All-Midwest Region selection.

Householder is the Horizon League’s only player to garner All-America honors this season, and Dayton’s Kamryn Hunt is the only other player from Ohio’s 13 Division I institutions or native of the Buckeye State to be on the prestigious list of All-Americans.

“We are so proud of Abbie for earning All-America honors,” said YSU head coach Riley Jarrett. “This is an amazing way to finish up her historic career here at YSU, and to truly leave her mark on our program. A lot of hard work and determination has gone into this recognition for Abbie, and I am so happy for her!”

Even with Youngstown State’s season ending on Nov. 22, Householder still ranks 20th in the country in total kills with 502, and she ranks 22nd in total points with 562.5. She ranks 42nd nationally with 4.22 kills per set, and she is 44th with 4.73 points per set. Each of those statistics led the Horizon League in 2025.

Householder finished her career as YSU’s all-time leader in kills with 1,427, passing the previous mark of 1,408 that had stood since 1999. She also is the career record holder with 4,241 attempts, and she ranks third in digs, fourth in points and sixth in aces. Householder is one of three Division I players who surpassed 1,400 career kills and 1,200 career digs this season.



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Rising Senior Libero Dionii Fraga Joins Alabama Volleyball

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball announced the addition of Dionii Fraga to its 2026 roster, who will join the Crimson Tide as a rising senior following previous stops at Oklahoma and Fresno State.

Fraga was the starting libero last season at Oklahoma and across two preceding seasons at Fresno State. In 27 matches with the Sooners last year, she led the team with 277 digs (2.61/set), including a season-best 16 win a five-set win over Missouri on Oct. 5. Prior to her arrival in Norman, she played in 63 matches over two seasons at Fresno State, earning All-Mountain West honors each year. She led the Bulldogs with 481 digs (3.91/set) as a sophomore after setting the program’s freshman digs record in 2023 with 544 (4.15/set). Following her breakout freshman campaign, she was named AVCA Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year.



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Volleyball’s M.E. Hargan Garners All-America Honorable Mention

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Morehead, Ky. – The honors keep coming for Morehead State Volleyball’s M.E. Hargan. The senior outside hitter from Elizabethtown, Ky., has been named Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
 
“The honor is definitely something I’ve always wanted to achieve,” said Hargan. “Hearing about and seeing these amazing players before me gave me motivation to show up and put in the work in a sport I love. I am so happy and thankful it finally came to be at the end of my collegiate career.”
 
Hargan becomes the fifth player in program history to earn All-America recognition. She joins Katelyn Barbour (2008), Holly Evans (2010), Ellie Roberson (2012) and Olivia Lohmeier (2020).
 
“M.E. being named Honorable Mention All-American is a tremendous honor, and very well deserved,” said Morehead State head coach Kyrsten Becker-McBride. “I’m incredibly proud of her season, the way she represents Morehead State University, and the type of student and person she is on daily basis.” 
 
Hargan led the Ohio Valley Conference with 493 kills this season, averaging 4.61 kills per set ranking 16th in the country in NCAA Division I. Her 569 points (5.32 points per set average) ranked 11th in the country.
 
She was named the OVC Player of the Year, the sixth Eagle to earn the award, joining Dayle Hammontree (1988. 1989), Amy Almond (2001, 2002), Holly Evans (2010), Roberson (2012) and Lohmeier (2018, 2020).
 
“Hitting .275 while taking over 1,200 swings is hard to do, especially given that much of her role is managing out-of-system sets,” said Becker-McBride.  “She’s made big strides in how she scores in those situations, and her growth over her four years at Morehead State has been rewarding to watch.”
 
One of Morehead State’s most prolific hitters, Hargan finished her career with 1,488 kills ranking third in program history for the modern era (2008-present when rally scoring changed to 25-point sets). Her 493 kills this season were the third-highest total in the modern era in the Eagle record book. Hargan finished with three seasons in the top 10 in program history for kills.
 
Her 2,575 total attacks’ tally is the second-highest in the program’s modern era. She also finished with 956 career digs, ranking ninth in the records. Her 98 career service aces and 36 career block solos both rank 10th in the program, as does her 439 career sets played.
 
In November, the Ohio Valley Conference named Hargan an OVC Scholar-Athlete, the highest recognition awarded by the conference. She is just the fifth Morehead State volleyball player to have earned the award.
 
 “To earn the OVC Scholar-Athlete award and an All-American honor in the same year speaks volumes about who M.E. is and how she truly excels in every area of her life,” said Becker-McBride. “She is a great example of the true meaning of a student-athlete, since her on court accomplishments are accompanied by hundreds of hours of community service, outstanding grades in a challenging pre-vet degree, and great relationships with her teammates. 
 
Hargan was an All-OVC First Team selection the last three seasons becoming the seventh player in program history to be named to the All-OVC First Team at least three years.  This season, she was named OVC Player of the Week five times, including a run of three straight weeks (September 8 to September 22).
 
“M.E. would be the first person to say she can’t accomplish any of this without her teammates, which is why it’s fitting that this distinction also reflects as an honor for our whole program,” said Becker-McBride. “Her contribution to this program and university should highlight what is possible at a university like Morehead State.”
 
“This season had a lot of good moments on and off the court and I’m very grateful that I’ve gotten to share all of the experiences with amazing people,” said Hargan. “They definitely make it that much sweeter.”
 



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