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'Protects fairness'

Late Wednesday night, Nebraska lawmakers passed a scaled-back version of the Stand With Women Act.Protesters chanted outside the chamber. At one point, the process was interrupted by someone yelling from the balcony, but LB89 passed 33-16. According to the text of the bill, it “promotes equality between the sexes, provides opportunities for female athletes to […]

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'Protects fairness'

Late Wednesday night, Nebraska lawmakers passed a scaled-back version of the Stand With Women Act.Protesters chanted outside the chamber. At one point, the process was interrupted by someone yelling from the balcony, but LB89 passed 33-16. According to the text of the bill, it “promotes equality between the sexes, provides opportunities for female athletes to compete against their female peers rather than against male athletes, and allows female athletes to compete on a fair playing field for scholarships and other athletic accomplishments.” “This isn’t about exclusion, it’s about ensuring our daughters, sisters, and friends have a level playing field to compete, succeed, and shine,” Sen. Loren Lipincott said. “LB89 recognizes a simple biological truth: biological males and females are different.”LB89 defines male and female, and limits participation in sports to athletes of the same biological sex unless that sport is defined as co-ed. It also requires documentation verifying biological sex. Sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Kauth, the original bill extended the definition of sex to public buildings and locker rooms. Ralston Sen. Merv Riepe offered an amendment during the second round for the bill to focus solely on sports, which passed.”He and I talked about bringing back bathrooms and locker rooms next year,” Kauth said. “He said he’s willing to look at it but wanted to things done in a slower measure. “I can’t think of one time in American history when the passage of something like LB89 was looked back upon favorably,” Sen. John Fredrickson said. According to the Nebraska School Activities Association, eight athletes have applied for transgender exceptions since the waiver policy was put in place in 2018. “When you talk about culture war issues, why do you think they pick on gender, race, and class?” Sen. Megan Hunt said. “It’s because it keeps us divided.”Gov. Jim Pillen praised the bill’s passage, saying, “This legislation achieves a key goal — protecting girls and women’s sports. It’s just common sense that girls shouldn’t have to compete against biological boys. This legislative win will lead to many more victories for Nebraska’s female athletes, as we ensure a level and fair playing field for all girls who compete. I look forward to signing it into law.”Paid Minimum WageLawmakers also gave final round approval to LB 415, which pulls back on the voter-approved Earned Paid Sick Leave law. It passed 33-16. “We don’t need to thwart the will of the voters and undercut, or carve out, or cap access to basic sick leave,” said Sen. Danielle Conrad, who spoke against the measure. Some of the exceptions for earned paid sick leave include certain contractors, businesses with 10 or fewer employees, and minors under the age of 16. “We have to find the balance of creating economic vitality for our state while maintaining a great workforce,” said Sen. Jane Raybould, who supported the bill. Raybould was unable to attach LB258, which included exceptions for the voter-approved minimum wage law, to LB 415. It’ll likely be brought back next year. Other Notable Bills That AdvancedLB504: Age Appropriate Online Design Code Act, which bans the private information sharing of minors and gives parents more access to monitoring toolsLR19CA: A constitutional amendment to extend state senator term limits from two to three terms. Since this a constitutional amendment, it will require a public vote. LB521: Election Act, which would allow cities like Omaha to hold elections that coincide with statewide and presidential election years.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

Late Wednesday night, Nebraska lawmakers passed a scaled-back version of the Stand With Women Act.

Protesters chanted outside the chamber. At one point, the process was interrupted by someone yelling from the balcony, but LB89 passed 33-16.

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According to the text of the bill, it “promotes equality between the sexes, provides opportunities for female athletes to compete against their female peers rather than against male athletes, and allows female athletes to compete on a fair playing field for scholarships and other athletic accomplishments.”

“This isn’t about exclusion, it’s about ensuring our daughters, sisters, and friends have a level playing field to compete, succeed, and shine,” Sen. Loren Lipincott said. “LB89 recognizes a simple biological truth: biological males and females are different.”

LB89 defines male and female, and limits participation in sports to athletes of the same biological sex unless that sport is defined as co-ed. It also requires documentation verifying biological sex.

Sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Kauth, the original bill extended the definition of sex to public buildings and locker rooms. Ralston Sen. Merv Riepe offered an amendment during the second round for the bill to focus solely on sports, which passed.

“He and I talked about bringing back bathrooms and locker rooms next year,” Kauth said. “He said he’s willing to look at it but wanted to things done in a slower measure.

“I can’t think of one time in American history when the passage of something like LB89 was looked back upon favorably,” Sen. John Fredrickson said.

According to the Nebraska School Activities Association, eight athletes have applied for transgender exceptions since the waiver policy was put in place in 2018.

“When you talk about culture war issues, why do you think they pick on gender, race, and class?” Sen. Megan Hunt said. “It’s because it keeps us divided.”

Gov. Jim Pillen praised the bill’s passage, saying, “This legislation achieves a key goal — protecting girls and women’s sports. It’s just common sense that girls shouldn’t have to compete against biological boys. This legislative win will lead to many more victories for Nebraska’s female athletes, as we ensure a level and fair playing field for all girls who compete. I look forward to signing it into law.”

Paid Minimum Wage

Lawmakers also gave final round approval to LB 415, which pulls back on the voter-approved Earned Paid Sick Leave law.

It passed 33-16.

“We don’t need to thwart the will of the voters and undercut, or carve out, or cap access to basic sick leave,” said Sen. Danielle Conrad, who spoke against the measure.

Some of the exceptions for earned paid sick leave include certain contractors, businesses with 10 or fewer employees, and minors under the age of 16.

“We have to find the balance of creating economic vitality for our state while maintaining a great workforce,” said Sen. Jane Raybould, who supported the bill.

Raybould was unable to attach LB258, which included exceptions for the voter-approved minimum wage law, to LB 415. It’ll likely be brought back next year.

Other Notable Bills That Advanced

LB504: Age Appropriate Online Design Code Act, which bans the private information sharing of minors and gives parents more access to monitoring tools

LR19CA: A constitutional amendment to extend state senator term limits from two to three terms. Since this a constitutional amendment, it will require a public vote.

LB521: Election Act, which would allow cities like Omaha to hold elections that coincide with statewide and presidential election years.

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

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World Aquatics opens Athletes’ Committee elections

Athletes competing at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 will have the chance to elect their representatives to the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee, with voting now open until 28 July. The World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee serves as the voice of the athletes within the organisation, and the election process promotes gender balance and geographic […]

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Athletes competing at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 will have the chance to elect their representatives to the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee, with voting now open until 28 July.

The World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee serves as the voice of the athletes within the organisation, and the election process promotes gender balance and geographic diversity.

Of the 20 elected athletes, 10 will be from swimming, comprising one man and one woman per continent. Open water swimming, diving, high diving, artistic swimming and water polo will each have one male and one female representative elected to the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee.

The Chair of the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee holds an ex-officio position on the Bureau and the Executive, ensuring the perspective of the athletes is represented in debates.

World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam urged athletes competing at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 to vote for the representatives in their sport.

“The World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee elections serve as an important opportunity for athletes to shape the future of aquatics sports by electing their representatives”

By World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam

“We have a highly talented and diverse list of candidates from across the six aquatics sports, and I would encourage all athletes to have their say during the elections in Singapore,” the World Aquatics President said.

The election period opened on 5 July and will close at 12pm CET on 28 July.

The candidates for election to the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee are as follows:

Swimming

Africa

Women: Ms. Hazel ALAMY (SLE), Ms. Siwakhile DLAMINI (SWZ)

Men: Mr. Magnim Jordano DAOU (TOG), Mr. Collins SALIBOKO (TAN), Mr. Matthew SATES (RSA)

Americas

Women: Ms. Alexia SOTOMAYOR (PER)

Men: Mr. Jorge Andres IGA CESAR (MEX)

Asia

Women: Ms. Siobhan HAUGHEY (HKG), Ms. Kim SEOYEONG (KOR)

Men: Mr. Dmitriy BALANDIN (KAZ), Mr. Man Hou CHAO (MAC), Mr. Sajan PRAKASH (IND), Mr. Gede Simon SUDARTAWA (INA), Mr. Eldor USMONOV (UZB), Mr. Shun WANG (CHN)

Europe

Women: Ms. Tamila HOLUB (POR), Ms. Simona KUBOVA (CZE)

Men: Mr. Felix AUBOECK (AUT), Mr. Andrei MINAKOV (RUS), Mr. Richard NAGY (SVK), Mr. Mykhailo ROMANCHUK (UKR), Mr. Shane RYAN (IRL), Mr. Ilya SHYMANOVICH (BLR)

Oceania

Women: Ms. Cheyenne Victoria Rosimere ROVA (FIJ)

Men: Mr. Wesley Tikiariki ROBERTS (COK)


Image Source: Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics

Open Water Swimming

Women: Ms. Ana Marcela CUNHA (BRA), Ms. Caroline JOUISSE (FRA)

Men: Mr. David Andres FARINANGO BERRU (ECU)

Diving

Women: Ms. Melissa WU (AUS)

Men: Mr. Yona KNIGHT-WISDOM (JAM), Mr. Jack LAUGHER (GBR), Mr. Jonathan RUVALCABA (DOM), Mr. Moritz WESEMANN (GER)


Image Source: Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics

High Diving

Women: Ms. Ginni VAN KATWIJK (NED)

Men: Mr. Catalin-Petru PREDA (ROU)

Artistic Swimming

Women: Ms. Ona CARBONELL BALLESTERO (ESP), Ms. Eva MORRIS (NZL), Ms. Nehal SAAFAN (EGY), Ms. Jacqueline SIMONEAU (CAN)

Men: Mr. Renaud BARRAL (BEL), Mr. Bill MAY (USA), Mr. Javier Enrique RUISANCHEZ TORRES-ZAYAS (PUR)


Image Source: World Aquatics

Water Polo

Women: Ms. Rita KESZTHELYI (HUN)

Men: Mr. Marko BIJAC (CRO)

 

Registered athletes competing at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 can cast their vote during this period.  Swimming voters can choose one male and one female candidate from their continent, while voters in the other five disciplines can choose one man and one woman from their discipline.

The 20 elected members of the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee will be joined by appointed members. The full World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee will be announced in the days following the closing of the elections.

For further information and candidate documents, click here.

Eligible voters can access the voting platform here.

To view all athlete-related activities taking place at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, please download the World Aquatics Events Insider App using the link below:

Event Category: Athletes and Development Activities
Password: WCH25SGPACT

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Volleyball All-Scholastics and league All-Stars – Boston Herald

VOLLEYBALL ALL-SCHOLASTICS Branch Barnes (Natick) Finnian Bell (Wayland) Ben Cleary (BC High) Matt Cloonan (Needham) Gustavo Da Silva (Milford) Luke Dratch (Natick) Brady Dwyer (Newton North) David Dzhenzherukha (Agawam) Dylan Engelhardt (Wayland) Travis Johnson (Taunton) Zachary Kukharchuk (Westfield) Brady Kundel (Barnstable) Andrew Kurdziel (Needham) Bogdan Kuzin (Westfield) Shawn LaDuke (Methuen) Ale Luciani (Lexington) Francis McGonagle […]

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VOLLEYBALL ALL-SCHOLASTICS

Branch Barnes (Natick)

Finnian Bell (Wayland)

Ben Cleary (BC High)

Matt Cloonan (Needham)

Gustavo Da Silva (Milford)

Luke Dratch (Natick)

Brady Dwyer (Newton North)

David Dzhenzherukha (Agawam)

Dylan Engelhardt (Wayland)

Travis Johnson (Taunton)

Zachary Kukharchuk (Westfield)

Brady Kundel (Barnstable)

Andrew Kurdziel (Needham)

Bogdan Kuzin (Westfield)

Shawn LaDuke (Methuen)

Ale Luciani (Lexington)

Francis McGonagle (St. John’s (Shrewsbury)

Dennis Nesen (Agawam)

Liam Quinn (Chelmsford)

Liam Raybould (Brookline)

Nick Rosa (New Bedford)

Nathaniel Ross (Needham)

Tuto Sampaio (Winchester)

Alec Smagula (Brookline)

Justin Tejeda (Greater Lowell)

Kristaps Vaivars (Brookline)

Simon Vardeh (Newton North)

HONORABLE MENTION

Alex Bak (West Springfield)

Levin Brenner (Newton South)

Marcio Castro (Woburn)

Joe Culhane (Agawam)

Cody Gibendi (Natick)

Kean Jarvinen (Longmeadow)

Brennan Loud (Cambridge)

Parth Pawar (Acton-Boxboro)

Jayden Pelletier (St. John’s Prep)

Otavio Perks (O’Bryant)

Peter Reale (Newton North)

Nic Sanchez de Rojas (Lexington)

Vitou Seng (Lowell)

Amir Tomer (Brookline)

Nadav Vachtel (Lexington)

ALL-SCHOLASTICS

BRANCH BARNES

NATICK

Barnes’ historic career ended with 280 kills, leading the RedHawks to a second straight Div. 1 state semifinal appearance. The versatile two-time All-Scholastic closed out with 824 kills, 455 assists, 108 aces and 142 blocks.

FINNIAN BELL

WAYLAND

A second straight trip to the Div. 2 state final was spearheaded by the junior two-time All-Scholastic, who earned his second Dual County League MVP and All-State honors.

BEN CLEARY

BC HIGH

With 341 kills this year, Cleary set the program record for most kills in a regular season, as well as the most in a single game with 41 against St. John’s of Shrewsbury. The junior is the fastest in program history to reach 500 kills (552), adding to 437 digs and 108 blocks with a year to go. Cleary is a high honor roll student and is a beach and grass club volleyball player.

MATTHEW CLOONAN

NEEDHAM

The Rockets’ historic fifth straight Div. 1 state finals appearance was largely due to the junior’s impact at outside hitter. His 252 kills this year were complemented by 16 blocks. He’s an honor roll student and a captain of the basketball team.

GUSTAVO DA SILVA

MILFORD

The Scarlet Hawks reloaded after graduating a large group of seniors, anchored around the junior returning starter, one of the toughest hitters to slow down with a career-best 370 kills, while posting over 200 digs and 30 blocks. The junior looks to study construction management in college.

LUKE DRATCH

NATICK

After time as an outside hitter and a right-side over the past two years, Dratch excelled in his first year as starting setter to help guide Natick back to the Div. 1 Final Four. His 800 assists, 45 kills, 20 blocks and 21 aces ranked among the best at the position, earning an MAVCA Central All-Star selection. The junior captain is a National Honor Society member and a three-year high honors student.

DAVID DZHENZHERUKHA

AGAWAM

The Brownies reached the Div. 2 state semifinals in each of the last three years behind their starting setter, and his 46 kills in this year’s final led to a second state title in that span. The senior is a three-time first-team All-Star and a MAVCA All-State selection. He was also a captain of the Pioneer Valley 18-1 national team, and a Bay State Games winner. He’s headed to Elms College for volleyball and business.

DYLAN ENGELHARDT

WAYLAND

At 6-foot-4, Engelhardt was a key cog in the middle for the Warriors to make their second straight Div. 2 state final appearance. His career-best 190 kills set a program record for a middle, while also posting 58 blocks, 84 digs and 26 aces. The junior is a captain of the football team, and plays club for Smash Volleyball.

TRAVIS JOHNSON

TAUNTON

Johnson in his final year at right-side had a career-high 335 kills, 172 service points, 27 aces, 105 digs and 225 receptions with only seven errors. The senior anchored the Tigers in a run to the Div. 1 state quarterfinals as the 27th seed, which was the lowest-ranked team to reach the stage in the sport’s MIAA history. He also is a member of the basketball team and is headed to Dean College next year.

ZACHARY KUKHARCHUK

WESTFIELD

With 311 kills, 20.5 blocks and a career-high 221 digs in his senior season, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter closed out with 817 kills, 56 aces, 61 blocks and 398 digs, along with a state title in 2024. He is a four-year member of the Pioneer Valley Juniors Boys Volleyball Club.

BRADY KUNDEL

BARNSTABLE

His 369 kills, 49 aces and 142 digs helped Barnstable reach the Div. 1 state quarterfinals as the No. 26 seed. The three-year varsity captain’s MAVCA All-State honorable mention season put him at 699 kills on his career. Kundel has a 4.3 GPA , is the president of the Chinese Mandarin National Honor Society, and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honors Society, the National Honor Society, and the MIAA Leadership Committee.

ANDREW KURDZIEL

NEEDHAM

Kurdziel anchored the Rockets in the middle as part of their fifth straight trip to the Div. 1 state final. The senior posted 61 blocks, 24 aces and 151 kills while hitting .324 percent. The four-year letter winner is a Bay State Conference All-Star and an MAVCA All-State selection, as well as a two-time state champion in 2022 and 2023. Kurdziel is bound for the University of Delaware.

BOGDAN KUZIN

WESTFIELD

The junior middle blocker proved vital in the Bombers’ run to a fourth straight Div. 2 state semifinal appearance, stepping up to post 172 kills, 31 aces and 66.5 blocks. Kuzin is also a two-year member of the Pioneer Valley Juniors Volleyball Club.

SHAWN LADUKE

METHUEN

After helping lead Methuen to its first Merrimack Valley Conference title in decades last year, the senior setter closed out with a bang by posting 770 assists and 168 digs. LaDuke finished with 1,503 assists and 317 digs, earning MVC First Team All-Conference selections in his only two years playing varsity. He’s headed to play at Rivier University next year, where he’ll study nursing.

ALE LUCIANI

LEXINGTON

The senior rattled off 316 kills while hitting .357 percent to help lead the Minutemen to the Div. 1 state quarterfinals. The 6-foot-5 force earned Middlesex League MVP honors, adding to All-Conference selections in each of the last two years. Luciani played volleyball in Italy in 2023 and 2024 at Modena and is headed to the University of Tampa next year.

FRANCIS MCGONAGLE

ST. JOHN’S SHREWSBURY

With 350 kills and 193 digs in his senior season, he earned Catholic Conference MVP honors and a second MAVCA All-State selection. He finished with 861 kills, 561 digs and 106 aces on his career – all program records. McGonagle is a member of the National Honor Society, plays basketball and competes in crew. He’s set to study environmental science at Carroll College.

DENNIS NESEN

AGAWAM

In Agawam’s second Div. 2 state title run in three years, Nesen dominated on the right side with 199 kills, 50 blocks, 145 digs and 18 aces. The senior All-Star is a member of the History National Honor Society and made honor roll all four years of high school. He’s headed to Western New England next year to major in accounting and minor in finance.

LIAM QUINN

CHELMSFORD

The senior had 375 kills while hitting above .400 percent. He also recorded 65 aces, 55 blocks and 150 digs to earn Merrimack Valley Conference Player of the Year honors, as well as a MAVCA All-State selection. Quinn holds program records in career kills, single-season kills and single-season aces, and is a member of the National Honor Society. He’s set to play at Merrimack College next year while studying biology.

LIAM RAYBOULD

BROOKLINE

At 6-foot-5, Raybould challenged opponents all year at the net to help lead the Warriors to their first Div. 1 state title since 1992. He notched 115 kills and 72 blocks as a junior, pushing his program-best mark in blocks to 126 on his career. Raybould plays club for Smash Volleyball.

NICK ROSA

NEW BEDFORD

Rosa had 314 kills as a senior to earn Patriot League MVP honors. His 660 career kills are the second-most in program history, also earning All-Star honors in the Big Three last year. Rosa also played basketball and is headed to Bristol Community College for business.

NATHANIEL ROSS

NEEDHAM

Ross amassed over 500 assists in helping to guide a mostly new rotation in Needham to its fifth straight Div. 1 state final appearance. The three-year varsity player earned Bay State Conference and MAVCA All-Star honors in the process. Ross is a state champion and a member of the National Honor Society. He’s headed to the University of Michigan next year.

TUTO SAMPAIO

WINCHESTER

The 6-foot-2 senior stepped up for Winchester as the top hitting option, erupting for 337 kills, 245 digs and 44 blocks this year. Sampaio earned Middlesex League All-Conference honors and was named team MVP. He was honored by the English department in the classroom for outstanding performance. Sampaio heads to UMass-Dartmouth next year for mechanical engineering.

ALEC SMAGULA

BROOKLINE

An incredible run to the program’s first Div. 1 state title since 1992 wouldn’t have been possible without the three-year starter. The junior setter notched 669 assists, over 160 digs, over 45 kills and over 40 blocks to earn a second All-Scholastic selection and a third Bay State Conference nod. Smagula now has 1,954 assists on his career and is an MIAA student ambassador.

JUSTIN TEJEDA

GREATER LOWELL

Tejeda exits the program with a major mark, notching a record 355 kills in his senior season along with 194 digs and 41 blocks. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter earned a second Commonwealth Athletic Conference MVP selection and was an All-Star for a third time. His 776 career kills is also a program record, complemented by 113 blocks. He’s an honor roll student and heads to Lemoyne-Owen College to play volleyball and study business.

KRISTAPS VAIVARS

BROOKLINE

Vaivars made a strong case as the state’s top player, starring in every major moment to notch 324 kills and anchor Brookline’s first state title since 1992. His 882 kills set a program record, continuously posting big numbers in his senior season with a .346 hitting efficiency. Vaivars is an honor roll student and heads to Bocconi University to study finance.

SIMON VARDEH

NEWTON NORTH

Vardeh’s absence was felt when he missed some time from injury, but showed in the tournament what made him one the state’s most elite outside hitters over the last few years. He still notched 300 kills despite missing time, including a career-high 37 in the state quarterfinals. He finished his career with 820 career kills. Vardeh also plays for the Smash Volleyball 18-1 team, and heads to Harvard after taking a gap year.

LEAGUE ALL-STARS

BAY STATE CONFERENCE

Justin Liu, Deon Li (Braintree); Kristaps Vaivars, Alec Smagula, Liam Raybound, Conor Christopher (Brookline); Branch Barnes, Cody Gibendi, Luke Dratch (Natick); Andrew Kurdziel, Nathan Ross, Ben Vu (Needham); Simon Vardeh, Brady Dwyer (Newton North); Ben Zimmer (Wellesley); Mikey Faiella (Weymouth)

HERGET MVP: Justin Liu, Deon Li

CAREY MVP: Kristaps Vaivars, Branch Barnes

BIG PATRIOT LEAGUE

Santiago Duquette, Ryan Haralstad (Brockton); Braeden Bartley (Durfee); Matthew Cummings (Hingham); Nick Rosa, Amir Salih Tavares, Davon Centeio, Abner Cun (New Bedford); Eugene Foong, Ryan Thong (North Quincy); Jake Basan, Nick Mangino (Quincy); Caleb Foley (Scituate); Zach Corr (Silver Lake)

MVP: Nick Rosa

BOSTON CITY LEAGUE

Gabriel Ugoji, James Urbaez, Tri Duong (Latin Academy); Ivan Tran (Madison Park); Max Dong, Otavio Perk (O’Bryant)

MVP: Tri Duong

COMMONWEALTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

UPPER: Justin Tejeda, Daymeon Chea. Luis Carrasquillo, George Robles (Greater Lowell); Anthony Rubim, Joel De La Rosa, Janiel Vizcaino, Jelisson Peguero (Greater Lawrence); Matteo Wright, Luke Dennis, Aren Lyttle (Lowell Catholic); Felipe Oliveira, Grant Brierly, Muhammed McClure (Salem)

LOWER: Didlaire Jacques, Elmer Duran, Bryan Robles, Jacob DeLeon (Lynn Tech); Morni Kong, Ansh Patel, Jackson Sims, Dev Patel (Innovation); Xavier Pena, Anjel Mendez, Cristopher Pena (KIPP); Jizea Vargas, Nathean Gutierrez, Miguel Robles (Whittier); Felipe Cangirana, Elijah Oxender, Hermes Prak (Nashoba Tech)

MVP: Justin Tejeda, Didlaire Jacques

DUAL COUNTY LEAGUE

ALL-CONFERENCE: Finn Bell, Dylan Engelhardt (Wayland); Eric Su, Brennan Loud (Cambridge); Nicolas Tse (Boston Latin); Levin Brenner (Newton South);
Parth Pawar, Obi Umeh (Acton-Boxboro)

ALL-LEAGUE: Zach O’Donnell, Liam Frenzel, Cooper Szeremeta, Mason Lee (Wayland); Nate O’Connell, Oscar Goodeker, Eric Ohanyan (Cambridge); Caleb Handel, Matan Worcel (Acton-Boxboro); Ashish Uhlmann, Yonatan Rotem (Newton South); Johan Pineda, Cory Tse (Boston Latin); Avery Remley (Lincoln-Sudbury); Rithvik Senthiraja (Westford Academy); Baylor Mandell, Winston Lin (Waltham/Weston)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Finn Bell

GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE

Edward Mei, Kenton Nguyen, Israel DeSouza, Nick Li, Lynkohnn Silva (Malden); Ismael Alagic (Chelsea); Henrique Franca, Christian Ramirez (Everett); Viet Tran, Kenzel Lantano (Lynn Classical); Ahmed Abdelrahman (Lynn English); Leo Fixon, Will Travers (Medford); Kawan Dias, Larry Claudio, Juan Perez (Revere); Adam Hill, Ozzy Marks (Somerville)

MVP: Edward Mei

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE

Ricardo DeJesus Yusti (Attleboro); Nolan Franz, Jett Tucker (King Philip); Gustavo DaSilva, Diego Inacio-Santos, Mayck Moreira (Milford); Travis Johnson, Daniel Freitas, Dantae Bauer, Ike Aseigbunum (Taunton)

MVP: Daniel Freitas

MCSAO

NORTH: Matteo Rosa, Miguel Silva, Patrick Dang, Kelvin Souza (PCSS I); Christian Quezada, Joshua Cayco, Gabe Navarro (Salem Academy); Jero Salazar, Michael Odowardi, Joseph Marquez (Excel); Guilherme Moleiro Oliveira, Andrew Baybay, Milan Montiel (PCSS II); Eden Cherisme, Dev Patel (CCSL); Mason Oliver (PHA)

SOUTH: Jaiden Okonkwo, Santos Najarro, Michael Grant, Ailijah Carty-Tonge (APR); Haziel Abreu Mercado, Jeriel Abreu Mercado, Ayden Lima (Argosy); Kyle Antoine (South Shore); Jaedyn Phillips (Brooke); Ben Millien (Foxboro); Bryan Aleman (Codman)

MERRIMACK VALLEY CONFERENCE

Teddy Addesa (Andover); Liam Quinn, Ridty Tauch, Ryan Heng (Chelmsford); Logan Phousengthong, Jacob Louk (Dracut); Aundre Rivera, Vitou Seng, Ian Mao, Logan Uy, Gianni Rodriguez (Lowell); Victor Torres (Lawrence); Lucas Giard, Andrew Cox , Shawn LaDuke (Methuen); Prady Mistry (North Andover)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Liam Quinn, Victor Torres

MIDDLESEX LEAGUE

ALL-CONFERENCE: Alessandro Luciani, Nadav Vachtal, Nicolas Sanchez de Rojas (Lexington); Arthur Sampaio (Winchester); Ian Lewis (Arlington); Marcio Castro (Woburn)

MVP: Alessandro Luciani

TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE

Haden Houatchantara, Logan DeMarzo, Dolan Conforti (Nipmuc); Hesrick Richards, Jack Davidson (Bellingham); Andrew Strojny, Anthony D’Amore (Norton); Nate Koterba, Treydon Shu (Medfield); Sebastian Eugene, Xavier Walkins (Norwood); Liam Grady, Alex Piccioli (Hopkinton); Jacob Liu (Westwood); Leeland Judkins, Henry Keegan ( Millis)

MVP: Haden Houatchantara



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Scripps Sports announces Jordan Tripp, Trey Bender to call Big Sky football

MISSOULA — Former University of Montana football standout Jordan Tripp is returning to Grizzly football this fall. Tripp will serve as part of Scripps Sports’ on-air broadcast team for games featuring the Griz this season, the company announced Wednesday. Joining Tripp in the booth will be play-by-play announcer Trey Bender. Kyle Hansen, a sports anchor […]

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MISSOULA — Former University of Montana football standout Jordan Tripp is returning to Grizzly football this fall.

Tripp will serve as part of Scripps Sports’ on-air broadcast team for games featuring the Griz this season, the company announced Wednesday. Joining Tripp in the booth will be play-by-play announcer Trey Bender. Kyle Hansen, a sports anchor and reporter for KPAX in Missoula, will continue his role as the sideline reporter.

The broadcast team for Scripps Sports’ Montana State games remains unchanged: Ben Creighton will handle play-by-play duties with Ty Gregorak serving as the analyst in the booth and Grace Lawrence as the sideline reporter.

Bender has called both college and professional sports for more than two decades, primarily on the ESPN platform but also for the Pac-12 Networks and FOX Sports. Bender has called NCAA events in football, basketball, baseball, softball, water polo, soccer, swimming, diving and beach volleyball. His past work also includes the NBA Summer League, WNBA contests and Arena Football.

WATCH THE VIDEO TO HEAR FROM JORDAN TRIPP:

Former Grizzly Jordan Tripp, experienced play-by-play broadcaster Trey Bender to call Big Sky Conference football games

Tripp, a Missoula native who played for the Grizzlies from 2009 through 2013, will be making his broadcasting debut. The former linebacker wore the legacy No. 37 for Montana and holds the program record for career fumble recoveries with 10. Tripp’s 10 forced fumbles are second-most in Griz history, and his 335 career tackles rank seventh in program history. He twice earned all-Big Sky recognition and was a first-team FCS All-American in 2013.

Following his UM career, Tripp was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons during a four-year pro career, appearing in 40 games and recording 23 total tackles.

“I’m really looking forward to the new opportunity,” Tripp said. “It’s kind of fun to be on a different side of it. Have yet to get my feet wet, [but] I’m excited for the challenge, it’s going to be just that. Really excited to be connected, though, back with the Big Sky Conference and Montana football — some old faces, some new faces. It’s going to be really exciting. I think that from a week-to-week basis, it’s going to be fun to kind of dive in and get into the groove of things. I’m really excited.”

Creighton, Gregorak and Lawrence are back for the second consecutive season as a team calling Montana State games. Creighton, who currently serves as a play-by-play broadcaster for Pac-12 Networks and ESPN+, and Gregorak, the former Montana and Montana State defensive coordinator, are entering their fourth season as a booth tandem.

Creighton has called a variety of sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and many others since 2020. Previously, he also served as the TV play-by-play voice of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock men’s basketball program between 2018-20 and called high school football state championship games in 2017 and 2018.

Gregorak, who coached at Montana from 2003-09 and 2011-15 and Montana State from 2016-18, has also filled in as a TV analyst on ROOT Sports. Lawrence is a sports reporter for KBZK in Bozeman.

The Big Sky Conference and Scripps Sports announced a five-year renewal of their partnership earlier this year, extending their relationship through at least the 2029-30 academic year. In addition to statewide coverage in Montana, Scripps Sports currently airs Big Sky games throughout the league’s footprint, with markets in Idaho, Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah.

This fall, Scripps Sports will televise 13 Big Sky Conference football games and six non-conference games featuring the University of Montana (10 games) and Montana State (10 games). The season will once again culminate with the Brawl of the Wild, which drew nearly 130,000 viewers across Scripps stations last year.

“We’re thrilled to kick off our extended Big Sky Conference partnership with a robust and talented on-air team at every level,” said Quinn Pacini, vice president of broadcast operations, Scripps Sports. “We’re looking forward to the fall and continuing to bring top-notch coverage of these games to Grizzlies and Bobcats fans.”

Additional details about this fall’s Big Sky Conference broadcast coverage will be announced at a later date. The Scripps Sports broadcast schedules for both Montana and Montana State are below.

2025 Montana football Scripps Sports broadcast schedule

Scripps Sports

2025 Montana football Scripps Sports broadcast schedule
2025 Montana State football Scripps Sports broadcast schedule

Scripps Sports

2025 Montana State football Scripps Sports broadcast schedule





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Ole Miss Volleyball Lands Rebel on 2025 Preseason All-SEC Team as Expectations Rise

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss volleyball setter Mokihana Tufono has been tabbed to the All-SEC Preseason Team, as the Southeastern Conference unveiled on Tuesday. Tufono was named as one of 15 student-athletes from nine different SEC programs and earns the first preseason honor of her career. Additionally, Tufono was one of two setters named to […]

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OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss volleyball setter Mokihana Tufono has been tabbed to the All-SEC Preseason Team, as the Southeastern Conference unveiled on Tuesday.

Tufono was named as one of 15 student-athletes from nine different SEC programs and earns the first preseason honor of her career.

Additionally, Tufono was one of two setters named to the list, joining Tennessee’s Caroline Kerr.

The Rebels were also picked to finish 10th in the now 16-team SEC preseason poll with 97 points, standing just one point behind ninth-place Georgia. Kentucky was selected as the preseason favorite.

The Aiea, Hawaii, native turned in a dominant first season in Oxford, where she finished second in the SEC with 1,173 assists, while adding 286 digs, 60 blocks, 43 kills and 21 service aces.

Tufono earned AVCA All-South Region honors and recorded an NCAA program-record 59 assists in the NCAA Tournament win over No. 21 Florida State.

Tufono and the Rebels are set to open the 2025 regular season on Friday, Aug. 29 against Arkansas State in Atlanta, Ga., on the campus of Georgia Tech.

2025 SEC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
1. Kentucky – 218 (9)
2. Texas – 216 (6)
3. Texas A&M – 195 (1)
4. Missouri – 182
5. Florida – 169
6. Tennessee – 149
7. Oklahoma – 143
8. LSU – 115
9. Georgia – 98
10. Ole Miss – 97
11. Arkansas – 80
12. Vanderbilt – 77
13. Auburn – 76
14. South Carolina – 42
15. Mississippi State – 38
16. Alabama – 25

2025 Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team
Jaela Auguste, Florida
Brooke Bultema, Kentucky
Brooklyn Deleye, Kentucky
Eva Hudson, Kentucky
Molly Tuzzo, Kentucky
Jurnee Robinson, LSU
Nia Washington, LSU
Mokihana Tufono, Ole Miss
Maya Sands, Missouri
Alexis Shelton, Oklahoma
Caroline Kerr, Tennessee
Emma Halter, Texas
Torrey Stafford, Texas
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Texas A&M
Logan Lednicky, Texas A&M

Prized Ole Miss Football Wide Receiver Commit ‘Locked in’ With the Rebels

Ole Miss Football Quarterback Target Seeing Stock Soar After Elite 11 Performance

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Lands in Early Top-25, Named ‘Offseason Winners’

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.





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Primis Partners With Absolute Sports to Power Video Discovery for 80M Users

TEL AVIV, Israel, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Primis, the video discovery platform for publishers and part of the McCann and IPG network (NYSE: IPG), has signed an exclusive partnership with Absolute Sports, the global digital media group behind Sportskeeda.com, and other leading brands. With over 80 million monthly users and reach across 150+ countries, Absolute […]

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TEL AVIV, Israel, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Primis, the video discovery platform for publishers and part of the McCann and IPG network (NYSE: IPG), has signed an exclusive partnership with Absolute Sports, the global digital media group behind Sportskeeda.com, and other leading brands. With over 80 million monthly users and reach across 150+ countries, Absolute Sports is a leading force in global digital sports media.

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As part of the partnership, the Primis online video player has been fully integrated across all Absolute Sports websites. This lightweight video technology fits seamlessly within editorial environments, surfacing original video content in context. The result is a non-intrusive viewing experience that encourages users to keep exploring. It guides them naturally from one story to the next and creates a self-contained discovery journey that keeps audiences immersed in the brand experience.

“At Absolute Sports, we view Primis as a true strategic partner, a company that shares our passion for innovation and audience-first solutions.” said Umesh Sharma, Business Head – Ad Operations at Absolute Sports. “This collaboration strengthens our commitment to delivering impactful and engaging experiences, while unlocking new monetization opportunities for our ecosystem.”

The collaboration also includes access to advanced contextual targeting, seamless demand integrations, and real-time performance insights. These capabilities empower Absolute Sports to unlock more value from their inventory, while offering advertisers a way to connect with a loyal and highly engaged audience in premium video environments.

“We’ve had the pleasure of knowing the incredible team at Absolute Sports for several years, and I’m excited for the opportunity to officially join forces,” said Matan Agi, Director of Business Development at Primis. “Primis is proud to support Absolute Sports on their strategic growth journey and to play a key role in helping them scale with confidence.”

For more information, visit https://www.primis.tech

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1763082/4529774/Primis_Logo.jpg

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/primis-and-absolute-sports-announce-partnership-to-deliver-video-discovery-across-their-global-portfolio-of-websites-302501091.html

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USD volleyball team heads to World University Games in Berlin

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The University of San Diego volleyball team is preparing for what players are calling a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity as they get ready to travel nearly 6,000 miles to compete in the World University Games in Berlin. “I’m so excited. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When the coaches told us that we had […]

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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The University of San Diego volleyball team is preparing for what players are calling a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity as they get ready to travel nearly 6,000 miles to compete in the World University Games in Berlin.

“I’m so excited. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When the coaches told us that we had this opportunity to play in Germany and compete against some of the best people in the country, it just really excited the whole team,” said team setter Kylie Munday.

Already one of the best volleyball programs on the West Coast, the Toreros will now get a chance to test themselves against national teams featuring some of the top players in the world.

“We will play Australia, Italy, and Chinese Taipei in our first pool, and we’re expecting really elite competition from all of those countries,” said Casey Schoenlein, USD assistant volleyball coach.

The trip has a double benefit for USD’s coaches, who get to work with players weeks ahead of the normal NCAA start date at the end of the month. Plus, the Toreros used the World University Games as a recruiting tool for players like graduate transfer Kali Engeman, a middle blocker who was lured to San Diego from the Big Ten and her native Minnesota.

“That was definitely a big part of the recruiting process was, wow, I get to have practice with the coaches, I get to meet my teammates, and I get to bond with them through a challenging practice,” said Engeman.

And even if they don’t win gold medals, the Toreros are confident they’ll be bringing home something even more valuable.

“Lifelong memories with my best friends,” said Munday.

“Getting to see a bunch of different landmarks, and getting to experience people’s first times out of the country or first times to Europe … I’m so excited,” said Schoenlein.

The World University Games run July 16-27 in Germany. They feature competitions in more than a dozen different sports.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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