Sports
A midseason review of San Diego FC’s inaugural run – The Daily Aztec
Before the start of the 2025 MLS season, pundits and analysts across the media had their fun with predictions, hot takes, and potential storylines ahead of the season. No one, however, could have predicted the early success of Major League Soccer’s newest member, San Diego FC.
Like most expansion teams in American sports, predictions about SDFC’s inaugural season generally followed the assumption that they would struggle throughout the year, ending up near the bottom of the league and building up from there.
Yet the San Diego squad is not one to abide by precedent, as not even hometown media could have predicted this level of early success. With a 10-3-5 record and sitting alone at second place in the Western Conference, SDFC is not only poised for a successful inaugural run but also a potential inaugural playoff run that borders on title contention.
Expansion clubs in the MLS have found early success before, as seen most recently with St. Louis City SC, which finished first in the Western Conference in its 2023 inaugural season. This, however, is very much the exception rather than the norm.
To better understand this unexpected development and where it might all be heading, it is important to break down some key developments that occurred both before the start of the season and during.
Blooming culture
Team culture is the foundation of any professional sports club, and SDFC Head Coach Mikey Varas and his staff have built a bedrock that players have fully bought into and built on.
Varas speaks often of maintaining a growth mindset in the squad, not allowing complacency to creep in. He promotes playing with bravery, always looking for ways to improve, and remaining focused on the task at hand.
“Making sure our feet stay on the ground, making sure that we’re not getting too high or too low, and part of that is just remembering that our first and ultimate goal is to be fighting for playoffs in our first year,” Varas said during a media availability regarding the group’s biggest challenge.
Underrated and hungry talent
Before San Diego’s inaugural season got underway, many of the players the team acquired were relative unknowns to the city. Outside of players named Hirving Lozano, you would be hard pressed to find someone outside of soccer fanatics who knew much about the squad.
When taking a closer look at this group, however, a fine collection of talent is revealed. Up and down the squad, players are making their mark not just on the team but on the league as well. Whether it’s Danish forward Anders Dreyer’s calculated offense and league-leading nine assists, team captain Jeppe Tverskov anchoring the midfield with veteran Aníbal Godoy, or supersub and Escondido native Milan Iloski putting his heart into every score off the bench.
The true depth of that talent will be put to the ultimate test over the course of the next few weeks, with many starters on the team missing due to injury or international duty.
Controlling the flow
Well before opening kickoff, Varas was clear in his desire to see his team play with relentless press and bravery on the ball against opponents. His squad heard him loud and clear, making SDFC’s offense in competition with some of the best in the league, holding a top 10 position in most attacking statistics.
Tied for first in the league in possession statistics, San Diego doesn’t let other teams dictate the game either, putting opponents on the back foot and forcing them to play uncomfortable and out of scheme.
Defensively, the squad has made incredible strides as well. After bouncing back from an abysmal April where the team allowed nine goals in four matches, the defense displayed real tenacity, stifling the opposition to allow only five goals in the last eight matches.
“That’s something we’ve been working on from day one, how we defend together,” defender Christopher McVey said of the improvement. “It’s a collective thing, a lot of times people think it’s just the defenders, but it’s a team effort, and I think we’ve been taking big steps in all of the positions, but especially up on the start of the press.”
With 16 matches to go, there is still plenty of gametime left and questions to be answered. Though barring a disastrous collapse, San Diego FC is well on its way to its first-ever postseason in its first-ever season.
As long as the squad remains consistent in their form, their destiny will remain in their own hands. With the supporters who have made Snapdragon Stadium a homefield bastion backing them, the sky is the limit for this young club.
CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M’s Emma Becker, Currie Marusak and Taytum Stow earned the highest honor a Division II volleyball student-athlete can receive on Wednesday as the trip of Lady Buffs were tabbed All-Americans.
Stow was named a Second Team honoree by the American Volleyball Coaches Association with Becker and Marusak claiming Honorable Mention accolades. Stow was also named to the D2CCA Third Team All-American squad.
Becker earned her third straight AVCA All-American honors as the Liberty Hill, Texas product registered 348 kills with a .212 attack percentage to go along with 17 assists, 10 service aces, 266 digs and 65 total blocks for a total of 396.5 points to average 3.51 per set. Becker was a First Team All-Lone Star Conference selection.
Marusak becomes the 33rd All-American in WT Volleyball history as she led the way offensively for the Lady Buffs during her senior campaign in 2025. The Amarillo High School alum had a team-best 410 kills on 1,008 swings for an attack percentage of .254 to go along with 14 aces, 282 digs and 49.0 blocks for a team-leading 452.0 points to average 4.00 per set as she was named to the All-Lone Star Conference First Team as well as the LSC Championship All-Tournament Team.
Stow, the three-time Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year, became one of the top players in Division II Volleyball during her storied career. The Hereford, Texas product is now a four-time All-American as she set new school all-time marks in total blocks and solo blocks this season while leading the Lady Buffs to the program’s 32nd NCAA Tournament. Stow tallied 290 kills with an attack percentage of .396 to go along with 19 service aces, 72 digs and an incredible 155 total blocks to average 1.37 per set.
NCCAA VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
CEDARVILLE, Ohio – Madelyn Hensley has been named the 2025 NCCAA AVCA National Player of the Year.
She heads up the seven-player All-America First Team which includes Kaley Matney while Haley Koch earned a spot on the second team.
Hensley, a 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter from Dover, Delaware, joins CU Hall of Fame setter Kelsey Jones (2004) as the only Lady Jackets to be the NCCAA Player of the Year.
Hensley led Cedarville to a 24-6 record and the G-MAC South Division title with a 14-1 mark.
She was first in the NCCAA at 3.84 kills per set and ranked second in points (4.33).
Matney, a 5-9 senior setter from Fort Wayne, Indiana, topped the NCCAA at 11.10 assists per set.
Koch, a six-foot senior middle hitter from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, rated sixth in the NCCAA in hitting percentage (.375) and seventh in blocks (1.08).
Additionally, Koch, Matney, Paige Hale, Sydney Low, and Cassi Shields were recognized as NCCAA Scholar-Athletes which includes juniors, seniors, and graduate students who maintain a minimum 3.40 cumulative grade point average.
Updated Dec. 10, 2025, 3:48 p.m. ET
- The NCAA women’s college volleyball transfer portal opened on December 7, with hundreds of athletes entering.
- Numerous Division I players with Indiana high school roots have entered the transfer portal.
- The current transfer window for athletes closes on January 5, with another window opening in May.
The women’s college volleyball transfer portal officially opened Dec. 7, and hundreds of names entered.
Here is a list of the Indiana products at the Division I level who are on the move. We’ll be updating this list as they find their new homes.
The portal window closes Jan. 5. The spring window is set for May 1-15.
Email Brian Haenchen (bhaenchen@usatodayco.com) or Aaron Ferguson (aferguson@usatodayco.com) with portal-related updates.
Molly Beatty, Central Michigan (Herron)
A 5-foot-11 setter, Beatty logged 46 sets over 19 matches, totaling 204 assists, five aces, 44 digs, seven blocks and a kill. She notched a career-high 24 assists at Milwaukee in September. Beatty has three years of eligibility remaining.
Elena Chappell, New Hampshire (Zionsville)
A 2025 Zionsville grad, the 6-foot middle appeared in four matches for the Wildcats.
Reese Dunkle, Stanford (Center Grove)
A record-setting middle for the Trojans, the 6-3 Dunkle redshirted in her first season with the Cardinal.
Raegan Durbin, Middle Tennessee State (Western Boone)
An explosive pin hitter, Durbin was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team after collecting 339 digs, 254 digs, 27 total blocks and 37 service aces. She clocked 24-plus kills in three matches, including a career-high 26 terminations vs. Delaware, the fifth-best performance in CUSA this season.
Lauren Evans, Butler (Carmel)
Evans, a defensive specialist, appeared in 29 matches for a second consecutive season. She totaled 447 digs (717 career), 93 assists (152 career) and 36 aces (67 career). The former Greyhound has two years of eligibility remaining.
Addy Frye, Providence (Traders Point Christian)
Frye, a junior outside hitter and defensive specialist, played two seasons at Providence, accumulating 110 digs, 23 aces and 13 assists over 36 matches (119 sets).
Morgan Gaerte, Notre Dame (Angola)
Gaerte garnered first team All-ACC and AVCA Midwest Region first team plaudits in her second season with the Irish. She started all 28 matches, tallying 497 kills — the most by a Notre Dame player since 2008 and third most overall — 183 digs, 68 total blocks and 36 aces. She set a school record with 34 kills vs. Illinois and registered double-digit kills in 22 straight matches — the second longest streak in program history.
Lilly Howell, Charlotte (Muncie Burris)
The freshman right side appeared in seven matches, picking up 12 kills, two aces, nine digs and 15 total blocks.
Audrey Hudson, Wright State (Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger)
Hudson was limited to five matches by injury last season as a freshman. She returned this season, totaling 42 sets over 18 matches. She posted 35 kills, four assists, an ace, 68 digs and a block.
Bella Humphrey, Auburn (McCutcheon)
The sophomore libero totaled 11 digs, 11 aces and four assists over 19 matches (59 sets) in her two seasons with the Tigers.
Ava Hunter, Loyola Chicago (Hamilton Southeastern)
The freshman appeared in 72 sets nad made 10 starts over 21 matches. She totaled 10 kills, 414 assists, 14 aces, 130 digs and four blocks
Aniya Kennedy, Ball State (LaPorte)
A redshirt junior outside hitter/opposite, Kennedy did not appear in any matches this fall. She had 749 kills, 89 digs, 100 blocks, three assists and an ace in her two seasons at Ball State.
Maddie Kmetz, Western Michigan (Andrean)
A redshirt junior setter, Kmetz appeared in 19 matches in 2025, registering 39 assists, 106 digs, a block and a kill.
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford (Evansville Reitz)
The redshirt junior outside hits the portal with 1,143 career kills (.228 hit%), 766 digs, 107 total blocks and 78 aces to her name. She’s also tallied 29 assists.
Ava Smith, Florida Gulf Coast (Park Tudor)
The 2022 Park Tudor graduate has seen action in two of her three seasons at FGCU, recording 215 kills, 48 digs, 47 blocks and six assists over her 44 matches played (130 sets).
Alaleh Tolliver, Butler (North Central)
A 5-10 sophomore from Indianapolis, Tolliver appeared in 56 matches across her two seasons, picking up 572 kills, 65 aces, 23 assists, 438 digs and 58 blocks.
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Single game tickets are now available for the 2026 Men’s Volleyball season!
The Gauchos will play 14 home matches this season, beginning with the annual ASICS Invitational from Jan. 8-10. UC Santa Barbara will host seven top 10 teams, including No. 1 Long Beach State and No. 2 UCLA.
General admission tickets are available for all 13 matches at $12 each. Additionally, group pricing for parties of 10 or more is available for all matches, with tickets costing $7 per person. Tickets are also available for six neutral site matches during the ASICS Invitational.
Click here or call the UC Santa Barbara Ticket Office at (805) 893-UCSB (8272) to purchase group tickets.
Rowan hit the ground running with their opening meet at Friday’s Fasttrack Season Opener at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island, New York.
The team looked strong all around, and head coach Dustin Dimit was pleased with the results.
“That’s probably our best opening we’ve ever had with five or six guys already hitting marks,” Dimit said. “Just really impressed with how far along we already are.”
Seniors Kwaku Nkrumah and Jason Agyemang finished one and two in the 60-meter hurdles. Nkrumah edged out Agyemang by 0.0002 seconds. This is the first time this season that the two previous national champions have competed.
The Profs dominated in the high jump, as Rowan took four of the top five spots. Jamile Grantt took home first place with a 2.08-meter effort.
Freshman Anthony Parker also made his debut for the Profs and won the long jump (7.08 meters).
“To be able to go out there and win against Division I teams as well as hit marks that will get them to the NCAA championship is just outstanding,” Dimit said. “It really shows a bright future.”
Rowan will return to Ocean Breeze Complex after the winter break, on Jan. 16 for the Gotham cup.
Over the break, Dimit’s message is clear, and that’s to continue to put in the work.
“We got more work to do over the break,” Dimit said. “We’re really proud of the work they put in the fall, but none of that matters if we don’t put in this month of work over break before we come back.”
For comments/questions about this story, DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email [email protected]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The third round of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship kicks off this Thursday, December 11, as four Atlantic Coast Conference remain standing in the tournament. All four of the third-round matches featuring ACC teams will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
No. 1-seeded Pitt swept Michigan in the second round to advance to its sixth consecutive regional semifinal. The Panthers will host the Pittsburgh Regional, taking on Minnesota at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 11.
No. 2-seeded SMU will also head to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to play in its first-ever regional semifinal appearance, as the Mustangs face off against No. 3-seeded Purdue approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Pitt-Minnesota match. The winners of both matches will play in the Regional Final on Saturday, December 13.
No. 2 seed Stanford will take on No. 3 seed Wisconsin on Friday, December 12, in the Cardinal’s 22nd NCAA regional semifinal appearance since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998. The Cardinal will hit the court at 2:30 p.m. ET in Austin, Texas, at the Austin Regional.
No. 2 seed Louisville will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to take on No. 3 seed Texas A&M in the Cardinals’ 11th regional semifinal appearance. The match will take place at 6 p.m. ET on Friday.
In the final AVCA/Taraflex Poll of the regular season (December 1), Pitt led the ACC in the No. 4 spot with Stanford (No. 5), SMU (No. 7), Louisville (No. 9), Miami (No. 13) and North Carolina (No. 19) filling out the rest of the Top 25. The ACC has the most teams of any conference in the top 10.
Noting ACC Volleyball
- Pitt and Stanford earned a share of the 2025 ACC Volleyball Championship title, with Stanford earning the AQ to the national tournament after a head-to-head win against Pitt.
- Pitt right side hitter Olivia Babcock was named the ACC Player of the Year, while Panthers’ teammate Bre Kelley was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. SMU’s Averi Carlson was tabbed the ACC Setter of the Year, while Louisville’s Kalyssa Blackshear was named ACC Freshman of the Year. Stanford head coach Kevin Hambly was named the ACC Coach of the Year.
- The ACC had the most teams in the final regular season NCAA DI Volleyball RPI Top 10, headlined by Pitt (No. 5), Stanford (No. 7), SMU (No. 8), and Louisville (No. 9).
- At the end of the regular season, Miami’s Flormarie Heredia Colon led the nation in kills with 719, kills per set with 6.25, total points with 815.0 and points per set with 7.09.
- Duke’s Jolene Nagel announced her retirement after 27 seasons leading the Blue Devils’ volleyball program.
- SMU earned its highest ranking in program history at No. 7 in the AVCA DI Volleyball Top 25 poll released on Monday, October 20.
- Miami’s Heredia Colon, Pitt’s Olivia Babcock and Stanford’s Elia Rubin were named as semifinalists for the AVCA Division I Player of the Year.
- Florida State’s Chris Poole ranks first among active NCAA Division I coaches with 955 victories in 39 seasons. Duke’s Jolene Nagel ranks fifth on that list with 717 career wins.
- Pitt head coach Dan Fisher reached his 400th career win on September 10, in the Panthers’ win over No. 3 Kentucky.
- Stanford’s Kevin Hambly reached his 400th career win on Friday, November 14, in an upset win over No. 3 Pitt.
- Virginia Tech’s Marci Byers reached her 300th career win on Friday, November 28, in a win over Syracuse.
- SMU’s Sam Erger reached her 100th career win on Saturday, December 6.
- SMU’s Malaya Jones was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday, September 2.
- Pitt’s Olivia Babcock was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday, October 21.
- Miami’s Flormarie Heredia Colon was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday, November 11.
- SMU’s Malaya Jones was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week for the second time this season on Tuesday, December 2.
- The ACC finished non-conference play with an overall record of 129-55 (.701), headlined by 10 wins against AVCA Top 25 teams and the inaugural ESPN Events “Showdown at the Net” title, after winning nine of the 16 matches against the SEC.
Weekly Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Thursday, December 11
Pittsburgh Regional | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#17 Minnesota at #4 Pitt | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
#7 SMU vs. #12 Purdue | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Friday, December 12
Austin Regional | Austin, Texas
#5 Stanford vs. #10 Wisconsin | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Lincoln Regional | Lincoln, Nebraska
#9 Louisville vs. #6 Texas A&M | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
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