Three Coastal Bend high school volleyball players were named to the 2025 Class 4A-3A Blue Bell Texas Sports Writers Association All-State volleyball team after putting together strong campaigns during the fall season.

The honorees were London setter Myah Lichtenberger, Calallen setter Grace Martinez and Calallen middle blocker Jadyn Lindgren.

Martinez and Lindgren helped lead Calallen to a district championship and a 36-8 record. The pair also played a vital role in the Lady Cats’ run to the Class 4A Division I regional final.

Lichtenberger helped lead the Lady Pirates to their best season in program history after the team advanced to the Class 3A Division I regional final with a 25-6 record.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state.

LONG BEACH, Calif. — UC San Diego men’s volleyball completed its preseason on Sunday with day two of the North American Challenge. The Tritons once again beat Canadian sides Alberta and Calgary in exhibition matches after doing the same on Friday.
 
The Tritons beat Alberta 3-0 before turning around and playing Calgary, winning 3-1. Head coach Brad Rostratter repeated his previous approach of largely using two separate lineups for the two matches. Only four of the 14 Tritons who got playing time on Sunday appeared in both contests.
 
The challenge was hosted by fellow Big West side Long Beach State. On Friday, the Tritons also swept Alberta after beating Calgary 3-2.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – ALBERTA
The Tritons cruised through the first match of the day, winning 25-16, 25-21, 25-15. They hit .333 while holding Alberta to a .200 clip. The Tritons also had 11 service aces.
 
A balanced offense saw four Tritons finish with seven or more kills. Luke Chandler and Leo Wiemelt had a match-high nine kills, with Wiemelt hitting .667 in the process. Setter Cameron Wurl had 24 assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – CALGARY
Calgary won set one 25-23 before UC San Diego won the next three 25-17, 25-21, 25-21. The Triton offense hit .431, while Calgary converted at a rate of .247.
 
Four Tritons had multiple blocks on the defensive side of the net. Offensively, Josh Ewert and Leo Pravednikov both hit .406. Ewert led the match with 20 kills, while Pravednikov added 17. Setter John Luers had 42 assists.
 
QUOTABLE
“I loved the volleyball we were playing throughout our four matches this weekend,” Rostratter said. “Using four different lineups and finding connections and success in different phases of the game highlighted the depth we have within our team. These were quality opportunities to learn more about what our team has and where we are headed this season. I am excited for the home matches this week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday!”
 
UP NEXT
The 2026 regular season begins this Tuesday as the Tritons host Jessup at 7:00 p.m. at LionTree Arena. UC San Diego will also have home matches versus Daemen and Rockhurst on Friday and Sunday this week.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
 

LONGVIEW — Tyler middle blocker Kaelyn McLean and Hallsville outside hitter Kaycin Farrell earned third-team honors on the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 5A All-State Volleyball Team, the organization announced on Sunday.

Lady Lion outside hitter Ja’lee Flores was voted honorable mention.

Lufkin middle blocker  Chesney McCullough was named a first-team middle blocker.

Area honorable mention players were middle blockers Knlee Smith of Marshall, Kylee Fernandez of Hallsville, and Taryn Stiger of Texas High; outside hitters Lily Holzbauer of Whitehouse, and Akira Smallwood of Lufkin; and setter Aleciara Smallwood of Lufkin.

McLean had 489 kills, 215 digs, 111 blocks and eight aces, while Farrell, the District 15-5A Most Valuable Player, had 402 kills, .371 hitting percentage, 302 digs, 68 aces, 50 blocks and 29 assists.

Class 5A Division II champion Cedar Park earned both top superlatives with the release of the Joy Udoye, who has signed to play for Stanford, was named Player of the Year.  Udoye had eye-popping stats of 581 kills, 364 digs, 34 aces and 30 blocks as Cedar Park finished 39-12 overall.

Lori McLaughlin was voted Coach of the Year.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state.

Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association

Class 5A All-State Volleyball Team

COACH OF THE YEAR: Lori McLaughlin, Cedar Park

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Joy Udoye, Cedar Park

FIRST TEAM

Middle blockers: Brooklyn Bailey, Highland Park; Sienna Benavides, Cedar Park; Chesney McCullough, Lufkin

Outside hitters: Joy Udoye, Cedar Park; Kaitlyn Hutchins, Lake Belton; Harper Korenek, A&M Consolidated

Setter: Blair Thiebaud, College Station

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ann Kruz, Cedar Park

SECOND TEAM

Middle Blockers: Rihanna Bryant, Pflugerville Weiss; Aliah Earls, Red Oak; Zandria Johnson, Brownsville Rivera

Outside hitters: Nadiya Shelby, Friendswood; Sarah Floyd, Highland Park; Mya Cheatum, Cedar Park

Setter: Katelyn Hughes, Cedar Park

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Gigi Whann, Highland Park

THIRD TEAM

Middle Blockers: Jacey Owen, Smithson Valley; Kendall Kruesler, New Braunfels; Kaelyn McLean, Tyler

Outside hitters: Kaycin Farrell, Hallsville; Lexi Anderson, Frisco Centennial; Alexis Elsey, Argyle

Setter: Kingsley Minus, New Braunfels

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Berkeley Bates, Smithson Valley

HONORABLE MENTION

Middle Blockers: Ava Wood, Lake Belton; Knlee Smith, Marshall; Haddie Mock, Abilene Wiley; Kylee Fernandez, Hallsville; Emersyn Fink, Frisco Liberty; Taryn Stiger, Texas High; Kaitlyn McCracken, Belton

Outside hitters: Alyssa Todd, Aledo; Ja’lee Flores, Tyler; Lily Holzbauer, Whitehouse; Shaylie Schaefer, New Braunfels; Akira Smallwood, Lufkin; Hannah Baker, Argyle; Danielle Whittier, Prosper Walnut Grove; Kaelee Berkley, Aledo; Jaiden Harris, Frisco Liberty; Zoeh Cereceres, El Paso Chapin

Setter: Madison Bingham, Lake Belton; Aleciara Smallwood, Lufkin; Jill Vinal, A&M Consolidated; Ava Jackson, Pflugerville Weiss; Kyndal Newton, A&M Consolidated; Madison Victoriano, Frisco Centennial; Amelia Albright, Georgetown

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Hayden Jeffers, New Braunfels; Teagan Barnett, Argyle; Haley Nash, College Station; Haley Patton, Friendswood; Ashley Go, Pflugerville Weiss

SALEM, Va. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire narrowly fell to #6 Roanoke College with a final team score of 26-15. 

Sloan Welch delivered a commanding performance at 285 pounds, securing a fall over Nicholas Cook in 3:59. This decisive victory contributed six points to the team’s score.

Preston Carlisle was instrumental in maintaining momentum for the Blugolds, securing decisions in both the 165 and 174-pound weight classes. He overcame Cade Parent 7-4 and later defeated Xavier Preston 10-5. Zak McPhee contributed with a 6-0 decision against Vincenzo Corvetto at 184 pounds. Looking ahead, the team will aim to carry this momentum into their upcoming competitions.

Blugold wrestling’s next competition is the Budd Whitehill Duals on Friday, January 9th and Saturday, January 10th in Williamsport, PA.

Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugolds.com or on our app, Blugold Sports, and on social media on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball closed out day two of the North American Challenge, an eight-match exhibition tournament, with a pair of impressive victories Friday at the Gold Mine. The Beach opened the day with a commanding 3-0 sweep of Calgary (CAN) (25-18, 25-18, 25-15) before closing the night with a 3-1 win over Alberta (CAN) (25-19, 25-27, 25-13, 25-19).

Against Calgary, Long Beach State was in control from start to finish, hitting .372 as a team while limiting the Dinos to a .123 attack percentage. The Beach dominated the net, posting an 11-2 advantage in total team blocks, and sided out efficiently throughout the match, including an 86% rate in the third set to seal the sweep.

Connor Bloom led all players with 10 kills, adding two service aces and four block assists while hitting .333. Braedon Marquardt followed with seven kills on .583 hitting and a match-high seven block assists, anchoring the Beach defense at the net. Daniil Hershtynovich contributed eight kills and three blocks, while Myles Jordan added four kills on .444 hitting.

Setter Island Doty directed the offense with 25 assists as Long Beach State totaled 39 kills on 78 attempts. The Beach also recorded five service aces and held Calgary to just one ace on the night. After pulling away late in the opening set, Long Beach State applied steady pressure in the second before dominating the third, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back.

In their final match of the day against Alberta, Long Beach State continued to attack efficiently, hitting .377 as a team while holding the Golden Bears to a .132 hitting percentage. The Beach again controlled the net, finishing with 17.5 total team blocks compared to Alberta’s 4.0.

Skyler Varga led the way offensively with 15 kills on .440 hitting, scoring key points in transition throughout the match. Hershtynovich remained highly efficient, tallying six kills on eight swings (.750) while contributing on both sides of the ball. Jackson Cryst was a force defensively, recording 12 block assists and one solo block to anchor the Beach front line.

After taking the opening set comfortably, Long Beach State dropped a tightly contested second set. The Beach responded emphatically in the third, hitting .500 while limiting Alberta to just nine kills, and carried that momentum into the fourth set to close out the match behind consistent side-out play and timely blocking. Long Beach State finished the contest with 43 kills and nine service aces.

With the pair of wins, the Beach wrapped up day two of the North American Challenge showcasing depth, efficiency, and physicality at the net, setting a strong tone the close out the international exhibition tournament as they head into regular season competition.