Sports

Altoona boys volleyball team puts up valiant fight in defeat | News, Sports, Jobs

Published

8 months ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Altoona’s Kallen Plunket gets a spike by State College’s Deondre Sheffey.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

TYRONE — There are times when sweeps in a volleyball match can have the feel of a match that went five sets.

During the first two frames of Thursday night’s District 6 Class 3A Championship at Tyrone Middle School, the Altoona boys’ squad either held the lead at times or kept things just close enough to have a chance.

State College, however, just had a couple extra plays, and in the third matchup found a big enough run as they remained a thorn in the side of the Mountain Lions. State High held strong for a 25-23, 25-22 win in the first two sets, respectively, before finishing off Altoona in set three 25-16 for the title.

“I have never been more proud of a group of guys,” Altoona coach John Saboe said. “We’ve struggled all season to maintain our confidence. I thought in games one and two, we kept our confidence, we kept fighting. We put ourselves into a little bit of two-point hole. We’d catch up, and we fall back, we’d catch up, and we’d fall back.

“We just couldn’t get over that two-point deficit that we kept creating for ourselves. We made it a little tough in the first game with some missed serves, but we still battled. The guys were still believing, and that was the biggest thing we really wanted to get through with these guys.”

Altoona’s Saturnino Yohn sets the ball for one of his teammates against State College.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Following an Altoona kill from Luke Mitchell, which helped cut the deficit late in set one to two, State High’s Deondre Sheffy stymied the rally with three of his 10 kills, including the deciding finish to end the first set.

During the second in what felt like a sequence one step forward, one step back, Lukas Weathersbee stuffed one into open space for one his 10 kills to tie the second set at 18.

“I’m so proud of Lukas Weathersbee,” Saboe said. “The guy had an outstanding game. We challenged him (Wednesday), and he rose to the occasion. All season we said we need you to do the things that our team needs.

“Tonight, he did everything that our team needed. I’m so proud of him for what he brought to the table for our guys tonight. He found holes, he found seams, he found the block.”

But Derrick Campbell answered with a pair of finishes on his own as he registered 10 of them with 12 digs and 13 assists before Sheffey finished off the second set to put State up 2-0.

Luckas Keiter had 13 digs while Amir Cyrus added 16 assists.

“They played well, they passed the ball well,” State College coach Larry Campbell said. “I felt like we were in control the whole way. I think our problem was we played tight most of the night. Our serving wasn’t bad –four aces to 11 errors — 37 kills, we hit under .200 as a team. Defensively we were a little better and that made a difference.”

In the third set, with the Little Lions leading by three, a pair of Altoona attack errors, along with four crucial kills from Campbell, helped spark the decisive 11-5 run.

“We’re starting multiple freshmen and first-year players,” Campbell said. “They’ve gotten better. Coming into this, I was kind of wondering where we’re going to be beyond this. We’re minus a kid who is going to Ohio State. You don’t take away power 5 commits and then you’re rocking and rolling. We’ve had to change a lot.”

Altoona will graduate five seniors from this year’s team and Saboe is grateful for the progress they helped the Mountain Lion program make.

“Five guys who have really grown, who have brought great contributions to our team all season,” Saboe said. “They’re a fantastic group of individuals who just worked so hard and have provided so much stability for our underclassmen.”

Saboe is also optimistic about the Mountain Lions future as the team closes 2025 with a record of 4-11 as part of a demanding Mid Penn Conference.

“I thought our program took some good steps this year,” he said. I thought our guys did a good job; I thought we really improved and I’m anxious for what the future holds for us.”

State College will travel to McDowell for the District 6-8-10 Class 3A Subregional Championship next week at a site and time to be announced. Both teams will advance to the PIAA Playoffs.

SERVICE POINTS

ALTOONA: Terza 5, Coldwell 2, Mitchell 4, Huey-Kish 7, Weathersbee 2, Yohn 2

Records: Altoona (4-11), State College (8-5).

Link

Sports

Welcome to the Moll House

Published

2 minutes ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

“I got this.”

This simple mantra, uttered by Amanda Moll, is accompanied by a deep breath to ground herself. It sounds laughably modest, considering that Amanda’s pre-competition ritual has allowed her to do what most of us would find impossible: fly with the grace of a gazelle and the height to clear a full-grown giraffe.

Amanda and her twin sister Hana are both record-breaking pole vault champions, coming off their best season ever, which culminated in September when they competed on Team USA for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Unbelievably, the University of Washington juniors tied for sixth place.

Like many identical twins, Amanda and Hana have a way about them that’s both charming and disorienting. But with these two, their similarities go far beyond just finishing each other’s sentences—though they do that as well. Since they started pole vaulting in middle school, the Olympia-born sisters have been neck-and-neck for nearly every competition.

Amanda and Hana Moll, renowned pole vault champions from UW Track and Field, soar mid-air as they clear the bar during an outdoor stadium event.

Flying High. Amanda at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where she took third place in pole vault.

Photo COURTESY OF UW ATHLETICS

The reason for their paralleled excellence, according to NW Pole Vault and UW Track & Field coach Tim Reilly, is “a confluence of many things.” When Reilly met Amanda and Hana, during their seventh-grade year, they were already trained gymnasts, competitive rock climbers, and bike racers. Their parents, Eric and Paula Moll, are former college rowers—Eric at the UW and Paula at the University of Texas—and raised the girls to love the calm of the outdoors, the thrill of sport, the challenge of competition. The combination of nature and nurture has allowed them “uncommon speed to generate velocity; uncommon strength in their hands, shoulders, and core to manage the gymnastic stunt [of pole vaulting]; and the X-factor, which is an enjoyment of the adrenaline charge it is to fly, despite the likelihood of a few dings and falls,” Reilly says.

“We’ve been developing this relationship since we were babies. We’ve also reframed our definition of success when we’re
working together. We both do well, when one of us comes out on top.” —HANA MOLL

From the moment they first chalked up their hands to try pole vaulting, they were hooked. By the time they hit Capital High School, the Moll sisters were prodigies. But their competitive nature, especially with one another, has never eclipsed their exceptional familial bond. “Our relationship is unique in that our competitiveness doesn’t outweigh the love and support we have for one another,” Amanda notes. “We’ve been developing this relationship since we were babies.” Hana adds, “We’ve also reframed our definition of success when we’re working together. We both do well when one of us comes out on top.”

This has been true the past year, their second on the UW Track & Field team, when both sisters were responsible for toppling collegiate records. In March, Amanda set the NCAA indoor pole-vaulting record—including clearing 16 feet, which only four Americans (all Olympic medalists) have accomplished previously. When the weather warmed and pole vaulting moved outdoors, Hana set her own collegiate record at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June, clearing 15 feet, 8.5 inches. After a year mostly coming in just behind her sister, Hana took the spotlight.

An athlete in a white "W" uniform, representing UW Track and Field, performs a pole vault during a track and field event at an outdoor stadium.

Hana at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where she won the pole vault title with her final jump.

Photo COURTESY OF UW ATHLETICS

Besides being teammates and competitors, they’re one another’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders. Amanda and Hana both say watching their sister is more nerve-wracking than actually jumping—particularly on the dreaded third [and final] attempt at clearing a height. “Obviously, on the day of a competition, we each want to be the winner,” Hana says, “but I think just being together is more important than anything.”

To accomplish their spectacular feats, the twins train somewhere around 15 hours per week. Their success could have already led to careers as professional athletes, but both Molls say they love being a part of the UW Track & Field team, and their studies at the Foster School of Business are setting them up for life after competitions. “We’re one big family,” Hana says. “Track and field isn’t as lucrative an industry as, say, football or basketball, and the resources and community we’re provided at the UW are invaluable.”

When we spoke after they returned from Tokyo, the twins were looking forward to taking a much-earned six-week break from training, “to recharge mentally, physically, and emotionally after such a long year,” Amanda says. The break lined up with the start of UW’s fall quarter. But their ambitions didn’t include partying or loafing on the couch eating Cheetos. They planned to stay active with mountain biking and hiking, and their first love, rock climbing, while focusing on classes and spending time with their friends. “I don’t ever really feel like I’m missing out,” Amanda says. “I actually feel like I’m getting more out of college through the experiences I have.”

Amanda and Hana Moll, pole vault champions from UW Track and Field, pose with mountain bikes on a grassy hill, wearing helmets and protective gear, with mountains and a cloudy sky in the background.

Amanda and Hana mountain biking on a childhood trip with their parents in the Dolomites.

Photo COURTESY OF THE MOLL FAMILY

The two turn 21 in January, right around the time the collegiate indoor pole vault competitions start. What’s next? Amanda and Hana both have Olympic aspirations for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which will give them a year to train—together—after graduation.

“The twin factor is their superpower,” Reilly explains. “With their soulmate, the rough days are lightened, and the triumphs are magnified. If they continue to enjoy this, if we continue to train them smartly with wellness and happiness always most important, they will dominate the world stage—and they’ll discover what’s possible when lofty dreams, hard work, and joyful sisterhood join forces. This is the North Star, really, whether they win Olympic gold or not.”

Link

Sports

Men’s Volleyball vs NJIT on 1/4/2026 – Box Score

Published

2 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

—

NJIT subs: Tidhar, Ron; Fedmasu, Andrew.

—

Hawaii subs: Greenidge, Quintin; Jordan, Trevell.

NJIT

0-1

[Figueiredo, Bruno] Kill by Roure, Adrien (from Rosenthal, Tread).

[Figueiredo, Bruno] Kill by Roure, Adrien (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Fedmasu, Andrew.

Hawaii

1-1

[Rosenthal, Tread] Service error.

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Fedmasu, Andrew.

NJIT

1-2

[Aleixo, Andre] Service error.

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Fedmasu, Andrew.

Hawaii

2-2

[Roure, Adrien] Bad set by Titriyski, Kristian.

NJIT

2-3

[Latkowski, Daniel] Service error.

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Lopez, Diego; Lopez, Diego; Latkowski, Daniel.

—

Hawaii subs: Jordan, Trevell; Greenidge, Quintin.

Hawaii

2-4

[Todd, Justin] Kill by Sakanoko, Louis (from Rosenthal, Tread).

Hawaii

3-4

[Todd, Justin] Kill by Aleixo, Andre (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Latkowski, Daniel.

—

Hawaii subs: Greenidge, Quintin; Todd, Justin.

NJIT

3-5

[Nowak, Wiktor] Kill by Titriyski, Kristian (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Latkowski, Daniel.

Hawaii

3-6

[Titriyski, Kristian] Attack error by Nowak, Wiktor (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

Hawaii

3-7

[Titriyski, Kristian] Attack error by Moorhead, Parker (block by Rosenthal, Tread).

Hawaii

3-8

[Titriyski, Kristian] Service ace (Moorhead, Parker).

Hawaii

3-9

[Titriyski, Kristian] Attack error by Nowak, Wiktor (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

Hawaii

3-10

[Titriyski, Kristian] Service ace (Lopez, Diego).

Hawaii

4-10

[Titriyski, Kristian] Service error.

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Latkowski, Daniel.

NJIT

5-10

[Moorhead, Parker] Attack error by Roure, Adrien (from Rosenthal, Tread).

NJIT

6-10

[Moorhead, Parker] Attack error by Titriyski, Kristian (block by Aleixo, Andre; Fedmasu, Andrew).

NJIT

6-11

[Moorhead, Parker] Kill by Jordan, Trevell (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Latkowski, Daniel.

Hawaii

7-11

[Sakanoko, Louis] Kill by Nowak, Wiktor (from Fedmasu, Andrew).

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Lopez, Diego.

NJIT

7-12

[Fedmasu, Andrew] Kill by Roure, Adrien (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

NJIT subs: Lopez, Diego; Fedmasu, Andrew.

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Greenidge, Quintin.

Hawaii

8-12

[Jordan, Trevell] Kill by Latkowski, Daniel (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Fedmasu, Andrew.

—

Hawaii subs: Greenidge, Quintin; Jordan, Trevell.

NJIT

8-13

[Figueiredo, Bruno] Kill by Todd, Justin (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Fedmasu, Andrew.

Hawaii

9-13

[Rosenthal, Tread] Kill by Latkowski, Daniel (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Fedmasu, Andrew.

NJIT

9-14

[Aleixo, Andre] Kill by Sakanoko, Louis (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Fedmasu, Andrew.

Hawaii

9-15

[Roure, Adrien] Attack error by Moorhead, Parker (block by Titriyski, Kristian; Sakanoko, Louis; Todd, Justin).

Hawaii

9-16

[Roure, Adrien] Service ace (Aleixo, Andre).

Hawaii

9-17

[Roure, Adrien] Attack error by Nowak, Wiktor (block by Sakanoko, Louis; Titriyski, Kristian; Todd, Justin).

Hawaii

9-18

[Roure, Adrien] Attack error by Nowak, Wiktor (block by Sakanoko, Louis; Todd, Justin; Titriyski, Kristian).

Hawaii

10-18

[Roure, Adrien] Kill by Moorhead, Parker (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Lopez, Diego.

NJIT

10-19

[Latkowski, Daniel] Service error.

—

NJIT subs: Lopez, Diego; Latkowski, Daniel.

—

Hawaii subs: Jordan, Trevell; Greenidge, Quintin.

Hawaii

11-19

[Todd, Justin] Service error.

—

Hawaii subs: Greenidge, Quintin; Todd, Justin.

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Latkowski, Daniel.

NJIT

11-20

[Nowak, Wiktor] Kill by Titriyski, Kristian (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Latkowski, Daniel.

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Greenidge, Quintin; Taylor, Kai; Todd, Justin.

Hawaii

12-20

[Titriyski, Kristian] Kill by Moorhead, Parker (from Lopez, Diego).

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Latkowski, Daniel.

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Taylor, Kai; Greenidge, Quintin; Todd, Justin.

NJIT

13-20

[Moorhead, Parker] Kill by Fedmasu, Andrew.

NJIT

14-20

[Moorhead, Parker] Service ace (Greenidge, Quintin).

NJIT

14-21

[Moorhead, Parker] Kill by Jordan, Trevell (from Rosenthal, Tread).

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Greenidge, Quintin; Taylor, Kai; Todd, Justin.

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Latkowski, Daniel.

Hawaii

14-22

[Sakanoko, Louis] Attack error by Fedmasu, Andrew (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

Hawaii

15-22

[Sakanoko, Louis] Kill by Fedmasu, Andrew (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

—

NJIT subs: Latkowski, Daniel; Lopez, Diego.

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Taylor, Kai; Greenidge, Quintin; Todd, Justin.

NJIT

15-23

[Fedmasu, Andrew] Service error.

—

NJIT subs: Lopez, Diego; Fedmasu, Andrew.

—

Hawaii subs: Todd, Justin; Greenidge, Quintin; Kearney, Finn; Jordan, Trevell.

Hawaii

16-23

[Kearney, Finn] Kill by Nowak, Wiktor (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Fedmasu, Andrew.

—

Hawaii subs: Jordan, Trevell; Kearney, Finn; Greenidge, Quintin; Jordan, Trevell.

NJIT

16-24

[Figueiredo, Bruno] Service error.

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Tidhar, Ron; Lopez, Diego; Fedmasu, Andrew.

—

Hawaii subs: Jordan, Trevell; Greenidge, Quintin; Taylor, Kai; Jordan, Trevell.

Hawaii

17-24

[Rosenthal, Tread] Kill by Aleixo, Andre (from Figueiredo, Bruno).

—

NJIT subs: Fedmasu, Andrew; Lopez, Diego; Tidhar, Ron; Fedmasu, Andrew.

—

Hawaii subs: Jordan, Trevell; Taylor, Kai; Greenidge, Quintin; Jordan, Trevell.

NJIT

17-25

[Aleixo, Andre] Kill by Titriyski, Kristian (from Rosenthal, Tread).

Link

Sports

No. 2 Warriors volleyball team rolls by NJIT again

Published

2 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

George F. Lee / glee@staradvertiser.com

Hawaii’s Kristian Titriyski, left, Trevell Jordan and Louis Sakanoko rose up for a block against NJIT Highlanders’ Harrison Girard during Friday’s match.

Hawaii sophomore opposite Kristian Titriyski put down a match-high 11 kills and the No. 2 Rainbow Warrior men’s volleyball team rolled New Jersey Institute of Technology once again, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17 this evening at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

A crowd of 5.267 watched a similar match play out to Friday’s season-opening win for the Rainbow Warriors (2-0), who improved to 21-0 all-time against teams from the EIVA other than Penn State.

Adrien Roure had nine kills and hit .615 and Louis Sakanoko, playing in only two sets, had six kills on seven swings with three digs and three blocks.

Hawaii hit .517 in the match.

UH was presented with its Big West championships rings after the match. Hawaii won the conference last season defeating eventual national champion Long Beach State in four sets in the final.

Freshman setter Magnus Hettervik, who is from Stavanger, Norway, made his UH debut as a serving sub in the second set and had an ace. He came in to finish off Hawaii’s final four points in the third.

Andre Aleixo had nine kills to lead NJIT (0-2), which has lost all 15 sets in five meetings against UH.

Hawaii returns to the arena on Thursday for the first of back-to-back matches on consecutive nights against No. 7 Loyola Chicago.

Link

Sports

The 2025 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Volleyball All-Scholastics

Published

2 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The 2025 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Volleyball All-Scholastics

Jan. 5, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET

Another girls high school volleyball season has come and gone in the Greater Taunton area.

This fall, Bristol-Plymouth (12-8, 7-1 Mayflower Athletic Conference) led the way locally once again, capturing a second-straight Mayflower Large title and reaching the MIAA Division 2 Preliminary Round. Bristol Aggie (10-11, 6-5 MAC) also looked solid throughout the fall, reaching the Division 5 Preliminary Round. Taunton (9-11, 5-11 Hockomock League) looked solid but fell just short of tournament qualification while Bridgewater-Raynham (5-14, 0-4 Pioneer Athletic Conference) and Dighton-Rehoboth (4-16, 2-12 South Coast Conference) showed some promise for the future.

Link

Sports

Coastal Bend volleyball standouts named to TSWA all-state team

Published

3 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jan. 5, 2026, 4:05 a.m. CT

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.

Link

Sports

Tritons Complete North American Challenge

Published

5 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

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.