Championship Central | Box score | UCSD presser | UCSB presser 

HONOLULU – In a riveting curtain-raiser to open The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship, the No. 4 seed UC San Diego Tritons survived a fierce test from No. 5 seed UC Santa Barbara, emerging with a thrilling five-set victory at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 20–25, 27–25, 25–22, 23–25, 15–13 in the hotly-contested match. 

The match had everything a championship opener could hope for — lead changes, standout performances, and edge-of-your-seat intensity. It was a showcase of the depth and competitiveness across The Big West.  

UC San Diego (18-11) now turns its attention to the challenge of a semifinal matchup with national No. 1 and top seed Long Beach State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. HT. The Tritons just met the Beach less than a week ago, a pair of three-setters in favor of LBSU. 

UC Santa Barbara (12-16) came out firing, gaining momentum early on with a service ace and a series of successful kills, with Ben Coordt and Geste Bianchi contributing significantly to the offense with four kills apiece in the first frame. Despite a late push by UCSD that saw a 7-2 run knot the score at 19 apiece, the Gauchos were able to take the early match lead. 

In the second, the Tritons responded with urgency, evening the score after a 27–25 extra-point win in the second, and used that spark to gain the upper hand in the third, 25–22. But the Gauchos refused to back down to knot the score after a 25-23 win in the fourth.  

With the match tied 2–2 and a semifinal berth on the line, the fifth set was a showcase of resilience and nerve. Both teams traded points, but the Tritons found just enough in the tank to edge ahead late and seal it 15–13 to clinch their place in Friday’s semifinals. 

UC San Diego’s winning edge came every player in the adjusted lineup. Junior outside hitter Josh Schellinger delivered under pressure, posting 22 kills and 12 digs, while middle blocker Peter Selcho hit .647 with 11 kills and eight blocks. All-Big West setter Bryce Dvorak ran the offense with a deft touch, tallying 56 assists, while libero Keegan Cook steadied the back row with 14 digs in the victorious effort. 

For the Gauchos, redshirt senior opposite hitter Bianchi was a standout, delivering a well-rounded performance with 24 kills, five blocks, and an ace to lead the team. Coordt added firepower with 19 kills and eight digs, while Jack Walmer dished out 55 assists, orchestrating the offense. Defensively, Max Gordon turned in a strong effort with a game-high 17 digs in the season finale. 

RESULTS

Morehead State Beach Volleyball fought to the final horn but the Eagles ultimately saw their season come to a conclusion Friday morning with a 3-0 setback to Lindenwood at the OVC Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Eagles finished 2025, the second year for head coach Sarah Martin, with a 14-12 record. It’s the program’s sixth winning record in the last seven seasons.

Hollan Everett and Courtney Fitzgerald battled at No. 5 in a match decided only by four total points as the pair lost 21-19, 21-19. LU moved to a 2-0 mark with a three-set win at No. 4. Brenna Bommer and Shea Hefner fell behind 21-19 but responded with a 21-18 win to send it to three. The duo part forth a gritty effort but ended up on the short end of a 16-14 call.

Similarly, at No. 3, Peighton Isley and Amelia Nott staved off elimination into a third set. They fell 21-15 but returned to outlast Abby VanBuskirk and Taylor Gentemann 26-24. However, it wasn’t meant to be as they dropped the finale 15-6. Isley wrapped up her career as the team’s win leader in 2025 with 14.

LOS ANGELES – Three members of the No. 22-ranked and 4-seed San Diego State water polo team, Sammi Byers, Julianne Stark and Mimi Stoupas, each scored three times to lead the Aztecs to a 14-13 win over 5-seed California Baptist in a quarterfinal round game of the 2025 Golden Coast Conference (GCC) on Friday afternoon at Burns Aquatic Center.

In addition to the hat tricks from Byers, Stark and Stoupas, SDSU got individual goals from Amanda Chambers, Megan Holcomb, Rose Kanemy, Sofia Righetti, and Claudia Valdes.

In the cage, Tiaare Ahovelo (9-9) played the first half, made five saves against eight goals allowed and assisted on a career-high three goals in earning the win. Ava Ratajczak, in the second 16 minutes, surrendered five goals, totaled three saves and had two steals.

With the victory, the Aztecs move to 15-13 on the year and have secured back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 2014 and 2015 campaigns.

As the 4-seed, San Diego State moves to 4-4 in the event and 6-0 in quarterfinal games in the GCC Tournament. In addition, the Scarlet and Black are 4-0 against CBU in the event, which includes a 3-0 mark in the quarterfinal games.

The Lancers (12-15) secured the game’s initial goal at the 7:05 mark and just under two minutes later, with 5:07 on the clock, Byers tied it with Ahovelo’s first assist. It took 20 seconds for CBU to get the lead back. Then at 3:24, Byers set up Stoupas on a powerplay to even the score, 2-2. California Baptist moved back in front, 3-2, with 3:03 to play in the period, but back-to-back goals scored by the Aztecs made it 4-3 SDSU. The first strike came off a Chambers shot with Kanemy being credited with the assist at 1:35 and then, 24 seconds later, it was Righetti, assisted by Valdes, which gave SDSU its first lead, 4-3.

CBU tied it at 4-4 with 59 seconds to go and then went ahead on a powerplay goal with 13 seconds to play. But, with just two ticks on the clock, Byers scored her second of the day, assisted by Holcomb, to send the game to the second quarter tied 5-5.

At 7:05 of the second, the opening goal of the period gave Byers a hat trick, her second in as many games and fifth of the campaign, with Kanemy picking up her second assist. Kanemy then got into the goal scoring column with her first strike of the game, a powerplay score at 5:43 to make it 7-5 in favor of the Aztecs. Valdes was credited with her second assist of the game on the score. The Lancers trimmed the SDSU advantage to 7-6 with 4:10 to play until the half, but Stoupas, 47 seconds later got the goal back, assisted by Righetti, and Stark made it a three-goal lead, 9-6, on her first of the day, at the 2:57 mark, with Ahovelo getting her second assist of the game. Then 30 seconds after Stark scored, she and Ahovelo did it again to make it 10-6. CBU took a timeout and proceeded to score with 1:40 to go to make it 10-7, which was the score at the intermission.

Coming out of the break, the Aztecs put California Baptist in a powerplay, and the Lancers took advantage, scoring 35 seconds in, to make it a two-goal game, but on a Lucy Bullock assist at 7:11, Valdes put the margin at three goals again, 11-8. CBU made it 11-9 with a powerplay goal at the 4:22 mark. Holcomb then pushed the lead back to three, 12-9, and Byers picked up the assist with 2:23 on the clock, but the Lancers responded with 1:48 to go to make it 12-10, the score which the teams took into the final period.

It took nearly three minutes to get any scoring in the fourth quarter. California Baptist scored at 5:11 to make it 12-11, and 15 seconds later, on a Righetti assist, Stoupas got her hat trick to make it 13-11. It only took 16 seconds for the Lancers to score and then another 16 for Stark to get her hat trick for a 14-12 score with 4:24 to play.

CBU made it a one-goal game, 14-13 with a tally at 3:53, but neither team was able to score again and SDSU advanced to the semifinal round to play 1-seed Loyola Marymount on Saturday, April 26, at 4 p.m. (PT).

California Baptist: 5-2-3-3 – 13
San Diego State: 5-5-2-2 – 14

California Baptist Goals: Byers (3), Stark (3), Stoupas (3), Chambers, Holcomb, Kanemy, Righetti, Valdes
San Diego State Goals: Almendariz (5), Kahahawai (2), Moreno (2), Ruffer (2), Beringer, Carter,

California Baptist Saves: Urry (9)
San Diego State Saves: Ahovelo (5), Ratajczak (3)

USC went up 1-0 on court two after Kennedy Coackley and Ashley Pater defeated Peri Brennan and Natalie Myszkowski 21-14, 21-12.

The Trojans took a 2-0 lead when Madison Goellner and Kaileigh Truslow defeated Harper Cooper and Ensley Alden on court five, 21-19, 21-19..

UCLA got on the board on court one as Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd delivered a 21-18, 21-18 victory over USC’s Madison White and Zoey Henson.

The Trojans would score the final clinching point of the dual on court four when Delaney Karl and Ella Larkin defeated Kaley Mathews and Alexa Fernandez, 21-19, 21-14.

UP NEXT: The Bruins await the seeding for the NCAA Championship, to be announced on Sunday, April 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT on NCAA.com.

No. 5 USC def. No. 1 UCLA, 3-1

Spiker Beach • Huntington Beach, Calif.

Friday, April 25, 2025 • 1A:00 PM PT

Records: UCLA (30-6), USC (26-9)

Order of finish: 2, 5, 1, 4*
 

FORT WORTH – No. 1 seeded TCU edged out No. 2 seeded Arizona State, 3-2, to capture the first-ever Big 12 Beach Volleyball Championship Friday at the TCU Beach Volleyball Courts.  

The Horned Frogs wrapped up the 2025 championship with a 9-2 overall match record. The beach volleyball program helped set a school record for Big 12 Conference championships in a season with four. Other Horned Frog champions this season were women’s soccer, women’s basketball and men’s tennis.   

TCU also wrapped up its fifth-consecutive undefeated home season. With three wins from this tournament under their belt, the Frogs extended their home win streak to 64.

Maria Gonzalez and Hailey Hamlett were named Pair of the Tournament after sealing the title for TCU. With the championship on the line and the match tied at 2-2, the duo delivered a dramatic three-set victory on court two, winning 21-11, 13-21, 28-26.  

Hamlett has now helped secure three conference titles for TCU. The first came in 2023 with Sutton MacTavish for the CCSA Title and the second was in 2024 with Anhelina Khmil in Conference USA.  

Gonzalez and Hamlett were both named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team followed by Khmil and Ana Vergara. The dynamic No. 4 pairing stretched their undefeated streak to 18 wins. 

Quick Hits against No. 12 ranked Arizona State  

• Vergara/Khmil notched the first point for TCU at the No. 4 spot: 21-15, 21-11.  

• The duo improved to 18-0 on the season.  

• Olivia Clines and Deniela Konstantinova fell at the No. 5 spot: 18-21, 21-19, 11-15.  

• The duo moved to 6-1 on the season.  

• Sofia Izuzquiza and Allanis Navas took point two for the Frogs at the No. 3 spot: 21-16, 23-21.  

• The freshman and senior duo improved to 22-2 on the season.  

• Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno fell at the No. 1 spot: 18-21, 18-21.  

• The duo moved to 14-4 on the season.   

• To secure the Big 12 title for TCU, Gonzalez/Hamlett scored point three in a nail-biting finish at the No. 2 spot: 21-11, 13-21, 28-26.  

• The duo improved to 9-2 on the season.   

• TCU maintains the lead in the all-time series over Arizona State, extending to 8-3.  

• With the conference win, the Horned Frogs improved to 28-5 on the season.  

• The championship was the third different conference title overall and in three years for the program. 

 

Up Next  

The No. 2 ranked Horned Frogs await their fate for the NCAA Tournament held in Gulf Shores, Ala. May 2-4. The selection show is Sunday at noon. Fans will be able to stream it on NCAA.com.  

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The CSUN Beach Volleyball team defeated Cal State Bakersfield in an elimination match before falling to top-seed Cal Poly in the semifinals of the 2025 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship on Friday at the Ocean Park Beach Courts.

With their sixth victory over the Roadrunners this season, the Matadors set a new program record with won their 18th match of the season. After the defeat to the championship runners-up Mustangs in the afternoon, CSUN finishes the season with an 18-17 overall record.

CSUN 3, CSUB 1

CSUN’s Tia Mendiola and Julia Bazylevych opened the scoring with a straight-set (21-12, 21-16) win over Paola Caten and Sarah Martin in the No. 2 pair. The Matadors went up 2-0 when Maleya Miles and Layla Cederlind earned a 21-19, 21-11 victory over Olivia Ostler and Vianna Garcia on the No. 4 court. Bakersfield’s Ella Erteltova and Vivi Kaelin cut the CSUN lead in half with a 21-18, 21-12 win over Tasha Mae and Kinley Lindhardt on the No. 1 court before Sophia Jarosz and Haley Coggins clinched the Matador win when a 21-17, 21-19 sweep over Olivia Silacci-Jensen and Brooklyn Thomas on the No. 5 court gave CSUN its third win. Dylan Hall and Hannah Heflin dropped the opening set to Katey Milne and Alla Ensign before capturing set two, 21-19. The CSUN pair was up 2-1 when the Matadors’ clinched the dual win, so the No. 3 pair was abandoned.

CAL POLY 3, CSUN 0

Looking to advance past the semifinal round for the first time since 2019,  the Matadors dropped three straight pairs to the Mustangs to see their season come to an end. Cal Poly’s Logan Walter and Izzy Martinez defeated Mendiola and Bazylevych, 21-13, 21-7 in the No. 2 pair to open the scoring. The Mustangs’ Piper Ferch and Erin Inskeep then swept Mae and Lindhardt, 21-18, 21-15 on the No. 1 court to put Cal Poly up 2-0. The Mustangs then clinched a berth in the championship match when Quinn Perry and Lindsey Sparks swept Hall and Heflin at No. 3, 21-18, 21-14.

The final two pairs did not finish after Cal Poly clinched as Miles and Cederlind were in set two against Ella Connor and Madi Nichols (21-13, 20-17) while Jarosz and Coggins were also in set two with Abbey Reinard and Elise Lenehan on the N0. 5 court (21-13, 16-17) when the pair was abandoned. 

CSUN 3, CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 1

#1. Ella Erteltova/Vivi Kaelin (CSUB) def. Tasha Mae/Kinley Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-18, 21-12

#2. Tia Mendiola/Julia Bazylevych (CSUN) def. Paola Caten/Sarah Martin (CSUB), 21-12, 21-16

#3. Katey Milne/Ella Ensign (CSUB) vs. Dylan Hall/Hannah Heflin (CSUN), 21-16, 19-21, 2-1 (DNF)

#4. Maleya Miles/Layla Cederlind (CSUN) def. Olivia Ostler/Vianna Garcia (CSUB), 21-19, 21-11

#5. Sophia Jarosz/Haley Coggins (CSUN) def. Olivia Silacci-Jensen/Brooklyn Thomas (CSUB), 21-17, 21-19

CAL POLY 3, CSUN 0

#1. Piper Ferch/Erin Inskeep (CP) def. Tasha Mae/Kinley Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-18, 21-15

#2. Logan Walter/Izzy Martinez (CP) def. Tia Mendiola/Julia Bazylevych (CSUN), 21-13, 21-7

#3. Quinn Perry/Lindsey Sparks (CP) def. Dylan Hall/Hannah Heflin (CSUN), 21-18, 21-14

#4. Ella Connor/Madi Nichols (CP) vs. Maleya Miles/Layla Cederlind (CSUN), 21-13, 20-17 (DNF)

#5. Abbey Reinard/Elise Lenehan (CP) vs.. Sophia Jarosz/Haley Coggins (CSUN), 21-13, 16-17 (DNF)

#GoMatadors