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Aztec Volleyball Welcomes Seven Newcomers for 2025 Campaign

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SAN DIEGO – San Diego State volleyball head coach Brent Hilliard has added seven talented newcomers for the 2025 season, which opens Saturday, Aug. 23, with an exhibition match at UC Irvine, starting at noon PT.

Along with 10 returning letterwinners, the Aztec roster features four freshman and three Division I transfers, all of whom will be looking to make their mark on a team that posted a 20-10 record last season, its highest victory total since the 2012 campaign.

Earlier this month, SDSU was picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason season coaches poll, trailing only Utah State and Colorado State after receiving 96 points and two first-place votes, while senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team.

Following Saturday’s exhibition, the Aztecs commence their regular season slate next weekend, when they travel to the Bay Area to face California and San Francisco, respectively, in the Golden Bears’ home tournament, Aug. 29-30, in Berkeley, California.

Below is a look at SDSU’s newcomer class for 2025:

#2 Annelise Rising | R-So. | 6-1 | Outside Hitter
(Pasadena, Calif. | Mayfield Senior School | Univ. of Colorado)
Rising originally signed with Colorado out of high school, appearing in three matches for the Buffaloes last season as a redshirt freshman after sitting out the 2023 campaign. As a prep, Rising starred for Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, where she garnered first-team all-Prep League accolades on three occasions (2019, 2021, 2022) while collecting conference MVP honors following her junior and senior seasons. Additionally, she received first team all-CIF Southern Section Division V recognition in 2021 and later helped the Cubs reach the regional finals of the CIF Division III state championship that season.

Coach Hilliard Says: “Annie will provide us with much-needed depth in the outside hitting position. She is solid in serve receive and packs a pretty big punch when attacking on either antenna. She has already proven herself to be great for team culture, as she is one of the hardest workers in the gym.  We are extremely happy to have her and expect her to be a big part of our success this season.”

#3 Zara Stewart | Fr. | 5-6 | Libero/Defensive Specialist
(Bonita Springs, Fla. | First Baptist Academy)
Stewart was a multi-sport prep star at First Baptist Academy in Naples, Florida, where she helped her squad to a pair of FHSAA Class 2A playoff appearances, including a Final Four berth in 2024. As a senior last season, she garnered first-team all-area accolades and was named Female Athlete of the Year at the Southwest Florida Sports Awards after leading FBA to conference, district and regional titles. Stewart totaled over 1,231 kills and 1,927 digs in her prep career, collecting team MVP honors four times while serving as team captain on three occasions. She also excelled at guard on her school’s basketball squad, finishing with career totals of 1,288 points and 445 rebounds, earning team MVP honors four times.

Coach Hilliard Says: “Zara has a chance to be the best libero in our conference from day one.  She is superior in serve receive and is not far behind that from a defensive perspective. The best part about Zara, and this is saying a lot, is that she is probably the most competitive person in the gym most days. We expect her to improve our ball control and team culture significantly from the outset.”

#6 Ella Schabort | Jr. | 6-2 | Outside Hitter
(Perth, Australia | Penrhos College | Binghamton Univ.)
Schabort is an Australian national who transferred to San Diego State earlier this spring after playing her first two collegiate seasons at Binghamton University in New York state. A versatile performer, Schabort started 43 of 58 matches with the Bearcats, posting 516 kills (2.47/set), 340 digs (1.63/set) and 102 blocks (0.49/set) to go with 58 service aces. She surpassed the double-digit kill plateau on 32 occasions and completed five double-doubles. Schabort made a huge splash as a freshman in 2023, earning second-team all-America East honors while landing on the league’s all-rookie team. That season, she ranked eighth in the America East with 3.21 points per set (321 overall) and was slotted ninth with 2.63 kills per frame (263 overall). As a sophomore in 2024, Schabort helped Binghamton secure a berth in the NIVC after ranking second on the team with 254 kills (2.32/set) and fourth with 236 digs (2.17/set).

Coach Hilliard Says: “Ella brings great size and talent to the outside hitting position.  She is a complete player who can play all six rotations. She has also gained elite experience as a member of the Australian national team and can be one of the top outside hitters in our conference this upcoming season. We expect her to compete for starting time immediately.”

#8 Bella Jones | Fr. | 5-9 | Setter
(Redondo Beach, Calif. | Redondo Union HS)
Jones arrives on The Mesa from prep powerhouse Redondo Union High School, where she helped the Sea Hawks to a combined 83-38 record and consecutive berths in the CIF Division I state tournament over the past three seasons, highlighted by back-to-back semifinal appearances. As a senior, Jones also starred for her beach volleyball team, leading Redondo Union to the CIF Southern Section Division I championship last spring following consecutive runner-up finishes. In the title match against Mira Costa High, she scored the winning point at No. 3 pairs with a cross-court kill in the fifth set.

Coach Hilliard Says: “Bella will be a very good Division I setter in no time. She is smooth with her delivery and makes great choices when running an offense. I have complete confidence in Bella early on in her career.  Her connection with the middles is at an elite level, and she brings a very good serve and defense to the setting position as well.”

#14 Mila Gehlen | Fr. | 6-2 | Opposite Hitter
(San Diego, Calif. | Scripps Ranch HS)
Gehlen is a local product from Scripps Ranch High School, where she was a three-year varsity performer. She contributed to a dramatic turnaround for the Centurions volleyball program, which finished with a 7-22 record during her sophomore campaign before posting a combined 46-27 ledger over her final two prep seasons. Gehlen helped Scripps Ranch to a pair of CIF San Diego Section Division II playoffs appearances, including a semifinal berth in 2023, which followed on the heels of City League East co-championships. As a senior, she tied for second on the team with 41 blocks and ranked third with 204 kills while adding 61 digs, according to MaxPreps. As a club performer with Coast Volleyball, Gehlen helped her squad to a second-place finish in the open division of the USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah in April 2025.

Coach Hilliard Says: “Mila is going to be an elite player for our program for years to come.  She has been the opposite (hitter) we have been looking for. Mila brings great size, skill, and the fact that she is left-handed makes her a weapon out of the right side.  She has one of the best arms I have seen, as she can hit any tempo set while moving it in line or angle on a whim.  With a little bit of experience under her belt, Mila has a chance to contribute big things to our program in the near future.”

#17 Rylie Sengdara | So. | 5-6 | Libero/Defensive Specialist
(Eastvale, Calif. | Eleanor Roosevelt HS | Cal State Fullerton)
Sengdara joins the Aztecs after spending her freshman season at Cal State Fullerton, where she ranked third on the team with 123 digs (1.60/set) in 77 sets across 25 matches in 2024. She reached the double-digit dig plateau on five occasions, recording a collegiate best 12 scoops in matches against CSUN and UC Riverside. Sengdara was a standout prep player at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where she totaled 743 digs (4.9/set) and 77 aces (0.51/set) over her final two seasons in 2022 and 2023, according to MaxPreps, earning all-Big VIII Conference honors. Additionally, she garnered all-CIF Southern Section accolades as a junior, helping Roosevelt High to a semifinal appearance in the Division IV playoffs before her squad advanced to the second round of the CIF Division II regional tournament.

Coach Hilliard Says: “Rylie brings us some much much-needed depth to our ball control and defense. She can play all three back row positions at a very high level. She also reads offenses extremely well and is a great athlete with very quick on-court movement. Rylie has been great for team culture, as she works extremely hard, but most of all, she is going to bring our team defense to another level.”

#21 Kendall Mairs | Fr. | 5-11 | Setter
(Camas, Wash. | Camas HS)
Mairs arrives on The Mesa as a heavily decorated prep player from Camas High School in Washington, where she also excelled in basketball. On the volleyball court, Mairs earned team MVP honors and received all-state recognition in each of her four prep seasons, helping her Camas High squad to four consecutive quarterfinal appearances in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Class 4A Championships. Not to be outdone, she also garnered all-conference accolades on four occasions, collecting back-to-back Player of the Year awards from the Greater St. Helens League in 2023 and 2024.

Coach Hilliard Says: “Kendall brings a size and athleticism to the setting position that we have not had in my tenure here at SDSU.  She is a tremendous athlete who can do almost anything on the court.  Whether it’s speed to a ball, volleyball IQ running an offense, providing great defense or bringing an elite serve, Kendall has already shown the ability to be the best at her position.  We have huge expectations for her here and expect her to help us reach another level of success.” 





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Texas A&M tops Kentucky for first NCAA volleyball championship: ‘We sent a warning shot out to the world’

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With Texas A&M up 24-20 in the third set of the NCAA women’s volleyball title match, Maddie Waak set the ball for Ifenna Cos-Okpalla. Though Logan Lednicky and Kyndal Stowers had played bigger games for the Aggies, it was Cos-Okpalla who got the call for the championship point.

She elevated and slammed the ball in between Kentucky’s defenders at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. With that kill, Texas A&M won an improbable national title, 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-20).

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“They’re putting on t-shirts behind me. I can’t believe it. I’m still a little bit in disbelief,” Aggies coach Jamie Morrison said to ABC after the game. “We sent a warning shot out to the world about what we’re about.”

Kentucky, the No. 1 seed, started out strong in the first set. They built a lead as big as six points before Texas A&M started chipping away, eventually winning the set, 26-24. With that momentum, the Aggies owned the next two sets. Lednicky was the star of the match with 7 kills, 11 digs and 2 blocks. With every point won, Texas A&M’s confidence grew.

Kentucky was the third No. 1 seed that Texas A&M — a third seed — beat on the way to the national title, and every win from the Sweet 16 on was shocking. First, the Aggies came back from 2-0 to pull the reverse sweep against Louisville. Next, Texas A&M had to face undefeated, No. 1 overall seed Nebraska in Lincoln. In what was the best game of the tournament, the Aggies beat Nebraska in five sets.

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But their magic didn’t stop once the Aggies got to Kansas City. In the national semifinal, they swept No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, the first time the Panthers had been swept all season. And then in the first-ever All-SEC final, the Aggies came out victorious.

Unlike Kentucky, which won the national title in 2020 and has been one of the top teams in women’s volleyball for years, Texas A&M is a newcomer to volleyball’s elite. Though it had some good teams over the years that made it to the Elite Eight, this was the program’s first Final Four and their first national title.

Morrison took over the program in 2023, and held onto Lednicky and Cos-Okpalla. The Aggies turned the program around quickly, earning a bid to the tournament in 2023 and then making it to the Sweet 16 in 2024. This year, the Aggies went 29-4 and looked like a team on the brink. But with so many seniors, they had no time to waste and adopted the mentality of “Why not us?”

Lednicky, who played with the U.S. national team over the summer, was the heart of this team’s championship run, and the player who kept asking “Why not us?” Stowers’ comeback might be one of the best sports stories of the year. While playing for Baylor, she suffered concussions and medically retired from the sport. But after being medically cleared and deciding she had more to give to the sport, Stowers signed with Texas A&M and is now a national champion.

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Morrison has built a program that is not only a national champion, but is in a great position to continue to grow volleyball in Texas. While he will lose seniors like Lednicky and Waak, he can now show off a championship ring while on the recruiting trail.

But figuring out who will play for the Aggies next season is tomorrow’s problem. Today, Texas A&M gets to celebrate how it defied the odds to win the school’s first-ever national title in women’s volleyball.



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Kentucky vs. Texas A&M NCAA Volleyball Championship: How to watch, preview

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Kentucky volleyball will look to win its second national title in five years on Sunday when it takes on Texas A&M in Kansas City.How to watchSunday’s game tips off at 3:30 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center. It will air on ABC.PreviewKentucky comes to the game on Sunday with the edge. The Cats are No. 2 overall in the NCAA ranking, and they have previously beaten the No. 6 Aggies 3-1 in October. That game, an A&M home game, saw then No. 3 Kentucky face off against No. 9 Texas A&M, but since that meet-up, the Cats have not lost a single game, and the Aggies are right behind them with a single loss to home state rival Texas. The Wildcats have won 27 straight games, 30-2 overall, with their last loss in September to Pittsburgh. Texas A&M comes in 28-4 overall, with a five-game win streak, after their loss to Texas destroyed their 11-game win streak.Kentucky is no stranger to the NCAA championship. The Cats snagged their first title in 2020 after they beat Texas 3-1 in Omaha. Texas A&M has not made an appearance at the NCAA championship but has finished in the top ten four times in the last five years, finishing in fifth place in 2024.

Kentucky volleyball will look to win its second national title in five years on Sunday when it takes on Texas A&M in Kansas City.

How to watch

Sunday’s game tips off at 3:30 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center. It will air on ABC.

Preview

Kentucky comes to the game on Sunday with the edge. The Cats are No. 2 overall in the NCAA ranking, and they have previously beaten the No. 6 Aggies 3-1 in October. That game, an A&M home game, saw then No. 3 Kentucky face off against No. 9 Texas A&M, but since that meet-up, the Cats have not lost a single game, and the Aggies are right behind them with a single loss to home state rival Texas.

The Wildcats have won 27 straight games, 30-2 overall, with their last loss in September to Pittsburgh. Texas A&M comes in 28-4 overall, with a five-game win streak, after their loss to Texas destroyed their 11-game win streak.

Kentucky is no stranger to the NCAA championship. The Cats snagged their first title in 2020 after they beat Texas 3-1 in Omaha.

Texas A&M has not made an appearance at the NCAA championship but has finished in the top ten four times in the last five years, finishing in fifth place in 2024.



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Texas A&M volleyball beats Kentucky to win national title

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NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! – Texas A&M Athletics

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Texas A&M Aggies overwhelmed the Kentucky Wildcats in the final two sets of a 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-18) victory to claim the school’s first-ever NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Sunday evening inside the T-Mobile Center.

 

Entering the tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Lincoln Regional, Texas A&M (29-4) completed a postseason sweep of three of the tournament’s No. 1 seeds, beating Nebraska (3-2) and Pitt (3-0) before dispatching of Kentucky (30-3). The last three teams the Maroon & White beat were a combined 93-6 before their respective seasons were ended.

 

The Aggies became the ninth team in the 45-year history of the NCAA Championship to sweep both of their Final Four matches.

 

The Maroon & White never trailed in the last two sets. The opportunistic Aggies took advantage of the Wildcats’ nine service errors and 16 attack errors.

 

Kyndal Stowers was named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player. She capped off the tournament with a .304 attack percentage, 10 kills, six digs, two service aces and one block in the triumph over Kentucky. Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Logan Lednicky and Ava Underwood joined Stowers on the All-Tournament Team.

 

Texas A&M claimed the first set despite not leading until 25-24. The Wildcats pounced on the Aggies in the first set for a 9-3 advantage. Kentucky led by six on eight more occasions, before the Maroon & White clawed back into the contest. An 8-2 run, featuring two kills each by Cos-Okpalla and Lednicky, tied the contest at 20-20. With the set seesawing, the Wildcats had its first set point at 24-23, but Stowers sandwiched two kills around a block assist by Cos-Okpalla and Maddie Waak for the smash and grab.

 

The second set was tied twice early before the Aggies broke away. Back-to-back kills by Lednicky and a service ace by Cos-Okpalla allowed Texas A&M to open a 5-2 lead. The Maroon & White suffocated the Wildcats with a 13-3 run to open its biggest lead of the set at 19-8. Kentucky would draw no closer than seven the remainder of the set.

 

After Kentucky opened the third set with a service error, Cos-Okpalla put aways two kills to start a 6-1 surge out of the gate. The Wildcats cut the deficit to 10-8, but 9-3 charge by Texas A&M widened the lead to 19-11. Big Blue was closed the gap to four at 24-20, but it was too little, too late as Cos-Okpalla uncorked a booming kill for the final point.

 

STAT LEADERS

Kills – Logan Lednicky – 11

Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Kyndal Stowers – .304

Assists – Maddie Waak – 29

Aces – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla; Maddie Waak – 2 

Digs – Ava Underwood – 10

Blocks – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 4

 

GAME NOTES

  • Logan Lednicky recorded her 23nd-consecutive game with 10 or more kills.
  • Ifenna Cos-Okpalla set the Texas A&M career record for blocks, wrapping up with 566. She also inflated her single-season school record to 199.
  • Jamie Morrison joined John Dunning (first year) and Michael Sealy (second year) as one of three coaches two win an NCAA Division I Volleyball tournament in their first three years as a head coach.
  • The Aggies beat all four of the No. 1 seeds of the NCAA Championship, beating Texas (3-2) in the regular season and Nebraska (3-2), Pitt (3-0) and Kentucky (3-0).

 

FOLLOW THE AGGIES

Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.





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Alumni Spotlight: Aviana “Avi” Goode ’20

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Aviana K. Goode ’20
Track and Field

Aviana, also known as Avi, is no stranger to success on the track. Before turning 18, Avi had already won three state championships and earned multiple bronze medals, along with a silver, while competing for her high school track team — and even added a school record in the process. Her winning nature carried over to Syracuse where she balanced being a student and an athlete, studying Communication and Rhetorical Studies at VPA and Sports Revenue Management & Operations at Falk College. This balance paid off as she earned top-six finishes at the 2019 ACC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the high jump. She continued to add to her long list of track achievements during her graduate transfer year when she competed for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) where she previously held the indoor program record for 60m hurdles and the outdoor record for the 100m hurdles and heptathlon. Although she no longer competes on the track, she has found a new way to stay involved with the sport she loves.

It was always Aviana’s dream to earn a trip to TrackTown USA in Eugene, Oregon. For those who may not know, TrackTown is a world-class track and field facility organizing events such as the 2015, 2022, 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships and the 2016, 2020, and 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Aviana’s dream to make it to TrackTown USA, also known as Hayward Field, came true when she was selected as one of four photographers to cover the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials as park of the Black Women Photographers and TrackTown USA creative team.

Noah Lyles coming out of the blocks at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks
Noah Lyles coming out of the blocks at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks

“It was surreal,” Aviana said. “My goal in life, in track and field specifically, was always to make it to Hayward Field. It was supposed to be as an athlete, but I guess God had different plans for me. I ended up there with a whole new lens, literally and figuratively.”

Aviana spent over a week at TrackTown shooting world-class athletes like Olympic champion and eight-time World Champion, Noah Lyles, Olympic long jump champion, Tara Davis-Woodhall, and even Olympian and World Record breaker, Sydney McLaughlin.


 

Tara Davis-Woodhall competing in long jump at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks
Tara Davis-Woodhall competing in long jump at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks

The unique part about the entire situation is that Aviana was just a newbie in the sports photography world at this point. She had started sports photography just two years prior to shooting on this world-class stage and had only shot one outdoor track meet before. Despite the lack of experience, Polly Irungu, founder of Black Women Photographers, loved her photos and style.

The opportunity to shoot the Olympic Trials allowed Aviana to grow tremendously as a person but also as a photographer. While covering the Olympic Trials, she noticed that not many women of color were working as creatives although the sport is predominately black. There were only five other creatives that were black women that she saw capturing the events at TrackTown. This realization inspired Avi to be a role model and a representation for young black women and women of color who want to step into the creative world. As a freelance photographer based in NYC, she continues to refine her craft, working with athletes, brands, and events to create high-impact imagery that resonates.

“Being a photographer allows me to go out there and still feel like an athlete. I can feel the emotion. I’m capturing everything to remember the moment and to show the love and passion for the sport that I think is the hardest sport in the world, Aviana said.

 

Stay connected with Aviana on Linkedin: Aviana Goode | LinkedIn & Instagram: @goode.flicks

Raven Saunders with her medal at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks
Raven Saunders with her medal at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Credit: Aviana Goode/@goode.flicks



 

 



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Kentucky volleyball results, recap vs Texas A&M in championship match

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Updated Dec. 21, 2025, 5:16 p.m. ET

The Kentucky Wildcats volleyball team needed one more win to bring home a national championship, but the Texas A&M Aggies were the better team on Sunday afternoon, and it’s they who took home the trophy after winning the match 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-20).

It looked like the Wildcats were going to take control early. They jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set, and led big as play progressed. However, some good Texas A&M serves, and some bad Kentucky passing led to an Aggies comeback.

After that first set, it seemed as if the life drained out of the Wildcats. The Aggies dominated the second set. They blocked nearly every Kentucky kill attempt, and dug out the rest. The Cats had no answers, and they fell behind 2-0.



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