CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER : Year four, wow! I can’t believe it. It’s gone fast. It’s my sixth season, headed into my sixth season at Rutgers, and it’s remarkable how much this program has really shifted over the past six seasons, and I’m really excited to be here to obviously let Lexi and Kenzie talk about their experience this past spring as well as what the team is — what you’re going to be experiencing as a Rutgers team in the fall. Thank you all for being here and being part of this media day experience.
Q. Coach, I want to ask as you head into 2025 and continuing to build what you’re most looking forward to and wanted to showcase with this particular squad this year.
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: Yeah, this team last year was incredibly young. We started four freshmen, a couple of sophomores. We only graduated one key player. Obviously, she was a major contributor, but we feel like we’ve been able to definitely replace that position through the transfer portal. So I’m just excited that we’re able to use the experience that we had in unfortunately being defeated in some really tight matches last year, but actually having had the opportunity to play in those matches in the past, we’ve never really had that experience to go to five sets in so many matches that we did. Unfortunately, losing them at the end, I think came down to a little bit of inexperience and just team leadership as a whole, but obviously I gained the opportunity to learn, and the rest of my coaching staff to learn how to move forward and really get over the finish line in those matches. I think you’re going to see a bit of a different Rutgers team but also the same — it’s kind of hard to explain. We obviously have some new people in some key positions, but a lot of returners as well.
Q. I’ll ask the players what you’re looking forward to and what you want people to know as you go through summer workouts about what this 2025 Rutgers team is going to be like.KENZIE DYRSTAD: I just really want people to know that we are a very close-knit team and we’re working on fixing the little things and we’re really working on coming together and being able to play well with one another.
LEXI VISINTINE: I would say we’ve been working extremely hard in summer workouts and lift and practice and that we’re ready to compete and play against the best.
Q. Talk about Lauren Wilcock, a transfer, also a Master’s biomedical sciences major. How does that match with the volleyball training schedule?
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: I’ll talk about the educational piece first. We have one of the best degree programs in biomedical sciences. I’ve learned a lot about that graduate program. But the dean of that program has had multiple athletes come through, so they know how to work with the schedules. Rutgers, being such a large institution, we offer a lot of classes at different times. One of the things we’re doing this year is shifting our practice block a little bit later in the day. We practiced earlier in the day in the past, but moving to a little bit later in the day. It’s always my goal to have local talent on the team. Lauren was in the ones pair at Washington. She was also in the ones pair before that at South Carolina and something that really stood out to me about her was she typically had a partner that was younger than her. So from a leadership standpoint, I thought she would be a wonderful add, help support our passing unit. And there’s been a transition for her obviously taking the game from outside to inside, just the speed, but I got to watch her do some training during camp last week, and I thought she really has meshed nicely. Q. Can I ask the players what that transition is like? Do you notice when someone has that primary beach background?
KENZIE DYRSTAD: Yeah, we mess around with Lauren, especially when we’re sitting kids at the camp was like, oh, isn’t that a carry though when she was setting, and she’s like, I’m working on it. So she’s definitely working on that. Obviously, setting in beach is a little bit different, but she’s working on that and then a few footwork things. And she said diving was a lot different. She got pretty bruised up the first couple weeks of open gym. But she’s meshed really nicely with us, and I’m super excited to be able to keep playing with her.
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: I was joking with her because obviously Lexi has a really strong jump top spin serve and Lauren was like, well, I did it on the beach. I was like, that’s a free ball. We’ve got to be better at that. She was like, I just have to figure out how to hit the indoor ball a little bit harder.
Q. What is your mindset coming into the upcoming season?
KENZIE DYRSTAD: For me personally, my mindset is we get to play against the best of the best day in, day out. There’s not a lot of conferences where you get to say that you play top-25 teams back-to-back nights. Really just enjoying the moment and trying to remember that it’s so cool to be able to play some of the best athletes in the country and really focusing on that.
LEXI VISINTINE: I would say something similar. Going into my senior year, I really want to make this my best season and enjoy every moment.
Q. Coach, how do you determine playing time, and what are some factors considered for freshmen coming in?
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: Well, playing time. We train for about 25 days before our first game. Obviously, we have the opportunity to see these players on more of a year-round basis. Summer access would be wonderful, but we get to see them play a lot. We also were able to go on a foreign trip this year, so I got a little bit of an early insight. We were able to bring one of our freshmen, Imani Howell on that trip with us, so got to see how she meshed with the team. I think playing time comes from a few things. You can perform well in practice but can you replicate that in a game, and there’s certain players who can and there’s certain players who can’t. We learn that over time of just getting to know them and experiencing. It doesn’t mean that’s every night, but that definitely is something that goes into it. I think competitive personality, how you hold yourself under the pressure, under the big lights, the fans, how do you recover, are you taking care of your body correctly. So we play back-to-back nights sometimes, and are the players that are able to repeat their Friday night skill level on Saturday night. Then last but not least, obviously, experience. As you get older, you get more comfortable, so that goes into it as well. We haven’t really had that much opportunity to really have a lot of experienced players out there, so this will be the first year where I think we have a junior and senior class that is able to really hold their own and it’s not just all freshmen out there, freshmen and sophomores out there.
Q. For the players and coaches, how do you guys process game film? Do you watch the Big Ten Network? Do you listen without the sound? How do you take in a game?
KENZIE DYRSTAD: Usually, before games, we’ll break down film through volley metrics, so we’ll look at hitting tendencies, serving tendencies, all that type of stuff. We really break it down to what are people’s very specific tendencies so we can try and like help prevent what they’re really, really good at or things like that.
LEXI VISINTINE: Yeah, we usually take it in offense. We focus on that and scout their offense, and then their defense, which makes it easier to digest. Then we form a game plan about what we should do.
Q. How do you guys know when you watch the game? Do you watch broadcast? How do you watch the game?
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: So I have this saying where I’m like, are we watching it as a player, are we scouting this, or are we watching this as a fan. It’s totally okay to watch games as a fan. They’re both from states that are big volleyball states and they might just want to turn on the television and watch the game as a fan. But it’s a very different mindset when you’re watching it to prepare for a team. I wouldn’t recommend that they just turn on BTN and just watch the game and say, hey, we’re prepped. No, it’s not like that. We’re on the road sometimes and we’ll turn it on at night just in the hotel when we’re eating dinner or whatever if it’s a game after hours. But when it comes to film breakdown, our technical director does an unbelievable job of creating small videos for the players. We break down practice film so they can see themselves playing. We break individual reps. This year — I think in the past having a young team we really force fed a lot of the scouting report to them, and they did a great job of memorizing set 1. We did a lot better job — won a ton of set 1s. We didn’t do a great job of being able to transition into when the other team made an adjustment in set 2, 3, 4. We almost needed to have a whole ‘nother practice to learn about that. So we are spending more time less team specific things and more about player tendencies, and so that’s an area they want to focus on this year. They do small group sessions. A lot of film.
Q. Coach, you alluded to the foreign travels that you guys had. I think this was the first time ever and for all three of you, tell us what that does for your program, chemistry, competition, et cetera.
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: Yeah, our main two donors who really helped fund that trip aren’t going to want to have their names announced, but we were very supported when it came from a donor relationship to really drive that trip. It was a goal of mine when I first was hired that I wanted to do that trip and wait for the right timing of it. We’ve had an opportunity actually to do this probably for the last three years but I wasn’t sure the team dynamic, everything was exactly where I wanted it to be that would really jump start the next season. I felt after this spring — actually after last fall of knowing we were retaining the majority of our team, having the opportunity to train for the extra 10 days before that trip and then go on that trip, the relationships, and then the growth from a player development that we were able to create. So again, yes, it was the first trip Rutgers has ever done. I was able to do a foreign trip with some of my previous institutions and I just saw how successful those seasons are. Actually one of the ways we got the trip pushed through is we had to do some research about the success of other programs on years after foreign trips. There really is a trend that’s related to that, so that was a driving factor for those donors to really push through that trip. But I had a wonderful time. I got to know my players a lot more on a personal level. My daughter was able to go, my mother was able to go, so they got to see that side of my life more. It was a lot of together time, but I was actually honestly — maybe you guys can explain how we got through that trip, but I was shocked how there really was no fighting. Everyone seemed to really still enjoy being around each other at the end of that trip, and that was pretty cool.
KENZIE DYRSTAD: Yeah, it was so cool to be able to experience new cultures, especially we have a girl on our team, Ema, she’s from Serbia, so to be able to experience her culture, her home, it was so cool. Just all the new experiences and being able to create new memories, especially with the new people, that just makes your team so much closer. It’s going to really translate to the court hopefully.
LEXI VISINTINE: I would just add that it was also interesting to see the different styles of play. I feel like every country had their unique way of playing. I think it was a great experience for us to grow.
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: For a player like Lexi who is going into her senior year and potentially what’s next, do I stay playing volleyball, do I go into the workforce, what do I do. I think opening her eyes and kind of putting words in your mouth, but she had a wonderful foreign trip, and the doors that opened from just other teams getting to see her play and different countries that might not have been their first thought about a 5’10” outside hitter, they got to see how successful she was against really quality players. We played the U-21 Italian team and she had an unbelievable hitting percentage against them, so it was just really interesting. Q. What keeps you guys motivated when things get tough in volleyball?
LEXI VISINTINE: I would say there’s a lot of younger girls who looked up to us, and I think that’s the main thing that keeps me motivated, is playing for my younger self and playing for younger girls that would love to be in my shoes.
KENZIE DYRSTAD: For me, same thing as Lexi. Playing for younger me who loved the game. I still love the game. Really, just focusing on my joy for the game just really keeps me going.
Q. Caitlin, how has the House settlement impacted your team management? And for the players, is that a topic of conversation or are you discussing that? Is that on your mind of how the sport is growing and evolving?
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: Yeah, the House settlement is interesting. Obviously, I followed along the whole process for the past several years. I don’t know how much they’ve followed along the ins and outs of it. But I think a lot of coaches will say that’s not the reason they got into coaching originally was because of where we’re at now, but I do think after really trying to process and ask the questions as to why we got to this point, I understand. I see how much is on their plate and how much is on all the players’ plates in all different sports and how much they really do represent these institutions in such a high-quality way that it is only fair that they’re able to be compensated for their time and what they bring to the table. However, what they probably will realize is it’s a tough ask for every institution, not only Rutgers, but every institution. I was just talking to the head of our booster club, and she’s involved with the Women in Finance group at Rutgers, and they did an entire overview of how all the Big Ten teams would fare when it comes to paying out this amount of money year after year after year. The reality is it’s going to be tough for pretty much 98 percent of institutions. How that translates, I think Rutgers is doing a wonderful job of trying to keep the experience the same for all of out athletes regardless of what sport they play, and we’ve been able to be at a point where I have fought for the past several years when I took over this program so make sure that we were operationally funded the same way other teams in the Big Ten were, because in the past the volleyball program was not. And so in order to be successful we need to remain at that level. Obviously doing things like selling tickets for the first time ever in program history was a big deal, and that’s something that I pushed for for several years, and now I want to show that we have this fan base that’s able to generate some income back into the university, and it just shows how invested the region is in the sport of volleyball. Again, when it comes to player-to-player, those are individual conversations, and Rutgers is part of that mix for volleyball. Obviously, we’re going through some administrative changes, and we don’t need to get into that, but we’re going to figure out who’s leading the charge, and that is whoever that may be. Obviously, we’ve had wonderful interim athletic directors in the meantime, but whoever full-time leads the charge, they know that volleyball needs to be a priority sport because it is in this conference.
Q. Have you had conversations on the player level at all?
KENZIE DYRSTAD: I like to ask Caitlin questions about it. I see a lot of it, especially on Twitter I’ll see people post about it. Most of my conversations have just been asking Caitlin, what does this mean, what is this, stuff like that.
LEXI VISINTINE: Pretty much the same.
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: It’s really important to me that I treat my players as if they are professional athletes because they basically are professional athletes. So I want to make sure that they’re part of their own process and that I’m as transparent as possible with the decisions I have to make and how it affects them. I don’t want to hide anything from them. Obviously there’s things they don’t need to be privy to that don’t affect them immediately, but I think it’s important that they’re aware of decisions that not only the NCAA is making, not only the ABCA is making, but also that Rutgers is making and I am making that will affect them in the near future.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about what went into your decision to bring Kenzie and Lexi to media days this year?
CAITLIN SCHWEIHOFER: Sure. Well, Kenzie has been a captain for us. She was captain as a sophomore, which I think is really — maybe a rare thing. I don’t know how many teams have a sophomore captain. But she was our libero full-time last season. She has a ton of experience. But we have a family tree growing in the Dyrstad family, so it’s something she has really invested in this Rutgers process and growth process. She was one of the first true commits that I had for the class of 2023, and she opened the door for us in the Nebraska market, and now that’s growing exponentially year after year, the interest. I thought it was really important she represent this team and this program. Lexi is a really unique story where she came in as a walk-on, as a freshman, and I didn’t know exactly what role she would fill. She played more of a utility player, but she has taken every single bit of feedback that I have given her, that the rest of the staff has given her in great stride and now she is a player we can’t take off the court. So I felt like she really earned that honor to represent this team, and it just shows that just like this program that we’re trying to create as a whole, that sometimes it takes time to meet your goals. It doesn’t always happen overnight, but the reality is if you stick with something regularly, good things can happen.
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Local indoor track and field athletes rang in the new year with the third installment of the PVIAC meets at Smith College’s Indoor Track and Tennis Facility on Friday.
Amherst and Northampton were featured in the early wave, which began at 10 a.m., while Frontier, Hampshire, South Hadley and Holyoke partook in the late wave, with events beginning at 2 p.m.
The Hurricanes and Blue Devils split the head-to-head matchup as the Amherst boys won 53-24, but the Northampton girls were victorious with a score of 46-32.
Four ‘Canes finished in first in their events. Owen Platt won the boys 600-meter run in one minute, 31.45 seconds, Nico Lisle comfortably took the boys 1,000 in 2:35.55, Genevieve Dole grabbed first in the girls mile with a time of 6:03.90 and Claire Fortin was the best in the girls long jump with a leap of 15 feet, 3.25 inches.
Other top-five finishers for Amherst: Daniel Nunez Saravia (second) and Kyrief Johnson (third) in the boys 300; Maeve Fitzgerald (second) in the girls 600 and girls long jump (fifth); Alhassan Abdel-Maksoud (third) and Elias Katsaros (fifth) in the boys 1,000; Claire Kennedy (fifth) in the girls 1,000; Marit McDonald (fourth) in the girls mile; Wesley Dunford in the boys high jump (second); Tansy Warwick (second), Genevieve Dole (third), and Juliana Albo (third) in the girls high jump; Justin de Alba (fifth) in the boys shot put; Claire Fortin (fourth) in the girls 55-meter dash.
Amherst’s 4×800 relay teams also did well as the girls quartet came in second place in 10:56.68 while the boys crew crossed the finish line in 9:18.02 for fourth place.
The Blue Devils got great performances from four individuals who won events. Maddalena Figueroa-Starr won the girls 600 in 1:43.96, Mairead O’Neil cruised past the competition in the girls 1,000 in 3:14.57, Charlie Sidoti secured first in the boys 2 mile in 10:48.50 and Allie Sullivan claimed the girls high jump with a winning height of 5-0.
Northampton’s girls 4×800 relay squad also won after chasing down Amherst, which held the lead for the majority of the relay, earning a winning time of 10:55.66. Its boys 4×800 relay managed fifth place.
Other top-five finishers for the Blue Devils: Ella Hoogendyk (second) in the girls 300; Liam Hoogendyk (third) and Quinn Allen-Brezsnyak (fifth) in the boys 600; Eliana Kumar (second) in the girls 1,000; Rosalind Stracco (third) and Mia Levy (fifth) in girls mile; Shea O’Neil (second) in the boys 2 mile; Maya Zink (second) in the girls 2 mile; Allie Sullivan (third) in the girls long jump.
The late wave saw Hampshire collect four first-place finishes, including both 4×800 relays.
Kathleen Barry crushed the competition in the girls 2 mile for the Raiders, finishing more than two minutes faster than the next closest runner with a time of 12:10.65. Oscar Schiff won the boys mile with a sub-five minute time of 4:50.87. Charlotte Letendre (girls 1,000) and Caitlyn Packey (girls shot put) registered runner-up finishes in their respective events.
Hampshire’s boys 4×800 relay bunch recorded a time of 8:38.58 while the girls were done in 10:39.93.
Yasani Thompson was Holyoke’s top athlete, nabbing a pair of first-place finishes in the girls 55-meter dash, as well as the girls 300, Thompson’s speciality. The Purple Knight won the straighaway sprint event in 7.34 seconds and took the 300 in 42.48 seconds. Ryan Kennedy earned second-place honors in the boys 300 for Holyoke.
South Hadley’s Ben Gillis won the boys high jump to serve as the highlight of the meet for the Tigers. Gillis jumped 5-10 to seal the victory. Mikayla Weaver ran to a second-place finish in the girls 600 as South Hadley’s best performer on the girls side.
Frontier managed one event winner as Ezra Rich took first in the boys shot put with a toss of 42-11. Emmanuelle Flagollet (girls 55 hurdles), Luke Howard (boys 1,000), Liv Christensen (girls 2 mile), Louise Flagollet (girls high jump) and the girls 4×800 relay team all received second-place finishes in their events.
Northampton’s Liam Hoogendyk runs the 4×800 relay during Friday afternoon’s PVIAC indoor track meet at Smith College. RYAN AMES/Gazette Staff
Boys basketball
Hopkins 46, Smith Academy 39 — The Golden Hawks won their first game since Dec. 15 in the victory against the Falcons.
Chace Earle and Matt Vassallo each slotted 11 points, with the duo combining for five 3-pointers, in the process.
Harry LaFlamme produced 15 points for Smith Academy as the game’s top scorer.
Amherst 68, Taconic 61 — A strong second half helped the Hurricanes secure the road victory.
Amherst trailed by 10 points (36-26) at halftime, but outscored the Thunder 20-2 in the third quarter to flip the momentum in this one.
Mitchell Carey scored 24 points for the Hurricanes while Sam Woodruff deposited 19 as Amherst’s two top scorers.
Frontier 70, Gardner 63 — The Redhawks (6-1) went on the road and picked up an independent win over the Wildcats.
Alex Ellis the the way with 20 points for Frontier. Max Millette (14 points), Garrett Dredge (11 points) and Rowan Modestow (12 points) all reached double-figures for the Redhawks.
Girls basketball
Smith Voc 62, Putnam 44 — The Vikings moved to 4-0 following the victory over the Beavers.
Mallory Radwich and Sofia Zina combined for more than 30 points for Smith Voc, which went ahead, 39-21, at the half.
Frontier 76, Lenox 31 — The Redhawks won their fifth-straight game after a 45-point drubbing of the Millionaires at Goodnow Gymnasium in Suburban league play.
The Redhawks spread out the scoring, with Addie Harrington and Harper Modestow both scoring 19 points. Whitney Campbell (15 points) and Skyler Steele (16 points) also reached double figures for Frontier. Steele had six steals in the game.
Harrington filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, six assists and four assists. Campbell added four assists.
Swimming
Amherst 86, Agawam 76 (boys) — Lewin Halasz and Soren Castenson powered the Hurricanes in the dual meet victory.
Halasz won the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke while Castenson took first in the 500 free as Amherst pocketed its first win of the season.
Amherst 112, Agawam 55 — The ‘Canes remained undefeated in its huge win against the Brownies.
Teagen Demers (100 free, 200 IM), Rowan Albertson (100 butterfly, 50 free), Emory Albertson (500 free) and Lily Wambura (100 breaststroke) all won events for Amherst.
The Hurricanes’ 400 free relay team, which consists of both Rowan and Emory Albertson, Teagen Demers and Finnley Chambers, qualified for the state meet with a time of 4:01.82.
Ball State vs. Trine University
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Trine 0 (1/5/2025)
Series History: Ball State leads the series 2-0 Match History – Trine
These teams met for the first time in 2024 as the Cardinals swept the Thunder (25-16, 25-20, 25-19), holding them at a .077 hitting percentage. In 2025, Ball State completed a sweep once more (25-13, 25-13, 25-13) and held Trine to a .085 hitting percentage. Patrick Rogers led the effort that afternoon, leading the team in kills (10), aces (3) and blocks (2). Scouting Trine
Trine concluded the 2025 season 15-9 overall, including a record of 5-3 in the MCVL (Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League). The Thunder made it to the semifinals of the MCVL Tournament, falling 1-3 against eventual tournament champion Mount Union.
SETTING THE SCENE HEAD COACH IANDOLO: Mike Iandolo was officially named the Cardinals’ head coach on Dec. 16, removing the interim label he had held since last June. After joining Ball State as an assistant coach prior to the 2022 season, Iandolo helped the men’s program to a 23-4 record, MIVA regular season and tournament titles, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002, earning the No. 2 seed and a semifinal bye. Since 2022, Iandolo assisted the Cardinals to three 20-win seasons from 2022-24 and three MIVA regular season championships. His promotion ahead of the 2026 season marks the second head coaching role of his career, following a three-year stint at the University of Charleston (W.Va.).
NEW-LOOK COACHING STAFF: Head coach Iandolo is joined on the coaching staff by newly acquired assistant coaches Brian Hogg and Charles Norman who were announced to the program in August of 2025. Hogg comes to Ball State after earning two-straight IVA (Independent Volleyball Association) titles and IVA Coach of the Year honors as head coach at Lincoln Memorial from 2024-25, totaling a record of 45-6. Prior to Ball State, Norman helped the women’s team at Barry University to a 24-5 record in 2024 and led the men’s program during its inaugural season in 2025, ranking fourth in the nation in blocks.
NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES: The 2026 roster brings 11 well-known returners and seven exciting new additions. Ball State returners include team captains Griffin Satterfield, Wil Basilio, Patrick Rogers and Eyal Rawitz, as well as impactful standouts such as Lucas Machado, Ryan Louis, Braydon Savitski-Lynde, Will Patterson, Marty Canavan, Peter Zurawski and Jason Harris. Entering their first seasons with the program are freshmen Tyler Windt, Adir Ben Shloosh, Daniel Günther and Dante Cayaban as well as transfers Nicholas Everett, Jacob Surette, and 2023 national dig leader (3.56 per set) Victor Scherer.
2025 SEASON: The Cardinals finished 2025 with a record of 17-13 along with a 9-7 mark in conference play, ranking fifth in the MIVA. The men ranked third in the conference in blocks with 2.36 per set and points with 16.00 per set. The 2025 season saw Ball State record notable victories over ranked opponents, including #13 Stanford (3-0, Jan. 10), #14 Lewis (3-1, Feb. 13), #16 Ohio State (3-2, Feb. 27), #19 Penn State (3-2, March 15), and #10 McKendree (3-1, March 29). The season concluded as the Cardinals fell 3-2 to #4 Lewis in the MIVA Quarterfinals (April 19).
PRESEASON All-MIVA: Outside hitter Patrick Rogers and setter Lucas Machado earned 2026 Preseason All-MIVA honors, with Rogers leading conference voting to be named MIVA Preseason Player of the Year after recording a team-high 363 kills in his second season with the Cardinals while averaging 3.18 per set on a .271 hitting percentage, adding 65 total blocks and a team-leading 33 service aces. Following the 2025 season, Rogers was named All-MIVA first team and an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, then spent the offseason with the U.S. National Team, winning gold at the 2025 NORCECA Final Six and earning tournament MVP honors, as well as capturing silver with the Men’s U23 National Team at the 2025 NORCECA Men’s U23 Pan American Cup. Machado totaled a team-best 771 assists in 2025, averaging 8.38 per set, posted a career-high 54 assists against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 26, reached 40 or more assists seven times, and added 117 digs, 49 total blocks and 22 service aces.
AVCA PRESEASON POLL: Ball State enters the 2026 season ranked #16 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll with a total of 144 points. The Cardinals will match up against seven other ranked opponents in the season, including #1 UCLA, #7 Loyola Chicago, #9 Stanford, #12 Lewis, #14 Ohio State, #15 McKendree, and #19 George Mason.
This volleyball skills program is geared towards providing a safe environment where young athletes can develop their skills in volleyball!
We will also work on the importance of sportsmanship and how to behave in a team environment. The goal of this program is to prepare our athletes to compete at the highest level all while making it affordable and creating the best experience for our participants.
Location: Biltmore Hills Date: Mondays and Wednesdays Time: 7:30 – 8:45 p.m. Ages: 10 – 14 Cost: $225 Monthly Fee / $30 Drop In Register on RecLink
PAPIO AND WESTSIDE FACE OFF IN THE NIGHTCAP. CREIGHTON VOLLEYBALL ADDS ITS THIRD HIGH PROFILE TRANSFER OF THE OFFSEASON. TRINITY SCHAD SERIES. SHE’S AN OUTSIDE HITTER FROM WISCONSIN. SHE’S FROM ONTARIO, CANADA, AND IS A STANDOUT TRACK ATHLETE AS WELL. HOW ABOUT THIS GUY? SHE PARTICIPATED IN THE OLYMPIC TRIALS FOR CANADA IN THE LONG JUMP IN 2014. BRIAN ROSSEN SAYS HER EXPLOSIVENESS, A BIG ASSET AND QUITE TRA
Creighton volleyball adds Wisconsin outside hitter to its roster
Updated: 6:30 PM CST Jan 2, 2026
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Creighton volleyball added an outside hitter from the transfer portal.Trinity Shadd-Ceres has joined the Bluejays after helping Wisconsin to the Final Four last season.Shadd-Ceres played in nine matches with Wisconsin, totaling 12 kills, six digs, four assists, and two blocks.Eight of the Ontario, Canada, native’s kills came during the NCAA Tournament.The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is Creighton’s third high-profile transfer, joining Ayden Ames from Texas and Katie Dalton from Kansas.”Everyone we have talked to about Trinity says she is the best teammate and hardest worker, so she is going to fit right in here at Creighton,” said Creighton head coach Brian Rosen. “She may also be the best overall athlete in any sport to come through! Trinity is so explosive off the floor, has a great arm, and ability to play six rotations. With experience in the Final Four this season, she can handle the big moments. With Angie’s training, there is no limit to her potential and we are all so excited to get her in the gym this spring!” The Bluejays finished the 2025 season with a 28-6 record with their 14th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, 12 consecutive Big East regular season title, sixth Big East Tournament title, and second straight Elite Eight.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
OMAHA, Neb. —
Creighton volleyball added an outside hitter from the transfer portal.
Trinity Shadd-Ceres has joined the Bluejays after helping Wisconsin to the Final Four last season.
Shadd-Ceres played in nine matches with Wisconsin, totaling 12 kills, six digs, four assists, and two blocks.
Eight of the Ontario, Canada, native’s kills came during the NCAA Tournament.
The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is Creighton’s third high-profile transfer, joining Ayden Ames from Texas and Katie Dalton from Kansas.
“Everyone we have talked to about Trinity says she is the best teammate and hardest worker, so she is going to fit right in here at Creighton,” said Creighton head coach Brian Rosen. “She may also be the best overall athlete in any sport to come through! Trinity is so explosive off the floor, has a great arm, and ability to play six rotations. With experience in the Final Four this season, she can handle the big moments. With Angie’s training, there is no limit to her potential and we are all so excited to get her in the gym this spring!”
The Bluejays finished the 2025 season with a 28-6 record with their 14th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, 12 consecutive Big East regular season title, sixth Big East Tournament title, and second straight Elite Eight.
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NORTHAMPTON — The Pioneer Valley Regional and Greenfield track and field teams faced off at Smith College in a Valley South matchup on Friday morning. The Green Wave boys delivered a 66-8 win over the Panthers. The Pioneer girls took a 46-41 win over Greenfield.
Pioneer’s Carter Berthiaume scored points for Pioneer and was first overall (5-8.0) in the high jump.
Mason Youmell grabbed a second place overall (8.33, PR) in the 55-hurdles for the Green Wave. Youmell took second overall (5-6.00) in the high jump as well. Youmell took the day off from the 600-meter event to participate in the relay. Shaving some seconds off his overall time in the 600-meter is a personal goal.
Mason Youmell of the Greenfield track and field team participates in a relay at Smith College, Friday in Northampton. Credit: RYAN AMES / Staff Photo
“I am really hoping to get 1:27 by the end of the season,” Youmell said. “That seems like a realistic goal. I’ve cut off seconds from all of my personal records. I’ve been doing better.”
In another personal best performance, Ryan Spofford placed second overall (2:57.35) in the 1000-meter.
Ryan Spofford of the Greenfield track and field team participates in the 1000-meter run at Smith College, Friday in Northampton. Credit: RYAN AMES / Staff Photo
For context, the overall winner (1:31.45) of the 600-meter event was Owen Platt of Amherst. Alex Scotera placed second overall (1:33.72) in the 600-meter for the Green Wave. The performance was a personal record for Scotera.
Dylan Breiwick placed fourth overall (3:05.23) in the 1000-meter for Greenfield. Breiwick also was fifth overall (5:07.87) in the mile for the Green Wave.
For the Pioneer girls, Harper Hake’s performances in distance events helped fuel the win over the Green Wave. In the mile, Hake scored and took seventh overall (6:29.79).
Harper Hake (left) of the Pioneer Valley Regional track and field team participates in the 600-meter run at Smith College, Friday in Northampton. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo
“I like where I am right now,” Hake said. “I am truing to get a sub six in the mile. I want to get a better time in the two mile too.”
To improve her time in distance events, Hake relies on good nutrition and does runs that are longer than her events. Hake was 10th overall (2:02.32) in the 600-meter. The performance was a personal record for the freshman. In the 2-mile, Hake placed third overall (14:30).
Kyra Tamsin led the charge for the Green Wave in the girls’ events. In the 55-hurdles, Tamsin took first overall (10.48, PR) for Greenfield. Tamsin set another personal record in the 300-meter, placing eighth overall (48.62.)
“My 300 and my 55 hurdles were good,” Tamsin said. “I want my numbers to improve. But as of right now they aren’t bad.”
Lucianne Burnap established a personal record in the 55-hurdles, finishing sixth overall (11.46) for the Panthers. In the field events, Gabby Warriner-Cardin scored points and placed eighth-overall (21-08.50) in the shot put for the Panthers.
Burnap and Addison Chapin both finished tied for fifth (4-4.0) in the high jump for Pioneer.
In the long jump, Holly Babineau scored points and placed eighth-overall (13-09.75) for the Green Wave.
Boys track & field
Athol 27, Commerce 23 — The Bears downed the Raiders in Valley South competition. Elijah Etienne scored points and placed tied for seventh (32-10.50) in the shot put for the Bears.
John Blanchard took 14th overall (2:02.36) in the 600-meter event.
Frontier 41, Mohawk 35 — Ezra Rich’s first place performance in the shot put helped the Redhawks get past the Warriors in Valley North play.
Luke Howard placed second (2:45.76) in the 1000-meter for the Redhawks.
Tanner Biagini placed first overall in the 300-meter for Mohawk. Biagini also scored and placed ninth (6.94) in the 55-meter for the Warriors. Rex Kuoppala placed fourth overall (5:02.19) in the mile.
Peter Healey (11:14.57, third) and Carson Richardson (11:34.70, fourth) impressed in the 2-mile for the Warriors.
Mahar 51, Southwick 22 — The Senators ran past the Rams in Valley North competition.
Danny Quigley was eighth overall (39.18) in the 300-meter for the Senators. Ronnie Stone scored points and placed 15th overall (4-10.0) in the high jump.
Girls track & field
Athol 52, Commerce 1 — In Valley South competition, the Bears cruised past the Raiders. Emily Abram snagged a personal record in the shot put, finishing sixth overall (22-3.25) for Athol.
Mahar 40, Southwick 22 — Stellina Moore helped the Senators to a win over the Rams in Valley North play.
Moore finished tied for fourth overall (14-03.5) in the long jump and tied for third (4-8.0) in the high jump. Moore added a third place finish (9.98) in the 55-hurdles.
Madilyn Moore scored in the shot put for the Senators, finishing seventh (25 feet) overall.
Frontier 78, Mohawk 13 —The Redhawks defeated the Warriors in Valley North competition.
Louise Flagollet placed third in the 300-meter for the Redhawks. Louise Flagollet also took second overall (4-10.0) in the high jump. Phoebe Radner was seventh overall (1:58.44) in the 600-meter. Liv Christensen placed (14:19.49) in the 2-mile for Frontier. Emmanuelle Flagollet took second (9.55) in the 55-hurdles and fourth in the long jump (14-03.50).
Virginia Krezmien scored some points and placed sixth overall (3:40.32) in the 1000-meter for Mohawk. In the mile, Krezmien placed second overall (6:05.67).
BATON ROUGE – LSU Beach Volleyball coach Russell Brock has announced the addition of two transfers – Emily Hellmuth and Zayna Meyer – who will join the Tigers for the upcoming season.
Hellmuth and Meyer come to LSU as grad transfers. The Tigers return 11 players from last year’s team. These two transfers join LSU in addition to six freshmen.
“Really excited about our two additions for this spring,” Brock said. “They are both athletic players with good size and great skills and are excited about the transition to beach. Both, are decorated indoor players who have been seasoned leaders for their teams. Their work ethic, positive attitudes and excitement will be fantastic additions to our culture and our team this year. Couldn’t be more excited to add them to our family.”
Hellmuth comes to LSU after a great four-year career playing indoor volleyball at Pepperdine and Texas A&M University. During her time playing indoor, she was a lethal outside hitter with over 1,000 career kills. Three of her four seasons she recorded at least 300 kills and during a match in her final season, she recorded a career high .667 hitting percentage. As a senior last year, Hellmuth helped lead the Aggies to the NCAA National Championship Title with 72 digs, 45 blocks, 12 aces and eight assists.
“Emily has been tested as a passer and has great skills as a blocker and hitter. Her offensive ability will transition really well to the sand. She’s faced the biggest challenges under the brightest lights and has excelled in those moments.”
Meyer is coming to LSU following a four-year career playing indoor volleyball in which she finished her final season at UCLA with a total of 187 assists, 62 digs and 11 blocks. During the 2023 season, Meyer was named Big West Setter of the Year while playing indoor at Long Beach State and averaged 10 assists per set.
“Zayna is quick and springy. As one of the elite offensive setters in the country, she brings excellent control of the ball both as a setter and a hitter. Her ability to play above the net will also be a great asset defensively.”
