Hurdler Liv Heite earned All-West region honors in her sophomore season with UAA’s track and field team. Photographed on May 14, 2025. (Marc Lester / ADN)
The 2025 NCAA Division II national outdoor track and field championships will be taking place in Pueblo, Colorado, later this week with many of the top athletes at that level duking it out for medals and All American honors.
Even though they won’t be joining fellow standout underclassman Joshua Caleb to represent the University of Alaska Anchorage, sophomore hurdler Liv Heite and freshman jumper Mya Campbell are proud of the incredibly strong 2025 outdoor seasons they each produced.
“These young women are here every day, putting in the work and now the expectation and the tone is going to be set when the new underclassmen come in,” UAA associate head coach Ray Shadowens said. “It’s really fun when you have good athletes, and it’s even more fun when they’re young.”
Heite earned All-Region and All-GNAC honors in her second year with the program. Her most notable accomplishments include breaking the program record and posting the fourth-fastest time in GNAC history in the women’s 100 hurdles with a mark of 13.81 in the conference championship prelims.
She also ran the third-fastest time in program history in the 400 hurdles in a time of 1:01.22 in the conference championship finals. During the indoor season, she ran a school-record time of 8.64 in the 60 hurdles.
“I’m really satisfied and happy with everything I accomplished, especially the school records I broke and a lot of (personal records) I ran,” Heite said. “It was a really great season with the team in general. I really enjoyed the whole team this year. We had good team culture.”
Breaking a school record was one of her goals heading into the season and she was able to accomplish that feat in two events with the 60- and 100-meter hurdles.
“She has just skyrocketed in her talent,” Shadowens said. “We definitely got lucky getting her.”
Another goal was qualifying for nationals and even though she made the provisional mark, Heite just missed out of the top 22 mark to qualify for this year’s event, coming in at 31st in the 100-meter hurdles.
“I still have two more years here and I’m going to work towards that for the next two years and hopefully it will work out one of those times,” she said. “I’m confident that I can make it next year or the year after.”
Campbell followed a strong indoor season in which she earned All-GNAC honors with a third-place finish in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 18-6.
“I feel like my freshman season went well, better than I had expected,” Campbell said. “My favorite highlight was indoor GNAC because I hadn’t expected to place. I was just hoping to reach my goal of jumping at least 18 feet, but I ended up finishing with an 18′6.”
UAA’s Mya Campbell competes in the long jump during the 2025 track and field season. (Photo by Andressa Cholodovskis)
At the Pee Wee Halsell Invitational in late April, she posted the second-best mark in school history in the long jump with an 18-10.75. The following day at the Ralph Vernacchia Open, she bested herself with a first-place mark of 18-11.25. While she didn’t best herself a third time at the GNAC championships, Campbell still earned All-GNAC honors by coming in second with a mark of 18-7.75.
“The success gives me a lot of confidence,” she said. “At the beginning of the year, I was scared I wouldn’t be able to even jump what I had at the end of high school, let alone get further. But now I think I can improve my distances and times more.”
Campbell exceeded her coaches expectations for her first year and has them really excited about how she can develop over the remainder of her career.
Shadowens praised her for always being “very even keel” and receptive to instruction as well as selfless when needed as she also anchored their 4×400 relay team.
“Her emotions usually just stay in a straight line and her biggest thing is that she came in with a really open mind,” he said.
Disparate journeys to becoming Seawolves
Identifying top-notch talent in Alaska can be difficult when recruiting due to the limited resources available to some potential recruits.
“You never know what kind of competition it is or what the weather is going to be like,” Shadowens said.
Campbell proved to be an exception given that she grew up in the Mat-Su, where she attended Redington High School and participated in multiple sports in addition to track and field.
UAA’s Mya Campbell competes in a relay during the 2025 track and field season. (Photo by Andressa Cholodovskis)
She believes her immediate success with the program is a testament to the talent Alaska has.
“It shows that we don’t have to be from some big town or place that has access to a track year-round to perform on the same level as everybody else,” Campbell said. “There is a lot of incredible athletes here and we all have an opportunity to make a big impact on the sports we do.”
Keeping the best local talent close to home is a priority for the Seawolves staff and having someone like Campbell is a prime example of what they aspire to be without venturing out of the state to continue their athletic career.
“We have a great recruiting class coming in, including some young Alaskan athletes and a couple more international,” Shadowens said.
While the UAA coaching staff didn’t have to look far to find Campbell last year, landing Heite took a much broader scope as she was born and raised in Olpe, Germany.
“We’ve had a connection with Germany before and it’s kind of identifying the talent,” Shadowens said. “As well as Liv is doing right now, she was a girl who actually didn’t run the 100 hurdles a lot and was kind of primarily focused on the 400-meter hurdles.”
The coaches noticed Heite had run some fast 100-meter hurdle times in the past and began to talk with her about exploring it further and trusting in their development plan.
“It’s always a big adjustment regardless if it’s just someone coming from an Alaska high school or coming across the world,” Shadowens said. “We always tell our athletes that we’re preparing you for the full four- or five-year game plan so it can beat up a freshman a little bit.”
After graduating from high school, Heite wasn’t sure what she wanted to do until she came across the opportunity to participate in a track and field abroad program.
“Doing track in Germany is a little more complicated with college because we don’t have college sports,” Heite said. “I was like, well, I’ll just go to the U.S. and try it there.”
Her original plan was only to spend one year overseas but she fell in love with Alaska so much that she decided to extend her stay to pursue a collegiate career.
“I came here and immediately really liked the team a lot,” Heite said. “Back home, my team is smaller and it’s just different than here where I connected to my teammates really fast and obviously I get along with the coaches very well. I trust them 100% and I just know that this is the best place for me to keep growing as far as I can and as far as I want.”
Both of the Seawolves’ rising stars have their sights set on improving their top marks from this year and getting even better moving forward which will help the program as a whole continue to improve with them as young role models.
“I’m so glad I was given the chance to be a part of this program,” Campbell said. “Everyone pushes each other to get better everyday, with the support we give each other and the talent we have I just know the program is only going to continue to go up.”
LONG BEACH, Calif. — UC San Diego men’s volleyball will prepare for the upcoming season with four exhibitions this weekend as part of the North American Challenge. The event will be hosted by Long Beach State on Friday and Sunday at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
The Tritons will play two Canadian sides, Alberta and Calagry. They will play each team once on both days of the challenge.
SCHEDULE
Friday, Jan. 2
2 PM – vs Calgary
4:30 PM – vs Alberta
Sunday, Jan. 4
12:30 PM – vs Alberta
3 PM – vs Calgary
Live stats for all four matches will be available HERE. Fans interested in attending matches can purchase tickets through Long Beach State HERE.
UP NEXT
The Tritons open the 2026 season at home next Tuesday, Jan. 6. Jessup will visit LionTree Arena for a match that begins at 7 PM.
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 inNCAA 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.comor follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – With the season just around the corner, the Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball team will host the North American Challenge, a preseason exhibition tournament featuring four teams from the United States and Canada. The two-day event will take place Friday, January 2, and Sunday, January 4, with matches held at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
Joining the Beach in the tournament are UC San Diego, Calgary, and Alberta, bringing together a competitive mix of NCAA and U SPORTS programs for early-season action. The tournament will feature eight total matches across the two days, providing fans with a full slate of high-level volleyball.
Schedule Friday, January 2
Time
Matchup (Home vs. Away)
11:30 AM
Long Beach State vs. Alberta
2:00 PM
UC San Diego vs. Calgary
4:30 PM
UC San Diego vs. Alberta
7:00 PM
Long Beach State vs. Calgary
Sunday, January 4
Time
Matchup (Home vs. Away)
10:00 AM
Long Beach State vs. Calgary
12:30 PM
UC San Diego vs. Alberta
3:00 PM
UC San Diego vs. Calgary
5:30 PM
Long Beach State vs. Alberta
Following each match, a Player of the Match from each team will be recognized. At the conclusion of the tournament, an All-Tournament Team will be selected.
Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Live statistics for all matches will be available via BeachLiveStats.StatBroadcast.com.
Pitt received a commitment from former Kentucky middle blocker/right-side hitter Jordyn Dailey.
Dailey is a redshirt sophomore and will have two years of eligibility. The 6-foot-2 North Carolina native racked up 188 kills, 116 blocks and 42 digs over the past two seasons. Dailey recorded 142 kills, 82 blocks and a .314 hitting percentage in 2024. Her numbers dipped to 46 kills, 34 blocks and a .211 hitting percentage in 2025.
Pitt lost middle blocker Ryla Jones to Penn State through the transfer portal.
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston volleyball program and head coach Brenda Gray announced the signing of six student-athletes to play for the Bearkats for the 2026 season.
The signing class consists of outside hitters Annika Brooks, Brenlin Garlitz, Justice Rachal, Kameron Rector, Lauren Pyle and Sarah Odell.
“All of these young ladies bring a passion and energy that Sam Houston Volleyball thrives upon,” head coach Brenda Gray said. “They all come with numerous accolades both on the court and in the classroom.”
Annika Brooks • 6-3 • RS • Halletsville, Texas • Sacred Heart Catholic School / Blinn College
Blinn College
– 2025 second team all-conference selection
Ovilla Christian School
– 2021 second team all-district selection as freshman
– 2022 first team all-district selection as a sophomore
– 2022 honorable mention all-area
– 2023 first team all-district selection as a junior
– 2023 TAPPS first team all-state selection
– 2023 honorable mention all-area selection
– 2023 TAPPS academic all-state selection
– 2024 first team all-district selection as a senior
– 2024 TAPPS first team all-state selection
– 2024 TAPPS academic all-state selection
Texas Tornadoes (Club)
– 17s bid to nationals
– 18s bid to nationals
Gray on Brooks …
“Annika brings size and a blocking presence to our game on the right side. We are so fortunate to have her join us this spring.”
Brenlin Garlitz • 5-10 • S • Waxahachie, Texas • Ovilla Christian School
Ovilla Christian School
– 2022 TAPPS second team all-district selection as freshman
– 2023 TAPPS first team all-state
– 2024 TAPPS first team all-state
– 2024 Ellis County All-Star Team
– 4-time state champion
Texas Advantage Volleyball (Club)
– NRG 15s bid to nationals
– NRG 16s bid to nationals
– TAV 18s Black: 5th at nationals
Gray on Garlitz …
“We are excited to bring in a dynamic setter to help run our floor. Brenlin runs a quick offense and brings a passion and love for the game that is undeniable.”
“Justice will be a crowd favorite from the start. She has a contagious energy and a vertical leap that will add to the excitement on the outside position.”
“It is good for us to get an experienced floor leader on the roster and we are excited to have her join us in the spring to begin running our offense and bring her expertise that she delivered in junior college”.
– 2024 and 2025 District 15-6A Outstanding Offensive Player of the Year
– 2024 and 2025 first team all-District 15-6A
– 2024 and 2025 academic all-District 15-6A
– Played club at North Houston Elite Volleyball
Gray on Odell …
“There is an explosiveness to the outside that is needed in this league, which Sarah immediately gives us as a complete, six-rotation player who will help balance our offense.”
If it were up to head coach Charlie Wade, the University of Hawai‘i men’s volleyball team would never start its season this early.
The Rainbow Warriors, who began their preseason practices on Sunday, will officially begin their 2026 campaign on Friday against the New Jersey Institute of Technology. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center. Although the ‘Bows have routinely started their seasons on the first Friday of the year, that doesn’t mean Wade has to like it.
“I’ve advocated that the first match can’t be before (Martin Luther King Jr. Day),” Wade said on Monday. “Let them actually have a holiday and then come back and practice for a couple of weeks. But how it goes, everybody kind of ramps it up, practices for a few days and then starts playing.”
One of the few positives Wade sees in the compressed preseason schedule is the fact that the Rainbow Warriors are not in class yet, which allows them the time to focus on an intense schedule featuring two practices a day leading up to the opener.
Trips to the practice gym have been frequent in recent days. Inside of it is a collection of world-class athletes, a roster featuring players from seven different countries and four separate states. Although there’s only one senior among the 19 players, the Rainbow Warriors are a team with clear national championship expectations in 2026.
The Rainbow Warriors have played in four national championship matches under Wade, winning it all in 2021 and 2022. The ‘Bows went 27-6 in 2025 and were swept by UCLA in the national semifinals. In 2026, UH returns five of its seven starters in that semifinal match, not counting star opposite hitter Kristian Titriyski, who missed the last eight matches due to an ankle injury.
Despite its losses in personnel, the Rainbow Warriors have reloaded. After losing beloved assistant coach Milan Zarkovic to UCLA, Wade got Maui native and former Ball State head coach Donan Cruz to join the staff. Meanwhile, the void left by former starting libero ‘Eleu Choy will likely be filled by Canadian national teamer Quintin Greenidge, a newcomer in Mānoa who will have two years of college eligibility remaining.
When Grand Canyon University decided to immediately scrap its nationally ranked men’s volleyball program following the 2025 season to focus on other sports, the Rainbow Warriors were able to benefit by signing freshman All-American Trevell Jordan and former GCU commit Thatcher Fahlbusch. Jordan is competing for one of the two starting spots at middle blocker, along with Ofeck Hazan, Justin Todd, Alex Parks and 7-foot freshman Roman Payne.
“None of us saw it coming,” Jordan said of Grand Canyon punting on men’s volleyball. “The team and squad (at UH) has been really inviting. They’ve been working with me to get me more accommodated to here, as it’s a big move from where I originally was from.”
Jordan immediately became one of the most coveted players in the NCAA transfer portal upon entering. He was already familiar with a handful of players on the UH roster after playing with them on multiple United States national teams.
“He had offers to go to every top program in the country, and ironically, they were pushing him to make a fast decision, and they pushed him towards us,” Wade recalled. “I was the one saying, ‘Hey, I’m in for the long haul. I want you here. Take your time to figure it out.'”
Running the show for the Rainbow Warriors is Tread Rosenthal, the team’s 6-foot-11 setter who established himself as the team’s unquestioned leader as a sophomore in 2025.
“I think last year we showed that we had the potential to be the best team on any given night, but I think this year we need to be the best team every night no matter what,” Rosenthal said. “I think that just comes with working with together to get it more consistent.”
Added Wade: “It’s year three (for Rosenthal). It’s the payoff year, right? By the third year, you can see there’s just kind of a calm confidence to him that he’s kind of been there, done that. He clearly is the leader of the team. These are his guys. A lot of them are here because of him. Looking for even bigger and better things from him this year for sure.”
Hawai‘i will start off the year as the No. 2 team in the country following the release of the preseason AVCA poll, which had UCLA in the top spot. External expectations are high for the Rainbow Warriors, but internal expectations are higher.
“My freshman year, we didn’t go to the championship. My sophomore year, we lost in the the semis,” junior outside hitter Louis Sakanoko said. “We have to get the championship now. I feel like the whole team knows we could win the championship. We have the team for it, but now we need to be consistent enough to beat every single team every night. And we’re just really, really excited to prove that to everyone.
“We all want to win a national championship. That’s the goal. We won the Big West last year, that was wonderful for sure, but we want that big one.”
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
Setter: Madison Markwardt, Round Top-Carmine, soph.
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ana Servin, Sulphur Bluff, sr.
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