Sports

Buffs Cross Country Set for Second Season Under Carlson

Published

5 months ago

August 8, 2025

BOULDER — The University of Colorado cross country program enters its second season under Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Sean Carlson, with momentum building on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Carlson, who arrived just before the 2024 season, had to quickly assemble a squad during his first year at the helm. Despite the late transition, the men’s team qualified for their 32nd consecutive NCAA Championship placing 19^th. Jessie Secor qualified individually on the women’s side for the 2024 NCAA Cross Country National Championship.

The 2025 Buffs boast a deeper, more balanced roster with 10 returning men and seven newcomers, while the women return eight and welcome nine new faces. The freshman and transfer classes include state champions, Gatorade National and State Players of the Year, and multiple NCAA veterans.

2025 TEAM OUTLOOK

On the women’s side, the roster has undergone significant changes, and Coach Carlson anticipates meaningful progress from a reenergized group that blends talented freshmen with experienced transfers. “We believe this team is positioned to take a strong step forward,” Carlson said. “With so many new faces, aside from a few key returners, building our culture and team identity will be an ongoing focus, but we’re optimistic about the direction we’re headed.”

Key returners include Natalie Cook, a Gatorade National Player of the Year; Abbey Nechanicky, a former Foot Locker All-American; and NCAA qualifier Jessie Secor. They’re joined by impactful transfers such as Ashley Jones (Tennessee/High Point) and Addison Dorenkamp (Alabama), Mia Larochelle (Canada), Juliette Forstrom (Portland) as well as top U.S. and international prep talent.

“We’ve been intentional with recruiting,” Carlson said. “Now we have a group that not only has the talent, but also understands what’s expected, from both a performance and lifestyle perspective.”

On the men’s side, the outlook is strong thanks to a core of returning athletes and two strategic transfers.

“It’s kind of the opposite on the men’s side,” Carlson said. “We bring back a lot of solid guys who have hopefully developed over the past year. The returners bring consistency and depth, and our freshmen are talented, we’re excited about their future.”

Dominic Serem (MAC individual champion) and Kansas transfer Tanner Newkirk are expected to make an immediate impact, while returners like James Overberg, Isaiah Givens, and Kole Mathison bring veteran leadership. The Buffs also added standout prep talents including TJ Hansen, a top-10 finisher and runner-up at Nike Cross Nationals, along with Jack Graffeo, Keegan Smith, and Trey Caldwell, who placed 3rd, 5th, and 12th respectively at the Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals.

“Every single guy has improved over the last year, their PRs speak for themselves,” Carlson said. “We’re focused on development, culture, and building on the legacy of Colorado distance running.”

The Buffs open the season on Aug. 29 at the Wyoming Invite before competing in several meets across Colorado and the Midwest. The postseason begins Oct. 31 at the Big 12 Championships in Lawrence, Kan., where the Buffs return to Rim Rock Farm, the site of their 2006 conference sweep.

2025 SCHEDULE

NEW STAFF ADDITION

The Buffs welcome Ellen Hurst as Associate Head Coach and Director of Operations for Cross Country and Track & Field. Hurst arrives after nine seasons at Tennessee, where she served as the Director of Operations. A former All-American hurdler, she brings elite experience to the Buffs.

She will assist with Track & Field and Cross Country travel, logistics, program operations, and coaching joining assistant coaches Kate Mattison, Dalton Hengst, and Val Constien under Carlson’s leadership.

Q&A WITH SEAN CARLSON

Q1: Now that you’ve had a full year to implement your vision, how would you describe the identity of this year’s team?

A1:

There are a lot of new faces on the women’s side as we’ve tried to retool the talent a bit. We’ve got a really inexperienced but talented group of freshmen, including a couple of top-20 Nike Nationals girls. We’ve also brought in several transfers who will add the kind of depth and talent we didn’t have last year.

Realistically, we’re going to be much improved. That said, it’s almost an entirely new roster aside from a few returners. So creating culture and team identity with this new group will be an ongoing process throughout the season. In cross country, there’s no adjustment period, they show up, and 10 weeks later it’s conference, regionals, and nationals.

We’ve definitely upgraded our talent and depth through recruiting. And we return a few key women — Jessie, Abby, and Hannah, who were already very good and will be even better. So, the women’s team is looking strong, very capable of getting back to the national meet, and if we stay healthy, in the top-20 teams.

Q2: How do you balance long-term development with high expectations for a historically successful program?

A2:

Balancing long-term development with the high expectations that come with a historically successful program is both a challenge and a responsibility we take seriously. When we arrived, the roster was relatively thin, so we had to be strategic and intentional in our recruiting approach. That meant building for the future by bringing in a strong freshman class, while also addressing immediate needs through key transfers.

The transfers have helped bridge the competitive gap and allowed us to be nationally relevant as our younger athletes develop. For example, two of our top three returners are transfers from last year, and aside from Abby, we don’t have many long-term returners. So, much of our current competitive depth has been rebuilt through targeted recruiting.

Our philosophy is to develop freshmen with a long-term view in mind, creating a foundation for sustained success. If a freshman is ready to contribute right away, that’s a bonus—but we’re careful not to put that expectation on them. We’re building a program that can compete now while continuing to grow for the future.

Q3: What’s your outlook for the men’s team, which returns a lot of strong contributors?

A3:

It’s kind of the opposite on the men’s side. We bring back a lot of solid guys who have hopefully developed over the past year. We’ve added Dominic, who could be a low-stick, and Tanner, who we expect to compete for a spot in the top seven. Those are our only two transfers.

The returners are known quantities who bring consistency and depth. The freshman class is very talented, but they’ll need to adjust to the 10K distance. If a freshman contributes, that’s a bonus — but we’re not relying on it. We’re focused on developing that group for the future. Overall, I’m very excited about the men.

Q4: What’s been the biggest shift or evolution since you arrived in Boulder?

A4:

Recruiting; That was the biggest and most immediate need. Over the past 30 years, international representation in the NCAA was relatively small. That’s changed drastically over the last two or three years. It’s far more competitive now, with older internationals and more transfers.

In the last two years, only one freshman has finished in the top 100 at Nationals, that’s unprecedented. So, the priority was getting our recruiting back to the level needed to perform, and now we have to ensure those recruits are developing and competing at that level.

Q5: What would define a successful season outside of results?

A5:

Success means continuing to build culture and identity — for both the men and women — while maintaining and evolving Colorado’s tradition in distance running.

Last year, the women’s team lacked depth, which made it tough to build culture. This year, with more athletes, I hope they can grow together, form bonds, and build something meaningful. The men had good culture already, now it’s about aligning that culture with our goals and translating it into results.

If we keep athletes healthy, happy, and engaged, the results will follow.

Q6: What stands out about this incoming recruiting class?

A6:

We were very intentional with recruiting. We looked for athletes whose values and goals aligned with ours, people who want to live the lifestyle of elite distance runners and compete for national titles and podium finishes.

We’ve been clear about those expectations in our messaging. So now we have a group that not only has the talent, but also understands what’s expected, from both a performance and lifestyle perspective.

We’ve got Foot Locker and Nike top-15 kids and transfers whose marks already rank in Colorado’s all-time top ten list. But more importantly, we’ve reinforced the culture we’re trying to build. With roster limits, we have to be intentional about who we bring in.

Q7: Which returners have stepped up as leaders this summer?

A7:

Abby and Jessie have grown a lot as leaders on the women’s side. They understand our system, our program, and our values. They’ll be key voices.

On the men’s side, James Overberg and Isaiah have stepped up in the same way. They’ve grown into leadership roles and understand the lifestyle we want to instill. Now they’re helping pass that along to the younger athletes.

Q8: Your roster now includes athletes from Colorado, Kenya, Ireland, and the UK. How do you unify such a diverse group?

A8:

We prioritize athletes who want to be here and who understand our mission. We didn’t target specific regions, we started in Colorado, expanded regionally, then nationally, and finally internationally. But the common thread is: do they want to be at Colorado?

If the top Colorado athlete doesn’t want to come, we’ll find the next best person in the U.S. or the world. We want people who want to be here and will prioritize Colorado.

The NCAA landscape has changed, there might be over 100 Kenyan athletes in the NCAA this year, up from 10–15 just a few years ago. The NCAA now has the same depth and talent as the pro circuit in some events, we are competing with some of the best in the world. We need to evolve with that.

Yes, we’ll always prioritize Colorado kids and American-born athletes, but we’ll also do what it takes to stay nationally competitive.

Q9: What’s something fans or outsiders may not see that you’re really proud of?

A9:

Our men have developed extremely well. Every single guy has improved over the last year and their PRs speak for themselves. Same on the women’s side we’ve seen huge improvements.

Yes, we’re recruiting aggressively, but we’re also developing the athletes we already have. That’s the foundation of our program, helping our athletes grow and improve.

Q10: How do you build buy-in while reshaping the culture of a legacy program like Colorado?

A10:

We embrace the past, we lean into it. But we also make sure these athletes know they’re shaping the direction of the future.

Every championship team here had a unique identity. Our current team needs to grow into its own identity, too. That can’t be forced — it has to develop naturally, and we’re here to support and guide that growth.

Q11: With the Big 12 Championships returning to Rim Rock Farm, where CU swept titles in 2006, how do you use that for motivation?

A11:

Our conference is incredibly strong. Both the men’s and women’s national champions came from the Big 12 last year. Going into Nationals, we had the top three men’s teams and four of the top 15–20 women’s teams.

We use the conference meet as a national barometer. If we’re in the top four, we know we’re competitive nationally.

Are we going to win the Big 12 this year? Probably not. But we can definitely improve on last year’s finish and build momentum heading into Nationals.

As the 2025 season is set to get underway, the Buffs are poised to reassert themselves on the national stage. With a revitalized women’s squad, a deep and experienced men’s team, and a clear vision under Coach Carlson, Colorado is building toward sustained success. The journey begins on Aug. 29 in Cheyenne, with eyes set on Lawrence, Sacramento, Columbia, Mo. (national meet), and ultimately, a return to the NCAA podium.

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Meet the 2025 Birmingham News All-Region volleyball team

Published

17 minutes ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Five Birmingham Region high school volleyball teams won to the AHSAA Elite Eight State Championship Tournament this season.

Class 7A Thompson earned a spot in the title match before falling to McGill-Toolen while Hewitt-Trussville lost to Thompson in semifinal action.

Other teams reaching the final four were Class 6A Spain Park and Class 5A Briarwood while Class 6A Homewood tell in first round play.

The Birmingham News All-Region team is comprised of players from Jefferson and Shelby counties, and compiled by the AL.com high school sports staff with input from coaches.

AL.com named Player of the Year, Attacker MVP, Defensive MVP, Setter MVP and Coach of the Year. Award winners are listed separately, but considered first-team selections.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS ALL-REGION VOLLEYBALL TEAM

(Players listed alphabetically)

Sydnie Broom, Hoover

6-1, Sr., Middle

244 kills, region-best 109 blocks, 74 digs, 27 aces

College: Undecided

Christiana Callens, Hewitt-Trussville

5-6, So., Libero

544 digs, 158 assists, 54 aces

College: Undecided

Kamryn Coleman, Homewood

5-8, Jr., Setter/Right Side

791 assists, 119 kills, 24 blocks, 242 digs, 103 aces, region-best 2.4 aces per match

College: Undecided

Lucy Comer, Mountain Brook

5-10, So., Outside Hitter

313 kills, 17 blocks, 291 digs, 45 aces

College: Undecided

Johnna Cox, Hewitt-Trussville

6-0, So., Outside Hitter

466 kills, 31 blocks, 272 digs, 47 aces

College: Undecided

Clara Crawford, Briarwood

5-9, Sr., Middle

223 kills, 67 blocks, 214 digs, 72 aces

College: Undecided

Bristol Hannah, Pelham

5-5, So., Setter

784 assists, 38 kills, 14 blocks, 227 digs, 40 aces

College: Undecided

Marion Haskell, John Carroll

6-1, Sr., Right Side

416 kills, 67 blocks, 88 digs, 25 assists, 42 aces

College: Bucknell

Maddy Henderson, Thompson

6-0, Jr., Setter/Right Side

616 assists, 414 kills, 61 blocks, 323 digs, 85 aces

College: Undecided

Zoe Jones, Montevallo

6-0, Sr., Outside Hitter

Region second-best 498 kills, region-best 14.23 kills per match, 230 digs, 77 aces

College: Wallace-Hanceville

Sullivan Lell, Mountain Brook

5-4, Jr., Libero

477 digs, 84 assists, 50 aces

College: Southern Mississippi

Ja’Niyah Mosley, Spain Park

5-9, Sr., Middle

278 kills, 75 blocks

College: Undecided

Kayleigh Nguyen, Hewitt-Trussville

5-10, Jr., Setter

983 assists, tied region second-best 23.4 assists per match, 192 kills, 66 blocks, 389 digs, 63 aces

College: Undecided

Mae Noerager, Homewood

6-1, Sr., Right Side

222 kills, 49 blocks, 47 digs

College: Trinity (Texas)

Aliyah Pooler, Hoover

5-10, Sr., Outside Hitter

271 kills, 25 blocks, 268 digs, 37 aces

College: Alabama State

Alexis Rudolph, Chelsea

6-1, Jr., Outside Hitter

Region-best 511 kills, region second-best 12.17 kills per match, 41 blocks, 298 digs, 25 assists, 61 aces

College: Undecided

Aubrie Smith, Pelham

5-9, Sr., Outside Hitter

357 kills, 24 blocks, 241 digs, 49 aces

College: Undecided

Noelle Suellentrop, Briarwood

5-11, So., Setter

Region second-best 1,076 assists, tied region second-best 23.4 assists per match, 66 kills, 33 blocks, 252 digs, 68 aces

College: Undecided

Abby Tingle, Hoover

6-1, Jr., Outside Hitter

310 kills, 63 blocks, 70 digs

College: South Alabama

Bea Wiggins, Spain Park

5-11, Sr., Outside Hitter

487 kills, 44 blocks, 353 digs, 55 aces

College: Sewanee

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Juanita Boddie Volleyball — Briarwood’s Julie Roberts readies for action at the Juanita Boddie Tournament at the Finley Center in Hoover, Ala., Aug. 22-23, 2025. (Dennis Victory | preps@al.com)Dennis Victory

Julie Roberts, Briarwood

5-10, Jr., Outside Hitter/Right Side

436 kills, 38 blocks, 258 digs, 61 assists, 97 aces

College: Undecided

ATTACKER MVP

Vestavia Hills' Millie Burgess — Vestavia Hills’ Millie Burgess attacks during Class 7A play in the AHSAA North Super Regional volleyball tournament at the Finley Center in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)Vasha Hunt

Millie Burgess, Vestavia Hills

6-1, Sr., Outside Hitter

424 kills, 42 blocks, 294 digs, 43 aces

College: Jacksonville State

DEFENSIVE MVP

AHSAA Volleyball 7A Championship — Thompson’s Kenzly Foote readies for play against McGill-Toolen during the AHSAA Class 7A volleyball state championship at Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (Dennis Victory | preps@al.com)Dennis Victory

Kenzly Foote, Thompson

5-7, Sr., Defensive Specialist

Region second-best 673 digs, region second-best 14.96 digs per match, 151 assists, region-best 104 aces, region second-best 2.31 aces per match

College: Undecided

SETTER MVP

AHSAA Volleyball — Spain Park’s Cailyn Kyes serves against Hartselle during Class 6A play in the AHSAA state volleyball tournament at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)Vasha Hunt

Cailyn Kyes, Spain Park

5-7, Sr., Setter

Region-best 1,144 assists, region-best 24.34 assists per match, 94 kills, 36 blocks, 344 digs, 66 aces

College: Trevecca

COACH OF THE YEAR

Judy Green, Thompson

HONORABLE MENTION

Outside Hitter/Right Side: Leighton Hendley, Briarwood, So.; Helen Morrison, Briarwood, Fr.; Mady Kirkpatrick , John Carroll, Sr.; Hunter Jordan, Montevallo, Sr.; Claire Ogden, Vestavia Hills, Sr.; Layne Moller, Chelsea, So.; Reese Wolfe, Hewitt-Trussville, Sr.; Sarah Johnson, Homewood, Sr.; Adele Moffatt, Mountain Brook, Jr.; Lakhair Yellock, Parker, Sr.; Peyton Harrington, Spain Park, So.

Middle: Brielle Merriweather, Thompson, Jr.; Marley Cowan, Vestavia Hills, Sr.

Setter: Addison Jenkins, Hoover, Sr.; Jayla Green, Thompson, So.; Isabella Marino, John Carroll, Sr.; Wendy McGehee, Shelby County, Sr.; Darby Rhodes, Mountain Brook, So.

Defensive Specialist/Libero: Lillie Hill, Vestavia Hills, Jr.; Sophia Bagley, Chelsea, Sr.; Addison Wood, Homewood, Jr.; Camdyn Kyes, Spain Park, Fr.; Cheyenne Conner, Hoover, Sr.

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Sports

Ted Kopacz – Women’s Volleyball Coach

Published

3 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ted Kopacz was named the 11th head volleyball coach in Indiana State program history in December 2025. He joins the Sycamores by following stints at Colorado State, Nebraska Omaha, and Colorado, as well as with USA Volleyball.

Kopacz spent two seasons at Colorado State as the lead defensive coach, implementing an opportunistic style of play and mindset focused on improving team defense. The Rams went from last in the conference in opponent hitting efficiency in 2023, to first in both 2024 (.190) and 2025 (.187). Among his individual work included daily practice planning focusing on blocking, team defense, middle/setter offense and overall team development, mapping individual development plans for each athlete.

The Rams’ defensive success propelled Colorado State to both the 2024 Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament championship, earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament Berth since 2019. He guided 2024 AVCA All-American Malaya Jones during the run, while Jones and Emery Herman both recorded AVCA All-Region honors.

He also served as the head coach of the 2024 Mountain West All-Star team that finished as the Silver Medalists at the Global Challenge Tournament held in Pula, Croatia.

Prior to the Rams, Kopacz spent the last two seasons as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Nebraska Omaha. At Omaha, he mentored the setter position and assisted in the development of offensive game-plans. Kopacz helped Omaha to their first D1 NCAA tournament appearance and first Summit League Championship in 2023. His work with the program included mentoring AVCA All-American McKenna Ruch, while also helping guide Ruch and Shayla McCormick to AVCA All-Region honors.

Kopacz started his college coaching career at the University of Colorado in January of 2021 as a Volunteer Assistant Coach. With the Buffaloes, he assisted with the training of first contact and floor defense and helped design scouting reports and prepare the scout team.

The Libertyville, Illinois native played club volleyball at Indiana University where he was a captain and earned All-Big Ten and All-MIVA honors. Kopacz graduated from Indiana with a degree in Informatics and Computing with a specialty in Sports Marketing and Management.

After graduation from Indiana in 2016, he worked in Benefits Administration, most recently as a Senior Account Manager at bswift, while consulting for several different clubs and high school teams in the Chicagoland area.

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Sports

Volleyball Signs UCLA Transfer Kiki Horne, Bolsters 2026 Attacking Force – UCF Athletics

Published

4 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Horne, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year after her junior season at Millbrook High School, leading the squad to a historic 29-1 record and the Class 4A State Championship. After his outstanding prep career, the future Knights’ collegiate journey started on the West Coast, competing for UCLA as a freshman in 2024.

She was one of two Bruins to compete in all 29 matches, garnering the starting nod in nine contests. Horne tallied 249 kills and a .169 hitting clip to complement 14 double-digit kill performances, including a tantalizing stretch of seven consecutive to bridge non-conference and Big Ten play.

In the Los Angeles showdown, Horne boasted a career-high 17 kills, one of many remarkable outings from the then-freshman.

During her sophomore slate, Horne continued to feature for the Bruins in critical moments, tallying a kill in the NCAA Tournament against one-seeded Kentucky. She finished the season with 10 kills on 32 attempts, seeing time in seven matches.

On the defensive end, Horne’s athletic ability and IQ propelled the future Knight to 0.40 blocks per set and 0.47 digs per set in two years.

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Mia Kinney, 2025 5-Star Preps Volleyball Player of the Year

Published

4 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Catholic junior Mia Kinney doesn’t mind playing out of her club and college position for the Lady Irish volleyball team.

She is an offensive force as an outside hitter and is a six-rotation player for Catholic.

Yet Kinney will play defense in college, signing scholarship papers to play libero or defensive specialist at Vanderbilt.

And that’s her focus during Catholic’s offseason for volleyball, which is in-season for Kinney at K2 Volleyball.

“I’m just trying to get a little bit more polished in my libero position,” said Kinney, the 2025 5Star Preps Volleyball Player of the Year, “just because pretty much my entire volleyball career I’ve just been doing different things, and just playing whatever (position) my team needs me to.”

Her versatility and talent were a big reason Catholic (25-10) had another big season in 2025.

Kinney combined powerful hitting (332 kills) with her setting (68 assists), defense (239 digs), serving (72 aces), and excellent passing in leading the Lady Irish to the Division II-AA Final Four.

Catholic coach Brent Carter said he’s able to use Kinney’s versatility because his senior libero, Nora James, has similar talents like Kinney.

“We get creative and move our libero around because our libero (James) is also a very skilled player,” Carter said. “Sometimes, our libero is playing left-back defense and sometimes she’s playing middle-back defense, so it gives us a nuance to where we put Mia, and it gives us an attacking threat out of the back row.”

Kinney’s passing is uncanny, too, and it was on full display at the state tournament, where the Lady Irish endured an emotional rollercoaster.

Catholic staved off elimination with a 3-0 victory over Chattanooga Baylor on Oct. 21 in their second Final Four match of the day, then lost on Oct. 22 to Christ Presbyterian Academy of Nashville by a 3-0 set score.

In the loss to CPA, Kinney’s passing rating was 2.82 on the 3.0 scale used for volleyball passing statistics; Carter raved about her passing in the season ending match.

“To knock Baylor out in a sweep was like a big deal to our kids emotionally,” Carter said, “and we just could not get it together against CPA. We needed to be passing well like we normally pass, and we just weren’t, but Kinney still passed a .282 in that match. And a .282 is best in the world. It’s unbelievable.”

Kinney transferred to Catholic from Baylor before the 2024-25 school year, earning All-5Star Preps first-team honors as the Lady Irish reached the state sectionals (quarterfinals).

Her sister, Elli, and brother, Cooper, are graduates of Baylor.

Elli (2023 Baylor graduate) is a junior libero for Vanderbilt’s volleyball team and Cooper (2021 Baylor graduate) is an infielder with the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball organization.

Mia’s transfer to Catholic was a natural move because she was playing full-time with K2 Volleyball while attending Baylor in Chattanooga.

“It’s helped me out in so many different ways, and I’m really glad we made that decision,” she said of going to Catholic.

Kinney committed to Vanderbilt on June 15 of this year. While Elli was influential in Mia’s decision, she didn’t push Mia toward Vanderbilt.

“She loves it (Vanderbilt), and she just really helped me out through the whole recruiting process,” Mia said. “She didn’t pressure me in any way at all, but she was just there and really helpful for me. She really loves Vandy and I kind of got to see the inside scoop of that, so it was a pretty easy decision for me.”

Kinney said the 2025 season was a thrill for her and the Lady Irish, and she looks forward to another postseason run in 2026.

“I think there’s a bit of a reputation for volleyball at Catholic,” Kinney said.

Carter expects Kinney to take another critical role next season. He said Kinney is the most competitive player he’s coached in almost 10 years, when he coached Kamila Cieslik, a 2017 Catholic graduate who played five years at Rutgers.

“Nobody anywhere competes like (Kinney), and it’s mostly with herself,” Carter said. “She wants to be better every single time she touches the ball, and we haven’t had a kid like her since Kamila Cieslik, in 2016. Just a died-in-the-wool competitor, and here’s the thing nobody would question: She is the team leader.

“After every point, she is the one saying the right things, doing the right things. What she and I spent the most time on was how to handle those situations, and the management of each kid, how they needed to be managed out on the floor. So not only was it a players’ team instead of just a coaches’ team, and it was great.”

Article written by Dave Link/5Star Preps. To read more on area high school sports or to see photo galleries, videos, stat leaders, etc., visit 5StarPreps.com — and use promo code New2025 for 30% off your first year or month subscription.

Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.

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Avery Elizabeth Merritt, loved animals, volleyball

Published

4 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Avery Elizabeth Merritt, born Feb. 27, 2009, embodied the best parts of all of us. The beloved daughter to Russell Merritt and Tina Dombroski, younger sister to Jackson Merritt and Nathan Young, and cherished granddaughter to Janice Merritt, journeyed beyond this world Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

Avery was the glue that connected our lives. She saw through pretenses and offered advice with a depth of insight and clarity far beyond her 16 years.

Her natural creativity was boundless, and throughout her life, she produced incredible sketches, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, clothing, written stories, and culinary delights. Her attention to detail was evident in everything she did, completing even the simplest tasks with an artistic whimsy or a deeply thoughtful purpose.

Avery had a profound love for animals and was pursuing a future in veterinary medicine. She devotedly cared for her dog Lucy, her cats River Forrest and Terra, and her hamster Seuss. Her “heart horse” was Miley, with whom she shared an incredible bond of loving, trust and understanding. Together, they had become a fearless duo completing high jumps, courses, and liberty work. Avery competed in many equestrian shows and received numerous ribbons and accolades.

Avery’s natural curiosity of the world around her also included plants and herbology. She often grew plants from clippings or seeds to create natural products and art, many times drawing her inspiration from Native American culture.

Avery loved an engaging story and enjoyed reading books, listening to podcasts about a wide range of topics from true crime to indie music to survivalism. She was a true aficionado of SpongeBob SquarePants as well as the Breaking Bad series. Despite living in an age of online content, she had an innate ability to remain connected in the present moment. To say she was nonconformist by nature would be an understatement. She was a truly special person in so many ways but did not like to receive attention for her exceptionalism. She was also academically gifted, excelling in all subjects, especially math, science, and literature.

Avery also shared a love for volleyball and grew her skills while playing for Premier travel teams, Sandsharks beach team and Sussex Technical High School. The friendships she gained through these leagues were meaningful to her, and the shared experiences of victory, loss, and growth made a great positive influence in her life

Avery was taken from this world far too early, leaving before her full potential was ever realized. Her family will never allow the beauty of her life to be overshadowed by the tragedy of her death and will honor her with every beat of their collectively heavy hearts.

A viewing will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Jan. 6, at Watson Funeral Home and Crematorium, 211 S. Washington St., Millsboro. A funeral service will follow at noon. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Avery’s name to feast-ed.org, an organization dedicated to bringing awareness and support to loved ones suffering from the illness of an eating disorder.

Visit Avery’s Life Tribute webpage and sign her online guest book at watsonfh.com.

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How Kansas women’s volleyball will remember 2025 season, Sweet 16 run

Published

5 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec. 31, 2025, 3:04 a.m. CT

In the immediate aftermath of Kansas women’s volleyball’s NCAA tournament loss in mid-December against Nebraska, KU coach Matt Ulmer praised the winning side.

Ulmer highlighted Cornhuskers coach Dani Busboom Kelly, and her team. He mentioned it’s been exciting to watch their run, even as much as it was a bummer to be a part of it. He looked forward to seeing how far they could go, which ended up being an Elite Eight exit against eventual national champion Texas A&M.

But as much as Ulmer understood the moment didn’t feel all that great for his team, he also pointed to how much the Jayhawks achieved this season and how proud he was of them. He couldn’t help but gush over the community support, that helped make the run to the Sweet 16 special. Ulmer left Oregon to take over at KU after Ray Bechard — the program’s all-time winningest head coach — retired, and enjoyed a stellar first season at Kansas.

“That was a lot of blue shirts, as many as we could have, I think, as many as Nebraska would allow,” Ulmer told reporters in Lincoln, Nebraska. “Having the band here — we had a sendoff before. When we left, we had sendoff from the hotel. Like, things like that which, maybe Nebraska’s used to, I’m not. Never had that at Oregon. And this is my sixth one of these, and that was the first time that I’ve experienced that.”

Ulmer both hopes the seniors are proud of what they did, and sees this first year at Kansas as the foundation for what the program is going to be moving forward. He committed to the Jayhawks consistently making runs like this, as his players get a taste of what it’s like to make it this far. It’s fuel for the offseason, for those who’ll be back in 2026, because after KU made its fourth-ever trip to the Sweet 16 — and first since 2021 — he wants to keep raising the bar.

This year alone, from Ulmer’s perspective, already saw a mind-blowing journey take place. His first conversations with the team included returning players mentioning playing time as a goal, and it made him think about how far they have to go to just be competitive. And now, considering all the individual growth from those returners and how the newcomers were embraced, they can build on a Sweet 16 run as he continues to develop the roster as needed to compete at the highest level.

The journey the 2026 Jayhawks go on will be different, just as any team’s is, but one characteristic that they could take from the group in 2025 is how adaptable it was. Senior Ryan White, a libero/defensive specialist, said she learned that about her team as it went through a schedule she thought was the most competitive season she’s ever played — if not the most competitive the majority of the team’s played. White, one of those newcomers and an Oregon State transfer, described this as the best last year she could have wished for.

“At my program before this, I didn’t even make it to the tournament,” White said. “So, I’ve never been in the tournament before. I think Matt told me something earlier, like this week, but this is like the most I’ve ever won in my career, in this season. Like, the most games I’ve won. So, looking back on it, it’s been, like, such a great experience. And obviously to come in and play the best team in the nation, like they were firing on all cylinders tonight. But it’s just been the greatest experience. Like, I’m so thankful for it. And never would I have thought that I’d be in Kansas playing college volleyball, but it’s been super, super fun.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

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