By Barton Community College Athletics

GREAT BEND, Kan. (BartonSports.com) – Pending approval from the Barton Community College Board of Trustees at their meeting later this month, Jim Cartisser is expected to become the volleyball program’s next head coach.

Cartisser comes to Great Bend after spending 18 seasons at the College of Southern Idaho including the last six seasons as head coach leading the Golden Eagles to a 118-61 overall record.

“Jim comes to Barton a proven winner!” remarked Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. “His background and resume in collegiate volleyball speaks for itself. We look forward to Coach Cartisser arriving in Great Bend to guide Barton Volleyball to NJCAA prominence.”

Serving the first twelve seasons as an assistant, the last eight assisting his late wife Heidi, the duo led the Golden Eagles to a trio of NJCAA national titles and a national runner-up finish.

During his tenure as the Head Coach, the Golden Eagles claimed another NJCAA Championship in 2018 as Cartisser was named both the AVCA and NJCAA Coach of the Year.

A native of Oregon, the love of volleyball started on the sand courts carrying onto the hard court collegiately competing for Portland State University’s club team.

Entering the collegiate coaching ranks in 1994, Cartisser has served as either a head or assistant coach throughout his career, along with coaching multiple club team programs.

Cartisser inherits an expected reloaded Cougar squad assembled by Megan Besecker prior to her departure taking over the reigns of NCAA Division II Pittsburg State University.

The 2024 Cougars captured their second straight KJCCC title on the way to their 24th NJCAA National Tournament appearance, finishing 4th in the nation at 33-4 overall.

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary’s Volleyball continues to build up their 2025-26 squad with youthful talent, adding freshman Zoe Joshua out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. Unlike most prep players, Joshua focussed purely on beach while playing for the Knights, giving her loads of experience on the sand despite coming in as just a freshman.

With numerous tournament wins to her name including the the 18u AVP and the 18u Walker Beach, Joshua concluded her pre collegiate beach career by being named the Mission League MVP after leading Notre Dame Sherman Oaks to an undefeated regular season and a trip to the CIF Southern Section DII Tournament. Standing at 5-8 and left hand dominant, Joshua will bring another dynamic dimension to Saint Mary’s Beach Volleyball

Joshua originally committed to the University of Utah, but after the discontinuation of their program, re-opened her recruiting and selected Saint Mary’s to be the place to call home for the next four years. 

“Zoe  is a 5’8″ left-handed defender who has achieved notable success in her beach volleyball career!” noted Head Coach Janice Harrer, “Her passion and persistence are qualities that will bring her success in the classroom and in competition!  She brings notable experience on the sand, and we look forward to what she will bring to the SMC program!”

Now with four true freshmen coming in for the 2025-26 season, the Gaels truly have set the building blocks for success in the near and far future.

#GaelsRise

Cranston East, Lincoln and Mt. Hope danced on the court of the Murray Center.

Brynn Beatty is preparing for more than just a walk across the stage this weekend in Pauley Pavilion. With commencement nearing, she has been wrapping up her capstone project, working with her group to finish building a small robot that detects and digs up metal on the beach and at the sand volleyball courts near the dorms. But the fourth-year mechanical engineering student at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering is also getting ready for a new title: graduate student.

This fall, Beatty will move off campus into an apartment farther from Westwood as she begins a new chapter at UCLA, pursuing a master’s degree focused on fluid mechanics, a discipline she gravitated toward after taking two rigorous but captivating elective courses.

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Beatty experienced a bit of culture shock when she first moved to Los Angeles. “I am used to a very laissez faire city. Changing from the laid-back attitude of my home city to the fast-paced, get-it-done mentality here was a major change,” Beatty recalled. She credits UCLA’s tight-knit community for making her feel at home, telling her friends that she doesn’t really live in Los Angeles — she lives in Westwood. While the idea of taking a day trip to the beach still seems crazy to her, she has become a regular visitor to the Hammer Museum and is a proud Los Angeles Public Library card holder.

“I love the cross between research and writing,” said Brynn Beatty. “Communication isn’t a bonus skill, but rather something that is necessary for everyone — no matter their field.”

Despite initially taking some time to get used to a faster city life, Beatty is no stranger to juxtaposition. She spent her high school years at an arts-focused magnet school, where each student chose a specialty during freshman year. Beatty picked creative writing to complement her study of engineering — building model bridges by day and writing poetry by night. In her senior year, Beatty designed and tested a planter aimed to help restore Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.

At UCLA, Beatty joined the Undergraduate Science Journal as an editor in her sophomore year, helping make technical research content more accessible to broader audiences. She also worked as a student writer for the UCLA Samueli’s Office of Marketing Communications. In her role, she helped monitor news coverage of the school, draft stories on faculty awards and school events, and assisted with data analytics — honing her writing skills while staying steeped in science.

“I am so glad that I am able to combine my technical knowledge of engineering with writing,” Beatty said. “Getting to see the commencement booklet before it’s published is just a bonus.”

Beatty is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Harry M. Showman Prize, awarded annually to a UCLA Samueli student who excels in communicating the societal relevance of engineering. It’s a fitting honor for someone who has spent her undergraduate years balancing equations with prose.

“I love the cross between research and writing,” said Beatty, whose parents are both journalists. “Communication isn’t a bonus skill, but rather something that is necessary for everyone — no matter their field.”

As a student staffer in UCLA’s housing services, Residential Life, Beatty worked overnight shifts while maintaining a rigorous academic load. She tried to keep a set schedule to help manage stress. To recharge, she turned to sewing and crossword puzzles. “Having creative hobbies allows me to connect with people both within the engineering school and outside of it,” Beatty said.

Recently, she created a UCLA-themed crossword inspired by the long-standing “North Campus vs. South Campus” divide — a playful nod to the contrast between humanities and STEM students. “Students across campus think of themselves as so different from each other, but we all share the same campus, dorms and city at large, and we have a lot more in common than our different majors,” Beatty said.

Over the past four years, Beatty has gone from having an abstract idea of becoming an engineer to discovering her interest in fluid mechanics, additive manufacturing and computational modeling. Looking ahead, Beatty says she is excited to explore all that UCLA can offer as she continues to define her plans for the future. But one thing is for certain: she is adopting a dog once she moves into her new apartment.

For incoming UCLA Samueli undergrads unsure about where to get help, Beatty suggested they talk to their professors. “Every professor that I have reached out to has been amazingly helpful and honest about what to expect from internships and from grad school,” she said.

Beatty is also inspired by her fellow Bruin engineers. She has heard her classmates talk about their future as Tiffany watchmakers, rocket scientists and even cheese researchers. As for Beatty, she will stay connected to the physics and core principles of engineering. “I hope to maintain that love for engineering at its core: asking and answering questions with whatever tools are available,” she said.

Harvard men’s water polo will kick off its 2025 season on August 30 with the Bruno Classic, aiming for a robust 30-game season after achieving over 20 wins in the past 10 years. Head coach Ted Minnis is on the verge of his 300th career win, with star players Dean Strauser and Jack Burghardt returning to lead the team. The schedule features competitions against top programs, including two trips to California, and will culminate in the NWPC Championships from November 21-23 in Rhode Island, where the Crimson seeks their first conference title since 2019.

By the Numbers

• Harvard holds a 35-6 conference record over the past four seasons.
• The team has only lost one regular-season game against non-Princeton conference opponents since 2021.

State of Play

• Harvard is set for a four-game opening weekend at home, including matches against Bucknell and Fordham.
• The Crimson are expected to face reigning national champion UCLA and Long Beach State in California.

What’s Next

Following the opening weekend, Harvard will participate in the Princeton Invitational before continuing its season with the notable California road trips. The Crimson are anticipated to make strategic adjustments based on their early matchups as they aim to leverage their home advantage in conference play later in the season.

Bottom Line

Harvard men’s water polo looks to build on its strong history while pursuing its first NWPC title since 2019, emphasizing a blend of seasoned talent and promising newcomers as key factors in achieving their goals this season.