HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (April 25, 2025) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team ended its run in the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament on Saturday evening in Huntsville, capping the tournament with a 3-1 defeat to the FGCU Eagles.

The No. 4 Lions opened the day facing the No. 1 seed Stetson Hatters, coming off the opening day victory against No. 5 Jacksonville on Thursday. The first bout went in favor of the top seed, with the Hatters taking the contest against the Lions, 3-1.

The loss moved UNA to the elimination bracket, with the Lions next facing the No. 6 seed EKU Colonels in the following dual. North Alabama got back to its winning ways against the Colonels, with the Lions picking up a responding 3-1 victory.

UNA’s third match saw the Lions face the No. 3 seeded FGCU Eagles with the winner advancing to face North Florida for a spot in the championship dual. North Alabama looked to avenge the regular-season defeat to the Eagles, battling FGCU in close bouts across all five flights. In the end, the Eagles would see the dual out by taking the 3-1 win.

North Alabama senior Ryenne Gepford and freshman Paige Griner went out strong with two wins on the day. The two were victorious against EKU’s second flight, also picking up a win against FGCU. The pair’s ended the four tournament matches with three wins, increasing their tally to seven wins with a 7-4 record.

Flights one, three and five for North Alabama also finished with wins on day two. Senior Katy Floyd and junior Selma Robinson secured a victory against EKU, earning the pair’s 22nd win of the season. Sophomore Aurora Bibolotti and freshman Pien Grooters also were victorious against the Colonels, tallying the pair’s fourth win. Graduate Kaitlyn Holbrook and junior Hailey Benesz rounded out the wins on day two with their 19th of the season in the opening dual against Stetson.

With UNA’s tournament coming to a close, the Lions conclude a solid season in which the team went 18-15 with a 7-4 ASUN record. North Alabama earned its first-ever win over South Florida while defeating Chattanooga for the first time in two seasons. The program also saw Katy Floyd became the all-time wins leader, with the Louisville, Ky. native finishing with 88 career wins.

DUAL 1: STETSON 3, North Alabama 1

The Hatters secured the opening win to kick off day two in Huntsville, with North Alabama able to grab a win from the fifth court courtesy of Holbrook and Benesz.

The fifth-flight pair took a straight-sets bout against Madeline Camp and Julia Czurylo, defeating the Stetson pair, 21-19, 21-14. The win marked the first against the Hatters for the UNA duo, avenging a three-set defeat to the same pair earlier this season on March 28.

The remaining three matches played would go in favor of the Stetson flights. UNA’s Lucy Wedding and Mabrey Whitehead took their fourth-flight match to three sets, but the two fell to the Hatters’ Grace Goudy and Vanessa Hurnikova, 21-13, 19-21, 15-7. Stetson’s second flight picked up the second win of the dual, with Katie Camp and Maria Ozaeta beating the Lions’ Gepford and Griner, 21-15, 21-16.

The final Hatters’ win came from the top flight, but UNA’s Floyd and Robinson made it a competitive match against Stetson’s Marta Carro and Julia Radelczuk. Five points separated the two sets played, but Carro and Radelczuk saw the match out, 21-18, 21-19.

1. Marta Carro/Julia Radelczuk (STETSON) def. Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA), 21-18, 21-19

2. Katie Camp/Maria Ozaeta (STETSON) def. Ryenne Gepford/Paige Griner (UNA), 21-15, 21-16

3. Aurora Bibolotti/Pien Grooters (UNA) vs. Youna Coens/Caroline De Oliveira (STETSON), 17-21, 21-19, unfinished

4. Grace Goudy/Vanessa Hurnikova (STETSON) def. Lucy Wedding/Mabrey Whitehead (UNA), 21-13, 19-21, 15-7

5. Kaitlyn Holbrook/Hailey Benesz (UNA) def. Madeline Camp/Julia Czurylo (STETSON), 21-19, 21-14

DUAL 2: North Alabama 3, EKU 1

North Alabama got the response it needed in the day’s second dual, defeating the EKU Colonels to advance further in the knockout bracket. EKU got out to a quick start with the first win, but the Lions would take the next three en route to the afternoon victory.

The Colonels’ fifth flight secured the first points of the dual with Elpida Pitsigkoni and Bella Williams defeating Benesz and Holbrook, 21-10, 21-17. UNA’s Floyd and Robinson equaled for the Lions from court one, taking a 21-17, 21-16 result over Molly Shomock and Paityn Walker.

The second flight captured the Lions’ second point, with Gepford and Griner beating Gabriella Armitage and Rachel Mueller, 21-18, 21-15. The final match in regulation provided a test for UNA’s Bibolotti and Grooters, but the court-three duo got the job done in a 21-19, 22-20 triumph over Riley Cutler and Madalyn Richardson.

1. Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA) def. Molly Shomock/Paityn Walker (EKU), 21-17, 21-16

2. Ryenne Gepford/Paige Griner (UNA) def. Gabriella Armitage/Rachel Mueller (EKU), 21-18, 21-15

3. Aurora Bibolotti/Pien Grooters (UNA) def. Riley Cutler/Madalyn Richardson (EKU), 21-19, 22-20

4. Lucy Wedding/Mabrey Whitehead (UNA) vs. Emily-Kate Lonergan/Reagan Sandlin (EKU), 21-16, 19-21, unfinished

5. Elpida Pitsigkoni/Bella Williams (EKU) def. Hailey Benesz/Kaitlyn Holbrook (UNA), 21-10, 21-17

DUAL 3: FGCU 3, North Alabama 1

The final bout from Huntsville would end in heartbreak for the Lions, going on to fall in a competitive matchup against the Eagles. Four of the five matches went into three sets, but North Alabama left it all on the court in the defeat to FGCU.

UNA’s lone point came from court two as Gepford and Griner won their second match of the day with the victory. The duo secured the opening set in a 21-19 win, but FGCU’s Alexis Keeter and Ava Lilliquist forced the deciding set with a hard-fought, 25-23 win in the second frame. The third set was a close affair, but North Alabama’s second flight held on for the 15-13 win to secure the team point.

The Eagles opened the contest taking the third flight, with Jacqueline Carpenter and Emma Soncrant fending UNA’s Bibolotti and Grooters, 21-16, 26-24. The second FGCU win came in a three-set contest between Andrea Dietz and Mia Thompson and the Lions’ Wedding and Whitehead. The North Alabama pair forced a third set after dropping the opening frame, but the Eagles saw the matchup out with a 21-16, 20-22, 15-10 win.

FGCU’s winning point came from the top flight with Nicole De Oliviera and Kaitlyn Luebbers taking the match over Floyd and Robinson. The Eagles’ duo overcame three sets en route to a 19-21, 21-13, 15-13 win.

1. Nicole De Oliveira/Kaitlyn Luebbers (FGCU) def. Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA), 19-21, 21-13, 15-13

2. Ryenne Gepford/Paige Griner (UNA) def. Alexis Keeter/Ava Lilliquist (FGCU), 21-19, 23-25, 15-13

3. Jacqueline Carpenter/Emma Soncrant (FGCU) def. Aurora Bibolotti/Pien Grooters (UNA), 21-16, 26-24

4. Andrea Dietz/Mia Thompson (FGCU) def. Lucy Wedding/Mabrey Whitehead (UNA), 21-16, 20-22, 15-10

5. Sydney Majick/Erin Miller (FGCU) vs. Hailey Benesz/Kaitlyn Holbrook (UNA), 21-14, 20-22, unfinished

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

EASTON, Mass. (April 24, 2025) – Senior Madison Rousseau (Canton, Mass.) of the Stonehill College track and field team won three events last week at the Merrimack Alumni Classic and earned her first Northeast Conference Track Athlete of the Week honor, the conference announced Wednesday.
 
Rousseau the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles while being a member of the first-place 4×100-meter relay race team. She won the 100H in 14.87 seconds before setting a personal record in the 400H at 1:03.56, the second-best time in the NEC this spring. Her 100H time also ranks in the top five of all runners in the conference. The 4x100m relay team won the event with a combined time of 48.01 seconds, the best time of the outdoor season for the Skyhawks and the third-best time in the conference.
 
Rousseau shares the award this week as Co-Track Athlete of the Week with Wagner’s Ruth-Ann Chambers, who set PRs in the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the Rider Invitational for the Seahawks. This was Rousseau’s first career NEC weekly award and the first Track Athlete of the Week award for a Skyhawk since junior Jordan Malloy (Colchester, Conn.) earned the same honor twice during the indoor season.
 
Sophomore Kayla Oakes (Kingston, N.Y.) was named an NEC Prime Performer for her performance at Merrimack last week, setting her best long jump mark of the outdoor season, winning the event with a leap of 5.62m (18′ 5.25″). Her jump puts her in a tie for third-best in the conference.
 
Freshman Hannah Santos (Swansea, Mass.) had an excellent showing in North Andover on Thursday, winning the high jump with a leap of 1.63m (5′ 4.25) to earn herself an NEC Prime Performer nod. This is her second time earning a Prime Performer award this year, as she now ranks second in the NEC in the high jump this spring.
 
On the men’s side, senior Shea Drugan (Westfield, Mass.) earned his first NEC Prime Performer nod of the outdoor season, placing second in the 100m dash at 10.67 seconds, a new PR and the fifth-best time in the conference. Drugan would then go on to win the 200m dash at 21.35 seconds, setting another PR and the third-best time in the NEC.
 
Stonehill Track and Field is back in action tomorrow afternoon in Amherst, Mass., for the first day of the Ken O’Brien Pre-Conference Meet at the UMass Track and Field Complex with track events and the javelin throw beginning at 1 p.m. Day two will be on Sunday, April 27 with the remainder of the field events kicking off at 10:30 a.m.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech volleyball head coach Scott Mattera announced the addition of Zari Gillispie to the 2025 signing class.

“Truth be told, we were shocked she was still available,” Mattera said. “But she was looking for something very specific, and our biomedical engineering program combined with an exciting volleyball culture was exactly it for her.”

Gillispie is a 6-1 middle blocker from West Chester, Ohio. She prepped at The Summit Country Day School, where she also lettered in swimming.

On the court, Gillispie had a sensational sophomore season, earning first team All-Conference, District Player of the Year and the Cincinnati Enquirer Player of the Year. She added second team accolades as a junior and returned to the first team as a senior.

“She’s a high-flying middle who fills a position of need for us and is a classroom stud.” Said Mattera.

In the classroom, she is a member of the National Honor Society, has earned the honor roll and is on the Dean’s List.

“We had a blast with her and her family on her visit – it was obvious she’s a great fit for us and us for her,” Mattera concluded.

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. —The University of Hawai’i beach volleyball team’s quest for a second straight conference title came to a close with a 3-0 semifinal loss to Long Beach State in the 2025 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship Friday at Ocean Park in Santa Monica. 

The No. 3 seed Rainbow Wahine started the day with a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 5 seed UC Davis (18-17) to advance to the semifinals. But UH’s road ended in the semis as the Beach (26-11) defeated UH for the second time this season and avenged last year’s loss in the tournament title match on their home turf.  In the process, UH failed to advance to the conference championship match for just the second time in nine years of the event.

A day after going 1-1 in pool play, UH met up with UC Davis on Friday morning to begin single-elimination bracket play. UH took a 2-1 dual lead on the strength of straight set wins by Alana Embry and Julia Lawrenz at the No. 1 court and Sarah Burton and Caprice Lorenzo at the No. 3 court. 

It came down to the No. 2 and No. 4 court which each went to three-set nail biters. Kimi Waller and Alex Leal got past Sophie Buschmann and Sydney Miller, 15-12, in the third set to even up the dual, 2-2. But moments later the UH duo of Amirah Ali and Jasmine Wandeler clinched the dual for UH by prevailing 15-13 over Emily Uhrinak and Kendal Steller at the No. 2 court.

That UH win set up a rematch of last year’s championship match as the ‘Bows took on LBSU, seeded second in the tournament and No. 10 nationally.  The Beach punched their ticket to the finals to take on top-seeded Cal Poly by taking flights 1, 2 and 4 in straight sets. With the dual clinched, Courts 3 and 5 went unfinished though the duo of Burton and Lorenzo were just a point away from earning their second win of the day leading 20-15 in the second set. Ultimately, LBSU took home the victory, just their second against the BeachBows in 13 all-time meetings in the Big West tournament.

UH, ranked 15th nationally entering the Big West Championship, concludes its regular-season with a 14-21 record. 

Hawai’i 3 UC Davis 2

1. Embry/Lawrenz (UH) def. Kylie Miller/Tabitha Mitchell (UCD) 22-20, 21-16

2. Ali/Wandeler (UH) def. Uhrinak/Steller (UCD) 21-12, 13-21, 15-13

3. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) def. Skye Smolinski/Mia Olen (UCD) 21-15, 21-19

4. Waller/Leal (UCD) def. Buschmann/Miller (UH) 21-19, 17-21, 15-12

5. LIndsay Heller/Kate O’Steen (UCD) def. Sydney Amiatu/Kristen Serrano (UH) 21-18, 21-9

Order of finish: 5, 3, 1, 4, 2

Long Beach State 3 Hawai’i 0

1. Malia Gementera/Taylor Hagenah (LBSU) def. Embry/Lawrenz (UH) 21-11, 21-16

2. Haley Carrington/Julia Westby def. Ali/Wandeler (UH) 21-17, 21-14

3. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) vs. Demi Wagdy/Megan Widener (LBSU) 21-19, 20-15, unfinished

4. Skyler Germann/Natalie Glenn (LBSU) def. Buschmann/Miller (UH) 21-13, 21-13

5. Amiatu/Serrano (UH) vs. Mahala Esser/Tineke Hinton (LBSU) 17-21, 14-16, unfinished

Order of finish: 4, 1, 2

 

Seguin, Texas – The Centenary men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete in the 2025 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships this weekend beginning on Friday and concluding on Sunday at Bulldog Stadium.

The three-day event, hosted by SCAC member Texas Lutheran University, features the Ladies and Gents along with the host Bulldogs, Concordia University, Colorado College, the University of Dallas, LeTourneau University, McMurry University, University of the Ozarks, Schreiner University, Southwestern University, the University of St. Thomas, and Trinity University.

Championship Central: https://scacsports.prestosports.com/tournament/spring/track_and_field/25championships/index

Complete Meet Schedule: https://scacsports.prestosports.com/tournament/spring/track_and_field/25championships/Schedule_of_Events.pdf

Live results and live video are available for the meet and links can be found in the “Championship Central”.

Sophomore Christian Cormier (Lafayette, La.) has been one of the top competitors in the conference all season as he has been named the SCAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week (April 22) and Co-Track Athlete of the Week on March 18. Cormier has the 12^th fastest time all season in the conference in the 100 meters (10.75) and 13^th fastest in the 200 meters (22.00).

Freshman Phillip Hughes (Bossier City, La.) ran a time of 51.68 in the 400 meters at the Jim Mize Invitational on April 19 which is the 24^th fastest time in the event all season in the league while freshman Clayton Hancock (Buna, Texas) has the 25^th fastest time (51.82) which he ran in the Carl Knight Invitational on April 12.

The Gents’ team of Cormier, junior Obadiah Butler (Crowley, La.), freshman Dwayne Mills Jr. (Slidell, La.), and freshman Jay Scott (Slidell, La.) own the eighth-fastest time (42.44) in the 4 x 100 relay which they ran in the Belhaven University Invitational on March 22. Hancock, sophomore Herman Pride (Baton Rouge, La.), Scott, and sophomore Bryan Washington (Wylie, Texas) ran the ninth-fastest time this season in the league in the 4 x 400 relay (3:37.90) recorded in the Carl Knight Invitational.

Scott is 12^th in the long jump (6.37m) in the conference this season which he accomplished at the Jim Mize Invitational and Pride is 24^th (5.97m) which he tallied at the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet in March and Scott’s 12.97m in the triple jump recorded at the Belhaven Invitational ranks ninth in the conference.  

On the women’s side, freshman Gabrielle Malagarie (Lafayette, La.)posted the conference’s 13^th-best mark this season in the high jump (1.40m) in the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet in March – the Ladies’ opening meet of the season. The rookie also has the 21^st-best score in the long jump (4.66m) in that same meet.

Freshman Grayson Shugart (McKinney, Texas) ranks 18^th in the long jump (4.79m) set at the Cowboy Relays Bob Hayes Louisiana Challenge hosted by McNeese State University last month, the Ladies’ top score of the season in the event. Shugart also posted the 10^th-best score in the triple jump in the conference this season, with a mark of 9.90m in the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet.

Sophomore Mackenzie Haley (Orange, Texas) is 22^nd in the long jump (4.62m), right behind Malagarie, which she recorded in the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet. Sophomore Ella Walton (Lafayette, La.) is 22^nd in the discus (27.31m) after throwing that distance at the Jim Mize Invitational on April 19.

See where the Ladies and Gents rank within the conference and nationally at the links below:

MEN: TFRRS | 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Qualifying List

WOMEN: TFRRS | 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Qualifying List

See the complete Gents’ season schedule here: https://gocentenary.com/sports/mtrack/2024-25/schedule 

See the complete Ladies’ season schedule here: https://gocentenary.com/sports/wtrack/2024-25/schedule

#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity

When Matt Troy took the head coaching job for Elon University’s volleyball team, he saw it as an opportunity to grow as a coach. Troy previously hadn’t heard much about Elon’s volleyball program but after watching film of the team, he believed they had potential that could be built upon once the season begins in August. Last year, Elon finished 11-18.

While Troy does plan on incorporating a few things such as an up-tempo offense, he isn’t looking to change everything about the team. Elon will have 11 returning players next year, and Troy recognizes how tight-knit most of the players are going back to former head coach Mary Tendler’s tenure. Tendler spent the last 22 seasons coaching Elon where she won over 300 games. 

Troy said he made it a priority to know the players on the team so he could get a better understanding of who they are. He and his staff have also started recruiting players in preparation for the fall. 

“One of the first things I did coming in is I started to put meetings into play,” Troy said. “Once we started in February, I have them in my office every week and just get to know them.”

Troy said he’ll typically ask the players questions about their lives such as their personal interests or how they’re doing in school. He doesn’t want to know them as only volleyball players. 

“We’re invested in them as players of course, but also as people,” Troy said. 

When it comes to volleyball, Troy finds it easier to apply his offense from his previous coaching jobs, which he acknowledges is different from the offense they ran in the fall. During Troy’s most recent stint at Johns Hopkins, he compiled a 151-17 record which included an appearance in the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship. His career record in 14 seasons is 357-96.

Troy said he uses practices as an opportunity to get the players accustomed to his offense. The practices resemble most game simulations with lots of gameplay in an attempt to replicate game-like scenarios.

Although Troy recognized it might take some time to be fully effective, he is fine with this philosophy.

“In practice, it’s a lot of six on six and learning within the gameplay,” Troy said. “We’re willing to take some chances in our practices, and we might make some mistakes but we’re going to be better because of that.”

Troy also counts on the players to express their thoughts in practice. He believes that giving them ownership of the team will allow them to be more invested going forward. 

So far players including junior Cameron Lanier have admired Troy’s efforts in building connections with everyone on the team. She said Troy has been friendly and said she has gotten to know him better through one-on-one meetings.  

“Almost every week we do one-on-one meetings with him, and we watch film or go over questions that we have,” Lanier said. “That’s been really nice because he cares about us and wants us to get better.”

Troy said he’s invested in watching film of plays. He believes it’s an opportunity to really break down everything without worrying about performing a particular skill. 

Lanier said Troy hasn’t been afraid to incorporate new ideas during practice either. She believes the team has already shown glimpses of how effective Troy’s up-tempo strategy could be. 

She also said Troy sets high expectations for practice when the team is scrimmaging against each other. She said Troy expects everyone to practice the way they’d compete in an actual game. 

“He holds us to a high standard in practice and wants us to hold each other to a high standard,” Lanier said. “He’s always mentioning that which is nice because it’s true.”

Through Troy’s first few months on the job, he has found the players to be very receptive of his approach toward building connections along with the style of practices. 

He hopes to continue developing relationships among the players before the season through team activities whether it’s having dinner at his house or team road trips. 

“They’re brought into it pretty well,” Troy said. “One of my hopes is that a lot of our activities start taking place in the fall. And I think it’s fun when they’re a bit more genuine and not always planned.”