15,000 — Amount of Panthers’ season tickets that are sold out per season, helping the team post the fifth-best attendance in the NHL (BLOOMBERG, 6/13)
Sports
Closing Bell

What’s next in the NFL C-suite after Brian Rolapp’s departure…Scripps Sports, WNBA extend Friday night broadcasts in multiyear agreement…Pacers, Levy roll out special Finals concessions.

The departure of the NFL’s second-in-command executive kicked off a flurry of speculation about who would replace Brian Rolapp — and how his broad portfolio might be divided — and what those moves will say about the pecking order in the league’s front office as Commissioner Roger Goodell enters his 20th season.
As chief media & business officer, Rolapp oversaw the league’s media licensing business, NFL Media, NFL Films, sponsorship and consumer products and 32 Equity, the increasingly important investment arm. Those divisions are the league’s lifeblood. Led by the licensing of live game rights, Rolapp’s divisions generate the $13B in league revenue that was distributed to the 32 teams last year — and 32 Equity has made the league a meaningful shareholder in growing companies like Genius Sports, Fanatics and Everpass Media.
Who would replace him? In the media vertical itself, Rolapp’s deputy, EVP/Media Distribution Hans Schroeder, would be the closest thing to a one-to-one successor. Schroeder, who joined the league in 2001, would represent continuity for the most critical business partners of the NFL, like Amazon, Disney, CBS Sports and others.
But it would be a big expansion in duties for Schroeder to take on sponsorship/products and 32 Equity as well, insiders say, and most experts I spoke with considered that unlikely. Schroeder lost oversight of NFL-owned media earlier this decade, and is not seen as a popular manager internally, sources said. If Schroeder replaces Rolapp on the media front only and Goodell took a status-quo approach, Chief Revenue Officer Renie Anderson — who oversees sponsorship and consumer products — could end up reporting directly to Goodell.

The WNBA is staying on ION Friday nights. Scripps Sports and the league reached a multiyear agreement to keep ION the home of the WNBA on Friday nights, a deal that has been in place since 2023. Financial terms and the length of the deal were not disclosed.In 2025, 50 regular season games will air on ION, including the “WNBA on ION” studio show. The original agreement with the WNBA, which in its first year included 30 games, brought Scripps Sports its first sports property. The WNBA’s other media partners are ESPN, Prime Video and CBS, with NBC joining next year as part of the league’s new media agreements.
The Pacers and Levy Restaurants unveiled six special dishes that will be available for remaining home NBA Finals games. Getty Images The Pacers and food partner Levy Restaurants unveiled “six special dishes that will be available” at Game 4 and Game 6, if necessary, of the NBA Finals. Levy Restaurants Executive Chef Charles Humphreys said that the “limited-edition concessions will only be available for the Pacers’ remaining Finals home games.” Tickets for Game 4 are fetching $850-$3,000 on Ticketmaster. The special concessions include:– The Boomer Stacker: Two smashed hamburger patties, a small fried pork tenderloin, double sharp cheddar cheese, bacon strips, fried onions and a drizzle of barbecue ranch.– Indiana Porkster: A fried tenderloin atop bratwurst simmered in Sun King Osiris Pale Ale, thick-cut bacon and a bacon onion jam, plus a drizzle of whole grain mustard.Read More >>>

The 75th anniversary of the College World Series gets underway today in Omaha, and it features eight teams “of all shapes and sizes, dreamers and big boys, small ball and big budgets.” Five of the eight — LSU, Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Arizona and UCLA — have won national titles, while Arkansas has been to the CWS eight times. Then there is Louisville and Murray State, the latter of which “walked through the CWS tunnel for the first time” this week. The action gets started today with Arizona-Coastal Carolina at 2pm ET, while Louisville takes on Oregon State at 7pm — both at Charles Schwab Field (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 6/12).
Murray State, which spent $858,106 on its baseball program during the 2023-24 academic year, face UCLA (with a baseball budget of $4.19M) in Game 1 and then either LSU ($9.9M, third-largest budget in Division I) or Arkansas ($9.16M, fifth largest) in Game 2. The Racers are “reviving the Cinderella archetype both competitively … and financially” (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 6/13). Like Fresno State, Stony Brook and Oral Roberts before it, Murray State is “about to be embraced as the College World Series’ lovable underdogs by local fans looking to adopt a team for the week.” Their merchandise “already is selling fast” (AP, 6/13).

AI-powered language translation platform Camb.ai will supply live, Spanish-language translations of Motor Racing Network radio broadcasts of NASCAR’s Mexico City Cup Race as part of a pilot with the racing series.
The translated radio feeds will be available in the NASCAR mobile app and website directly under its English counterpart. NASCAR, through a spokesperson, said providing live Spanish translations via MRN (which NASCAR owns and operates) is a first for the organization and that there are “plans to expand Spanish-language coverage across platforms based on fan response.”
Camb.ai’s speech-to-speech translation platform uses two AI models developed by the company — one a speech-to-text translation engine and the other a speech synthesizer that turns that translated text back into speech while emulating the emotional cues of the original speaker — to provide real-time translations in more than 140 languages.
NASCAR called the pilot “a significant step in making NASCAR content more inclusive and accessible.”

Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has “taken High Court legal action” against Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe‘s Ineos. The Premier League club has “lodged a claim against” Ineos Automotive Limited, a subsidiary of the multinational Ineos company. Spurs and Ineos announced a multimillion dollar, five-year deal in December 2022, but since at least February, talks “have been ongoing” over Ineos withdrawing two years before the expiration of the deal. Those negotiations “appear to have failed to find an agreement” (London TELEGRAPH, 6/13).

Ohio State will have a new basketball court next season, playing on a “gray court featuring scarlet painted keys and two interchangeable center court logos” starting this winter. There will be “options depending on which uniforms” the men’s and women’s basketball teams are wearing on a given night. The traditional “Block ‘O’ will be at center court for when the team wears more standard uniforms,” but on throwback games, those 10 pieces “will be replaced by a script Buckeyes logo to match the jerseys.” The new court “won’t arrive for a few months and has yet to be installed in the arena” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 6/13).

Forty-three percent of fans who support women’s sports are more inclined to buy a brand if it has a partnership with a female athlete, according to Parity’s “U.S. Women’s Sports 2025: Give The Fans What They Want” study. Fans who say they watch women’s sports frequently are 67% more likely to choose a brand represented by a female athlete.
Parity is a division of Group 1001 that connects woman athletes with sponsors and other business opportunities. Group 1001 is also the parent company of Gainbridge, a digital financial company who directs more than 40% of its total sports marketing budget multiple women’s sports properties, according to the company’s chief of sponsorship strategy and activation, Mike Nichols.
The survey, assembled by Parity and administered by SurveyMonkey April 8-11 from a national sample of 2,385 U.S. adults 18 or older, shows that fans more often lean into brand sponsorships with athletes as opposed to sponsors connected to a league, tournament or team.
Age is an additional factor Parity analyzes among fans who say they watch sports with 46% of Gen Z and Millennials being more prone to buy from brands that promote women athletes as well as women’s sports teams. Thirty-six percent of all sports fans favor women’s athlete brand sponsorships vs. 34% favoring a women’s sports team partnership.
Speed Reads…
Levy has been named the hospitality partner of the new Noblesville, Ind., area, the Arena at Innovation Mile (Levy Restaurants).
The Portland Thorns and WNBA ownership group will “bring an inaugural summit focused on business and investment opportunities in women’s sports” to Nike’s HQ from July 23-26 (PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/13).
Around the World….
Inter Milan is “set to repay early” a $479.57M high-yield bond this month as the club “prepares to secure funds from a new debt deal” (REUTERS, 6/13).
The National Rugby League is “set to scrutinize comments” made by West Tigers CEO Shane Richardson “apparently suggesting referees have an inherent bias against teams” lower on the NRL ladder (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/13).
Social Scoop….
Below is a photo of all 12 MLB player manhole covers, along with a map of where and when they will be placed around Japan 🎨
Shohei Ohtani – June 16
Yusei Kikuchi – June 16
Roki Sasaki – June 16
Yu Darvish – June 17
Yuki Matsui – June 18
Shota Imanaga – June 19
Kenta Maeda -… https://t.co/dnTdCwTocM pic.twitter.com/xpsXDrHJZm— MLB (@MLB) June 13, 2025
Daily Download….
Matthew and Camilla McConaughey are dropping their new “Official Tequila Of” commercial at the Austin FC home game tomorrow, as Pantalones Organic Tequila is an official sponsor of the team.
Daily Digit….
Sports
All-Area Volleyball First Team | Winchester Star
Aaliyah Green
Millbrook — Junior
Outside hitter
Green ranked first in the area in kills per set (5.40), sixth in digs per set (2.95) and eighth in aces per set (0.68). Class 4 State, Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection. Northwestern District and Winchester Star Player of the Year.
Brenna Corbin
James Wood — Senior
Outside hitter
Corbin led the area in total aces (96) and tied for first in aces per set (0.99). Ranked third in digs per set (3.69) and fifth in kills per set (2.94). Class 4 State, Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Kennedy Spaid
James Wood — Senior
Outside hitter
Spaid ranked first in the area in total kills (458) and third in kills per set (4.87). Ranked seventh in digs per set and aces per set. Class 4 State, Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Isabel Aliveto
Clarke County — Junior
Outside hitter
Aliveto ranked second in area in total kills (428) and kills per set (5.16). She ranked ninth in aces per set (0.66) and tied for 12th in digs per set (2.37). Class 2, Region 2B and Bull Run District First Team selection. Bull Run District Player of the Year.
Breeze Johnson
Handley — Sophomore
Outside hitter
Johnson ranked 4th in the area in kills per set (3.73) and digs per set (3.65) and placed 3rd in aces per set (0.82). Class 4 State Second Team and Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
McKenna Homans
Millbrook — Freshman
Setter/hitter
Homans ranked 14th in kills per set (1.62), sixth in assists (4.32), seventh in blocks (0.57), 11th in digs (2.42) and 12th in aces (0.61). Only area player to rank top 15 in all five major statistical categories. Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Bryn Franzen
Clarke County — Senior
Middle hitter
Franzen ranked 5th in area in blocks per set (0.65) and 11th in kills per set (1.89). Class 2 State Second Team. Region 2B and Bull Run District First Team selection.
Avery Curtis
Sherando — Freshman
Middle hitter
Curtis led the area in total blocks (78) and blocks per set (1.05) and ranked 6th in kills per set (2.45). Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Kate Madden
Millbrook — Junior
Libero
Madden led the area in total digs (368) and digs per set (4.91). Ranked 13th in aces per set (0.60). Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Jillian Emmart
Clarke County — Senior
Setter
Emmart led area in total assists (596) and assists per set (7.64) and averaged 1.94 digs per set.
Sports
Best Gainesville-area Big School Volleyball Player for the 2025 season
Dec. 26, 2025, 4:00 a.m. ET
- The Gainesville Sun is releasing its All-Area teams for five fall high school sports.
- Fans have the opportunity to vote for the Player of the Year in polls accompanying each team.
- The poll for the Big School Volleyball Player of the Year is now open for voting.
- Gainesville High’s Rowan Kage was named the official Player of the Year by the publication.
After months filled with excitement and tears of happiness and sadness, the fall sports season is officially over in the Gainesville area.
The end of the season marks the release of the Gainesville Sun’s All-Area teams. As such, we’ll be releasing 12 All-Area teams for five fall sports (football, volleyball, swim and dive, cross country and golf).
All teams can be viewed on Gainesville.com/sports/high-school. For all these sports, we’re picking a Player of the Year — the athlete we and area coaches thought was the best.
However, we want to give you, the fans, the chance to make your voice heard.
That’s why we’re releasing Player of the Year polls to accompany each All-Area teams. Each of the first-team nominees in a respective sport will be a candidate.
Below is the poll for who the best Big School Volleyball Player was in 2025. We released this team Tuesday and picked Gainesville High’s Rowan Kage as our Player of the Year. There are 8 nominees to choose from, and you can vote as many times as you’d like. The poll closes at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31.
Please share this poll with family and friends, and congratulations to all those on the All-Area teams and their families!
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
Sports
Petoskey’s Katie Parker earns News-Review Volleyball POY, see All-Area
Dec. 26, 2025, 4:01 a.m. ET
PETOSKEY — Katie Parker made an impact on the varsity volleyball court in all four seasons of her Petoskey career.
After each season, she set her sights on becoming even better, something her Petoskey teammates and coaches were grateful for.
Then came the 2025 campaign and eventual end. There was no next, something that hit home with Parker, though it’s a four-year career that most can only dream about.
“I didn’t really realize how much playing school ball meant to me until it was over,” Parker said. “Since I started my freshman year I always through, ‘One more year…one more year.’ But then realized this year is the last year. That final game really took an emotional toll on me.”
Parker’s absence within the lineup is sure to take a toll on Petoskey as well.
The senior leaves Petoskey with the second most career assists with 2,901, placing her within the statewide career lists of the MHSAA.
As a setter, she knows she’s in a position where she needs her teammates for success as much as they need her and she credits that bond as the biggest factor of her career.
“I think just staying out of your head and having good teammates that continuously back you up, have your back and believe in you,” Parker said on how she stayed so consistent. “I think that really motivates people to keep going and learn. Once you start being confident in yourself and your abilities, others look up to you and their skills end up reflecting on the team as a whole.”
Parker’s skills brought Petoskey great success over her career, which included a district title – elusive in an always tough district – along with key league wins and multiple postseason honors.
She earned back to back spots on the all-region dream team and is now named the 2025 Petoskey News-Review Volleyball Player of the Year honor.
Change had been constant over her career, with hitters coming and going, along with coaches. She played for three different head coaches and seemingly a different group of lead hitters year after year.
She built great rapport with those hitters, first off the court.
“I think the main reason I had great connections with the hitters was because we had a great relationship off the court,” she said. “Each person, their hitting style reflects their personality and how they view the game. So just knowing them and how they’re going to hit makes the job easier.”
She was also never afraid of a little constructive criticism and feedback, something she used to become better. She got that particularly out of this last group.
“My favorite part about this last group of hitters was their ability to tell me when my sets weren’t perfect,” Parker said. “It wasn’t in a mean way, they’d say, ‘That was a great set, but could you do this…’ They were amazing teammates on and off the court.”
Along with the career assists, Parker also finished with 890 career digs and 191 aces, while recording 667 assists, 223 digs and 35 aces this season. She also got her hands dirty at the net, contributing 15 blocks.
What she’s most proud of this season was how a team full of players pushed into leading roles came together.
“We lost some height, but with a shorter team, we were really powerful working together, shifting our defense to blocks and understanding how to play with this group,” she said. “The ability to come together and work as a team was the best part.”
Parker was also focused on building up the future of the program and her position, where backup setters Courtney and Cora Howard are likely to take over ahead.
“The Howard twins are amazing teammates and setters,” she said. “We would go off on the side, they would ask for advice and I’d share with them. They’re amazing people and they have a bright future ahead.”
2025 NEWS-REVIEW ALL-AREA VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
MH: Sarah Bailey, Sr. Petoskey
Took off this season and earned dream team all-region. Had 240 kills and 69 blocks. Added 183 digs and 31 aces as well.
OH: Lanie Irwin, Sr. Pellston
Earned all-state once again and finished the season with 508 kills, 110 aces and 429 digs. Also held a 91% serve reception rate.
OH: Emma Mitas, Sr. Petoskey
Had a huge final season as an all-region hitter. Recorded 307 kills, 48 blocks and 37 aces. Also had 249 digs.
OPP: Addy Burns, Boyne City
All-region and all-conference pick, enjoyed a breakout season with 185 kills and 298 digs, adding 44 aces as well.
DS: Jaslyn Blanton, Jr. Charlevoix
Could do it all again and earned all-region. Had 260 kills, 408 digs, 238 assists and 66 aces. A special talent on the court.
DS: Sarah Simonis, Sr. Petoskey
A strong leader and defender that earned all-region. Had 377 digs and 33 aces from her libero spot.
L: Ayla Kemp, Jr. Charlevoix
All-region and a standout defender for the Rayders. Had 688 digs, a team-high, then 56 aces and 659 serve receptions.
S: Katie Parker, Sr. Petoskey
Two-time dream team all-region, Area Player of the Year. Had 667 assists, 223 digs and 35 aces. Also had 15 blocks.
SECOND TEAM
MH: Kerry-Ann Ming, Sr. Mackinaw City
MB: Leah Sulitis, Sr. Petoskey
OH: Olivia Pineda-Anderson, Jr. Boyne Falls
OH: Lily Snyder, Sr. East Jordan
DS: Taryn Carey, Jr. Charlevoix
L: Peyton Frost, Sr. Harbor Springs
S: Breanna Willis, Sr. Pellston
S: Lily Payton, So. Boyne City
HONORABLE MENTION
Cara Paulus, Jr. Harbor Light; Maryrose Halberg, Sr. Charlevoix; Elle Wilson, Jr. Boyne City; Alexis Cadarette, Sr. Petoskey; Remi Wiertalla, Jr. Alanson; Ella Klungle, Sr. Pellston; Rian Esper, Jr. Mackinaw City.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
Sports
All-Lowcountry teams for cross country, volleyball and more
Girls Cross country
2025 Coach of the Year: Josh Michael, Philip Simmons. Michael led both the boys and girls team to state championships in Class AA this season. It was the fourth consecutive championship for the girls team and the second for the boys team.
2025 Runner of the Year: Morgan Howell, Porter-Gaud. Howell, a freshman, won her second straight SCISA Class AAAA state championship and recorded the fastest time in the area among all classifications with a time of 17:47. Earlier during the season her time of 17:16 was the fastest in the state in 2025.
All-Lowcountry Team
Morgan Howell, Porter Gaud: SCISA AAAA State Champion, 17:47
Taylor Blackwelder, Summerville: AAAAA Div. I, State Runner-up, 18:17
Anna Cavallon, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 4th place, 18:34
Avah Mallek, Philip Simmons: AA State Champion (3rd straight), 18:37
Nora Brahim, Bishop England: AAAA, 3rd place, 18:38
Corrie Reinhardt, North Charleston: AAA, State Runner-up, 18:40
Evelyn Mercer, Palmetto Christian: SCISA AAAA, 5th place, 19:01
Lydia Scanlon, Lucy Beckham: AAAAA Div. II, 3rd place, 19:10
Sophia Lee, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 12th place, 19:18
Laura Perry, Philip Simmons: AA, 4th place, 19:23
Colby DeLamielleure, Hanahan: AAA, 6th place, 19:24
Boys Cross Country
2025 Runner of the Year: Brayden Bunt, Academic Magnet. Bunt was the highest-finishing runner among all Lowcountry runners in state meet competition, finishing as the state runner-up in Class AA with a time of 15 minutes, 47 seconds, which was two seconds faster than Summerville’s David Greer.
All-Lowcountry Team
Brayden Bunt, Academic Magnet: AA State, Runner-up, 15:47
David Greer, Summerville: AAAAA Div. I, 4th place, 15:49
Wilson Scapellato, Charleston Collegiate: SCISA AA State Champion, 15:56
Ari Laurient, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 8th place, 15:59
Connor Good, Bishop England: AAAA, 3rd place, 16:08
Sports
Allie Landry named 2025 Putnam County Volleyball Player of the Year | Sports
A year after winning a sectional title in 2023, Greencastle’s volleyball team had high expectations of going a step further in 2024.
Instead, a small late season wobble saw an experienced Tiger Cub team finish third in the WIC after being swept by Indian Creek and fail to win a set in its sectional title defense against Parke Heritage.
For a roster full of underclassmen, the loss stung but in the long run, might have been the catalyst needed for Greencastle to embark on an epic 2025 campaign.
The Tiger Cubs finished 30-5, sweeping the Monon Athletic Conference title with a 7-0 mark, claiming the Putnam County Volleyball Tournament after letting it slip the prior year, and winning not only a sectional title, but the school’s first volleyball regional title since 1998.
Seven seniors led the squad in various capacities, including 2024 Putnam County Volleyball Player of the Year Makenzie Creviston, Keely and Roan Amis and Haley Owens along the front line, Meilani York and Ellie Knuth in the back row. Sophomore back row Janae Greenlee and freshman all-rounder Sophia Gooch made a critical impact all over the floor.
With so many potent attackers up front and defenders sweeping up behind, Allie Landry was given the task of pulling the strings to make everything work.
Landry had been the Tiger Cubs’ sole setter as a sophomore in 2023 but split duties as a junior with Kaitlin Welker in 2024.
Back in charge of the operation in 2025, Landry orchestrated an offense with four hitters that claimed over 100 kills and a fifth on 94 kills, the senior setter adding 88 kills of her own while recording 949 assists, 236 digs, 108 aces and 37 blocks.
Landry’s mastery of the offense and decision-making on the floor led her to be named the Putnam County Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2025 season.
The disappointment of the finish to her junior season was a rallying cry for the seniors heading into the 2025 season.
“In the first round of sectionals, we got smoked last year,” Landry said. “That was not what we were expecting. We had way more goals than that.
“Coming off that season, all of us, especially having so many seniors, we wanted to come out stronger this year, knowing we were going to get everyone back, it made it easier for us to get together in the offseason and set goals for ourselves that we could attain as we were very excited for the upcoming season.
“It was really nice having Makenzie and Keely as they are super driven and both of them had the highest amount of kills on the team coming into this year,” Landry added. “Getting to play with them for so long and knowing we had one season left, it really motivated us to do all we could in the offseason and make the most out of the time we had left.
“We wanted to make our last season our best season.”
Landry’s athletic prowess is not limited to volleyball, having qualified for the IHSAA Girls’ Tennis Individual Regional for a second time in three years, as well as helping Greencastle win a fifth-straight sectional title.
A focus on tennis led to Landry relinquishing club volleyball, initially seen as ideal in her pursuit of the sport, but the draw of volleyball was strong enough to cause her to reconsider her plans before her senior year began.
“I wasn’t going to play club volleyball last year, having decided to focus on tennis,” Landry said. “I had played from fourth grade all the way until freshman year, stopped as a sophomore and had planned not to play again until I randomly got offered a spot on another club team as they needed another setter.
“That really helped. I really didn’t want to take another year off as I missed playing when I did. That spot felt like a sign that I needed to keep playing volleyball.
“Initially, I thought I was just going to be playing tennis in college and felt it was a waste of time if I did play volleyball,” Landry added. “I used the offseason to get really good at tennis and was going to do the same, having thrown all my club stuff out, but I ran back to get it and have since committed to playing both tennis and volleyball at DePauw.”
The club, Rev Volleyball Academy, came about thanks to a local connection to Greencastle in Suzanne Masten, offering a chance to get more time on the court as well as different perspective by working with a new set of teammates.
“This was an entirely new team,” Landry noted. “I had played for (Crossroads of America) in previous years, so I went in knowing only coach Masten, who got me on the team.
“It was so different playing on a team with nobody that I knew as I had only played with my same group of friends and a few others. It was a really great experience as it helped me connect with new hitters and learn from them.
“Going back and forth between two different sets of hitters, especially different middles as everyone has different timings that they like, was hard,” Landry added. “It was easier to shift from club to my school teammates than the other way because of muscle memory but it was definitely helpful to have the extra training.”
On top of getting back into club ball, Landry said the Tiger Cubs opted for a different plan in the summer, going for more time on the court as a team rather than individual work.
“We did something different by going to the Dunes Camp,” Landry said. “Usually, we go to a college like Ball State or Indiana University.
“Instead of focusing on drilling, we wanted to get a lot of playing experience, feel out a bunch of different lineups and throw people into different spots. We played 10 games over two days and were so tired after that.
“We stayed in a house together and all the togetherness was so fun,” Landry added.
The time at the camp was also a chance to work in Greenlee and Gooch into the fold, forming the bases of the team that would explode into life in a few months’ time.
“The Dunes Camp was the first time we had all played together as a group,” Landry noted. “We played with Janae the previous year, though she had a smaller role on the varsity last year but she was a great personality and was a great addition to the team this summer.
“We’ve known about Sophia for a few years so we were so excited to have her join. People asked if she would take away some of the spotlight from players in our senior year but we wanted her and all of the success that comes with having her on the team. We absolutely love her.”
Once the 2025 season arrived, Landry said the team was dialed in far more than the previous year, going in with the mindset of not leaving anything on the table every night on the court.
“Losing county and sectionals really lit a fire under us for this year,” Landry said. “We knew with the talent and the experience we had, we told ourselves we were going to county and not losing a set. We were going to sectionals and not losing a set.
“We had a don’t let up mindset against any team we faced. We didn’t want there to be any teams where we thought we could have played better against or we shouldn’t have lost to them.
“Every single game we played, we played with the intention of not losing any sets we didn’t need to,” Landry added. “We tried to fight in every match, even in losses like to Northview.
“We only lost two matches in which we didn’t win a set, which was different from past years where we’d gotten swept 3-0.”
Landry also set high goals for herself, wanting to better one of her own records and reach another major milestone as a setter.
“For settlers, reaching 1,000 assists is a big goal and one I had reached the previous year,” Landry said. “This year, my biggest personal goal was to reach 2,000 assists. That’s a huge goal.
“I also wanted to beat my ace record from sophomore year, which I didn’t quite get, but I was fifth in the state in aces. As a competitive person, I was tracking that leaderboard all season.”
A season-opening loss to Danville was followed up by a 13-match winning streak, cementing the start the team was looking for as well as showcasing the level of play the team had at its disposal.
“Our longest streak before this season was freshman year,” Landry said. “We started out 0-7 then won our next seven games. That was the longest streak I could think of.
“That stretch of the season was so fun. It’s very easy to let up in the middle of the season but I’m not sure we lost more than a set or two in that stretch.
“It was a case where we put our heads down, did the work and looked up to realize we were 13-0 over the past couple of weeks,” Landry added. “It was so fun to do that with my best friends.”
During the run, Greencastle won six of its seven Monon Athletic Conference games, all-but wrapping up the conference title a week into September, though Landry said the team almost didn’t notice their success at the time.
“We had talked about it last year when we played teams that were going to be in the new conference,” Landry said about winning the new conference. “Again, we put our heads down, put in the work, beat the teams we needed to beat and looked up to see we had won the conference.
“We hadn’t won conference before and it was exciting to be the first team to win the new conference title.”
The streak was broken when Greencastle hosted Northview, the only five-set match played by the Tiger Cubs on the season.
“Even though we lost to Northview, it was my favorite match of the year,” Landry said. “Just the name Northview, even if they’re in the middle of nowhere, they’ve been good at everything; there’s always some underlying tension thanks to club ball but they have smoked us year in and year out.
“This year, we thought if there was a year to beat them, this was it, so we went into that game so excited. It was a five-set match and so long and while we were sad afterward, we all realized how well we played and said we should be proud of ourselves, not sad. It was a fun game.”
The Tiger Cubs dusted themselves off, winning 10-straight matches to end the regular season and heading into postseason play with momentum at its back, though Landry said the team was reminded not to assume anything once sectional play began.
“We tried to have the mindset of not being too comfortable entering the postseason,” Landry said. “Everyone’s record is 0-0 at that point, something our coaches said to us a lot.
“In past years, we’ve had good seasons and gotten to the postseason thinking, it’s Parke Heritage, we’ve never played them before but thought we had it. They came out swinging and we weren’t ready for it at all.
“This year, we didn’t care about stats, records or if we played anyone in the sectional already, we wanted to clean it off as no one wants to be done and everyone is going to play as hard as they can,” Landry added. “We did our best to take care of business.”
Against the same Parke Heritage team that knocked them out of the tournament the year prior, Greencastle swept the Wolves to advance, eventually sweeping South Putnam and South Vermillion for a second sectional title in three years.
“We wanted to build on what we did sophomore year,” Landry said. “We won the sectional but we weren’t ready for the regional then.
“We wanted to give ourselves the opportunity to prove ourselves, that we weren’t just a team that won a sectional but could go beyond that. We were locked in during sectional week and the week after that getting ready for the regional.”
While sweeping through the sectional, Landry said the team was constantly being pushed in practice as head coach Denise Meyer put the squad through intense practices, utilizing Maggie York and Sarah Sprangler, former Marian University players and current Tiger Cub assistant coaches opposite the starting lineup.
“It really helps having a really good coaching staff like we had,” Landry pointed out. “They’re all so focused and wanted our success sometimes more than we did, so they were willing to do whatever it took and called whoever they needed to call to help us.
“They watched so many games of film and scouted teams. We spent so much time watching Covenant Christian and Barr-Reeve matches. The focus leading up to sectionals, the regional and semi-state, doing frustrating drills and other things that would get our minds working was with the goal of making things mentally easier during the match than during practices.”
Going into the match against Covenant Christian in the regional, Landry admitted nerves were getting to the team beforehand but a 9-1 start in the opening set eventually led to a sweep of the Warriors.
“We were really nervous, especially with how the regional went sophomore year,” Landry said. “We said we were not letting that happen again. That could not be us.
“We knew it could be our last game and said we had to leave it all out there. Even though we had scouted them all week, we also knew they were going out to avoid playing their last game, too, so we had to go out expecting everything.
“It was so fun,” Landry added. “The start set the tone for the rest of the match as we were so hyped to be there and showed we came ready to play.”
The win saw Greencastle paired with 2A No. 1 Barr-Reeve in the opening round of the Bedford Semi-State and though the season would come to an end against the Vikings, Landry said the squad battled gamely and enjoyed the experience.
“Even though we lost 3-0, the scores were a little closer than they showed,” Landry said. “We played really hard with (Barr-Reeve) most of the time.
“It came down to a couple of errors here and there that we could have cleaned up that really would have made a difference. The opening set was 22-22 and if we had won that, it really would have made a difference.
“Going in, they were the favorite and we were the underdogs, but the thought was, why can’t it be us to beat them?” Landry added. “Even though it was likely going to be our last game, we were so excited to play and had so much energy going into it.”
Just a few weeks later, Landry and Creviston would find themselves sharing the same court as several of the newly-crowned state champions as part of the Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star Games.
“Makenzie and I both initially didn’t want to see them but it was so hard to be like that because they were so nice,” Landry said. “We told them we were rooting for them because if you lose to someone, it might as well be the state champions.
“Even if we were a little salty about losing to them, they were super sweet, so it was easy to cheer for them to win state and play with them at the All-Star game.”
Greencastle finished the 2025 season with a 30-5 record, a 7-0 mark in MAC play, the school’s 21st volleyball sectional title and fifth regional title.
“I could not have asked for a better way to end my senior season,” Landry said. “It could not have been any better or any more fun.
“I have no regrets from this season, no games where I felt like we should have won or played better. We played to our full potential, even nearly winning a couple of games 25-0.
“The dominance we had was so fun,” Landry added. “That came from all the work we put in together since we’ve been in fourth grade, driving to club practices, seeing all of that time and effort pay off.”
Landry credited getting back into the swing of club ball for helping her have a fitting final season for Greencastle and for performing as well as she did over the course of the campaign.
“I’m really glad that I joined the club team because last year, I felt I was rusty going into the season and I didn’t want that at all,” Landry said. “I was able to hit the ground running and work toward my 2,000-assist goal as well as all my team-oriented goals with my friends.”
Also helping was a change in system that featured Landry as the sole setter in the rotation, a formation Landry was happy to take back up after splitting setting duties a season ago.
“Being the competitive person that I am, I wanted to run a 5-1 system like we had run my sophomore season,” Landry said. “Switching from that system into a 6-2 system as a junior was kind of hard for me but I loved playing with Kaitlin and I do like hitting, so I was happy to get an extra season of swinging in.
“I was definitely very happy to get my 5-1 permission back. Even if we ran that system last year, I don’t think all of us had the same fire or urgency of last year playing together. It might not have changed as much as we think because we had a very different mindset going into this season.”
Though there’s more volleyball to come for Landry, doing it without the teammates she has had the past four seasons was going to be tough, though she added she hoped the returning players picked up the mantle and carried the program forward.
“I’m so grateful to have been a part of a program and the friendships I’ve gained from playing with these girls my whole life,” Landry said. “I would not have traded it for anything else.
“Rowan coming in, Greta (Szabo) coming in, it’s so welcoming and such a fun program to be a part of. I’m so sad to have to leave and a little jealous of all the underclassmen that have years left to play for Denise.
“The records I set are one thing but the culture that myself and the other seniors have created is important,” Landry added. “I hope our leadership and the bond we created with one another is something that others are inspired to carry on.”
Sports
Palm Beach 7A-5A girls volleyball first team, second team, honorable mention and coach of the year
FIRST TEAM

Sofia Concepcion, MH, Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior: Led the Bulldogs to a district championship and to a 5A regional quarterfinal; recorded 151 total blocks, 98 kills and .370 hitting percentage; had 15 blocks in a match; Athlete of the Week recipient.

Hailey Ferwerda, OH, West Boca senior: Led the Bulls to a district championship and to a 6A regional final; recorded 21 kills in regional semifinal win; registered a team-high 228 kills, 171 digs and 47 aces.

Abi Chin Lee, OH, Seminole Ridge junior: Team captain; recorded 296 kills, 287 digs, 281 service points, 241 receptions and 51 aces; Team Offensive MVP recipient; FACA All-State selection.

Bella Levitt, MB/OH, Dwyer junior: Recorded 291 kills, 49 blocks and 25 aces; team captain; had 21 kills in regional quarterfinal and 18 kills in regional semifinal; JVA Watchlist Class of 2027; Prep Dig No. 7 ranked middle blocker in Florida for Class of 2027.

Alexia Marchese, OH, Dwyer junior: Led the Panthers to a 7A regional final; team captain; registered 275 kills, 262 digs and 45 aces; had 28 kills in a match; Dwyer Athlete of the Week; Team Offensive MVP recipient.

Kaija Fullerton, OH, Jupiter junior: Led the Warriors to a district title and 7A regional final appearance; registered 27 kills in regional semifinal win; recorded 328 kills and 141 digs; Jupiter High School Athlete of the Week selection.
SECOND TEAM
Victoria Addazio, setter, Dwyer freshman
Hadley Clark, libero, Boca Raton senior
Daniela Garrido, libero, Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior
Payton Lotz, libero, Dwyer sophomore
Elise Sergent, OH, Jupiter senior
Lillie Voss, setter, Jupiter junior
HONORABLE MENTION
Boca Raton: Meya Cooper, Lia Ray, Kiara Rose
Dr. Joaquin Garcia: Sophia Bui
Dwyer: Teaghan Greenman, Addison Inge
Jupiter: Ainslee Aden, Grace Lovell
Lake Worth: Illeysha Rodriguez
Palm Beach Central: Zoe Pikula
Park Vista: Madelyn Moye, Elsa Yonko
Royal Palm Beach: Camila Echeverry, Leslie Mentor
Seminole Ridge: Capri Corey, Emma Ginther, Kyla Wallace
Spanish River: Amelie Fortinho
Wellington: Nicole Koch
West Boca Raton: Hendrix Goodwin, Chloe Khoury, Sofia Maldonado
COACH OF THE YEAR

Blane Betz, Jupiter: The Warriors finished 23-5, won a district championship and reached a 7A regional final. “I feel like this year’s team and their success was really about learning how to bring a family of players together. We had players from all four grade levels. We had players from out-of-state and seeing them work together as a family to figure out how to be their best I think was most impressive about this team. Their patience throughout the season as we figured out the best scenarios for our team success was pretty great as well. And of course, I have the best coaching staff around. I could not do what I do without them.”
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