ATLANTA (July 22, 2025) – University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, St. Cloud State University, Colorado College, University of the Cumberlands, and Colby Community College sit atop their respective divisions in the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls announced today by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

The Ottawa University women’s basketball team finished the season with a team GPA of 3.662 which is tied for 12th in the NAIA. This is the second straight season that the Braves have been named to the list. Ottawa came in at no. 24 in 2023-24. 

“What an honor for our program and most importantly all of our hard-working student-athletes to make the WBCA Academic Top 25 for the second year in a row,” said OU head women’s basketball coach Hunter Bondurant. “Our first team goal of the season is to make this list and so to finish as high as 12th in the nation in overall GPA is such a gratifying moment for them. So thankful for all the hard work our team puts in both on the court and in the classroom. Couldn’t be more proud of their effort and dedication!”

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes college women’s basketball teams across the nation in their respective divisions that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2024-25 season is the 30th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.

Green Bay, coached by Kayla Karius, finished first among NCAA Division I members with a 3.862 cumulative team grade-point average. St. Cloud state, coached by Lori Fish, claimed top academic honors in NCAA Division II with a 3.892 GPA. Colorado College, coached by Katherine Menendez, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.864 GPA. Cumberlands, coached by Rick Reeves, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.837 GPA. Colby, coached by Darin Spence, finished atop the two-year college standings with a 3.662 GPA.

“The WBCA is pleased to recognize those women’s basketball programs that have committed themselves to excellence on the court and in the classroom,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew.  “The 119 teams we honor this year strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!”

Here are the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls. The head coach listed for each institution was its head coach during the 2024-25 season. Teams having a 3.0 combined GPA and qualifying for consideration for the top 25 in their respective divisions are listed as special mentions.

NCAA Division I

Special Mention: East Tennessee State, Brenda Mock Brown, 3.616; Lehigh, Addie Micir, 3.615; Portland, Michael Meek, 3.605; Quinnipiac, Tricia Fabbri, 3.602; Eastern Michigan, Sahar Nusseibeh, 3.597; Illinois, Shauna Green, 3.597; Georgia State, Gene Hill, 3.587; Northern Illinois, Lisa Carlson, 3.585; Marist, Erin Doughty, 3.584; South Florida, Jose Fernandez, 3.584; Stonehill College , Trisha Brown, 3.583; NJIT, Mike Lane, 3.581; Illinois State, Kristen Gillespie, 3.581; Nebraska, Amy Williams, 3.579; Cincinnati, Katrina Merriweather, 3.576; West Georgia, Joanna Reitz, 3.571; Fairleigh Dickinson, Stephanie Gaitley, 3.541; Belmont, Bart Brooks, 3.540; Northern Colorado, Kristen Mattio, 3.536; North Carolina, Courtney Banghart, 3.532; Eastern Illinois, Marqus Mcglothan, 3.530; Michigan State, Robyn Fralick, 3.530; Indiana, Teri Moren, 3.528; Portland State, Chelsey Gregg, 3.528; Albany, Colleen Mullen, 3.525; Minnesota, Dawn Plitzuweit, 3.521; Abilene Christian, Julie Goodenough, 3.511; Colorado State, Ryun Williams, 3.511; Kentucky, Kenny Brooks, 3.504; Saint Joseph’s, Cindy Griffin, 3.503; Iowa, Jan Jensen, 3.495; Richmond, Aaron Roussell, 3.492; SIUE, Samantha Quigley Smith, 3.489; Drexel, Amy Mallon, 3.489; California, Charmin Smith, 3.462; Duke, Kara Lawson, 3.456; Merrimack, Kelly Morrone, 3.454; UAB, Randy Norton, 3.447; Sacramento State, Aaron Kallhoff, 3.447; Pennsylvania, Michael Mclaughlin, 3.446; South Carolina, Dawn Staley, 3.438; Alabama, Kristy Curry, 3.432; Missouri, Robin Pingeton, 3.431; Robert Morris, Chandler McCabe, 3.431; Northwestern, Joe McKeown, 3.427; Miami, Tricia Cullop, 3.426; Missouri State, Beth Cunningham, 3.426; Denver, Doshia Woods, 3.425; Texas A&M, Joni Taylor, 3.422; Bradley, Kate Popovec-Goss, 3.398; UNC Greensboro, Trina Patterson, 3.395; Liberty, Carey Green, 3.394; Fairfield, Carly Thibault-Dudonis, 3.392; Lipscomb, Lauren Sumski, 3.377; Texas Tech, Krista Gerlich, 3.376; Florida State, Brooke Wyckoff, 3.375; Temple, Diane Richardson, 3.373; Texas, Vic Schaefer, 3.372; Longwood , Erika Lang-Montgomery, 3.369; Vanderbilt, Shea Ralph, 3.367; Hofstra, Danielle Santos, 3.366; Colorado, Jr Payne, 3.366; Louisville, Jeff Walz, 3.363; Virginia Tech, Megan Duffy, 3.360; UNC Asheville, Tynesha Lewis, 3.358; USC, Lindsay Gottlieb, 3.348; Marquette, Cara Consuegra, 3.345; Hawaii, Laura Beeman, 3.343; Yale, Dalila Eshe, 3.338; Oklahoma, Jennie Baranczyk, 3.334; Tennessee, Kim Caldwell, 3.323; Kansas State, Jeff Mittie, 3.317; Notre Dame, Niele Ivey, 3.314; Elon, Charlotte Smith, 3.271; Ohio State, Kevin Mcguff, 3.263; Oklahoma State, Jacie Hoyt, 3.254; West Virginia, Mark Kellogg, 3.242; Akron, Ryan Gensler, 3.225; Seton Hall, Anthony Bozzella, 3.205; UNLV, Lindy La Rocque, 3.201; BYU, Lee Cummard, 3.189; Oregon, Kelly Graves, 3.168; Georgia Tech, Nell Fortner, 3.162; Baylor, Nicki Collen, 3.133; North Texas, Jason Burton, 3.128; Connecticut, Geno Auriemma, 3.061; Tulsa, Angie Nelp, 3.047; Troy, Chanda Rigby, 3.046; Georgetown, Darnell Haney, 3.008; Navy, Tim Taylor, 3.005.

NCAA Division II

Special Mention: Central Missouri, David Slifer, 3.689; Fairmont State, Stephanie Anderson, 3.687; Fort Hays State, Talia Kahrs, 3.685; McKendree, Kari Kerkhoff, 3.676; Kutztown, Janet Malouf, 3.668; D’Youville, Kelly Broderick, 3.660; Rockhurst, Larry Park, 3.655; Kentucky State, Amani Williams, 3.651; Southwest Minnesota State, Tom Webb, 3.649; Pittsburg State, Amanda Davied, 3.647; Lee, Marty Rowe, 3.642; Minnesota State Moorhead, Karla Nelson, 3.634; Caldwell, Christie Conforti, 3.633; Cal State San Marcos, Jana Pearson, 3.628; Chestnut Hill, Megan Fox, 3.626; Wayne State, Carrie Lohr, 3.604; Michigan Tech, Samantha Clayton, 3.589; Pace, Carrie Seymour, 3.587; Davenport, Shonda Sanders, 3.574; Gannon, Cleve Wright, 3.573; Northern Michigan, Casey Thousand, 3.566; Findlay, Michele Durand, 3.558; Menlo, Shannon Spataro, 3.557; Bentley, C White, 3.550; Cal Poly Pomona, Danelle Bishop, 3.542; UW-Parkside, Jen Conely, 3.541; Florida Tech, John Reynolds, 3.536; Assumption, Kerry Phayre, 3.524; Daemen, Jenepher Banker, 3.498; Carson-Newman, Michael Mincey, 3.493; Seattle Pacific, Karen Byers, 3.465; Newman, Amy Briggs, 3.462; West Chester, Kiera Wooden, 3.438; West Florida, Stephanie Yelton, 3.432; Minnesota State Mankato, Emilee Thiesse, 3.431; Barry, Heather Macy, 3.430; Shorter, Lasheena Brooks, 3.425; Southern Arkansas, Darrick Matthews, 3.417; Bridgeport, Jimmy Howard, 3.407; Wingate, Ann Hancock, 3.377; UNC Pembroke, Dr. Kendra Samuels-Eaton, 3.372; Hillsdale, Brianna Brennan, 3.372; Union, Mark Campbell, 3.338; Cal State Monterey Bay, Sarah Hopkins-Chery, 3.316; Tusculum, Roger Hodge, 3.283; Academy of Art, Jesse Clark, 3.278; Anderson, Jonathon Barbaree, 3.268; Emory & Henry, Jaclyn Dickens, 3.249; Cal State San Bernardino, Casandra Renno, 3.249; Augusta, Celeste Stewart, 3.172.

NCAA Division III

Special Mention: St. Olaf, Megan Lueck, 3.713; Nebraska Wesleyan, James Wiedie, 3.711; Houghton, Phil Pellegrino, 3.710; UW-River Falls, Shelby Lyman, 3.710; Washington And Lee, Brittney Kemp, 3.706; Denison, Maureen Hirt, 3.703; New York, Meg Barber, 3.693; Illinois Wesleyan, Mia Smith, 3.687; Alfred, Michael Moskowitz, 3.686; Misericordia, Jessica Rini, 3.683; Swarthmore, Dawn Grant, 3.679; Concordia (MN), Kim Wagers, 3.679; Wheaton (MA), Kanika Cummings Groves, 3.678; Case Western Reserve, Jennifer Reimer, 3.677; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, John Greene, 3.672; Washington (St. Louis), Lisa Stone, 3.672; Springfield, Naomi Graves, 3.667; St. Catherine, Donald Mulhern, 3.660; Carnegie Mellon, Kathy McConnell-Miller, 3.656; Christopher Newport, Bill Broderick, 3.646; Marywood, Tara Macciocco, 3.643; Buena Vista, Kylee Boettcher, 3.642; Sarah Lawrence, Bradley Alexander, 3.639; Emory, Misha Jackson, 3.634; Martin Luther, Dan Gawrisch, 3.633; Catholic, Matt Donohue, 3.630; Heidelberg, Erin Eaton, 3.629; Johns Hopkins, Rodney Rogan, 3.624; Ohio Northern, Mark Huelsman, 3.621; McDaniel, Christin Gowan, 3.620; Penn State Harrisburg, Ross Patrick, 3.616; Wooster, Olivia Besancon, 3.615; Redlands, Rich Murphy, 3.614; SUNY Geneseo, Alyssa Polosky, 3.612; Manchester, Josh Dzurick, 3.612; Calvin, Mark Christner, 3.611; Rowan, Kate Pearson, 3.609; Bryn Mawr, Carla Coleman, 3.607; Immaculata, Brittany Whalen, 3.606; UW-Eau Claire, Tonja Englund, 3.605; Haverford, Grace Elliott, 3.600; King’s, Caitlin Hadzimichalis, 3.597; Depauw, Kristin Huffman, 3.597; St. Scholastica, Jason Schmitz, 3.594; SUNY Brockport, Corinne Jones, 3.586; Bates, Alison Montgomery, 3.579; Elizabethtown, Veronica Nolt, 3.571; Mount Union, Suzanne Venet Pietz, 3.563; Salisbury, Aprile Preller, 3.559; Messiah, Mike Miller, 3.557; Capital, Camille Mcpherson, 3.557; Piedmont, Jamie Purdy, 3.555; Carleton, Tammy Metcalf-Filzen, 3.549; Gallaudet, Stephanie Stevens, 3.548; Susquehanna, Gabby Holko, 3.546; Southern Virginia, Lynette Schroeder, 3.540; Anderson (IN), Jon Gin, 3.533; Whitman, Michelle Ferenz, 3.530; Occidental, Anahit Aladzhanyan, 3.525; Edgewood, Kole Vivian, 3.525; Moravian, Mary Beth Spirk, 3.519; Monmouth, Michelle Decoud, 3.514; Gettysburg, Nathan Davis, 3.511; Babson, Kate Barnosky, 3.505; Luther, Amanda Bailey, 3.502; Claremont Mudd Scripps, Chanel Murchison, 3.479; Central, Justin Weiland, 3.478; Manhattanville, Kate Vlahakis, 3.475; Illinois Tech, Carissa Sain, 3.473; Bard, Alaina Walker, 3.470; Kean, Mandy King, 3.466; Worcester State, Karen Tessmer, 3.463; Minnesota Morris, Tim Grove, 3.461; Mount Saint Mary, Marion Dietz, 3.458; Coe, Kayla Waskow, 3.447; Randolph-Macon, Lindsey Burke, 3.429; SUNY New Paltz, James Seward, 3.414; Lynchburg, Allison Nichols, 3.414; Franklin & Marshall, Brianna Spector, 3.410; Roger Williams, Kelly Thompson, 3.400; Kenyon, Mary Corbett, 3.395; Suffolk, Ed Leyden, 3.384; Mary Washington, Deena Applebury, 3.360; Bethany Lutheran, Emma Purfeerst, 3.353; Wilson, Dylan Ward, 3.345; William Paterson, Erin Monahan, 3.344; Kalamazoo, Ryan Clark, 3.340; Rhode Island, Jenna Cosgrove, 3.339; Principia, Ramiro Dominguez, 3.336; St. Mary’s (MD), Latanya Collins, 3.267; Willamette, Peg Swadener, 3.197; Colby-Sawyer, Tim Viola, 3.187; Mount Aloysius, Brian Giesler, 3.161.

NAIA

Special Mention: Texas Wesleyan, Scott Hyland, 3.320; UHSP, Markell Cox, 3.214.

Two-Year College*

* There were only 19 institutions eligible for ranking in the two-year college division.

A team’s GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) earned by the total number of academic hours attempted by all team members in the academic terms (semesters or quarters) that the season spans. Weighted grades are converted to a 4.0 scale. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point. Teams must be nominated for the honor by their head coach who must be a WBCA member. A team must have a 3.000 or better GPA to be nominated.

About the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.

The Women in Sport Summit 2024 served as a clear indicator of the increasing commercial viability and strategic importance of women’s sport.

The event, which sold out, brought together a high calibre of speakers and attendees, highlighting the sector’s rapid professionalisation and its role in driving new audience engagement and growth. The sold-out status of the 2024 Summit signifies a market trend for the sector.

Reflecting on the previous event, Karren Rogers, noted: “This is the first time I’ve seen Women in Sport events sold out, so it’s pretty exciting to see that, having come so many years.”

This shift reflects heightened industry interest and demand for insights into a rapidly expanding market segment for Women in Sport.

The presence of a “huge calibre of speakers” and “international speakers,” as observed by Genevieve McCulloch and Karren Rogers, further validates the professional depth now present in the women’s sports environment.

The discussions at the summit focused on themes of leadership, purpose, and progress, with Paul Nolan identifying some ideas shared as “the cutting edge of driving new audience and new growth.”

The Women in Sport Summit highlights a strategic importance for sports business professionals to actively engage with the women’s sport movement, recognising its potential as a key growth engine for the broader industry.

In addition, Indicating a mature sector focusing on collaborative development and emphasising knowledge exchange, Ilene Hauser, concluded: “There’s so much good information out there and people that are knowledgeable of the space.”

Looking ahead, the 2025 summit will return to the Gold Coast for two days on 27-28 August and three major events, aiming to go further, deeper, and bigger, and signalling continued investment and expansion in Women in Sport.

Don’t miss out on the latest in sports business – Subscribe today to the free Ministry of Sport newsletter and stay ahead of the game. For even more exclusive insights, event tickets, professional development and networking events, become a MoS Member today!.

ROANOKE, Va. – July is National Park and Recreation Month, and in Roanoke, it’s a time to celebrate the places people play, the community members who support them, and the projects shaping the city’s future.

Roanoke’s parks are more than just recreational spaces. They are carefully planned with community feedback and maintained with dedication long after ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremonies.

This year’s theme for National Park and Recreation Month is “Build Together, Play Together,” a fitting motto for a city actively working to improve its parks.

Molly Hagan, marketing coordinator for Roanoke Parks and Recreation, said, “It’s a way to recognize that it’s not just our department; it’s a community effort. All the things we do, like the pool we just built, a lot of community input went into the design of that, same with the Eureka Recreation Center. So as we build these projects, as we make changes and plan for the future, we really want to do it together.”

The Eureka Recreation Center has been under construction for about a year, with an expected opening in early 2026. While Roanoke builds new spaces, it is also focused on maintaining existing ones.

“As we build new amenities, you know it’s a lot of work for our department. We do a lot of maintenance and a lot of repairs. So when the greenway floods, we have to repair it and things like that. So it’s a lot of benefit to the community, it’s also a lot of work,” Hagan said.

Other improvements are gaining momentum. Work is underway at Wasena Skatepark and the city’s future In-River Park, while new trails are being finished on Mill Mountain.

Looking ahead, Roanoke Parks and Recreation plans more updates across the area.

“We actually have some master planning coming up for both Washington Park and McCadden Park. What that looks like is it’s just a way for the public to give input, and then as we have funds available, we can start making some updates or changes or additions to those parks,” Hagan said.

Officials say volunteers play an essential role in maintaining trails, caring for trees, supporting events, and adopting parks to keep Roanoke’s outdoor spaces vibrant and welcoming.

AI-assisted summaryThe Enquirer previews top high school volleyball blockers in Greater Cincinnati for the 2025 season.Players highlighted include Jillian Forrest (Ursuline), Sydney Geselbracht (Mount Notre Dame), and Morgan Justice (Scott).The article also includes a poll for readers to vote on the best blocker.Ahead of the 2025 high school volleyball season, The Enquirer is previewing the top players by position in Greater Cincinnati.

The penultimate list highlights the top blockers in the city. A good block is one of the most exciting plays in the sport, and these players execute their duties to perfection.

In previous weeks, we featured the top defensive specialists and liberos, and top setters.

Remember to vote for the best blocker in the poll at the bottom of the story.

Jillian Forrest, Ursuline

Taking second place in blocks in the Girls Greater Catholic League as a sophomore isn’t easy. But Forrest did just that with 92 blocks to go with 195 kills and 38 digs. The Lions have been on a roller coaster since 2022 with a DI state championship and a DIII state runner-up sandwiching an 11-15 season. They lose a lot of production from last year, but Forrest will help ensure the roller coaster ride doesn’t take another dip. Even though recruiting opens up in the summer between a player’s sophomore and junior years, Forrest is already verbally committed to the University of Washington.

Sydney Geselbracht, Mount Notre Dame

She led the Cougars with 56 blocks and 215 kills last fall. Geselbracht will use every bit of her 116-inch approach touch this season as she will spend a lot of time in the air, both on the attack and the block. She is especially light on her feet, can get to either side of the net when needed, and can seemingly float in midair to track down any ball. She will play at Binghamton University.

Morgan Justice, Scott

With a super-talented group of seniors, Scott’s expectations for this season are sky-high. Justice will also be sky-high at the net. As a junior, she led the Eagles with 66 blocks while also logging 275 kills, 179 digs and 39 aces. She is committed to Thomas More University.

Violet Main, St. Henry

As a freshman, Main finished second on the team with 68 blocks and was one of four players with more than 200 kills. She also had 75 digs and 37 aces, and was named to the Ninth Region all-tournament team. The Crusaders graduated two linchpins at the net in Corinne Blackburn and Lizzie Casey but will have one of the most imposing net presences in Northern Kentucky this season.

Charley Moeddel, Seton

After breaking her left hand in the summer before her sophomore season, Moeddel made her first varsity appearance on Sept. 5 and finished the season with 54 blocks and 127 kills. She had multiple blocks in each of the Saints’ final 10 matches, including a career-high five against Lakota West. At 6-foot-1, she should only continue to dominate at the net.

Addy Nutley, Mason

Nutley led the Greater Miami Conference with 56 blocks in 2024, while also posting 164 kills, 56 digs, 23 aces. She had at least four blocks in a match five times last year, including five in the regional final. Her career-high is seven, which she did in back-to-back three-set matches as a sophomore. Nutley has also been used primarily as a hitter with her club team during the spring and summer, so look for her to potentially lead the Comets in blocks and attacks. She is committed to Hillsdale College.

Andrea Ptaszkiewicz, Fenwick

The Falcons will have some of the best net play in the city this season as they return the majority of their attacking and blocking production from 2024. As a freshman, Ptaszkiewicz played the most sets of any Fenwick player, logging 51 blocks and 96 kills. The skills are definitely there; once she develops additional aspects of her game, she could become an all-state caliber player.

Sophia Richardson, Kings

The last player to lead the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in blocks in three straight seasons was Kings’ Jules Fink from 2018 to 2020. Richardson has a solid chance to complete the feat this season. As a junior, she had 98 blocks to go with 276 kills and 49 aces. She has 219 blocks for her career.

Morgan Sunderman, Roger Bacon

She was one of two Spartans to record 42 blocks last season (Etellina Jackson was the other). She also had 130 kills. Roger Bacon led the Miami Valley Conference with 193 blocks as a team. With Mariah Gaines, Ally Hughes and Raegan Waller all graduated, Sunderman and Jackson will feature heavily at the net.

Lilly Tierney, McNicholas

Tierney really broke out for the Rockets last year. She led the Greater Catholic League-Coed with 101 blocks, was fourth in the league with 56 aces, and was fifth in the league with 201 kills. She also dug 86 attacks. McNicholas was ranked No. 1 in DIV for the majority of the 2024 season. With an incredibly talented group of juniors and seniors, the Rockets will be a frontrunner for the state title this fall.

Additional blockers to watch in Greater Cincinnati

Ella Allen, Edgewood; Kaylee Barker, Edgewood; Audrey Benkert, Taylor; Annika Berwanger, Conner; Miya Cornelius, Little Miami; Lauren Dorger, St. Ursula; Sadie Ellis, Sycamore; Grace Hamm, Milford; Emma Hartmann, Blanchester; Grace Herzog, Turpin; Etellina Jackson, Roger Bacon; Josie Mayfield, McNicholas; Abigail Pettyjohn, Deer Park; Callie Ritter, Bishop Brossart: Ava Schroeder, Kings; Lauren Sterbling, Bethel-Tate; Bella Thomas, Highlands; Jillian Turvey, CHCA; Layna Wilkinson, Ryle

Vote: Who is the top blocker in Greater Cincinnati in 2025?

Readers can vote once per hour per device. This poll will close at 4 p.m. on July 25.