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Descenders Next Balances Mountain and Snowboarding Action With Extreme Sports

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4 months ago

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Descenders Next Balances Mountain and Snowboarding Action With Extreme Sports

Sometimes when a title reaches a point of success, the developers try to shake things up with the sequel. This sort of thing is likely why a downhill biking game like the original Descenders received a boarding sequel in Descenders Next. This is a game where you’ll race and perform tricks through all sorts of trails and parks from the peaks of snowy mountains to the dirt trails of canyons, with medals and trophies to track your progress.

Plot Ahoy!

Given the nature of Descenders Next, there isn’t really a story. You’re given a brisk tutorial and then are sent on your way to conquer the slopes. Descenders Next has a light roguelike feel to it where you can play on trick courses, time trials, and more, but you also need to successfully board your way through different trails to reach your new destinations.

Players have a set number of lives to tackle randomly generated wilderness trails, and wiping out for any reason while on these trails will reduce your lives by one. After clearing a trail, you’ll be shown a map with different directions you can work toward until your lives run out. Thankfully, you can regain a life by doing whatever trick challenges are available for the trail you’re on, and once you reach a park, you can keep aiming for the high scores to earn rainbow medals and trophies.

Descenders Next is available on the Steam platform for the PC and also for the Xbox Series X. Cross play is enabled too, so console and PC players can tackle the trails together if they want.

Review Notes

One major thing to note with Descenders Next is that, at least until the controls are second nature, it feels very sluggish, especially at the start. You’re thrown into a very quick tutorial that you can’t repeat – which is a bit of an odd choice because this means if Descenders Next crashes during the tutorial, there’s no way to ever replay it again. Players are given a basic rundown of some of the skills needed in order to survive in Descenders Next. And then you are basically thrown directly into the world map where you can pick whatever trail you’d next like to play.

The controls are, for the most part, simple enough. The largest issue is that you turn with both left and right sticks, and jump by holding down on the right stick for a moment, then tilting the right analog up. Accelerating at the start of a slope consists of a tiny hop to gain speed, and you can tilt your board by tilting the left analog up or down, and can crouch to go faster down the mountain too. After jumping, you can perform a variety of tricks by spinning in the air, pressing a shoulder button to grab the board, etc.

You’ll quickly reach points where you start moving too fast, and slowing down isn’t exactly intuitive because you need to tilt both analog sticks to the side in order to slow yourself. The issue lies in the fact that carving like the title wants you to do can very easily lead to you turning too much and getting thrown off the beaten path for the course you’re playing. Speed control is of the utmost importance in Descenders Next, and with a little practice, you’ll be carving and zig zagging like the best of them. The controls of this game aren’t as fluid as something like Shredders, nor were they meant to be, but this choice can make it a little less accommodating to a new player who missed the first Descenders title.

The randomly generated trails, of which there don’t seem to be a huge amount of variance therein, are all pretty short and to the point. You’ll accelerate from 0 to 40mph very quickly and will need to carve off your speed so you can perform tricks and not go splat against every tree, rock, or metal pole jutting out of the ground. Once everything clicks, Descenders Next feels pretty great to play. There isn’t a ton of content right now, just a snowy mountain for snowboarding and a canyon for mountain boarding, but that’s basically the life of all early access games.

You can see other players boarding at the same locations you are, which is a pretty cool feature. You can’t exactly interact with them, so it reminds me of seeing other players in Super Mario Wonder, where you can see how other players are doing but not much beyond that. Apparently, multiplayer in the original Descenders was much more involved and allowed players to move to different stages together, but the multiplayer system present in Descenders Next is pretty hands off all things considered. If you and your friends both choose the same node to play next, then you can see each other on that trail, but that’s about as far as multiplayer goes for now.

The visuals of Descenders Next aren’t anything to write home about, but the soundtrack on the other hand deserves a pretty good amount of praise. There’s EDM tracks like Koven’s Time Is On Our Side, Muzzy’s In the Night, and many more. There are a lot of tracks that fit this extreme sport vibe super well and assuming you’re a fan of this style of music, the soundtrack for Descenders Next will not leave you wanting.

TLDR

Descenders Next is a competent boarding game that’s a little light on content right now. The controls take a little while to get used to, but needing to manage your speed carefully so you don’t ram into a tree or something can be a great challenge. The title having limited lives as you choose different nodes on the world map to tackle gives some decent replayability to the existing content, though this is definitely going to be one to keep an eye on as new biomes and courses get added down the line. Descenders Next is fun, but the feeling that there could’ve been even more added to this early access package is difficult to shake.

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Updates, highlights as Wisconsin advances with sweep vs North Carolina

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3 minutes ago

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December 6, 2025

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9:43 pm CT December 5, 2025

See some highlights from Wisconsin’s NCAA tournament win vs North Carolina

John Steppe

9:39 pm CT December 5, 2025

Mimi Colyer’s stats vs. North Carolina in second round of NCAA tournament

John Steppe

  • 22 kills
  • 5 attack errors
  • 42 total attacks
  • .405 hitting percentage
  • 13 digs
  • 3 blocks

9:37 pm CT December 5, 2025

Wisconsin vs. North Carolina NCAA tournament final stats comparison

John Steppe

  • Kills: Wisconsin 60, North Carolina 37
  • Hitting percentage: Wisconsin .365, North Carolina .233
  • Service aces: Wisconsin 2, North Carolina 0
  • Service errors: North Carolina 5, Wisconsin 8
  • Digs: Wisconsin 56, North Carolina 40
  • Total team blocks: North Carolina 6, Wisconsin 5

9:33 pm CT December 5, 2025

Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield comments on Badgers’ NCAA tournament win vs. North Carolina

John Steppe



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2025 NCAA volleyball tournament: Bracket, schedule, results

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19 minutes ago

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December 6, 2025

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Dec. 5, 2025Updated Dec. 6, 2025, 12:22 a.m. ET



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Saddle Up: No. 3 Badgers advance to Regional Semifinals

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December 6, 2025

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MADISON, Wis. – The No. 3 seeded Wisconsin volleyball team punched their ticket to the Regional Semifinals for the 13th consecutive season with their second sweep in as many days, this time defeating North Carolina (25-14, 25-21, 27-25) in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. 

UW maintained their momentum from their First Round battle right away in set one, putting together a 15-9 advantage with a potent attack on the offensive end. 

The Badgers (26-4) were able to close out the first frame behind a 4-0 run, highlighted by a pair of kills turned in by outside hitter Mimi Colyer. Setter Charlie Fuerbringer was able to cap it off with a kill of her own, tallying eight between the pair of matches this weekend. 

After a back-and-forth affair to begin the second set, Wisconsin found some separation by winning four-of-five rallies to build a 12-7 lead. The Tar Heels provided a quick response to bring it within 18-17 with the help of their physical block. 

Outside hitter Una Vajagic and right side Grace Egan each racked up a kill to force a North Carolina (22-9) timeout. Egan wrapped up the set two with another kill, as the Badgers went on to win three of the four last points. 

Wisconsin and the Tar Heels continued to trade points throughout the majority of the third set, which saw 19 ties and 10 lead changes. Colyer accumulated her 20th kill of the match in the process—giving UW a narrow 14-13 lead at the midway point of the set. 

Vajagic recorded six kills in the set, providing a spark on the offensive side of the ball. The redshirt sophomore continued to excel for the Badgers, concluding the match with 12 kills on a .435 hitting percentage. 

Late in the set, North Carolina fought back to force extra points by winning three-straight points. Outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres and libero Maile Chan entered late and made an instant impact, highlighted by a block from Shadd-Ceres and a pair of digs turned in by Chan. UW made one final push to officially advance in the NCAA Tournament, led by a resilient effort on the defensive end—converting on a trio of kills to wrap up the match. 

Colyer, in her final match at the UW Field House, ended a lengthy rally with a kill to seal the victory. The senior finished with 22 on the evening, the 11th time this year where she has accumulated 20 or more. The five-time Big Ten Player of the Week also earned her eighth double-double of the season, adding 13 digs. 

Egan joined Colyer in the double-double department, emerging as a staple on the defensive end with 11 digs, complemented by her 11 kills. Libero Kristen Simon put together another standout showing defensively as well, totaling a team-high 16 digs. The freshman added eight assists to wrap up a strong week of play in her NCAA Tournament debut. 

On the front line, Fuerbringer led the way with 43 assists—powering the Badgers to a hitting percentage of .365 (60 – 14 – 126) against one of the strongest blocks in the country. 

Middle blocker Carter Booth was one of the beneficiaries, turning in her third-straight errorless match with eight kills on 16 attempts. After tonight’s performance, Booth will enter Texas swinging .540 (27 – 0 – 50) in her past three matches. 

 

Straight from the Court

Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on continuing to build confidence down the stretch): “It’s earned through work. Confidence is earned by the work you put in; it’s earned by how you talk to yourself. It’s been something that these guys have worked a lot on, not just having an individual confidence, but a collective confidence.” 
(On the performance of outside hitters Una Vajagic and Mimi Colyer): “These two hitting over .400 against one of the best blocking teams in the country is just a ridiculous number. They got some blocks on us, but we stayed aggressive and we continued to accelerate and hit good shots and know when to be patient.”
Outside Hitter Mimi Colyer (on playing one last time in the Field House): “Coming to Wisconsin has been the best decision I have ever made. This program and this fan base is just so special. Just the love that we have for each other and the love this fan base has for each other is just so special. It’s incredible, there’s nothing like it.”
Outside Hitter Una Vajagic (on building on her first postseason run): “I feel it was great tonight, playing with my team and having their backs all of the time was such a huge thing for me. Just with them behind me, I felt super confident and I’m so excited.” 
 

Notes:

  • With the 3-0 sweep over North Carolina, Wisconsin will advance to the NCAA Regional Semifinals for the 23rd time in program history and 13th-consecutive season under head coach Kelly Sheffield.

  • The victory also moves Wisconsin to 72-29 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, and 21-5 in the Second Round of the tournament.

  • The Badgers had three players with double-figure digs, Kristen Simon (16), Mimi Colyer (13), and Grace Egan (11).

  • Senior Mimi Colyer recorded her eighth double-double of the season and 44th of her career with a 22 kill, 13 dig performance.

  • Right Grace Egan totaled her fourth double-double of the season, eighth of her career with an 11 kill, 11 dig performance.

  • Wisconsin also had three players with double-figure kills, Colyer

  • Wisconsin totaled 56 digs, tying a season-high for most digs in a three-set match.

  • With 57 assists, Wisconsin totaled it’s second-highest assist mark for the season in a three-set match.

  • For the 16th consecutive match, Colyer totaled double-figure kills at 23, and her 11th match with 20 or more kills this season. She also tied Ellen Chapman (2013) in program history for most consecutive matches with double-figure kills.

  • In consecutive nights, senior Carter Booth recorded another error-less match. She tallied eight kills on 16 swings for a .500 hitting percentage.

Up Next: The Badgers will await their next opponent in the Regional Semifinals down in Austin, Texas. The date and time for the match is still to be determined.





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Kansas Advances to NCAA Sweet 16 with 3-1 Win over Miami

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December 6, 2025

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – The No. 16 Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 3-1, the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament inside Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Friday to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. 
Kansas (24-10, 13-5 Big 12) advances to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2021. Kansas has gone to the Sweet 16 and beyond in four seasons, including 2021 (Sweet 16), 2015 (NCAA Semifinalist) and 2013 (Sweet 16). The Jayhawks will take on the winner of Nebraska vs. Long Island or Kansas State. 

“They showed up every day and just kept grinding,” said head coach Matt Ulmer. “They never stopped believing in what we were talking about. Our staff has talked a lot about the amazing additions to this group, and I think they complement the returners really well. This is when you want to be playing your best volleyball, and I think that was the best we’ve played. It’s not always going to be pretty against a great team; they’re going to push you and force the issue, but I’m just really, really happy for them. And I really appreciate everyone who was here and everyone who’s been with us to help us get to this point.”

The Jayhawks were led by 15 kills by senior Rhian Swanson, marking her 19th game with 10 more kills this season, while also surpassing 500 career kills. Senior Katie Dalton added 39 assists and set a career-high 7 blocks in the win. 

Both teams traded points early in the opening set as the teams were knotted at 5-5, until Kansas was able to pull ahead first at 8-5 behind three kills from sophomore Reese Ptacek and Swanson. Kansas would rally to five straight points to force Miami’s first timeout at 10-5. 

Midway through the first set, Kansas continued its momentum to take a 15-9 lead behind a kill from junior Aisha Aiono on an assist from Dalton. Miami would draw to within three points at 16-13, before Kansas would rally for three straight points, including a service ace from freshman Selena Leban to give Kansas a 19-13 advantage before a Miami timeout.

Kansas would find its largest lead of the first set at 23-15 and the Jayhawks would capture the first set, 25-17.

Much like the opening set, both teams went back-and-forth to open the second set with both teams knotted at 6-6. The Jayhawks would pull ahead at 8-6 following a block by Ptacek and Dalton, before Miami would rally for three straight points to pull ahead at 9-8. A long rally that ended with an Aiono and Dalton gave Kansas a two point advantage at 11-9.

Miami would bounce back with four straight points to force a Kansas timeout at 13-13. Following the timeout, both teams traded points until Kansas gained a three point lead at 20-17 following a block by Ptacek and Dalton. Leban would bring it to 21-17 with a kill, forcing a Hurricane timeout.

Following the timeout, Miami would rally for four straight points to tie the score at 21-21. Kansas responded with three straight points to take it to set point at 24-21, before Kansas secured the second set at 25-22.

Miami found the early advantage in the third set, jumping out to a 5-2 lead. Kansas pulled the margin to within two at 10-8, before Miami would extend its lead to 13-8, forcing a Jayhawk timeout. Out of the break, Kansas brought the score to within a point at 18-17 following a Swanson kill on an assist from Dalton. 

After Miami took a 22-19 lead, Kansas powered back with back-to-back kills from Leban and Ptacek to force a Miami timeout at 22-21. Miami would bounce back from the timeout and win its first set, 25-22. 

With Kansas leading the match 2-1, Miami jumped out to a 4-1 advantage in set four. Kansas wasted no time marching back, retaking the lead at 6-5 from three straight kills. The Jayhawks carried their momentum to take a 13-9 lead midway through the fourth set on a service ace from Ptacek. Miami would take a timeout following a block from Swanson and Aiono to make the score 14-9.

Miami responded after the break by tying the score at 17 all to force a Kansas timeout. Both teams traded the next two points, before Kansas pulled ahead at 20-18 on a service ace from Leban. Both teams battled back-and-forth with Kansas leading at 23-21, before Miami got two straight points to tie the fourth set at 23-23. Knotted at 25-25, Kansas regained the lead at 26-25 following an attack error by the Hurricanes. Kansas secured the win at 27-25 with a kill by Leban on the assist from Dalton.

Up Next

Kansas will advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 and will take on the winner of Nebraska vs. Kansas State.



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Panther volleyball falls to No. 11 Creighton in NCAA Tournament

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December 6, 2025

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OMAHA, Neb. — The UNI volleyball team’s historic 2025 season came to an end on Friday night as the Panthers fell to No. 11 and third-seeded Creighton in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in four sets at D.J. Sokol Arena.

In a non-conference rematch from September’s Bluejay Invitational, Northern Iowa was able to split the first two sets with Creighton, but came up short in two hotly contested final frame, finishing the season with a 25-6 record, as well as both the Missouri Valley Conference’s (MVC) regular season and tournament titles.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

UNI put together a competitive start to the match splitting the first 12 points of the match. The Bluejays would build their lead from there, slicing through the Panther backrow defense on .441 hitting 17 kills. Cassidy Hartman and Lily Dykstra each notched five terminations for Northern Iowa in the frame with the Panthers hitting .231 with 15 kills as a team, dropping the first set by a score of 25-18.

The Panthers responded with a gritty showing in the second stanza, grabbing an early 5-1 lead thanks to a service ace from Dykstra. Creighton would chip away at UNI’s lead with the Panthers narrowly maintaining a one-point lead in a hotly contested back-and-forth set before the Bluejays tied the frame up at 20 and 21. Northern Iowa would finish strong however and hold on for a 25-23 win to even the match at one set a piece, with Dykstra notching eight kills and Hartman six terminations with the Panthers hitting .325 as a team.

Both UNI and Creighton swamped points early in the third set before the Panthers pulled ahead with a 10-6 lead, as well as 14-8 using a 4-0 run. The Bluejays would storm back attacking off of the Northern Iowa blocking defense for a 16-15 advantage, but the Panthers would show fight, taking a 20-18 lead on a block assist from Dykstra and Maryn Bixby. Creighton would prevail late however, scoring six of the final seven points for a 25-22 win and a two sets to one lead, despite a strong four kill set by Isabelle Elliott for the Panthers.

Creighton set an early tone in the fourth frame with a 3-0 run to open as UNI struggled to get into a rhythm offensively. The Panthers would begin to climb back with a 6-0 run to pull within one point at 18-17, but the Bluejays would close strong for a 25-21 victory to seal the match in four frames, with Hartman tallying seven kills in the final set

Hartman finished the night with a team-high 20 kills and 13 digs, with Dykstra tallying 15 terminations and seven digs. Elliott notched ten kills as Bixby posted seven terminations and four kills by Lindsay Oldendorf. Reese Booth finished with 22 assists and 16 digs, while Sydney Golden posted 20 assists and nine digs and Jadyn Petersen 14 digs.

“We put ourselves in a position to win and have a chance tonight and they left their heart and soul out there,” said head coach Bobbi Petersen. “One of the things that you wish for coaching is when you step out on the court for the last match of the season that you’re playing your best volleyball and I feel we get to say that tonight. The day we stepped on the court in January to now the amount of growth and the amount of intentional effort that has gone into this team has been incredible.”

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • UNI falls to 42-18 all-time against Creighton with the Bluejays winning their ninth straight match in the series. Northern Iowa is also now 0-2 against Creighton in the NCAA Tournament, the last meeting coming in the first round in 2016.

  • The Panthers are now 18-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches following Friday’s loss.

  • Northern Iowa’s loss snaps its 22-match winning streak, the eighth-longest streak in program history. UNI last loss prior to Friday night came against Creighton in September in the Bluejay Invitational

  • Cassidy Hartman notched her fifth match of the season with 20+ kills, as well as her 27th match this year with ten or more terminations and her 15th double-double of 2025.

  • Lily Dykstra posted her 19th match this year with double-digit kills.

  • Reese Booth recorded her tenth double-double of the season on Friday.

 

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.





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Pitt volleyball sets the tone early, sweeping UMBC to launch its NCAA tournament push

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December 6, 2025

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