SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Texas Longhorns are in their first SEC Volleyball Tournament finals and have a date with the Kentucky Wildcats.
Sports
Designer brands Coach and Miu Miu seek women athletes to promote new collections
The GIST: The overlap between luxury fashion and women’s sports continued this week with two designer-driven deals that recruited popular women athletes. On Wednesday, Coach revealed its athlete roster for its latest sneaker campaign, while New Balance (NB) furthered its Miu Miu collab the same day by debuting a Coco Gauff collection. Fit for a queen.
The Coach campaign: The brand’s “Not Just For Walking” campaign, which touts its new Soho Sneaker, features Auburn Tigers men’s hoops player Tahaad Pettiford, WNBA player Satou Sabally, and NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger.
- Coach CMO Joon Silverstein said these athletes are “shaping culture in their own way at the intersection of sport, music, and fashion,” something brands like Coach are recognizing, especially in basketball. The brand recently announced an extensive WNBA partnership that included styling for five 2025 WNBA Draft picks, including Paige Bueckers. Money.
The Miu Miu collection: In the upcoming collab, Gauff will sport Miu Miu and NB’s latest co-branded clothing and footwear in upcoming tournaments in Rome, Berlin, and Cincinnati. The collection features colorways connected to each tournament and a reimagined version of Gauff’s CG2 shoe, which has its own fascinating marketing history.
- NB has strategically released new colors of Gauff’s signature CG1 and CG2 kicks that correspond with specific tennis moments, like last summer’s “Grey Days” CG1 for the French Open and this spring’s CG2 Coco Delray that matched her Indian Wells and Miami Open looks.
Zooming out: Teaming up with these popular athletes makes sense for high fashion houses, especially when considering the proven success of hype drops. Per Fanatics, 20% of people buying from these collections were first-time Fanatics customers, illustrating how the fashion connection can bring new customers to the sports space.
- And it’s even better when women athletes — who are often elite brand ambassadors — sport these looks on social media and garner sky-high engagement. Athletes like Breidinger and Gauff have a built-in social following that makes advertising lifestyle pieces a breeze. Come for the slay, stay for the play.
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BROOKINGS, S.D. – The No. 1 South Dakota State volleyball team was surgical in its dismantling of No. 4 North Dakota State Monday night in the semifinal match of the Summit League Championship. The Jackrabbits swept the Bison 25-15, 25-10, 25-20 to advance to Tuesday night’s championship game against St. Thomas.
The Jackrabbits’ defense was rolling early, forcing attack errors on five of NDSU’s first six swings of the match, while the offense hit .270 in the opening frame and only had one attack error of its own en route to a 25-15 victory.
The second set was more of the same for the Jackrabbits, who used a 14-4 run to put the clamps down and post a 25-10 victory to move ahead 2-0. Sylvie Zgonc and the Jackrabbit attackers hit .480 in the frame, combining for 13 kills and just one attack error again. Zgonc, the back-to-back Summit League Player of the Year, had five kills in the second set and also added a solo block as SDSU followed up a four-block first set with four more as NDSU hit -0.100 as a team.
NDSU led for the first time in any set after SDSU opened the third set with a service ace and would hang with the Jackrabbits early on. Back-to-back kills from Lauren Jansen and a service ace by Cathy Porter had the Bison ahead 9-6. Another kill by Jansen capped a 6-1 run by her squad that made SDSU head coach Dan Georgalas call a timeout with his team trailing 11-7.
The Jacks reeled off five straight points out of the break to gain the lead back at 12-11 and force NDSU head coach Jennifer Lopez to use a timeout. An ace by the Jacks would stretch the run to six straight and their lead to 13-11 before Arianna Blohm ended it with a kill.
After falling behind 15-12, the Bison would claw all the way back to briefly regain the lead at 19-18 on a kill by Emma Tallman that forced another Jacks’ timeout.
SDSU would take the lead right back with a quick 5-0 spurt that the Bison would not recover from.
The SDSU defense kept making it difficult for NDSU attackers as Madison Burr and crew combined for 14 blocks, including eight in the sweep-clinching set. The Jacks would close things out 25-20 on a service ace by Maggie Meister that was the Jacks’ third of the set and sixth of the match.
Zgonc hit .355 with 11 kills on 31 swings to pace the Jackrabbits’ offense, while Burr added seven kills for SDSU and led all players with eight total blocks, including three solo. Sydni Schetnan added six kills, hit a team-best .545 and added four blocks for the Jackrabbits, who limited NDSU to a .026 hitting percentage.
Lauren Jansen led all players with 17 kills and hit .265 for the Bison, who did not have another player with more than five kills.
NOTES
- The Jackrabbits will play for the tournament title for the second straight season and look to capture just the program’s first since winning its only title in 2007.
- SDSU improved to 3-0 on the season against NDSU after defeating the Bison in both regular season tilts as well.
- The Jackrabbits out-blocked the Bison 14-2 in the match.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits will play St. Thomas in the title match at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night at First Bank & Trust Arena
-GoJacks.com-
ORLANDO – The UCF volleyball team is set for its regular-season finale road trip this week, with contests at Kansas State and No. 13 Kansas on the road.
The squad will strive to conclude head coach Matt Botsford’s first season in style and potentially secure their third-ranked win of the season.
Cyclone Chasers
For the second time in program history, the Knights swept a ranked opponent, defeating No. 24 Iowa State on Senior Day in Orlando. Marking the eighth-ranked win in program history, Botsford becomes the first head coach in program history to defeat multiple ranked opponents during his first season in charge. The first time UCF swept a ranked opponent came back in 2011, toppling No. 3 USC, while the second top-25 victory of the season marks just the second time the program has achieved multiple ranked wins in a single season since 2022. After sweeping Houston on Wednesday, the back-to-back sweeps mark the first in consecutive home matches in Big 12 play since joining the conference in 2023.
Lexi’s Career Week
Freshman Alexa Haley was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after a brilliant week, aiding in UCF’s sweeps over Houston and No. 24 Iowa State. The freshman tallied 32 combined digs across the matches, leading the Knights’ back row, which held both teams to sub-.200 hitting percentage and just 10.8 kills per set. The Cyclones entered the match third in the conference in hitting percentage (0.256) and first in kills per set (14.29), though against Haley and the UCF defense, they registered just 39 kills and a minimal 0.174 hitting percentage (second-lowest this season). The Naples native took over libero duties before conference play, and has since shown why, tallying 10 or more digs in 12 of her last 14 contests. Lexi’s weekly honor is the third by a Knight this season, joining Reaghan Thompson (Defensive, Sept. 23) and Avah Armour (Offensive, Oct. 28) as the only player to have claimed Big 12 weekly honors since joining the conference in 2023. Moreover, Haley is the only freshman in the Big 12 this season to have won an offensive or defensive weekly honor and the first to do so since Baylor’s Kyndal Stowers won offensive player of the week on Sept. 12, 2023. Moreover, she is the first freshman to win Big 12 defensive player of the week since Oklahoma’s Callie Kemohah on Oct. 5, 2021.
Ranked Dub in Utah
Last week in Provo, the Knights toppled No. 17 BYU in four sets, dominating the Cougars throughout. The win marked the first ranked victory for the Knights since 2022 and the first as a member of the Big 12. The performance was the seventh ranked win in program history and the fourth-highest all-time. UCF’s last ranked win came against No. 22 Houston on Nov. 22, 2022, to clinch a share of The American regular-season title. Battling on the road, the Knights also handed BYU just its 16th home loss in the last 11 years.
SINGLE GAME AND SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
UCF volleyball single-match and season tickets are on sale now. Be sure to catch all the action in the program’s 50th Anniversary Season. Tickets can be purchased online at ucfknights.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida’s preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as “Orlando’s Hometown Team”. To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.
The Big West unveiled its 2025 postseason honors on the eve of The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship, with first-time regular-season champion UC Davis featured prominently in the listings.
Aggies senior outside hitter Jade Light collected Big West Player of the Year honors after leading the league with 3.99 kills and 4.50 points per set entering the postseason. The Sloughhouse, Calif., native is the first UC Davis player to ever win Player of the Year honors, coming in the Aggies’ last campaign in the conference.
Joining Light on the All-Big West first team are major award winners in Setter of the Year Mia Starr and Libero of the Year Ximena Cordero Barr. Both new awards since the 2022 season, Starr and Cordero Barr are the first UC Davis players to earn acclaim.
Starr, a junior from Portland, Ore., has directed the UC Davis offense to their highest tally in conference wins in program history with 16 and the first 20-win season for the Aggies since 2009. Starr is averaging 10.41 assists per set, 23rd nationally and first in The Big West. Holding down the back line, Cordero Barr scoops up 4.59 digs per set to rate second in the league. The sophomore from Tijuana, Mexico anchors the defense that allows opponents to hit a stingy 0.147, sixth in the country.
At the helm of the Aggies, Big West Coach of the Year Dan Conners became UC Davis’ all-time winningest coach in the final weeks of the regular season, sporting 171 wins in 11 seasons. This is a first career coaching nod for Conners, and just the second Aggie coach to earn conference honors (Jamie Holmes, 2009). Conners now reigns with the most career wins in The Big West among active coaches.
Second-seeded Cal Poly sees two first team All-Big West selections in redshirt senior setter Emme Bullis and sophomore outside hitter Kendall Beshear. Up from a second-team nod in 2024, Bullis is second in the league with a 9.55 assists per set average. The Whitewater, Wis, native has helped on 4,159 scoring plays for the Mustangs which stands in sixth in NCAA Division I active career leaders. A product of Palos Verdes, Calif., Beshear averages 3.16 kills per set and has served up 40 total aces which is good for second in The Big West this season. Cal Poly’s team hitting percentage of 0.280 heading into Championship week rates 19th nationally.
UC Santa Barbara also enjoys a pair on the eight-member first team, with redshirt senior Layanna Green joined by Big West Freshman of the Year Gabi Martinez on the listings. Green leads The Big West in hitting percentage at an effective .420, raking 14th in NCAA Division I. The redshirt senior middle blocker from Waukee, Iowa, has been in on 105 total blocks his year to land in the league’s top 10 to earn a first career All-Big West nod.
Martinez takes home Big West Freshman of the Year honors after a stellar campaign for the true freshman from Katy, Texas. Martinez is second on the team in kills (2.88) and points (3.32) average and has served up 18 aces for UCSB. The award from Martinez makes successive freshman honors UCSB players, following teammate and second team selection Eva Travis.
Rounding out the All-Big West first team is Long Beach State redshirt freshman Logan King, who hails from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. The opposite hitter for the Beach helped the team to a No. 3 seed in the upcoming Championship brackets while leading the offensive with 3.62 kills and 4.20 points per set. Both figures rate third in the league, trailing only Light and Travis.
Each team in the postseason enjoys at least one player on the All-Big West second team. Host LBSU sees sophomore setter Madi Maxwell and senior outside hitter Elise Agi on the listings. This is Agi’s second time on the team, also earning distinction in 2023. CSUN’s offensive leader Leah Miller. UC Irvine senior libero Campbell Jensen makes a repeat appearance on the second team. The middle blocker trio of Ally Chandler (UC Davis), Chloe Leluge (Cal Poly) and Bri Gunderson (Hawai’i) complete the team. This marks consecutive nods to the second team for Chandler.
Both Martinez and King headline The Big West All-Freshman Team and both are joined by a teammate as Jordyn Johnson of UCSB and LBSU’s Sidney Hamaker also earn distinction Brooke Hibino of UC Davis, Cal Poly’s Charlotte Kelly and Cha’lei Reid of Hawai’i complete the seven-player listing.
The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship gets underway Wednesday from the newly-renamed LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State. Fifteen of the 16 members of the All-Big West first and second teams will be in action this week competing for the league’s automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division I Championship field. Single- and all-session tickets are available for all three days of action at BigWest.org/wvbtix.
| The Big West 2025 Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Team | ||||
| Player of the Year: Jade Light, UC Davis Setter of the Year: Mia Starr, UC Davis Libero of the Year: Ximena Cordero Barr, UC Davis Freshman of the Year: Gabi Martinez, UC Santa Barbara Coach of the Year: Dan Conners, UC Davis |
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| All-Big West First Team | ||||
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| Student-Athlete | Year | Position | Institution | Hometown |
| Kendall Beshear | So. | OH | Cal Poly | Palos Verdes, Calif. |
| Emme Bullis | R-Sr. | S | Cal Poly | Whitewater, Wis. |
| Ximena Cordero Barr | So. | L | UC Davis | Tijuana, Mexico |
| Layanna Green | R-Sr. | MB | UC Santa Barbara | Waukee, Iowa |
| Logan King | R-Fr. | OPP | Long Beach State | Newmarket, Ontario, Canada |
| Jade Light | Sr. | OH | UC Davis | Sloughhouse, Calif. |
| Gabi Martinez | Fr. | OH | UC Santa Barbara | Katy, Texas |
| Mia Starr | Jr. | S | UC Davis | Portland, Ore. |
| All-Big West Second Team | ||||
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| Student-Athlete | Year | Position | Institution | Hometown |
| Elise Agi | Sr. | OH | Long Beach State | San Francisco, Calif. |
| Ally Chandler | Jr. | MB | UC Davis | Loomis, Calif. |
| Bri Gunderson | Sr. | MB | Hawai’i | Ladera Ranch, Calif. |
| Campbell Jensen | Sr. | L | UC Irvine | Burbank, Calif. |
| Chloe Leluge | So. | MB | Cal Poly | Bend, Ore. |
| Madi Maxwell | So. | S | Long Beach State | Newhall, Calif. |
| Leah Miller | Sr. | OPP | CSUN | Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Eva Travis | R-So. | OH | UC Santa Barbara | Aliso Viejo, Calif. |
| Honorable Mention: Adrianna Arquette (Hawai’i); Breeze Czapinski (UC Davis); Kendra Duffey (UC Irvine); Emma Fredrick (Cal Poly); Jordyn Johnson (UC Santa Barbara); Victoria Leyva (Hawai’i); Molly McCluskey (UC San Diego); Hayley Ogden (CSUN); Cha’lei Reid (Hawai’i); Miliana Sylvester (Hawai’i); Annabelle Thalken (Cal Poly); Nicole Zake (Cal State Bakersfield) |
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| Big West All-Freshman Team | |||
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| Student-Athlete | Position | Institution | Hometown |
| Sidney Hamaker | OH | Long Beach State | Oswego, Ill. |
| Brooke Hibino | OH | UC Davis | Salinas, Calif. |
| Jordyn Johnson | MB | UC Santa Barbara | Saint Paul, Minn. |
| Charlotte Kelly | MB | Cal Poly | Pleasanton, Calif. |
| Logan King | OPP | Long Beach State | Newmarket, Ontario, Canada |
| Gabi Martinez | OH | UC Santa Barbara | Katy, Texas |
| Cha’lei Reid | OH | Hawai’i | La‘ie, O‘ahu |
Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) spikes the ball during the match against Kentucky at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
The Wildcats swept the Longhorns Nov. 2 in what was a poor showing for Texas. Head coach Jerritt Elliott recognized that the Longhorns were not playing their best volleyball at the time and they had to change before the postseason began. Which is exactly what they did. They’ve gone nearly three weeks without a loss.
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“I thought we came out really dialed in, really focused on the very first point, and were relentless the entire night. We were good at all facets of our game,” Elliott said after the Ole Miss sweep Sunday night.
The Longhorns now have the chance up upset top seed Kentucky who has dominated their last two games by sweeping Auburn and beating Tennessee 3-1.
MORE: What to know as No. 3 Longhorns start SEC tournament
MORE: How can Texas beat No. 1 seed Kentucky
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Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) spikes the ball during the game against Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Follow along for live game updates:
Spears kill goes long to make it 12-9. Ames is blocked at the net to extend the Wildcat lead. A Hudson kill finds the back line for match point and throws down a kill for the win.
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Kentucky is called for a net fault and a Vander Wal kill ties the match at eight. Texas goes to Vander Wal again who finds a touch, but Kentucky challenges there was a touch and the call was reversed to be 9-8 Wildcats. Vander Wal finds the block to tie it at nine. Kentucky makes it 10 after a kill could not be contained. Hudson gets the kill. Texas calls for a timeout.
Spears’ kill ties it at seven. Kentucky tools the block to make it eight. Time to switch sides.
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Bunton swings into the Kentucky block to extend the lead to three. But Stafford goes angle to cut the deficit to two. Spears floats a ball over that lands in the middle of the court. But a Swindle service error makes it a two-point lead again. But a Stafford kill could not be contained by the Wildcats.
Texas is called for the net violation trying to block the Kentucky kill; Elliott challenges the call and the call is confirmed. Kentucky responds with a kill that goes angle. Texas calls a timeout.
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Texas opens the set with a Stafford kill and Hudson block, but Kentucky sends down a kill. A Stafford kill goes long to tie it. Swindle takes it for herself and gets a touch on the throw down. But Kentucky responds with the block.
Vander Wal gets a touch on a kill to hold off the Wildcats, 24-22. But a dig from Stafford hits one of the pins to give Kentucky the set win.
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Out of the Kentucky time out, Stafford comes flying out of the back row for a kill. Spears joins on the fun to make it 21-20, but a Hudson kill keeps Texas down, 22-20. A Kentucky service error brings the Longhorns within one. Texas is called for a net violation to make it 23-21, Kentucky. A kill from Spears goes wide to make it set point for the Wildcats. Texas calls a time out.
Texas goes on a 3-0 run after a Kentucky kill and forces the Wildcats to call a timeout.
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Elliott calls a timeout after a Kentucky ace to reach the redzone.
Carr throws down a ball that hung in the air a bit too long. Texas challenges for contact on a Vander Wal kill to make it 16-13, upon review. DeLeye stops any Texas momentum after flying to make the kill. Stafford finds the court for the back row kill, but a Halter service error makes it 18-14. Stafford finds a spot on the court to throw it down.
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Hudson is heating up for the Wildcats and her third kill makes Texas call a timeout.
Stafford’s swings are willing the Longhorns into the match but a service error had too much sauce on it to keep Kentucky ahead 12-10. Texas challenges a Texas kill that landed out and the call was overturned to get within one, but Hudson flies to extend the lead 13-11. Kentucky goes to Hudson again and tools the block. A Wildcat service error cuts the defecit.
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Two kills by Spears tie the match for Texas but DeLeye lands a ball that Spears tried to pancake for the 8-7 lead. Texas was called for double contact to extend the lead by two. Texas’ block stuffs a DeLeye kill. A Stafford kill ties the match at nine. A Texas free ball finds its way to Kentucky’s Hudson for a kill.
A Bunton ace continues the Texas run, but a Carr kill stops the run. Spears goes for the kill but the Wildcats go back to Carr for the kill. Spears comes flying out of the back row to cut the deficit.
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Kentucky strikes first with an offspeed that could not be pancaked and a Spears kill goes wide. Hudson nails an angled shot to start the Wildcats on a 3-0 run. Texas is called for the net violation after a rally full of pancakes and digs on the wrist. A Kentucky free ball fails to clear the net to give Texas’ its first point. A Vander Wal kill cuts into the lead.
Illegal contact on Texas makes it 23-22 Longhorns. A Swindle kill makes it match point, but Hudson makes it a second match point. Texas is challenging there was contact on an Ames kill but the call is confirmed to tie it at 24. A bad pass from Halter makes it Kentucky set point and Thigpen responds to take the fourth set.
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Binney serves an error to put Kentucky in the redzone. Vander Wal is blocked at the net and Texas calls a timeout.
Ames goes for the offspeed kill in the middle of the court and swings hard in the middle to extend the lead.
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DeLeye goes for the kill but Spears responds with a swing of her own. Stafford’s serve is long for a Kentucky point.
Stafford goes angle to put the Longhorns in the redzone.
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Some calls have not gone Kentucky’s way and are playing with a lot more intensity in the middle of a 4-1 run. But an Ames kill creates some separation for the Longhorns. Kentucky is called for four contacts after a Kahahawai kill.
Kentucky is finding its rhythm and is not afraid to swing but Wildcat kills are going everywhere. Texas’ front is doing a better job reading the Kentucky defense. A Wildcat kill finally finds the court but the offense stalls on a service error.
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Kentucky rallies off three kills but a service error stops the run. A Halter dig saves a Texas point and Stafford tools the block. But Texas’ momentum stalls after being called in the net. Ames throws down a kill at the net.
Kentucky calls a timeout after a DeLeye attack error. Five of the seven points for the Longhorns have been Kentucky errors.
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Kentucky opens set three with a DeLeye service error and an attack error that hit the right pin to give Texas a 2-0 lead. Kentucky is trying to find its groove as Texas just keeps rolling.
Vander Wal goes off speed for the fifth Texas set point. Ames and Swindle combine for a block to take set two.
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A Kentucky kill stops the Texas run out of the time out, but a Texas block stops a Kentucky rally. The Longhorns win a joust to make it 23-22 and a Stafford kill ties the match 23-23. Another Stafford kill makes it set point but a Kentucky kill ties it at 24. Texas goes to Nya Bunton in the middle to make it set point again, but a Hudson kill ties it at 25. Vander Wal fully lays out for the receive and Spears sides out the kill for the fourth set point. Kentucky goes to the Carr for a kill in the middle of the court to tie it at 26.
A Stafford kill takes a sharp angle to land in to bring the Longhorns within three. An Emma Halter pancake was unsuccessful to save a Texas kill but Kentucky’s challenge overturned the call to make it a four point difference. However, two straight Stafford kills brings the Longhorns within two points and forces a Kentucky timeout.
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Texas calls a timeout after a Kentucky block puts the Wildcats in the red zone. Texas is giving themselves opportunities to close the gap but Kentucky is starting to anticipate the Longhorns offense.
Swindle’s service error gives Kentucky a three point lead out of the timeout. A rally with two free balls to Texas is completed with a Bunton kill but Eva Hudson sends a ball flying to the back row. Kentucky’s Carr’s offspeed could not be dug up for the Longhorns, but Texas responds with a block to close the deficit to three.
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The Longhorns go on a 2-0 run forcing Kentucky to call a time out. Texas has been attacking the left pin during the run led by Stafford and Spears.
Texas gets a gift of a Kentucky service error to help close the gap. Texas is having good points and are finding a good groove on offense. But Kentucky has met the Texas challenge. Kentucky service error closes the gap a bit.
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Bunton throws down a kill but a few sloppy turns on offense force Elliott to call a timeout.
Set two opens with with a Texas service error and a pair Kentucky aces. A Stafford kill gets the Longhorns on the board but it’s short lived after a Hudson kill.
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Ayden Ames’ kill goes long for the Longhorns. Cari Spears serves the first error for Texas on set point and Vander Wal’s kill lands in the middle of the court to win the set.
Longhorns stay aggressive at the net behind five Vander Wal kills this set and a couple of successful jousts. But Kentucky is coming after a few Texas mistakes on serve receive. Devin Kahahawai throws it down and Kentucky calls a timeout.
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A few Kentucky kills go long to extend Texas’ lead. The Wildcats call a timeout. So far Texas’ offense is flawless with zero attack errors or service errors.
Freshman Abby Vander Wal is leading the kills for the Longhorns with three. Swindle throws down an offspead for an early lead.
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Where: Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga.
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MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine women’s volleyball (19-8, 13-3 WCC) will close out the regular season with a pair of home games against Gonzaga (14-13, 7-9 WCC) and Saint Mary’s (11-16, 9-7 WCC) this week.
The Waves host the Bulldogs Wednesday at noon with the Gaels coming to town Saturday for another noon fixture.
Both matchups will be streamed live on ESPN+, while live stat links can be found on the women’s volleyball team’s schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.
Wednesday’s match marks Friendsgiving at Firestone Fieldhouse. Registration for the postgame Friendsgiving meal can be found here.
A pair of victories would mark the fourth time in program history reaching 15 conference wins in a season, and the third during the Scott Wong era.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Waves earned a 3-2 win over LMU Saturday to sweep the season series with the Lions.
- The Waves won the first, second and fifth sets to claim the victory.
- Vanessa Polk paced Pepperdine with 13 kills to go along with four digs and seven block assists.
- This past Thursday, the Waves saw their 10-match winning streak come to an end in a 3-0 defeat at San Diego.
- Maggie Beauer led the way against the Toreros with 14 kills.
AWESOME ARIZONANS
- Stepping into a bigger role as a sophomore, Chandler, Ariz. native Maggie Beauer is second on the team with 271 total kills, averaging 2.85 per set. She has recorded double-figure kills in 14 matches.
- Peoria, Ariz. native Tristen Raymond has given the Waves a spark as a do-it-all setter. Raymond ranks in Pepperdine’s top five in nearly every statistical category: The lefty leads Pepperdine with 6.92 assists per set, is second in service aces per set (0.40), fourth in blocks per set (0.70) and second in digs per set (2.52).
- Raymond is a two-time West Coast Conference Setter of the Week and one of two Waves to win multiple weekly West Coast Conference awards this season.
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP
- Sophomore outside hitter Chloe Pravednikov leads the team with 284 kills, which is No. 13 in the WCC. Her 2.87 kills per set lead the team.
- A West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team selection last year, Pravednikov is picking up where she left off late last season, when she emerged as Pepperdine’s consistent third option on offense. Earlier this season, Pravednikov set her career high with 20 kills against Oregon State — one of a team-high 18 matches with 10 kills or more.
O CANADA
- Sophomore middle blocker Ella Piskorz is one of the best young middle blockers in the nation. She ranks No. 25 in the NCAA with 139 total blocks and No. 20 with 1.40 blocks per set.
- She leads the league with 139 total blocks, 1.40 blocks per set and 112 block assists.
- Piskorz has earned West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week a conference-leading three times.
STAY IN YOUR LAINE
- Laine Briggs is one of the best servers in the country: Her 46 aces rank No. 24 in all of Division I, while her 0.46 aces per set rank No. 23 in Division I.
- Earlier this season, she set her career-high with five aces against Portland, which is one of her 18 matches with multiple aces this year.
- Briggs also leads the team and ranks No. 4 in the West Coast Conference with 3.64 digs per set.
GOING BACK TO CALI
- San Diego native Irelynd Lorenzen has been a key piece for Pepperdine’s block during her first year of playing collegiate volleyball in her home state. The Lafayette transfer is second on the team with 1.17 blocks per set, which ranks third in the West Coast Conference.
- Lorenzen also ranks in the top 10 in the West Coast Conference with 81 block assists (No. 5) and 95 total blocks (No. 6).
BLOCK PARTY
- Pepperdine has one of the best blocking defenses in the nation, ranking No. 14 with 2.77 blocks per set. They hold opponents to hitting .157, which is No. 9 in the NCAA.
- The Waves lead the league with 274 total blocks and are second with 426 block assists.
- Individually, Pepperdine has three players ranked in the top six of the West Coast Conference in block assists: No. 1 Ella Piskorz (112 block assists), No. 3 Irelynd Lorenzen (95) and No. 6 Vanessa Polk (78).
STRONG SERVING
- Pepperdine is No. 14 in the nation with 1.98 aces per set and No. 37 with 196 aces. Both figures lead the West Coast Conference.
- Four Waves rank in the top 20 in the league in service aces per set: Laine Briggs (No. 2, 0.46 per set), Tristen Raymond (No. 5, 0.37), Charis Kai (No. 10, 0.33), and Ryan Gilhooly (No. 14, 0.31).
- The team has had at least one player with multiple aces in all but one match this season.
- Multiple Waves have recorded multiple aces in 22 of the 27 matches this year.
COMEBACK KIDS
- On Oct. 2, Pepperdine trailed San Francisco 18-7 in the first set but came back to win 25-23, which was their biggest single-set comeback of the season.
- At that point, the comeback was one of four comebacks of 11 points or more. Northeastern came back from a 13-point deficit, while DePaul and Wisconsin rallied back from 11-point deficits.
- Two out of Pepperdine’s four five-set wins have been reverse-sweeps.
RPI WATCH
- Pepperdine is currently No. 47 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings.
- As one of the last teams left out of the NCAA Tournament last year, the Waves had a season-high RPI of No. 46 and were No. 53 in the final RPI rankings.
- With two weeks left in the regular season, Pepperdine’s resume features three wins over top-100 RPI teams: No. 42 UCLA, No. 55 UC Santa Barbara and No. 58 UC Davis
- Conversely, six of the Waves’ seven losses have been against teams in the top-100 RPI: No. 3 Arizona State, No. 4 Pittsburgh, No. 15 UTEP, No. 32 San Diego, No. 72 GCU and No. 94 Jacksonville.
SEASON OVERVIEW
- In Scott Wong‘s eleventh season at the helm, the Pepperdine Waves were picked second in the West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches’ poll behind San Diego and ahead of LMU. The top three teams in the poll were the last three teams to win the West Coast Conference title.
- Pepperdine also put three players on the West Coast Conference Preseason Team: redshirt junior Vanessa Polk, sophomore Ella Piskorz and Bradley transfer Iva Popovic, who was one of three conference newcomers to make the team
- Pepperdine has ten returners but brings back just one starter from last year: middle blocker Ella Piskorz. However, fellow middle blocker Vanessa Polk, who was a key piece on Pepperdine’s 2023 West Coast Conference Championship squad, will return after redshirting in 2024. Sophomore opposite hitter Chloe Pravednikov, an All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team selection from a year ago, worked her way into the starting rotation late last season and will be expected to have a larger role this season.
NEW WAVES
- The Waves also welcome six newcomers to the team, consisting of three transfers and three true freshmen. Junior middle blocker Irelynd Lorenzen and sophomore setter Nalani Muniz are both returning to their home state after competing for Lafayette and Southern Utah, respectively. Iva Popovic also comes to Malibu by way of Bradley University and New Mexico Junior College, where she was a two-time NJCAA All-American.
- Pepperdine’s three freshmen are Ryan Gilhooly (Pacific Palisades, Calif.), Tristen Raymond (Peoria, Ariz.) and Alice Vigano (Lake Como, Italy).
- For the first time under Scott Wong, the Waves feature three international players on the roster: Ella Piskorz (Canada), Iva Popovic (Serbia) and Alice Vigano (Italy).
SERIES HISTORY
- The Waves hold a 67-9 lead over Gonzaga in the all-time series.
- Pepperdine has won 10 of the last 11 matches against the Bulldogs.
- The Waves earned a 3-0 sweep in Spokane earlier this season (Nov. 6).
- Pepperdine has a 60-16 lead in the all-time series with Saint Mary’s.
- The Waves have won 11 straight meetings with the Gaels.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- Gonzaga enters play having lost three of four matches.
- The Bulldogs sit eighth in the WCC with a 7-9 conference record.
- Gonzaga is led by Sjakkie Donkers who ranks second in the conference in kills (393) and kills per set (3.97).
- Saint Mary’s enters on a three-match winning streak and 9-7 mark in conference play.
- The Gaels’ Mya Allen sits fifth in the WCC with 3.39 kills per set to pace the team.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine women’s volleyball has reached 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1981 as one of the most successful collegiate programs on the West Coast. The 12-time WCC Champions Waves have consistently produced top talent with 21 All-American selections with honorees in six straight decades. With multiple Olympians going through the program, Kim Hill brought home the program’s first gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.
TICKETS
For more information on ticket packages and to purchase tickets for upcoming home events, visit here.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women’s volleyball news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWVB.
Terpsgiving is one of College Park’s best annual traditions, and it returned this year in a monumental way.
Terpsgiving was a successful effort as Maryland’s student-athletes worked hard to give back to the local community. This year, the Terps collected the most cans they have ever had hosting Terpsgiving, collecting a grand total of 2,561 cans, 876 more cans than the previous record!
Facilitated through Maryland Made/SAAC, student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff participated in Terpsgiving to fight food insecurity in College Park. They held a food drive from Oct. 1 to Oct. 22 and collected non-perishable food donations in designated campus locations, including Gossett Hall, Jones-Hill House, Varsity Team House, and XFINITY Center.
Field hockey’s Ava Trexler was a Director of Share the Shell for SAAC and played a big role in the monumental drive.
“Knowing that we were able to donate more cans than ever this year fills me with so much excitement and gratitude towards our student-athletes,” Trexler said. “Knowing that more people will be fed this year due to our student-athletes’ involvement gives me so much pride in this SAAC program. At the same time, I am not surprised we were able to reach this goal because everyone on our board was doing their part to emphasize the importance of community involvement which made everyone want to be a part of it.”
Trexler hasn’t taken a moment for granted during her time at Maryland and she knows the value of giving back.
“Every student-athlete here knows that getting the opportunity to be a Terp is an honor, and more importantly a privilege,” Trexler said. “I find it extremely important that we give back to the local community that may not have the same opportunity and resources that we do. It is so important that we are committed to supporting the communities around us, and nothing connects a group of people more than banning together to help others.”
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