Volleyball England can today reveal what the new home of English performance beach volleyball will look like. Architect’s drawings depicting the four-court indoor centre at Birmingham City University (BCU) have now been completed, and building work will start immediately once final planning approval has been secured. BCU has also provided some artistic impressions of the […]
Architect’s drawings depicting the four-court indoor centre at Birmingham City University (BCU) have now been completed, and building work will start immediately once final planning approval has been secured.
BCU has also provided some artistic impressions of the centre, showcasing the scale of the project with both the roof on and off the venue.
The site of the state-of-the-art facility will be Moor Lane, Holford (B6 7AA), with work expected to be completed by August or September.
A youth volleyball camp took place Friday (June 13) in Houston’s Tiger Fieldhouse. The camp featured players from Britany Cheek’s 18s AAU National Team and former MSU-West Plains coach Paula Wiedemann. There were sessions for three age groups: grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston […]
A youth volleyball camp took place Friday (June 13) in Houston’s Tiger Fieldhouse.
The camp featured players from Britany Cheek’s 18s AAU National Team and former MSU-West Plains coach Paula Wiedemann.
There were sessions for three age groups: grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8.
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 […]
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.
Looking more closely at why fans would support brand partnerships, 36% of fans who watch women’s sports are both more inclined to support sponsorships that are cause-driven campaigns as well as products designed in partnership with women athletes. Parity’s research shows of women’s sports watchers, men lean more toward cause-driven campaigns and women toward the combination of women athletes and brand products.
The WNBA began its 29th season last month with a record number of sponsors and since starting the 2025 season with 13 top-tier sponsors, the NWSL has added AT&T and Tylenol to its roster.
In the report, Parity says the WNBA is the most popular women’s league with 51% of U.S. women’s sports fans saying they are supporters.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 12, 2025) – After dropping the first two sets, the U.S. Men’s National Team rallied to defeat a veteran Iran squad in its second match of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15) on Thursday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The final score of the deciding […]
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 12, 2025) – After dropping the first two sets, the U.S. Men’s National Team rallied to defeat a veteran Iran squad in its second match of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15) on Thursday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The final score of the deciding set was the only two-point lead of the set. Outside hitter Jordan Ewert scored the go-ahead point on a kill at 15-15 and middle blocker Patrick Gasman closed out the reverse sweep with an ace.
After a day off, the U.S. (1-1) will next play Slovenia on Saturday, June 14, at 9:30 a.m. PDT. Watch the match live on VBTV.
The U.S. held a slight edge in kills (58-56) but the real difference was its 14-5 advantage in blocks. Though Iran served nine aces to the U.S. team’s four, six of those were in the opening set before the U.S. serve receive settled in.
“The guys have so much to be proud of. That was a true team effort,” said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Karch Kiraly. “Lots of guys came in. Some people call those people waiting out ‘substitutes.’ We call them ‘game-changers,’ and every guy who came in changed the game in some way. All of us are learning together. It was great that we got better as that match went along.”
Opposite Kyle Hobus, playing for the U.S. Men’s National Team for the first time in this VNL, led the team with 17 kills and 19 points, adding two blocks. Ewert finished with 17 points on 16 kills and one block.
Middle blocker Merrick McHenry finished with seven blocks, two more than the entire Iran team, and contributed three kills to reach double figures with 10 points. Outside hitter Cooper Robinson also scored in double figures with 14 points on 13 kills and an ace.
Libero Mason Briggs led the team with seven digs and nine serve receptions, with his biggest pass coming on a sliding play that helped give the U.S. a 10-9 lead in the final set. Setter Quinn Isaacson came in to lead the offense in the third set and had a key kill in the deciding set.
“That win shows that we have a lot of passion with this group and no matter how much we are down, we are still fighting very hard,” Isaacson said. “There is a lot of fight and if we can continue that through the next four summers, we are going to be in a really good spot when we get to L.A. (for the 2028 Summer Olympics).”
Opposite Gabi Garcia joined middle blockers Gasman and Matthew Knigge with five points apiece. Garcia came in to provide strong serving, including a pair of aces to go with two kills and a block. Gasman recorded four kills before his match-clinching ace, while Knigge contributed two kills and three blocks.
Though the U.S. fell behind 2-0 by losing the second set, it started to build momentum by scoring five of the last seven points. Ewert scored seven points on six kills and a block in that second set.
Another strong finish to the third set, ending on a 7-2 run, propelled the U.S. comeback. Hobus scored five points on three kills and two blocks, Ewert recorded three kills, and McHenry posted a pair of blocks as he and Hobus teamed up for four of the team’s five blocks in the set.
A Garcia ace gave the U.S. a 20-17 lead in the fourth set, but Iran scored four of the next five points to even the set at 21 apiece. Iran completed a 6-2 run to take a 23-22 lead, but after a U.S. timeout, a service error evened the set at 23. From there, McHenry slowed down an attack at the net leading to a Hobus kill, and then ended the set on a block to send the match to a fifth set. Robinson (five) and Hobus (four) combined for nine kills in the set.
Isaacson’s kill and a Garcia block gave the U.S. a 6-5 lead in the final set. Though they would never relinquish the lead, the set would be tied 10 more times before the Ewert and Gasman heroics.
Seven U.S. players registered at least one kill in the fifth set with Hobus (four) and Ewert (three) leading the way. Hobus scored off the block to give the U.S. 11-10 and 12-11 leads. His final kill of the night made it 15-14.
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
17 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
19 Patrick Gasman (MB, 6-10, Clovis, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Northern California)
23 Nolan Flexen (OH, 6-9, Rio Rancho, N.M., UC Irvine, Southern)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
28 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)
Head Coach: Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coach: Luka Slabe
Assistant Coach: Javier Weber
Performance Analyst: Nate Ngo
Physiotherapist: Aaron Brock
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach: Tim Pelot
Senior Sports Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker
Team Manager: David Dantes
Consultant Coach: Chris McGown
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy
Team Doctors: Eugene Yim, Mark Hutchinson, Michael Shepard, Warren Young
U.S. Men’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV, CBS Sports Network and Big Ten Network
(All times PDT)
Week 1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 11: Ukraine def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23)
June 12 USA def. Iran, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15)
June 14 at 9:30 a.m. vs. Slovenia
June 15 at 1 p.m. vs. Cuba
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State Men’s Basketball has brought in a high-major transfer in forward Petar Majstorovic, who comes to the Beach after spending one season in the ACC with Syracuse. Petar Majstorovic | Forward | 6-8, 215 | Sombor, Serbia Majstorovic played a major role as a true freshman for […]
By Mark Carpenter People’s Defender The focus in the gymnasium at North Adams High School turned to volleyball for three nights in late May as Head Coach Katie Ragan and her high school squad hosted their annual Youth Volleyball Camp for girls entering grades 3-7 in the upcoming school year. Ragan was assisted by […]
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The focus in the gymnasium at North Adams High School turned to volleyball for three nights in late May as Head Coach Katie Ragan and her high school squad hosted their annual Youth Volleyball Camp for girls entering grades 3-7 in the upcoming school year. Ragan was assisted by North Adams JV coach Rob Meade and junior high coach DeLaney McCormick.
As always, the camp stressed some of the basic fundamental skills of volleyball, while incorporating fun games and drills to keep the campers involved, with a record number of campers on hand.
Following is the list of future volleyball stars who attended the three-day camp: Abbigail Bolton, Ashley Dotson, Adalyn Young, Ambree Downing, Adison Downing, Cherokee Orr, Charlotte McIntire, Aleeyah Perdue, Bristol Whalen, Madelyn Reckers, Ainslee Crump, Julia Crothers, Peighton McCann, Sadie Parker, Aydaa Lewis, Sadie Fannin, Kaylance Collett, Lucy Meade, Lillian Harper, Marilla Ohnewehr, Adia Grooms, Stellar Grooms, Laura Jandes, Jenna Work, Hayven Jodrey, Avery Lahmers, Mya Eldridge, Amiya Raines, Erin Waters, Rylen Shiveley, Savannah Patton, Madison Abrams, Makinley Wood, Willow Foster, Audrey Davidson, Aralyn Emerson, Jaylen Michael and Bristol Manning.
High school volleyball players who were on hand to lend valuable assistance were: Natalie Ragan, Paige Evans, Adison Shupert, Elizabeth Raines, Ava Pistole, Emma Pistole, Morgan Wheeler, Mia Kingsley, Lily Parker, Keatyn Palmer, Jacee Davis, Riley Woods, Melanie Wood, Ashlynn Bolton, Sophia Barlow, Tailor Lloyd and Elana Riley.
”The camp went really well,” said Coach Ragan. “It was the largest number of youth volleyball players that I have ever had at camp. They were very enthusiastic and eager to play volleyball. We had a great three days. I would like to give a big thank you to my high school helpers. I could not have done it without them.”
Larena Tannert is a journalism sophomore and opinion columnist for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group. Every year like clockwork, as soon as the weather starts warming up, my social media feeds explode with “get beach body ready” workouts and “slim for summer” meal […]
Larena Tannert is a journalism sophomore and opinion columnist for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
Every year like clockwork, as soon as the weather starts warming up, my social media feeds explode with “get beach body ready” workouts and “slim for summer” meal plans. And every year, I feel that familiar knot in my stomach tightening. Will I be “beach ready” this year? Will my body be “good enough” for summer?
Let me tell you a secret: I’m so over needing my perfect summer body. And you should be too.
For years, I’ve ridden the seasonal fitness rollercoaster. Desperate exercising in April, crash-dieting in May, feeling guilty about ice cream in June, then abandoning all efforts by September because “what’s the point now?”
Does any of this sound familiar? This cycle left me with nothing but a complicated relationship with my body and the gym that I’m still working to repair.
Here’s what I’ve learned through my journey: your body isn’t seasonal merchandise. It doesn’t need to be “summer ready” or “bikini approved.” It is an incredible and important thing that deserves to be taken care of, healthy, and happy all year long.
The “summer body” mentality is deeply problematic for so many reasons:
First, it treats fitness as punishment rather than self-care. When we exercise with the goal of changing our appearance by a certain date, we are telling ourselves our bodies are problems that need to be fixed, rather than something that deserves to be maintained and celebrated.
Second, it sets us up for failure. Crash diets and intense workout regimens aren’t sustainable or reasonable. When we inevitably can’t maintain them, we feel like failures instead of recognizing that our approach was the problem.
Third, it completely misses the point of what health is actually about: feeling good, having energy, managing stress, sleeping better, and enjoying life in your body.
Instead of seasonal desperation, I’ve switched to year-round consistency, and honestly, it’s changed everything. Here’s what I’ve learned works better:
Find movement you actually enjoy. For me, it’s playing beach volleyball and going for walks. I no longer force myself to do workouts I hate. Movement should be fun, not a chore.
Focus on how you feel, not how you look. When exercise becomes about stress relief and energy rather than appearance, it becomes a form of self-care, not punishment.
Treat nutrition as nourishment, not restriction. I eat foods that make me feel both good and energized. Sometimes that’s a banana or a salad, but other times it’s ice cream with my friends. It is crucial to have a balance.
Set goals based on performance, not appearance. Celebrating what your body can do, rather than how it looks, is incredibly liberating. Rather than focusing on cellulite or belly fat, working toward being able to run a mile in under 8 minutes or do 20 pushups will change your whole perspective on fitness.
Turns out, when I stopped obsessing about looking perfect for summer, I actually started feeling better in my body year-round. Without the pressure of a deadline, fitness became something sustainable rather than a two-month panic session.
But what about people who enjoy seeing their body change as they get fitter? Yes, watching your muscles grow and your abs begin to show can be rewarding. These visible changes show your hard work is paying off. But here’s the thing, when looking good becomes your only goal, you set yourself up for failure.
You risk quitting when results come too slowly or miss out on all the other amazing benefits of staying active. So go ahead and enjoy those physical changes, but connect them to how they make you feel – stronger, happier, and more energetic – not just how they make you look.
I’ve discovered that my body is capable of amazing things when I treat it with respect rather than criticism. I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t come from reaching some physical standard that society sets, but from making peace with who you are right now.
This summer, I’m adopting a new mantra: Every body is a summer body. Your body deserves care, movement, and nourishment every month of the year—not just when swimsuit season approaches.
So the next time you see those “Get Beach Ready!” headlines, remember that your body already deserves the best care you can give it, regardless of the season. Consistently treat it with kindness and by the time summer rolls around, you won’t need to frantically prepare. You will already be living your best life in the body you have.
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