Sports
DuBois Minor softball blanks Punxsy to secure D
DUBOIS — Just a few hours after a torrential downpour passed through the area on Saturday afternoon, the members of the DuBois Minor League softball All-Stars team managed to pour on the runs in their District 10 championship game at home against Punxsy. DuBois scored the only run of the first two innings in the […]


DUBOIS — Just a few hours after a torrential downpour passed through the area on Saturday afternoon, the members of the DuBois Minor League softball All-Stars team managed to pour on the runs in their District 10 championship game at home against Punxsy.
DuBois scored the only run of the first two innings in the top of the second, but then exploded for four in the third inning and six more in the fourth en route to an 11-0, four-inning victory to clinch the D-10 title and earn a spot in the Section 1 tournament, to be played in Union City beginning on July 5th.
“This is huge for the girls,” DuBois manager Keith Lepionka said after the game. “There’s a lot of great competition (in District 10). DuBois needed to get back up on top of the pedestal here; they’d been knocked down a little bit lately, so that was our goal, to get us back up there and to keep it going as we continue to play.”
While the offense was firing on all cylinders, DuBois pitcher Zoey Lee pitched a gem from the circle, retiring the first 10 hitters she faced and finishing with a one-hit shutout. She struck out 10 Punxsy hitters and didn’t walk any.
Lee was among the offensive leaders for the winners, as well, notching a pair of hits and driving in four of her team’s runs. Emma Pfingstler had a leadoff inside-the-park home run and added an RBI single, and Felicity Clark had an RBI triple. Willow Helm had a pair of singles, and Emma Bruabker drove in a pair of runs with her single, while Aubree Keller walked in both of her plate appearances and scored each time.
Punxsy’s Lexie Gee pitched all four innings, matching Lee’s strikeout total with 10 but allowing 10 runs on nine hits and nine walks. Offensively, Maliah Mercer was Punxsy’s only base runner with a one-out infield single in the fourth, and she had one stolen base.
In the two teams’ meeting earlier in the tournament, it was a true pitchers’ duel, with Pfingstler and Lee combining for a no-hit shutout, while Gee allowed just two runs — only one of which was earned — on two hits.
In regard to the pitching depth in this year’s tournament, Lepionka said, “I’ve got two horses. I could stick either one of them out there on any given day, and they’re going to win a game for us. Obviously, Punxsy has an unbelievable pitcher, and St. Marys had two really good pitchers. So, 9- and 10-year-old softball is not easy anymore. It’s highly competitive, and that’s great to see for all of District 10.”
Turning to what he thought of his team’s offensive outburst against a solid pitcher in Gee, Lepionka added, “I’d like to say that I wasn’t surprised, but I was. (Gee) is really good. But our hitters were ready and they were confident. They weren’t scared today, so they went out and they competed hard, had really good at-bats, and they wanted to win.”
DuBois, playing as the visitor on its own field, took advantage of its first crack at things, scoring the game’s first run in the top of the first in quick fashion, as Pfingstler, a lefty, sliced one down the third-base line that skipped all the way to the left-field fence, allowing her to scamper around for an inside-the-park home run.
Gee responded well, striking out the next hitter she faced before issuing a walk to Lee. Lee stole second and took third on a passed ball, but Gee stranded her there by fanning the next two DuBois hitters to keep the score at 1-0.
Lee made quick work of the top of Punxsy’s order in the home half, striking out all three hitters she faced, but despite a one-out single by Lainey Lepionka and a two-out walk to Brooklyn Billock in the bottom half of the inning, both were stranded when Gee recorded her sixth strikeout of the game to end that threat.
Punxsy was retired in order again in the second, though Ella Weaver became the first Punxsy player to put one in play when she rolled one back to Lee for a 1-3 putout. The 1-2-3 inning brought DuBois back to bat quickly, setting the stage for a four-run third for DuBois.
Keller got things going by working a leadoff walk, and she advanced to third on a single to center by Helm. Helm then stole second before Pfingstler worked a walk to load the bases.
Gee got a strikeout to follow for the first out of the inning, but Lee came up big in the clutch to help her own cause, clearing the bases by dropping a single into center field to make it 4-0.
Lee quickly stole second and took third on a passed ball before Clark was walked and took second without a throw. Cali Gibson then worked a two-out walk, and when ball four skipped to the backstop, Lee hustled home to make it 5-0.
In the bottom of the third, Lee struck out all three hitters she faced, again quickly putting her team back on the offensive, where they kept the momentum going and scored six runs — all with two outs — to extend the lead to double digits.
Billock walked with one out to become the first base runner of the inning, and Keller worked a walk of her own with two outs before Helm singled to move everyone up a station and load the bases.
Pfingstler singled back up the middle, plating one run, and Brubaker followed with a two-RBI single to center to make it 8-0. Lee brought another home with yet another single to center, then Clark ripped a triple to deep right field to plate Brubaker and Lee and make it an 11-0 game.
With that, Punxsy needed two runs in the home half to extend the contest. Lee got a quick out on a bunt that she fielded and threw to first, but Mercer followed with an infield single that had a high spin-rate to become Punxsy’s first base runner.
Mercer then stole second before Lee got a strikeout for the second out, then took third on a wild pitch. But she was stranded there when Lee got her 10th and final strikeout to end the contest, allowing the DuBois celebration to begin.
At this time, the Section 1 tournament bracket indicates that DuBois will play the winner of District 1 at noon on Saturday, July 5, in the opening round.
DUBOIS 11,
PUNXSUTAWNEY 0,
4 innings
Scores by Innings
DuBois;104;6;—;11
Punxsy;000;0;—;0
DuBois—11
Emma Pfingstler lf 2322, Emma Brubaker ss 3112, Zoey Lee p 2224, Felicity Clark c 2012, Abigail Miller eh 2000, Cali Gibson cf 2000, Lainey Lepionka 2b 2010, Hollene Davidson eh 2000, Brooklyn Billock 3b 0100, Kenley Camise 1b 2000, Aubree Keller eh 0200, Willow Helm rf 2220. Totals 21-11-9-10.
Punxsutawney—0
Anna Huffman 1b 1000, Blake Rugh ss 1000, Lexie Gee p 1000, Mattison Pearce lf 1000, Ella Weaver rf 1000, Ava Roberts 2b 1000, Paige Rudolph cf 1000, Lily Carpenter rf 1000, Macy Bargerstock 3b 1000, Abigail Horner c 1000, Maliah Mercer 2b 1010, Emma Reitz cf 1000, Ashtyn Swartz lf 1000. Totals 13-0-1-0.
LOB: DuBois 7, Punxsy 1. 3B: Felicity Clark. HR: Emma Pfingstler. SB: DuBois 5 (Billock, Helm, Miller, Lee 2), Punxsy 1 (Mercer).
Pitching
Punxsy: Lexie Gee-4 IP, 9 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 9BB, 10K
DuBois: Zoey Lee-4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K
Winning pitcher: Zoey Lee. Losing pitcher: Lexie Gee.
Sports
Terrier Twelve – #1: Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Captures Third Patriot League Indoor Title; Sjöberg Shines on National Stage
Story Links Returning for a 17th year, the Terrier Twelve recognizes the top achievements of Boston University teams and student-athletes from the previous year. Check back each Monday and Wednesday this summer as we unveil this year’s Terrier Twelve on GoTerriers.com.’ Claiming the top spot in this year’s Terrier Twelve is women’s track […]

Returning for a 17th year, the Terrier Twelve recognizes the top achievements of Boston University teams and student-athletes from the previous year. Check back each Monday and Wednesday this summer as we unveil this year’s Terrier Twelve on GoTerriers.com.’
Claiming the top spot in this year’s Terrier Twelve is women’s track & field, which won its third Patriot League indoor title and was represented on the national stage in each of the NCAA cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field championships by Vera Sjöberg.
BU had a historic season as the team set 10 school records, finished second or first in each of the three championships, claimed five major Patriot League awards, three Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and two USTFCCCA regional awards.
Beginning in the cross country season, the Terriers finished as runners-up at the Patriot League Championships with 36 points, the best mark in program history. Sjöberg won the Patriot League title with a time of 19:45.9 and was joined on the First Team All-Patriot League by sophomore Ola Szulska (fifth place) and senior Daisy Liljegren (seventh place).
The Terriers then went to the NCAA Northeast Regionals and Sjöberg took seventh, earning her All-Northeast Region team honors and qualifying her for the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Madison, Wisconsin. The Terriers had their best team finish since 2008 as they picked up eighth place. At the national meet, Sjöberg earned 42nd place, just two spots out from an All-America honor. She was BU’s first representative at the meet since 2021 and the only Patriot League representative.
At the Patriot League Indoor Championships, the Terriers scored 166 points to win its first title since 2016, the second-most points scored indoors in program history. Director of Track & Field Grant Cartwright was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year while Sjöberg picked up Highest Point Scorer and Track Athlete of the Meet honors and junior Peace Omonzane took home Field Athlete of the Meet honors.
Sjöberg won the mile, 3000m and 5000m titles, becoming the first athlete in League history to win all three of those events in back-to-back years and. She set a meet record in the mile with a 4:40.71 time. Omonzane won both the long and triple jump and set a school and meet record in the long jump with a 6.20m leap.
Also taking home gold medals were junior Ellie Roan (weight throw) and freshman Olivia Hughes (pentathlon) as BU earned seven golds and 12 total medals, including a sweep of the triple jump podium.
Sjöberg, the Stockholm, Sweden native, continued on to run at her first NCAA Indoor Championships in Virgina Beach, Virginia and finished eighth in the mile, capturing First Team All-America status — BU’s first recipient of the award indoors since 2014.
At the Outdoor Championships, the Terriers earned a second-place finish, once again relying on Sjöberg (Track Athlete of the Meet) and Omonzane (Field Athlete of the Meet), who helped bring in five of the team’s six gold medals as BU finished with 167 points. BU finished with 30 medals total.
Omonzane continued her horizontal jumps dominance as she swept the long and triple jump gold medals again and set meet records in both events, including a school record in the long jump (6.44m). She became the first Patriot League athlete to win all four horizontal jumps gold medals since 2012. Sjöberg won three gold medals, taking crowns in the 1500m, 5000m and 4x800m. In all three of those events, she set meet records with times of 4:14.37, 16:11.40 and 8:39.22, respectively.
Roan once again won a gold medal, taking the crown in the hammer throw for the second straight year, and BU concluded with 17 total medals. Both horizontal jumps podiums were swept by the Terriers for the first time since BU joined the Patriot League in 2014.
Five student-athletes went on to compete at the NCAA East First Rounds in Jacksonville, Florida: Sjöberg (1500m, 5000m), Omonzane (long jump, triple jump), Roan (hammer throw), freshman Caroline Collins (1500m) and senior Asia Hamilton (long jump). From there, Sjöberg advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 1500m and the 5000m, marking the first time in program or Patriot League history that a woman would compete in two events at the same NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Against a stacked field and in front of a roaring crowd Eugene, Oregon, Sjöberg put on a historic performance as she finished second nationally in the 5000m — the best finish by a Patriot League or BU athlete ever at the NCAA Outdoor Championships — and earned First Team All-America honors. She also took 11th in the 1500m and was named a Second Team All-American.
Following the season, Sjöberg was named the USTFCCCA Northeast Region Track Athlete of the Year. At the 2025 Scarlet & White Awards, the now-graduate was named the recipient of the Mildred Barnes Award and BU’s Woman of the Year.
2024-25 Terrier Twelve
#2 – Men’s Ice Hockey Wins Beanpot, Advances to National Title Game
#3 – Women’s Ice Hockey Wins First Hockey East Title in Ten Years
#4 – Softball Overcomes Inexperience to Reach Third Straight NCAA Tournament
#5 – Women’s Soccer Secures 2025 Patriot League Championship
#6 – Women’s Tennis Claims 29th Conference Title
#7 – Women’s Rowing Repeats as Patriot League Champions
#8 – Lightweight Rowing Fills Trophy Case in Historic Spring Slate
#9 – Men’s Track & Field and Cross Country Stays Consistent Near Top of PL
#10 – Terriers Set GPA Records
#11 – Men’s Soccer Repeats as PL Regular Season Champions
#12 – Men’s Lacrosse Advances to PL Title Game for Second Straight Season
Sports
Colorado State Volleyball Picked to Finish Second Ahead of Final Season in Mountain West
FORT COLLINS – The Mountain West announced the 2025 women’s volleyball predicted order of finish as well as individual awards today, as voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches with Colorado State predicted to finish second with 106 points. Utah State was tabbed the pre-season favorite earning 114 points and seven first-place votes. Colorado State […]

Utah State was tabbed the pre-season favorite earning 114 points and seven first-place votes. Colorado State has been tabbed the runner-up with 106 points followed by San Diego State in third with 96 points and the final two first-place votes. In fourth is Fresno State (86 points) and predicted to finish fifth is Boise State (73). UNLV and Wyoming are tied to finish sixth with 72 points each. In eighth is the league’s newest member, Grand Canyon (61), followed by New Mexico (37), Nevada (32), San José State (31) and Air Force (12).
With the Rams returning only one of their starters from last season’s championship run, they do not boast anyone on the MW Preseason team, but are sill favored in the coaches poll as only one of two teams to total over 100 points, including three first-place votes.
The Rams key match ups this season include facing off against Utah State in Moby Arena October 11th while their match up with the Aggies in Logan, Utah is set for November 6th. The Rams will only play the Aztecs once this conference season, on the road in San Diego, Calif. November 13th. Similarly, Colorado State will only face Fresno State once during the regular season on October 30th in Moby Arena.
Full 2025 Volleyball Schedule | 2025 Volleyball Season Tickets
2025 MW PRESEASON TEAM
Bre Mitchell Sr. L Boise State
Addison Haluska Sr. OPP Fresno State
Taylor Underwood Sr. OPP San Diego State
Basia Latos So. OH UNLV
Tierney Barlow Sr. MB Utah State
Kaylie Kofe So. S Utah State
Paige Lauterwasser Jr. OH Wyoming
2025 MW PRESEASON POLL (1st Place Votes)
1. Utah State (7) 114
2. Colorado State (3) 106
3. San Diego State (2) 96
4. Fresno State 86
5. Boise State 73
T6. UNLV 72
T6. Wyoming 72
8. Grand Canyon 61
9. New Mexico 37
10. Nevada 32
11. San José State 31
12. Air Force 12
Sports
Blazers Open 2025 Season at Home Against UCF
BIRMINGHAM – UAB women’s soccer will begin the 2025 campaign on Thursday night as the Blazers host UCF at PNC Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and will air live on ESPN+. The marketing promotion includes a back to school drive where fans can bring school supplies to be able to purchase a discounted […]

The marketing promotion includes a back to school drive where fans can bring school supplies to be able to purchase a discounted ticket.
SERIES HISTORY
UCF leads the all-time series 7-3-1. The last meeting took place in Birmingham, Alabama on September 23, 2012, with the Knights earning a 6-0 win.
NEW FACES
UAB brought in 11 new players for the 2025 season from the high school level and via the transfer portal.
RETURNING PRODUCTION
The Blazers top three goal scores from last season have all returned. Abbey Burns who led the team with seven goals, Jette Zimmer scored four and Sydney Bolinger who had two. Other players that are back on this year’s squad that scored one goal are Maia Sirota, Mia Leath, Lola Sommer and Abby Graeser. In total, UAB has 16 letterwinners returning for the season.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
UCF had a 3-6-6 overall record last season. The Knights have six starters from last year’s squad as well as 13 letterwinners. UCF welcomes 12 newcomers, with eight transfers and four freshmen.
SINGLE GAME TICKETS
Single game tickets for all UAB Women’s Soccer home matches are available here.
2025-26 GOLD CARD
The 2025-26 Gold Card is on sale. The 2025-26 Gold Card will get you access to all home events for Women’s Soccer, Men’s Soccer, Volleyball, Women’s Basketball, Softball, and Baseball (Regions Field & Young Memorial). This card is not valid for American Conference or NCAA Championship events.
YOUR SUPPORT FUELS SUCCESS!
With your help, Blazer Student-Athletes are given the resources, tools, and opportunities they need to achieve greatness. Every contribution you make directly supports our teams, ensuring they excel not only on the field but in the classroom as well. We invite you to renew your support to UAB Athletics today and for more information on ways to show your generosity through the Blazer Scholarship Fund, capital initiatives, and sport specific giving go to blazerboosters.com or call us at (205) 996-9969.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB women’s soccer team, follow @UAB_WSOC on X and Instagram.
Sports
Men’s Water Polo Hires James Wolff as New Assistant Coach
UC Santa Barbara Men’s Water Polo has appointed James Wolff as its new assistant coach for the upcoming season. With 15 years of coaching experience and 18 years officiating water polo, Wolff has played a significant role in developing the sport on the East Coast. He expressed his excitement to contribute to Santa Barbara’s rich […]
UC Santa Barbara Men’s Water Polo has appointed James Wolff as its new assistant coach for the upcoming season. With 15 years of coaching experience and 18 years officiating water polo, Wolff has played a significant role in developing the sport on the East Coast. He expressed his excitement to contribute to Santa Barbara’s rich water polo legacy. Wolff previously served as head coach at LaSalle, where he guided notable players to honors while maintaining academic excellence.
By the Numbers
- 15 years of coaching experience.
- 18 years of officiating experience in water polo.
- Led LaSalle to the best team GPA in Division I during his first season.
State of Play
- Wolff takes over an UC Santa Barbara team coming off a 15-12 season.
- The team reached the Big West Championship, falling to Long Beach State.
What’s Next
Wolff aims to harness his extensive experience to elevate the team’s performance and develop future talent, potentially leading to more competitive seasons in both conference play and national tournaments.
Bottom Line
Wolff’s hiring signals a strategic move for UC Santa Barbara to strengthen its coaching staff and enhance its competitive edge in collegiate water polo.
Sports
Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame to celebrate 36th class
Eight individuals and two teams will celebrate their induction as the 36th class to join the Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame during a reception and banquet held in conjunction with Hastings College Homecoming on Saturday, September 27. The celebration begins with a social hour at 5:00 p.m. in Kiewit Gymnasium (715 E. 7th Street, […]

Eight individuals and two teams will celebrate their induction as the 36th class to join the Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame during a reception and banquet held in conjunction with Hastings College Homecoming on Saturday, September 27.
The celebration begins with a social hour at 5:00 p.m. in Kiewit Gymnasium (715 E. 7th Street, Hastings) on campus, followed by a banquet at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults, $20 for children ages 4-12 and free for children ages 3 and under. Tickets may be purchased online at hastings.edu/homecoming, or by contacting the Hastings College alumni office at 402.461.7363 or alumni@hastings.edu.
The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to honor and preserve the memory of athletes, teams, coaches and those who have contributed meritorious service to Hastings College and its athletic programs.
The 2025 Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame class includes:
- Lloyd Smith ‘52 of Manitou Springs, Colorado, (posthumously) for tennis
- Weboon Peboontom ‘70 of Woodridge, Illinois, for tennis
- Ron Hergott ‘82 of Ayr, Nebraska, for coaching
- Allen Haynes ‘96 of Laveen, Arizona, for track and field
- Kory Bumgardner ‘97 of Hastings, Nebraska, for football
- Chelsey (Woodside) Jacobitz ‘10/MAT ‘13 of Holstein, Nebraska, for softball
- Alicia (Statler) Templin ‘12 of Bruning, Nebraska, for women’s basketball
- Tom Van Haute ‘13/MAT ‘15 of Gretna, Nebraska, for football
- 1994 Men’s 4×100 Meter Relay Team, which finished as conference champions and runner up in the NAIA Outdoor National Championships
- 2008-09 Women’s Basketball Team, which finished as the NAIA Division II national runner up
Previous Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame recipients can be found at hastings.edu/halloffame.
Biographies of the 2025 Inductees
The late Lloyd Smith was a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court. The four-year letterwinner captured two individual conference titles and was a member of three consecutive Nebraska College Conference (NCC) team championships. Smith passed away in 2019 at the age of 90.
Weboon Peboontom won two individual Nebraska College Conference (NCC) titles in tennis during his junior and senior seasons and was a member of the runner up NCC team in 1967.
Ron Hergott coached many All-Americans and All-Conference performers during his 20-plus years coaching track and field, football, women’s basketball and bowling at Hastings College. He started and built a national powerhouse bowling program and coached the only individual to win back-to-back national titles in bowling (Emily Eckhoff).
Allen Haynes ranks third all-time in the 100-meter outdoor event and fourth all-time in the 200-meter outdoor event and is a member of the school record-setting 4×100-meter relay team. Haynes placed fourth in the outdoor and indoor events in 1995 and was a three-time All-American in the 60-meter indoor, 100-meter outdoor and 400-meter outdoor events.
Kory Bumgardner began his collegiate football career at running back before moving to I-back in his senior season. He was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection in 1995 and 1996. He currently ranks fifth in career rushing yards with 3,018 – accumulating 1,063 of those yards during his senior season and is also fifth in career touchdowns with 26.
Chelsey (Woodside) Jacobitz was an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection in 2008, a First Team All-Conference selection in 2009 and a Second Team All-Conference selection in 2010. As of 2025, the southpaw pitcher ranks first in career ERA’s with a 2.52 average, first in season strikeouts with 175 and second in season ERA’s with a 1.32 average.
Alicia (Statler) Templin was a two-time First Team All-GPAC selection for women’s basketball (2010 and 2011) and a Second Team All-American in 2011. As of 2025, she is the Broncos’ eighth all-time leading scorer, third all-time leading rebounder, first in career and season field goal percentages and the all-time leader in career blocks.
Tom Van Haute anchored the offensive line of the Bronco football team, starting as a right guard just four games into his freshman season before moving to left tackle midway through his sophomore season. He was what then-head coach Paul Mierkiewicz quoted as a mainstay on the offensive line armed with an unbelievable personality. He was a First Team All-American in 2011, was twice named a First Team All-Conference selection (2010 and 2011), and was Second Team All-Conference in 2009.
The 1994 Men’s 4×100 Relay Team won the Conference Championship in their event and holds the Hastings College record to this day. The team, composed of Allen Haynes ‘96, Josh Kitchen ‘97, Keith Salyers ‘96 and Craig Taylor ‘99, finished second in the NAIA Outdoor National Championships at Azusa Pacific. The team was coached by Bart Gray.
The 2008-09 Women’s Basketball Team finished as NAIA Division II national runners up in Sioux City, Iowa, falling to eventual champion Morningside by a narrow 68-63 margin. The Broncos’ Lindsay Ducey ‘10 was named to the All-Tournament First Team, while teammate Kim Faimon ‘10 was named to the All-Tournament Second Team and received the hustle award. Members of the team included Becky (Tesch) Amdahl ‘12, Rachel (Isherwood) Barry ‘10, Breanna Becker ‘11, Brittany (Hoins) Brockman ‘11, Sarah Cambridge ‘09, Kay (Broekemeier) Dent ‘09, Ducey, Faimon, Jennifer Gold ‘12, Alyssa (Farmer) Heine ‘11, Sophia McDermott ‘12, Heather McKeon ‘10, Justine (Dethlefs) Mertens ‘12, Tenaya (Howsden) Nuttelman ‘12, Lee Ann (Jameson) Roepke ‘12, Elyse (Schlake) Lukassen ‘10, Alicia (Statler) Templin ‘12, Elizabeth (Lipker) Volker ‘12, Chelsie (Wardyn) Watson ‘12, Amber (Kulus) Woitaszewski ‘09 and Jaime (Blevins) Wright ‘12. The team was coached by Jeff Dittman and assisted by Summer (Wright) Anesin and grad assistant Jessica VanLoy.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
Sports
Aztec Volleyball Picked Third In MW Preseason Poll
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball program was predicted to finish third in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll released Wednesday by the conference office in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition, senior Taylor Underwood earned a spot on the preseason all-MW team in a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches. Collectively, the […]

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball program was predicted to finish third in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll released Wednesday by the conference office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In addition, senior Taylor Underwood earned a spot on the preseason all-MW team in a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches.
Collectively, the Aztecs received 96 points and two first-place votes, trailing only Utah State (114 pts, 7 first-place votes) and defending conference champion Colorado State (106 pts, 3 first-place votes), while Fresno State (86 pts) and Boise State (73 pts) rounded out the top five.
Elsewhere, UNLV and Wyoming shared the sixth position in this year’s poll with 72 points apiece, while MW newcomer Grand Canyon (61 pts) was slotted eighth, followed by New Mexico (37 pts), Nevada (32 pts), San José State (31 pts) and Air Force (12 pts).
Wednesday’s preseason prognostication was San Diego State’s highest since 2018, when the Scarlet and Black was pegged for a third-place finish as well. The Aztecs were also predicted to finish third the year before in 2017 after claiming the top spot in the 2013 preseason MW poll.
The top six teams in the final conference standings will qualify for the Mountain West Championship, set for Nov. 26-29, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A native of Norco, California, Underwood garnered all-Mountain West accolades for the second straight second season in 2024 after posting team highs in kills (356) and kills per set (3.18), the latter of which ranked 10th in the league.
Additionally, Underwood blasted 10 or more kills in 22 matches, tying her season high with 18 put-aways on five occasions. The Aztec opposite hitter also collected 60 digs and finished third on the team with a career-high 59 blocks, including a collegiate-best six solo stops, helping the Scarlet and Black clinch a spot in the MW Championship for the second time in three years.
Last season, Underwood set a career high with a .542 hitting percentage (min. 7 kills) after launching 14 kills on 24 attempts with just one error in a home sweep of Wyoming on Oct. 19, 2024.
Under the direction of sixth-year head coach Brent Hilliard, the Aztecs return 10 letterwinners from last year’s squad that posted a 20-10 record, their best mark since the 2012 campaign. SDSU finished fifth in the Mountain West standings with an 11-7 conference record, defeating Fresno State in the first round of the MW Championship before falling to eventual champion Colorado State in the semifinals.
The Aztecs open their 2025 campaign with an exhibition match at UC Irvine on Saturday, Aug. 23, at noon PT. SDSU commences its regular-season slate the following week when it squares off against California and San Francisco at the Golden Bears’ home tournament, Aug. 29-30, in Berkeley, Calif.
Season tickets for SDSU’s 12-match home schedule are now on sale and may be purchased online HERE.
2025 MOUNTAIN WEST PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Player | Class | Pos | School |
Taylor Underwood | Sr. | OPP | San Diego State |
Bre Mitchell | Sr. | L | Boise State |
Addison Haluska | Sr. | OPP | Fresno State |
Basia Latos | So. | OH | UNLV |
Tierney Barlow | Sr. | MB | Utah State |
Kaylie Kofe | So. | S | Utah State |
Paige Lauterwasser | Jr. | OH | Wyoming |
MW PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Addison Haluska, Sr., OPP, Fresno State
2025 MW PRESEASON POLL (First-place votes in parentheses)
1. |
Utah State (7) |
114 |
2. |
Colorado State (3) |
106 |
3. |
San Diego State (2) |
96 |
4. |
Fresno State |
86 |
5. |
Boise State |
83 |
T6. |
UNLV |
72 |
T6. |
Wyoming |
47 |
8. |
Grand Canyon |
61 |
9. |
New Mexico |
37 |
10. |
Nevada |
32 |
11. |
San José State |
31 |
12. |
Air Force |
12 |
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