Sports
Eight is great! Metro Conference teams hit grand slam to conclude CIF spring playoffs
The Eastlake High School Lady Titans celebrate their San Diego Section Division I championship game victory. Photo by Phillip Brents Eight Metro Conference teams walked off the playing field with San Diego Section championships this spring. If it isn’t already a record, it has to be now. Regardless, the honor roll is special. Eastlake High […]


Eight Metro Conference teams walked off the playing field with San Diego Section championships this spring. If it isn’t already a record, it has to be now.
Regardless, the honor roll is special.
Eastlake High School’s top-seeded girls beach volleyball team (15-9) started off the monster showing by winning the Division II championship on May 10 with a 4-1 decision over seventh-seeded Canyon Crest Academy (9-8).
San Ysidro High School’s second-seeded boys volleyball team (24-10) slayed top-seeded Monte Vista (23-13) by a count of 3-1 to win the Division V title on May 15.
Mater Dei Catholic High School’s top-seeded boys volleyball team (33-10) defeated sixth-seeded Maranatha Christian (26-6) by a count of 3-1 to capture the Division III championship on May 16.
Olympian High School’s second-seeded girls lacrosse team (13-10) quickly followed by claiming the Division III title on May 17 with a 9-7 victory over top-seeded Tri-City Christian (14-3).
Mater Dei Catholic High School’s third-seeded boys lacrosse team (15-5) followed suit by claiming the Division III banner that same day by a score of 10-9 over top-seeded Classical Academy (17-4).
Three softball finals took care of the rest.
No. 2 Eastlake (20-11-1) opened the floodgates with a 9-0 win over eighth-seeded Rancho Bernardo (13-14-1) in last Friday’s Division I championship contest.
No. 7 Olympian (19-12-1) fired a no-hitter at No. 4 El Centro Southwest (19-9) on Saturday to capture the Division III title by a score of 7-0.
That left No. 1 Mater Dei Catholic (25-7) and No. 3 Bonita Vista (25-7) to duke it out for Saturday night’s primetime Open Division encounter that went to the Lady Crusaders by a 6-1 score.
That’s eight. That’s great!

Incredibly, there’s more.
Mater Dei Catholic’s boys volleyball team went on to sweep through the Southern California Division IV regional bracket to claim a berth in Saturday’s inaugural state boys volleyball championship game. The SoCal champion Crusaders defeated NorCal champion Livingston, 3-1, to emerge with the Golden State’s first gold medal in the division.
Both Mater Dei Catholic and Bonita Vista qualified for the Southern California regional softball playoffs. Quarterfinals were scheduled to start Tuesday, with the championship game slated for Saturday at the remaining highest-seeded team.
The Lady Crusaders received the No. 2 seed and the Lady Barons the No. 3 seed in the Division I bracket behind top-seeded El Modena (22-9).
Overall, the Metro Conference populated five division finals last weekend: three in softball and two in baseball.
On the hardball side, both seventh-seeded San Ysidro (Division II) and top-seeded Otay Ranch (Division IV) held leads in their championship game matchups but were unable to hold them.
San Ysidro (21-13) dropped a 7-3 decision to the fifth-seeded Mt. Carmel Sundevils (21-12) last Friday after coughing up a 3-2 lead while Otay Ranch (23-11) zipped in front of second-seeded Ramona (23-7) by a score of 5-1 but ended up on the short end of an 8-6 score on Saturday that featured a disheartening ending.
Parade of champions
Of the Metro’s three softball champions, Eastlake was the first to celebrate with the banner, the school’s first since garnering runner-up finishes in 2018 (Division I) and 2024 (Division II).
“It couldn’t have been any more amazing,” first-year coach Jandi Diego said. “
Eastlake took control from the beginning of the game with a 4-0 lead through the opening two frames. The Lady Titans distanced themselves from their North County opponent with four more runs in the fifth inning for an 8-0 lead.
Eastlake out-hit Rancho Bernardo 12-2. The Lady Broncos committed five errors.
Senior Rachel Del Busto and junior Bryn Grayson each had three RBI while junior Mia Vasquez and senior Deziree Gomez each drove in one run.
Grayson and senior Bri Ayap each had three hits while Vasquez and senior Mackenzie Olshenskie each scored two runs.
Meanwhile, junior Addison Suriano tamed the Lady Broncos with a one-hitter with six strikeouts.
The Lady Titans came full circle after a 11-2 loss to Imperial in last year’s championship game.
“We knew how good we were last year (21-12 record) and fell a little short,” Del Busto said. “This year we played every game as if it was our last. They (my teammates) deserve this.”
The Lady Titans went undefeated through their four section playoff games. They opened with a 3-2 win over seventh-seeded Steele Canyon, defeated sixth-seeded El Capitan, 7-2, in their second game and eliminated Steele Canyon, 10-1, in the division semifinal.


Suriano pitched all four games. She fanned 10 batters in the second win over the Lady Cougars (18-14-1).
Vasquez picked up three RBI in that game with three hits including a double. Ayap had three RBI in the win over El Capitan (16-16) while Olshenskie (double) had two RBI. Grayson and Vasquez (home run) each had one RBI in the playoff opener against Steele Canyon.
“Last year we made it to the championship game in Division II, and this year we were moved up to Division I,” Diego said. “We had a strong schedule. We played in the toughest league in the Metro Conference (Metro-Mesa League). It helped us be competitive in Division I.
“The girls responded. They put the team first. It was a testament to all the seniors. The success to the season started with hard work at practice, the girls knowing their role and playing as a team.”

Team leaders for Eastlake included Olshenskie with a 0.457 hitting average to go with 30 RBI, 10 doubles, one triple and seven home runs, Ayap with a 0.368 average, senior Ryan Pham with a 0.339 average to go with 10 RBI, Grayson with a 0.339 average, junior Kaili Balajadia with a 0.333 average and Del Busto with a 0.326 average, 14 RBI and two home runs. Gomez (0.312 average) chalked up 13 RBI and two home runs while Vasquez (0.282 average0 tallied 10 RBI and two homers.
Suriano finished 9-7 in the pitching circle with a 2.66 earned-run average and 110 strikeouts in 136.2 innings in 25 logged appearances while Balajadia was 4-1 with a 2.51 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 47.1 innings through 10 appearances.

On wings of an Eagle
Seventh seeds aren’t supposed to do much in a championship bracket. But don’t tell that to the Olympian Lady Eagles, who proceeded to reel off five consecutive wins, in the process upsetting the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, to unequivocally stamp their names as the 2025 San Diego Section Division III softball champions.
Sophomore Alexandra Perez made the ride even more memorable by pitching a no-hitter in the championship game against the fourth-seeded El Centro Southwest Eagles.
It’s the second CIF championship title for Olympian, which previously captured the Division II title in 2018.

The Lady Eagles (19-12-1) faced off the division playoffs with a 3-0 win over the 10th-seeded Coronado Lady Islanders (11-14) on May 20 to advance to meet second-seeded Coastal Academy (18-6). The Chula Vista team made its first upset in the bracket look easy with a 7-1 victory.
Seniors Daniella Mendoza and Sophia G. Aquino, each with a double, supplied one RBI apiece in the win over Coronado while freshman Gabriella Mendiola scored twice. Perez pitched a complete game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts.
Mendoza led the way with four RBI and a home run in the victory against Coastal Academy while senior Kaitlynn Robeson knocked in three runs. Perez pitched six innings with three hits, one run allowed and nine strikeouts to pick up her second consecutive playoff win.
The third-seeded San Dieguito Academy Lady Mustangs (18-8-1) were a much different story, however, as Olympian managed to squeeze out a 4-3 win to keep its championship hopes alive. The teams would meet again after the Lady Mustangs eliminated Coastal Academy, 9-0, to force a double-elimination game against the Lady Eagles.
Olympian was up to the task again with a 6-4 victory to secure a berth in the division championship game at SDSU.
Freshman Isabella Zamora had two RBI in the first win over SDA while Robeson and sophomore NiKayla Flowers each drove in one run. Perez once again was in the pitching circle, turning in a complete game effort with seven strikeouts.
The Lady Eagles appeared on the brink of disaster after trailing the Lady Mustangs, 4-1, through five innings in the teams’ rematch. But a five-run rally in the top of the sixth inning carried the Metro-South Bay League champions to the come-from-behind win. Olympian rapped out 12 hits in the game while SDA committed four errors.

The Lady Eagles wasted little time in spreading their wings by scoring two runs in each of the opening two frames of the championship game for a 4-0 advantage on the scoreboard. Three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning rounded out the final score.
Olympian out-hit El Centro Southwest 12-0 as each team committed one error.
Robeson and senior Jacqui De Murguia (double, triple) each had two RBI. De Murguia had three hits in the game while Robeson, Zamora and Mendoza (double) each had two hits.

Perez faced 25 batters in the game with two walks and two strikeouts. She threw 84 pitches to complete the no-hitter.
It was the fifth pitching win for Perez in the section playoffs. She improved to 12-7 with 132 strikeouts in 139.1 innings.
Southwest (19-10) was making its first CIF finals appearance since 2018.
Team leaders for Olympian included De Murguia with a 0.487 hitting average to go with 15 RBI, 19 doubles and four triples, Flowers with a 0.479 hitting average to go with seven RBI, Robeson with a 0.447 hitting average to go with 31 RBI and 18 doubles, Zamora with a 0.349 average to go with nine RBI, senior Jaiden Liera with a 0.345 hitting average to go with 19 RBI ang three home runs.
Aquino logged 15 RBI while senior Samantha Becerra and Mendoza each collected 10 RBI.
The CIF championship title nudged Olympian into the No. 4 seed in the Division III Southern California regional playoffs.
Primetime showdown
The Mater Dei Lady Crusaders and Bonita Vista Lady Barons remained the teams to beat in the Metro Conference this season. Bonita Vista one-upped Mater Dei Catholic by winning the Metro-Mesa League title while the Lady Crusaders topped the Lady Barons, 6-1, to win this year’s Open Division championship game.
Played at Helix High School because of a power outage and rain delay at UC San Diego, Saturday’s Open Division final was predictably close — a bunch of zeroes — until Mater Dei Catholic broke through with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Lady Crusaders added another run in the sixth inning after yielding a run to the Lady Barons in the top of the frame.
Sophomore Arri Romero pitched a complete game for Mater Dei Catholic, though she gave up nine hits and struck out three batters.
The Lady Crusaders appeared to play bend-but-don’t-break.
Juniors Gigi Flores and Liana Quinones, both with doubles, each drove in two runs while senior Bella Hiner picked up the other RBI. Flores had two hits in the game while sophomore Maya Matthies scored twice.





It was the ninth section championship title for MDC head coach Mike Centrullo (three Open Division, one Division I, one Division II and four Division IV). In contrast to most of the season, his team played small ball to win this year’s biggest game.
“We played a tough team like Bonita, I give a lot of credit to Bonita,” Centrullo said. “They out-hit us. The short game has saved us. The small ball is really important.”
“Our motto is Corinthians 1:10 — ‘perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.’” Hiner said. “We trust in God. We trust each other. They’re my sisters. They’re amazing.
“That one inning our energy was insane. We went all out for each other. We trusted our coaches with the calls. We trusted each other with our hits. As a senior, we obviously wanted to go out like this.”
“We had a great season,” BV coach Vanessa Kalavi said. “I knew we were going to be very good. With five seniors (departing), we’re going to be strong again next year.”
Romero improved to 22-4 on the season with Thursday’s regional semifinal matchup looming ahead against Bonita Vista.
Championship photo series by Jon Bigornia
SoCal Regionals
Five Metro Conference teams (four in softball, one in baseball) got a taste of the Southern California regional playoffs, and three (two softball, one baseball) have remained in the hunt for a regional championship.
Open Division semifinalist Eastlake received the No. 4 seed in the Division II regional baseball playoffs and defeated No. 5 Glendora, 4-1, in Tuesday’s opening quarterfinals to advance to Friday’s semifinals against No. 8 Rancho Bernardo, another Open Division section qualifier.
Because of graduation ceremonies, the game was moved back. The Titans (21-10-1) will host the Broncos (19-13) at 12:30 p.m.
Both Eastlake and Glendora managed four hits apiece. The Titans scored one run in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead and beefed up with three runs in the fourth inning. Glendora got its only run in the top of the fifth inning.
Junior Hamza Hatahet (double) keyed the hosts with three RBI while senior Kalani Jauregui tacked on one RBI. Senior Nick Romero struck out 11 batters in six innings while allowing three hits. Freshman Lucas Yriqui finished up with one hit in one inning with two strikeouts.
Eastlake’s newly crowned Division I section champion softball team (21-11-1) will meet No. 2 Westlake (20-14) in Friday’s Division II regional semifinals at 4 p.m. on the road, also a date change because of graduation.
The Lady Titans edged No. 3 Bakersfield Christian, 3-2, in Tuesday’s regional opener as junior Addison Suriano pitched a complete game with five hits allowed, five strikeouts and one earned run and senior Rachel Del Busto (two hits) supplied the offense with three RBI, including a home run.
Bakersfield Christian finished its season 23-10.
Westlake defeated No. 7 Rancho Bernardo, 5-3, on Tuesday. Either Eastlake or Westlake will face No. 1 Christian (24-8-1) in the regional championship game on Saturday after the Lady Patriots edged No. 4 Monache (18-7-1) by a slim 1-0 score in Thursday’s semifinals.
Saturday’s championship game is set for a 4 p.m. start.
Freshman Alyssa McCurty drove in the semifinal game’s one run in the bottom of the sixth inning as senior Tyler Krystek scored the winning run. Christian employed the services of three pitchers in the contest. Junior Ava Barrios went four innings with three hits and three strikeouts while McCurty pitched one inning with one strikeout. Sophomore Sienna Staite pitched two scoreless innings with one hit.
The Lady Pats emerged victorious by generating just four hits.
The Division III section champion Olympian Lady Eagles, seeded fourth in the Division III regional bracket, shaded No. 5 West Ranch, 7-6, in nine innings on Tuesday to advance to Thursday’s semifinal at Division II section champion Point Loma.
Senior Jacqui De Murguia led the offense for the hosts with four hits, including a double, and two RBI. Sophomore NiKayla Flowers (two hits), freshman Isabella Zamora and senior Kailynn Robeson (double) each knocked in one run. Senior Daniela Mendoza scored two runs.
Senior Alexandra Perez pitched eight innings with six runs allowed (four earned) and six strikeouts. West Ranch finished its season with a 17-16 record.
Regional no. 1 seed Pt. Loma (27-6-1) won 3-0 on Thursday to end the Lady Eagles’ season at 20-13-1. Perez pitched six innings with four hits, two earned runs allowed with three strikeouts.
Mater Dei Catholic continued their tug-of-war with a dramatic encounter on Thursday after both teams received a bye in the Division I quarterfinals. No. 3 Bonita Vista took an early 3-1 lead in the semifinal matchup before No. 2 Mater De Catholic went in front 4-3 in the fourth innings. The teams were tied 4-4 through six innings before the host Lady Crusaders won in walk-off fashion with a run in the seventh inning to prevail 5-4 on the scoreboard.
Mater Dei Catholic (26-7) will travel to No. 1 El Modena (23-9) for Saturday’s regional championship game after the Lady Vanguards topped No. 5 Poway (24-9) by a score of 8-6 in nine innings in Thursday’s semifinal.
Senior Lilia Alpuche had three hits and two RBI for the Lady Crusaders in Thursday’s game. Juniors Bella Harris and Liana Quinones each delivered one RBI. Quinones scored two runs in the game while Harris, sophomore Anabelle Gallagher and senior Bella Hiner each scored once.
Sophomore Arri Romero pitched five innings with four earned runs allowed and three strikeouts while senior Analesse Garcia pitched two innings with one hit, one walk and one strikeout to record the win.
Bonita Vista finishes an otherwise stellar season 25-8.
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Sports
U.S. Girls U19 National Team Takes Silver at 2025 World Championship
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 13, 2025) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team earned the silver medal at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship after falling in the final to Bulgaria, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27) on Sunday in Osijek, Croatia. The U.S. has medaled in the last four World Championships for the age group. […]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 13, 2025) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team earned the silver medal at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship after falling in the final to Bulgaria, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27) on Sunday in Osijek, Croatia.
The U.S. has medaled in the last four World Championships for the age group. The 2023 World Championship, where the team won gold, was the first one contested as a U19 championship. Previously, FIVB held Worlds as a U18 event, and the U.S. won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2019.
The match was close statistically as the U.S. finished with a one-point advantage in kills (46-45) and blocks (11-10), while Bulgaria served eight aces compared to five for the U.S. The key statistic was Bulgaria committing 14 fewer errors (37-23).
Outside hitter Suli Davis, who was named Best Outside Hitter, led the U.S. in points (17), kills (13), aces (3), digs (16) and successful receptions (4). Libero Lily Hayes finished with 14 digs.
Outside Cari Spears totaled 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks, while middle blocker Jordan Taylor shared match-high honors with four blocks to go with seven kills for 11 points. Henley Anderson was named Best Opposite and had seven points on five kills and two blocks in the final.
The U.S. led the entire first set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. A Davis kill extended the lead to six, 10-4. Spears and Davis provided back-to-back kills to make it 14-7 and force Bulgaria to use its final timeout. Bulgaria used a late 7-2 run to cut the margin to three points, 23-20, but kills by Anderson and Davis sealed the opening set.
Davis led all players in the with six points on four kills, a block and an ace. Taylor scored five points on three kills and two blocks. The U.S. doubled Bulgaria’s kill total in the set, 14-7.
Bulgaria scored seven consecutive points to break a 7-7 tie and take early control of the second set. The U.S. got no closer than five points. Davis and Spears each scored three points on kills.
Bulgaria never trailed in the third set, using a 5-0 run to take a 7-2 lead. After the U.S. closed the gap to four points, 13-9, Bulgaria scored the next seven points. Davis scored three points.
The U.S. fell behind 7-4 in the fourth set before using a 5-2 run to even the score at nine apiece on Kelly Kinney kill off hands. A Davis ace and a Taylor block gave the U.S. a three-point lead 13-10 but Bulgaria went on a 10-1 run. The U.S. responded with its own 10-3 run to earn set point on a block by Taylor.
Each team had two set points before Bulgaria converted on its third set point with a block to capture the gold medal. Davis scored five points on three kills and two aces, middle blocker Abbey Emch made some big plays in big moments to finish with four points on three kills and a block, and Spears also contributed three kills and a block.
2025 U19 National Team Roster for World Championship
(Name, Pos., Birth Year, Height, Hometown, School, Region)
3 Jordan Taylor (MB, 6-5, 2007, Houston, Texas, University of Minnesota, Lone Star)
5 Lily Hayes (L, 5-9, 2007, Tampa, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
6 Suli Davis (OH, 6-1, 2007, Euless, Texas, Brigham Young University, North Texas)
8 Abbey Emch (MB, 6-3, 2007, New Waterford, Ohio, University of Pittsburgh, Ohio Valley)
10 Isabelle Hoppe (S, 5-8, 2008, Gibsonia, Pa., Pine Richland HS, Ohio Valley)
11 Kelly Kinney (OH/OPP, 6-2, 2007, West Palm Beach, Fla., The Kings Academy, Florida)
12 Genevieve Harris (S, 5-11, 2007, Raleigh, N.C, Cardinal Gibbons HS, Carolina)
13 Gabrielle Nichols (MB, 6-3, 2007, Winston Salem, N.C., Penn State University, Carolina)
16 Cari Spears (OH, 6-3, 2007, Dallas, Texas, University of Texas, North Texas)
17 Lameen Mambu (OH, 6-0, 2007, Chantilly, Va., Georgia Tech, Chesapeake)
19 Henley Anderson (OPP/OH, 6-3, 2007, Dripping Springs, Texas, Dripping Springs HS, Lone Star)
20 Devyn Wiest (OH, 6-3, 2007, Peoria, Ariz., University of Utah, Arizona)
Alternates
1 Izzy Mogridge (S, 5-11, 2007, Lutz, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
2 Charlotte Vinson (OPP, 6-2, 2007, Muncie, Ind., Yorktown HS, Hoosier)
4 Kalyssa Blackshear (MB/OPP, 6-4, 2007, Torrance, Calif., University of Louisville, Southern California)
7 Ayanna Watson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Henderson, Nev., Bishop Gorman HS, Southern California)
9 Natalie Wardlow (MB/OPP, 6-5, 2007, Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln Southeast HS, Great Plains)
15 Logan Bell (L, 5-11, 2007, Beech Grove, Ind., Roncalli HS, Hoosier)
18 Aniya Warren (L, 5-8, 2007, Lockport, Ill., Benet Academy, Great Lakes)
Coaches
Head Coach: Keegan Cook (Minnesota)
Assistant Coach: Alyssa D’Errico (Utah)
Assistant Coach: April Sanchez (New Mexico)
Performance Analyst: Jon Wong (Florida State)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Courtney Smith (NTDP)
2025 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship Schedule
July 2: USA def. Spain, 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-12, 25-23)
July 3: USA def. Peru, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-18)
July 4: Poland def. USA, 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-27, 16-14)
July 6: Bulgaria def. USA, 3-2 (25-15, 16-25, 27-25, 13-25, 15-5)
July 7: USA def. Türkiye, 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23)
July 8: Round of 16: USA def. Germany, 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13)
July 11: Quarterfinals, USA def. Italy, 3-2 (31-29, 23-25, 20-25, 30-28, 15-8)
July 12: Semifinals, 12:15 p.m.: USA def. Poland, 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19)
July 13: Final: Bulgaria def. USA, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27)
Sports
Bodine Selected by Baltimore in First Round of MLB Draft
Story Links ATLANTA — Coastal Carolina University catcher Caden Bodine was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the No. 30 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft. Bodine, one of the elite catches in college baseball, won the Johnny Bench and Buster Posey Awards, was an […]

ATLANTA — Coastal Carolina University catcher Caden Bodine was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the No. 30 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft.
Bodine, one of the elite catches in college baseball, won the Johnny Bench and Buster Posey Awards, was an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at catcher and was a four-time All-American, earning spots on teams from the College Baseball Foundation (First), D1Baseball (First), Perfect Game (second) and NCBWA (third).
His selection marks 29 straight seasons with a Chanticleer being selected in the MLB draft, dating back to 1997. Bodine is only the second first-round choice in school history, joining Eric Brown in 2022 to the Milwaukee Brewers (No. 27 overall).
Coastal Carolina had a nation-leading and school record 56 wins, a Sun Belt Conference Championship, Sun Belt Tournament Championship, Conway Regional Championship, Auburn Super Regional Championship and a 3-0 run in Omaha to the Men’s College World Series Championship Final. Over the last quarter of the season, Coastal posted a 26-game winning streak, the fourth-longest winning streak in DI in the last five years.
Bodine turned in an outstanding all-around campaign in 2025. The First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection started 67 games for the Chanticleers — 66 behind the dish, one at DH — guiding a pitching staff that ranked No. 2 nationally in both ERA and WHIP. Offensively, he hit .318 with a team-best .454 on-base percentage, drawing 47 walks and being hit by 17 pitches. He added 24 extra-base hits, drove in 42 runs and slugged .461, serving as a consistent presence atop the lineup.
Behind the plate, Bodine was a defensive anchor. He threw out 19 would-be base stealers on 44 attempts — tied CCU’s career record with 46 runners caught stealing — and finished with a .998 fielding percentage. His leadership helped elevate Coastal to the Sun Belt Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championship, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player and also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He followed that up with All-Tournament honors in the NCAA Conway Regional as the Chants advanced to the Super Regionals and Men’s College World Series for the first time since 2016.
2026 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
Missed the action at Springs Brooks Stadium this season? Fans can make a $25 deposit to secure season tickets for the 2026 Coastal Carolina baseball season. Reserve your seats today online!
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Stingers Defend Victory Against Italy
The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers have continued their winning run at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with a four goal victory over Italy. After matching up against them only days ago in the Tri Nations Test Match Series in Perth, the Stingers took some extra confidence in the game having claimed the earlier win on […]

The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers have continued their winning run at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with a four goal victory over Italy.
After matching up against them only days ago in the Tri Nations Test Match Series in Perth, the Stingers took some extra confidence in the game having claimed the earlier win on home soil.
Team captain and New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Bronte Halligan led from the front, scoring the first goal of the game to set up an early lead for the Stingers. It was a lead they managed to hold on to from start to finish, with fellow NSWIS athlete Hayley Ballesty scoring the last goal of the game to close it out, 19-15.
With five goals of her own, Abby Andrews was named Player of the Match.
“We’ve matched up a lot with Italy this year, and we know they’ve got really great shooters as well as a strong centre forward,” Andrews said. “They got some great shots, but I think we stamped the pressure really early on in the game and we were able to consistently build off that momentum.
“They came back a little bit but I think we held them out well in the end – we had great assists, great passing and some good execution,” she said.
The team includes multiple NSWIS scholarship holders such as Hayley Ballesty, Sienna Green, Bronte Halligan, Sienna Hearn, Dani Jackovich, Tilly Kearns, Alexie Lambert, Gen Longman, and Olivia Mitchell, as well as NSWIS staff – Senior Sports Physiotherapist Bernie Petzel and Sport Performance Analyst Joshua Dipple.
The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers will now play trans tasman rivals New Zealand in their final pool match on Tuesday 15 July at 7:35pm AEST. Watch LIVE and FREE on 9Now.
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Community remembers through volleyball – Gazette News
ROAMING SHORES – Jason Scribben and his friends loved volleyball and spending time on the lake in Roaming Shores.After Scribben, 18, died in a Fourth of July accident on the lake in 1998, his friends took it upon themselves to try and keep their favorite holiday as positive as possible in creating the Jason Scribben […]

ROAMING SHORES – Jason Scribben and his friends loved volleyball and spending time on the lake in Roaming Shores.
After Scribben, 18, died in a Fourth of July accident on the lake in 1998, his friends took it upon themselves to try and keep their favorite holiday as positive as possible in creating the Jason Scribben Memorial Volleyball Tournament at the Roaming Shores Main Clubhouse.
“I started this in 1999,” Maureen O’Keefe, a friend of Jason Scribben, said. “Jason died in 1998 and he loved playing volleyball. He would show up at the clubhouse. He’d be sitting there with the ball, wanting somebody to play. We just knew the Fourth of July would be hard for all of us, so in ’99 we started this.
The tournament, held on July 5, is hosted on the Jason Scribben Memorial Court.
“As a group of kids who were growing up with Jason and coming here, all we did was play volleyball all the time,” O’Keefe continued. “We hung out on the lake. That’s what we loved to do, and so the Fourth of July was our favorite holiday just to come and hang out. (The holiday) is going to be scarred every year. It’s hard to put it in words, but it’s cool to see that after all these years, it’s still going. It was my senior year when everything happened, and then I was in college when I started this, but then I moved away. It’s just cool to come back and see that it’s still going and now my 16-year-old son is playing in it.”
Josh Scribben was just 13 years old when his brother passed away. The volleyball court was built near the pavilion and dedicated to Jason Scribben and a large rock with a plaque also serves as a memorial.
“This is why we have the tournament,” Josh Scribben said. “He died just right out here. He got killed on the lake. I came all the way from North Carolina to be here on my brother’s death anniversary.”
The tournament has been a good way to remember Jason Scribben.
“We used to have the volleyball court on the beach and there was a group of them that all played, and they ended up having a tournament for one of our anniversaries,” Rosemary Scribben, Jason’s mom, said. “They were volleyball all the time because we moved here when Jason was 2, so the kids were always on the volleyball court.”
The tournament serves as a reunion every bit as much as a memorial.
“For me, it’s the camaraderie,” Limestoll said. “John (Snyder, Josh Scribben’s brother-in-law) comes from North Carolina. Josh comes from North Carolina. There’s people who come from all over that I only get to see one time a year. I’ve been here, this is 26 straight years here. I’m actually the longest-tenured player here. This year was the first I’ve ever missed in 25 years. I’ve been a staple here. (I love) seeing everyone.”
There were 29 teams entered in the 2025 edition of the tournament.
“We used to have 10 or 11 teams,” Rosemary Scribben said. “There’s 29 teams here today. It’s awesome. My family supports all of this. We buy all the trophies through Fairway Plumbing and do everything, and we just love to have everybody come.”
The children of people who have participated in the tournament for years are now participating in it.
“(Jason’s) friends come back, now they’ve got their children, and there’s all these young people, I don’t even know half of these kids, and they’re here and they’re having fun, and it soothes me on this weekend,” Rosemary Scribben said. I know Jason, he would love this. He’s probably looking down at us right now and saying, ‘Awesome!’”
Sports
New Tigard volleyball coach looks to hit summer running
Tigard’s Kara Gross bumps during a game at Cook Park, where the team recently finished out a three-week summer beach volleyball program. Adam Littman/Tigard Life – Advertisement – Summer means trips to the beach for plenty of people, and the Tigard volleyball program is no different. Shortly after the end of the school year, the […]


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Summer means trips to the beach for plenty of people, and the Tigard volleyball program is no different.
Shortly after the end of the school year, the volleyball team held its summer beach program for three weeks, during which players could work on their skills while playing on sand courts at Cook Park.

“Beach is great for a lot of reasons,” said Tigard Head Coach Rainey Shriver. “You move a lot slower in the sand. It’s harder to jump because there is more holding you down. It can help players move quicker on their feet. A lot of people end up improving.”
The beach program was especially important this year, as Shriver is taking over as head coach of the program. It gave her a chance to see her new team up close and see how they work together.
Shriver came to Tigard from Lincoln High School, where she spent the last three years as the school’s assistant athletic director while also coaching in the school’s volleyball program. She served as a JV coach, JV2 coach, and assistant coach for the varsity team. Shriver also coaches club volleyball, and grew up in Central Oregon, graduating from Ridgeview High School in Redmond.
With Lincoln, Shriver saw Tigard twice last season, with the Tigers winning both matchups.
“What I remember from playing them was their effort,” she said. “You could see how hard they played, and how hard they played for each other. It felt like they really loved their teammates and were pushing each other to be the best they could.”
Shriver is confident that effort and passion will continue, especially since there is so much continuity on the coaching staff beyond herself, and with the roster.

“Having that group of coaches and players to ease the transition and know what’s important to them as players helped me know it was a good fit for me as coach,” she said. “When you interview, it’s about them finding out if it’s a good fit for them, but you also want to make sure it’s a good fit for you as a coach.
“Tigard was the one job I really wanted. The culture is so strong. Everyone supports everyone.”
Shriver saw that support from the players and their families as soon as she came on board as coach. She said the returning seniors let her know they’d like to do the summer beach season, so they made sure it happened.
A group of seniors – Hailey Gustafson, Addy Witt, Brooklynn Peer, Ainsley Snider, and Jacquelyn Godard – took home the summer beach season title. Shriver said they were all instrumental in getting the season set up, as well.
Shriver credited former Tigard Coach Jesse Abell for how involved the players are.
“He did a great job building the program and putting this kind of culture in place,” Shriver said.
Abell, who started the summer beach season eight years ago as an assistant coach, stepped down as coach but remains at the school as a teacher.
Shriver also said they had such a big turnout for beach season that they switched to quad teams to let more girls play.
While it’s still a couple of months from the start of the school year, Shriver anticipates a large turnout for the program’s summer programs and once the school year gets going. She said in July, they have open gym two days a week, and then there are positional camps and youth camps coming up. Then, once the school year starts, there are tryouts, and the season really kicks into gear.
“I’m very excited to see what we can do when we really put the work in at the gym,” she said
– Advertisement –
Sports
New Tigard volleyball coach looks to hit summer running
Tigard’s Kara Gross bumps during a game at Cook Park, where the team recently finished out a three-week summer beach volleyball program. Adam Littman/Tigard Life – Advertisement – Summer means trips to the beach for plenty of people, and the Tigard volleyball program is no different. Shortly after the end of the school year, the […]


– Advertisement –
Summer means trips to the beach for plenty of people, and the Tigard volleyball program is no different.
Shortly after the end of the school year, the volleyball team held its summer beach program for three weeks, during which players could work on their skills while playing on sand courts at Cook Park.

“Beach is great for a lot of reasons,” said Tigard Head Coach Rainey Shriver. “You move a lot slower in the sand. It’s harder to jump because there is more holding you down. It can help players move quicker on their feet. A lot of people end up improving.”
The beach program was especially important this year, as Shriver is taking over as head coach of the program. It gave her a chance to see her new team up close and see how they work together.
Shriver came to Tigard from Lincoln High School, where she spent the last three years as the school’s assistant athletic director while also coaching in the school’s volleyball program. She served as a JV coach, JV2 coach, and assistant coach for the varsity team. Shriver also coaches club volleyball, and grew up in Central Oregon, graduating from Ridgeview High School in Redmond.
With Lincoln, Shriver saw Tigard twice last season, with the Tigers winning both matchups.
“What I remember from playing them was their effort,” she said. “You could see how hard they played, and how hard they played for each other. It felt like they really loved their teammates and were pushing each other to be the best they could.”
Shriver is confident that effort and passion will continue, especially since there is so much continuity on the coaching staff beyond herself, and with the roster.

“Having that group of coaches and players to ease the transition and know what’s important to them as players helped me know it was a good fit for me as coach,” she said. “When you interview, it’s about them finding out if it’s a good fit for them, but you also want to make sure it’s a good fit for you as a coach.
“Tigard was the one job I really wanted. The culture is so strong. Everyone supports everyone.”
Shriver saw that support from the players and their families as soon as she came on board as coach. She said the returning seniors let her know they’d like to do the summer beach season, so they made sure it happened.
A group of seniors – Hailey Gustafson, Addy Witt, Brooklynn Peer, Ainsley Snider, and Jacquelyn Godard – took home the summer beach season title. Shriver said they were all instrumental in getting the season set up, as well.
Shriver credited former Tigard Coach Jesse Abell for how involved the players are.
“He did a great job building the program and putting this kind of culture in place,” Shriver said.
Abell, who started the summer beach season eight years ago as an assistant coach, stepped down as coach but remains at the school as a teacher.
Shriver also said they had such a big turnout for beach season that they switched to quad teams to let more girls play.
While it’s still a couple of months from the start of the school year, Shriver anticipates a large turnout for the program’s summer programs and once the school year gets going. She said in July, they have open gym two days a week, and then there are positional camps and youth camps coming up. Then, once the school year starts, there are tryouts, and the season really kicks into gear.
“I’m very excited to see what we can do when we really put the work in at the gym,” she said
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