Arguably one of the best young men’s volleyball setters in the world, The Big West Player and Freshman of the Year is averaging 10.00 assists per set for the nation’s most productive offense. The Beach hit .395 on the season, putting down a Division I-best 13.28 kills per set with Nikolov guiding the way.  

The prowess at the service line has been unmatched as the first-year player from Sofia, Bulgaria has accumulated a Big West single-season record 97 aces on the year. The 0.942 aces average leads the country. Also a major contributor on the front line, Nikolov averaged 0.757 blocks per set with 78 on the season to go along with 1.56 kills per set for LBSU.  

Nikolov has single-match superlatives with eight aces in a five-setter to lead the country as well as seven in a four-setter to tie for second nationally. Nikolov has distributed 30 or more assists in each of the last seven matches and 21 times 31 total matches played.  

Nikolov’s top-ranked Beach are set to battle No. 5 seed Pepperdine in the semifinal round   of the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT, inside the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio and broadcast on ESPN+. LBSU will be looking to advance to back-to-back Championship finals in the quest for a first national championship since winning back-to-back trophies in 2018 and ’19. Should LBSU advance, they’ll meet up with the winner between second-seeded Big West champion Hawai’i and No. 3 seed and defending champion UCLA.  

The Beach and Bruins tussled for the title in 2024 with UCLA coming out on top. The Beach and ’Bows went four sets on O’ahu for The Big West crown and the two have met up in the national finals on two occasions with each program cutting down the nets once. 

While Moni has followed in Alex’s footsteps as a freshman phenom for the Beach, he can best Alex on the national collegiate stage tomorrow by making a Championship final, and soar over his brother the high-flying outside hitter on Monday with a win. 

INDIANAPOLIS – A rivalry as old as time took center stage once again, and this time, it felt like a fairy tale unfolding — complete with heroes, villains and an electric crowd.

And while last year’s campaign may have penned a storybook ending for the Bruins, this year’s bout saw a much different result. 

No. 2 seed UCLA women’s water polo’s (20-6, 5-1 MPSF) dreams of back-to-back national championship was shattered by No. 3 seed USC (29-4, 5-1) in Saturday’s NCAA semifinal after the team suffered a 15-13 loss at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis.

From the opening whistle, the Bruins came out blazing. Redshirt junior attacker Emma Lineback fired in a goal within the first minute of play, signaling UCLA’s hunger. But the Trojans weren’t going down without a fight, answering swiftly with a goal of their own.

The two teams traded scoring opportunities across the first quarter, with the pool charged with an energy apparent through the various 8-claps of Bruin fans in the stands. 

“We had a real chance there in the second quarter,” coach Adam Wright said. “We’re seven, six on five in a tournament game, but we really had a chance to widen the gap there.”

The Bruins played with a strong aggression, leading the game in power-play conversions – converting five of seven chances – and registering seven blocks to the Trojan’s two. Yet, as the second period wound down with under two minutes remaining, the Trojans had clawed back to trail by just two points, 7-5.

But not all stories unfold as happily ever after.

With halftime looming and the score narrowed to a one-point difference, the question shifted – who would step up and take control of the match?

The Trojans answered first. Firing in two quick goals to claim their first lead of the game at 8-7, the Bruins’ crosstown rivals stretched it to 10-7 lead, putting a halt to the Bruins’ offensive rhythm and forcing a timeout.

Lineback, the Bruins’ leading scorer throughout the NCAA tournament, responded with a goal to stop the bleeding. But a highly contested USC goal soon followed. Though UCLA’s sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Steele appeared to have punched the ball out of the cage, the officials ruled it had crossed the line, counting it as USC’s 12th goal.

The momentum swung hard in favor of the Trojans. They rattled off three more goals as the Bruins struggled to find a response on either end of the pool. With one period left, the Bruins’ dreams of an NCAA finals berth hung on by a thread.

“We came out that third quarter pretty flat,” Wright said. “Got to give them (USC) credit, they played with great energy in the second half.”

Then came a flicker of hope for the Bruins. Junior center Bia Mantellato scored to make it 14-9, and a penalty goal by senior attacker Molly Renner narrowed the gap further to 14-10. Another strike from Mantellato cut it to a three-goal margin – with five minutes still to play, the Bruins weren’t done yet.

Three more goals would have given UCLA a small chance, but USC’s defense wouldn’t allow it – with the Bruins slowly succumbing to their lead. 

The loss marked an early exit from the NCAA tournament for the team and the conclusion to its 2025 season.

“Where we are today from where we were in the beginning of the season, it’s a completely different team,” Wright said. “That’s why it hurts so much because they really did grow and we put ourselves in a position to have a chance to be the best. Unfortunately, today, it wasn’t our best.”

Harrogate, TN – Six Railsplitters were named to the 2025 IVA Men’s Volleyball All Conference Teams: Eliel Salva Torres, Griffin Wheatley, John Luers, Matthew Gentry, Johan Negron, and Tate Colebaugh.

Salva Torres was named IVA All-Conference First Team. Over the 2025 season, the sophomore middle blocker  recorded 166 kills with just 32 errors, leading to a .498 attack percentage, which ranked second in the nation, just behind his teammate Matthew Gentry. Torres also contributed with 19 service aces, 24 digs, 11 solo blocks, and 65 block assists. He ranked third in the IVA and 21st nationally in blocks per set, with an average of 0.987.

Wheatley was named IVA All-Conference First Team. The sophomore outside hitter posted  177 kills and a .252 attack percentage, with his top performance being against North Greenville where he registered 12 kills for a 0.625 attack percentage.  He also recorded 14 assists, 17 service aces. On defense, he added 3 solo blocks, 33 block assists, and 108 digs. Wheatley ranked 19th in the IVA in attack percentage.

Luers was named IVA All-Conference First Team.  In the 2025 season, the redshirt senior setter nearly reached the 1,000-assist milestone with 896 assists. He also recorded 8 service aces, 177 digs, 12 solo blocks, 45 block assists, and 44 kills. His top performance of the season came in the IVA Championship against Maryville, where he recorded a career-high 50 assists. Luers ranked 6th nationally in assists per set and 26th in digs per set. His efforts earned him a spot on the IVA All-Tournament Team, and he was named the IVA Tournament MVP.

Gentry was named IVA All-Conference First Team. During the 2025 season, the graduate student middle blocker racked up 223 kills with just 36 errors, resulting in a nation-best .557 attack percentage. His top showing came against Saint Francis, where he notched 16 kills and an.750 hitting percentage. Gentry also tallied 12 assists, 41 service aces, 67 digs, 24 solo blocks, and 72 block assists over the season. Nationally, he made his mark by ranking 11th in service aces, 10th in blocks per set, and leading the country in attack percentage.

Johan Negron was named IVA All-Conference Second Team. The junior opposite finished the 2025 season with 140 kills for a .263 attack percentage. He showed up offensively and defensively, as he tallied 22 service aces and 84 digs. He ranked 12th in the IVA in aces per set (0.324) and 15th in attack percentage (0.253). One of his top performances came against King, where he recorded 9 kills with a .727 attack percentage.

Tate Colebaugh was named IVA All-Conference Second Team. The senior libero finished the 2025 season strong defensively, finishing with 176 digs and 28 assists. He recorded double-digit digs in seven matches, including a season-high 16 digs against Harvard. Colebaugh ranked 8th in the IVA in digs per set with an average of 2.05.

 

The full list of IVA All-Conference Teams can be found below:

IVA All-Conference Teams

First Team

Deklan Wingo (OH | Tusculum]

Eli Zdonek (OH | Catawba)

Eliel Salva Torres (MB | Lincoln Memorial)

Griffin Wheatley (OH | Lincoln Memorial)

John Luers (S | Lincoln Memorial]

Luke Kraft (OPP | Maryville]

Matthew Gentry (MB | Lincoln Memorial)

Nate Myer [OH | Missouri S&T]

Trevor Phillips [OH | Catawba]

Zac Clark [L | Maryville]

Second Team

Aaron Sallade (OPP | Missouri S&T]

Ethan Beyreis-heim (S | Maryville]

Johan Negron (OPP | Lincoln Memorial)

Kevin Doran (MB | Maryville]

Lucas Tran (OH / OPP | Rockhurst]

Makai Scott (OH | Maryville]

Morgan Makovec (MB | Tusculum]

Shay Spadaro (OH | Rockhurst)

Tate Colebaugh (L | Lincoln Memorial)

Tyler Johnwick (MB | Missouri S&T]

 

 

 

 

 

Teenage soccer sensation Lamine Yamal experienced a rare moment of normalcy when a group of American tourists approached him for directions in Barcelona, completely unaware they were speaking to one of the world’s most promising young athletes. Mundo Deportivo’s account of the encounter has sparked conversations about celebrity, recognition, and the psychological value of occasional anonymity for public figures who rarely experience everyday interactions without the filter of fame.

The 17-year-old FC Barcelona winger, who commands multi-million dollar endorsement deals and whose highlights routinely generate millions of views online, found himself momentarily transformed back into just another local teenager when the tourists sought directions to La Sagrada Familia – ironically passing one of Yamal’s own promotional billboards minutes later.

Modern Fame’s Curious Blind Spots

The incident occurred in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, where Yamal was enjoying a rare afternoon off when approached by the tourists. “They asked me how to get to Sagrada Familia, and I just gave them directions like any local would,” Yamal shared on his Instagram account. “They thanked me and walked away without any idea. It was actually refreshing to have a normal interaction.”

Celebrity recognition researchers note that such “recognition failures” create fascinating windows into how fame operates in contemporary culture. “What we’re seeing is the increasingly fragmented nature of celebrity recognition across demographic and cultural lines,” explains Dr. Elena Martinez, who studies media and recognition patterns at Pompeu Fabra University’s Media Influence Lab in Barcelona.

The tourists only discovered whom they’d encountered after Yamal’s post went viral, prompting the family to reach out through social media. “My husband showed me the post and I nearly dropped my phone,” recounted Jennifer Thompson, one of the tourists. “We had literally watched him play on TV the night before at our hotel.”

Digital Fame’s Psychological Paradox

Sports psychologists suggest that such moments of anonymity can serve as important psychological relief valves for young athletes navigating the pressures of early fame. “For athletes who achieve celebrity status during their formative years, these brief returns to normalcy are psychologically valuable,” notes Dr. Richard Wilson, sports psychologist with the Institute for Athletic Mental Health .

Research published in Frontiers in Psychology’s Sport Psychology section suggests that young athletes who maintain connections to ordinary experiences demonstrate greater long-term resilience against burnout and mental health challenges – a particularly relevant concern for young soccer prodigies who face extraordinary pressure from early ages.

Tourism and Soccer: Barcelona’s Twin Economies

The humorous encounter highlights the significant overlap between Barcelona’s twin economic engines – tourism and football. Official data from Barcelona’s municipal government indicates that tourism accounts for approximately 18% of the city’s GDP, with FC Barcelona-related tourism representing a significant segment of this activity.

The city’s tourism board has increasingly leveraged the global appeal of FC Barcelona in its marketing strategies, with Yamal himself featured prominently in recent campaigns. Barcelona receives approximately 32 million visitors annually, with surveys indicating that nearly 20% include Camp Nou or FC Barcelona Museum experiences in their itineraries.

Gen Z Athletes and Changing Media Relationships

Marketing analysts suggest Yamal’s good-natured sharing of the encounter reflects a generational shift in how young athletes manage their public personas. “Gen Z athletes like Yamal have grown up with social media as a native communication channel,” explains Carlos Torres, digital sports marketing specialist at Deloitte Digital .

This comfort with digital authenticity extends to how younger athletes handle both recognition and its absence. McKinsey’s Sports Media Consumption Report notes that athletes under 25 show distinctly different patterns in managing public interaction, with greater willingness to share unscripted moments and acknowledge the sometimes arbitrary nature of fame.

The encounter has been viewed over 15 million times across platforms, generating engagement rates significantly higher than Yamal’s typical posts. Content analysis firm Social Blade reports the post had approximately 340% higher engagement than his average content, demonstrating the appeal of these authentic glimpses behind the curtain of celebrity.

As Yamal continues his meteoric rise in world football, this small moment of mistaken identity offers both the player and his fans a charming reminder of the young person behind the growing legend – someone who, at least for a few minutes on a Barcelona afternoon, was just another helpful local guiding lost tourists through his city.

Stevenson’s girls water polo team continued its run to perfection Saturday.

The Patriots (30-0) swept their three opponents Saturday at the Stevenson Invitational to keep the momentum going heading into next week’s state tournament.

“We are playing well and have all season,” Stevenson coach Jeff Wimer said. “Today was also an opportunity for the younger kids to gain more experience.”

The Patriots went from bed to the pool with their 8 a.m. match with Hersey. It was their closest match of the tournament with the Patriots knocking the Huskies, who won the MSL title earlier this past week, 7-4.

Dhanani Seneviratne led the Patriots with 3 goals, 2 assists and 4 steals. Victoria Duncan added a pair of goals while Elsa Kusevskis had 10 saves and 4 assists.

Stevenson went on to dominate its final two matches. The Patriots beat Naperville Central 21-2 and Barrington 17-2.

Caroline Bichkoff had 8 goals while Seneviratne and Duncan each had 7 goals in the tournament to lead Stevenson. Erika White added 5 goals, Jillian Carlson 4 goals, Paloma Cantre 3, Olivia Kessel 2 and Chloe Collins, Nora Greenspan, Daniella Berger and Clare Mao each scored once.

Stevenson used Olivia Spieth on a limited basis in all three games. The junior, who scored three goals in the tournament, will be at a national tryout in California next weekend and will miss sectionals.

“There are certain things we wanted to work on without Olivia,” Wimer said. “We will be fine. She (Spieth) is a very dominant player. But we have a lot girls that come off the bench that are really strong. We’re deep.”

After its disappointing loss to Stevenson, Hersey (21-7-1) rallied to beat Barrington 14-5 and then knocked off Naperville Central 8-6.

Hersey coach Megan Brownley said that she liked the way her team competed against Stevenson. She was also pleased how her team performed in their final two games since her girls have prom Saturday night.

“Our girls were really focused and wanted to come back to win,” said Brownley, whose team is the top seed in the Barrington sectional later this week.

“Our focus today was to fix the mistakes we made last Wednesday in the conference championship game. I thought we really executed well.”

Emily Steinberg, Kayla Brace, and Andrea Teves each scored 5 goals in the tournament. Melissa Loch had 4 goals along with 11 steals, which made her the all-time leader in steals at Hersey with 281.

Cassie Gankhuleg added 3 goals while Freedom Toll and Sam Hasche also scored for the Huskies.

Naperville Central (16-13) was able to pick up a win in the tournament with a 12-3 decision over Barrington. After losing to Stevenson, the Redhawks had to come right back after a short break and play Hersey.

“We made adjustments and I was really proud of the girls and how they shifted on their defense,” Naperville Central coach Haley Green said. “We knew Stevenson was going to be a tough game, so we tried to give our starters a little bit of a rest. We made some good pushes up the pool in the Hersey game.”

Bernadette Albright led the Redhawks with 6 goals while Molly Moore and Macy Fults each scored 5 times. Meghan Tueting and Rachel Viehwag also both scored.

Barrington (11-17), which is seeded sixth in its sectional, battled hard in all three of its matches coach Kelly Meckert said.

“We love coming to this tournament because we see a different side of our athletes,” Meckert said. “Because they truly have to work together to catch these breakaways. They have to call these shifts and it prepares us quite nicely going into our competitive sectional week.”

Abby Ashcraft led the Fillies with 5 goals, Olivia Schwan had 3 goals while Lizzie Williams and Lucy Vraniak also both scored.

            Senior throwers Hailey Baker and Reilly Young earned All-NSIC finishes in the hammer throw Friday to lead the Wayne State women’s track and field team on the opening day of the 2025 Northern Sun Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minnesota.  As a team, the Wildcats are tied for fourth after the first day of competition with 22 points.
            Minnesota State is the team leader with 83 points followed by Augustana in second at 56.  Sioux Falls was third with 31 points with Wayne State, Northern State and Concordia-St. Paul each tie for fourth at 22 points.  
            Baker was one of three Wildcats to place in the hammer throw, collecting All-NSIC honors with a second-place finish at 180′ 9″.  Reilly Young was right behind in third at 162′ 8″ and another senior – McKenna Markle – was sixth in the event at 153′ 0″.
            Other points scored by the Wildcats came from Olivia Schwarzrock taking fourth in the shot put at 45′ 10″. 
            Kailee Kellum made the finals in the long jump but just missed a medal finishing ninth with a top mark of 18′ 1 1/2″.              
            The final day of the Northern Sun Conference Track and Field Championships will be held Saturday with field events beginning at 10 a.m. and finals in all running events set to start at 1 p.m.