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Extra Inning Softball is drastically transforming its content delivery, shifting focus to a digital-first approach that resonates with today’s fast-paced audience. Moving away from traditional written articles, the platform will introduce engaging formats such as video interviews and podcasts to better connect with athletes and their families. Upcoming segments like Madness Mondays, Wisdom Wednesdays, and Faith Fridays will emphasize timely discussions, growth-oriented insights, and character-building narratives relevant to the sport. This evolution represents a commitment to both modern engagement and supporting female athletes across the nation.

By the Numbers

• Madness Mondays to launch July 14, focusing on current hot topics in softball.
• Wisdom Wednesdays launch on July 16, offering practical advice and insights from top figures in the sport.
• Faith Fridays to begin July 18, emphasizing the role of belief in character development.

State of Play

• Leader Bonnie Holland emphasizes content modernization to fit audience consumption patterns.
• Digital offerings will include a revamped YouTube channel featuring athlete interviews and behind-the-scenes content.
• Voices From the Field podcast already available for engaging discussions in the softball community.

What’s Next

The digital transformation will roll out additional convenience-focused content over the coming months, ensuring accessibility and engagement for athletes and families. As the shift progresses, expect even more audio and video formats coupled with real-time content that reflects the evolving nature of the sport.

Bottom Line

This shift to a digital-first model not only addresses the reality of athletes’ busy schedules but also enhances the engagement of fans and families through multimedia content that informs, inspires, and connects, ensuring that Extra Inning Softball stays at the forefront of the fastpitch landscape.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (July 6, 2025) – For the second match in a row, the U.S. Girls U19 National Team extended a match to five sets before falling, this time to Bulgaria, 3-2 (25-15, 16-25, 27-25, 13-25, 15-5) on Sunday at the 2025 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship in Osijek, Croatia.

The U.S. (2-2) will complete pool play tomorrow, Monday, July 7, at 12:15 p.m. PT in a key matchup against Türkiye (2-2).

The U.S. dominated at the net with 16 blocks compared to just four for Bulgaria but was unable to overcome the deficits in kill. (60-51). Bulgaria served two more aces (9-7).

Outside hitter Suli Davis was one of four U.S. players in double figures, leading the team with 17 points on 12 kills, three blocks and two aces. Outside Kelly Kinney also registered 12 kills.

Middle blocker Abbey Emch scored 11 points with five kills, two aces and sharing team-high honors with setter Genevieve Harris with four blocks. Outside hitter Devyn Wiest totaled 10 points on eight kills, a block and an ace.

Middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols scored seven points on four kills, two blocks and an ace, and outside hitter Lameen Mambu added six points on five kills and an ace.

“Another battle in Pool C tonight,” head coach Keegan Cook said. “Bulgaria has been excellent from the service line and some big serves in the fifth set. I’m extremely impressed by the performances of our athletes who entered the match, particularly our outside hitters. I’m looking forward to another great opportunity tomorrow with Türkiye.”

In the first set, the U.S. trailed by three points, 12-9, when Bulgaria went on a 10-3 lead to take over the set. Emch scored four points on two kills, a block and an ace.

The key point in the second set was with the U.S. clinging to a 13-12 lead. Davis hustled to retrieve an errant pass and Harris later scored on a block to spark a 6-0 run that put the U.S. up 18-12. With the score 21-14, Nichols scored, and Davis followed with back-to-back aces for a 10-point lead. Davis (two kills, two aces, one block) and Nichols (three kills, one block, one ace) each scored five points.

An ace gave Bulgaria an early 10-4 lead in the third set. The U.S. battled back and finally tied the score at 21. Davis made a one-handed dig and then scored to tie the set again at 22. The U.S. tied the set at 24 after fighting off two set points and fought off another set point at 25-24 before Bulgaria was finally able to string two points together. Davis led the U.S. with six kills with Wiest adding four.

The U.S. started the fourth set on a 7-2 run and never looked back. A Wiest ace and a Harris kill on an overpass made it 6-2 and sent Bulgaria to its first timeout. Davis scored on the next play and the lead was never less than five points after that. Davis again led the U.S., scoring five points on three kills and two blocks. Kinney recorded four kills, and Wiest added two kills and a block to her ace for four points.

Bulgaria scored the first two points of the fifth set and never trailed, building an 8-3 lead as the teams switched sides.

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
All times Pacific/Osijek, Croatia
Matches live on VBTV and Volleyball World YouTube

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: 12:15 p.m. USA vs. Türkiye
July 8: TBA Round of 16
July 11: TBA Playoffs/Quarterfinals
July 12: TBA Playoffs/Semifinals
July 13: Finals

Kicking off the “big three” of blockbuster films this month (“Jurassic World Rebirth,” “Superman” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”), “Jurassic World Rebirth” doesn’t make for a strong start as it’s just the same familiar beats we’ve all seen before. 

I’ve been turned off from the Jurassic franchise ever since “Jurassic World” (2015) but decided to give the franchise the benefit of the doubt with the latest installment being rather separate from everything prior, allowing for a truly individualistic story to be told. 

The film follows the rich pharmaceutical agent Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) enlisting Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) and Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) to infiltrate the island where genetic testing for the original Jurassic Park was done. 

I wish I could say these actors are entertaining to watch together, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Not a single one of them has chemistry with another and all of their scenes are plagued by questionable writing that often has them repeat something already said or explicitly tell the audience what’s happening. 

It’s not even like the film is trying to hold the audience’s hand, it’s more so like the film was trying to explain to the kids in my theater what was happening as if they couldn’t gather that from just paying attention. 

The film’s first half-hour starts off pretty slow, but the plot picks up once the crew starts their task of retrieving blood samples from the three largest living dinosaurs across the sea, land and air to create a revolutionary drug that could increase humanity’s lifespan. 

Seems simple enough, right? Well, not so fast. 

This island features a mix of mutated and regular dinosaurs that attack the main crew often as per usual with this franchise. 

I was never a huge fan of the mutated dinosaurs, so balancing the two here really helps the film feel more in line with the Jurassic Park trilogy as the fear instilled by the more recognizable dinosaurs is front and center once again. 

The same could’ve happened with the mutated dinosaurs, but the trailers sold away all of that from the very beginning. 

One mutated dinosaur is designated the D-Rex and only really appears briefly in the opening scene and throughout the third act.  

Knowing it was coming thanks to the trailer ruined that part of the film. If the trailers omitted the scenes with the D-Rex, there would’ve been a lot more horror to go along with it. 

Horror is something this franchise has been lacking for a long time, and I really wish this was the film that capitalized on it. 

For example, there is a subplot involving a family stranded on the island that adapts a raft sequence from Michael Crichton’s “Jurassic Park” novel that the original film was based on.  

This scene is rather tense and engaging but all the horror aspects of it feel ripped away to keep things PG-13. 

Despite this, there are some positives to “Jurassic World Rebirth” that I hadn’t felt from the franchise in a long time. 

The cinematography is really strong as intense scenes are typically shot wider to allow for the scale of the dinosaurs and the environments to be a part of the tension. 

On the flip side, there are plenty of calming wide shots that feature Alexandre Desplat utilizing the iconic motifs created by John Williams to freeze the audience in awe while creating new works that fit a variety of emotions whether it be wonder or sadness. 

The design of the film is also incredible and has been a strong suit of the franchise from the very start.  

If you’ve seen anything from this franchise before, you can guess what everything looks like pretty well, but the mutated dinosaurs are truly stunning. 

Despite the short appearances, the D-Rex having a design inspired by the Rancor from Star Wars made it a standout among the rest. 

Aside from the occasional mutant dinosaurs, “Jurassic World Rebirth” isn’t anything that different from what the franchise has already shown us. 

The plot continues to follow a group going to a dinosaur-infested island and trying to escape the acting and writing aren’t strong whatsoever, but the cinematography and design still capture like always. 

Failing to do anything unique with this film results in it feeling like the same old, same old. 

Rating: 2/5 

Longford AC had a number of athletics securing medals at the national U20 track and field championships.

Robin Og Murphy won gold in the U20 3000m walk in a time of 14:49. A third national title for Murphy this summer having won gold at the school’s and Juvenile championships.

Emma Brennan won silver after a strong performance in the 3000m Steeplechase. Brennan posting 11:22.39 behind Dearbhla Allen of St. Peters in Lurgan.

Whereas, Sean Grealy ran well in the 100m but narrowly missed out on a qualifying place.

Precious Akpe-Moses of Blackrock AC stole the headlines in the sprints with a pair of impressive wins in the U20 100m and a championship record of 23.66 in the 200m.

Sean Doggett of Athenry AC came out on top in what was a hugely competitive field in the men’s 400m. Doggett claimed gold while clocking a time of 47.08.

Nick Griggs (CNDR Track Club) made a winning return to national championship action to win the U23 800m (1:52.46), while Eimear Maher (DSD) set a CR in the U23 1500m (4:22.80).

Records also fell in the walks as Aisling Lane of Mullingar Harriers recorded a time of 13:54.98 in the U23 3000m walk, while Matthew Newell (Tuam AC) stormed his way to gold in the U20 5000m walk in 20:43.96,