Sports
Five Volleyball Team Sweep Tuesday Night #MACtion
Tuesday Volleyball results
Akron 3, Buffalo 2
Ball State 3, Miami 0
Bowling Green 3, Toledo 0
Eastern Michigan 3, Central Michigan 0
Ohio 3, Kent State 0
Western Michigan 3, Northern Illinois 0
Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments
Akron 3, Buffalo 2 | Box Score
BUFFALO, NY – Led by double-doubles from Delaney Gash (24 kills, 12 digs) and Martina Villani (39 assists, 12 digs), the Akron volleyball team took down the Buffalo Bulls 3-2 (25-19, 10-25, 21-25, 25-19, 15-10) Tuesday at Alumni Arena.
The Zips were led on offense by a double-double from Gash, who registered 24 kills and 12 digs on the day. Gabby Brissett added nine kills while Ruby Klusman added a career-high seven kills and a career-high five digs in the win. On the defensive end, Villani and Gash led the Zips with 12 digs, while Vanessa Del Real recorded 11 digs. Chidera Ozoh and Villani added three blocks each, while Villani recorded 39 assists.
The win improved the Zips’ record to 12-11 overall and 5-7 in MAC play.
Game Notes
» Akron had three players in double figures in digs.
» Lyndi Wolf had a team-high two aces in the win.
» Gash registered a double-double with 24 kills and 12 digs
» Gash had a match-high 24 kills for Akron.
» Akron got a team-high 12 digs from Gash and Villani.
» Akron attackers were helped by a team-high 39 assists from Villani.
» Villani recorded a double-double with 39 assists and 12 digs.
What’s Next?
Akron returns to James A. Rhodes Arena to host Eastern Michigan on October 31 and November 1.
Ball State 3, Miami 0 | Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – Tuesday was a milestone night for outside Noelle VanOort who blasted her 2,000th collegiate kill to help guide the Ball State women’s volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-15) sweep of Miami inside Worthen Arena.
Entering the match with 1,997 collegiate kills, with 1,724 coming at Indiana Tech (2021-24) and 273 before first serve tonight with the Cardinals (15-9; 11-1 Mid-American Conference), VanOort reached the magic mark at 12-6 in the second set when she forced the RedHawks (11-13; 5-7 MAC) to call its second timeout. She would finish the night with seven total markers, raising her total to 2,004.
Along with VanOort’s effort, outside Carson Tyler led the Ball State attack with a match-high 13 kills and chipped in 12 digs for her 13th double-double of the season. She also tied for match-high honors with three service aces, including the match-ending point.
Junior middle Gwen Crull also turned in a solid performance, smashing 10 kills and hitting a match-best .692 (10-1-13). It was her eighth match with double-digit kills this season and went along with a pair of blocks.
Speaking of blocking, junior middle Camryn Wise turned in another solid effort at the net with a match-high seven total blocks. It was her fourth #MACtion match this season with seven total blocks, which is a season high. She also smashed six kills and served up an ace, while hitting .364 (6-2-11).
Rounding out the Ball State attack were redshirt freshman opposite Riley Whitlock and sophomore opposite Tiffany Snook with five kills apiece. Freshman setter Reese Axness and junior setter Lindsey Green combined to set the BSU attack to a .295 (46-18-95) rate of success, dishing out 21 and 17 assists, respectively.
Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter led all players with 16 digs.
Overall, the Ball State defense limited Miami to a season-low 23 kills, with its .057 (23-18-87) attack percentage tying as its lowest mark of the year. Lauren Coyne managed a team-high seven kills, while Anna McClure registered a team-high eight digs.
The Cardinals also held a 42 to 26 lead in total digs and a seven to five advantage in service aces.
Up next for the Ball State women’s volleyball team is a two-match series at Kent State. The teams will play at 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.
Bowling Green 3, Toledo 0 | Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team captured a three-set sweep over the Toledo Rockets Tuesday night (Oct. 28) in front of a packed Stroh Center. The sweep marked the first for either team in the Battle of I-75 since Oct. 25, 2008, which was also a 3-0 BGSU win at home. For the Falcons, the team registered 79 digs, the most in a three-set match since 2006. Additionally, Avery Hobson, Amanda Otten and Anna Sitek all registered double-doubles, giving BGSU three double-doubles in the same match for the third time in the last two weeks after previously not having done it since 2023. The win moves BGSU to 13-11 on the season while being 7-5 in the MAC.
Falcon Stat Leaders
Kills: Edyta Waclawczyk (17)
Assists: Anna Sitek (19)
Digs: Sydnie Hernandez (17)
Aces: Avery Anders (1)
Blocks: Helen Wilford (7)
Falcon Stat Facts
- The sweep for the Falcons marks the first for either team in the Battle of I-75 in 17 years. The last sweep in the series came nearly 17 years ago to the day with BGSU sweeping Toledo on Oct. 25, 2008 at home.
- As a team, the Falcons recorded a season-high 79 digs in just three sets of action. The mark just missed the program’s Rally Scoring Era record for digs in a three-set match, currently set at 88. The total is the most overall since having 79 against Western Michigan in a five-set match last year on Nov. 23, 2024. As for a three-set match, it’s the most by the Falcons since logging 81 on Oct. 15, 2006 against Eastern Michigan.
- For the third time in the last two weeks, the Falcons had three players log a double-double in the same match. Additionally, two more Falcons just missed double-doubles by two or fewer tallies in a category.
- Amanda Otten led the way with her sixth double-double of the season in her return to the court. Otten finished with 18 assists and 11 digs for the Falcons.
- Avery Hobson followed Otten’s lead, also posting her sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 kills and 12 digs, finishing second on the team in both stats.
- Anna Sitek rounded out the trio of double-doubles, her third of the season. Sitek concluded with a team-high 19 assists while adding 10 digs.
- Sydnie Hernandez just missed what would have been her first double-double of her collegiate career. Hernandez tallied a team-high 17 digs and a career-high nine assists.
- Edyta Waclawczyk just missed a double-double as well. Waclawczyk landed a team-high 17 kills while registering eight digs, coming two digs shy. She also hit a team-best .311 in the match and was perfect on 21 serve receive attempts.
- Helen Wilford posted a team-high seven blocks of the Falcons, knocking down one solo and six block assists. Wilford has now led the team in blocks a team-high seven times this season. With 10 blocks as a team, Wilford was in on 70-percent.
- Marija Tabak filled the stat sheet for BGSU as well. In addition to Tabak’s seven kills, she added a career-high eight digs while also registering two block assists.
- Avery Anders landed the lone ace for the Falcons while adding six digs and an assist to her stat line.
- With the win, the Falcons add five points to the BGSU total in the Battle of I-75 presented by Fremont Federal Credit Union. The Falcons now lead 26-5. Visit bgsufalcons.com/sports/2025/9/26/battle-of-i-75 for more information.
- Bowling Green is now 31-5 all-time when hosting Toledo and 62-19 overall against the Rockets.
Up Next
The Falcons will be back on the road this weekend for a pair of matches against Miami (OH). Bowling Green and Miami are set for a 6 p.m. start Friday night (Oct. 31) before a 4 p.m. first serve on Saturday (Nov. 1).
Eastern Michigan 3, Central Michigan 0 | Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team swept rivals Central Michigan University, 3-0, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, breaking a 10-match losing streak in the series Tuesday night, Oct. 28.
Eastern recorded 10 aces and 10 blocks, and outperformed the Chippewas in every stat except digs, which was tied at 47 apiece.
Anna Guard led the offense with nine kills off a .450 hitting percentage with one block. Hatteras Welker led the defense at the net with eight blocks, including three solo blocks to go with three kills and a match-high four aces.
Surabhi Srinivasan paced the match with 13 digs while Ella Voorhees and Ashlynn Belcher handled the setting duties, each distributing 13.
Match Notes
» Eastern’s record improved to 12-13 (4-8 MAC) while CMU’s shifted to 9-15 (6-6 MAC).
» Eastern out-hit its opponent for the 12th time this season, producing a 12-0 record when doing so and a 26-4 record under Head Coach Kevin Foeman.
» Eastern had more kills (35-28), aces (10-4), blocks (10-2), and assists (31-26) than Central, while digs were tied at 47 apiece.
» Eastern’s 10 aces are the second most in the MAC in a three-set match.
» EMU is now 6-0 when winning the first two sets this season and earned its fifth sweep of the season.
» Hatteras Welker added four service aces, marking her seventh-straight match with at least one ace. Welker has at least one ace in 20-of-25 matches this season. Welker’s 20 matches with at least one ace are tied for the second-highest mark in the nation, are the most in the MAC, and are the most of any middle in the country.
» Hatteras Welker‘s eight blocks are the most from an individual in the MAC in a three-set match this season as she led the match, marking her 17th time leading EMU in the category this season.
» Anna Guard‘s nine kills off 20 attacks is the best hitting percentage of her career when posting at least 20 attacks. The match marked Guard’s second leading the team in kills this season. She had zero errors for the first time in her career when totaling at least 15 attacks.
» Wrigley Takats drilled a career-best seven kills off a .429 hitting percentage, the best in her career when posting at least 14 attacks.
» Hatteras Welker‘s four aces are the second most in a three-set match in the MAC this season and the sixth most in the nation by value. Welker has led the Eagles in aces seven times this season.
» Ava Siefke had two aces, she now needs 23 more to reach 100 in her career.
» Ella Voorhees recorded seven digs as she now needs 36 more to reach 500. She also led the team in assists for the third time this season.
Historical Notes
» The match marked the 103rd between the Eagles and Chippewas. Overall, Eastern holds a 31-71 mark when facing CMU and a 15-37 clip when facing it in Ypsilanti.
» The win marked Eastern’s first over Central Michigan since the 2020 season, March 16, 2021. The win was the first over Central at home since 2015, Oct. 1.
» The win also snapped a 10-match losing streak to CMU.
Up Next
Eastern hits the road for two matches against the University of Akron, Friday-Saturday, Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Friday’s match will start at 6 p.m. and Saturday’s will begin at 4 p.m. Both matches can be streamed live on ESPN+.
Ohio 3, Kent State 0 | Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio volleyball team (9-15, 7-5 MAC) swept Kent State (8-15, 3-9 MAC) 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-18) on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
Ohio finished with a .298 attack percentage, 44 kills, nine aces, three blocks, 43 assists, and 37 digs. Kent State finished with a .196 attack percentage, 30 kills, one ace, five blocks, 29 assists, and 36 digs.
Freshman Bailey Blair was a strong offensive force for the Bobcats, leading the team with 12 kills and 12.0 points. Blair also recorded a .450 attack percentage.
Junior Emily Waddell had another career-best night in the Convo. Waddell recorded a .800 attack percentage with eight kills and no errors on 10 total attacks. Waddell was also a standout on defense with a team-high three block assists.
Junior Gentry Brown performed well all over the court for Ohio. Brown finished with seven kills, two assists, three aces, one block, seven digs, and 10.5 points.
Sophomores Bryn Janke and Lexi Grissett tallied 26 and 11 assists for Ohio, respectively. Junior Kendall Hickey recorded a team-high 15 digs.
The Bobcats will be back in action at Central Michigan on Friday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m. ET. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
Western Michigan 3, Northern Illinois 0 | Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan hit .310 and served up 10 aces to roll to a straight-set victory (25-17, 27-25, 25-15) over Northern Illinois on Tuesday evening to extend its winning streak to five in a row.
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Northern Illinois 0
LOCATION: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (12-13, 9-3 MAC) | NIU (10-11, 3-9)
Leah Richmond collected her 19th double-double of the season (31 assists, 10 digs) to help Western Michigan reach the .310 mark, its second-highest team hitting percentage this season. Annalise Patchett produced a team-leading 12 kills on a .370 hitting percentage, while Mary Clare Brusek put down nine kills and hit .571.
Aiding WMU’s scoring efforts were 10 service aces, which included six in the opening frame. Molly Brown served up five aces, while Maddie Kmetz and Carley Piercefield tallied two apiece.
On the defensive end, Reeghan Boyer dug up a match-high 21 balls, with Piercefield chipping in 11. Amanda Glanton spearheaded the defense at the net, recording six blocks (2 solo, 4 assists).
Western Michigan hits the road this weekend for a two-match series at Toledo. First serve for the series opener against the Rockets is set for Friday at 6 pm on ESPN+.
Sports
Purdue Volleyball Adds ACC All-Freshman Outside Hitter to 2026 Roster
Purdue has added a young star to its 2026 roster via the transfer portal. The Boilermakers landed a commitment from former Georgia Tech outside hitter Mimi Mambu. She comes to West Lafayette with three years of eligibility remaining.
Mambu spent her freshman season with the Yellow Jackets and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. She averaged 2.923 kills per set and hit .155 for the year. The 6-foot outside hitter also totaled 48 blocks and averaged 1.067 digs per set.
“What a wonderful Christmas gift to get the commitment from a smart and dynamic student-athlete,” coach Dave Shondell said in a statement. “We’re excited to have this hard-hitting high-flyer join our team after such a strong first season at Georgia Tech where she helped lead them to an NCAA tournament appearance. We watched Mimi play in high school and knew she would be a special player. Mimi learned so much about our program from Kash [Akasha Anderson] and Isabelle Bardin who are good friends from the D.C. area.”
Welcome to West Lafayette, Lameen “Mimi” Mambu! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/JW1CDDrCRR
— Purdue Volleyball (@PurdueVB) December 28, 2025
Shondell saw Mambu up close during the 2025 season. On Sept. 3, the Boilermakers hosted Georgia Tech in the Stacey Clark Classic. The Yellow Jackets won the match 3-1, and the freshman hitter ended the evening with 10 digs and seven kills.
Georgia Tech ended the year with a 16-14 record.
Mambu will likely fill a void left by Purdue senior Akasha Anderson, who proved to be one of the top hitters last season. After transferring in from Michigan State, the senior averaged 2.911 kills per set and had a .282 hitting percentage. She only got better as the season progressed.
Mambu will join a talented and experienced roster in West Lafayette. She joins All-Big Ten selections Kenna Wollard and Grace Heaney at the pin-hitter spots. She will also be playing alongside All-Big Ten setter Taylor Anderson and All-Big Ten honorable mention libero Ryan McAleer.
Purdue closed out the 2025 season with a 27-7 record and a trip to the Regional Final round of the NCAA Tournament.
Mambu had ups and downs

As any freshman might, Mambu had some highs and lows throughout her freshman campaign. She reached a double-digit kill total in 13 of Georgia Tech’s 30 matches.
Mambu also had some off days, though. On five occasions, she ended a match with a negative hit percentage. Three of those came against Louisville, Pitt, and Purdue, all of which made deep runs into the NCAA Tournament.
Mambu is a tremendous athlete with high-flying ability and a strong arm. The biggest focus for Shondell and the Boilermakers will be to develop some consistency, but Purdue’s coaching staff has proven it can correct some of those issues.
Plus, with a full year of college volleyball now under her belt, Mambu is likely to show major improvement from her freshman to sophomore season.
Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can’t-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!
Related stories on Purdue volleyball
PURDUE FRESHMAN HITS TRANSFER PORTAL: One of Purdue’s freshmen from the 2025 recruiting class entered the NCAA transfer portal and has already found a new home. CLICK HERE
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How does a Q-Collar work?
Sports
Cougars come back to win Pop-Tarts Bowl 25-21 over Georgia Tech – BYU Athletics – Official Athletics Website
Fourth Quarter
On second-and-nine, Bachmeier found Roberts in a tight window for a gain of 18. Damuni added four yards, and on third down, Roberts caught a 7-yard pass to move the chains. Bachmeier and Ryan connected for the seventh time, this time for 13 yards to pin BYU at the Yellow Jacket six-yard line. After Kingston recorded a four-yard carry, Nawahine took the direct snap and plowed into the end zone. Keeping the offense on the field to go for two, Bachmier rushed it into the end zone to cut the deficit to three.
BYU forced the game’s first three-and-out. Kingston returned the punt 34 yards to set BYU up at its 45.
Bachmeier pitched to Damuni for a gain of five on first down. The freshman running back gained one yard on the next play, but the Cougars were unable to convert on third-and-four, and Vander Haar and the punting unit returned to the field, resulting in the second three-and-out of the game.
An illegal snap penalty pushed Georgia Tech back to its four-yard line. On second-and-14, King hit Rutherford for a gain of 12, and then another illegal snap penalty was enforced on the Yellow Jackets to set up third-and-seven. Haynes got just short of the line of gain before Glasker and Tanner Wall tackled him to force a punt. Kingston returned the punt four yards and set BYU up at its own 30 with 5:44 on the clock.
Following two incomplete passes, Bachmeier found Kingston at the BYU 34, and he advanced to the 43-yard line to grab the first down. Phillips secured a 14-yard pass from Bachmeier, and then Kingston caught a 15-yard pass to cap three consecutive first downs. After an eight-yard pass to Ryan to the Georgia Tech 20, the running back room led the way, kick-started by Nawahine picking up nine yards with a hurdle over a defender. Bachmeier passed to Damuni for a gain of seven, and then the Providence, Utah product powered into the end zone for his first career touchdown. Alongside Ferrin’s extra point, the Cougars took the lead, 25-21 with two minutes left.
Ferrin’s kickoff was returned 13 yards to pin Georgia Tech at its 21. Nusi Taumoepeau and Lutui hurried King and his pass fell incomplete on first down. On the next play, King lost the ball on a low snap but recovered his fumble for a loss of five yards. On third-and-15, another pass fell incomplete, forcing fourth-and-15. On the play, King went deep to Rivers for a gain of 66 at the BYU 18 with 52 seconds on the clock. The defense held the Yellow Jackets to three-straight incomplete passes, setting up fourth down with 14 seconds remaining. King attempted to hit Haynes in the end zone but his pass was intercepted by Johnson to seal the Pop Tarts Bowl victory 25-21.
Sports
Kats take care of Biblical Studies 117-57
The Bearkats (8-4) controlled the temp on both ends of the court, shooting close to 60 percent while limiting the Ambassadors to 31 percent. Sam Houston used its height advantage to dominate the paint, outscoring Biblical Studies 62-12 and outrebounding the Houston area team 66-29.
Isaiah Manning led the Kats with a career-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Freshman Jacob Walker also scored a new career high with 24 points, Veljko Illic added 16 points and nine boards, freshman Matt Dann chipped in a career-high 12 points, freshman Jacoby Coleman finished with 11 and Damon Nicholas Jr. had 10.
Sam Houston built a huge first-half lead and never looked back.
The Kats went on a 10-0 run thanks to back-to-back 3s by Walker and Manning, who added a pair of layups to grab a 23-10 advantage. Dann punched in consecutive dunks after a free throw and a two more layups by Nicholas to cap the run at 19-0 to put the game away early as the Ambassadors went more than seven minutes without scoring.
Sam Houston shot a blistering 66 percent from the field in the first half, making 25 of 40 shot attempts. The Bearkats also held Biblical Studies to just 23 percent shooting to build a commanding 59-21 lead at the break.
Conference USA action resumes Jan. 2 when Sam Houston heads to Bowling Green, Kentucky to face WKU at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Sports
Texas A&M star Ifenna Cos‑Okpalla signs with League One Volleyball
Dec. 28, 2025, 12:20 p.m. CT
At the end of the season, after some of the adrenaline from the Texas A&M championship run had subsided, head coach Jamie Morrison revealed that a few players on his roster would have the opportunity to compete at the next level. While he didn’t name names, we had a pretty strong idea of which standout athletes he was referring to.
On Sunday morning, it was officially announced that senior middle blocker and 2025 NCAAVB Champion Ifenna Cos-Okpalla signed a professional contract to play with League One Volleyball (LOVB) Salt Lake. She joins senior opposite Logan Lednicky in the league, who recently signed with LOVB Houston. Cos-Okpalla was also drafted by MLV but ultimately chose to pursue her career with LOVB. We knew a move was coming soon after the news broke that she had signed with Valor Sports Agency just days before this announcement.
Cos-Okpalla is one of the foundational members of this Aggie championship team, having been part of the program for all four years and choosing to stay committed when Coach Morrison arrived to take over. She elevated her game each season under his leadership, helping her reach new heights and shatter multiple program records. She will leave Texas A&M as the all-time leader in total blocks (566), the single-season block leader (199), and the program’s hitting percentage leader (.422).
It’s fair to say she will be remembered as an Aggie legend, and she now turns her focus toward new goals with a promising professional volleyball career on the horizon.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla Career stats:
Kills: 637 / 1.70 per set
Hitting %: .372
Blocks: 565 / 1.6 per set
Aces: 41 / .12 per set
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla Career Accolades:
- 2X All-SEC Team
- 4X SEC Player of the Week
- 10X SEC Defensive Player of the Week
- AVCA All-America First Team
- 2X AVCA All-Southwest Region Team
- NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team
- NCAA Champion
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
Sports
Deaf volleyball coach speaks volumes (video)
Sherry Bryant was born deaf, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming a wife, mother and volleyball coach for Copper Sky Multigenerational Center’s youth volleyball league.
Bryant can’t hear and she doesn’t speak, but she uses hand gestures and written notes to communicate with players. During practice, she is often in the action pointing players to proper positions and cheering on successful plays.
Her desire to coach stems from more than her love of the game. She is able to spend time with her daughter on the court and show that deaf people are not limited.
“My daughter plays, and I feel it benefits her and the girls,” Bryant said. “If there are no volunteers, there might be no one to coach. Another reason is to show deaf people can do it.”
From time to time, Bryant’s players are unable to understand their coach’s instructions.
“This is my first (coaching) experience,” Bryant said. “My assistant coach (Nikki Lucchesi) helps me a lot. She speaks to the players.”
For Copper Sky Sports Coordinator David Aviles, picking Bryant to coach was simple.
“When you run a sports program there are times you run low on coaches,” Aviles said. “I reached out to the parents for the girls, and [Bryant] volunteered. She’s done a great job and really enjoys it.”
Bryant’s team won its first game. The players were attentive to her instructions.
“It’s inspirational for the kids to see that she’s out there coaching,” Aviles said. “She takes a hands-on approach and plays with them. It seems to be working well.”
This story appeared in the February issue of InMaricopa News.
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