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Five ways Group of 5 coaches say they're adapting to college football's portal

Published

5 months ago

August 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Five ways Group of 5 coaches say they're adapting to college football's portal

CHARLOTTE – Every coach of a non-power school can hear the drumbeat.

It’s the bittersweet reality of a player thriving in their program.

In an era of college football where rosters turn over rapidly and sharks in major conferences are constantly swirling, coaches outside the major conferences must brace for their highest performers to be poached every offseason.

Tulane won nine games last season, and their quarterback — star freshman Darian Mensah — left for Duke in December on a two-year deal worth a reported $8 million. Sixty of Tulane’s 116 players — 51.7 percent — are new in 2025.

“Every year, we all have a brand-new team and a brand-new roster,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said.

“That’s not just me. That’s everybody. That’s normal now.”

The fears that the sport’s lower levels could serve as a farm system for larger programs have come to fruition. Of the 22 players named to the American Conference first or second teams who returned to college in 2025, 13 transferred, including 12 to power-conference schools.

“It’s really hard. You turn around and go, ‘Wait, we only have three returning starters? And every year we’re gonna have a new quarterback?” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. “If you have a guy who starts and thrives for you at left tackle, it’s hard to afford to keep him around.”

In the four years since name, image and likeness (NIL) money flooded into the sport and instant eligibility for transfers threw rosters into chaos, coaches at the sport’s lower levels have had to develop new methods for player retention.

They can’t just resign themselves to losing their best players each year.

Here are five things they say they’re doing to fight off the major-conference goliaths.

“You can’t take anything personal. But you do,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. (Stu Boyd II / The Commercial Appeal / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Building trust and connection

First-year Temple coach K.C. Keeler has a mandate for his staff. It’s simple. It’s small. But it’s foundational.

If it’s a player’s birthday or he’s having surgery for any reason, he’s getting a text or call from every member of Keeler’s staff.

“If a player is going to leave, I want him to feel like he’s leaving the whole building, not just a coach,” said Keeler, who won a FCS national title at Sam Houston in 2021 and guided the program’s transition into FBS before leaving for Temple in December. “That makes it harder.”

He doesn’t want players siloed into their position group.

Zach Kittley, a first-time head coach taking over at Florida Atlantic, has two key pillars of his program: Treat each other like family and have fun. That’s with an aim toward retention.

“If you create an environment guys want to be in, it’s going to be easier to keep guys,” he said.

That can create a delicate balance for coaches who want to make spending full days in the facility enjoyable without inviting too casual an atmosphere.

“Your standards and norms in the program culturally cannot change,” Traylor said. “You have to stand on the foundation you believe in.”

Traylor, 46-20 in his first five seasons at UTSA, has recognized that winning helps both keep players and attract other players. As does a track record of putting players into the NFL. If a coaching staff has done it in the past, players will feel less pressure to leave for a bigger program to maximize their NFL stock, Traylor said.

And there’s another aspect to maintaining trust within a locker room: How coaches handle it when players do leave.

It’s natural and easy to take any player transferring as a rejection, even amid the financial realities of the sport that put Group of Five programs at a disadvantage.

By now, Traylor can usually see on a player’s face the second he enters his office if he’s preparing to tell him he’s leaving.

“You can’t be defensive or sensitive about it. It’s like, ‘Hey man, wish you the best. Hope it goes well,’” he said. “You have to be empathetic. And that’s hard because as you build your team, you’re so focused on that.”

Silverfield said in the past he’d found himself arguing with players about aspects of their transfer that had nothing to do with Memphis. Now, he’s careful to sell what awaits them in Memphis rather than pointing out the flaws of where a player might be considering going.

“You can’t take anything personal,” Silverfield said. “But you do.”

Educating players and having hard conversations

In the early years of immediate eligibility for transfers, coaches might have believed a decision to leave wasn’t right for a player.

Now, they do research and try to present data to players.

“I tell them up front I’m going to skew this my way because I want you to stay. But there is some reality here,” Keeler said. “But I can explain to players they might take a bigger check now and give up a bigger check later by putting themselves in bad situations. You try to educate them but you try not to be negative or belittle. You just want to have an honest conversation.”

A player might come to Keeler saying he’d been offered $150,000 to play for a Big Ten or SEC program. Now, as the market for players has settled and rates are relatively consistent, he said he knows what a number signifies for the programs at the top of those leagues.

“He might think that’s big money,” Keeler said. “To them, that’s backup money. If you have that relationship, you can have honest conversations.”

If a player tells him he’s going to a particular program, he’ll dig up their roster and see what he thinks.

“They might have three corners coming back that have played a ton of snaps. Two starters and a rotation guy. You know they’re bringing in your starter to be a fourth corner. You have to show them that,” Keeler said. “Or point out, ‘Hey, they graduated one offensive lineman and already signed five from the portal. They’re getting to you late because they found room for a sixth. You weren’t the first one they signed.’

“You have to do your research and have honest conversations. It goes further if you have that relationship and they know you’re gonna shoot them straight.”

Silverfield said each player’s situation is different. But if a player only has one year left and has thrived at Memphis, he’ll point out that one year at a bigger program introduces some variables on the road to the NFL, even amid the tantalizing offer of a bigger stage or bigger immediate payday.

“If you’re a freshman All-American and somebody comes and gives you an obvious opportunity to start or maybe you just don’t like me, then that’s fine. Move on,” Silverfield said. “I want to make sure they’re making the best decisions for themselves. I can tell them about the pitfalls that might come with a move. But ultimately I just want to make the case for why they’ll have success staying with us.”

South Florida coach Alex Golesh said he’s talked with his team four times in the last three months about being guarded about who they’re getting advice from.

“I can point to guys now where it’s like, ‘Look at this situation, look at that situation,’” Golesh said. “We’ve got guys on our team who were at a place, left and then were like, ‘Holy smokes, what did I do?’”

There are also times when a coach can tip his cap and thank a player, as Silverfield said. Sumrall pointed to former Tulane cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant, who played 37 snaps in 2023, blossomed into a star in 2024 and moved to Auburn this offseason with two years of eligibility left.

Said Sumrall: “He went from being an unknown nobody to a well-compensated SEC player.”

Tulane lost multiple key players to power-conference schools, including QB Darian Mensah (above, Duke) and CB Rayshawn Pleasant (Auburn). (Tommy Gilligan / Imagn Images)

Being proactive

Keeler mostly knows what every player on his Temple roster makes, but like many coaches, he isn’t the person who handles the finances.

Early in the 2023 season at Sam Houston, Keeler’s general manager, Clayton Barnes, came to him with a request: They needed to bump up 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge rusher Chris Murray’s pay. He wasn’t a star yet, but they’d seen him thrive in practice. And Murray forecasted a shortage of edge rushers in the upcoming portal window and knew Murray’s measurables might earn him calls from bigger programs.

Murray wasn’t thinking about leaving. He was taken aback at the offer and said the program didn’t need to give him more money.

“I said I want to because we saw what the future looked like,” Keeler said. “He felt it was great when we came to him first.”

He stayed at Sam Houston for 2024 and made 11 1/2 tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks, earning first-team All-Conference USA honors. After Keeler left for Temple, Murray took an offer to move up to Auburn, but last season may not have happened without the Bearkats’ proactive approach.

“We’re going to attack our locker room first. The teams that have the most coming back generally have the most chance to sustain success,” Keeler said. “Being a head coach now is about managing the stuff that can be the difference between a player staying or leaving.”

Added Golesh: “Are your resources allocated into retaining talent or acquiring talent? Everybody will tell you they want to do both but there has to be a focus. For us, we’ve had a huge focus on retention because that’s the name of the game.”

It doesn’t always work. Sumrall turned to Mensah last fall as Tulane’s starting quarterback after he began camp as the team’s third quarterback, paid almost nothing by Tulane’s collective.

“We tried to shift that quickly as we moved him into being the starter,” Sumrall said, adding that his program uses an NFL model of percentages in deciding how to spend on their roster relative to total budget, with an extra emphasis on offensive and defensive lines. “Maybe it was too little too late or not enough period. Even if we tried to go to our max, we probably weren’t able to get to where it went.”

Being strategic in recruiting

As the sport has changed, at least one truth has remained for coaches: You recruit your problems.

Now, those problems just look a little different for Group of Five coaches. When it’s easier than ever for players to transfer, regional recruiting has become more important.

Keeler said when his staff took over at Temple, they drew lines from Connecticut to Virginia and Ohio. Recruiting outside that region will be a rarity.

Staying in a geographic footprint removes one reason players leave: Getting closer to family back home.

And coaches have re-emphasized a healthy locker room and recruiting character in hopes of having a roster with players who aren’t just looking for a ticket up the college football ladder.

Every now and then, Sumrall’s assistants have to pull him aside in a meeting with recruits.

“Coach, are you trying to de-recruit this guy?” he says they’ll ask.

“I want to be so transparent and honest so they know what they’re signing up for,” Sumrall said. This is how we operate. If you don’t want to operate like this, that’s cool. Don’t come here. I will tell kids that in my office.”

Other coaches noted they’re diligent about flagging potential concerns in the recruitment process, be it an aggressive or unprofessional agent or a problem parent.

“The ultimate frustration is there are so many outside influences now that are so far out of your control,” Golesh said.

Vetting players in the portal is difficult because the process moves faster, but if the program recruited a player in high school because he’s regional, it can help with intel. Golesh is recruiting in the talent hotbed of South Florida. When players don’t have success at higher levels, it can mean bringing in high-rated prospects to USF looking for a fresh start.

Painting a clear picture and making that picture reality once a player signs can prevent players from developing wandering eyes, Golesh said.

“If there’s transparency on the front end, there’s less craziness on the back end,” Golesh said. “Don’t ever promise somebody something you’re not sure you can deliver on. That’s when you start to have problems.”

Silverfield pointed to his team’s GPA last year being the highest in history and one of the country’s leaders in community service hours as a testament to the types of players he brought in and helping the program not be a revolving door.

At the start of the year, he has players write down goals for the year and hang them in their lockers.

“I’m gonna hold their ass accountable to those goals,” he said. “I think guys appreciate that.”

Jeff Traylor and UTSA got a boost when starting QB Owen McCown elected to return this season. (Danny Wild / Imagn Images)

Building up their own war chests

Every other week, Traylor meets with UTSA athletic director Lisa Campos and the program’s key fundraisers about one key topic: How can we meet or fundraising goals while also growing our budget?

“We don’t have the ability to pay max, but we want to be competitive in this league,” Traylor said. “That’s where we have to start.”

This offseason, it worked. Quarterback Owen McCown elected to stay after throwing for 3,424 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. The offense lost running back Brandon High Jr, the team’s second-leading rusher, to Cal, but every other major contributor on offense elected to stay.

“They stayed because of Owen,” Traylor said.

When Golesh was considering leaving his post as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator for South Florida, the most critical question he wanted answered was USF’s ability to recruit and retain talent. It had geographical advantages. Knowing it had financial advantages relative to the level helped convince him to take the job.

Immediate eligibility for transfers lowered the barriers for players to leave their program. As a result, it made sustaining success at the sport’s lower levels harder than ever.

But the coaches tasked with doing it are still trying to develop tools to build sustainable programs amid constant change.

“If it’s just about the bag, our bag isn’t gonna be big enough,” Traylor said. “But if it’s about development, the fit, the holistic opportunity, we can compete.”

(Top photos of Jon Sumrall and K.C. Keeler: Julio Aguilar, Chris Gardner / Getty Images)

Sports

Harrison’s 29 not enough in New Orleans

Published

35 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

NEW ORLEANS – Despite a late 12-0 run in the final five minutes of Monday night’s game, the East Texas A&M University men’s basketball team could not mount the comeback at Lakefront Arena and fell 83-73 to the New Orleans Privateers.

The Privateers scored the first five points of the game and never trailed, nor was the game tied at any point beyond the opening seconds. Being held to just five points through the first 10 minutes and trailing 17-5, the Lions answered with a 9-3 run to bring the game within six.

Six of the nine field goals made in the first half for the Lions came from deep. In the second half, East Texas A&M brought the game within one possession for the first time since the early minutes of the game on a 9-2 run at the 15:12 mark.

The next six points were scored by the Privateers over the next 1:30 to increase their lead back to nine and then jumped out to a game-best 65-50 lead with 7:51 to go. The Privateers were up 69-54 at the 5:53 mark of the second, tying their largest lead of the night.

For the next three minutes and 44 seconds, the Lions did not allow a point and cut the deficit down to 69-66. The next eight points were scored by the Privateers, cooling off the Lion rally.

Ronnie Harrison (Forney) totaled another double-double as he scored season-best 29 points, while adding 12 rebounds. Damian Garcia (Houston – Dobie) added 18 points for the Lions and Vinny Sigona (Prestonwood Christian Academy) scored 12 off the bench.

Gianni Hunt (Lakewood, Calif.) stuffed the stats sheet with five points, six rebounds, and team-high seven assists. For the Privateers, Coleton Benson scored 17, going 10 for 11 at the line.

The Lions have now lost five in a row and drop to 6-10 on the season and 1-5 in Southland play, while the Privateers improve to 5-10 overall and 3-3 against Southland opponents.

POST GAME INTERVIEW

UP NEXT

The Lions return home to Commerce to host A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday at 5 p.m. and then A&M-Corpus Christi next Monday at 6:30 p.m.

-ETAMU-

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East Texans land on TSWA 4A All-State volleyball team

Published

51 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

LONGVIEW — East Texans earned all-state honors, including first-teamer Elizabeth Corbitt of Spring Hill, on the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A volleyball team, the organization announced on Sunday.

Corbitt, who helped Spring Hill to the state semifinals, made the team as an outside hitter. She was the All-District 16-4A Hitter of the Year as the Panthers were unbeaten in league play.

She had a school record 559 kills, along with 46 blocks, 300 digs and 35 aces.

Earning second-team honors at middle blocker was Lindale’s Alyssa Potts, who helped the Lady Eagles to the state semifinals. She had 323 kills, .433 hitting efficiency, 51.4 kill percentage and 145 blocks.

Earning third-team were the Spring Hill duo of outside hitter Savannah Irwin and Libero/defensive specialist Kaylee Londeau, and middle blocker Brooklyn Brannen of Bullard and Giselle Webster of Kilgore.

East Texans making honorable mention were middle blockers Brooke Gisell of Lindale, Alli Bitter of Carthage and Maggie Thompson of Sulphur Springs.

HM outside hitters were Julie Guidry of Bullard, Preslee Hardy of Sulphur Springs, Jordan Flodder of Van, Kayla White of Van, Addison Alexander of Canton, Kalia Andres of Bullard, Ella Hutchens of Lindale, Rainey Johnson of Sulphur Springs and Bryleigh Mayhan of Pine Tree.

Setter honorable mentions were Carly Chadwick of Pine Tree, Elle Litchenburg of Kilgore, Caroline Cockerham of Carthage, Julia Garrick of Bullard, Harper Hodges of Sulphur Springs and Macy Luster, Lindale.

Peyton Taylor of Sulphur Springs and Laney Alexander of Carthage were honorable mention at Libero/defensive specialist.

Division I state champion Decatur landed the two top honors. Ava Green of Decatur was voted Player of the Year and Decatur’s Stormi Snider was Coach of the Year.

Green, a sophomore, was an outside hitter. She had 556 kills, 95 digs and 56.5 blocks for state champs.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state.

Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association

Class 4A All-State Volleyball Team

COACH OF THE YEAR: Stormi Snider, Decatur

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ava Green, Decatur

FIRST TEAM

Middle blockers: Keoni Williams, Eagle Mountain; Emma Pollard, Gatesville; Rebecca Lucksinger, Bellville

Outside hitters: Ava Green, Decatur; Elizabeth Corbitt, Spring Hill; Paisley Pavliska, La Vernia

Setter: Molly Aubert, Eagle Mountain

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Lexi Nichols, Eagle Mountain

SECOND TEAM

Middle blockers: Shaelyn Ward, Aubrey; Alyssa Potts, Lindale; Harper Smith, Decatur

Outside hitters: Libby Tedder, Springtown; Allegra Foreman, Stephenville; Avery Keck, La Vernia

Setter: Grace Fortune, Decatur

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Hannah Forshee, Sweeny

THIRD TEAM

Middle blockers: Sayler Peck, Decatur; Brooklyn Brannen, Bullard; Giselle Webster, Kilgore

Outside hitters: Savannah Irwin, Spring Hill; Brooke Lacewell, Eagle Mountain; Belle Seibert, Sweeny

Setter: Bailey Hampton, Aubrey

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Kaylee Londeau, Spring Hill

HONORABLE MENTION

Middle blockers: Janey Baker, China Spring; Addison Kramer, Lorena; Makenna Hertless, Floresville; Brooke Gisell, Lindale; Alli Bitter, Carthage; Elsie Law, Salado; Jadyn Lindgren, CC Calallen; Maggie Thompson, Sulphur Springs; Bella Elliott, Liberty; Jessa Cox, Cuero; Austyn Flowers, Seminole

Outside hitters: Charlee Mack, Hillsboro; Meredith Muramoto, China Spring; Julia Guidry, Bullard; Trinity Laney, Wimberley; Peighton Purser, Farmersville; Lilli Sandoval, Wimberley; Mazzy Johnson, Salado; Preslee Hardy, Sulphur Springs; Jordan Flodder, Van; Kayla White, Van; Addison Alexander, Canton; Kalia Andres, Bullard; Ella Hutchens, Lindale; Rainey Johnson, Sulphur Springs; Bryleigh Mayhan, Pine Tree

Setter: Carly Chadwick, Pine Tree; Elle Litchenburg, Kilgore; Caroline Cockerham, Carthage; Julia Garrick, Bullard; Caitlyn Gerick, China Spring; Stevie-Kate LaDuque, Stephenville; Charli Niu, Salado; Grace Martinez, CC Calallen; Harper Hodges, Sulphur Springs; Macy Luster, Lindale

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Emma Conley, Aubrey; Peyton Taylor, Sulphur Springs; Hope Escobar, Decatur; Brooklyn Quintanilla, Springtown; Karis Carpenter, La Vernia; Laney Alexander, Carthage

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Tritons Open 2026 Season with Three Home Matches

Published

1 hour ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

LA JOLLA, Calif. — The 2026 men’s volleyball season gets underway this week as UC San Diego welcomes three opponents to La Jolla and LionTree Arena.

The Tritons host Jessup on Tuesday in the season opener before facing Daemen on Friday and Rockhurst on Sunday. All three contests begin at 7:00 p.m., with Tuesday and Friday’s matches airing on ESPN+.

MATCH DETAILS
Match 1
UC San Diego vs Jessup
Tuesday, Jan. 6 | 7:00 p.m.
LionTree Arena | La Jolla, Calif.
Series Record: First Meeting
Watch | Live Stats

Match 2
UC San Diego vs Daemen
Friday, Jan. 9 | 7:00 p.m.
LionTree Arena | La Jolla, Calif.
Series Record: UC San Diego leads 1-0
Last Meeting: UC San Diego 3, Daemen 0 on Jan. 10, 2025 (Box)
Watch | Live Stats

Match 3
UC San Diego vs Rockhurst
Sunday, Jan. 11 | 7:00 p.m.
LionTree Arena | La Jolla, Calif.
Series Record: First Meeting
Live Stats

ABOUT THE UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS
Roster | Schedule & Results | Statistics

Location: La Jolla, Calif.

Conference: Big West

AVCA National Ranking: 10

Big West Preseason Poll: Tied 4th out of 6

ABOUT THE JESSUP WARRIORS
Roster | Schedule & Results | Statistics

Location: Rocklin, Calif.

Conference: MPSF

AVCA National Ranking: None

MPSF Preseason Poll: 9th out of 10

ABOUT THE DAEMEN WILDCATS
Roster | Schedule & Results | Statistics

Amherst, N.Y.

Conference: NEC

AVCA National Ranking: None

2025 NEC Finish: 3rd out of 5

2026 BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP
The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2026 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship will be April 23-25 at the Bren Events Center on the campus of UC Irvine. All six Big West squads will participate.

The top two seeds after the regular season will earn a bye to the semifinal round of the single-elimination championship. Tickets will go on sale at a later date.

UC San Diego Athletics completed a department-wide transition to NCAA Division I in 2024. All Tritons sports are eligible for conference and national postseason play.

AMONG THE RANKS
The preseason AVCA National Collegiate Poll sees the No. 10 Tritons set to face fellow ranked opponents in 16 of their 25 matches this season. Those contests will be an even split between home and away.

No. 1 UCLA

No. 2 Hawai’i

No. 3 Long Beach State

No. 6 UC Irvine

No. 7 Loyola Chicago

No. 8 BYU

No. 11 CSUN

No. 12 Lewis

No. 17 UC Santa Barbara

No. 18 Princeton

2026 BIG WEST OUTLOOK
The Tritons were picked to finish in a tie for fourth in the 2026 Big West Men’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. That mirrors UC San Diego’s finish at the end of the 2025 season.

All six Big West teams are ranked nationally. Hawai’i has the best national ranking, checking in at No. 2.

Long Beach State was picked to win The Big West after winning the national championship last season.

BIG SHOES TO FILL
In 2025, UC San Diego saw opposite hitter Anthony Cherfan, setter Bryce Dvorak and outside hitter Josh Schellinger earn both All-Big West and All-American honors in their final season with the Tritons.

HEAD COACH BRAD ROSTRATTER
Brad Rostratter enters his fourth season leading UC San Diego in 2026. He was named head coach of the men’s volleyball program on October 7, 2022. Rostratter earned his first career win with the Tritons on Jan. 5, 2023, when the team defeated Lincoln Memorial in five sets at UC Santa Barbara’s Asics Invitational. It was the team’s season opener. Rostratter collected his first Big West victory on the road at CSUN when the Tritons swept the Matadors on March 16, 2023. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Coach of the Year and two-time Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Coach of the Year, Rostratter came to La Jolla from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., where he served as the men’s volleyball head coach since the program’s inception in 2019. He led the Lions to a pair of GSAC regular season titles, a league tournament title, and two appearances at the NAIA National Tournament.

Complete Rostratter Bio

Overall	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Big West	Wins	Losses	Pct.
2025	18	12	.600	2025	3	7	.300
2024	12	15	.444	2024	4	6	.400
2023	8	17	.320	2023	2	8	.200
Totals	38	44	.463	Totals	9	20	.310

UC SAN DIEGO ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Most UC San Diego home men’s and women’s basketball games, men’s and women’s soccer matches, men’s and women’s volleyball matches, baseball and softball games are broadcast live on ESPN+. For more information on where to watch UC San Diego volleyball, visit UCSDTritons.com/live.

WHY THE TRITONS?

The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego’s close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.

TRITON VOLLEYBALL TALK

As part of UC San Diego’s transition to Division I, the Athletics Department launched a weekly podcast, Tritoncast. New episodes of Tritoncast are available on the most popular podcasting apps and on UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow Tritoncast on X @Tritoncast.

GET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO VOLLEYBALL

Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through X and Instagram. The team’s handle is @ucsdmvb.

FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD

Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!

GEAR

For the latest Triton apparel and accessories, click here.

UP NEXT

The Tritons will travel to Utah for their first road trip of the season. Two matches with No. 8 BYU are set for Jan. 16-17.

About UC San Diego Athletics

After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.

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Sports

Here are the 2025 TSWA high school all-state TSSAA volleyball teams

Published

2 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jan. 6, 2026, 12:00 a.m. CT

The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced its all-state volleyball teams for the 2025 TSSAA season.
Players were selected across three public school classes (A, AA, AAA) and two private school divisions (II-A, II-AA).

The Tennessee Sports Writers Association has released its all-state teams for the 2025 TSSAA volleyball season.

Class A

Outside hitters: Derionna Bell, Gordonsville, Sr.; Amanda Gardner, Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences, Sr.; Sydney Heisig, Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, So.; Campbell Leathers, Eagleville, So.; Savanna Moore, Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences, Sr.; Morgan Ryan, East Robertson, Jr.; Gracie Sims, Union City, Sr.; Jena Wright, Merrol Hyde Magnet, Jr..

Middle hitter: Millie Emerson, Summertown, Sr.

Setters: Brooke Briggs, Gordonsville, Sr.; Preslee Campbell, Eagleville, Sr.; Gentry Hansen, Merrol Hyde, So..

Liberos: Jalyn Hammons, Sale Creek, Jr.; Presley Knowles, Eagleville, Jr.; Breleigh Winters, Loretto, Sr..

Class AA

Outside hitters: Anarela Mejias Ayala, Valor Prep, Jr.; Abby Baker, Creek Wood, Sr.; Stella Huber, Lexington, Sr.; Jentelle McNairl, Valor Prep, So.; Makayla Moore, Sullivan East, Fr.; Abigail Prado, Seymour, Jr.; Becca Rogers, Signal Mountain, Sr.; Jacey Taylor, Chuckey-Doak, So.

Middle hitters: Rylee Key, Dyer County, Jr.; Wesley Thornton, Crockett County, So..

Setters: Raylie Gray, Volunteer, Jr.; Emery Huddleston, Upperman, Jr.; Kierstyn Ray, Dyer County, Jr..

Liberos: Ella Burd, Lakeland Prep, Sr.; Evie Rogers, Dyer County, Jr..

Class AAA

Outside hitters: Gunny Brock, Cleveland, Sr.; Elia Dinsmore, Independence, Sr.; Addie Harris, Arlington, Jr.; Eliza Hicks, William Blount, Sr.; Maggie Kalisz, Summit, Sr.; Mia McGrath, Siegel, Sr.; Daisy Oatsvall, Brentwood, Sr.; Molly Teague, Blackman, Sr.; Sydni Vice, Germantown Houston, Sr..

Middle hitters: Keira Garinger, Clarksville, Sr.; Eliza McKnight, Brentwood, Sr..

Setters: Mela Brice, Dobyns-Bennett, Sr.; Lauren Duncan, Brentwood, Sr.; Lucy O’Daniel, Science Hill, So.; Amanda Shanahan, Summit, Sr..

Libero: Isa Dau, Science Hill, Jr..

Division II-A

Outside hitters: Jada Burns, Middle Tennessee Christian, Sr.; Darby Felts, Lakeway Christian, Sr.; Sadie Kroeger, Providence Christian, Sr.; Camryn Neal, Silverdale Baptist, Sr.; Anna Ofenheusle, Friendship Christian, Sr.; Anna Clay Shirley, Middle Tennessee Christian, Sr..

Middle hitters: Kayte Madison Bjornstad, Providence Christian, Sr.; Sophie Easterday, Silverdale Baptist, Jr.; Kendall Stansbury, Grace Christian Academy-Knoxville, Sr..

Setters: Addison Addair, Lakeway Christian, Sr.; Bailee Culpepper, Middle Tennessee Christian, Sr.; Caroline Hilton, Silverdale Baptist, Sr.; Sarah Johnson, Northpoint Christian, So..

Liberos: Addison Burks, Middle Tennessee Christian, Sr.; Annie Harney, Battle Ground Academy, Sr..

Division II-AA

Outside hitters: Tallulah Carney, Knox Webb, Sr.; Heidi Green, Father Ryan, Jr.; Mia Kinney, Knox Catholic, Jr.; Emma Mulvaney, Baylor School, Sr.; Camille Northcross, Briarcrest Christian, Jr.; Raegan Reeves, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Sr..

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12 Chattanooga area volleyball standouts earn TSWA all-state honors

Published

2 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Less than a month after announcing her commitment to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga beach volleyball program, Camryn Neal was one of three Silverdale Baptist volleyball players to be selected to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s all-state volleyball team.

Neal showcased her versatility throughout her prep career with the Lady Seahawks as she finished with over 1,200 kills and 1,100 digs to go along with nearly 900 assists and over 225 aces.

In her senior season this past fall, Neal helped Silverdale Baptist to a 29-win season and runner-up finish at the TSSAA Division II-A state tournament, where she had 20 kills and 16 digs in a four-set defeat to Middle Tennessee Christian in the finals. Neal finished the season with 402 kills, 316 digs, 75 aces and 20 blocks.

Teammates Caroline Hilton and Sophie Easterday joined Neal on the TSWA Division II-A team.

Hilton finished her prep career with over 2,000 career assists, including 1,067 this season to go along with 252 digs, 78 aces, 67 kills and 12 blocks.

Easterday, a junior, led the Lady Seahawks in kill percentage (52.8), hitting percentage (.452), and blocks (70).

The Chattanooga area had 12 all-state selections, including two each for Arts & Sciences and Baylor following Final Four runs in Class 1A and Division II-AA, respectively.

CSAS seniors Amanda Gardner and Savanna Moore helped lead their team to a program-best 34 wins. Gardner earned district and region tournament MVP honors as she finished the season with 363 kills, 386 digs and 99 aces, while ending her prep career with over 1,200 digs. Moore led the Lady Patriots with 472 kills and added 250 digs, 55 aces and 20 blocks.

Baylor’s all-state selections were senior Emma Mulvaney and junior Rory Oleksik. Mulvaney paced the Lady Red Raiders with 390 kills while adding 224 digs, 55 aces, 47 assists and 32 blocks, while Oleksik starred defensively with 525 digs and also led the team with 69 aces.

Other area players earning all-state honors are CSLA sophomore Sydney Heisig and Sale Creek junior Jalyn Hammons in Class A, Signal Mountain senior Becca Rogers in Class AA, Cleveland senior Gunny Brock, and GPS junior Cat Nygaard in Division II-AA.

Heisig had 403 kills, 278 digs, 86 aces, 49 blocks and a 92.4 serving percentage for the Lady Eagles.

Hammons recorded 430 digs for the Lady Panthers.

Rogers had 448 kills, 463 digs, 180 blocks and 84 aces for the Lady Eagles.

Brock compiled 538 kills, 329 digs, 64 aces, and 30 blocks to lead the Lady Blue Raiders to a district and region title.

Nygaard finished with nearly 400 digs for the Bruisers.

Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.

TSWA all-state volleyball selections

Class A

OH – Derionna Bell, Gordonsville, Sr.

OH – Amanda Gardner, CSAS, Sr.

OH – Sydney Heisig, Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, So.

OH – Campbell Leathers, Eagleville, So.

OH – Savanna Moore, CSAS, Sr.

OH – Morgan Ryan, East Robertson, Jr.

OH – Gracie Sims, Union City, Sr.

OH – Jena Wright, Merrol Hyde Magnet, Jr.

MH – Millie Emerson, Summertown, Sr.

S – Brooke Briggs, Gordonsville, Sr.

S – Presley Campbell, Eagleville, Sr.

S – Gentry Hansen, Merrol Hyde Magnet, So.

L – Jalyn Hammons, Sale Creek, Jr.

L – Preslee Knowles, Eagleville, Jr.

L – Breleigh Winters, Loretto, Sr.

Class AA

OH – Anarela Mejias Ayala, Valor Prep, Jr.

OH – Abby Baker, Creek Wood, Sr.

OH – Stella Huber, Lexington, Sr.

OH – Jentelle McNairl, Valor Prep, So.

OH – Makayla Moore, Sullivan East, Fr.

OH – Abigail Prado, Seymour, Jr.

OH – Becca Rogers, Signal Mountain, Sr.

OH – Jacey Taylor, Chuckey-Doak, So.

MH – Rylee Key, Dyer County, Jr.

MH – Wesley Thornton, Crockett County, So.

S – Raylie Gray, Volunteer, Jr.

S – Emery Huddleston, Upperman, Jr.

S – Kierstyn Ray, Dyer County, Jr.

L – Ella Burd, Lakeland Prep, Sr.

L – Evie Rogers, Dyer County, Jr.

Class AAA

OH – Elia Dinsmore, Independence, Sr.

OH – Addie Harris, Arlington, Jr.

OH — Gunny Brock, Cleveland, Sr.

OH – Eliza Hicks, William Blount, Sr.

OH – Maggie Kalisz, Summit, Sr.

OH – Mia McGrath, Siegel, Sr.

OH – Daisy Oatsvall, Brentwood, Sr.

OH – Molly Teague, Blackman, Sr.

OH – Sydni Vice, Houston, Sr.

MH – Keira Garinger, Clarksville, Sr.

MH – Eliza McKnight, Brentwood, Sr.

S – Mela Brice, Dobyns-Bennett, Sr.

S – Lauren Duncan, Brentwood, Sr.

S – Lucy O’Daniel, Science Hill, So.

S – Amanda Shanahan, Summit, Sr.

L – Isa Dau, Science Hill, Jr.

Division II-A

OH – Jada Burns, MTCS, Sr.

OH – Darby Felts, Lakeway Christian, Sr.

OH – Sadie Kroeger, PCA, Sr.

OH – Camryn Neal, Silverdale, Sr.

OH – Anna Ofenheusle, Friendship Christian, Sr.

OH – Anna Clay Shirley, MTCS, Sr.

MH – Kayte Madison Bjornstad, PCA, Sr.

MH – Sophie Easterday, Silverdale, Jr.

MH – Kendall Stansbury, Knoxville Grace, Sr.

S – Addison Addair, Lakeway Christian, Sr.

S – Bailee Culpepper, MTCS, Sr.

S – Caroline Hilton, Silverdale, Sr.

S – Sarah Johnson, Northpoint, So.

L – Addison Burks, MTCS, Sr.

L – Annie Harney, BGA, Sr.

Division II-AA

OH – Tallulah Carney, Knox Webb, Sr.

OH – Heidi Green, Father Ryan, Jr.

OH – Mia Kinney, Knox Catholic, Jr.

OH – Emma Mulvaney, Baylor, Sr.

OH – Camille Northcross, Briarcrest, Jr.

OH – Raegan Reeves, CPA, Sr.

MH – Lucy Haywood, CPA, Sr.

MH – Haylee Munsey, Knox Catholic, Sr.

MH – Nancy Ward, Briarcrest, Jr.

S – Maddie Hobbs, Pope John Paul II, Jr.

S – Elise Jensen, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.

S – Sarah O’Connor, Briarcrest, Sr.

L – Ella Fisher, Pope John Paul II, So.

L – Cat Nygaard, GPS, Jr.

L – Rory Oleksik, Baylor, Jr.

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Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Weekly Awards

Published

6 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team swept the Big West Weekly Awards after its two-match sweep of NJIT over the weekend in Honolulu.

Opposite Kristian Titriyski was named Offensive Player of the Week, setter Tread Rosenthal earned both Defensive Player of the Week and Setter of the Week, and setter Magnus Hettervik was Freshman of the Week.

For Titriyski the award marked his third career offensive recognition and seventh time he was honored by the conference with a weekly award. Rosenthal has now compiled 13 career weekly awards including his sixth setter award and first defensive honor.

Titriyski, a sophomore from Sofia, Bulgaria, averaged 3.83 kills per set and 5.17 points per set and hit .439 in the series. He was the only player on either team to record double digit kills in the two matches and also had a team-best five service aces.

Rosenthal, a junior from Austin, Texas, led the team with 11 blocks in the series for an average of 1.83 blocks per set and directed an offense to a combined .517 hitting percentage in the series with only 11 attack errors in 118 attempts. In Friday’s season-opener, he tied his career-high with eight blocks in a straight-set win.

Hettervik, a freshman from Stavanger, Norway, made his UH debut in the team’s win on Sunday and recorded three assists and his first career ace in the second set.

The Warriors will host No. 7 Loyola Chicago this week in a two-match series, Thursday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 9 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.