San Marcos and Santa Barbara High’s top pairings advanced to the Round of 16 at the opening day of the CIF-SS Beach Volleyball Individual Pairs Tournament on Monday in Huntington Beach.

Josie Gamberdella and Cora Loomer represented the Royals while Keenan Engebretson and Lola Heckman suited up for the Dons in the 64-team tournament. The Round of 16 will be played on Wednesday.

“It’s great to have the Channel League and Santa Barbara represented with two pairs in the top 16 of CIF Southern Section,” Santa Barbara High head coach Kristin Hempy said.

Gamberdella and Loomer, the No. 7 seed, went 3-0 in pool play to finish atop their pool and punch their ticket to the single-elimination 32-team tournament bracket.

The duo won its first-round match in two sets, 21-9, 21-15, to advance to the Round of 16. 

“Gamberdella and Loomer played consistent side-out volleyball while scoring points with their serving, blocking, and defense,” San Marcos head coach Tim Loomer said. 

“The level of competition will quickly rise as the tournament advances and continuing this consistency will be a key to moving forward.”

Engebretson and Heckman went undefeated in pool play as well with wins over San Juan Hills (28-12), Mayfair (28-13) and St. Anthony’s (28-20).

“In both early matches, the girls used tough, smart serving to disrupt the passing of San Juan and Mayfair,” Hempy said. “Keenan had a particularly strong morning on offense, with strong swings and smart shots. 

“Lola was big at the net on defense, putting up a strong block and had some excellent hitting as well.”

In the Round of 32, the Dons’ pairing captured a two-set win over Capistrano Valley, 21-9, 21-10.

“Keenan and Lola continued the trend of the day with strong serves, consistent passing, good communication, a smart offensive combo of shots and swings, and a big block up on defense to win,” Hempy said.

For the third time this year, No. 2 Scripps Ranch and No. 4 Point Loma faced off in beach volleyball — this time in a CIF San Diego Section Open Division playoff elimination game.

Ultimately, the Pointers’ depth prevailed, getting wins from their Nos. 3, 4 and 5 pairs to edge out the Falcons in Tuesday’s quarterfinals, 3-2. Point Loma will face the loser of No. 1 Cathedral Catholic and No. 3 Torrey Pines Thursday with a chance to advance to Saturday’s Open Division final through the losers bracket

“It kind of shows what the sport is, because we’re not just a one team,” Pointers coach Ricci Luyties said. “You have to have all the teams playing well, and you never know where those wins are going to come from.

“That’s where it’s such a team game. It seems like it’s two, but it’s really the full team. It’s so important.”

The Pointers (16-5) got its first point from their No. 3 pairing of Lily Hagopian and Sibby Parry, who won 21-13, 22-20 against Scripps Ranch’s Bailie Bishop and Mila Gehren.

“It started off rough, but then me and Sibby came in stronger after our time out, and it all ended up working out,” Hagopian said of the tight second set.

Hagopian and Parry trailed 20-18 before winning the next four points to take the match.

Simultaneously, Point Loma’s No. 2 team of Grace Passmen and Addie Hughes lost 14-21, 21-16, 7-15 to Scripps Ranch’s Riley McDonald and Ella Fournier.

That meant both teams split the first two matches heading into the final three pairings.

Scripps Ranch, which was down a couple of teams due to injury, went to a junior varsity team of Vivienne Nguyen and Avarie Barstow. Point Loma’s No. 4 pairing of Lili Smith and Lila Schroder bested them in straight sets, 21-14, 21-10.

Point Loma’s No. 5 pairing, Genesie Devers and Becca Aylsworth, won four of the final five points to the second set before winning the third set to earn the clinching point, 15-21, 21-17, 15-6.

“They’ve kind of done that the past three or four tournaments where they’re going three every time, losing the first and then coming back and winning,” Luyties said. “They kept the faith that they were going to do it.”

The final match of the day featured the schools’ top pairing between Point Loma’s Caroline Tadder and Aurora Fernandez versus Scripps Ranch’s Kristen White and Elyse Taschner.

White and Taschner lost the first set, 21-13, before rallying back to win the next two sets, 21-18 and 15-9.

“It’s interesting because I haven’t seen our 1s lose, except to Cathedral,” Luyties said. “It’s kind of surprising because I’ve gotten to expect them to win. It might be a good thing. They didn’t cruise through a game that they’re focused for the next one. So, I’m hoping that that’s how it translates.”

Originally Published: May 6, 2025 at 7:39 PM PDT

EAGLE ROCK, Calif. – The University of San Diego Torero runners finished their track season at Jack Kemp Stadium at Occidental College over the weekend.

Seven seniors were honored in what was their last meet of their collegiate careers and as Toreros for life with outstanding contributions to the development of both the USD Cross Country and Track programs: Shelby Page, Morgan Robinson, Quinn Whitely, Isabelle Jarosek, Stella Smith, and Aryam Jaimes.

 “The seniors are outstanding student-athletes that are all so unique, and yet all so special,” Head Coach Will Guarino said. “I have loved watching them grow up and embrace competition and build a team that loves and supports them. They will be missed, and they are a group that could never be replaced. They will now focus on graduate work, and building their professional careers.”

The Toreros kicked off the action with fourth and fifth-fastest all-time performances in the 400-meter sprint by grad Olivia Gaspar and sophomore Lilly Dow respectively.  

In the 800m, the team shined, with outstanding performances from the collective group. They were led by redshirt-senior Aryam Jaimes’ third-place finish in her heat, which matched her best personal time, the fifth-fastest all-time performance by a Torero. In the following heat, freshman Kara Curry turned on the jets and raced to a victory and a ninth-fastest USD all-time performance. Fellow freshman Kaitlyn McQuillen followed up with a program top-20 800m individual performance.

The 1500m continued to be a strong event for the Toreros and particularly for junior Lizzie McVey, as she won her heat and ran a strong time of 4:48.60. Jaimes, in her second event of the day, led the women’s group completing in the 5K in ninth place and racing to an 11th-best USD time ever to conclude all competition. 

Up Next

Select Toreros will turn to racing in select events with hopes of qualifying for the NCAA West Regional Championships, taking place in E.B. Cushing Stadium on Texas A&M’s campus in College Station, Texas from May 28-31.

DORA, Mo. — The Dora R-III School District has announced the hiring of Brandi Montgomery as the new head coach of the Lady Falcons volleyball team and the district’s physical education and weights instructor.

Montgomery, a Willow Springs High School alumna, brings more than two decades of coaching experience to the role. She began her collegiate volleyball career at Central Methodist University before earning her degree from Missouri State University. Over the last 24 years, she has coached at both the junior high and high school levels, most recently in a rural school setting.

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According to school officials, Montgomery’s deep understanding of athletics, paired with her commitment to small-school values, made her a standout candidate for the position.

“She brings a wealth of experience and a strong appreciation for the close-knit, family-oriented environment that defines schools like Dora,” a district representative said.

Montgomery and her husband, Greg, have two sons, Landon and Ryan. She said her family is looking forward to becoming involved in the Dora community.

She will succeed Coach Perkins and plans to build on the program’s current foundation while continuing to promote growth and excellence among student-athletes.

Montgomery is set to begin her duties ahead of the upcoming school year.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The sixth-ranked Pepperdine men’s volleyball team opens 2025 NCAA Tournament play as the fifth seed against seventh-ranked and fourth-seeded Loyola Chicago with first serve set for 4:30 p.m. PT Thursday, May 8.
 
COVERAGE – The quarterfinals and semifinals are to be streamed on ESPN+ with the championship airing on ESPN2. Tickets, stat and watch links can be found on pepperdinewaves.com.
 
FAMILIAR TERRITORY – No strangers to Columbus, the Pepperdine men’s volleyball squad will open its 19th NCAA Tournament berth against seventh-ranked and fourth-seeded Loyola Chicago in the quarterfinal round. The Waves won their first NCAA Championship in CBus, with two five-set wins over Ohio State (semifinals) and UCLA (finals) in 1978 with Marv Dunphy at the helm. Pepperdine has won a total of five championships since that year, also earning the trophy in 1985, 1986, 1992 and 2005.
 
LAST TIME OUT — With arguably the toughest route to the championship, Pepperdine ripped through the MPSF Tournament two weeks ago, defeating the likes of #11 GCU (QF), #2 UCLA (SF) and #5 USC (F) en route to its seventh league trophy in program history. Outside Ryan Barnett was named MVP after leading all hitters in the bracket with 4.75 kills per set while recording 57 total kills through nine sets. The redshirt junior earned career-highs in 23 kills, 25.5 points and 11 digs against USC. Ilay Haver also had a nice run through the three matches, but shined in the championship contest, recording 18 digs to go with a .950 reception percentage and 11 kills. Libero Jacob Reilly and oppo Cole Hartke also made the All-Tournament team.
 
ALL-AMERICAN FELLAS — Five members of the team were honored as AVCA Division I-II Men’s Volleyball All-America selections, announced earlier this week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Outside hitter Ryan Barnett was named to the AVCA First Team, while Cole Hartke and Jacob Reilly earned Second Team honors. Gabe Dyer and James Eadie received Honorable Mention accolades. Barnett ranks in the top-25 nationally in four statistical categories: aces per set, hitting percentage, kills per set and points per set. The redshirt-junior leads the Waves kills per set (3.65) and is second on the team in points per set (4.37). He recorded double-digit kills in 21 of 22 matches played, including a season high 23 kills in the MPSF Tournament championship against USC. Barnett also tallied 45 aces and 119 digs on the year. Hartke is the highest scoring freshman in the country, averaging 4.38 points per set. The freshman totaled 335 kills in 92 sets, hitting at a .310 clip. He averaged 3.64 kills and 0.52 blocks per set. Reilly earned the only libero nod on the first and second team as we tallied 185 digs this season and collected a season high 12 digs in the MPSF Tournament championship against USC. He also added 42 assists in 28 matches. Reilly also completed the MPSF regular season as the most efficient libero in the conference, recording the least amount of reception errors and resulting in a .958 reception percentage. Dyer directed the Pepperdine offense to a .328 team hitting percentage, which ranks eighth in NCAA Division I-II. He averaged 9.66 assists per set and added 29 blocks, 176 digs, and 9 service aces over 29 matches. Eadie recorded 124 kills (1.61 per set) while hitting .410 across 23 matches. He leads the waves with .974 blocks per set while gathering a total 0f 75 on the season.
 
FOTY — Freshman opposite Cole Hartke completed the 2025 MPSF season at fourth for kills per set (3.64) and services aces per set (.46), as the conference awarded him
with Freshman of the Year. Hartke produced double-digit kills in 18 regular season matches, including in all 12 of MPSF competition. He had a 24-kill outing, just two kills off the MPSF season-high, with a .475 clip against Loyola-Chicago (Jan. 30). He was named MPSF/Molten Offensive Player of the Week twice this year (Apr. 7, Mar. 3), following a 36-kill and 33-kill MPSF series vs. Grand Canyon and USC, respectively. Hartke, the only freshman named to this year’s All-MPSF first team, is Pepperdine’s fifth MPSF Freshman of the Year recipient (Ethan Watson, 2024; Jonathan Winder, 2005; Sean Rooney, 2002; Scott Wong, 1998).
 
ALL-MPSF SELECTIONS — Ryan Barnett, Jacob Reilly and Gabe Dyer also earned All-MPSF honors, landing on the first team, second team and honorable mention lists, respectively. Barnett ranks among the league’s top hitters and servers, sitting third in aces (43), eighth in hitting percentage (.341), and tied for sixth in kills (315). Reilly leads the MPSF in reception efficiency and ranks sixth in digs (163), while Dyer is fourth in assists (884) and eighth in digs (160), also tallying multiple career-high performances this season.
 
FAMILY TIES – Libero and recent serving ace Brendan Read will have a little more on the table against Loyola Chicago as his brother– Jake Read– will be playing across the net in a Ramblers uniform. Hailing from Newport Beach, the brothers are only separated by a couple of years, as Brendan– a senior– graduated from Pepperdine last week and Jake is currently in his sophomore season in Chicago.
 
ON THE RAMBLERS – As a team, LUC ranks fifth in the nation in aces per set (1.82), first in assists per set (12.5), third in blocks per set (2.57) and first in kills per set (13.35). The Ramblers finished the 2025 regular season 22-3 while remaining undefeated in nonconference play. In March, the team defeated No. 7 CSUN, seeing their highest-ranked competition of the season go down in five sets. LUC blew through the MIVA Tournament with three triple-set wins en route to the conference crown. In January, the Waves attempted to reverse sweep the Ramblers while meeting in Malibu but were bested by Loyola Chicago 3-2. Pepperdine fell into a three-game slump that week after taking top-ranked Long Beach State to five sets just days before the Ramblers and Waves met. LUC leads the all-time record with Pepperdine at 3-1.
 
POTENTIAL OPPS — Should the Waves win on Thursday, the likes of either top-seeded Long Beach State or eighth-seed Belmont Abbey Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET in the semifinals.
 
FOLLOW — Follow the Waves on Facebook and X, @PeppVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram and TikTok, @peppmvb. Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.
 
ROSTER NUMBERS — The Waves are returning 11 players this season, including five starters, while also adding 15 new faces to the squad. MPSF Freshman of the Year, Ethan Watson, returns for Pepperdine after coming in second on the team for total blocks, posting 74 throughout his 60 sets played. Outside hitter, Ryan Barnett, ranked in the top five in three separate statistical categories for the team last season, including posting 200 kills, 82 digs, and 14 service aces throughout his 80 sets played. Sophomore setter, Ryan Graves, is also returning for his second year after leading the team in assists as the key playmaker for Pepperdine last season. Graves posted 596 assists 18 kills, and five service aces during the 2024 season.
 
FRESH FACES — Pepperdine has 15 newcomers this season, including 11 freshmen and four transfers. Outside hitter, Cole Hartke joins the Waves as a three-time JVA All-American, Volleyball Magazine All-American, member of the U21 Men’s National Team, and won gold this season at the Norceca Pan-Am Championship. Outside, Jose Gomez also joins the squad after having international experience playing with Cuba’s U19 and U21 National teams, playing in three Norceca Pan-Am Cups. Joining the Waves in January is freshman Grant Lamoureux who served as the captain for the U19 National Indoor Team this summer at the Norceca Continental Championship, helping the team capture a gold medal. He is a two-time AAU All-American and a three-time JVA All-American, and in the sand placed ninth at the Beach 2024 U19 World Championships in China. The Waves’ transfer crew includes graduate student brothers George and Gabe Dyer who came to Pepperdine after playing for UC San Diego and USC, respectively. Jacob Reilly joins Pepperdine from Concordia University Irvine, after playing two seasons as a libero for the Golden Eagles.
 
2024 SEASON — Pepperdine concluded the 2024 campaign ranked #10 in the country.  The Waves went 17-11 overall and finished fifth in the MPSF regular season after tallying a 5-7 league record. The Waves faced Stanford in the MPSF Tournament, falling in the first round.
 
COACHES — Returning for his fifth season as an associate head coach, Matthew Pollock will rejoin the sidelines for the Waves.  With Pollock on the staff, the Waves advanced to the NCAA Tournament and finished with a #5 ranking in both 2021 and 2022.  Pollock played for the Waves from 2009-12 and was a starter middle blocker in his final two seasons, earning All-MPSF honors as a senior.  He played professionally in Finland, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. Luke Reynolds joined the Waves’ sideline this summer after serving as a head coach for the University of Charleston’s program. He also was recently hired as Team USA’s collegiate national men’s team assistant coach in 2024. While with the Golden Eagles for three seasons, Reynolds led the team to 44 wins and a .543 winning percentage.  He garnered EIVA Coach of the Year in 2023 after leading the program to a 22-7 record with a 14-match winning streak to open the season.  That year, the team entered the AVCA national coaches polls for the first time in program history. Will Craft also joined the staff as an assistant in July 2023, bringing a wealth of playing and coaching experience at both the professional and collegiate levels.  He most recently served as the head men’s coach at Dominican (DIII) and was named Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year.  He was an All-American at Carthage before playing with SVG.
 
STAY CONNECTED
Keep up with all things Pepperdine Athletics by following the Waves on X and Instagram and find more on PepperdineWaves.com.

FRANKFORT, IL — Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 has announced two new head coaches who have been hired for the 2025-2026 school year at Lincoln-Way East.

Luke Yaklich will lead the boys varsity basketball team next year, as well as teach social science; and Jared Bruni will take over as the head boys water polo coach, the District said.

Bruni is a 2018 graduate of Lincoln-Way East. The District said he was a standout water polo athlete when he was a student, and has also served as an assistant coach for the past two years.

Yaklich joins Lincoln-Way East after several years coaching basketball at the collegiate level. The District said he was the assistant coach at Illinois State, Michigan and Texas, and the head coach at the University of Illinois-Chicago from 2020 to 2024. He has also taught and coached at LaSalle-Peru High, Sterling and Joliet West.