Sports
Former Southern Connecticut State wrestlers reconnect with coach Knauf
Former Southern Connecticut State wrestling coach Don Knauf, center with light purple shirt, met with some former Owl wrestlers recently in New Haven. More photos
It’s been more than 30 years since Don Knauf stepped away from the wrestling program he built from the ground up at Southern Connecticut State University.
His Owls won more than 200 matches and three New England championships in 21 seasons from 1974 through 1994. For 18 consecutive seasons, Southern Connecticut sent wrestlers to the NCAA Division II national championships with 16 Owls earning All-American honors.
On a warm summer evening earlier this month, Knauf, 90, was back in New Haven with some of his former wrestlers sharing memories of their days together at Southern Connecticut and catching up on their lives.
For many, it was an opportunity to thank a coach that helped shape their life and to share with Knauf, his wife, Judy, and about two dozen former teammates how wrestling has impacted their lives.
“I think the word is gratitude,” said Peter Dalaker, an All-American wrestler for the Owls in 1982. “We’re very, very grateful to you for the time you spent with us away from your family and children and all of the things you taught us.”
For the most part, the stories were not about matches won or championship trophies. It was about the lessons learned, the bonds solidified in the sweat and hard work that a team and its wrestlers do to succeed and the friendships that have endured throughout the years.
“This was one of the great days of my life,” Knauf said.
Kevin Gallagher, who wrestled at Southern from 1979-82, has been the head coach at Minisink Valley in New York for 26 years. He has more than 600 dual meet wins in his scholastic career. He was recently included in the Upstate New York chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“I take a lot of practice the way we ran it back then (at Southern Connecticut) and I do it now. We do some of the same stuff. The discipline factor, the way coach (Knauf) had control of the room. It wasn’t in your face discipline. It was expectations and that’s the way we run our (practice) room (today).”
Don Knauf, left, and former wrestler Tony Skroski. More photos
At Minisink Valley, Gallagher has coached exceptional wrestlers, including P.J. Duke, who beat three former NCAA champions in June, including four-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) at 70 kilograms (154 pounds) to secure a spot in the U.S. team heading to the world championships in September
Recently, Gallagher called Knauf to ask if he of any competitive tournaments in Florida that his team might benefit from participating in. Knauf referred Gallagher to a tournament in Jensen Beach that Minisink Valley attended for two years.
In Florida, Gallagher and his team needed a van to get to the tournament and Knauf brought a van to the airport for the team to use. Gallagher later reimbursed the Knaufs for the vehicle. “We needed a van and coach brought a van to the airport for us,” Gallagher said. “He did all this for a team he didn’t even know. That’s the kinda guy he is. The kinda guy we all know he is.”
“Skill development was not the issue,” Knauf said of his philosophy at Southern Connecticut. “What was the issue was life development, life skills. Caring for people and caring for yourself.”
“People matter more than skills. I did care about skills (on the mat) but I thought a receptive mind would develop a lot quicker than someone who didn’t feel cared for.”
Norm Forrester of Meriden had a tough time getting into the starting lineup and getting to compete on the mat. But he didn‘t feel isolated.
“You made us feel that we were part of the team,’ Forrester said. “You showed us the moves. You showed us the action and how to preserve and never give up. You told us never to quit. Learning. A lesson from you is not just about winning, it was about practice and your character.”
“I never came close to breaking into the starting lineup and you treated no different than the highly-recruited wrestlers on the team and pushed me just as hard and to be my best on the mat or in the classroom. Thank you for making me feel part of the team regardless of mat time,” said Scott Roth, who was part of the program from 1984-86.
Roth was an assistant coach in Simsbury (1989-94) before becoming a volunteer coach in South Carolina, Japan and England when he served in the Air Force. “While coaching, I tried my best to emulate your style of teaching and coaching,” Roth said.
Fred Meyers admitted he wasn’t the easiest athlete to manage in his college days. “I loved wrestling. I loved coming to practice. I loved competing. But coach straightened me out and got the best out of me,” Meyers said. Meyers earned All-American honors in 1986 with a seventh place finish at the NCAA Division II national championships.
Twenty years later, Knauf met Meyers in Las Vegas to help him through another rough patch of his life when Meyers was going through a divorce. “Twenty years after my last match at Southern, he was setting me straight again,” he said with a hearty laugh.
Tony Milner graduated in 1980 from Southern, was a long-time member of the Hartford Fire Department and coached for 16 years at Weaver High. One of Milner’s wrestlers, Jabbar Floyd, became the first Hartford wrestler to win a New England championship in 1997.
Former Southern Connecticut State wrestling coach Don Knauf, 90, was in New Haven to meet with former wrestlers earlier this month. More photos
“You created a love for wrestling and it came from you,” said Rick Babbitts, who earned All-American honors at the 1983 NCAA Division II national championships at 142 pounds. “You touched everyone.
“Look at this,” Babbitts said pointing to the gathering of former Owl wrestlers. “We’re still here, working out, coaching and still involved in the sport all of these years later.”
It was a touching event. There were a few tears, plenty of hugs and a tribute or two that stalled as the speaker fought back emotions.
Knauf was touched to see how his coaching legacy has progressed over the years through his former wrestlers.
“Mission accomplished,” he said. “I wasn’t hearing what I heard today to boost my ego. I was hearing what I heard today as kind of a report of where we are. What kind of values are my guys carrying (forward). As you heard, most of them have coached, which to me, is a positive thing.”
Under Knauf, the idea was to grow on and off the mat.
“That is the nature of coaching,” he said. “It’s not half nelsons and hammerlocks. Its doing what God put you there to do and doing it well, and care for those (around) you. And I tried to do that the best of my ability.
“That is what the key to coaching is about … developing young people to be what they can be and to carry the torch to the next level.”
Knauf, who was inducted into the Florida chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2023, wrestled in college at Ursinus. Before coming to Southern in 1971 to establish the program, Knauf coached at Williston Academy in Northampton, Mass., for eight seasons. He also was a volunteer assistant at the University of Hartford in the last 1950s and Taft School (early 60s) for two seasons each.
After Southern, he began teaching wrestling in 1996 for the summer recreational program at the local YMCA in Skowhegan, Maine where he and his wife, Judy, spent time in the summer. He did that until 2018.
In Florida, he coached Martin County High in Stuart, Florida, from 1996 through 2016 and also ran the Martin County USA Wrestling Club from 1996 to 2016. For years, including this paster winter, he has been attending practice at Martin County High twice a week to offer a tutorial for anyone who is looking for a little extra guidance.
Updated Dec. 16, 2025, 6:46 a.m. ET
The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament intensifies as the Final Four begins with two matches in at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Thursday and the national championship on Sunday.
All four No. 1 seeds (Kentucky, Pitt, Texas and Nebraska) swept their opponents in the Sweet 16. In the Elite Eight, it was a different story. Kentucky swept No. 3 Creighton, and Pitt topped No. 3 Purdue, earning a trip to its fifth consecutive Final Four. Texas A&M stunned undefeated Nebraska, and Wisconsin upset Texas to punch their tickets.
The best high-level volleyball of the year is days away. Here’s a preview of the Final Four, including matchups, lineups and X-factors to keep an eye on.
(Number before team name represents its tournament seed)
No. 1 Pitt vs. No. 3 Texas A&M
Thursday, Dec. 18: 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Pittsburgh Panthers starting lineup
Head coach: Dan Fisher
- 3 Emery Dupes | L/DS 5-6 – Redshirt Senior
- 5 Olivia Babcock | RS 6-4 – Junior
- 8 Blaire Bayless | OH 6-2 – Junior
- 10 Marina Pezelj | OH 6-1 – Freshman
- 13 Mallorie Meyer | L/DS 5-7 – Sophomore
- 17 Brook Mosher | S 6-0 – Redshirt Senior
- 20 Abbey Emch | MB 6-4 – Freshman
- 21 Bre Kelley | MB 6-4 – Redshirt Senior
X-factor: Brooke Mosher, setter
Mosher’s development throughout the season and into the NCAA tournament has been on full display. The Illinois transfer is an outstanding setter with a vicious serve that showed up when the Panthers needed it most. With a fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four on the line, Mosher rattled off back-to-back service aces against Purdue to send Pitt to Kansas City. She finished her superb Elite Eight match with four kills on .500 hitting, an incredible 47 assists, three service aces, seven digs and four blocks. Don’t sleep on Mosher.
Texas A&M Aggies starting lineup
Head coach: Jamie Morrison
- 37 Kyndal Stowers | OH 5-11 – Sophomore
- 1 Ifenna Cos-Okpalla | MB 6-2 – Senior
- 2 Addi Applegate | L/DS 5-5 – Freshman
- 9 Logan Lednicky | OPP 6-3 – Senior
- 12 Ava Underwood | L/DS 5-7 – Senior
- 16 Maddie Waak | S 5-10 – Senior
X-factor: Emily Hellmuth, outside hitter
Coming off the bench, outside hitter Emily Hellmuth helps the Aggies keep a balanced attack on offense, and when she gets going, she’s hard to stop. She’s third on the team in total kills and her powerful swing is her secret weapon. Hellmuth’s ability to shine in big moments is what has helped the Aggies make the Final Four. She was critical to the Aggies’ success against No. 1 Nebraska during the Elite Eight, providing 13 kills, two aces and four blocks. Her best tournament outing came against Campbell. She finished with 10 kills on 15 swings and a .667 hitting percentage.
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Wisconsin
Thursday, Dec. 18: Time TBD (ESPN)
Kentucky Wildcats starting lineup
Head coach: Craig Skinner
- 6 Kassie O’Brien | S 6-1 – Freshman
- 7 Eva Hudson | OH 6-1 – Senior
- 10 Kennedy Washington | MB 6-0 – Sophomore
- 11 Molly Berezowitz | DS 5-5 – Junior
- 12 Molly Tuozzo | L 5-7 – Junior
- 15 Lizzie Carr | MB 6-6 – Redshirt Junior
- 17 Brooklyn DeLeye | OH 6-2 – Junior
X factor: Lizzie Carr, middle blocker
Outside hitter duo Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson rightfully garner a lot of attention. Still, for Kentucky to make a push for a national championship, one of the keys may be middle blocker Lizzie Carr. The redshirt junior is a glue player who quietly gets the job done. She’s had multiple efficient performances during the NCAA tournament. Her best day came during a magnificent outing against Cal Poly in the Sweet 16, where she finished with 11 kills on 15 swings (with a .667 hitting percentage) and six crucial blocks.
Wisconsin Badgers starting lineup
Head coach: Kelly Sheffield
- 1 Una Vajagic | OH 6-0 – Redshirt Sophomore
- 7 Kristen Simon | L 5-8 – Freshman
- 15 Mimi Colyer | OH 6-3 – Senior
- 17 Alicia Andrew | MB 6-3 – Redshirt Senior
- 24 Charlie Fuerbringer | S 5-11 – Sophomore
- 32 Grace Egan | RS 6-1 – Redshirt Sophomore
- 52 Carter Booth | MB 6-7 – Senior
X-factor: Una Vajagic, outside hitter
Mimi Colyer and Carter Booth garner a lot of attention, but it’s Una Vajagic who is the unsung hero for the Badgers. She quietly works in the background and has had double-digit kills in each of her last three NCAA tournament matches, including 13 kills on .444 hitting and 11 digs against Stanford. The Badgers’ outside hitter also helps the team’s passing game, which they’ll need in the Final Four.
FULL COLLEGE SPORTS COMMUNICATORS RELEASE
GREENWOOD, Ind. – Four UNC Asheville volleyball student-athletes have earned Academic All-District® honors from College Sports Communicators, the organization announced Tuesday (Dec. 16).
Payton Rolfsen, Michelle Thao, Baylor Herlehy, and Albertine van der Goot represented UNC Asheville on this year’s All-District list. To qualify for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5, and appear in at least 90 percent of their team’s competitions or start in at least 66 percent.
Thao earned her second consecutive Academic All-District honor after being named to last year’s list. She was also named Big South Co-Libero of the Year, marking the first Libero of the Year honor in program history and the first on-the-court Big South major award for the program since 2000, when Kelly Budnik earned Freshman of the Year honors. UNC Asheville previously had Scholar Athlete of the Year recipients in 2023 (Ona Elkins) and 2021 (Grace Volk).
During the 2025 season, Thao played in all 30 matches and 110 sets, recording 523 digs (4.75 per set), 26 service aces, and an impressive .954 reception percentage across 585 receptions. She reached the 1,000-career-dig milestone on Oct. 17 and earned Big South Libero of the Week honors three times. Thao was also named to the Big South All-Tournament Team after helping lead the Bulldogs to their first Big South Conference Championship appearance since 2006.
Rolfsen led Asheville’s offense with 565 assists, averaging 5.28 per set. She finished second on the team with 27 service aces and totaled 18 blocks on the season. Her performance in the Big South Conference Tournament earned her All-Tournament Team honors.
In 22 matches, Herlehy recorded 137 kills and led the Bulldogs with 92 total blocks.
Van der Goot was named to the Big South All-Academic Team and earned Big South Honorable Mention recognition. She finished the season second on the team with 231 kills (2.12 per set) and ranked second in total blocks with 87.
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University Volleyball student-athletes Elli Barry, Marae Reilly and Bella Thompson were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team on Tuesday.
To be eligible, the student-athlete must maintain a 3.50 GPA, be at least a sophomore and have played in 90 percent of the team’s matches or started 66 percent of the contests.
Barry, a senior from Huntington, played in all 30 matches making 25 starts with 186 points, 162 kills and 41 blocks. Registering five contests with 10 or more kills, Barry recorded a season-high 13 in a win over UMES on September 12.
Reilly, a sophomore from Lakewood, Colorado, finished with the second-most blocks on the team at 61 while finishing third on the squad in points, 215.5, and kills, 168, playing in all 30 matches, including 29 starts. Reilly recorded a season-high 13 kills against Gardner-Webb on September 20.
Thompson, a senior from Mooresville, North Carolina, was one of just two players on the team to start all 30 matches this season as she led MU with 727 assists and registered 229 digs across 109 sets. The setter registered a season-high 50 assists against Gardner-Webb on September 20.
To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall volleyball, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall volleyball team.
For all the latest information about Marshall volleyball, follow @HerdVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
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KENT, Ohio – Kent State student-athletes Greta Bolognini, Adalynn Ginley, Mackenzie McGuire and Christina Vigil and have been named to the 2025 Academic All-District® Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. In order to be eligible for selection, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore athletic status and either competed in 90% of the team’s games or started in at least 66% of games while maintaining a 3.50 or higher cumulative grade point average.
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Charlotte, NC (December 16, 2025) – Week Two of CIAA Indoor Track and Field continued to showcase high level performances as competition intensified across early season meets. The conference saw distance excellence and strong field event execution as athletes built momentum heading deeper into the indoor season. The CIAA recognizes two student athletes for their standout performances during the week.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Faith Kiplimo, Fayetteville State
Sophomore distance runner Faith Kiplimo delivered a breakthrough performance at the JDL Early Bird Meet, recording a personal best time of 4:51.07. Her effort earned a second place finish overall while setting a new Fayetteville State school record. The mark also met the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying standard and currently ranks Kiplimo No. 1 in the Atlantic Region and No. 5 nationally in Division II. Her performance continues to establish Fayetteville State as a force in women’s distance events.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Sheree Wright, Fayetteville State
Senior high jumper Sheree Wright opened her season with a strong and composed showing at the JDL Early Bird Meet. Wright cleared 1.57 meters (5-01.75) to earn a fourth place finish in a competitive field. Her consistency and execution highlighted an encouraging start to her indoor campaign and provided a solid foundation as the season progresses.
Media Contact
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the United States and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Single game tickets for the 2026 UC San Diego men’s volleyball season are on sale now!
This season’s home slate features 14 matches – including six Big West contests – inside LionTree Arena.
Single match tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors, youth, and faculty/staff. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting UCSDTritons.com or by calling the Triton Box Office at (858) 534-1430.
Season tickets are also currently available and are $50 for adults and $40 for seniors, youth, and faculty/staff. You can purchase season tickets on the same page at UCSDTritons.com.
For additional information, contact the box office via email at triton-tix@ucsd.edu.
UC San Diego is looking to continue to rise among the Big West and the national rankings. The 2025 Tritons went 18-12 overall, the program’s most wins under head coach Brad Rostratter, who heads into his fourth season at the helm. UC San Diego was ranked as high as No. 10 in the country.
| 2026 HOME SCHEDULE | ||
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Jan. 6 | Jessup | 7pm |
| Jan. 9 | Daemen | 7pm |
| Jan. 11 | Rockhurst | 7pm |
| Jan. 23 | UCLA | 7pm |
| Feb. 11 | CUI | 7pm |
| Feb. 16 | UC Merced | 2pm |
| Feb. 27 | Vanguard | 7pm |
| March 3 | CSUN (Big West) | 7pm |
| March 9 | Princeton | 7pm |
| March 28 | UC Irvine (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 3 | Long Beach State (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 10 | Hawai’i (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 11 | Hawai’i (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 18 | UC Santa Barbara (Big West) | 7pm |
* Schedule subject to change
A complete 2026 Triton men’s volleyball schedule is available by clicking here.
——
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 began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-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 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
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