With 11 teams on board in the lower division, Group C and D action began a day earlier than the elite competition at the European Aquatics U18 Women Water Polo Championships in Malta. Favourites claimed easy wins, with Germany, Great Britain and the Czechs each winning both of their opening matches. Meanwhile the meeting of Slovakia and Romania produced the tournament’s first shootout.
The opening day at the EA U18 Women Water Polo Championships in Malta produced fierce battles, including a shootout, between Romania and Slovakia. Credit:Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics
Group C: Germans win two, hosts Malta upend Ireland
Among the teams playing two matches on the opening day, Germany made the most out of it as they landed six points with fine wins over Ukraine and Ireland.
The Irish couldn’t match the power of the German players in their Group C match. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics
The Irish lost both their matches. The first, against Malta, produced a great battle where the hosts started taking control in the second period and went 7-4 up three minutes before the middle break. Their rivals fought back to 7-7, and after the score had levelled again at 8-8 Malta scored twice more in the last two minutes. Eyla Schembri and Ella Miceli went on adding goals in the fourth and Malta seemed to get control once more at 13-9. The Irish halved the gap in a span of 38 seconds and had a 6 on 5 after a time-out but missed it. Elisa Amato’s great goal from the centre 30 seconds from time sealed Malta’s win. The host team;s goalie, Miia Clarke, who turned 12 (yes, 12) three weeks ago, did a splendid job in the red cap.
Malta’s 12-year-old goalie Miia Clarke was hugely instrumental in their opening day win over Ireland. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics
Serbia began the final match of the day, against Ukraine, at 21.30. And they staged a Late Night Show as they won a 28-goal game with a convincing performance. The Ukrainians came back to 5-5 after trailing 4-1 in the first period, but the Serbs came up with 4-0 run in the last three minutes before the middle break and never looked back.
Group D: Czechs and Brits bag six points apiece
Group D saw two full rounds today in which Czechia and Great Britain got off to a great start with wins in the morning and evening. The match between Slovakia and Romania ended in a shootout..
Czechia, playing the opening game of the event, hit 13 right away in the first period against Bulgaria and stopped at 34. In the afternoon, they did a clean job once more, this time at the expense of the Swiss.
The Czechs (in white caps) showed little mercy against the Bulgarians in the opening match. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics
Switzerland managed a more balanced match against Slovakia but they ran out of steam in the fourth period. Trailing just 7-5 after three quarters, they conceded three in a row in the last one as the Slovakians sailed away with the win.
The Slovaks had another tough test in the evening, against Romania. Though they led 0-3 in the first, the Romanians scored twice in the last half minute and it was 4-4 at half-time. Romania added three more in the third to make it 7-4 and were 8-5 up before the final quarter. At 9-6 with 3:11 to go, Romania seemed to have it. However, the Slovaks pulled one back with 1:43 on the clock and while the Romanians became was too passive, two pinpoint shots from Alina Kopolovets inside the last minute forced the match to a shoot-out. But this only earned one point for the Slovaks as the Romanians buried all their shots while one bad miss from the Slovaks decided the match.
Romania’s shooters celebrate their shoot-out win over Slovakia. Credit: Aniko Kovacs/European Aquatics
Great Britain had no headaches on the opening day, entertaining their enthusiastic fan base with a 10-goal victory over the Romanians shortly before noon and caming back to set a scoring record against Bulgaria as they netted 36.
Tomorrow will see the elite sides hit the pool. The first big match, starting at 08.30, will feature Hungary and The Netherlands.
Enjoy all matches live on our streaming platform – www.euroaquaticstv.com
Follow our livescoring site for results and more – https://results.microplustimingservices.com/ewpcU18w25/#/schedule-bydate/ASF
CONWAY, S.C. — Coastal Carolina signed four student-athletes during the early signing period, announced head coach Steve Loeswick on Friday.
Talia Johnson will enroll early and join the Chanticleers this spring, while Abby Bucey, Isabele Filardo, and Viara Parapunova will join the program for the fall semester.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome this group into our Coastal volleyball family,” Loeswick said. “This class brings a great balance of size, athleticism, ball control, and international experience; each of these student-athletes fits the culture and competitive mindset we’re building within our program. They are high-level competitors who love the game and are eager to grow, and we can’t wait to get them on campus and in teal.”
Bucey is a 5-foot-7 libero from Tampa, Fla., who attends Plant High School and plays for No Name Volleyball Club. As a sophomore, she helped Plant capture the 2023 Florida High School Athletic Association Class 7A state championship and earn runner-up finishes in each of the following two seasons. She received AAU All-America honors in 2023.
“Abby is an elite-level libero who brings toughness, consistency, and leadership to the backcourt,” Loeswick said. “She reads the game extremely well and has a great platform. Coming from No Name Volleyball Club, she has been trained at a high level and will immediately raise the level of our ball control and defensive culture.”
Filardo is a 6-foot-1 outside hitter from Brazil who attended Vila Militar College and competed on the club circuit for Círculo Militar do Paraná. She led her team to a second-place finish at the 2025 Brazilian National Teams Championships after capturing the title at the 2025 Brazilian Youth Games National Championship.
“Isabele brings a wealth of international experience that is rare at this stage,” Loeswick said. “Competing at a high level both indoors and on the beach while representing Brazil has shaped her into a versatile, skilled and composed athlete. Her physicality and volleyball IQ will be a big asset to our program.”
Johnson is a 6-foot outside hitter from Savannah, Ga., who attends Richmond Hill High School and plays for ClubSAV. She was voted the 2025 Georgia High School Association Class AAAAAA Player of the Year and Co-Offensive Player of the Year. Johnson also earned Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAAAAA all-state honors. She was selected to the 2024 AVCA All-Region Team after being named to the AVCA Phenom Watch List before the season.
“Talia is a dynamic pin attacker with great size and physicality,” Loeswick said. “She can score in a variety of ways and plays with confidence and intensity. Her work ethic and competitive edge really stood out to us, and we believe she has a high ceiling in our system.”
Parapunova is a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Bulgaria who helped lead her national team to the 2025 FIVB U19 World Championship and the 2024 CEV U18 European Championship. She also competed for Levski Sofia on the club circuit, helping her team earn a silver medal at the 2025 Bulgarian Cup.
“Viara is a high-level competitor who has already proven herself on the international stage,” Loeswick said. “She plays with speed, intensity and a strong all-around game, and her experience against top global competition will translate well to the collegiate level.”
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 8, 2026) – Two of the most accomplished beach volleyball players in the United States, Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft, have announced a new partnership that brings together two elite-level athletes, one with Olympic experience and the other a rising world talent, as they look to represent the U.S. at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
This new partnership brings together Cheng, a two-time Olympian, World champion, and one of beach volleyball’s most decorated stars, and Kraft, a standout young competitor with national championships and top honors at every level of competition. Both were highly successful athletes at USC, where each captured multiple NCAA national titles and All-American recognitions. They will look to establish that same level of success with their new partnership
“I’ve watched Meg grow into one of the most complete beach players in the world,” said Cheng. “We both share a deep drive to compete, improve, and represent our country with pride. But even more than that, we share a deep commitment to our faith. This partnership is about building something big together, not just for one season, but for the long run. We want to inspire the next generation of beach volleyball players here in the United States.”
“Kelly is a fierce competitor and a proven winner,” said Kraft. “I think our playing styles and personalities fit really well, and I’m beyond excited to have the chance to compete alongside her with the ultimate goal being the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. That would be a dream come true!”
The duo will be coached by Jordan Cheng and assistant coach Mike Placek.
Cheng, 30, is a two-time Olympian and has won an elite-level tournament with multiple partners since 2019 (Sarah Sponcil, Betsi Flint, Sara Hughes, and Molly Shaw) and is recognized as one of the best attackers in the world. A four-time NCAA national champion, All-American, and Player of the Year (2017) at USC, she is one of the most successful collegiate beach volleyball players of all time.
Kraft, 23, is a rising star in beach volleyball, who dominated at USC with four NCAA national championships and was named the 2024 AVCA Collegiate Beach Player of the Year. Just a few months after graduating from USC, Kraft was named the 2024 Beach Pro Tour Rookie of the Year. She has already achieved success on both domestic and international circuits. She made her AVP debut at the age of 16 and has medaled in multiple FIVB events with former partner, Terese Cannon.
One of the best volleyball players in history announced Friday she’s closing the chapter on her historic volleyball playing career.
Husker and Olympic legend Jordan Larson, who now plays for the Omaha team in League One Volleyball, said this will be her final season as a player.
In a news conference Friday morning, Larson said “every gym, every jersey, every team, coach and band has played a role” in her playing career.
“This season isn’t about an ending. It’s about celebrating that made the journey possible,” Larson said. “After this year, I’ll be stepping away from competitive volleyball, and rather than making this the finish line, I want to spend the season honoring the people, places and moments that shaped it all.”
The volleyball great fought tears as she spoke about her last season playing competitive volleyball. She said she wants to spend the season honoring the “people, places and moments that shaped it all.”
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to play this game alongside people who have challenged me, pushed me and supported me and believe in something bigger than myself,” she said. “None of this would have happened alone. This season is for the shared work, the memories and the lessons, and for the love for the game that has been constant from the very beginning.”
She said she’s grateful for every season spent on the court and is excited for her last one to be with the Omaha Supernovas, in a state where it all started.
“I’m grateful for every step… and how special it is for me to be home and be able to do this in front of a state that just really loves volleyball,” Larson said.
Larson, from Hooper, Nebraska, was a Husker player from 2005-2008, helping lead the team to a 127-8 record, including a runner-up finish in 2005 and a national championship in 2006.
She was a three-time All-American and was inducted into the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020.
As an Olympian, Larson was on four medal-winning teams, including the team that won the gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The four medals ties for most all time for any player. She also played on numerous other teams that won gold medals in international competitions.
Her 15-year pro career has included stints with teams in Russia, China, Turkey and Italy. She spent her final two years in Omaha, where in addition to playing, she also became a co-owner of the Omaha team.
Larson also spent time as an assistant coach at Nebraska, helping lead the 2023 team to a 33-2 record and a national runner-up finish.
The Grambling State University track & field head coach Lamonte Vaughn Jr. announced the addition of Hagan Landry to the staff as an assistant coach.
Landry joins GSU after spending the 2024-25 season as the throws coach at West Virginia State University, where his athletes broke six school records across the men’s and women’s programs. He also coached freshman Anthony Belcher to a conference championship in the discus.
Prior to his coaching career, Landry competed professionally for 11 years as a member of the United States Paralympic Track & Field Team under the guidance of Lawrence Judge.
He earned a silver medal in the shot put at the 2021 Paralympic Games and a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships, currently holds the Americas record, and ranks fourth on the all-time world list in the shot put.
A native of Delcambre, Louisiana, Landry brings elite competitive experience to the Grambling track and field program.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Brooklyn College Director of Athletics Erik Smiles announced the appointment of Lauren Caiaccia as Head Coach of the Brooklyn College Women’s Volleyball program, following her highly successful tenure as Interim Head Coach during the final stretch of the 2025 season.
Taking over at the helm of the program as the Bulldogs were on a four-match skid, Caiaccia was victorious in her first match coached at Brooklyn as BC defeated CCNY, 3-1, on October 14. Brooklyn would then win their second straight match under Caiaccia’s guidance at St. Elizabeth five days later.
Caiaccia’s immediate impact continued as she led Brooklyn to their first CUNYAC Championship match since 2022 following a quarterfinal win over Lehman and a dramatic 3-2 semifinal victory at Baruch. Brooklyn finished the final 13 matches with a winning record under her leadership. Three Bulldogs would go on to earn Second Team All-CUNYAC honors.
“I am thrilled to welcome Lauren to Brooklyn as our next Women’s Volleyball Head Coach, Smiles would comment. “Her knowledge of the game, coaching and development abilities in practice, and her local ties made her a perfect fit to move our program forward.”
Well-known in CUNYAC volleyball, Caiaccia had a successful tenure at Hunter College where she led the women’s volleyball program to four straight conference titles (1999-2002). She would be named CUNYAC Coach of the Year following the 2001 conference championship run. Her success was not limited to the women’s game as she guided the Hunter men’s volleyball team to CUNYAC Championships in 1999 and 2003, and was named CUNYAC Coach of the Year following both seasons. She would go on to earn regional recognition in 2003 by being named the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Coach of the Year. Caiaccia has the historic distinction of being the first woman to lead a collegiate men’s volleyball program to 100 wins. In addition to her coaching duties, Caiaccia served as Assistant Director of Athletics at Hunter.
“She brought together a great mix of college and high school coaching success and spent time as an administrator as well, she understands what it takes to build a program from all of the different angles involved,” Smiles would add.
Following her success at Hunter, Caiaccia took over as Head Coach of the women’s and men’s volleyball teams at another CUNYAC member, CCNY. There, she coached the 2006 CUNYAC Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year while finishing up her second bachelor’s degree in Physical Education.
Since 2007, Caiaccia has taught Physical Education at Townsend Harris High School. In addition to teaching, she served as the school’s Director of Athletics for eight years, overseeing 31 teams. Caiaccia is in her 19th season as Head Coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team, guiding the program to a pair of PSAL semifinal appearances, three quarterfinal appearances, and multiple divisional titles. She has also coached the boys’ varsity volleyball team to its only divisional championship in six years at the helm of the program.
“I’m excited to be back coaching college volleyball and beyond grateful to have this opportunity specifically at Brooklyn College,” Coach Caiaccia commented on her appointment.
A highly decorated student-athlete at Binghamton University, Caiaccia was a member of the women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, and track and field teams. Starring as an outside hitter in volleyball, Caiaccia served as team captain as a senior and graduated with six school records while helping the program to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, SUNYAC, and state crowns. Caiaccia has the distinct honor of being a two-time Hall of Fame inductee at Binghamton. First, as an individual in 2004 and most recently in 2025 as a member of the 1995 women’s volleyball team.
Also an accomplished academic, Caiaccia holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology and Master of Business Administration from Binghamton University and a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Queens College. She has gone on to earn an advanced degree in Educational Leadership and holds New York State Licenses as a School Building Leader as well as a School District Leader. Caiaccia has also served as an adjunct professor in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
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SERIES HISTORY – MOUNT OLIVE • Penn State and Mount Olive will meet for the 12th time in the series history. • The Nittany Lions won the most recent meeting by a 3-1 score to open the 2018 season. That match was also played at Rec Hall. Calvin Mende hit .667 with 15 kills and three blocks in the win. Jalen Penrose hit .615 with 10 kills, two blocks, and four aces. • Every match in the series was played at Rec Hall. Penn State swept the first 10 before losing the one set in 2018.
Year
Winner
Score
Location
2005
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2008
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2009
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2011
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2012
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2013
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2014
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2015
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2016
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2017
Penn State
3-0
Rec Hall
2018
Penn State
3-1
Rec Hall
PENN STATE VS. CONFERENCE CAROLINAS • Penn State is unbeaten at 19-0 all-time against current members of the Conference Carolinas. • The Nittany Lions have played six of the eight teams — Mount Olive (11-0), Lees-McRae (3-0), Erskine (2-0), Belmont Abbey (1-0), King (1-0), and North Greenville (1-0). • Penn State last played Conference Carolinas teams in 2024 when it swept both King and Lees-McRae.
