COLUMBUS, Ohio — Back at the site of a national championship run, the University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team continued its quest for a third title with a four-set win over Penn State in the quarterfinals of the National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship on Thursday at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.
 
After trailing by eight early in the opening set, the second-seeded Rainbow Warriors roared back then held off the No. 7-seeded Nittany Lions on their way to a 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23 victory.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (27-5) advanced to face UCLA (21-6) in a semifinal match on Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (2 p.m. Hawai’i Time). The Bruins swept Belmont Abbey in Thursday’s first quarterfinal match. UH and UCLA will add another chapter to their storied rivalry in their first meeting since the Bruins’ 3-1 win in the 2023 NCAA Championship final in Fairfax, Va.
 
UH freshman Finn Kearney led the Warriors with 16 kills and fired a season-high four aces, three coming in the opening set. Middle blockers Justin Todd and Kurt Nusterer combined for 17 kills on .667 hitting and were in on seven of UH’s 10 blocks.
 
Todd finished eight kills on 10 error-free attempts, including match point, and also contributed two aces and four blocks. Nusterer, a senior from Indianapolis, added nine kills on 14 swings while hitting .571 and had three blocks in his return to the Midwest.
 
Outside hitter Louis Sakanoko also had nine kills and delivered three aces, two coming in the fourth set to help the Warriors close out the match. All-America setter Tread Rosenthal distributed 38 assists and put away five kills of his own.
 

It’s official… we’re on to the semifinals#WarriorBall25 x #GoBows pic.twitter.com/RpUIwC5D4S

— Hawai’i Men’s Volleyball (@HawaiiMensVB) May 8, 2025

 
UH captured the 2021 NCAA crown in the Covelli Center and opened the program’s 10^th appearance in the national championship tournament with its second win over Penn State this season. The Warriors swept the Nittany Lions in the OUTRIGGER Invitational on March 14 and managed to fend off the upset bid in Thursday’s rematch.
 
Penn State scored the first six points of the match before Nusterer got UH on the board.  The Nittany Lions’ attack started 7 for 8 without an error and their lead grew to 11-3. Kearney turned the momentum with three aces in a 9-0 UH run to propel the Warriors to their first lead of the day. After UH opened up a three-point cushion, Penn State tied the set again at 17-17. But UH went on an 8-2 surge to pull away and closed out the set hitting .367 to Penn State’s .148.
 
Penn State took a 16-14 lead midway through the second set and built a 21-16 margin. The Nittany Lions led 23-18 after UH’s eighth attack error of the set. UH fought off two set points on kills by Nusterer and Kearney but Penn State finished off the set to even the match.
 
Penn State again took a lead early in the third set before UH moved ahead at 15-13 with a 5-1 run heading into the technical timeout. The Warriors edged ahead and took a 21-18 lead when Sakanoko landed an ace in front of the Penn State defense. The Nittany Lions answered back to tie the set at 22-22. After a Penn State attack sailed long, Rosenthal fired another ace to give UH set point. Penn State stayed alive for a point but Nusterer split the block for his sixth kill to end the set.
 

2 Sets pic.twitter.com/JuVE2DcNq5

— Hawai’i Men’s Volleyball (@HawaiiMensVB) May 8, 2025

 
The fourth set was again tight and Sakanoko pushed UH ahead at 18-17 with back-to-back aces. There were five ties before UH took a 23-22 lead on a Penn State error. Todd and Sakanoko then combined on a block that was upheld after a review to give UH match point. After a Penn State kill and a UH timeout, Todd hammered his final kill to close out the match.  
 

Todd called GAME! #WarriorBall25 x #GoBows pic.twitter.com/SdQ0rRl59M

— Hawai’i Men’s Volleyball (@HawaiiMensVB) May 8, 2025

 
Penn State’s Matthew Luoma led the Nittany Lions with a match-high 17 kills and Will Kuhns added 11 kills.
 

#HawaiiMVB

by Mark McDermott and Liz Mullen 

Braun Levi, an 18-year-old Loyola High School tennis star, was tragically killed by a suspected drunk driver while crossing Sepulveda Boulevard shortly after midnight Sunday. 

The accident occurred in the early hours of May 4 after Braun and three of his friends left a nearby gathering and went to find some food. At 12:46 a.m., the Manhattan Beach Police Department responded to a report of a collision on the 100 block of South Sepulveda. Officers arrived to find Levi laying on the street next to an SUV with a dented hood and broken windshield. He was transported to a local hospital but died from his injuries shortly thereafter. 

Police arrested Jenia Belt, a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident. MBPD’s initial press release indicated Bell was charged with drunk driving and murder. As of Wednesday, she remains in the MBPD jail, and the agency responsible for prosecution, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, has yet to file charges. 

“The case remains under review,” a District Attorney spokesperson said Wednesday. 

The LA Times reported Monday that Belt was driving with a suspended license due to a previous DUI charge. 

According to sources at Mira Costa High School, where the boys who were with Braun are students, they were at a nearby party in East Manhattan Beach and left to find something to eat. Two of the boys had crossed, and another was at the median and had just turned to urge his friend to hurry when the car struck him. The boy called 911 and waited with Levi as police and paramedics arrived. The accident took place just two blocks from where 18-year-old MCHS student Ford Savela lost his life in January, struck by a drunk driver. The student who called 911 was also a friend of Savela. He and the other boys are receiving grief counseling at MCHS. 

Levi and his family were from Pacific Palisades but had relocated to Hermosa Beach after losing their home to the wildfires in January. Levi was ranked 50th nationally as a tennis player and was committed to the University of Virginia next fall. Just days before the acciden t, he and his doubles partner had won their fourth consecutive Mission League championship. He was a four year varsity player and team captain. 

But beyond his athletic feats, Levi was known as an exuberant, kind-hearted young man who was the life of every room he entered.

“Braun was a shining presence in our Loyola family, bringing light, joy, and inspiration to everyone he touched,” wrote Loyola Principal Jamal Adams in an email sent to the school community on Sunday. 

“Braun Levi is a legend for good reason,” Georgia Bryan, a close family friend,  wrote on Instagram. “Whether you were lucky enough to cross paths with him for an hour or a lifetime, he left an impression. It was impossible to be sad or bored whenever Braun was around, and his gift for lifting those around him was truly singular. My honorary little brother and favorite instigator, I know you’re throwing the wildest party wherever you are. Live like Braun.” 

His doubles partner Cooper Schwartz, who’d been friends with Levi since they competed against each other at age 8, also posted a tribute on Instagram. 

“You’re forever who we toast to, who we laugh about when we try to explain anything you’ve ever done, and who we cry about knowing we can’t just give you a hug,” he wrote. “18 years or 125, no one had a better life than you did Braunny. The tears are joyful because of that.”

“I will spend the rest of my life striving to live with the same heart, strength, and kindness that you’ve shown these past 19 years,” wrote his sister, Adele, on Instagram. “You are deeply loved, and words can’t begin to express how much you’ll be missed.”

The Manhattan Beach City Council held a moment of silence in honor of Levi on Tuesday night. It was the third loss of life on Sepulveda since December, when another pedestrian was struck and killed between 8th and 9th Streets. Mayor Amy Howorth addressed the accident directly, speaking to those in council chambers. 

“We’ve received many, many, many valid concerns about safety on Sepulveda Boulevard…particularly that stretch south of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, which tragically has been the site of multiple fatal accidents in recent years, and just three of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians since December,” Howorth said. “So obviously, we take this very seriously, as does the whole city and staff and our traffic engineer. We’re committed to improving safety for everybody.” 

Sepulveda is controlled by Caltrans, Howorth acknowledged, but said the City is engaged with the agency to make changes. 

“You need to know that our traffic engineer has been aware and has been urgently reaching out to Caltrans for a while now,” she said. “And we are now working with our state senator, Ben Allen, as of today, to get Caltrans to listen to us. Because they must understand the urgency, and they need to act with urgency and implement robust safety protocols. And we at the city are going to leverage every available resource to continue to advocate for those measures that protect our residents. Our police department’s traffic bureau and patrol personnel will be conducting high visibility traffic enforcement focusing on primary collision factors such as speed along that stretch of road, and we’ll work with our regional partners on either side of us to conduct DUI saturation patrols in Manhattan Beach…It is incumbent upon us to do more than we can so this never has to happen again.” 

Resident Nazly Westernoff urged the council not to wait for Caltrans to take action. 

“It feels a little bit unfair to us as citizens to wait for Caltrans,” she said. “I spent so much time today reading about Caltrans…It is a handcuff and not one that we should suffer through. So I am urging, I am asking, for us as a city to do better than Caltrans.” 

Resident Tanya Monihan said her son was with Braun Levi the night the accident occurred. She was at Gelson’s when the accident occurred that caused a pedestrian death in December. 

“Three lives taken along the same stretch of Sepulveda Boulevard,” she said. “This is not a tragic coincidence. It is clear signal that the current conditions on this major thoroughfare are unsafe and unacceptable. We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy to take action. Whether it’s Caltrans or the city’s responsibility, really, we just need to work together. I just don’t want this to get blocked by, ‘Whose responsibility is this?’  I am very willing, and I know many people….Everybody wants to help out with this and make our city safer. So I implore you to take immediate action to make these roads safer.” 

Monihan said possibilities include new speed limits, flashing lights, costlier tickets, more enforcement, DUI and driver’s education programs, and installing barriers or even an overpass, 

“We don’t want Manhattan Beach to be remembered for preventable deaths, especially of our young,” she said. “We want this community to act safely and compassionately when it’s clear that lives are at risk.” 

Another local mother, who did not identify herself by name, told the council that her own 17-year-old child had prom Saturday night, as did Redondo Union and Chadwick School. 

“Our children were out late,” she said. “And we wake up to a Nixle [message] that a child had died. There is never a circumstance that’s going to be okay. What I love about our community, what I appreciated from the start, is that we are very tight knit, and so at 6 a.m. I started getting texts and messages. I’m a physician in this community, and I have very close friends who all have teenagers…We cannot let this happen again. Two children in three months is completely unacceptable. Our children are 17 and 18. They need their independence. These are pedestrians. They weren’t doing anything wrong. Killed by drunk drivers. So I really feel like it’s a civic responsibility that we do something to take drunk drivers off the roads. This is Manhattan Beach. We can do whatever we need to do to keep our children safe. And we need to do more.” ER 

OTTAWA, Kan. –  The Ottawa University women’s basketball program is pleased to announce the signing of Aaliyah Brown for the 2025-26 season. She is from The Colony, Texas and is a transfer from Allen Community College. Brown spent one year at Grayson Community College and attended The Colony High School.

Brown played in 26 games in 2024-26 for Allen Community College. She averaged 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Brown shot 45.3 percent from the floor and 72.4 percent from the free throw line. As a freshman at Grayson Community College, Brown played in 27 games, averaging 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She shot 50 percent from the floor and 48.4 percent from the free throw line.

While at The Colony High School, Brown lettered in basketball and volleyball. She helped the Cougars to a district, bi-district, and regional championship. Brown was named Co-Offensive MVP as a senior, earned First Team All-Conference, earned the Sports Star Local Media Award, was named to the All-Area Girls Team and was selected TABC All-Region.

“Aaliyah comes to us from one of the best coached community colleges in the area,” said OU head women’s basketball coach Hunter Bondurant. “Her stats and success at that level speak for themselves! Her motor and physicality will bring some exciting juice to our program on both ends of the floor. Excited to get her on campus!”

Brown is the daughter of Misten Brown and Jerome Brown and plans to major in physical education. She played travel ball for Higher Goals and SIS Hoops under coaches Wayne Watts and Kiara Tate.

 

 

 

Larena Tannert is a journalism sophomore and opinion columnist for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.

Towards the end of my freshman year, after a week straight of surviving on less than five hours of sleep each night, I found myself blankly staring at my computer in my common room, trying to complete a simple assignment that should have taken 30 minutes. 

This night became my breaking point. I quickly realized that sleep was much more important than I ever recognized. Once I learned to prioritize it, my physical, social and emotional health all improved significantly. I wish I knew then what I know now: making sleep a priority isn’t just good for your health, it actually improves your grades.

Two hours had gone by, and I had only written a single paragraph. My eyes were drooping, and I was slowly nodding off, thoughts scattered as I leaned back into my chair. 

Earlier that day, I had completely blanked during a class discussion. When the professor called on me, I had to shamefully ask her to repeat the question. Walking back to my room that evening, I nearly stepped into traffic because I had lost any ability to focus or complete simple tasks, such as looking both ways before crossing a street.

The worst part? I wasn’t even partying or procrastinating. I was genuinely trying to manage my busy schedule: keeping up with coursework and intramurals while maintaining some semblance of a social life. 

Sleep had become an expendable luxury in my packed schedule—the first thing sacrificed when time ran short. I was going to sleep at 3 a.m. every night, often on my dorm’s common room couch rather than my own bed. 

When I first arrived on campus, I quickly learned that the college lifestyle often treats sleep as optional. Between social events, club meetings, study groups, and assignments, sleep becomes the first thing to be sacrificed. The pressure to do it all can be overwhelming.

I pulled all-nighters before exams and stayed up late to finish papers. I thought everyone did this. I mean, just walk into any college study spot and you’ll see it: students hunched over laptops, chugging coffee, and bragging about how little they’ve slept. 

The results? My concentration faltered, my anxiety increased, and surprisingly, my grades suffered despite spending more time studying.

So I made a decision that changed everything: I prioritized sleep.

Now, I aim for 9-10 hours every night, even (especially) during exam weeks. This means sometimes saying no to late-night hangouts or starting assignments earlier in the day. But the benefits have been undeniable.

First, my academic performance improved significantly. Research backs this up – sleep helps consolidate memories and enhances productivity. Those extra study hours gained by skipping sleep? They’re actually counterproductive when your brain is too exhausted to function.

Second, my mental health stabilized. Sleep deprivation is strongly linked to anxiety and depression, issues already prevalent among college students. When I’m well-rested, I can handle stress more effectively and maintain a positive attitude.

Third, my physical health benefits. Regular sleep strengthens immunity, supports healthy weight management, and gives me the energy for physical activity. As someone who plays beach volleyball almost daily, it is important for me to be energized and refreshed, something a good night’s sleep provides.

Of course, maintaining good sleep habits in college requires strategy and discipline. I’ve learned to keep a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends, use my bed only for sleeping, not studying, create a relaxing pre-sleep routine, plan ahead for big assignments to avoid last-minute panic, and minimize caffeine after noon.

College is a time of immense growth and opportunity. The pressure to maximize every moment is real. But I’ve learned that sacrificing sleep doesn’t actually give us more time, it makes the time we have less productive and enjoyable.

So, to my fellow students: sleep isn’t lazy. It’s strategic. It’s self-care. And it might just be the competitive advantage you need to thrive and achieve academic success.

MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine Athletics continues to see student-athletes produce academic success at high levels as the Waves had all 17 rated programs post a 947 or better multi-year  Academic Progress Rate (APR), when the NCAA released its most recent data on Tuesday, May 6.

With six teams posting perfect multi-year APR scores, all of the Waves teams were safely above the NCAA’s minimum APR standard score of 930. Pepperdine posted an overall average multi-year score of 987, above the national multi-year average 984.

“The Academic Progress Rate is more than a metric”, said Pepperdine Director of Athletics, Tanner Gardner. “It’s a reflection of our commitment to student-athlete success, both on the field and in the classroom. At Pepperdine, we take pride in fostering an environment where academic achievement is just as celebrated as athletic performance.”

The eight teams with perfect scores are women’s basketball, beach volleyball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s soccer, swimming and diving, women’s track and women’s indoor volleyball. Three teams stretched their perfect streak to 11-consecutive years at 1,000. The swimming and diving, women’s cross country and women’s track teams all reported at 1,000 points. 

Pepperdine supported 58 student-athletes to earn their degrees this spring at the commencement ceremony on May 3. 

Academic Progress Rate

The 2025 APR report features a four-year compilation of data from the 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years. The APR uses formulas related to student-athlete retention and eligibility to measure the academic performances of all participants who receive grants-in-aid on every team at every NCAA Division I college and university. It provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete, and a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

The APR, or Academic Progress Rate, holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.

The APR is calculated as follows:

• Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.

• A team’s total points are divided by the points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team’s Academic Progress Rate.

• In addition to a team’s current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.

The APR is based on four years of data, with the most current year’s data added and the oldest year removed to create a four-year (multi-year) rolling rate.

About Pepperdine Athletics

Pepperdine Athletics sponsors 17 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete at the NCAA Division I level, primarily in the West Coast Conference. The Waves’ athletic program began in 1938 and is in its 87th season in 2024-25. Over 300 student-athletes train and compete in the unparalleled environment of Malibu’s mild Mediterranean climate. The Waves have claimed 14 National Team Championships, 12 National Individual Championships, 242 Conference team titles, including five trophies in the 2024-25 academic year.

Follow Pepperdine Athletics on X and Instagram (@PepperdineWaves) and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the Pepperdine Athletics program.

 – PepperdineWaves.com-

“I’m excited to welcome Mike Brennan as our Associate Head Coach,” said Henderson. “Mike brings over 20 years of Division I coaching experience, including 10 years as a Division I head coach. He also played professionally in Europe and knows the Ivy League well. He understands what Princeton values and what it takes to win here. Mike is deeply committed to success at the highest level, and his integrity, work ethic, and steady leadership will make an immediate impact. His focus on recruiting, player development, and building strong relationships will be key as we work to compete for Ivy League titles and return to the NCAA Tournament.”

Brennan joins the Tigers’ staff from Cornell, where he served as an assistant coach during the 2024-25 season.

“I am thrilled to be back at Princeton, a place that has meant so much to me both as a player and as a coach,” said Brennan. “The University has been an integral part of my life, and it is truly an honor and privilege to represent such a distinguished institution and basketball program. I am grateful to Director of Athletics John Mack and Coach Henderson for this opportunity, and I look forward to contributing in every way I can to help carry on Princeton’s tradition of excellence.”

Brennan served as head coach at American University from 2013-23, finishing his time there ranked second in program history in Patriot League victories (75) and third in overall victories (125). He was honored as the Patriot League Coach of the Year and named a finalist for both the Hugh Durham (mid-major head coach) and Joe B. Hall (first-year head coach) awards in 2013-14, after leading the Eagles to a Patriot League title. The 2014-15 season saw American return to the Patriot League championship game under Brennan.

From 2009-13, Brennan spent four years at Georgetown as an assistant coach under John Thompson III. In each of his four seasons with the Hoyas, Georgetown earned an NCAA Tournament bid and twice earned a top three seed along with a share of the 2013 Big East regular season title. Georgetown won 95 games during Brennan’s four-year tenure on staff.

Prior to Georgetown, Brennan was an assistant coach at American during a historic two-year stretch from 2007-09. The Eagles earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history in 2008 and won back-to-back Patriot League regular season and tournament titles.

At Princeton from 2000-07, where he also worked under Thompson III as an assistant, Brennan helped lead the Tigers to three Ivy Championships (2001, 2002, 2004), a pair of NCAA Tournaments (2001, 2004) and an NIT bid (2002).

As a player at Princeton, Brennan was a four-year starter under Pete Carril. He helped the Tigers to NCAA Tournament appearances and Ivy titles in 1991 and 1992, earning Second Team All-Ivy as a senior. After graduating in 1994 with a degree in English, Brennan played professionally in Germany, Belgium and Portugal.

Brennan Coaching Timeline

Princeton University, Associate Head Coach (2025-present)

Cornell University, Assistant Coach (2024-25)

Loyola University Maryland, Assistant Coach (2023-24)

American University, Head Coach (2013-23)

Georgetown University, Assistant Coach (2009-13)

Princeton University, Assistant Coach (2000-07)

Columbia University, Volunteer Assistant Coach (1995-96)