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How Arsenal crafted their second Women's Champions League title

Published

7 months ago

May 25, 2025

How Arsenal crafted their second Women's Champions League title

Arsenal Women are champions of Europe (again).

Eighteen years after becoming the first English side to win the Champions League, they are now the first team to go all the way through the qualifying rounds to lift the trophy.

In a rollercoaster season that began with high-profile player departures, on-pitch frustrations and managerial changes, Renee Slegers leading Arsenal to the European summit feels nearly impossible. They beat perennial Champions League winners Barcelona 1-0 after despatching record-holders Olympique Lyonnais in the semi-finals.

But, hey, this is the year of the underdog, isn’t it?

When Arsenal’s Champions League campaign began in September, with a 6-0 qualification win over Rangers, Slegers was still part of then-head coach Jonas Eidevall’s backroom staff. She was an academy player at Arsenal when they last won the Champions League, and Eidevall brought her back to work as an individual development coach.

Slegers’ focus was on the micro, on getting more out of each player in their own right, but that soon turned to the macro of forming a competitive squad that could win on the big stage.

She has succeeded where others had previously failed and became the first Dutch coach to win the Women’s Champions League. But all those efforts that came before have helped Arsenal to this moment.

Slegers took over Arsenal in October and led the team to Champions League victory (Maja Hitij / Getty Images)

Gunning for Europe’s elite

Football can work in funny ways. Arsenal and Barcelona’s men’s teams faced each other in the 2006 Champions League final, but Barcelona have been a reference point for Arsenal’s women for some time.

After Arsenal’s five-year absence from the Champions League between 2014 and 2019, Barcelona were one of the sides they sought out for a pre-season friendly in summer 2019. Arsenal had qualified for next year’s edition by winning the 2018-19 Women’s Super League, while Barcelona had just finished as runners-up in the 2018-19 Champions League to Lyon. Arsenal also lined up pre-season friendlies with fellow European heavyweights Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich.

“It’s been done on purpose,” then-head coach Joe Montemurro said that summer. “We want to play against the best teams, and we can only know where we’re at by playing them.”

Arsenal lost against all three opponents by an aggregate score of 9-2 — they were defeated 5-2 by Barca — but their aspirations for growth both on and off the pitch were clear. Big European ties proved a big pull for fans at the Emirates: that friendly with Bayern on July 28, 2019, was the first women’s game played at the stadium in six years, with 28,000 supporters watching before the men played Lyon.

In 2019, Arsenal lined up friendlies against European giants to help raise their level (Alex Pantling / Getty Images)

Fast forward to the 2021-22 season, and after a year out of Europe because of a curtailed Covid-19 season, manager Eidevall was tasked with making Arsenal a bigger force in Europe. Again, it was Barcelona who represented another key checkpoint as Arsenal’s first opponents in that year’s group stage.

Coincidentally, current Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey opened the scoring for Barcelona in a 4-1 away win, followed by a 4-0 win in the return fixture. The gulf was so apparent that it sparked something in Eidevall and his players that would accelerate their growth on the continent.

Eidevall’s quest for ‘space control’ and Slegers’ entertaining football

The Swedish coach’s main takeaway after his first experience of a Barcelona humbling was: “You can never defend one by one. You will always leave spaces, so it’s all about how you move as a unit. That the whole unit sees the same trigger, so everyone is moving at the same time. That’s almost the final level of defending, and we’re not there yet.”

He was right, Arsenal weren’t there yet. What was even more sobering was that for all Barcelona’s attacking talent, their extreme dominance came from exactly what Eidevall was speaking about. They smothered Arsenal at the Emirates in that 4-1 in the winter of 2021.

Yet, three years later, it was Arsenal who were the ones swarming Barcelona as they tried to play in the final at Lisbon. In a game where Slegers knew momentum would shift, she was brave in instructing her players to press high and unsettle their opponents.

The football Arsenal have played under Slegers since she replaced Eidevall in October has been much more fluid and free flowing, but the principles that came from their early Barcelona thrashings have been key.

Arsenal’s Alessia Russo is challenged by Irene Paredes (Maja Hitij / Getty Images)

Between those losses to Barcelona and a 1-1 quarter-final draw against Wolfsburg in his debut season in 2021-22, Eidevall said: “Space control and decision-making is very important when you play against teams (like this).”

He was happy that by the time the German side came to north London in March, Arsenal had gained more consistent control of matches. By the end of the season, he had identified a new method to improve that further: playing internal matches against Arsenal’s academy boys in the summer of 2022.

“That will decrease the time and space we have so that we have to improve our positioning and decision-making,” Eidevall said at the time.

The results of this could be seen in their early WSL dominance in the 2022-23 season (they won their first six games), but things were different in the Champions League. Caught out with a goal starting from a throw-in against Ajax in qualifying, it was a reminder that the work done that summer needed to be adhered to at all times.

By the time Arsenal faced Juventus — who were managed Montemurro — in the group stages, Eidevall felt “more comfortable” in Arsenal’s shape when defending and how they controlled games in Europe.

But these themes were lost as Eidevall’s time in north London came to an end, and it was not just the connections Slegers had built with players that allowed them to flourish after her appointment.

“Having the ball is very important but I don’t like us having the ball and not doing anything with it,” she told Ian Wright in January. “We want to have purpose with everything we do. It’s so important to entertain as well. Our football should be entertaining and winning.”

Slegers’ words proved true, manifesting in 14 games in which Arsenal scored at least four goals following her taking interim charge. It was a breath of fresh air after Arsenal’s play under Eidevall became too predictable.

The comeback queens

If wounded animals are the most dangerous, then that has certainly been the case with Arsenal in recent years.

This season, they became the first team to reach the final after losing the first leg of both the quarter- and semi-finals. Much of the resolve that made that possible has been built over years of hardship, with the injury crisis of the 2022-23 season the springboard.

They suffered four anterior cruciate ligament injuries that season, and still managed to come within minutes of a penalty shootout to reach a Champions League final. They lost to a 119th-minute goal of a sold-out semi-final against Wolfsburg, which could have broken some teams mentally. Instead, their whole path to that stage has been critical for their growth.

The real switch was flicked just before that year’s quarter-finals comeback win over Bayern Munich.

They had just won the League Cup final 3-1 against Chelsea after conceding in the first two minutes. It was their first trophy in four years and proved that the group was good enough to win together even amid an injury crisis.

Down 1-0 on aggregate to Bayern at the end of the month, captain Kim Little went off with a hamstring injury early in the second leg. Williamson stepped up into midfield, where she hadn’t played for a couple of years, and soon was involved in one of the best Arsenal goals ever scored at Emirates Stadium.

It was pure instinct after organised defending. Something had clicked.

“We were so clear in what we needed to do in that moment,” Williamson said after the game. “You owe it to somebody like Kim when they leave the pitch to put in a performance that we knew we had to. If you compare it to when (Vivianne Miedema) went down (with an ACL injury) against Lyon and we went so flat. I’ll be honest, it took the life out of the game for me (against Lyon). Tonight, we sort of used it to inject a bit as well.”

That night infused Arsenal’s DNA with something new. Even when all logic would say they should be down and out, they could always connect with a feral counter-strike. It was this that brought them back from 2-0 down in the first leg of their semi-final against Wolfsburg, but further ACL injuries to Williamson and Laura Wienroither left them too spread in extra time of the second leg.

The knack of coming back has stayed with Arsenal. Slegers is a different personality from Eidevall. Brought back to Arsenal by the Swede in 2023, she was a calmer presence. Her remit involved getting to know the players on a deeper level to help improve them. Those connections had already been built by the time Eidevall left in October 2024, so her moving into the head coach’s role only amplified her qualities.

Slegers’ emphasis on relationship building helped her find success quickly (Alex Pantling / Getty Images)

Williamson has spoken about how the 36-year-old coach has helped channel her emotions better, while Daphne van Domselaar has highlighted the trust that her calmness breeds in difficult situations. The standout moment for that came at half-time against Real Madrid earlier this year. Arsenal were 2-0 down on aggregate with 45 minutes left to play of the second leg. Instead of feeding into the chaos of the night, Slegers took the calm route, telling her players, “We’re so close, just tweak this and you’ll be fine. Believe in yourselves”.

Within a minute of the restart, Arsenal had scored, and 13 minutes later, they were 3-2 up on aggregate. In almost an identical situation to the Bayern game two years before, Williamson said before beating Madrid: “We’re very lucky because that stage isn’t foreign to us. Anybody who was involved in that game will take confidence from that, knowing that we know how to do it.”

In turning around these games, and the semi-final against Lyon, this group built even more European ‘football heritage’. Forced to react to unfortunate circumstances, they found something within themselves that they may not have been able to do had they taken a different path.

Even if they didn’t go behind against Barcelona in this year’s final, they were still made to suffer and dealt with serious periods of pressure. However, they had a serial cup final scorer in Stina Blackstenius off the bench to make the difference.

Level-raising recruitment

It was fitting that the ball fell to Caldentey deep in added time as Arsenal saw out their Champions League final win over Barcelona in Lisbon.

Their recruitment in the last two seasons has been aggressive, and she is the best example of that. Signed from Barcelona last summer, she joined having won 25 trophies in 10 years. That experience and know-how were on full display when she waited for two former Barca team-mates to engage her before shifting the ball from them to win a foul that almost guaranteed that she would be the one waving a Catalan flag after the full-time whistle.

Caldentey, signed from Barcelona last year, is a shining example of Arsenal’s recruitment (David Ramos / Getty Images)

Before Caldentey’s arrival, Alessia Russo, Laia Codina, Amanda Ilestedt, Cloe Lacasse and Kyra Cooney-Cross signed in the summer of 2023. Arsenal were building a squad with the aim of qualifying for the Champions League. But Arsenal failed to progress through qualifying in September 2023.

Even so, they signed American Emily Fox in January 2024 and followed that up with the arrivals of Van Domselaar and Caldentey in the summer. Upon signing, Van Domselaar told The Athletic that Arsenal’s 2022-23 run to the semi-finals was one reason for signing, as winning the Champions League was “her biggest dream ever”.

The 25-year-old, as well as Russo and Caldentey, have had transformative effects on this Arsenal team this year.

Van Domselaar has been a level above Manuela Zinsberger in goal, making vital saves and complementing Arsenal’s in-possession style equally well. Her saves after quiet halves at home to Real Madrid ensured the game did not go to extra time. She made more passes than any Lyon player in the second leg of the semi-final win.

As for Russo, the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year, her form transformed after the change in management early this season. She ended last season with a goal tally just four less than this year’s (16 compared to 20), but was nowhere near as effective. That came partly due to the juggling of minutes between herself, Blackstenius and Miedema.

That contrast was summed up in two moments earlier this season. On the opening day against Manchester City, she had a free run at goal but was too indecisive and side-footed a tame effort straight at Ayaka Yamashita in goal. A couple of months later, she had scored an instinctive left-footed half volley 64 seconds into the north London derby. She was the embodiment of Arsenal’s progress under Slegers, with the emphasis on “being calm, clear and ruthless.”

Caldentey, the WSL Player of the Year, has been the real gamechanger for Arsenal. Her experience counted in the final, but her quality and ability to capitalise on sliding doors moments got them there.

For January loan signing Chloe Kelly, who endured a tough season at Manchester City, she returned to Arsenal on loan to “be happy again” and almost immediately reignited her career. Ineligible to play Arsenal’s first two games after she signed, had to wait to don the red and white she did in her youth, but it was worth it.

Much of this squad has been together for the six years between the WSL title win and Saturday’s Champions League triumph, but these additions are what have brought Arsenal closer to Europe’s elite.

Possessing the ability to attract this level of player before winning the Champions League, Arsenal will hope this gives them more power to compete with Chelsea for domestic honours.

After a tough go at Manchester City, Chloe Kelly found success again with her childhood club, Arsenal. (David Ramos / Getty Images)

For the fans, Arsenal’s win in Lisbon serves as a release for so much built-up tension after years of waiting for a major trophy. For the players, it will be proof that the time they have spent growing together has not been wasted, even if there have been moments of frustration. For the club, it could truly be the stepping stone that is needed to properly revive their status as England’s most decorated women’s club.

The winner of this year’s Champions League was set to receive at least €1million (£840,000, $1.3m) overall for progressing through each stage and up to €320,000 more in performance-based bonuses. Arsenal had already been making groundbreaking strides in how they built the club off the pitch, but this success could take them to another level on it.

In the meantime, players, fans and staff can bask in the glory of still being the only English club to win the Women’s Champions League.

(Top photo: David Ramos / Getty Images)

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The Return of “Rocket”: Noah Taitz’s Journey From the Sideline to Center Stage

Published

6 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By Jason Erickson

Noah Taitz walked into college basketball with a clean jumper, four state titles from Bishop Gorman, and a future that seemed to be pointing straight upward. He will leave it as someone very different. Six years reshaped him in ways he never expected. Those years were filled with stops and starts, injuries, uncertainty, growth, and eventually a sense of peace he was not sure he would ever find again. His final season at Utah Valley is not just a closing chapter. It is the first one in a long time that feels whole.

His college career began under circumstances no freshman could have prepared for. Taitz arrived at Stanford in September of 2020, right as the pandemic turned everything upside down. Instead of meeting new classmates or walking around campus, he spent seven months inside a strict bubble. There were no fans in the arena, no in person classes, daily testing, and very little social life. “My freshman year was brutal… depressing,” he said. “I worked so hard to get there, and my first impression was like, this place is horrible.” His sophomore season brought moments that felt a little more normal, but something still felt off. His role on the team was not evolving, and the environment never fully settled for him. After two seasons, he made the difficult choice to leave.

The move to LMU looked perfect at first. Sunshine, a beautiful campus, and friends everywhere he turned. But basketball nearly disappeared from his life. A calf strain from Stanford, which once seemed manageable, unraveled into something far more complicated. Hoping to speed up his recovery, he tried a series of aggressive treatments that instead pushed him backward. Even simple things like climbing stairs triggered painful spasms in his calves. “I literally had doctors not sure if I would ever play again,” he said.

Even then, he kept showing up. He attended every practice, every film session, and every meeting. He could not play, but he refused to walk away. Progress came in slow, almost invisible steps that were just enough to keep him believing. Nearly two full years passed before his body finally started to respond. Looking back, he says that stretch of life hardened something inside him. “It taught me mental toughness,” he said. “If I could get through that, I can get through anything.”

A real turning point arrived in the summer of 2024. Back home in Las Vegas, he trained every day with Charles Sams, a trainer who understood exactly how hard to push and when to ease off. It was the first time in years Taitz genuinely felt himself coming back.

Returning to Las Vegas meant more than training. It meant time with the people who keep him grounded. Both of his parents live in Vegas, each remarried, and Noah is the older brother to three much younger siblings. His sisters, Victoria and Ella, are nine years old, and his brother, Travis, is seven. The age gap is so wide that he jokes he feels more like an uncle than a brother. The truth is that he is protective of them in a way that reveals how much he cares. Whenever he is home, he makes a point to visit both sides of the family. His siblings have grown up watching him from a distance, seeing their big brother on TV more often than seeing him at the dinner table. Being home reminded him why he kept fighting through the darkest parts of his injury. They were watching, and he wanted them to see him finish what he started.

Still not fully cleared, he entered the transfer portal on the final possible day. Utah Valley reached out and asked him to visit. He came to Orem, went through a workout, and caught fire in a shooting drill, hitting 23 of 25 threes. The staff saw enough. More importantly, they believed in him. “I was grateful they were willing to take a chance on me,” he said. “They knew I was not fully back yet, but they still believed.”

Utah Valley became exactly what he needed. For the first time since high school, he was healthy enough to be available for every game. “It was my first time winning at the college level,” he said. “My first time playing every game. First time really enjoying everything again.” A moment during the winter stands out in his mind. It was the first time he dunked comfortably in practice. Later, in the season opener, he drove baseline and hammered home his first in game dunk since January of 2022. His mom was in the stands. “She had not seen me do that since high school,” he said. “That was a cool moment.”

Ask what he hopes people think when they hear his name and he does not hesitate. “A good person. A good teammate. A winner,” he says. His teammates might describe him as meticulous or even obsessive about organization. He prides himself on knowing scouting reports cold and helping direct teammates even when he is not on the floor. “My composure is my biggest value to the team,” he said. “Guys can rely on me in those moments.”

His nickname, Rocket, goes back to eighth grade, when a skinny kid from Vegas kept surprising people with dunks. “The rocket emoji started flying around, and I just ran with it,” he laughs. His number, seven, is a nod to his hometown and to good fortune. It is also the first time in his college career that he has been able to wear it.

When he thinks about the wide eyed freshman who arrived at Stanford, he cannot help but smile. “I showed up a boy,” he said. “Now I am a man.” The injury forced him to take responsibility for every part of his health. Sleep, hydration, nutrition, supplements, all of it mattered. The time away also gave him a coach’s view of the game that now slows everything down for him.

After everything he has been through, the bubble, the injury, the doubt, and the slow climb back, this season carries a different kind of weight. The dream is simple. The NCAA Tournament. Utah Valley has never been. He has not either. “That is the ultimate goal,” he said. “It would be the first time in school history.”

And somehow, fittingly, the WAC Tournament will be played for the final time in his hometown of Las Vegas. “It feels like the stars have aligned,” he said. “Hopefully we are cutting down nets in Vegas.”

Six years. Three schools. One injury that nearly took the game from him. What remains is a player who refused to quit and a season that means more than anyone in the arena will ever know. He is ready for the moment he worked so long to reach. The Rocket is back and he’s ready for the moment he worked so long to reach.

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The 16 remaining NCAA volleyball tournament teams, re-ranked

Published

9 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

I re-ranked the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament. I took the original seeding made by the committee and re-ranked the teams based on tournament play only — not the entire season.

I am keeping the top 4 seeds the top 4 teams: Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas and Pitt.

No. 1 Nebraska

📝 CATCH UP: 2025 DI women’s volleyball tournament bracket, schedule, and scores

No. 2 Kentucky

Kentucky was the only team to drop a set in the first two rounds, but I decided not to move the Wildcats down a spot because UCLA was a strong contender.

No. 3 Texas

I was really impressed with Texas’ dominating sweep over Penn State. The Longhorns held PSU to nine points in the second set.

🤘 TEXAS FIGHT: Relive the Longhorn’s win over Penn State

No. 4 Pitt

No. 5 SMU

After Pitt, I have SMU at No. 5. The Mustangs showcased incredible performances early. They set an NCAA tournament record with a .618 hitting percentage in the first round, hit .370 in a sweep over Florida and looked impressive even after their star hitter Jadyn Livings went out with an injury.

No. 6 Wisconsin

I moved Wisconsin all the way up to No. 6, the biggest mover in my re-rankings. I think the Badgers are the hottest team in the country right now and look so dangerous with the return of Charlie Fuerbringer. They absolutely steam rolled through the first two rounds, even over a dark horse North Carolina team where they hit over .360. Mimi Colyer hit over .400 and the offense looked lights out.

DENIED UP TOP! ❌

📺 | ESPN+#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/KcJLwog0l6

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) December 6, 2025

No. 7 Arizona State

After Wisconsin, I have Arizona State staying put in its original seed spot. The Sun Devils dropped a set to Utah State, so I didn’t move them up, but outside of that one set they handled the Aggies pretty handedly. I like how they have been spreading the offense out a lot more outside of just Noemie Glover.

🐴 WHO TO WATCH: Michella Chester’s darkhorses of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament

No. 8 Texas A&M

I have Texas A&M jumping up a spot from its original seeding to No. 8. I liked how the Aggies looked against a strong TCU team, coming back from behind to close it out in four. I thought this team had the talent of a No. 2 seed all along, so I’m moving them up.

A rocket from Emily Hellmuth to end the set 🚀#NCAAWVB x 🎥 ESPN+ / @AggieVolleyball pic.twitter.com/FZguweY9qy

— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 7, 2025

No. 9 Stanford

Stanford drops a bit from its original seeding after dropping a set in the first round to Utah Valley and one to Arizona in the second. The Cardinal are playing without Logan Parks, and it has made a big difference offensively.

No. 10 Louisville

Louisville also drops to No. 10 after surviving a five-set battle with Marquette. The Cardinals escaped with the win after falling behind two sets to one.

📺 WATCH: Louisville survives Marquette in a thriller

No. 11 Indiana

Indiana takes a jump from their original seeded to No. 11. They handled a strong Colorado team in a straight sweep which was really impressive. The Hoosier offense looks really efficient right now while running their quick tempo.

No. 12 Minnesota

Minnesota also moves up a spot with two sweeps through the first two rounds with outside Julia Hanson balling out. The Gopher freshmen are also looking really strong and are coming into their own at the right time of the season.

Julia Hanson this weekend:

36 kills on .500 hitting 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/MAayQQauoL

— Minnesota Volleyball (@GopherVBall) December 7, 2025

No. 13 Purdue

I have Purdue at No. 13, around its original seeding after dropping just a set to Baylor in the second round.

No. 14 Creighton

Creighton takes a drop in the re-rank after getting pushed to five by Northern Colorado in the first round and playing a really close battle with UNI.

No. 15 Kansas

That leaves Kansas at No. 15. I was impressed by Kansas taking down Miami in four sets, so I moved the Jayhawks up a spot from their original seeding.

No. 16 Cal Poly

Finally, Cal Poly goes from unseeded to No. 16 after being the sole unseeded team to make the regionals. They are all around a great volleyball team and I am so excited to see them battle in Lexington.

👀 TAKE A LOOK: Greatest upsets in NCAA women’s volleyball tournament history

CAL POLY UPSETS (4) USC AND IS HEADED TO THE ROUND OF 16 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 18 YEARS 😱#NCAAWVB x 🎥 ESPN+ / @CalPolyVolley pic.twitter.com/VTpSV4fGBe

— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 6, 2025

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Chargers’ Ben Haas named G-MAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Dec. 2-8)

Published

22 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Even as a senior, Hillsdale College thrower Ben Haas continues to find ways to amaze.

A two-time national champion in the 2024-25 season, Haas began his title defense in strong fashion this past Saturday, and his performance earned him G-MAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors, the conference office announced on Monday. It’s the tenth time in the senior’s storied career he’s been recognized with a weekly conference honor.

The Hillsdale and G-MAC record-holder in the weight throw took second at the GVSU Holiday Open and first among collegiate competitors with a solid season-opening throw of 21.33 meters, the second-furthest in the nation in NCAA DII at this early juncture. Haas added a fourth place finish against a tough field and another provisional mark in the shot put with a throw of 17.24 meters as well.

The 2025 NCAA DII national champion in the weight throw with a distance of 22.89 meters, and a national champion outdoors in the hammer throw as well, Haas has big goals for his final college campaign, and Saturday’s opening shows he’s well on track to make a run at all of them. Haas and the Chargers now head off to the Christmas Break, and will return to action on January 16 at the Al Campbell Invite hosted by the University of Akron.

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FAMU Names Henry Burris Acting Head Football Coach

Published

25 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

President Johnson Advances Vision of Excellence with Athletics as Driver of University Success

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M University (FAMU) President Marva B. Johnson, J.D., today announced the appointment of Henry Burris– currently FAMU’s Quarterbacks Coach and Co-Offensive Coordinator – as Acting Head Football Coach, effective immediately until a permanent coach is named. The university extends its sincere gratitude to James Colzie, III, for his service and commitment to FAMU Athletics. Coach Colzie’s leadership during a period of transition and uncertainty provided stability and focus for our student athletes. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors.

“Excellence is the standard that extends across every aspect of our institution—from academics and research to athletics and community engagement,” said President Johnson. “As the nation’s top public HBCU, we are committed to operational excellence in everything we do. Our football program and all Rattler sports are critical drivers of university pride, student recruitment, alumni engagement, and institutional momentum. Success on the field elevates our entire university, creates economic opportunity for our region, and inspires the next generation of Rattler scholars and leaders. This leadership transition reflects our commitment building on the proud legacy of FAMU athletics and its storied superstars, while transforming our programs to meet the demands of today’s collegiate landscape—including competing in a dynamic recruiting environment shaped by NIL opportunities— and positioning FAMU at the championship level our community deserves.”

President Johnson has made competitive excellence a cornerstone of her institutional vision, recognizing that athletic success strengthens academic recruitment, enhances alumni engagement, and amplifies FAMU’s national profile. Under her leadership, the University is investing strategically in athletics infrastructure, coaching talent, and operational systems that align all Rattler sports programs for sustained competitiveness. cohesion and focus as the university leadership positions the program for long-term success.

Burris, a two-time championship quarterback and accomplished leader, brings proven experience in high-performance environments. His immediate priorities include guiding the program through this transition, managing player cohesion, supporting active recruitment efforts, and ensuring that the program remains focused and prepared as FAMU charts its path forward.

The appointment is part of FAMU’s broader commitment to advancing excellence on the field and off, reinforcing football’s role as a flagship program that generates visibility, resources, and pride for the entire university community. As FAMU enters this new chapter, the University remains unified in its resolve to elevate the student-athlete experience, honor our legacy, and build a future worth of the Rattler tradition.

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Raven Athletics Weekly Update – Dec. 8 – Dec. 14

Published

39 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Football has earned a rematch with Heart North opponent Grand View University for the right to compete in the NAIA National Championship Game while Basketball hosts Heart newcomer Missouri Baptist University in this week’s edition of the Raven Athletics Weekly Update.

NEXT WEEK

MONDAY, Dec. 8

Women’s Basketball at University of St. Mary – Leavenworth, Kan. – 6 p.m. WATCH | LIVE STATS

FRIDAY, Dec. 12

Track & Field at Bulldog Early Bird (Concordia University) – Seward, Neb.

SATURDAY, Dec. 13

(RV) Wrestling at Heart Duals (St. Ambrose) – Davenport, Iowa – 10 a.m.

(5) Football at (1) Grand View (NAIA FCS Semifinals) – Des Moines, Iowa – Noon WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

Women’s Basketball vs. Missouri Baptist – Ralph Nolan Gymnasium – 2 p.m. WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

Men’s Basketball vs. Missouri Baptist – Ralph Nolan Gymnasium – 4 p.m. WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

NEXT WEEK

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17

Men’s Basketball vs. Mission University – Ralph Nolan Gymnasium – 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, Dec. 19

Women’s Basketball vs. Northwestern (Iowa) – Ralph Nolan Gymnasium – 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, Dec. 20

NAIA Football National Championship Game – Crowley ISD Stadium, Fort Work, Texas

Men’s Basketball vs. Dordt – Ralph Nolan Gymnasium – 2 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. (1) Dordt – Ralph Nolan Gymnasium 4 p.m.

www.ravenathletics.com | #UnleashGreatness | www.benedictine.edu

#TheRightWaytoPlay

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Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Signs Nation’s Top Recruiting Class In November Window

Published

41 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State men’s volleyball added one of the most accomplished recruiting classes in the nation during the November signing window, welcoming five elite prospects who are widely regarded as the top recruiting class in the country. The Class of 2026 features international standouts, national team members, gold medalists, and multiple state champions in Joosep Kurik (Tallinn, Estonia), Lucas Helle (South Carolina), Ben Bayer (Menomonee Falls, Wis.), Owen Weekes (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), and Logan Gray (Chandler, Ariz.).

“This Long Beach State men’s volleyball Class of 2026 is comprised of five world-class student-athletes,” said coach Nick MacRae. “We are excited to unite these young men and their families with our Long Beach family. They have immediately bought into our team standards and core values as we work toward maintaining sustainable success for years to come. All five of these young men bleed LB Black & Gold and truly embody our LB Grit.”

With size across the pins, elite ball control, high-level setting, and proven championship experience, the class immediately elevates the Beach across every position group while reinforcing the program’s national and international recruiting footprint.

“I am grateful to have recruited this Class of 2026 alongside Coach McKay Smith,” MacRae added. “Smith is an essential part of our LB family. With their commitment to high volleyball standards, high academic goals and being holistic young men, we are thrilled to announce this recruiting class.”

Joosep Kurik | OH | 6-8 | Tallinn, Estonia | Chenois Genève Volley

Kurik brings elite European club experience and international success to the Beach. The 6-8 outside hitter helped lead Chenois Genève Volley to the 2023 Swiss Supercup championship and was named Swiss League Youngster of the Year for the 2024–25 season. He is also a member of the Estonia U19 National Team.

Lucas Helle | S | 6-5 | South Carolina | Carolina Stars

Helle arrives with one of the most decorated prep résumés in the country. He is a four-time 5A South Carolina State Champion, a two-time 5A State Player of the Year, and both an AAU and JVA All-American. Helle also competes with the USA U19 National Team and plays club with Carolina Stars.

Ben Bayer | OH/L | 6-2 | Menomonee Falls, Wis. | Milwaukee Sting

A versatile outside hitter and libero, Bayer brings elite defensive ability and international championship experience. He helped lead the USA U19 National Team to gold at the 2025 Pan American Cup, earning Best Receiver of the Tournament honors. A multiple-time Open Division All-American and All-Tournament Team selection, Bayer is also a two-time First Team All-State selection, GMC Conference Player of the Year, and a 2025 State Champion.

Owen Weekes | OH/OPP | 6-8 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | University of Manitoba

Weekes joins the Beach as a collegiate transfer and accomplished international competitor. A member of the Canada U21 National Team, he earned silver medals at both the U21 NORCECA Championships and the U21 Pan American Cup. At the University of Manitoba, Weekes was named to the CanWest All-Rookie Team, U SPORTS All-Rookie Team, and earned the school’s All-Sport Rookie of the Year award.

Logan Gray | OH | 6-6 | Chandler, Ariz. | AZ Fear

Gray brings championship experience and national development exposure to Long Beach State. A three-time Arizona State Champion, he competes with AZ Fear and is a member of the USA NTDP program in both indoor and beach volleyball.

With national team experience spanning four countries, multiple gold and silver medalists, state champions, and some of the most decorated prep, club, and collegiate athletes in the country, Long Beach State’s Class of 2026 stands as one of the most complete recruiting groups in program history. The class combines immediate impact potential with long-term stability and development across every position group, positioning the Beach to contend at the highest level for years to come.

“They come to our family ready to unlock their volleyball potential by competing for national championships, performing on the world’s biggest international stages, and pursuing Olympic dreams,” MacRae said. “They bring a wealth of experience from both the USA and international volleyball pipelines, with many of them already competing in major moments.”

Together, this group continues the tradition of elite volleyball and championship expectations that define Long Beach State.

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