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How Connor Curnick Went From Being Unable to Walk to Squatting 405 pounds

Connor Curnick was a proud U.S. Navy officer, following in the footsteps of an established military family when a catalog of injuries caught up with the Southern Californian, leaving him unable to walk. With multiple surgeries and months of physical therapy now part of his daily life, the thought of squatting over 400 pounds must […]

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Connor Curnick was a proud U.S. Navy officer, following in the footsteps of an established military family when a catalog of injuries caught up with the Southern Californian, leaving him unable to walk. With multiple surgeries and months of physical therapy now part of his daily life, the thought of squatting over 400 pounds must have seemed incomprehensible. And yet, through consistency and professional support, Curnick crushed his goal and took control of his fitness in the process. Here’s how he did it.

Connor Curnick served for four years in the U.S. Navy, becoming a Petty Officer Third Class during that time, and received deployments to Afghanistan and East Africa, as well as multiple shorter tours of the Middle East. Before this, Curnick had proved to be a promising athlete, playing Water Polo internationally. “It’s a pretty brutal sport,” he says. “It is very physically demanding and took a toll on by body after many years of playing,” he reflects. Unfortunately, the wear and tear that he received playing Water Polo would leave him vulnerable to the harsh conditions of service.

Conner Curnick Went From Service to Serious Health Issues

“During my last deployment to East Africa, I was traveling to a remote area, and military planes are not exactly known for being comfortable, or even having seats,” explains Curnick of the toll that serving his country took on his spine.

“In my full kit, I weighed something like 315 pounds and during combat landing, I blew a disk in my back. This was the start of my physical problems. I had sciatica pain thereafter, and after years of physical therapy and less invasive treatments, I finally had surgery to remove the bulged part of the disk and to open up the canal that my nerve runs through (these are known as discectomy and laminectomy operations). It was here that doctors discovered additional issues with Curnick’s hips.

“I had a hip impingement, borderline hip dysplasia (where the hip ball does not sit properly in the socket), and labral tears on both sides, but significantly worse on my right side,” he explains. “I also had the start of osteoarthritis. So roughly 18 months after my spine surgery, I had surgery to remove the hip impingement and attempt to repair the labral tear on my right side. After a six-month healing process, the surgery wasn’t successful. So, about a year later I had my right hip replaced at the ripe old age of 29.”

Conner Curnick Vowed to Reclaim His Mobility

Down but not out, Curnick displayed the same grit that he had shown in the Navy, throwing himself into physical therapy following his operations. First, he gained back the full range of motion in his hips, and then he concentrated on being able to bear weight and keep his spine stable. He began these therapy classes using a walking frame, then transitioned to a cane, and was finally able to walk unaided by the time he completed his course. Still, Curnick felt that he needed to get back to his old self.

“I had been active and in shape my entire life, and after my string of surgeries I was in the worst shape of my life,” he tells M&F. “I knew heading into the surgery that recovery was going to be difficult, but I felt that getting back into top shape would be beneficial for the long run.”

6 months after his final surgery and living in Washington, D.C., Curnick joined the Ultimate Performance gym in Dupont where he received professional coaching. “By the end of physical therapy, I was doing things like kettlebell squats and lunges, and core strengthening, so I felt like the gym would be a good transition,” he explains. “I needed to start training again to prove to myself that I can be strong and not worry about hurting myself.”

Dj Connor Curnick performing bicep curls and squats
Connor Curnick

Connor Curnick Set Himself a Mission to Squat to His Full Potential

Curnick’s initial training focused on improving his range of motion even further than he had in therapy, utilizing moves like “Standing exercises that eventually progressed to mini squats and balance work,” he explains. “After that, I started doing TRX assisted squats and lunges, starting with 3 sets x 8 reps and progressing to 4 x12. Once I was able to consistently hit 4×12 with assisted squats and lunges, I moved to doing them unassisted following the same rep schemes. Eventually I made it to doing weighted squats and lunges with light kettlebells,” he adds.

Curnick built his base during 3 full body sessions per week. “Lower body exercises consisted of a lot of split squats, goblet squats, leg extensions, and hamstring curls- usually in the three to four sets of 10 rep ranges,” says Curnick. “Once I gained decent strength in these exercises I started doing hack squats, and then eventually weighted back squats, starting out light and making logical progressions with the weight. Then, once I started getting into the 225-pound range, my trainer had me doing things like pause squats (holding at the bottom of the lift for 2-3 seconds to improve form and build strength).”

While making his brave change, Curnick is keen to point out that his progress was not linear. “I had good days and bad days throughout this entire process, and some days my body just wasn’t cooperating.” Still, he pushed on, leaning on the team at Ultimate Performance to keep him motivated and work around any obstacles. “I made it my mission to lift heavier than I ever have,” he says, inspiringly. “I felt like I had to prove the universe wrong.”

As Curnick maintained his trust in the process, the number of plates on the barbell increased and his back squat got better and better. 18 months of sweat and determination from that final surgery led to a climatic moment when Curnick finally crushed a high of 405 pounds. “I feel better now than I did before my string of injuries,” he explains. “I’m probably in the best shape of my life and I’m the strongest I have ever been. My body can now keep up with the lifestyle I want to live, and I know how and when to push myself to achieve my goals. While I do have some limitations, I know how to work within the boundaries to achieve my goals. This wouldn’t have been possible without the team at Ultimate Performance.”

While Curnick’s mission to squat heavy may be complete, he already has his sights set on the next task. “I put on some serious mass while increasing my strength numbers,” he tells M&F. “So, lately I have been focusing on leaning back down to around 10% body fat. I’m pretty close to that now, and then I’ll be focusing on adding on another 10-15 poundsof lean mass.” With a brilliant base, this inspiring individual now wants to bring his upper body up. “Exercise wise, I’m focusing more on upper body pressing movements. The goal I have now is to hit a 255 pounds overhead press, which may take a while!”

To follow Conner Curnick on Instagram, click here. 





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Five Eagles Earn 2025 CSC Women’s At-Large Academic All-District Honors

Story Links STATESBORO – Georgia Southern placed five student-athletes on the 2025 Collegiate Sports Communicators Women’s At-Large Academic All-District teams, as announced by the organization Tuesday afternoon.  To be eligible for CSC Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA at their institution. They […]

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STATESBORO – Georgia Southern placed five student-athletes on the 2025 Collegiate Sports Communicators Women’s At-Large Academic All-District teams, as announced by the organization Tuesday afternoon. 

To be eligible for CSC Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA at their institution. They must also be at least a sophomore academically. Each school is allowed six male and six female honorees for the all-district team based on academic and athletic merit in the sports of men’s and women’s fencing, men’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s rifle, men’s skiing, men’s volleyball, men’s water polo, men’s wrestling, women’s beach volleyball, women’s bowling, women’s crew/rowing, women’s fencing, women’s field hockey, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s rifle, women’s skiing and women’s water polo.

The five honorees are: rifle athlete Bremen Butler, rifle athlete Ella Goldfaden, rifle athlete Zahra Gonzalez Mazo, rifle athlete Emma Pohlmann, women’s golf athlete Drive Tunwannarux.

For Pohlmann, it’s her second all-district recognition while it’s the first for the other four.

Butler, Goldfaden, Gonzalez Mazo and Pohlmann will advance to national balloting for possible Academic All-America honors. Only student-athletes who were all-conference, earned All-America honors or were players of the year in their respective conferences advance to the national ballot.

 



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Forty Acres Insider: June 17

Longhorn Nation,  Well folks, WE DID IT AGAIN! It came down to the wire, literally. I must admit I was on the edge of my seat, sweating out every point late Saturday night as our Women’s Track and Field squad put on a final surge of Texas Fight at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene […]

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Longhorn Nation, 

Well folks, WE DID IT AGAIN! It came down to the wire, literally. I must admit I was on the edge of my seat, sweating out every point late Saturday night as our Women’s Track and Field squad put on a final surge of Texas Fight at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene to get us across the finish line. And when the number crunchers frantically tallied in our tie for 10th-place NCAA finish as well as those of the two programs on our heels (Stanford & USC), it was confirmed — the LEARFIELD DIRECTORS’ CUP WAS CLINCHED and will remain right here where it belongs on the Forty Acres! What a breathtaking and heart pumping way to cap off another fantastic year across all sports. Now it’s not officially official as we’re awaiting the final results that will come from our friends at NACDA later this month at the conclusion of baseball, but rest assured nobody can catch us now. Your Longhorns have claimed The Cup as the nation’s premier all-sports athletic program for the second-straight year and fourth time in five years (how about that for absolute dominance!). YES, we are the champions, AGAIN!

That SPECTACULAR TROPHY will be delivered soon enough and look absolutely glorious taking center stage alongside the others in our collection of the Learfield Directors’ Cups inside the Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame. It never gets old folks and shines brightly as a beacon of the PRIDE AND WINNING TRADITION of The University of Texas. This year’s Cup will forever be a bold reminder of the history made in our inaugural year as members of the Southeastern Conference. There were the eight SEC crowns (Beach Volleyball’s CCSA Championship made it nine conference titles), thrilling National Championships in Softball and Men’s Swimming and Diving, dramatic NCAA and CFP Final Four Tourney runs for Football, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Tennis, and top-three finishes from Rowing and Women’s Swimming and Diving that made it SEVEN teams among the nation’s top-three, along with 10 top-five’s and 13 top-10’s. And I’ve got to give credit where credit is due — it all starts with our unbelievable leaders — Chairman Eltife and President Davis — and their incredible support that allows our coaches, student-athletes and staff to do their thing. Longhorn Nation, you’re the absolute best too and have been right by our side helping us all vigorously row the boat in the same direction. When we do that — and keep those BBs in the box — we can accomplish anything under the sun! Y’all know, a United Texas is a reckoning my friends!

And while I’ve got you, here’s hoping everyone had an enjoyable Father’s Day weekend as we cherished the patriarchs in our lives. It was a day to applaud and thank them, and I do want to take a moment and send a shoutout to all of our Longhorn Dads. This week we will recognize and celebrate a very important Juneteenth holiday with our annual participation in the Central Texas Juneteenth Emancipation Parade on Thursday. It makes for another week of gratitude and family time filled with admiration, appreciation, reflection and love.

Speaking of appreciation, we’ve got to give our phenomenal women’s golfer Farah O’Keefe a huge round of applause and emphatic Hook ‘Em, Horns. Talk about WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGES THE WORLD, Farah was en fuego and put that Texas Fight on full display in stampeding all the way to The Women’s Amateur Championship final in Nairn, Scotland last week. Facing an elite field of 144 golfers from 30 countries, she took dead aim and advanced from stroke play through several rounds of match play, including a thrilling semifinal victory that put her in the championship match. Then on a special Father’s Day with her dad by her side, Farah battled through a grueling 36-hole final and came up just short. She left it all on the course and there’s no shame in being the runner-up on the grandest of world amateur stages. Well done my friend, we are very lucky to have you in the Burnt Orange & White.

The same can be said for our Fab Freshman Timo Legout who on Friday was tabbed the ITA Men’s Tennis National Player of the Year (making it three -straight Longhorns to earn that honor to boot). He went 35-3 on the season, 12-0 in conference for our SEC Championship squad and was the nation’s No. 1-ranked singles player this year. Another first-year phenom, Baseball’s Dylan Volantis, was named the NCBWA National Freshman of the Year. Our towering lefty and conference freshman of the year for our SEC Champions tossed 74 strikeouts against just 12 walks in 51 innings this year. He led all rookies nationally in saves (12), while ranking second in ERA (1.94) and batting average allowed (.185). Additionally last week, our sensational student-athlete Marg Van der Wal, the SEC Rower and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, was tabbed a finalist for the CRCA Athlete of the Year award and Softball’s Katie Stewart earned Academic All-America honors for her efforts on and off the field as well. Those are just another in a long line of Longhorn student-athletes that received national recognition this year! We are so proud of all of them and the time and effort our student-athletes commit to be elite in their sports, the classroom and the community.

Can’t get enough of the reminders of the THRILL OF VICTORY Coach White and our Softball program provided us. This recap with Coach White and our National Championship Longhorns will take you back and have you puttin’ those Horns Up. What a fabulous time it was watching our squad dig deep and win big, there was nothing “Weak or Timid” about their Texas Fight at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City! Now that the championship hardware is home in Austin, be sure to get that National Championship gear to add to your collection, too!

Oh, and be sure to grab your copy of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. I know y’all can’t get enough football in the offseason and thumbing through the wealth of information DCTF has provided for generations is an annual ritual for so many in our great state. Our guy COACH SARK’S ON THE COVER and it’s a keeper for sure! You can check out all the behind-the-scenes video from the photo shoot here as well.

So, folks, THAT’S A WRAP. With the Learfield Directors’ Cup clinched and our sports seasons complete, what a perfect time for our final Forty Acres Insider of 2024-25. You’ve got plenty to be oh-so-proud of, so wear your Burnt Orange & White often and keep those Horns Up all the livelong day! We’ll be prepping for the year ahead while our student-athletes put in the work to continue to chase greatness. Y’all get yourself some much-deserved good solid R&R, let your road trips commence, so you’re ready to roll when the action heats up again in August. We’ve got lots of fun on the horizon and we’ll be ready to get revved back up soon enough because our work is not done. Preparations for 2025-26 are underway! See you soon!!

M/W Track and Field put a bow on season at NCAA Outdoor Championship

Coach Flo and our Longhorns took on the best of the best over in TrackTown USA last week at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Our individual highlights included a pair of bronze medal performances. For the women, Nina Ndubuisi led the way with a third-place finish in the shot put on the strength of a personal-best throw of 19.50 meters, that’s over 60 feet y’all! Kody Blackwood paced the men with his third-place showing in the 400-meter hurdles. Both 4×100-meter relays earned points, as the women’s group placed fifth and the men’s team finished eighth in the finals. And kudos to Xavier Butler and Kenondra Davis, who both earned first-team All-America honors in the 200-meter dash with top-seven performances.

Here’s some final nuggets to carry you over this summer!

Before I let you go for the summer, I mentioned quite a few of our outstanding notables from this recently completed 2024-25 academic calendar year. But folks, here’s a few more so that you can puff your chest out at the water cooler around your co-workers at the office and take with you on your family vacations this summer. With our Men’s Swimming and Diving and Softball teams capturing National Championships this season, this marks the FIFTH-STRAIGHT year that the Longhorns have won multiple national titles in the same academic season. Excluding the COVID-shortened year of 2019-20, Texas has now won at least one NCAA team title in 10-STRAIGHT seasons! Over the last five years, the Longhorns have won 13 NCAA team championships by eight different programs, while seven additional programs have either made the Final Four OR finished in the top three at the NCAA Championships. We sponsor 21 intercollegiate programs here on the Forty Acres, and 15 OF THOSE 21 PROGRAMS have now claimed a National Championship. WOW! We qualified 20 of our 21 NCAA eligible sports for their respective NCAA Championship events. Texas was the ONLY SCHOOL IN NCAA DIVISION I to have its Football, either Men’s or Women’s Basketball, and either Baseball or Softball programs reach the Final Four of their NCAA Tournaments this season!

The Longhorns have captured 68 all-time National Championships (64 NCAA titles). And how about a few more nuggets. Our 10 top-five performances in 2024-25 marked a tie for the second-most in school history, trailing only the 12 recorded in 2021-22. And our 13 top-10 efforts also tied for the second-most in school history, just one shy of the record 14 in 2021-22. We have recorded a total of 49 top-five NCAA team finishes and 65 top-10 NCAA team finishes during the last five years.

Hook ‘Em Horns,

Chris Del Conte

P.S. — Glad we’ll be able to be a part of Coach Corso’s final GameDay show. He’s been an institution for generations and is the absolute best!

P.S. — Hope all Longhorn Dads had a great Father’s Day!

P.S. — The boys are hard at work!

P.S. — Toast of the Town!

P.S. — What Starts Here!


HEADLINES:

Former Longhorns Raynard Davis, Sharon Neugebauer-Shepard earn spots in San Antonio ISD Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Women’s Golf’s O’Keefe advances to final at The Women’s Amateur Championship

Baseball’s Volantis, Galvan collect ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors

Men’s Basketball to host Virginia in 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge

Women’s Basketball to host North Carolina in ACC/SEC Challenge

Baseball’s Volantis, Galvan earn spots on NCBWA All-America Teams

Additional kickoff time, TV window assignments announced for Football

ESPN’s College GameDay coming to Football’s opener at Ohio State

Baseball’s Rodriguez, Volantis headline Perfect Game Freshman All-Americans

Men’s Golf quartet named to PING All-Central Region Team

Baseball lands four on ABCA/Rawlings All-Region teams

Baseball’s Volantis tabbed Freshman All-American





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Millard high schools face off in volleyball showdown

Battle at Buell: Millard high schools face off in volleyball showdown STADIUM WHERE THE CLOCK SAYS 47 MINUTES UNTIL MATCH NUMBER TWO OF THE DAY FOR VOLLEYBALL DAY AT NEBRASKA. AND YO HUSKER ATHLETICS, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS. AND THEY HAVE LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED. OVER MY SHOULDER HERE, YOU’LL SEE CONSECUTIVE SELLOUTS, 306. […]

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Battle at Buell: Millard high schools face off in volleyball showdown

STADIUM WHERE THE CLOCK SAYS 47 MINUTES UNTIL MATCH NUMBER TWO OF THE DAY FOR VOLLEYBALL DAY AT NEBRASKA. AND YO HUSKER ATHLETICS, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS. AND THEY HAVE LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED. OVER MY SHOULDER HERE, YOU’LL SEE CONSECUTIVE SELLOUTS, 306. THEY CHANGED IT FROM FOOTBALL TO VOLLEYBALL. IT’S INSPIRING. THESE WOMEN ATHLETES ARE INSPIRING TO TALK ABOUT ALL THAT INSPIRATION. LET’S GO TO KETV. NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S MADDIE MADDIE AUGUSTINE NOT WANTING TO MISS THIS HISTORIC DAY IN THEIR SPORTS HISTORY. TEAMS ACROSS THE METRO HAVE CANCELED PRACTICE AND LOADED UP BUSSES TO HEAD DOWN TO LINCOLN. THEY KNOW THESE PLAYERS. THEY’VE PLAYED WITH THEM, THEY’VE WATCHED THEM. THEY’VE BEEN MENTORED BY THEM. AND TO GET TO SEE THEM ON THIS BIG STAGE, IT ONLY LEIGH GIVES THEM CONFIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE EXACT SAME THING FOR PLAYERS ON PAPILLION LA VISTA SOUTH’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM. VOLLEYBALL DAY IN NEBRASKA PROVES THEY CAN REACH THE NEXT LEVEL. SEEING THEM AND LIKE SEEING THEIR CONFIDENCE GROW HAS REALLY JUST LIKE IT’S LIKE, WOW, I CAN COMPETE AT THAT LEVEL TOO. AND LIKE I CAN DO THE THINGS THAT THEY’RE DOING TODAY IS JUST LIKE SO INSPIRING BECAUSE WE GET TO SEE WHAT, WHAT WE COULD DO WHEN WE WORK THIS HARD. WITH MORE THAN 90,000 FANS EXPECTED, TODAY’S GAMES COULD BREAK THE RECORD FOR ANY WOMEN’S SPORTING EVENT DIRECTOR OF PREMIER VOLLEYBALL CLUB SHANNON SMOLINSKI SAYS FOR HER ATHLETES AND HER DAUGHTER, TODAY IS MONUMENTAL. I THINK IT’S JUST AN INCREDIBLE DAY FOR THOSE YOUNG FEMALES TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF CAN SEE THEM DO IT, THEN CAN DO IT MYSELF. FORMER UNIVERSITY OF OMAHA VOLLEYBALL PLAYER JAYDEN CENTENO ADDING TO BE ABLE TO SET THAT IN NEBRASKA IN OUR HOME I THINK IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST DEAL JUST FOR FANS, FOR PLAYERS, FOR ATHLETES ALL AROUND THE WORLD. SEVEN FORMER PREMIER VOLLEYBALL ATHLETES WILL BE COMPETING IN TODAY’S MATCHES. SMOLINSKI SAYS SHE COULDN’T BE PROUDER. THAT STAGE IS GOING TO BE JUST A SUPER COOL MOMENT FOR THEM, FOR THEIR FAMILY AND THEN US AS A PREMIER FAMILY TO CELEBRATE. THAT IS GOING TO BE SUPER COOL. VOLLEYBALL DAY NEBRASKA PROVING TO BE AN INSPIRATION TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES AND HELPING TO CELEBRATE THE PROGRESS OF WOMEN’S SPORTS. MADD

Battle at Buell: Millard high schools face off in volleyball showdown

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Updated: 6:25 PM CDT Jun 17, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Related coverage in the video aboveThe Millard high schools are battling it on the court this summer.Millard South Volleyball posted on social media to announce the Battle at Buell.All three schools will face off in an epic high school showdown “under the open sky, under the lights” at Buell Stadium near 149th and Q streets.The night of outdoor volleyball will take place on Aug. 21.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

OMAHA, Neb. —

Related coverage in the video above

The Millard high schools are battling it on the court this summer.

Millard South Volleyball posted on social media to announce the Battle at Buell.

All three schools will face off in an epic high school showdown “under the open sky, under the lights” at Buell Stadium near 149th and Q streets.

The night of outdoor volleyball will take place on Aug. 21.

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |





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Sixsome Earn Spots On Women’s CSC Academic All-District At-Large Team

Story Links MOREHEAD, Ky. — A group of six outstanding women that are student-athletes at Morehead State have earned spots on the 2025 At-Large Academic All-District Team, as selected by the College Sports Communicators. The MSU group includes rifle’s Adrianna Beard, women’s golfers Tuva Marie Isebakke and Amelia Rae Greenlee and Beach […]

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MOREHEAD, Ky. — A group of six outstanding women that are student-athletes at Morehead State have earned spots on the 2025 At-Large Academic All-District Team, as selected by the College Sports Communicators.

The MSU group includes rifle’s Adrianna Beard, women’s golfers Tuva Marie Isebakke and Amelia Rae Greenlee and Beach Volleyball’s M.E. Hargan, Sydney Wyman and Sarah Heath.

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) began the distinguished Academic All-America® program in 1952, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors. In 2022, CoSIDA re-branded itself as the College Sports Communicators.

Currently, CSC sponsors Academic All-America® programs for men’s soccer, women’s soccer, football, tennis, volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball, swimming and diving and men’s and women’s track and field/cross country. Many other sports are eligible through the At-Large program. In 2022, the guidelines were updated to include more representation on the All-District teams. Sports have limitations to the number of athletes that can be nominated and the minimum grade-point average was raised to 3.50.

Beard led th Eagle rifle team in 2024-25, while Isebakke and Greenlee were both mainstays in the OVC Championship lineup for golf. Hargan, Wyman and Heath were all primary athletes in the lineup for the beach Eagles.



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Libero Mallory Johnson joins Nebraska volleyball’s Class of 2027

Nebraska volleyball and head coach Dani Busboom Kelly have done an incredible job with her first recruiting class. The Huskers have earned five commitments in 48 hours. Libero Mallory Johnson is the latest commitment and NU’s second libero in the class. Mesa, Ariz. libero Pulelehua “Hua” Laikona announced her commitment to Nebraska earlier on Tuesday, […]

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Nebraska volleyball and head coach Dani Busboom Kelly have done an incredible job with her first recruiting class. The Huskers have earned five commitments in 48 hours. Libero Mallory Johnson is the latest commitment and NU’s second libero in the class.

Mesa, Ariz. libero Pulelehua “Hua” Laikona announced her commitment to Nebraska earlier on Tuesday, June 17.

Johnson is the No. 31 prospect by PrepVolleyball and No. 68 by PrepDig. The 5-foot-6 defensive specialist plays for Byron Center (Mich.) High School. She is the top player in the state of Michigan.

JOIN HUSKERONLINE TODAY FOR $1 FOR THE FIRST WEEK!

The libero plays for Far Out volleyball club in Grand Rapids, Mich. The 16-year-old plays up two age groups for Far Out’s 18 group.

“I’m thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Nebraska to continue my academic and athletic journey!” she said on Instagram.

“First, I want to thank my family. You are my rock, and I’m forever grateful for your love and support. You inspire me to be a better person every day! I also want to thank my FarOut family. To my coaches, thank you for pushing me to improve daily. To my teammates, thank you for being my best friends. And lastly, a huge thank you to the entire Nebraska staff, especially Coach Dani, Coach Jaylen, Coach Kelly, and Coach Brennan, for this opportunity of a lifetime. I’m so excited and grateful to start this new chapter!”

Johnson attended Nebraska’s Dream Team Camp in 2024. Her passing and serving abilities stood out amongst some of the top athletes in her age group.

The final piece to Nebraska’s Class of 2027

Johnson is likely the final piece to the Huskers’ Class of 2027.

Nebraska has players by the same name in its latest recruiting class. Setter Malorie Boesiger was the Huskers’ first 2027 public announcement. The 5-foot-10 Firth, Neb. native and Norris High School product is the younger sister of Husker senior Maisie Boesiger. She is the No. 14 player by PrepVolleyball.com.

Middle blocker Kendall Omoruyi, who is from Casteel High School in Queen Creek, Ariz., is the top prospect in the class, according to PrepDig. She recorded 2.7 kills per set, 0.8 blocks per set, and hit .342 as a sophomore.

Omoruyi and Laikona play together for Arizona Storm, one of the top clubs nationally. Laikona is ranked No. 59 by PrepVolleyball and No. 103 by PrepDig. As an outside hitter for Mesa, she averaged 3.3 kills per set and 2.7 digs.

Last but not least, outside hitter Shaye Witherspoon also pledged her commitment to Nebraska on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3 attacker helped Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Mo., to two Class 5 state titles. The No. 10 prospect by PrepDig hit .379 and recorded 4.4 kills per set as a sophomore.

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Princeton University

Twelve Tigers from 10 programs have been recognized as Collegiate Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-District honorees for their outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments during the 2024-25 school year. At-large honors are given by CSC for those sports sponsored by the NCAA that do not have their own CSC academic awards. Schools can select six men […]

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Twelve Tigers from 10 programs have been recognized as Collegiate Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-District honorees for their outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments during the 2024-25 school year.

At-large honors are given by CSC for those sports sponsored by the NCAA that do not have their own CSC academic awards. Schools can select six men or six women for the at-large honors across all the eligible sports.

Here are the 12 Tigers recognized:

 

Men’s

William Huang, golf, senior, economics

A PING All-Region selection for the second year in a row, William Huang was named honorable mention All-Ivy this season to record his fourth career All-Ivy selection — just the 13th golfer in Ivy history to earn four career All-Ivy honors.

Nicholas Lawson, fencing, senior, physics

Lawson was an All-American at the NCAA Championships this season, finishing ninth in épée. He earned first-team All-Ivy honors after going 9-2 at the league meet, and he was also the team’s Academic All-Ivy selection.

Brandon Lee, fencing, junior, computer science

Lee won All-American honors, finishing third at the NCAA Championships this year. He was the NCAA regional foil champion and a first-team all-region honoree. 

Gavin Molloy, water polo, senior, Public and International Affairs

Molloy was part of the Princeton squad that won its fourth straight Northeast Water Polo Conference title. The senior captain was named a All-NWPC honorable mention, NWPC All-tournament honorable mention and was part of the ACWPC All-Academic team.

Charlie Palmer, golf, sophomore, economics

A second-team All-Ivy selection this season, Palmer was also named PING All-Region to build off a 2024 year where he was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Tucker Wade, lacrosse, sophomore, economics

Wade was Princeton’s first sophomore midfielder to earn first-team All-Ivy League honors in 13 years, as well as an honorable mention All-American. His five goals in the NCAA opening round win over Towson were one off the program record for an NCAA game. 

Women’s

Rachael Carver, water polo, senior, Public and International Affairs

Carver was second-team all-conference who graduates as the program all-time leader in career assists (260). She started every game for the Tigers, leading the team with 60 assists along with 44 goals, 26 steals and 25 drawn ejections as the team made the CWPA Championship game. 

Ella Cashman, field hockey, sophomore, molecular biology

A first-team All-Ivy League defender, Cashman also scored six goals to help Princeton to a 7-0 run through the Ivy League to win the championship and reach the NCAA quarterfinals. Cashman, a first-team All-Region selection as well, scored both goals, including the game-winner in OT, in Princeton’s win over Harvard that decided the league title. She was also an NFHCA All-Academic selection. 

Sara Covin, open rowing, senior, psychology

Covin coxed the first varsity to Ivy League gold, taking down previously unbeaten Yale in the Grand Final. She earned first-team All-Ivy honors. 

Hadley Husisian, fencing, sophomore, English

Husisian was an All-American honoree in 2025, finishing third at the NCAAs. She was also the NCAA regional épée champion, a first-team all-region honoree, and a first-team All-Ivy honoree, going 14-4 at the Ivy meet.

Victoria Liu, golf, senior, computer science

A first-team All-Ivy honoree in 2025, Liu finished her Princeton career as a three-time first-team All-Ivy selection. She recorded one victory this season, winning her home tournament at the Princeton Invitational for the third time.

Issy Wunder, hockey, junior, psychology

Wunder had a career year in which she was named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier award, the Ivy League Player of the Year, First-Team All-Ivy, All-ECAC First Team, ECAC Forward of the Year, finalist for ECAC Player of the Year and Academic All-Ivy. Wunder was third in Division I in goals per game (0.81) and fourth in points per game (1.56).  She racked up 50 total points on. 26 goals and 24 assists to help lead the Tigers to the ECAC Quarterfinals.  



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