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How Ethan Strand Learned To Win

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– Christopher McDougall, Born To Run

The 3,996 elementary school children participating in the 2012 Mercedes Kids’ Marathon ought to start streaming in at any moment. The race, held annually in Birmingham, Alabama, is a mile long—the culmination of a marathon’s worth of miles logged over five months during PE classes at local elementary schools. February weather is in full stride. The temperature gauge reads 32 degrees, but the wind is whipping hard enough to make it feel as cold as 17.

For delighted observers, it’s a cute precursor to the thousands of grown up marathoners and half-marathoners who will fill the streets the next day. But for the children, this is their chance to prove with undeniable evidence that they are the fastest kid in their school.

Every single child will receive a medal when they finish, right after they waltz through a high-five tunnel littered with their favorite heroes. Captain America, the Chick-fil-A cow, and—because it’s ‘Bama—Aubie the tiger and Big Al the elephant.

It’s a joyous scene…Smiles abound, parents cheer, and the kids wander post-finish exhausted and proud of themselves. “Future Olympic stars, today!” exclaims the announcer, audibly beaming.

Which makes it all the more stark when the first two kids come into view and one of them crosses the line in tears, finishing in a dead-heat to get second place.

It makes for quite the picture. The size-too-big shirts, the bright-red K-Swiss Ironman Flow kicks, the sheer joy on the faces of the audience, and Aubie the Tiger cheering them both on. Each child looks as though they’ve never wanted anything more in their life than to win this mile.

The third grader who finishes second, the one in bib #9, is clocked at 6:03—a blazing fast mile time for anybody. But what’s unseen is the fall he took about 400 meters out from the finish. Ran smack into a security guard around the final corner. BAM. He got back up, fought to make up the distance, but the tears were flowing.

It wouldn’t be the last time that kid wearing bib #9 pushed his body to the limit in a race. In fact, that 2012 Mercedes Kids’ Marathon might’ve been the catalyst for Ethan Strand—it wouldn’t make sense any other way.

The Beginning

Strand, now the NCAA record holder in the indoor mile and 3000m, looks back on this day and smiles.

“I remember being so mad and so upset that I lost that,” said Strand, laughing. “It sucked. I was competitive. I wanted to run fast and beat everybody.”

Strand was born in 2002 into a family of runners. Lori, his mother, was a competitive runner for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and coached for Samford University’s cross country team as Ethan was growing up. Scott, his father, placed 15th in the 2004 US Olympic Trials marathon, was a renowned steeplechase athlete, and is part-owner of a beloved, local chain of run specialty stores called the Trak Shak, where Ethan has worked.

With a background like Ethan’s, it would be easy to chart a linear path between who he was raised by and his current status as one of America’s most promising distance running talents. He might as well have popped out of the womb in trainers, reading off splits and planning out miles.

“He started walking when he was about nine months old,” said Scott. “By the time he was a year, he was running around the yard.”

“When he was probably a year and a half old, you know, we’d go out in the yard, and we had this little grassy slope in our front yard,” remembers Scott. “We just played ‘On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!’ He would start at the top of the yard. And he would say, ‘Marksetgo!’, and he would just run down into my arms.”

Even as a toddler, it was evident how much Ethan enjoyed running. Countless hours were spent running around the house, asking to be timed, up and down the hills. His desire to compete wasn’t solely limited to running, though—dinner had to be finished first, and vacations were just opportunities to bike six miles.

“His personality very early, showed that he loved competing and competition,” recalled Lori. “And we always tried to make it very fun for him for as long as we could.”

Lori and Scott made a point not to force their children into following directly in their footsteps, running or not. In the debate of nature or nurture, Ethan’s desire to run seemingly stemmed from both.

“He’s always been very passionate about winning in anything, soccer, baseball, recreational basketball—everything,” laughed Lori. “He’s very passionate about being the best he can be, in whatever he does.”

As he “graduated” from the Mercedes Kids’ Marathon, Ethan stayed active. Travel soccer and running fought for preeminence for years. It didn’t hurt that he was great at both.

“I would finish [cross country] practice in middle school, I’d run 15 to 20 minutes, maybe do some hill sprints, and then I’d go and have a two-hour soccer practice,” said Ethan. “I think it really hit me that I needed to choose one when I won a state championship my freshman year.”

The Vestavia Hills track team, due to its size or its exclusivity, mandated that if a runner played another sport, they had to run on the JV team. Ethan didn’t want to run JV. As a high school freshman he won his first two state titles in the highest division of Alabama outdoor track by running a one-mile race in 4:21.28 and a two-mile race in 9:30.26—and there was no looking back.

Ethan gives particular credit to the runner in third place of that two mile, James Sweeney, a senior on the Vestavia Hills team who ended up running at Butler University.

“To have someone who doesn’t really know me, watches me run a little bit, and is then very invested in what I’m doing was super cool,” said Strand. “I don’t feel like most people get that … so to have a teammate that was like that right away was super cool, super helpful.”

For Scott, the teammate support system can’t be underappreciated.

“James would come to the house and pick him up and they’d go do the long run,” said Scott. “So James was the one that also helped Ethan be accountable at that young age.”

“We joked ‘Good job, James, you developed Ethan to the point where he’s now beating you.’”

A Short List of Ethan Strand’s High School Accolades

Ethan’s sophomore year continued the momentum, winning a state title in cross country, a state title in the indoor mile, and a state title in the 800 meters, 1600 meters, and 3200 meters at the outdoor meet.

Junior year cross country saw major improvements with a state title, 6th place at Foot Locker Regionals, and 29th place finish at Foot Locker Nationals—leading to Strand’s first Alabama Gatorade XC Runner of The Year award. Track and field wasn’t contested due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Senior year cross country saw Strand take 12th at the state meet but 14th at the RunningLane National Championship. He also ran 14:36.88 for the 5k at the Southern Showcase, breaking the state record and leading to his second Alabama Gatorade XC Runner of the Year Award. He continued his dominance in indoor and outdoor track, winning the state titles for the 800, 1600, and 3200 meter races for both seasons, along with a national title at the Adidas Indoor National mile.

For those counting, that’s 14 individual titles at the highest level of competition in the state of Alabama. Ethan Strand graduated from Vestavia Hills in Alabama a bonafide star, and it was time to become a Tar Heel.

Running with The Heels

For Ethan, a prep runner with an absurd amount of promise, the coaches came calling. But recruitment during a pandemic followed an unorthodox schedule.

Zoom meetings were the litmus tests for a program. Athletes could have conversations with coaches, but in-person visits with coaches weren’t permitted. With the uncertainty around pandemics and programs, there wasn’t a more disorienting time to make life-changing decisions.

“We got it narrowed down between Carolina and Virginia,” remembers Scott. “[Ethan’s] like, ‘There’s nothing that I don’t like about Virginia either, you know.’ I think it was just a gut feeling.”

Heading the two programs were two of the best coaches in the game: Chris Miltenberg for the University of North Carolina and Vin Lananna for the University of Virginia.

Prior to taking over at UNC, Miltenberg made a name for himself at the helm at Stanford, which enjoyed great team success under his guidance. Beyond the team aspect, Miltenberg has a track record of developing the best high school athletes into the best college and professional athletes—like Grant Fisher, Sean McGorty, and Emily Infeld.

However, running for Vin Lananna, the then-president of USA Track and Field and head men’s coach for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, was just as appealing. When it came time to make a decision, it wasn’t easy.

“It was very difficult to tell Vin Lananna that he wasn’t coming to Virginia,” said Scott. “He’s a legend, so it’d be like telling Bear Bryant, you’re not going to Alabama.”

But Ethan did. Maybe it was because he’s an Auburn fan, and Auburn fans have no problem with telling Bear Bryant no. Regardless, he committed to UNC. Senior year followed, and upon graduation, he was officially a Tar Heel.

Ethan realized, as many high schoolers do upon graduation, that he had some growing to do.

“Coming out of high school, I could grind it out because I wanted to win,” said Ethan. “But I really wasn’t that strong.”

When Ethan talks of strength, he primarily speaks of mileage. As a high-school runner, building too much mileage can mean burnout—too much too soon, and any hope of long-term development flies out the window. In this area, and many others, Ethan ascribes his success to Coach Miltenberg.

“You take a kid who, coming out of high school, is not strong, and I feel like most college coaches, their first instinct is to just throw a ton of mileage at him and hammer him into the ground and say ‘It’s either going to stick and he’s going to be really good, or it’s not,’” said Ethan. “So Coach Milt had a lot of patience with me. And I think that patience has paid off.”

Sheer will and determination (along with good workouts and training, of course) propelled Ethan to this point. But to get him over the hump, he had to trust something beyond his control. Coach Miltenberg was up to the task.

“I think what we do better than anybody, is being really, really dialed in on and connected to each of our people,” said Miltenberg. “That’s what we enjoy the most, that individualization, fine tuning, and connecting.”

Some of that fine-tuning and connecting meant trusting the first two years would be about building a base. For Strand, that meant being okay with a 12th place finish in the 2023 NCAA Outdoor 1500m, and finishing 45th in the nation the following cross country season. These were great results, but they weren’t where he wanted to be.

In 2024, his patience paid off.

2024 USA Olympic Track and Field Trials

If you’re a USA track and field athlete hoping to get to the Olympics, you have to go through the Trials. For the 1500m racers, it means running three races in the span of four days—designed to whittle the entire field down to the three top metric milers in the nation.



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2025 Volleyball Player of the Year: Witherow makes big impact on Central program | Nvdaily

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December 25, 2025

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WOODSTOCK — Hadley Witherow finished off her stellar high school volleyball career with her best season yet.

The Central senior led a young Falcons’ squad and played a major role in the team playing its best at the end of the year.

“I feel like in the beginning of the season, we definitely struggled,” Witherow said. “But towards the end, we finally had team chemistry and started to improve. I think beating Clarke (County) was definitely our upset. Just knowing that we can beat them made us improve and be ready for all the other teams.”

Witherow, The Northern Virginia Daily’s 2025 Volleyball Player of the Year, had an area-best 278 kills, a team-best 44 aces and a team-best 170 digs. She also finished second all-time in school history in kills at a program that’s enjoyed a lot of success.

For all of the great statistical accomplishments for Witherow this season, Central volleyball coach Ashlie Clar said Witherow’s leadership really stood out.

“Last year and this year she’s really had to step up into a leadership role, but even more so this year with younger players,” Clar said. “And she knew that. She was our best hitter and one of the best passers on the team. So she just knows how to play every position, and she works harder than anybody. She sets that line, like the sky is high for her, and sets that ceiling for the other girls. And they want to be like Hadley.”

Witherow said she had great leaders in her early years on the team, and she wanted to be a great leader for the younger players on this year’s team.

“I definitely had to step up a lot,” Witherow said. “Being able to help my teammates, it actually felt really good knowing that I was helping the team and helping them improve.”

Witherow said she first started playing volleyball when she was in eighth grade. She decided to give it a try and it’s worked out well for both Witherow and Central’s volleyball program.

She was brought up as a freshman on a strong team, which advanced to the regional semifinals.

As a sophomore, Witherow was one of the youngest players on a team that had a stellar year. Central lost only one match during the regular season, before falling in the Class 2 state semifinals.

“Winning the regional championship, that felt amazing just being able to do that,” Witherow said. “And I was so young I could look forward to the other years. It was great, and being the youngest player on the team, it was definitely nerve wracking. But again, they all helped me out and helped me to learn and grow and get better.”

Witherow became the team’s top hitter her junior year, finishing with 268 kills, 25 aces and 171 digs.

Witherow said she enjoys being a hitter and loves the feeling of getting a big hit.

“I like to show off my vertical, being able to jump because in the off season that’s all I would practice is being able to jump higher, show my strength,” Witherow said. “So being able to just slam the ball down, it just feels amazing.”

Witherow, who was a first-team All-Bull Run District and All-Region 2B selection this year, said her favorite kill of the season was one that helped her teammate reach a milestone. Witherow had a kill against Rappahannock County on Oct. 14, which gave Central junior setter Caroline Eye her 1,000th assist.

“I think my favorite was probably getting Caroline her 1,000th assist,” Witherow said. “I was helping a teammate and helping her improve and getting her to her goals. To be able to be the person to do that for her definitely feels amazing.”

Clar said Witherow has become an even smarter hitter over the last few years.

“She’s such a good hitter because she can hit anywhere, and her volleyball IQ is something that has really improved,” Clar said. “And she’ll look on the other side of the court, and sometimes she won’t even have to ask us, she’ll know where the open spot is, and she’ll hit there. And if she’s successful, she knows that she can go to that same spot again and again, or she can look over at us and ask for our opinion, and then she does it right away. She can tip, she can hit. She can play the ball anywhere on the court and be successful. So it’s really hard for the defense to get a good read on her, because she can go anywhere.”

One area where Witherow has really improved has been her back row play. She didn’t play in the back row her first two seasons, but has made a big impact there the last two years. Witherow also plays in the outfield for Central’s Class 2 state champion softball team, and she said her softball experience helps her on the back row for volleyball.

“I was definitely very nervous when I first started, but then I grew into it and I actually enjoy diving for balls,” Witherow said. “I think playing softball helped me out to prepare myself to dive in for every ball and make sure a ball doesn’t touch the ground.”

The Falcons got off to a slow start, but the highlight of the season came on Oct. 21. Central swept rival Clarke County, who were undefeated in the Bull Run District at the time.

“Being able to beat them in three, for a team that knocked us out the year before, it just felt so good knowing that we could actually do that. And that definitely helped us for future games after that,” Witherow said. “And we played as a team. We were all together, and that’s definitely when our team chemistry finally struck.”

Witherow plays both volleyball and softball at Central, and she said she loves both sports a lot. Witherow made the game-sealing catch in the Class 2 state finals last year, and also had the game-winning hit in the state semifinals.

“That’s tricky,” Witherow said when asked which sport is her favorite. “But definitely I would lean towards softball, because of winning that state championship. Nothing can take the feeling of winning the state championship, and especially getting the catch of the game. I don’t think anything can beat that.”

Witherow said she has not decided if she will play sports in college. She said she has offers, including one that would be willing to let her play both volleyball and softball. However, Witherow said she has not decided if she wants to play sports in college or just focus on education.

Witherow said playing volleyball at Central has meant a lot to her.

“I think being a part of the volleyball team has definitely made me a better person, because everyone was just so open to taking me in even though I had never played before,” Witherow said. “So just to be a part of the team just feels great in general. It definitely helped me with my leadership, my communication skills and just overall being a better person.”



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Seven Volleyball Student Athletes Named NEWMAC Academic All-Conference

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December 25, 2025

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Marlboro, MA — The WPI volleyball team placed seven student-athletes on the 2025 Fall NEWMAC Academic All-Conference team as announced by the league office.
 
Highlighting the list for WPI were seniors Victoria Escuer (Caracas, Venezuela) and Fiona Gillis (Manchester, NH) who both became three-time academic honorees.
 
Senior Alana Harris (Lowell, MA) and juniors Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) and Kylie Welcher (Los Angeles, CA) each made their second appearances on the list.
 
Sophomores Preslie Jerebker (Denver, CO) and Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) rounded out the honorees for WPI, both earning the distinction in their first year of eligibility.
 
Academic All-Conference honorees must have met the following criteria: earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 scale or 4.35/5.0 scale after the 2025 spring semester, achieved second-year academic status at their institution, and been a member of the varsity team for the entire semester.
 
NEWMAC Release
 



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Colorado volleyball poised to repeat success

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December 25, 2025

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The Colorado volleyball team set out to prove something in 2025.

The Buffaloes did just that, getting picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll before finishing third and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

As successful as the 2025 campaign was — CU’s 23 wins tied the fourth-most in program history — getting swept at Indiana in the NCAA Tournament left a bitter taste. And the Buffaloes are ready to return and prove themselves all over again.

Head coach Jesse Mahoney confirmed his program is not expecting to lose any of the array of juniors that helped power CU’s 23-9 campaign. The Buffs lose to graduation two starting seniors in setter Rian Finley and libero Sarah Morton, but CU is set to return essentially its entire offense as well as the starting middle blockers.

“As of my exit interviews, we don’t have anybody leaving the program,” Mahoney said. “Barring anything unexpected, but as of now we’re expecting the entire group back.

“It’s really exciting to have all your point-scorers return. There’s some questions in some ball-handling issues in terms of setting and libero, but we think we have those answers in-house right now. Unless you’re the last team standing, you never end where you want to be, so there’s still some things to play for. And I think our players, having tasted a little success, I think they’ll set their sights a little higher next year as well, and we’ll work towards that this spring.”

Highlighting the list of scheduled returnees is Ana Burilovic, a third-team AVCA All-American selection and CU’s first All-American honoree since 2018. Burilovic also earned first-team AVCA All-West Region honors and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection after leading the conference in points per set (5.47) and kills per set (4.71), ranking in the top 10 nationally in both categories.



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Badgers news: Wisconsin adds top setter in 2026 freshman class

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December 25, 2025

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The Wisconsin Badgers have been busy in the transfer portal, both with incoming and outgoing players. Among the group was freshman setter Addy Horner, who had been a key player for the Badgers this season when star Charlie Fuerbringer was out with an injury.

Horner elected to enter the transfer portal one day after Wisconsin’s loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament, which made sense given that Fuerbringer still has two more years of college eligibility.

Well, Wisconsin added a setter to replace Horner’s spot, but that will be coming in the 2026 class, rather than via the transfer portal.

In a big move, the Badgers landed a commitment from the No. 3 setter in the 2026 class, Isabelle Hoppe, on Tuesday. Hoppe had been committed to Pitt, but requested a release from her National Letter of Intent after the Panthers landed Penn State transfer setter Izzy Starck in the portal.

Hoppe was ranked as the No. 21 overall player in PrepDig’s 2026 recruiting rankings, as well as the No. 3 setter. She’s the lone setter in Wisconsin’s 2026 class and now fills a big void left by Horner, while giving an extra year gap between her and Fuerbringer in eligibility.

Hoppe is the fifth incoming freshman in a loaded class for the Badgers, joining outside hitters Halle Thompson and Audrey Flanagan, and middle blockers Lynney Tarnow and Kymora Scott.



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A 2026 wishlist for Arizona Wildcats athletic programs

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December 25, 2025

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It is almost a new year which means there are new opportunities out there for the programs in the Arizona athletic department.

Here is a wishlist for some of the major programs in Arizona Athletics going into 2026:

Football: Be a Big 12 title contender

The success from this season has helped to lay down a foundation for what could be a future of sustained success. With a fumble recovery against BYU and one more defensive stop against Houston, Arizona could’ve been a Big 12 title contender this season.

The goal for next season should be a top contender to play in the Big 12 championship.

With the more than likely return of Noah Fifita, and being in year two of the Seth Doege offense, it should be an even better year for the offense.

Jay’Vion Cole and Taye Brown will be the leaders for Danny Gonzales defense, which will also be returning a good portion of the defense.

The downside of next season will be the loss of key seniors like Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, Ismail Mahdi, and culture setters like Chubba Maae.

Another tough factor going into next season will be who the Wildcats play next season. They will travel to BYU, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and West Virginia.

While West Virginia is still in rebuild mode, they do have former Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez, who was fired by the University.

Home games do give Arizona a chance to win important games. Utah, TCU, and ASU all come to Tucson, which can help the Wildcats’ resume.

Brent Brennan’s culture and program will be put to the test next season, but if Arizona passes that test, it could lead them to Arlington and the Big 12 championship.

Men’s basketball: Make a Final Four run

Tommy Lloyd’s team has gotten off to a 12-0 start to the season and has earned the number one ranking in the country. It has cemented itself as a clear candidate to be a final four team in March.

Led by senior point guard Jaden Bradley, has a unique resume. The Wildcats have beaten the defending national champion Florida Gators, rival UCLA in Inglewood, and went on the road to be UCONN.

The biggest factor into Arizona’s success is the freshman class it brought in. Highlighted by Koa Peat, whose introduction came against Florida with a 30 point performance, each freshman is a crucial part to the lineup.

Brayden Burries has started to find his groove, Ivan Kharchenkov is a glue guy who can do everything, and Dwayne Aristode has become an outside the arch threat.

With Tobe Awaka and Mo Krivas dominating the glass, there are very few holes on the roster. All that being said, Arizona has the making of a team that can make a final four run.

It would be the first final four appearance since 2001 when the Wildcats lost to Duke in the championship game.

Women’s basketball: Build the foundation for the future

In Becky Burke’s first season, she has gotten her team off to a 9-3 start. While it may have been against lesser competition, it is all part of the plan.

Coming over from Buffalo, this is Burke’s biggest opportunity as a head coach to this point. She was able to put together a roster mixed with upperclassman leadership and young talent.

Led by Noelani Cornfield, who followed Burke from Buffalo, is a do it all guard. By her side is Mickayla Perdue, a threat from beyond the arch.

Up to this point almost every player on the roster has been able to come in and showcase what they can do. Again, it’s all part of Burke’s plan to lay a foundation for the future.

More than likely this season won’t produce any post season action, given how talented the Big 12 is. This season is about gaining experience and trying to be as competitive as the Wildcats can be.

This means for freshmen like MJ Jurado and Daniah Trammell, this season is about coming in and crafting their games. Even for Burke, it is a season of growth.

Arizona will be put in situations where Burke is going to have to figure out how she handles certain situations as a coach. All of this leads into next season where the Wildcats will have a chance to continue off of the foundation built this season.

Baseball: Earn back-to-back World Series appearances

Following the program’s 19th appearance in the world series, Chip Hale is now looking to regroup to earn the 20th world series appearance next season.

With nine players from the 2025 roster taken in the MLB draft, the most since 2008, Arizona does return some key players from last season.

Pitchers Smith Bailey, Owen Kramkowski, and Tony Pluta all return this season. Bailey and Kramkowski combined for 36 starts last season, while Pluta is a proven closer

Arizona also returns left fielder Easton Breyfogle, first baseman/outfielder Andrew Cain, and third baseman Maddox Mihalakis.

Pieces are in place to help the Wildcats get back to the world series, as well as defend its Big 12 title. While they may have lost professional talent, Hale has shown he can coach his teams to post season highs.

Softball: Win Big 12 Championship

Last season, Arizona was able to have some post season opportunities. The Wildcats were able to get to the Big 12 championship and host an NCAA regional.

Caitlin Lowe will look to get her team back in both of those spots. However, this offseason has led to the loss of key veteran players from last season.

Seniors Devyn Netz, Paige Dimler, and Miranda Stoddard all finished out their careers last season. Then the transfer portal came into play when Dakota Kennedy and Kaiah Altmeyer left to SEC schools Arkansas and Texas.

Now Arizona will have to rely on veterans Sydney Stewart, Tayler Biehl, and Regan Shockey to lead the way this season. While the veterans lead, the youth of the team will have to step up right away to help make plays.

Sophomores Emma Kavanagh and Jenna Sniffen were able to gain some experience last season, which should help take some of the load off of the veterans.

While it may not be as talented of a team as last season was, there is still an opportunity for the Wildcats to get back to the Big 12 title game. If Arizona can go and win the Big 12, it could lead to another NCAA regional in Tucson.

Volleyball: Get back to NCAA tournament

In just her third year, Charita Stubbs took her program to the NCAA tournament for the first time under her tenure. Highlighted by Jordan Wilson, the Wildcats were able to make it to the second round before getting knocked out by Stanford.

Going from just eight wins in her first season, Stubbs has taken her program from ground zero and has turned it into a legit force to be reckoned with.

Next season, the Wildcats will be without Wilson, along with Ana Heath, who was a player that was relied upon by Stubbs to go in and be ready to do anything.

However, Arizona does bring back veteran Carlie Cisneros. With two seasons under her belt, it should be a breakout season for the junior outside hitter.

Also returning are middle blockers Journey Tucker and Adrianna Bridges. Both have shown an ability to create a wall at the net, while also being strong attackers.

The goal for next season is to get back to the NCAA tournament, but more than that, Arizona should want to host a regional. It would be an opportunity to showcase the new Taraflex court it installed this season.

Triathlon: Go for the three-peat

Wes Johnson has probably led the most successful program within Arizona athletics over the last couple of years. In just three years of existence, his team has won back to back national championships.

Beating out TCU and ASU in the championship, senior Kelly Wetteland earned the individual national champion title. She will be returning next year to lead her team.

So what could that mean for next season? Clearly, it means that Arizona should be a clear front runner to win its third straight title.

Returning next season alongside Wetteland, are four top ten finishers from the championship.

Juniors Margareta Vrablova, Ellison Wolfe, Mia Wentzy, and Ruth Pardy will be looking to either dethrone teammate Wetteland or finish once again in the top ten.

Soccer: Be competitive in the Big 12

Becca Moros will be entering her sixth season in Tucson, and safe to say they want to improve next season.

Coming off of a 7-11-1 season, the Wildcats struggled against conference opponents, only winning two conference games last season.

A big loss this offseason came when Aurora Gaines transferred to Auburn. She was tied for first in goals this season, and was second in assists.

One major area to focus on is the offense. In 15 of the 19 games, the Wildcats put up either a one or zero on the scoreboard. Going into next season, Moros should probably look to junior Jessica Bedolla, who was tied with Gaines for first in goals.

As far as defense, Arizona will be without senior goalkeeper Olivia Ramey. It will need to turn the page to one of two sophomores in either Sofia Cortes-Browne or Kayla Kirchoffner.

Cortes-Browne did play in two games last season, so more than likely she will start next season. Regardless of who starts for Arizona, they will need to be more competitive next season.

Many times last season, they looked as if it was just going through the motions of its games. If they can take control of games from the get-go, it will give them an opportunity to be more competitive in most of its games next season.



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Tennessee volleyball signs Georgia State transfer

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December 25, 2025

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Dec. 25, 2025, 12:30 p.m. ET

Tennessee announced the signing of Georgia State volleyball transfer Marta Lazzarin. She earned 2025 Sun Belt Conference Libero of the Year honors as a freshman.

“We are really excited to add Marta to our program and have her train with us this spring,” Tennessee head coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “She is an elite serve receiver and will step in right away to add stability in our passing unit.

“I am looking forward to her bringing maturity, consistency and high-level international experience to our gym. Our staff believes Marta’s development will blossom on Rocky Top and she will help us in pursuing championships.”

The 5-foot-4 libero is from Venice, Italy.



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