Sports
Hunter receives Big 12 nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year – BYU Athletics – Official Athletics Website
The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have earned her undergraduate degree by summer 2025.
The top 30 honorees (10 per division) will be announced in the fall of 2025. The selection committee will then announce the top nine (three per division) in late 2025. The 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the 2025 NCAA Convention in January.
The Big 12 also nominated Oklahoma State track athlete Sivan Auerbach to move on to the next round of voting for the award.
From Provo, Utah, Hunter graduated in April of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in communications disorders. In April of 2025, the mid-distance runner graduated with a master’s degree in communications disorders, all while holding a 3.95 GPA, respectively. In June 2025, she was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team. Additionally, in 2024, Hunter earned Academic All-Big 12 honors and received the reputable Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award.
Hunter had a memorable senior season. She won the 800-meter at the outdoor Big 12 Championships, breaking both program and meet records in the process. Additionally, her time of 1:58.99 ranks her as the No. 3 all-time performer in NCAA outdoor track and field history.
At the 2025 Husky Classic, Hunter and teammates Carmen Alder, Tessa Buswell and Riley Chamberlain had a historic performance as they broke not only the BYU record but the NCAA record in the Distance Medley Relay, crossing in 10:37.58.
More recently, Hunter competed in one of her first meets as a professional at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Hunter clocked a 2:00.53 in the 800m, deeming her a fifth place finish.
Meghan Hunter grew up with a dream: to run collegiately. After committing to run for @BYUTFXC, it looked to be coming to fruition.
However, her dream hung the balance following a car crash, leaving her with a broken neck. Mental battles also followed the accident, including… pic.twitter.com/zUIl8iApIz
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 18, 2024
Hunter’s path to success was marked by resilience. Shortly after signing her letter of intent with BYU in 2019, she was involved in a serious car accident that resulted in a broken neck, leaving doctors unsure if she would ever run again. Through intense physical and mental rehabilitation, she regained her athletic ability and became a source of inspiration for teammates and coaches alike.
Even with a busy schedule as a student-athlete, Hunter has actively served in her local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She does motivational speaking, sharing her inspirational story. In connection with her field of study, Hunter has volunteered extensively in equine therapy, conducted hearing loss screenings, worked with elderly individuals experiencing severe mental health challenges, administered speech therapy and participated in research on dyslexia, aphasia and alternative communication devices.
This is the second season in a row that Hunter has been recognized as one of the Big 12’s nominees for this prestigious award.
Sports
Becker, Marusak and Stow Earn All-American Accolades
CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M’s Emma Becker, Currie Marusak and Taytum Stow earned the highest honor a Division II volleyball student-athlete can receive on Wednesday as the trip of Lady Buffs were tabbed All-Americans.
Stow was named a Second Team honoree by the American Volleyball Coaches Association with Becker and Marusak claiming Honorable Mention accolades. Stow was also named to the D2CCA Third Team All-American squad.
Becker earned her third straight AVCA All-American honors as the Liberty Hill, Texas product registered 348 kills with a .212 attack percentage to go along with 17 assists, 10 service aces, 266 digs and 65 total blocks for a total of 396.5 points to average 3.51 per set. Becker was a First Team All-Lone Star Conference selection.
Marusak becomes the 33rd All-American in WT Volleyball history as she led the way offensively for the Lady Buffs during her senior campaign in 2025. The Amarillo High School alum had a team-best 410 kills on 1,008 swings for an attack percentage of .254 to go along with 14 aces, 282 digs and 49.0 blocks for a team-leading 452.0 points to average 4.00 per set as she was named to the All-Lone Star Conference First Team as well as the LSC Championship All-Tournament Team.
Stow, the three-time Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year, became one of the top players in Division II Volleyball during her storied career. The Hereford, Texas product is now a four-time All-American as she set new school all-time marks in total blocks and solo blocks this season while leading the Lady Buffs to the program’s 32nd NCAA Tournament. Stow tallied 290 kills with an attack percentage of .396 to go along with 19 service aces, 72 digs and an incredible 155 total blocks to average 1.37 per set.
Sports
Hensley is NCCAA AVCA Player of the Year
NCCAA VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
CEDARVILLE, Ohio – Madelyn Hensley has been named the 2025 NCCAA AVCA National Player of the Year.
She heads up the seven-player All-America First Team which includes Kaley Matney while Haley Koch earned a spot on the second team.
Hensley, a 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter from Dover, Delaware, joins CU Hall of Fame setter Kelsey Jones (2004) as the only Lady Jackets to be the NCCAA Player of the Year.
Hensley led Cedarville to a 24-6 record and the G-MAC South Division title with a 14-1 mark.
She was first in the NCCAA at 3.84 kills per set and ranked second in points (4.33).
Matney, a 5-9 senior setter from Fort Wayne, Indiana, topped the NCCAA at 11.10 assists per set.
Koch, a six-foot senior middle hitter from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, rated sixth in the NCCAA in hitting percentage (.375) and seventh in blocks (1.08).
Additionally, Koch, Matney, Paige Hale, Sydney Low, and Cassi Shields were recognized as NCCAA Scholar-Athletes which includes juniors, seniors, and graduate students who maintain a minimum 3.40 cumulative grade point average.

Sports
Recruits from Indiana, Reese Dunkle
Updated Dec. 10, 2025, 3:48 p.m. ET
- The NCAA women’s college volleyball transfer portal opened on December 7, with hundreds of athletes entering.
- Numerous Division I players with Indiana high school roots have entered the transfer portal.
- The current transfer window for athletes closes on January 5, with another window opening in May.
The women’s college volleyball transfer portal officially opened Dec. 7, and hundreds of names entered.
Here is a list of the Indiana products at the Division I level who are on the move. We’ll be updating this list as they find their new homes.
The portal window closes Jan. 5. The spring window is set for May 1-15.
Email Brian Haenchen (bhaenchen@usatodayco.com) or Aaron Ferguson (aferguson@usatodayco.com) with portal-related updates.
Molly Beatty, Central Michigan (Herron)
A 5-foot-11 setter, Beatty logged 46 sets over 19 matches, totaling 204 assists, five aces, 44 digs, seven blocks and a kill. She notched a career-high 24 assists at Milwaukee in September. Beatty has three years of eligibility remaining.
Elena Chappell, New Hampshire (Zionsville)
A 2025 Zionsville grad, the 6-foot middle appeared in four matches for the Wildcats.
Reese Dunkle, Stanford (Center Grove)
A record-setting middle for the Trojans, the 6-3 Dunkle redshirted in her first season with the Cardinal.
Raegan Durbin, Middle Tennessee State (Western Boone)
An explosive pin hitter, Durbin was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team after collecting 339 digs, 254 digs, 27 total blocks and 37 service aces. She clocked 24-plus kills in three matches, including a career-high 26 terminations vs. Delaware, the fifth-best performance in CUSA this season.
Lauren Evans, Butler (Carmel)
Evans, a defensive specialist, appeared in 29 matches for a second consecutive season. She totaled 447 digs (717 career), 93 assists (152 career) and 36 aces (67 career). The former Greyhound has two years of eligibility remaining.
Addy Frye, Providence (Traders Point Christian)
Frye, a junior outside hitter and defensive specialist, played two seasons at Providence, accumulating 110 digs, 23 aces and 13 assists over 36 matches (119 sets).
Morgan Gaerte, Notre Dame (Angola)
Gaerte garnered first team All-ACC and AVCA Midwest Region first team plaudits in her second season with the Irish. She started all 28 matches, tallying 497 kills — the most by a Notre Dame player since 2008 and third most overall — 183 digs, 68 total blocks and 36 aces. She set a school record with 34 kills vs. Illinois and registered double-digit kills in 22 straight matches — the second longest streak in program history.
Lilly Howell, Charlotte (Muncie Burris)
The freshman right side appeared in seven matches, picking up 12 kills, two aces, nine digs and 15 total blocks.
Audrey Hudson, Wright State (Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger)
Hudson was limited to five matches by injury last season as a freshman. She returned this season, totaling 42 sets over 18 matches. She posted 35 kills, four assists, an ace, 68 digs and a block.
Bella Humphrey, Auburn (McCutcheon)
The sophomore libero totaled 11 digs, 11 aces and four assists over 19 matches (59 sets) in her two seasons with the Tigers.
Ava Hunter, Loyola Chicago (Hamilton Southeastern)
The freshman appeared in 72 sets nad made 10 starts over 21 matches. She totaled 10 kills, 414 assists, 14 aces, 130 digs and four blocks
Aniya Kennedy, Ball State (LaPorte)
A redshirt junior outside hitter/opposite, Kennedy did not appear in any matches this fall. She had 749 kills, 89 digs, 100 blocks, three assists and an ace in her two seasons at Ball State.
Maddie Kmetz, Western Michigan (Andrean)
A redshirt junior setter, Kmetz appeared in 19 matches in 2025, registering 39 assists, 106 digs, a block and a kill.
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford (Evansville Reitz)
The redshirt junior outside hits the portal with 1,143 career kills (.228 hit%), 766 digs, 107 total blocks and 78 aces to her name. She’s also tallied 29 assists.
Ava Smith, Florida Gulf Coast (Park Tudor)
The 2022 Park Tudor graduate has seen action in two of her three seasons at FGCU, recording 215 kills, 48 digs, 47 blocks and six assists over her 44 matches played (130 sets).
Alaleh Tolliver, Butler (North Central)
A 5-10 sophomore from Indianapolis, Tolliver appeared in 56 matches across her two seasons, picking up 572 kills, 65 aces, 23 assists, 438 digs and 58 blocks.
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
Sports
2026 Men’s Volleyball Single Game Tickets on Sale Now!
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Single game tickets are now available for the 2026 Men’s Volleyball season!
The Gauchos will play 14 home matches this season, beginning with the annual ASICS Invitational from Jan. 8-10. UC Santa Barbara will host seven top 10 teams, including No. 1 Long Beach State and No. 2 UCLA.
General admission tickets are available for all 13 matches at $12 each. Additionally, group pricing for parties of 10 or more is available for all matches, with tickets costing $7 per person. Tickets are also available for six neutral site matches during the ASICS Invitational.
Click here or call the UC Santa Barbara Ticket Office at (805) 893-UCSB (8272) to purchase group tickets.
Sports
Rowan Men’s Indoor Track and Field starts season at Fasttrack – The Whit
Rowan hit the ground running with their opening meet at Friday’s Fasttrack Season Opener at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island, New York.
The team looked strong all around, and head coach Dustin Dimit was pleased with the results.
“That’s probably our best opening we’ve ever had with five or six guys already hitting marks,” Dimit said. “Just really impressed with how far along we already are.”
Seniors Kwaku Nkrumah and Jason Agyemang finished one and two in the 60-meter hurdles. Nkrumah edged out Agyemang by 0.0002 seconds. This is the first time this season that the two previous national champions have competed.
The Profs dominated in the high jump, as Rowan took four of the top five spots. Jamile Grantt took home first place with a 2.08-meter effort.
Freshman Anthony Parker also made his debut for the Profs and won the long jump (7.08 meters).
“To be able to go out there and win against Division I teams as well as hit marks that will get them to the NCAA championship is just outstanding,” Dimit said. “It really shows a bright future.”
Rowan will return to Ocean Breeze Complex after the winter break, on Jan. 16 for the Gotham cup.
Over the break, Dimit’s message is clear, and that’s to continue to put in the work.
“We got more work to do over the break,” Dimit said. “We’re really proud of the work they put in the fall, but none of that matters if we don’t put in this month of work over break before we come back.”
For comments/questions about this story, DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email [email protected]
Sports
Four ACC Teams Advance to Third Round of 2025 NCAA Volleyball Championship
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The third round of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship kicks off this Thursday, December 11, as four Atlantic Coast Conference remain standing in the tournament. All four of the third-round matches featuring ACC teams will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
No. 1-seeded Pitt swept Michigan in the second round to advance to its sixth consecutive regional semifinal. The Panthers will host the Pittsburgh Regional, taking on Minnesota at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 11.
No. 2-seeded SMU will also head to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to play in its first-ever regional semifinal appearance, as the Mustangs face off against No. 3-seeded Purdue approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Pitt-Minnesota match. The winners of both matches will play in the Regional Final on Saturday, December 13.
No. 2 seed Stanford will take on No. 3 seed Wisconsin on Friday, December 12, in the Cardinal’s 22nd NCAA regional semifinal appearance since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998. The Cardinal will hit the court at 2:30 p.m. ET in Austin, Texas, at the Austin Regional.
No. 2 seed Louisville will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to take on No. 3 seed Texas A&M in the Cardinals’ 11th regional semifinal appearance. The match will take place at 6 p.m. ET on Friday.
In the final AVCA/Taraflex Poll of the regular season (December 1), Pitt led the ACC in the No. 4 spot with Stanford (No. 5), SMU (No. 7), Louisville (No. 9), Miami (No. 13) and North Carolina (No. 19) filling out the rest of the Top 25. The ACC has the most teams of any conference in the top 10.
Noting ACC Volleyball
- Pitt and Stanford earned a share of the 2025 ACC Volleyball Championship title, with Stanford earning the AQ to the national tournament after a head-to-head win against Pitt.
- Pitt right side hitter Olivia Babcock was named the ACC Player of the Year, while Panthers’ teammate Bre Kelley was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. SMU’s Averi Carlson was tabbed the ACC Setter of the Year, while Louisville’s Kalyssa Blackshear was named ACC Freshman of the Year. Stanford head coach Kevin Hambly was named the ACC Coach of the Year.
- The ACC had the most teams in the final regular season NCAA DI Volleyball RPI Top 10, headlined by Pitt (No. 5), Stanford (No. 7), SMU (No. 8), and Louisville (No. 9).
- At the end of the regular season, Miami’s Flormarie Heredia Colon led the nation in kills with 719, kills per set with 6.25, total points with 815.0 and points per set with 7.09.
- Duke’s Jolene Nagel announced her retirement after 27 seasons leading the Blue Devils’ volleyball program.
- SMU earned its highest ranking in program history at No. 7 in the AVCA DI Volleyball Top 25 poll released on Monday, October 20.
- Miami’s Heredia Colon, Pitt’s Olivia Babcock and Stanford’s Elia Rubin were named as semifinalists for the AVCA Division I Player of the Year.
- Florida State’s Chris Poole ranks first among active NCAA Division I coaches with 955 victories in 39 seasons. Duke’s Jolene Nagel ranks fifth on that list with 717 career wins.
- Pitt head coach Dan Fisher reached his 400th career win on September 10, in the Panthers’ win over No. 3 Kentucky.
- Stanford’s Kevin Hambly reached his 400th career win on Friday, November 14, in an upset win over No. 3 Pitt.
- Virginia Tech’s Marci Byers reached her 300th career win on Friday, November 28, in a win over Syracuse.
- SMU’s Sam Erger reached her 100th career win on Saturday, December 6.
- SMU’s Malaya Jones was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday, September 2.
- Pitt’s Olivia Babcock was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday, October 21.
- Miami’s Flormarie Heredia Colon was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday, November 11.
- SMU’s Malaya Jones was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week for the second time this season on Tuesday, December 2.
- The ACC finished non-conference play with an overall record of 129-55 (.701), headlined by 10 wins against AVCA Top 25 teams and the inaugural ESPN Events “Showdown at the Net” title, after winning nine of the 16 matches against the SEC.
Weekly Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Thursday, December 11
Pittsburgh Regional | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#17 Minnesota at #4 Pitt | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
#7 SMU vs. #12 Purdue | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Friday, December 12
Austin Regional | Austin, Texas
#5 Stanford vs. #10 Wisconsin | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Lincoln Regional | Lincoln, Nebraska
#9 Louisville vs. #6 Texas A&M | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
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