Sports
Huskie Set for MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women’s track and field team heads to Athens, Ohio, this weekend to compete in the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships, hosted by Ohio University, at Goldsberry Track. The competition will begin on Thursday, May 15 and continue through Saturday, May 17.
Each of the meets three days will include coverage on ESPN+, the broadcast will begin at 11 a.m. CT all three days.
“These ladies have been training since the fall, since August for our distance ladies and the others since September for this very moment,” said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. “The outdoor championship is the end of it all and they know that this is the time to put it all on the line. With the ladies we have traveling, we feel like they are ready to go, they just have to seize the moment and do what Huskies do, and that’s show up.”
NIU ranks among the nation’s elite in the high jump, where the Huskies are tied for eighth in the current United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Event Rankings.
Kamiya Dendy (Anderson, S.C./Pendleton) is the top-ranked Huskie in the high jump this spring, clearing a height of 1.75 meters (5-08.75) to tie for fourth in the MAC and 82nd nationally. Jasmijn Raes (Amsterdam, Netherlands) is tied for sixth in the conference, having cleared 1.74 meters (5-08.50).
Last season at the MAC Outdoor Championships, hosted by NIU, Dendy finished third in the high jump. Earlier this season at the conference indoor meet, Dendy earned runner-up honors with Raes taking third.
Buffalo’s Zahra Amos is the defending champion and holds the best mark in the league this spring, having cleared 1.78 meters (5-10.00).
In the 800 meters, Emma Vorpagel (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) has run personal-best times in each of her last two meets, including a time of 2:07.65 at Indiana’s Billy Hayes Invitational last Friday (May 9). That time made Vorpagel the second-fastest Huskie ever in the 800 meters, behind Hope Schmelzle, and is also the third-best time in the 800 this season. Last year, Vorpagel finished seventh in the 800 at the MAC Outdoor Championships.
Earlier this year at the MAC Indoor Championships, Precious Umukoro (Villarreal, Spain) was named Women’s Indoor Freshman Field Performer of the Year after claiming second in the long jump and seventh in the triple jump. She enters the outdoor meet ranked eighth in the league in the long jump and ninth in the triple jump.
Giorgia Fino (Francavila Fontana, Italy) heads into the MAC Championships ranked seventh in the javelin.
Action will begin at the MAC Outdoor Championships at 9 a.m. CT Thursday with the heptathlon, field events will start at 10 a.m. CT and running events at 4 p.m. CT.
Sports
Brittnay Estes – Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator – Women’s Volleyball Coaches
“Brittnay is the perfect addition to our staff. She comes to us highly-recommended and is a very well-respected coach in the volleyball community. I am excited to add her energy, extreme enthusiasm and competitiveness to our gym,” said Wargo-Kearney. “Brittnay is a great relationship builder and will have the trust of our players, as well as future Wolfpack athletes. I have no doubt her impact on our program will make us stronger and she will continue to put together strong recruiting classes as our recruiting coordinator. I am fired up to welcome her to Raleigh!”
Estes joins the Pack after spending the last four seasons at her alma mater, Lipscomb.
She helped coach the 2023 ASUN Player of the Year, Meg Mersman, to All-American, All-Region honors, in addition to three All-ASUN honors.
In her first season with the Bison in 2020, she helped guide the squad to their seventh ASUN Regular Season Championship and seventh Tournament Championship after the group finished with a 14-2 overall record and 11-1 conference record.
Prior to joining the staff in Nashville, Estes spent five years in Los Angeles, California where she played one season of beach volleyball for Loyola Marymount as a graduate student before playing pro for the Associate of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), the country’s most extensive premiere beach volleyball tour.
A standout outside hitter for the Bison, the Palm Harbor, Florida native was a four year starter and was tabbed the 2015 Conference Player of the Year. During her senior campaign, she was tabbed the ASUN Tournament MVP. She remains in the top-five in the Lipscomb record book for several stats, including kills per set and kills per set in a five set match.
Over the course of her time in Nashville, she collected two All-Conference selections, two All-Tournament team nods, and four Player of the Week honors. She was also a two-time AVCA All-Region honoree. In 2020, she was named to the ASUN All-Decade team.
Estes graduated from Lipscomb in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and New Media. She also earned her master’s degree from Loyola Marymount in Educational Studies.
Sports
This Week in Wake Forest Women’s Athletics – Presented by Truist (Jan. 5-11)
- Women’s Basketball:
- Wake Forest began the month with a 74-55 victory over Pitt on Jan. 1, as the Demon Deacons shared the ball at an elite rate, assisting on 26 of the 29 made baskets in the win over the Panthers.
- It marked the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Deacs started ACC play at 2-1.
- The Demon Deacons now turn the attention to the California swing, first facing Stanford on Thursday before concluding the trip against Cal on Sunday.
- Track & Field:
- The Wake Forest women’s track and field team are set to return to action with three meets during the month of January.
- The Demon Deacons begin 2026 by competing in the Mondo College Invitational (Jan. 17) at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem.
- The Deacs will then have a dual slate during the final week of the month, with one group heading to Lynchburg, Va. to compete at the Brant Tolsma Invitational (Jan. 30-31), while another group traveling to Boston for the John Thomas Terrier Classic (Jan. 31).
- The Wake Forest women’s track and field team are set to return to action with three meets during the month of January.
- Volleyball:
- Head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer and Demon Deacons volleyball recently announced three additions in middle blocker Catherine Burke, libero Andrea Roman and outside hitter Amina N’Diaye.
- Burke comes to Wake Forest from Penn State, where she was a member of the Nittany Lions’ 2024 National Championship team. Off the court, she earned a spot on the 2024 Academic All-Big Ten Team.
- Roman was one of the country’s top defenders this past fall as a junior at Little Rock, finishing second in the NCAA in total digs (632) while being named the OVC Defensive Player of the Year. The Humacao, Puerto Rico, native earned multiple all-OVC honors during her three years with the Trojans.
- N’Diaye spent her freshman season at Miami, helping the Hurricanes rank as a top-15 team nationally for the majority of the fall en route to making an appearance in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. A key piece of Miami’s core of hitters, she was third on the roster in kills (139) in 27 matches.
- Head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer and Demon Deacons volleyball recently announced three additions in middle blocker Catherine Burke, libero Andrea Roman and outside hitter Amina N’Diaye.
About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country, and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $574 billion as of March 31, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 59 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN’s seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest’s comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school, innovative department of engineering and its nationally renowned Program for Leadership and Character, which prepares students to live with purpose, integrity and courage. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
Sports
Tyler Legacy lands 5 on 6A All-State volleyball team
LONGVIEW — Five Tyler Legacy volleyball players earned honors on the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 6A All-State Volleyball Team, the organization announced on Monday.
Taylor Woods and Maddie Goin were honorable mention selections as outside hitters. Mikel Reed and Aubrey Felton earned honorable mention honors at middle blocker. Kate Priest was an honorable mention pick at libero/defensive specialist.
Woods, a Louisiana Tech signee, had 379 kills, 285 digs, 25 blocks, 44 aces, 497 serve/receive receptions and a 2.08 average. Goin had 235 kills, 194 digs, 21 blocks, 300 serve/receive receptions and a 2.04 average. Reed had 124 kills, 52 blocks and 48 digs. Felton had 112 kills, 62 blocks, 13 aces and 41 digs. Priest had 328 digs, 419 serve/receive receptions and a 2.11 average.
The Lady Raiders went 22-10, qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2021 and won a playoff match for the first time since 2007.
Longview’s Triniti Jackson was a third-team pick at setter. Teammates Alyssa Grissom, Jaharia Hunter and Landry Tubb were honorable mention selections at middle blocker, outside hitter and libero/defensive specialist, respectively.
Jackson had 702 assists, 401 kills, 313 digs, 45 blocks and 60 aces. Grissom had 201 kills, 91 blocks, 31 aces and 56 digs. Hunter had 331 kills, 222 digs and 32 blocks. Tubb had 628 digs, 28 aces and 42 assists.
State champions Byron Nelson (Division I) and Southlake Carroll (Division II) earned the top superlatives in voting. Byron Nelson’s Sophee Peterson was named Player of the Year in Class 6A, and Leslie Jackson of Southlake Carroll earned Coach of the Year honors.
Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and TSWA members from around the state.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Leslie Jackson, Southlake Carroll
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sophee Peterson, Byron Nelson
FIRST TEAM
Middle Blockers: Kinsley Young, Southlake Carroll; Camille Presley, Austin; Kerington Thornton, Round Rock
Outside Hitters: Layla Austin, Southlake Carroll; Avery Koonsen, Pearland Dawson; Marlee Lightsey, Comal Canyon
Setter: Sophee Peterson, Byron Nelson
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Jenna Thedford, Pearland Dawson
SECOND TEAM
Middle Blockers: Taliah Angwekwe, Stony Point; Callie Funk, Katy Tompkins; Keaton Points, Pearland Dawson
Outside Hitters: Kylie Kleckner, Byron Nelson; Riley Malloy, Austin; Saniya Reynolds, Cy Ranch
Setter: Logan Sanders, Comal Canyon
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Taylor Wright, Copperas Cove
THIRD TEAM
Middle Blockers: Ryea Jackson, Duncanville; (tie) Madyson Carr, Cy Ranch; (tie) Micah Rusher, Oak Ridge
Outside Hitters: Kylie Rodriguez, Forney; Ashley Seay, Byron Nelson; Jaylyn Tuiasosopo, O’Connor
Setter: (tie) Triniti Jackson, Longview; Audrey Cook, Stratford
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Emerson Chang, Manvel
HONORABLE MENTION
Middle Blockers: Carinne Bouie, Goose Creek Memorial; Mikel Reed, Tyler Legacy; Aubrey Felton, Tyler Legacy; Khadijah Blue, Cibolo Steele; Mia Carrasco, Eastlake; Alyssa Grissom, Longview; Carolina Elizondo, Laredo Alexander; Jocelyn Joyner, O’Connor
Outside Hitters: Jaharia Hunter, Longview; Taylor Woods, Tyler Legacy; Nevah English, Manvel; Karina Deylen Mendivil, James Madison; Sloane Ranney, Pearland Dawson; Simone Heard, Plano East; Giselle Gandara, Eastlake; Leila Ceaser, Oak Ridge; Jasmyn Walker, Manvel; Peyton Smith, Duncanville; Maddie Goin, Tyler Legacy; Elisa St. Rose, Katy Thompson; Halle Thompson, Grand Oaks; Gwen Koss, Stafford; Mary-Christine Crutcher, Mansfield
Setter: Olivia Pena, O’Connor; Maggie McCarroll, Austin; Tinsley Welker, Fort Bend Austin; London King, Manvel
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Kaylee Parker, Cy Ranch; Landry Tubb, Longview; Isabella Cordaway-Dreier, Round Rock; Lainey Monroe, Katy Tompkins; Kate Priest, Tyler Legacy
Sports
HPISD Board of Trustees Honors Volleyball Team
The Highland Park ISD board of trustees recognized the district’s history-making volleyball team at its Dec. 16 meeting.
Head coach Michael Dearman called the Class 5A Division I state champions “a very special team.”
“We, of course, were chock full of talent. You’re looking at several All Americans here. But that’s not the real story about this team. The real story about this team is about closeness, and the family, and the trust that we had with one another,” he said. “They played for each other. It was an amazing, amazing experience.”
Dearman recognized each Lady Scot and the team’s coaches individually.
Sports
Volleyball Signs Olivia Ruy – Utah State University Athletics
Ruy, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, spent the past season at Maryland, making 10 starts and appearing in 24 matches and 63 total sets. Ruy totaled 126.5 points last season, averaging 2.01 per set, and recorded 112 kills, 71 digs, 20 blocks and three aces. She posted a season-high 16 kills against Davidson, also clearing double-digits with 12 kills against Iowa. Ruy posted a season-high 13 digs against Coastal Carolina, narrowly missing a double-double with nine kills.
Prior to Maryland, Ruy spent two years at Arkansas, redshirting in 2023 before making 24 starts and appearing in 25 games in 2024. As a redshirt freshman, Ruy ranked third on the team in total kills (221), kills per set (2.81) and service aces (13), also totaling 123 digs and 25 blocks. She recorded 11 double-digit kill matches and posted three double-doubles during SEC play, doing so with 11 kills and 10 digs against Florida, 12 kills and 11 digs at Ole Miss, 16 kills and a season-high 14 digs against Oklahoma. She earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 11 after posting a career high 17 kills and .452 hitting percentage in the Razorbacks’ sweep of South Carolina.
Ruy was a four-year starting outside hitter for Woods Cross (Utah) High School where she was named to the All-State Team as well as All-Region in each of her four seasons. Ruy led the Wildcats in kills per set (4.0), overall kills (417) and aces (76) her senior season and led the team high in kills per set and aces per set in three of four seasons in high school. Ruy also played for Club V Volleyball, where she placed third nationally and was a three-time Under Armour All-American camp invitee.
Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
– USU –
Sports
Red Devils Rank 37th in Learfield Directors’ Cup Standings Thru Fall Season
CLEVELAND – After a fantastic fall season that saw six teams earn Centennial Conference postseason action and two teams as well as two individuals participate in NCAA Championship play, Dickinson College ranks 37th in the Learfield Directors’ Cup Standings as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.
Dickinson racked up 158 points thanks to 73 points given to men’s soccer following their second straight run to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Field Hockey was also a major contributor to the Red Devils ranking claiming 53 points after first year head coach Maggie Sohns guided her side to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Men’s Cross Country grabbed 32 points thanks to sending the pair of Nathan Caldwell and Luke Knestout to the NCAA Championship race.
The Red and White ranks second among Centennial Conference members, trailing second-place Johns Hopkins (454.50 pts) and hold a 20 point cushion on Swarthmore who sits right behind DC in 38th.
NACDA will release another set of rankings on April 2, 2026, following the winter season, before the final standings are announced June 9, 2026, after the completion of the 2025-26 academic year.
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