GENEVA, Ohio—Babson College graduate student Anthony Rodriguez (Prairie View, Ill.) concluded his remarkable career with a time of 31:40.27 in the 10,000-meter run at the Division III National Championships at the SPIRE Academy Track & Field Complex. 

Rodriguez placed 21st overall in a fast race that saw Braden Nicholson of North Central (Ill.) finish first with a time of 29:20.59 that ranks as the third fastest in the 10,000 meters as the NCAA Championships since 1995. 

Rodriguez, who qualified for the national meet for the second consecutive season, recorded his second fastest time of the year and the 10th best of his career on Thursday night. He will leave Babson as the school-record holder in both the 5000 and 10,000 meters to go along with five conference titles and five USTFCCCA All-East Region awards. 

 

BOSTON – There is a new king of the Boston City League.

Defending back-to-back-to-back boys volleyball champion O’Bryant no longer wears the crown, as a tenacious Latin Academy team swept the champs, 3-0, at Emmanuel College.

This was a rematch of last year’s city championship. Latin Academy was on the verge of a title a year ago, ahead, 2-1, entering the fourth set, but a resilient O’Bryant pulled off the comeback. That was not the case this year, as Latin Academy won each set – 25-22, 25-19, and 25-20 – in convincing manner.

“Last year hurt,” said Latin Academy coach Nick Mone. “It really stung. This year, we were determined not to let that happen again. We focused on one point at a time. Everybody stepped up, and we did what we needed to do going to win this game.”

Powered by team captain/outside hitter Otavio Perks (13 kills) and setter Max Dong (25 assists), O’Bryant refused to relinquish its title without a proper fight.

But Latin Academy (11-10) spread the ball, defended exceptionally well, and showcased its firepower with a balanced attack from opposite hitter Gabriel Ugoji (seven kills), outside hitter James Urbaez (four aces, eight kills) opposite hitter Timmy Lewis (nine kills) and outside hitter/libero Teddy Stylianopoulos (seven kills, two assists).

“Every player contributed to the win,” said Mone, whose team-oriented approach paid dividends. “It’s been a tough year. We played the tough teams in DI, and we took our lumps. But the goal is to compete with anyone. It’s been hard, but it’s all about building and growing. Seeing the players improve each day makes it all worth it.”

Latin Academy won a back-and-forth affair in the opening set. It was even at 14-14 before Latin Academy finished on an 11-8 run to seize the set, 25-22, and grab the early advantage.

O’Bryant (7-11) was dealt a blow in the second set when outside hitter Louis Chiu was forced to leave the game with a right ankle injury. It was even at eight apiece when Chiu left the game, and that was when libero Tri Duong, the maestro of Latin Academy’s defense, led an attack that prevented O’Bryant from generating any sort of consistent offense.

“That’s my job – never let the ball hit the ground,” said Duong, who captured the game’s Most Valuable Player award. “And it makes my coach happy.”

Latin Academy won the set, 25-19, to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. With a deftness at reacting, positioning, and reading the hitter, Duong stifled opportunities that would have led to O’Bryant seizing momentum.

“We were close last year and it was tough to lose, so we worked extra hard to make this our year,” said Duong. “Winning this title, winning MVP, winning with my teammates, it all feels amazing.”

O’Bryant coach Paul Pitts-Dilley was unable to make the game, as he was present for his son’s surgical procedure. Filling in were assistant coaches Liam Healey and Nathan Tan. Had a few breaks went its way in that second set, the outcome could have been a whole lot different.

“Pardon my expression, but that’s the way the ball bounces,” said Healey. “The boys left their hearts on the court. Hopefully they use this as fuel for the playoffs. These kids have a lot more fight in them.”

A senior leader, Ugoji played a pivotal part in Latin Academy’s victory. After watching his older brother play for O’Bryant, Ugoji vowed to rearrange the hierarchy in the city. It resulted in a tremendous amount of sweat, tears, and turmoil, but ends with the city championship finding a new home with Ugoji at Latin Academy.

“A lot of struggle went into this,” said Ugoji. “We leaned a lot from the seniors before us, from their guidance and support. Personally, I got a lot of support from my teammates and coaches – I can’t thank them enough for helping me enjoy the ride.

“And it’s not over – we still have states. We’ll go back to practice, lock in, and be ready for whatever comes next.”

After losing in last year’s Round of 16, Latin Academy looks to extend its winning ways in the Division 2 state tournament, where it is possible it once again will see O’Bryant.

“We’re not done yet,” said Mone. “That’s the message here. We have a lot to still play for. We had a tough finish last year, and we’re out for redemption.”

Junior Alison Mueller-Hickler finished 10th in the 10K finals to kick off Colorado College’s first day at the NCAA Division III Track and Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio. 
 
“We had some really great performances on the first day of the championship,” head coach Katie Brescher said. “Rabbit and Isabel did what they needed to do to advance to the finals. Alison ran a competitive race in the 10k. I’m very excited for her to be an All-American.”
 
Mueller-Hickler earned second-team All-American honors for her 10th-place finish with a time of 35:26.33. This is the junior’s first-ever nationals appearance, and she came into the weekend with the 10th-fastest time in the country.
 
Senior Isabel Olson qualified for the finals in the women’s 1,500-meter after finishing 4:31.46 in the first heat. She has the ninth-fastest time entering Saturday’s finals. 
 
In the men’s races, junior Rabbit Barnes qualified for the finals in the 1,500-meter after running a 3:54.55 in Thursday’s prelims. Barnes placed fourth in the first heat and has the 13th fastest time entering Friday’s final. 
 
Sophomore Will Shuflit crossed the finish line at 31:37.04 in the men’s 10K finals. 
 
 
 

Assignment description
As a trainer you are responsible for providing practice for our Gents 2 and Ladies 1 teams. These teams train on Monday from 22:00 till 23:30 and on Friday from 22:30 till 23:30 in Delft. You are responsible for coming well prepared to the practice and helping the players from both teams further develop their skills within water polo. Your practices are diverse and useful. You can switch well between helping the entire team and giving personal feedback to players. Besides this, it is also the perfect chance for you to develop your coaching skills with teams who can play a decent level of water polo.

Qualities and skills 
X TU Delft and DSW WAVE are looking for a freelancer/agency worker who meets the following profile:

• You are well known within the sport water polo, and you can pass this knowledge on to others.
• You have an affinity with our student target group.
• You have showable experience in giving water polo training. Ideally you can show a KNZB level 1 or 2 training diploma. However, this is something that can be obtained later.
• You embrace X’s core values: personal, respectful, engaged, freedom, curiosity, collaboration, diversity and inclusivity.
• You have a good command English language, both spoken and written.
• You are enthusiastic, flexible and committed.
• You are available during the practice times as mentioned above.

Terms and rates

• You are available starting from next academic year. The duration of the assignment is 1 year and has an end date of 30-06-2026
• The assignment is carried out through the Unique recruitment agency or you will be hired as a freelancer. In accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, agency workers will be classified and the salary will be determined based on experience and qualities. For freelancers, the terms and rates will be established through negotiation.

TU Delft
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world-class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be enterprising problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. 

At TU Delft, we embrace diversity as one of our core values and are actively committed to being a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities because it makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant, and the world more just. Together, we devise, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

X TU Delft
X is part of TU Delft and welcomes more than 19,000 students and staff annually. At X TU Delft, students have the opportunity to develop themselves personally outside the lecture halls. X offers a range of activities from sports and games to arts and crafts, reflection and lifestyle. Various group lessons offer an accessible way to explore new interests and establish a healthy routine within student life. Inspiring courses create space for deeper exploration and surprising personal growth through newly developed skills. Students eager to share their passions can join one of the many affiliated sports and cultural associations. Those who prefer to play or practise independently can reserve specific spaces to do so. For a more casual experience, various events are organised every month, and Cafe X provides a relaxed and welcoming meeting place with a diverse menu in a cosy atmosphere.

You will be part of a dynamic, international work environment with motivated and enthusiastic students and colleagues. The three pillars – Products, Systems and Communication – jointly enable X’s activities. X employees are known for their strong ambition to contribute to and be part of the personal development of others, particularly students. At the same time, they value their own personal growth and have a strong capacity to learn.

Sports & Games
The Sports & Games cluster falls under the Products pillar and is responsible for programme offerings in ball sports, e-sports, games, strength training, outdoor activities, racket sports, martial arts and water sports. In practice, this translates to the development, realisation and facilitation of group lessons, courses, competitions, events and other initiatives. The team consists of 3 staff members and 1 student employee and works closely with multiple teachers, student instructors and association boards.

DSZ WAVE
DSZ WAVE is the Delft Student Zwem and Water polo Association. Besides these two branches, our triathlon branch is also growing steadily. Every week we have 5 swimming, 1 running, 1 cycling, and 3 water polo practice hours. Our association consists of more than 300 members who often participate in one of these sports. Besides our regular practices our members often try out different sports, and we see each other during our many social activities.

Our water polo branch consists of roughly 40 players in three competitions teams. Besides this there are around 20 beginning water polo players who join the NSWKs (quarterly student competitions) and other summer tournaments. The Gents 1 and beginner teams already have a trainer and coach. 

The TU Delft is the main sponsor of DSZ WAVE and the employer of the teachers/trainers of the associations. The accommodation is, just as the trainers and additional material costs, being facilitated by the TU Delft.

For more information about DSZ WAVE, visit https://dsz-wave.nl/en/.

Contact
For more information about the assignment and DSW WAVE, please contact Paris Treffers, Water Polo Commissioner of DSZ WAVE, via polocommissaris@dsz-wave.nl. Information about X TU Delft can be found at www.tudelft.nl/x.

Procedure
Interested in this assignment? Express your interest by sending your motivation letter and CV before 1 July 2025 to the above email address, mentioning ‘Assignment offer Water polo trainer DSZ WAVE’ in the subject.

Florida Gators Volleyball is set to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels at the first-ever ESPN SEC vs ACC Shriners Children’s “Showdown at the Net” Tournament. This tournament provides an exiting kick off for the 2025 volleyball season with some of the nation’s most historically successful teams. The Gators have not played the Tar Heels in over 6 years, but they look to continue their dominance and improve their 12-1 all-time record against UNC.

The Gators play on September 9th, and the rest of the tournament runs until the end of the day on September 10th.

It’s going down in Chapel Hill

We’re headed to North Carolina for Showdown at the Net on Sept. 9!#GoGators | https://t.co/lahADQQSwl pic.twitter.com/68JXlznVKh

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) May 22, 2025

2024 Season

Last Season, the Gators had a dominant run. They ended with a 21-7 regular season record and were 11-5 in conference play, landing them third in the SEC. They made it to the NCAA Tournament Regionals before falling to Stanford to end their season. The Gators had a good season but are looking to get back to a championship standard.

2024 marked the last season for legendary coach Mary Wise. In her 34-year tenure, she led the Gators to the national tournament every year. Wise is also a 12-time SEC tournament champion and a 19-time regular-season champ.

She ended her career as a legend at the University of Florida, being the longest tenured coach in school history.

What’s Next

Ryan Theis is coming in as the new head coach, who was an assistant for the UF Volleyball team in 2006 and 2007. He has big shoes to fill, but his last 17 years as head coach at Marquette are nothing to pass over. He is the winningest coach in Marquette history, finishing his career with a 402 and 141 record.

The expectations for next season are the same as they’ve always been. The goal for this team is to win the SEC and compete for a national title. With a new coach coming in, all eyes will be on them to perform.