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Is the future of college track & field, including Oregon Ducks, in jeopardy of collapse?

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There will be an ill wind blowing Friday when the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships convene at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, and not that pesky, back straight headwind.

College track and field is in real trouble.

Attempting to more fairly compensate football and men’s basketball players financially, the NCAA is on the verge of major, structural changes to intercollegiate athletics. The upshot?

College track, a revenue loser everywhere, even in Track Town USA, is beginning to look like so much collateral damage.

Virginia track coach Vin Lananna, the former Oregon coach and past president of Eugene’s TrackTown USA organizing committee, is sounding the alarm.

“I hope I’m wrong,” Lananna says. “I’d love to be dead wrong on this. But I see no evidence that dissuades me from believing our sport is under siege.”

Lananna and others say that unless college track becomes something the public can easily watch and understand, it risks descending into a tiny niche, contested by only a handful of schools. Men’s gymnastics or fencing, for instance. Time is short.

“If we don’t act now,” Lananna says, “we’ll never save it.”

Slashing track scholarships

The exact parameters of the NCAA changes still are being hammered out in the California courtroom of U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. The NCAA and Division I power conferences agreed last year to an anti-trust settlement that would pay past and current athletes nearly $2.8 billion.

As part of the deal, scholarship limits were increased but roster sizes capped. As a result, some athletes lost or are poised to lose roster spots they either had or were promised before the deal was made. How to fairly address their concerns is being argued this week in Wilken’s courtroom.

If Wilken doesn’t accept the settlement, it could be scrapped altogether. And since the new rules are supposed to go into effect on July 1, there is widespread uncertainty about what’s next.

“Clear as mud,” says Sam Seemes, chief executive of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. “I’m not sure mud isn’t clearer.”

Even if specifics of the settlement change to some degree, much of it is expected to stand. What is crystal clear is no matter what the rules are going forward, the landscape for college track is about to change for these reasons.

  • College athletes, most from revenue producing sports are set to be paid directly by the schools, which each would be allowed more than $20 million per year for that purpose under terms of the settlement. That money must come from somewhere.
  • The roster cap for football was set at 105. Every one of those players will be eligible for scholarships. Up through this year only 85 FBS players could be on scholarship, leaving schools to fill out larger squad sizes with walk-ons.
  • College track scholarship limits were bumped to 45 for both men and women, up from 18 for women and 12.6 for men. Through this season, many Division I track teams have had more than 45 athletes on their rosters because they divided scholarships and used walk-ons. The University of Oregon currently lists rosters of 54 men and 54 women.

As the settlement is structured, the Ducks would have smaller rosters and could offer more scholarships. But no school would be required to give that many track scholarships, and few are likely to spend heavily on track. Believing any school would offer 45 track scholarships is pure fantasy.

“I don’t know of any Division I institution that is going to do that,” Seemes says.

In fact, many schools are expected to slash track scholarships to help other sports. Football, for instance. But that scholarship money also could go to non-revenue sports that connect better with the public. Under terms of the settlement, the baseball scholarship limit would go from 11.7 to 34.

“I know of one institution that has reduced men’s scholarships from track to 12.6 to six, and given the other six to baseball,” Seemes says. “That institution obviously wants to be more invested in baseball than men’s track and field.”

Oregon Twilight meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Former Oregon track & field coach Vin Lananna says that college track & field competitions “are dreadful. They’re long, drawn out, fragmented, and the modern audience can’t relate to whatever it is we’re doing.” LC- The Oregonian

‘Bored to death’

College track and field once was a major spectator sport. Meets at Hayward Field were events. In 1970, Steve Prefontaine’s freshman year at Oregon, he competed in Pac-8 dual meets against Washington, Cal, UCLA, Washington State and Oregon State. Eugene Register-Guard printed pre-meet form charts that fans brought with them as they filled the stadium.

Dual meets engaged people who knew little about the intricacies of the sport, and were more interested in who won than how many runners cracked 13 minutes, 50 seconds in the 5,000 meters. People inside Hayward in May 1972 still talk about the 1,500-meter battle between Prefontaine and Oregon State Olympian Hailu Ebba in the Oregon-OSU dual.

The winning time? Who knows? Who cares? The story was about what would prevail, Pre’s strength or Ebba’s speed. Pre won as a packed stadium roared.

Flash forward 50 years, all of that is gone. Dual meets have been largely pitched into history’s scrap heap. Star athletes going head-to-head in the 5,000 with the outcome of the meet hanging in the balance have been replaced by daylong invitational meets with no team scoring.

Regular season college meets take place before mostly empty seats, even at the beautiful, 12,500-seat Hayward Field.

“Track and field has moved away from being any kind of team sport whatsoever,” Lananna says. “Our competitions are dreadful. They’re long, drawn out, fragmented, and the modern audience can’t relate to whatever it is we’re doing.”

On any given spring weekend, a college track team might send its throwers to a throws-specific meet in one city, its distance runners to a distance carnival in another city, and its sprinters and hurdlers somewhere else.

The regular season goal has become to find places where college athletes can record times or marks that qualify them for postseason competition. Winning an event isn’t as important as a fast time or a long triple jump or throw. Spectators aren’t part of the equation.

Seemes, CEO of the USTFCCCA, says he recently attended an all-day meet that was unscored. There were a few, strong performances interspersed in what was a mind-numbing blizzard of heats.

“I’m a huge track fan,” he says. “And I’m going to tell you, I was bored to death. It might have been great for the coach and the student/athlete who had a great performance. That’s not enough.”

There can’t be a general interest sports fan in the world willing to sit through the Stanford Invitational. This year’s schedule shows the invitational’s first day’s first event began at 9 a.m. and the last event went off at 10:55 p.m. There were eight sections of the 5,000 and five of the 10,000, which translates into more than four and a half hours of athletes around in circles.

Fans have migrated elsewhere. College baseball and softball have surged in popularity, and it’s not surprising. Their games feature schools competing head-to-head, in TV-friendly time spans. There is a clear winning team.

Volleyball, which changed its scoring rules to speed up play, is attracting ever more fans. Nebraska put more than 92,000 people in the football stadium in 2023 to watch a women’s volleyball match with Omaha.

So, when budget-strapped athletic administrators take a knife to non-revenue sports to pay for more football scholarships, will they first go after volleyball, baseball, softball or … track? Most, probably, will opt to protect sports people actually want to watch.

Women’s track has long been a hedge against a university with gender equity issues. Those 18 scholarships for female athletes have come in handy.

But there are emerging sports, such as beach volleyball, that can do the same thing and still appeal to fans in ways track does not. Women’s gymnastics has become a popular spectator sport at some schools.

“The sport that scares me right now is women’s flag football,” Seemes says. “It can involve a lot of numbers and really balance athletic departments for Title IX. The NFL is heavy behind it, and God knows, the NFL is a money machine. In collegiate athletics, money talks.”

Some solutions

College track coaches are beginning to see the peril. Oregon brought back its team invitational this spring after a hiatus of several seasons.

“I’m a big believer in the team concept of track and field,” UO coach Jerry Schumacher says. “I’d love to see more team competitions going forward. At the university level, I think the name across the front is more important than the one on the back.”

There are several ways college coaches can begin making college track more spectator friendly. They can schedule more scored team competitions in tight, TV-compatible time windows. They can cut travel costs by filling their regular season schedules with meets against neighboring schools.

They can toss out performance lists and determine fields for the NCAA Championships with teams going head-to-head in regional meets the way women’s gymnastics does, perhaps carving out spots for individuals who star on teams that don’t make the cut. They can do an end run around roster limits by creating JV teams.

It would be different, but perhaps a better option than waiting for a solution from interested parties such as former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who has been outspoken about changes he wants to see in college athletics.

Former college distance runner Victoria Jackson is a sports historian and clinical associate professor of history at Arizona State. She says many of the issues facing track and field and other non-revenue sports stem from being subject to rules and rule changes designed for revenue sports.

Rather than trying to adapt to changes made for football, Jackson says it’s past time for college track to set its own agenda.

“We have to be big and bold, and figure out our own solutions,” Jackson says. “Because, you know what? Nick Saban does not care about track and field. He can claim to, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t understand the sport, and he’s one of the people who is dictating the future of it.”

Whatever happens in Judge Wilken’s courtroom, it’s clear college track and field must re-engage with fans outside its small base to matter in the increasingly crowded sports landscape.

Seemes says the sport needs to think of itself as a business and make itself attractive in the marketplace. And soon.

“Doing what we do now, we wouldn’t be in business,” he says. “We would be broke. We would be out of business. We would not have a sport.”

— Ken Goe for The Oregonian

KenGoe1020@gmail.com



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Blue Bell/TSWA Class 4A All-State Volleyball Team

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LONGVIEW – Division I state champion Decatur landed the two top honors in voting for the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A All-State Volleyball Team for the 2025 season.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Stormi Snider, Decatur

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ava Green, Decatur

FIRST TEAM

Middle blockers: Keoni Williams, Eagle Mountain; Emma Pollard, Gatesville; Rebecca Lucksinger, Bellville

Outside hitters: Ava Green, Decatur; Elizabeth Corbitt, Spring Hill; Paisley Pavliska, La Vernia

Setter: Molly Aubert, Eagle Mountain

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Lexi Nichols, Eagle Mountain

SECOND TEAM

Middle blockers: Shaelyn Ward, Aubrey; Alyssa Potts, Lindale; Harper Smith, Decatur

Outside hitters: Libby Tedder, Springtown; Allegra Foreman, Stephenville; Avery Keck, La Vernia

Setter: Grace Fortune, Decatur

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Hannah Forshee, Sweeny

THIRD TEAM

Middle blockers: Sayler Peck, Decatur; Brooklyn Brannen, Bullard; Giselle Webster, Kilgore

Outside hitters: Savannah Irwin, Spring Hill; Brooke Lacewell, Eagle Mountain; Belle Seibert, Sweeny

Setter: Bailey Hampton, Aubrey

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Kaylee Londeau, Spring Hill

HONORABLE MENTION

Middle blockers: Janey Baker, China Spring; Addison Kramer, Lorena; Makenna Hertless, Floresville; Brooke Gisell, Lindale; Alli Bitter, Carthage; Elsie Law, Salado; Jadyn Lindgren, CC Calallen; Maggie Thompson, Sulphur Springs; Bella Elliott, Liberty; Jessa Cox, Cuero; Austyn Flowers, Seminole

Outside hitters: Charlee Mack, Hillsboro; Meredith Muramoto, China Spring; Julia Guidry, Bullard; Trinity Laney, Wimberley; Peighton Purser, Farmersville; Lilli Sandoval, Wimberley; Mazzy Johnson, Salado; Preslee Hardy, Sulphur Springs; Jordan Flodder, Van; Kayla White, Van; Addison Alexander, Canton; Kalia Andres, Bullard; Ella Hutchens, Lindale; Rainey Johnson, Sulphur Springs; Bryleigh Mayhan, Pine Tree

Setter: Carly Chadwick, Pine Tree; Elle Litchenburg, Kilgore; Caroline Cockerham, Carthage; Julia Garrick, Bullard; Caitlyn Gerick, China Spring; Stevie-Kate LaDuque, Stephenville; Charli Niu, Salado; Grace Martinez, CC Calallen; Harper Hodges, Sulphur Springs; Macy Luster, Lindale

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Emma Conley, Aubrey; Peyton Taylor, Sulphur Springs; Hope Escobar, Decatur; Brooklyn Quintanilla, Springtown; Karis Carpenter, La Vernia; Laney Alexander, Carthage



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Men’s Volleyball Sweeps NJIT In Season Opener

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HONOLULU – The second-ranked University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a straight-set win over NJIT, Friday, at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-11, 25-16, 25-14.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (1-0) extended their win streak in season-openers to 13 dating back to 2014 and did so in dominant fashion, hitting .517 as a team with 13.5 blocks and six aces.
 
Kristian Titriyski led the way with a match-high 12 kills, hitting .455 with two aces, four digs, and two blocks. Setter Tread Rosenthal ran an efficient offense as Hawai’i only recorded four attack errors in 60 attempts in the match. The junior tied his career high with eight blocks to go along with a team-high three aces. Newcomer Trevell Jordan added four kills and six blocks.
 
The Highlanders (0-1) hit .045 as a team and did not record a block or ace in the match. Andre Aleixo recorded a double-double with team-highs of 10 kills and 10 digs.

 
UH scored the first five points of Set 1 and never looked back. The Warriors later bunched up six unanswered to push their lead to double digits at 17-6. Titriyski finished the set with four kills while Rosenthal tallied four of his eight blocks in the frame. UH hit .556 and held the Highlanders to .000.
 
The second set was much more competitive as NJIT trailed by just three until the middle of the set. A 7-2 run, capped by Rosenthal’s third ace made it an eight-point UH lead. Hawai’i tallied five blocks in the set and hit .550 while NJIT had its most efficient set offensively with 11 kills.
 
UH used a 7-1 run to break open Set 3 with a 13-6 lead. Reserves Ofeck Hazan and Finn Kearney got in the mix as each recorded a pair of blocks in the frame and the Warriors once again held the Highlanders to .000 hitting.
 
The teams play again on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at Bankoh Arena.
 
 

#HawaiiMVB

 
 
 





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H.S. Roundup: Area indoor track athletes compete at PVIAC meet No. 3

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Local indoor track and field athletes rang in the new year with the third installment of the PVIAC meets at Smith College’s Indoor Track and Tennis Facility on Friday.

Amherst and Northampton were featured in the early wave, which began at 10 a.m., while Frontier, Hampshire, South Hadley and Holyoke partook in the late wave, with events beginning at 2 p.m.

The Hurricanes and Blue Devils split the head-to-head matchup as the Amherst boys won 53-24, but the Northampton girls were victorious with a score of 46-32.

Four ‘Canes finished in first in their events. Owen Platt won the boys 600-meter run in one minute, 31.45 seconds, Nico Lisle comfortably took the boys 1,000 in 2:35.55, Genevieve Dole grabbed first in the girls mile with a time of 6:03.90 and Claire Fortin was the best in the girls long jump with a leap of 15 feet, 3.25 inches.

Other top-five finishers for Amherst: Daniel Nunez Saravia (second) and Kyrief Johnson (third) in the boys 300; Maeve Fitzgerald (second) in the girls 600 and girls long jump (fifth); Alhassan Abdel-Maksoud (third) and Elias Katsaros (fifth) in the boys 1,000; Claire Kennedy (fifth) in the girls 1,000; Marit McDonald (fourth) in the girls mile; Wesley Dunford in the boys high jump (second); Tansy Warwick (second), Genevieve Dole (third), and Juliana Albo (third) in the girls high jump; Justin de Alba (fifth) in the boys shot put; Claire Fortin (fourth) in the girls 55-meter dash.

Amherst’s 4×800 relay teams also did well as the girls quartet came in second place in 10:56.68 while the boys crew crossed the finish line in 9:18.02 for fourth place.

The Blue Devils got great performances from four individuals who won events. Maddalena Figueroa-Starr won the girls 600 in 1:43.96, Mairead O’Neil cruised past the competition in the girls 1,000 in 3:14.57, Charlie Sidoti secured first in the boys 2 mile in 10:48.50 and Allie Sullivan claimed the girls high jump with a winning height of 5-0.

Northampton’s girls 4×800 relay squad also won after chasing down Amherst, which held the lead for the majority of the relay, earning a winning time of 10:55.66. Its boys 4×800 relay managed fifth place.

Other top-five finishers for the Blue Devils: Ella Hoogendyk (second) in the girls 300; Liam Hoogendyk (third) and Quinn Allen-Brezsnyak (fifth) in the boys 600; Eliana Kumar (second) in the girls 1,000; Rosalind Stracco (third) and Mia Levy (fifth) in girls mile; Shea O’Neil (second) in the boys 2 mile; Maya Zink (second) in the girls 2 mile; Allie Sullivan (third) in the girls long jump.

The late wave saw Hampshire collect four first-place finishes, including both 4×800 relays.

Kathleen Barry crushed the competition in the girls 2 mile for the Raiders, finishing more than two minutes faster than the next closest runner with a time of 12:10.65. Oscar Schiff won the boys mile with a sub-five minute time of 4:50.87. Charlotte Letendre (girls 1,000) and Caitlyn Packey (girls shot put) registered runner-up finishes in their respective events.

Hampshire’s boys 4×800 relay bunch recorded a time of 8:38.58 while the girls were done in 10:39.93.

Yasani Thompson was Holyoke’s top athlete, nabbing a pair of first-place finishes in the girls 55-meter dash, as well as the girls 300, Thompson’s speciality. The Purple Knight won the straighaway sprint event in 7.34 seconds and took the 300 in 42.48 seconds. Ryan Kennedy earned second-place honors in the boys 300 for Holyoke.

South Hadley’s Ben Gillis won the boys high jump to serve as the highlight of the meet for the Tigers. Gillis jumped 5-10 to seal the victory. Mikayla Weaver ran to a second-place finish in the girls 600 as South Hadley’s best performer on the girls side.

Frontier managed one event winner as Ezra Rich took first in the boys shot put with a toss of 42-11. Emmanuelle Flagollet (girls 55 hurdles), Luke Howard (boys 1,000), Liv Christensen (girls 2 mile), Louise Flagollet (girls high jump) and the girls 4×800 relay team all received second-place finishes in their events.

Northampton’s Liam Hoogendyk runs the 4×800 relay during Friday afternoon’s PVIAC indoor track meet at Smith College. RYAN AMES/Gazette Staff

Boys basketball

Hopkins 46, Smith Academy 39 — The Golden Hawks won their first game since Dec. 15 in the victory against the Falcons.

Chace Earle and Matt Vassallo each slotted 11 points, with the duo combining for five 3-pointers, in the process.

Harry LaFlamme produced 15 points for Smith Academy as the game’s top scorer.

Amherst 68, Taconic 61 — A strong second half helped the Hurricanes secure the road victory.

Amherst trailed by 10 points (36-26) at halftime, but outscored the Thunder 20-2 in the third quarter to flip the momentum in this one.

Mitchell Carey scored 24 points for the Hurricanes while Sam Woodruff deposited 19 as Amherst’s two top scorers.

Frontier 70, Gardner 63 — The Redhawks (6-1) went on the road and picked up an independent win over the Wildcats.

Alex Ellis the the way with 20 points for Frontier. Max Millette (14 points), Garrett Dredge (11 points) and Rowan Modestow (12 points) all reached double-figures for the Redhawks.

Girls basketball

Smith Voc 62, Putnam 44 — The Vikings moved to 4-0 following the victory over the Beavers.

Mallory Radwich and Sofia Zina combined for more than 30 points for Smith Voc, which went ahead, 39-21, at the half.

Frontier 76, Lenox 31 — The Redhawks won their fifth-straight game after a 45-point drubbing of the Millionaires at Goodnow Gymnasium in Suburban league play.

The Redhawks spread out the scoring, with Addie Harrington and Harper Modestow both scoring 19 points. Whitney Campbell (15 points) and Skyler Steele (16 points) also reached double figures for Frontier. Steele had six steals in the game.

Harrington filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, six assists and four assists. Campbell added four assists.

Swimming

Amherst 86, Agawam 76 (boys) — Lewin Halasz and Soren Castenson powered the Hurricanes in the dual meet victory.

Halasz won the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke while Castenson took first in the 500 free as Amherst pocketed its first win of the season.

Amherst 112, Agawam 55 — The ‘Canes remained undefeated in its huge win against the Brownies.

Teagen Demers (100 free, 200 IM), Rowan Albertson (100 butterfly, 50 free), Emory Albertson (500 free) and Lily Wambura (100 breaststroke) all won events for Amherst.

The Hurricanes’ 400 free relay team, which consists of both Rowan and Emory Albertson, Teagen Demers and Finnley Chambers, qualified for the state meet with a time of 4:01.82.



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MVB Opens 2026 Season Saturday with Home Contest Versus Trine

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Ball State vs. Trine University
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Trine 0 (1/5/2025)
Series History: Ball State leads the series 2-0
Match History – Trine
These teams met for the first time in 2024 as the Cardinals swept the Thunder (25-16, 25-20, 25-19), holding them at a .077 hitting percentage. In 2025, Ball State completed a sweep once more (25-13, 25-13, 25-13) and held Trine to a .085 hitting percentage. Patrick Rogers led the effort that afternoon, leading the team in kills (10), aces (3) and blocks (2).
Scouting Trine
Trine concluded the 2025 season 15-9 overall, including a record of 5-3 in the MCVL (Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League). The Thunder made it to the semifinals of the MCVL Tournament, falling 1-3 against eventual tournament champion Mount Union.
 
SETTING THE SCENE
HEAD COACH IANDOLO: Mike Iandolo was officially named the Cardinals’ head coach on Dec. 16, removing the interim label he had held since last June. After joining Ball State as an assistant coach prior to the 2022 season, Iandolo helped the men’s program to a 23-4 record, MIVA regular season and tournament titles, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002, earning the No. 2 seed and a semifinal bye. Since 2022, Iandolo assisted the Cardinals to three 20-win seasons from 2022-24 and three MIVA regular season championships. His promotion ahead of the 2026 season marks the second head coaching role of his career, following a three-year stint at the University of Charleston (W.Va.).
 
NEW-LOOK COACHING STAFF: Head coach Iandolo is joined on the coaching staff by newly acquired assistant coaches Brian Hogg and Charles Norman who were announced to the program in August of 2025. Hogg comes to Ball State after earning two-straight IVA (Independent Volleyball Association) titles and IVA Coach of the Year honors as head coach at Lincoln Memorial from 2024-25, totaling a record of 45-6. Prior to Ball State, Norman helped the women’s team at Barry University to a 24-5 record in 2024 and led the men’s program during its inaugural season in 2025, ranking fourth in the nation in blocks.
 
NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES: The 2026 roster brings 11 well-known returners and seven exciting new additions. Ball State returners include team captains Griffin Satterfield, Wil Basilio, Patrick Rogers and Eyal Rawitz, as well as impactful standouts such as Lucas Machado, Ryan Louis, Braydon Savitski-Lynde, Will Patterson, Marty Canavan, Peter Zurawski and Jason Harris. Entering their first seasons with the program are freshmen Tyler Windt, Adir Ben Shloosh, Daniel Günther and Dante Cayaban as well as transfers Nicholas Everett, Jacob Surette, and 2023 national dig leader (3.56 per set) Victor Scherer.
 
2025 SEASON: The Cardinals finished 2025 with a record of 17-13 along with a 9-7 mark in conference play, ranking fifth in the MIVA. The men ranked third in the conference in blocks with 2.36 per set and points with 16.00 per set. The 2025 season saw Ball State record notable victories over ranked opponents, including #13 Stanford (3-0, Jan. 10), #14 Lewis (3-1, Feb. 13), #16 Ohio State (3-2, Feb. 27), #19 Penn State (3-2, March 15), and #10 McKendree (3-1, March 29). The season concluded as the Cardinals fell 3-2 to #4 Lewis in the MIVA Quarterfinals (April 19).
 
PRESEASON All-MIVA: Outside hitter Patrick Rogers and setter Lucas Machado earned 2026 Preseason All-MIVA honors, with Rogers leading conference voting to be named MIVA Preseason Player of the Year after recording a team-high 363 kills in his second season with the Cardinals while averaging 3.18 per set on a .271 hitting percentage, adding 65 total blocks and a team-leading 33 service aces. Following the 2025 season, Rogers was named All-MIVA first team and an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, then spent the offseason with the U.S. National Team, winning gold at the 2025 NORCECA Final Six and earning tournament MVP honors, as well as capturing silver with the Men’s U23 National Team at the 2025 NORCECA Men’s U23 Pan American Cup. Machado totaled a team-best 771 assists in 2025, averaging 8.38 per set, posted a career-high 54 assists against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 26, reached 40 or more assists seven times, and added 117 digs, 49 total blocks and 22 service aces.
 
AVCA PRESEASON POLL: Ball State enters the 2026 season ranked #16 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll with a total of 144 points. The Cardinals will match up against seven other ranked opponents in the season, including #1 UCLA, #7 Loyola Chicago, #9 Stanford, #12 Lewis, #14 Ohio State, #15 McKendree, and #19 George Mason.



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Sign Up for Volleyball Skills Training at Biltmore Hills Community Center

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This volleyball skills program is geared towards providing a safe environment where young athletes can develop their skills in volleyball! 

We will also work on the importance of sportsmanship and how to behave in a team environment. The goal of this program is to prepare our athletes to compete at the highest level all while making it affordable and creating the best experience for our participants.

Location: Biltmore Hills
 Date: Mondays and Wednesdays
Time: 7:30 – 8:45 p.m.
Ages: 10 – 14
Cost: $225 Monthly Fee / $30 Drop In
Register on RecLink



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Creighton volleyball gets Wisconsin player from transfer portal

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PAPIO AND WESTSIDE FACE OFF IN THE NIGHTCAP. CREIGHTON VOLLEYBALL ADDS ITS THIRD HIGH PROFILE TRANSFER OF THE OFFSEASON. TRINITY SCHAD SERIES. SHE’S AN OUTSIDE HITTER FROM WISCONSIN. SHE’S FROM ONTARIO, CANADA, AND IS A STANDOUT TRACK ATHLETE AS WELL. HOW ABOUT THIS GUY? SHE PARTICIPATED IN THE OLYMPIC TRIALS FOR CANADA IN THE LONG JUMP IN 2014. BRIAN ROSSEN SAYS HER EXPLOSIVENESS, A BIG ASSET AND QUITE TRA

Creighton volleyball adds Wisconsin outside hitter to its roster

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Updated: 6:30 PM CST Jan 2, 2026

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Creighton volleyball added an outside hitter from the transfer portal.Trinity Shadd-Ceres has joined the Bluejays after helping Wisconsin to the Final Four last season.Shadd-Ceres played in nine matches with Wisconsin, totaling 12 kills, six digs, four assists, and two blocks.Eight of the Ontario, Canada, native’s kills came during the NCAA Tournament.The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is Creighton’s third high-profile transfer, joining Ayden Ames from Texas and Katie Dalton from Kansas.”Everyone we have talked to about Trinity says she is the best teammate and hardest worker, so she is going to fit right in here at Creighton,” said Creighton head coach Brian Rosen. “She may also be the best overall athlete in any sport to come through! Trinity is so explosive off the floor, has a great arm, and ability to play six rotations. With experience in the Final Four this season, she can handle the big moments. With Angie’s training, there is no limit to her potential and we are all so excited to get her in the gym this spring!” The Bluejays finished the 2025 season with a 28-6 record with their 14th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, 12 consecutive Big East regular season title, sixth Big East Tournament title, and second straight Elite Eight.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

Creighton volleyball added an outside hitter from the transfer portal.

Trinity Shadd-Ceres has joined the Bluejays after helping Wisconsin to the Final Four last season.

Shadd-Ceres played in nine matches with Wisconsin, totaling 12 kills, six digs, four assists, and two blocks.

Eight of the Ontario, Canada, native’s kills came during the NCAA Tournament.

The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is Creighton’s third high-profile transfer, joining Ayden Ames from Texas and Katie Dalton from Kansas.

“Everyone we have talked to about Trinity says she is the best teammate and hardest worker, so she is going to fit right in here at Creighton,” said Creighton head coach Brian Rosen. “She may also be the best overall athlete in any sport to come through! Trinity is so explosive off the floor, has a great arm, and ability to play six rotations. With experience in the Final Four this season, she can handle the big moments. With Angie’s training, there is no limit to her potential and we are all so excited to get her in the gym this spring!”

The Bluejays finished the 2025 season with a 28-6 record with their 14th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, 12 consecutive Big East regular season title, sixth Big East Tournament title, and second straight Elite Eight.

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.

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



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