Sports
Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular
Atlanta — Jen Pawol felt love and support from fans, family, peers and players as she made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues.
“It was amazing when we took the field,” Pawol said. “It seemed like quite a few people were clapping and calling my name. That was pretty intense and emotional.”
Pawol’s much-anticipated debut came as the first base umpire for Saturday’s first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. It was a smooth debut.
“She did a good job,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You can tell she knows what she does.”
Pawol said she had a group of about 30 friends and family members, including her father, at the game and she immediately identified a major difference of working in a major league stadium. Those familiar faces were not so easy to find at Truist Park.
“When I looked up they weren’t in the lower tier like in the minor leagues,” Pawol said. “When I looked up it took me a while. Whoa, they’re up there! I’ll never forget that. That was just awesome.
“The dream actually came true today. I’m still living in it. I’m so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment … I’m just so thankful.”
Pawol’s first real test came in the third inning of Atlanta’s 7-1 win when she called Braves catcher Sean Murphy safe on a close play. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough did not challenge the call.
Pawol also showed she will make animated calls. When Miami’s Xavier Edwards grounded into a double play in the third inning, Pawol pumped her fist and lifted her leg when she called Edwards out.
Pawol couldn’t help but notice her debut was being watched closely. Fans responded with a warm ovation when the video board focused on the umpire between innings, forcing her to take a quick glance at her image.
Pawol was scheduled to work third base in Saturday night’s second game of the doubleheader. She will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday’s final game of the series. As a rover, she’ll then be waiting for her next assignment.
While she waits, the umpire cap she wore in her first game will be on the way to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“This is one of the proudest moments in all my career,” crew chief Chris Guccione said. “I’ve been blessed with working playoffs, I’ve worked two World Series, All-Star games, and this is right up there. It gives me chills even thinking about it. And the magnitude, it just hit me just now the magnitude of this thing and how hard she’s worked.
“This is just a great role model for girls and women out there and I’m just so proud of her. This is a special moment. I’m so proud of her.”
There was much anticipation for her historic debut on Saturday. A crowd of photographers gathered while waiting for the umpires to walk onto the field from their entry ramp near the Marlins dugout.
McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate before the game. Pawol then jogged down the first base line. She shook hands with Marlins first base coach Tyler Smarslok before taking her position on the right field line for the first pitch.
Pawol said Thursday she was “overcome with emotion” when notified she would make her Major League Baseball debut this weekend.
Pawol, 48, has been working in the minor leagues since she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She was assigned the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and worked spring training games in 2024 and again this year.
“Anytime anybody grinds their way through the minor leagues, I don’t care who it is, that’s a tough thing,” Snitker said. “I’m happy for anybody who grinds it out.”
Asked if she is prepared for a confrontation with a manager upset about a call, including some known to kick dirt onto umpires, Pawol said it wouldn’t be the first time.
“More than dozens of times,” she said. “It doesn’t go very well for him. The night is usually over for him. It’s just part of the game.”
Pawol, who is from New Jersey, had only a few days to prepare for Saturday’s doubleheader. She said she was told of her long-awaited promotion during a Wednesday conference call with director of umpire development Rich Rieker and vice president of umpire operations Matt McKendry.
Pawol was a three-time all-conference softball selection pick at Hofstra. She worked as an NCAA softball umpire from 2010-16.
Pawol’s rise to make MLB history came 28 years after the NBA gender barrier for game officials was broken and 10 years after the NFL hired its first full-time female official. The men’s soccer World Cup first hired a female referee three years ago. The NHL has not had any women as on-ice officials.
Continue Reading
Chris Duerr joined the Muddy River Sports staff in August 2025 as sports director, following a distinguished 30-year career as the sports director at KHQA-TV. A native of Sacramento, Calif., and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Duerr developed a strong fanbase with his tireless work ethic, personable delivery and weekly interactions through social media, including his “Duerrisms” column. He received the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award in 2018. Duerr was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021.
Updated Jan. 8, 2026, 12:17 p.m. ET
It’s been another banner season for the Ferris State football team, and the university is ready to celebrate it, along with the success of its volleyball program.
Ferris State President Bill Pink declared Monday “Bulldog Spirit Day,” with the university in Big Rapids hosting a “high-energy event” at the David L. Eisler Center, 805 Campus Drive, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community is invited to join university employees and students in the celebration.
The Bulldogs’ football team won its fourth Division II national championship in five seasons last month, defeating Harding, 42-21, in McKinney, Texas. The national title was the exclamation point on 16-0 season in which the Bulldogs averaged a whopping 52.8 points per game and set a program record for victories in a season.
The Ferris State volleyball team, meanwhile, reached the Division II Elite Eight for the second straight season, pushing top-seeded Tampa to five sets before eventually falling in the quarterfinals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was the Bulldogs’ 14th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. They finished the season with a 27-8 record.
Monday’s celebration will include opportunities to take photos with the football team’s national title trophy and the volleyball team’s NCAA regional-title trophy, meet student-athletes, and watch performances from the Bulldogs’ cheer and STUNT teams. Championship T-shirts and stickers will be available while supplies last.
Arizona volleyball went into the portal season needing a setter and a pin hitter. Head coach Rita Stubbs and her staff got both in outside hitter Payton Woods and setter Maria Olga ‘Mo’ Siapani.
It’s the sign of the times. One of Arizona volleyball’s newest additions will be making her fourth stop in four years, a fact that she makes light of in her announcement.
Woods announced her commitment to the Wildcats on Tuesday. She spent last year at Virginia Tech, her sophomore year at Mississippi State, and her freshman season at Sam Houston State.
Woods will give the Wildcats some experience at the pins after the loss of Jordan Wilson. She will join Carlie Cisneros, Paige Thies, and incoming freshman Hayden Reeder on the left side, although Stubbs has said that Reeder can play both pins. The incoming freshman will join the Wildcats early for spring practice and tournaments.
The Wildcats will have returners Renee Jones and Britt Carlson on the right side. They also have Sydnie Vanek, who played middle blocker in 2025 but has played both pins during her three years at Arizona.
Woods had her best season at the high major level last season with the Hokies. The 6-foot-1 outside had 3.15 kills per set in 105 sets across 31 matches. She hit .194. She had 1.04 digs per set and 0.47 blocks per set. She contributed a total of 3.50 points per set.
The addition of Woods gives the Wildcats six pin hitters. That’s the number Stubbs has said she prefers.
The question remains who will be setting for Woods and the other pins. Arizona was said to be in on a few setters this offseason, and at least one had reportedly set up a visit. One after another committed to other programs, mostly those that offer revenue sharing for volleyball. The Wildcats eventually got an experienced setter, though.
Former University of Albany setter Siapani has Arizona volleyball in her Instagram bio and an organization that helps international players find scholarship opportunities in the U.S. has announced the commitment. Siapani’s account is set to private, so any personal announcement isn’t viewable.
Siapani has extensive experience playing both indoor and beach volleyball for the Cyprus national program, including at the senior level. She has also had a big impact at Albany from the minute she stepped on campus.
Siapani was the America East Rookie of the Year and a second-team all-conference player in 2024. She was the setter of the week five times and the rookie of the week six times that season.
In her sophomore season, Siapani was the America East Setter of the Year and on the all-conference first team after leading the league with 9.08 assists per set and finishing eighth with 2.89 digs per set. She led her team to the finals of the conference tournament where they fell to top-seeded UMBC.
Siapani’s biggest hurdle at Arizona will be her height. She is listed at just 5-foot-8. While that is fine when she is in the back row, it will be more difficult if she is put in a position of having to block Power 4 players.
Arizona could conceivably go to a 6-2 system that would allow Siapani to sub out when her position rotates to the front row. That would have her paired with returner Chloe Giehtbrock at the setting position. While the 6-2 system was fairly popular in the Big 12 this season, it hasn’t been common at Arizona over the years.
The Wildcats made their first NCAA Tournament since 2018 and won a tournament game for the first time since 2016 in 2025. If they could keep their sophomore class intact, it appeared that they had a good chance to maintain or improve on that success next season. That’s tough to do in this day and age, though.
Sophomore setter Avery Scoggins announced her intention to transfer within hours of the Wildcats’ elimination from the tournament. She has since committed to Vanderbilt, which is much closer to her home in North Carolina.
Arizona also parted ways with Giorgia Mandotti. The defensive specialist was honored on senior day. Although she was just a junior, she will graduate from Arizona. While she expressed a desire to return, it didn’t work out that way. She may play her final season elsewhere.
The addition of Siapani and Woods will give Arizona 16 players when the other two freshmen join the team this summer. Teams are allowed 18 under the NCAA roster limits, but Arizona only funds 14.75 scholarships.
HOUGHTON — Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball coach Cindy Pindral announced six incoming freshmen to the team for the 2026 season. They are outside hitter Reagan Lesley, middle blocker Laney Knaack, setter Ella Maxwell, outside hitter Kayla Heinonen, defensive specialist Natalie Leach, and outside hitter Mia Hahn. They have all committed to continuing their education and playing careers at Michigan Tech in the fall.
“This is a very exciting and dynamic signing class that will bring a lot of energy and skill to our roster,” Pindral said. “Each of these student-athletes have earned high accolades during their prep careers, and I have no doubt that they will each leave a positive mark on our program.”
Reagan Lesley
Reagan is a 5-foot-10 outside hitter from Clinton Township, Michigan. She was a four-year starter on varsity and two-time captain for Chippewa Valley High School, where she led the Big Reds to three consecutive conference championships. She was the 2024 MVP/Player of the Year for her conference. Reagan was a three-year All-Conference First Team selection, a two-time First Team All-County, and a four-year All-State Academic Student.
In her senior season, Reagan was named All-Region and broke Chippewa Valley’s 29-year-old kills record with over 1,400 kills and led her team to its first district championship since 2014. She played club for both Michigan Elite and Unified.
Reagan will be pursuing a degree in business.
Laney Knaack
Laney is a 6-0 middle blocker from Waunakee, Wisconsin. She has been the starting middle for Waunakee High School varsity, as well as for Sting United and Madtown 18-1s national club teams. During her senior season, Waunakee was ranked fourth in the state in Division 1, went 41-9-0 overall, and made it to the Wisconsin State semifinals. Waunakee also won its conference in her junior and senior years.
In her senior season, Laney earned Honorable Mention All-State Badger-Large Conference, Second Team All-Conference, ranked second in the conference in hitting percentage, and fourth in blocks.
Laney will be pursuing a degree in business.
Ella Maxwell
Ella is a 5-8 left-handed setter from North Aurora, Illinois. She was a three-year starter for West Aurora High School and the captain of the team in her senior year. She received Upstate Eight Conference Player of the Year honors in 2025 and was a three-time All-Academic Varsity Scholar. Ella led her team to a Conference Championship in 2024 and a runner-up finish in 2025, which marked the first time the school advanced past the first round of regionals in 2019. Ella hit the 1,000-career assist mark in her senior season with 600 assists as her season total.
She also played for Club Fusion Volleyball Club for six years and was a JVA-Watchlist member in her junior year. Additionally, Ella was a State Qualifier in track and field for the 4×400 relay in 2023 and 2024. She earned All-Conference and All-Academic honors in track and field in 2023 and 2024.
Ella will be pursuing a degree in business at Tech.
Kayla Heinonen
Kayla is a 5-8 outside hitter from Delano, Minnesota. She was a four-year varsity player for Delano High School and attended the Minnesota State Tournament in two of the four years. She was voted All-Conference and won the team’s Leadership Award in each of the last three seasons.
In her senior season, Heinonen held Delano’s highest hitting percentage and earned an All-Tournament team spot at the AAA Showcase Tournament. She plays for Crossfire Volleyball Club at the Elite level. Kayla also had three state appearances for Delano track and field.
She will be pursuing a degree in either business or kinesiology/integrative physiology.
Natalie Leach
Natalie is a 5-5 defensive specialist from Burlington, Wisconsin, where she was a three-year letter winner for Burlington High School and played club for VC United. Natalie helped lead her team to Conference Championships in the 2023 and 2025 seasons and was a State Qualifier in WIAA Division 1 in her 2023 season.
She was named team captain in her senior season and led the Demons with 4.2 digs per set, and earned First Team All-County and Honorable Mention All-State recognition. Natalie was named to the WVCA All-Academic Team in all three eligible seasons and named First Team Best and Brightest by AVCA for her senior season.
She plans to major in engineering.
Mia Hahn
Mia is a 5-11 outside hitter from Fairbanks, Alaska, where she was a two-year letter winner for Lathrop High School. Mia was named MVP and First Team Middle Alaska Conference All-Conference while helping her team to a 4A State Tournament Quarterfinal appearance in the 2025 season. She led the conference in kills and earned multiple All-Tournament awards, including Best Attacker at the Whaler Invitation in Barrow, Alaska.
Mia competes with Alaska Elevate Volleyball Club and was recently selected as one of the top 12 players in the state of Alaska to represent the Alaska U.S. Team at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon, where she will compete against Canadian provincial teams and international programs, including Norway and Finland. Prior to Lathrop, Mia competed for Kaiserslautern High School (Germany) and earned All-Euros Tournament Team honors as a sophomore.
She plans to major in business while at Tech.
Lynchburg, Va. – Following a month-long hiatus over winter break, the University of Lynchburg indoor track & field teams return to the oval on Friday, Jan. 9 to host the Burg Open at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Field events will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the women’s weight throw, while running events begin at 11:00 a.m. with the women’s 60-meter hurdle prelims. The 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles will feature prelims and finals, while every other event will move straight to finals.
Meet History
The 2025-2026 season marks Lynchburg’s third year holding the event, though Friday signifies the first home meet for Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mario Wilson.
At last season’s competition, first-year athletes claimed victories in 10 of the 15 individual track events. In the meet’s debut in 2024, Lynchburg created a memorable men’s 3,000m event that saw 13 Hornets claim personal bests in one race.
The Burg Open is the Hornets’ second of four meets at the indoor facility this season, as Lynchburg plans to compete at the Brant Tolsma Invitational and Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational. Lynchburg traveled across town to Liberty to open the season on Thursday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 5 at the Liberty Kickoff.
Early-Season Success
In the team’s opening meets, several Hornets inched closer to posting program-record marks to begin the season. Rylee Turner clocked 26.00 in the 200-meter dash to trail Aniya Seward’s school record by four hundredths of a second, while thrower Kenzie Swicegood moved within two feet of the women’s weight throw record with a 55′ 1″ (16.79m) toss.
On the men’s side, Micah Leech collected 4,999 points in the men’s heptathlon to post a personal best and improve his second-place standing on the all-time list.
Lynchburg will compete each weekend until the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 1.
Live Results
To access live splits, meet information and performance lists from the 2026 Burg Open, click here.
The meet will be live-streamed on the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network.
Visit Lynchburg athletics’ home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network.
Sign up here to receive Lynchburg Sports news in your email inbox.
Give Lynchburg Sports a like on Facebook, and follow Lynchburg athletics on Instagram, Threads, and X.
–LYN–
From the sand to the big screen! Grab the popcorn Cal Poly beach volleyball is coming to a movie theater near you.
On Monday, January 12 the documentary “Kicking Up Sand” will premiere at the Fremont Theater in downtown San Luis Obispo.
The documentary, produced by Cal Poly supporter Jon Hastings, is a behind the scenes look at the Mustangs’ 2025 season following them from preseason through the NCAA Championship.
There will be a red carpet at Fremont Theater with players and coaches starting at 5 p.m.
Then at 6:30 p.m. there will be a Q&A session with the coaches and players. That will be followed by the premiere of the documentary at 7 p.m.
You can purchase tickets at the Fremont Theater or on their website: https://www.fremontslo.com/events/kicking-up-sand-cal-poly-beach-volleyball-film-premiere/
Last season, the Mustangs finished with a 31-8 record, a run to the Final Four, and a final ranking of fourth in the country.
Motorsports2 minutes ago
Driven to the MAX: DuraMAX Named Primary Entitlement Sponsor for March 1 NASCAR Cup Series Race at COTA
NIL8 minutes ago
The transfer portal and NIL have taken college football to a different level
Sports10 minutes ago
Western’s Dixon signs to play volleyball at Hannibal-LaGrange University
Motorsports16 minutes ago
Autaugaville Pavilion Anchors Weekend Equestrian, Motorsports, Community Events
Sports26 minutes ago
Ferris State Bulldogs to celebrate football, volleyball teams
Motorsports32 minutes ago
Daren Lucas Named President of Motorsports Hall of Fame | WNDB
Sports43 minutes ago
Arizona Wildcats volleyball gets commitments OH Woods, setter Siapani
Sports59 minutes ago
Huskies volleyball signs six freshmen for 2026 season | News, Sports, Jobs
NIL1 hour ago
Texas Longhorns Fans HATE NIL All Of A Sudden
Rec Sports1 hour ago
Youth basketball starts Jan. 10, schedule • SSentinel.com
Sports1 hour ago
Hornets Indoor Track & Field Prepares to Host Burg Open
Sports1 hour ago
Cal Poly beach volleyball to premiere at local movie theater
Rec Sports1 hour ago
USCA Announced As NCAA Award Of Excellence Finalist
Motorsports1 hour ago
Atrium Health and Hendrick Motorsports launch partnership – Speedway Digest
Sports1 hour ago
Gophers Start 2026 at Minnesota Open, World Cross Country Championships
Motorsports4 weeks ago
SoundGear Named Entitlement Sponsor of Spears CARS Tour Southwest Opener
NIL4 weeks ago
DeSantis Talks College Football, Calls for Reforms to NIL and Transfer Portal · The Floridian
Sports4 weeks ago
#11 Volleyball Practices, Then Meets Media Prior to #2 Kentucky Match
Rec Sports3 weeks ago
Stempien to seek opening for Branch County Circuit Court Judge | WTVB | 1590 AM · 95.5 FM
Motorsports4 weeks ago
Nascar legal saga ends as 23XI, Front Row secure settlement
Sports4 weeks ago
Maine wraps up Fall Semester with a win in Black Bear Invitational
Motorsports3 weeks ago
Ross Brawn to receive Autosport Gold Medal Award at 2026 Autosport Awards, Honouring a Lifetime Shaping Modern F1
Rec Sports3 weeks ago
Princeton Area Community Foundation awards more than $1.3 million to 40 local nonprofits ⋆ Princeton, NJ local news %
NIL3 weeks ago
Downtown Athletic Club of Hawaiʻi gives $300K to Boost the ’Bows NIL fund
Motorsports4 weeks ago
Sunoco to sponsor No. 8 Ganassi Honda IndyCar in multi-year deal
Rec Sports4 weeks ago
WNBA’s Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers in NC, making debut for national team at USA camp at Duke
Motorsports4 weeks ago
North Florida Motorsports Park led by Indy 500 Champion and motorsports legend Bobby Rahal Nassau County, FL
Motorsports4 weeks ago
NASCAR, 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports announce settlement of US monopoly suit | MLex
Sports4 weeks ago
Woods, Ogunribido Named CCIW Women’s Indoor Track & Field Student-Athletes of the Week
Sports4 weeks ago
Hope College Tops MIAA Commissioner’s Cup Fall Update
-
Rec Sports3 weeks agoPrinceton Area Community Foundation awards more than $1.3 million to 40 local nonprofits ⋆ Princeton, NJ local news %
-
Sports2 weeks agoBadgers news: Wisconsin lands 2nd commitment from transfer portal
-
Rec Sports6 days agoFive Youth Sports Trends We’re Watching in 2026
-
Sports3 weeks agoIs women’s volleyball the SEC’s next big sport? How Kentucky, Texas A&M broke through
-
Rec Sports3 weeks agoNBA, Global Basketball Community Unite for World Basketball Day Celebration
-
Sports2 weeks agoKentucky VB adds an All-American honorable mention, loses Brooke Bultema to portal
-
Rec Sports3 weeks ago
Inside the NWSL’s first combine: Can the league create a more robust pathway for American talent development?
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoNASCAR, IndyCar, and F1 Share These Race Days in 2026
-
NIL3 weeks ago$2.1 million transfer portal QB predicted to join College Football Playoff team
-
Motorsports2 weeks agoDr. Patrick Staropoli Lands Full-Time O’Reilly Ride with Big Machine Racing