Sports

Kansas Volleyball Picked Second in 2025 Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Published

5 months ago

August 6, 2025

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Coming off a strong 2024 campaign, Kansas Volleyball has been picked to finish second in the 2025 Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as announced by the conference on today.

The Jayhawks earned 170 points and received four first-place votes, trailing only BYU (180 points, six first-place votes) in a tightly contested poll. The 2025 second-place prediction marks the sixth-straight season Kansas has been fifth or higher in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Conference coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team in the preseason poll.

In addition to the team recognition, Kansas placed three standout student-athletes on the 2025 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, tying for the second-most selections of any school in the conference.

Sophomore Cristin Cline (S), sophomore Reese Ptacek (MB), and freshman Jovana Zelenovic (PIN) all earned preseason honors. Ptacek, a 2025 All-Big 12 First Team honoree and unanimous preseason selection, returns as a force at the net. Cline, who emerged as a dynamic playmaker during her freshman season, looks to build on her success as the team’s primary setter. Zelenovic, a highly touted newcomer, is one of only three freshmen named to the preseason squad.

“This conference is deep with talent and is very well coached,” said Kansas Head Coach Matt Ulmer. “Our group is excited to compete against some of the best teams in the country.”

Kansas will open its 2025 season on August 23 with a match against Vanderbilt in the AVCA First Serve Tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. KU will then face reigning national champion Penn State two days later, August 25, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Jayhawks will make their home debut in Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on September 25, against last year’s Big 12 champion Arizona State.

2025 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Poll

BYU- 180 points (6 first-place votes)

Kansas- 170 points (4 first-place votes)

Arizona State- 168 points (3 first-place votes)

Utah- 159 points (1 first-place vote)

TCU- 141 points (1 first-place vote)

Baylor- 137 points

Arizona- 131 points

Kansas State- 95 points

Iowa State- 92 points

Colorado- 84 points

Houston- 75 points

Texas Tech- 46 points

Cincinnati- 38 points

UCF- 32 points

West Virginia- 27 points

2025 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year
Claire Little, BYU, OH, Jr.

2025 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Freshman of the Year

Suli Davis, BYU, OH

2025 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team

Jordan Wilson, Arizona, OH, Sr.* #

Noemie Glover, Arizona State, OH, Jr.

Faith Frame, Arizona State, L, So. !

Victoria Davis, Baylor, MB, Jr.

Gabrielle Essix, Baylor, MB, Gr.

Alex Bower, BYU, S, So. !

Claire Little, BYU, OH, Jr.* #

Brielle Kemavor, BYU, MB, Jr.* #

Avah Armour, UCF, OH, Jr.

Ana Burilovic, Colorado, PIN, Jr. ^

Maya Duckworth, Iowa State, OH, Sr.

Cristin Cline, Kansas, S, So.

Reese Ptacek, Kansas, MB, So.* #

Jovana Zelenovic, Kansas, PIN, Fr.

Aniya Clinton, Kansas State, OH, R-So.

Jalyn Gibson, TCU, OH, Sr.* #

Kamryn Gibaldo, Utah, OH, Jr.* #

Emrie Satuala, Utah, MB, Sr. ^

Players are listed alphabetically by school.

* indicates unanimous selection.

# – 2024 All-Big 12 First Team

^ – 2024 All-Big 12 Second Team

! – 2024 All-Big 12 Rookie Team

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Sports

2026 Men’s Track & Field Season Preview

Published

14 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Over his first two campaigns, Caleb Smith has produced successful efforts in the heptathlon and decathlon events. He broke the school record in the heptathlon, posting his best total of 4,952 points to win the Middlebury Winter Classic. A few weeks later, Smith paced the event at the Division III New England Championships to earn all-region accolades and qualify for the NCAA Championships. He translated that success to the decathlon, winning the title at the Carla Coffey Invitational and Williams’ Farley Interregional Extravaganza. He garnered All-NESCAC accolades with a third-place showing in the high jump and claimed all-region honors in the decathlon.

Sam McGarrahan returns after a superb season in the field events. He qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the high jump, clearing the bar with the 18th-best height at 1.95 meters. McGarrahan topped the podium in the event during the Division III New England Championships, soaring to a school-record effort of 2.05 meters. He also set the program mark in the long jump, leaping 6.81 meters at Middlebury’s New England Small College Invitational. McGarrahan became the NESCAC Champion in school-record fashion in the high jump (2.00 meters) and recorded a third-place leap in the long jump. His high jump efforts outdoors earned him all-region honors.

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Multiple athletes earn all state volleyball honors

Published

15 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

For the first time since the 2018-2019 season, all three schools advanced past the Area round of the playoffs. Archer City and Holliday both were Regional Semifinalists, while Windthorst was a State Semifinalist for the fourth-straight season. With that success comes state recognition Holliday senior Jordan Peters closed out her final season as a Lady Eagle with an All-State honor from the Texa…

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Cedar Rapids wrestler chases her dream, from a volleyball player to a young star in the sport

Published

2 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – When Maggie Peters is home, she’s locked in.

She lifts weights at a gym in her hometown of Cedar Rapids. But it’s not just for strength – it’s for safety.

“One things goes wrong, and you’ve got people’s lives in your hands,” she said. “I mean, you don’t want to drop somebody on their head.”

But more often than not, Peters is on the road. Her sport is professional wrestling.

She’s performed performed in front of thousands in arenas and on television. Her fights may be scripted, but her dream of reaching WWE is real.

Peters has a background in volleyball, playing at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy. But her dream has always been in the wrestling ring.

“I wanted to do it right when I started watching I wanna say I was eight or nine I would just go wrestle on my trampoline,” Peters said.

She went from the volleyball court at Mount Mercy to a wrestling school in Davenport.

“We would have a show on a Thursday night, so I would leave class early,” said Peters. “But at that point, I will say, my senior year was my worst year of school. Once I got the wrestling training done, I was like, ‘ooh, this is what I want to do.’”

In professional wrestling, the winner and loser are predetermined, unlike traditional sports.

“Pro wrestling, I will say, is like a dance,” Peters said.

But there’s nothing fake about the pain wrestlers endure, what they call “bumps.”

“Any time you get put down on the mat, you’re taking a bump. You’re hitting the top of your back,” Peters said. “Higher on your neck, sometimes, (is) not good.”

Maggie wrestles in independent shows across the Midwest under the ring name Maggie Lee. She also performs in front of thousands in TNA Wrestling as the villainous character “M By Elegance.”

“Yeah, I do like being the bad guy,” Peters said. “I’ve worked a mix of both the bad guy and the good guy on the independents. But everybody was like, ‘you look more like you as the bad guy.’ I was like, ‘gee, thanks,” Peters said.

TNA – Total Nonstop Action – is high-level televised professional wrestling, one step below WWE.

“I actually really love the whole TV aspect. It’s very organized. Being able to see myself on TV is really cool,” Peters laughed.

Maggie hopes a full-time contract with WWE is next. She’s banking on it, writing a card to her mother labeled “open when I’m in the WWE.”

“And it was one of many letters. I made them for her birthday,” Peters said.

When asked about the letter’s contents, Peters said she doesn’t remember what she wrote as a girl.

“I don’t even remember what’s in it, so I’m kind of like scared,” she said. “When she does open it, I feel like it’s going to be a big deal and I might get embarrassed.”

Sometimes she’s flying high, sometimes she’s taking bumps.

Either way, she’s racing towards her dream.

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Men’s Volleyball vs Jessup on 1/6/2026 – Box Score

Published

3 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

—

UCSD subs: Chandler, Luke; Stewart, Tyler; Hornyak, Ethan.

—

JU subs: Petesch, Riley.

0-1

[Marks, Colin] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

[Marks, Colin] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

UCSD

1-1

[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Henning, Owen (from Marks, Colin).

1-2

[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

UCSD

2-2

[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Knudsen, Jacob (from Marks, Colin).

2-3

[Henning, Owen] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).

UCSD

3-3

[Wiemelt, Leo] Kill by Knudsen, Jacob (from Marks, Colin).

3-4

[Depue, Carter] Service error.

UCSD

4-4

[Luers, John] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).

4-5

[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).

UCSD

5-5

[Ewert, Josh] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).

6-5

[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Henning, Owen.

6-6

[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

UCSD

7-6

[Selcho, Peter] Kill by Marks, Colin (from Lopuch, Jan).

7-7

[Marks, Colin] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).

UCSD

7-8

[Pravednikov, Leo] Attack error by Depue, Carter (block by Wiemelt, Leo; Luers, John).

UCSD

7-9

[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wiemelt, Leo).

UCSD

8-9

[Pravednikov, Leo] Bad set by Luers, John.

8-10

[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).

UCSD

8-11

[Sani, Sebastiano] Service ace (Marks, Logan).

UCSD

9-11

[Sani, Sebastiano] Service error.

9-12

[Henning, Owen] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

UCSD

9-13

[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Osahon Jr., Clement (from Marks, Colin).

UCSD

10-13

[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).

10-14

[Depue, Carter] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).

UCSD

11-14

[Luers, John] Service error.

12-14

[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Osahon Jr., Clement.

12-15

[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

UCSD

13-15

[Ewert, Josh] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).

13-16

[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).

—

UCSD subs: Hornyak, Ethan.

UCSD

13-17

[Hornyak, Ethan] Kill by Wiemelt, Leo (from Luers, John).

UCSD

14-17

[Hornyak, Ethan] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).

14-18

[Marks, Colin] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).

UCSD

15-18

[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Henning, Owen (from Marks, Colin).

—

JU subs: Mueller, Jonas.

16-18

[Lopuch, Jan] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Depue, Carter; Henning, Owen).

17-18

[Lopuch, Jan] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Depue, Carter; Henning, Owen).

18-18

[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Logan).

18-19

[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

UCSD

19-19

[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Mueller, Jonas (from Marks, Colin).

20-19

[Henning, Owen] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).

20-20

[Henning, Owen] Service error.

—

UCSD subs: Stewart, Tyler; Chandler, Luke.

UCSD

21-20

[Stewart, Tyler] Attack error by Chandler, Luke (block by Depue, Carter; Mueller, Jonas; Osahon Jr., Clement).

22-20

[Depue, Carter] Attack error by Selcho, Peter (block by Osahon Jr., Clement).

23-20

[Depue, Carter] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).

23-21

[Depue, Carter] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).

UCSD

23-22

[Luers, John] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Ewert, Josh).

UCSD

24-22

[Luers, John] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).

25-22

[Knudsen, Jacob] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (block by Marks, Colin).

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Former CU volleyball star Sis Tebrake glad to be back in Omaha

Published

3 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

OMAHA (KMTV) — She might have a new name, but Norah (Sis) Tebrake still brings the same infectious smile to the court.

The former CU volleyball star is now married to former Creighton baseball standout Dylan Tebrake.

“He’s always encouraging me and challenging me,” said Norah. “And I try to do the same for him. I think it’s such a cool dynamic.”

After spending her first pro season helping Orlando to a league title, Norah had now returned to Omaha to play for the Supernovas. But returning to her hometown actually did take some getting used to again.

“I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold,” Tebrake said. “But now coming back after spending just one winter away, I feel like I can’t handle the cold.”

Along with reuniting with some former Bluejays, Tebrake has also formed friendships with her former rivals and now current teammates, including ex-NU star Merritt Beason.

“She’s just so joyful and leads with so much grace and so much love,” said Beason. “You can see that in her play. She’s one of the best people that I’ve ever met and it’s been so fun getting to know her.”

“To have people that know just kind of what makes you tick and what you need on the court and off the court is super helpful,” Tebrake said. “Obviously we’re all learning that about each other but just to come in knowing that there’s people that already know that about me has been super comforting.”

The Novas host San Diego in the season opener on Thursday at 7 PM at CHI Health Center.

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South Shore High School Girls Volleyball All-Scholastics for 2025

Published

3 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jan. 7, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET

After a strong 2024 fall season, high school girls volleyball on the South Shore had an even better one in 2025.

There were two local state-championship-winning teams on the court this year. Oliver Ames finished off the best season in program history by winning it’s first-ever Division 2 state title in it’s second ever appearance (which came last season). On the same day, East Bridgewater followed that up with a program-first of their own, winning it’s first-ever Division 4 state championship in it’s first appearance.

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