Sports

Kawhi Leonard contract drama, explained

Published

4 months ago

September 3, 2025

The Los Angeles Clippers have been accused of engaging in salary cap circumvention with star forward Kawhi Leonard, according to a bombshell Wednesday report from investigative journalist Pablo Torre. The story stems from a March 2025 bankruptcy filing of Aspiration, a now-bankrupt sustainability company that received $50 million in funding from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

Aspiration has since dealt with accusations of fraud, and co-founder Joseph Sanberg has since pleaded guilty to defrauding multiple investors. That filing included a list of creditors to whom Aspiration still owed money. Among them? KL2 Aspire LLC, a corporation that lists Kawhi Leonard as its manager.

Those filings show that Aspiration still owes Leonard $7 million. Yet Torre’s reporting did not find a single instance in which Leonard endorsed or even mentioned Aspiration, as one would expect in an endorsement arrangement. A number of other celebrities, including Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, did provide endorsements for the company. A document Torre obtained, which Leonard signed, showed that Leonard was to be paid $28 million in cash over the course of four years between 2022 and 2025 as long as he was playing for the Clippers. One former Aspiration employee in the finance department said on Torre’s podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, that the deal “was to circumvent the salary cap, lol.”

So, what does all of this mean? Let’s dig into the NBA’s rules on salary cap circumvention in an attempt to find out.

What is salary cap circumvention?

If you’d like the legal definition of cap circumvention, it can be found between pages 339 and 346 of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. The relevant section for our purposes can be found in Section 1(b):

“It shall constitute a violation of Section 1(a) above for a Team (or Team Affiliate) to enter into an agreement or understanding with any sponsor or business partner or third party under which such sponsor, business partner, or third party pays or agrees to pay compensation for basketball services (even if such compensation is ostensibly designated as being for non-basketball services) to a player under Contract to the Team. Such an agreement with a sponsor or business partner or third party may be inferred where: (i) such compensation from the sponsor or business partner or third party is substantially in excess of the fair market value of any services to be rendered by the player for such sponsor or business partner or third party; and (ii) the Compensation in the Player Contract between the player and the Team is substantially below the fair market value of such Contract.”

So what does this mean? Essentially, salary cap circumvention is when a team uses a third party to pay a player more than he is contractually owed or legally allowed to earn under the terms of salary cap. The simplest way to do this would be through an endorsement contract with a company that the team or owner is in some way involved in.

It is exceedingly rare that a team is actually proven to have circumvented the salary cap. However, there are a number of scenarios that the rules are meant to protect against. The most obvious and applicable in this instance would be a superstar using his leverage as a free agent to attempt to earn more than his league-mandated maximum salary, but there are others. One example of cap circumvention could be a team signing a player to a below-market contract as a free agent with the understanding that they will later pay that player more when they have accumulated the requisite Bird Rights to do so. Another would be paying a player who is underpaid and ineligible for a contract extension under league rules. These rules exist to prevent teams from attempting to gain a competitive advantage by paying players more than the salary cap allows.

Leonard, who originally signed with the Clippers in the summer of 2019, signed a three-year contract extension worth nearly $150 million in 2024.

Has anyone ever been caught circumventing the cap?

In 1993, the NBA argued that the Portland Trail Blazers circumvented the salary cap due to the unusual structure of a contract they gave to center Chris Dudley. That deal, a seven-year, $11 million pact, included an opt-out after the first season. That was significant because at that time, a free agent gained full Bird Rights with a new team after only one year, so Dudley would have had the ability to opt out and become a free agent, at which point the Blazers could have gone above the salary cap to re-sign him for more money. This contract was ultimately upheld in arbitration, and Dudley did not exercise that opt out as he got hurt in his first year in Portland. The league’s rules on contract structures have since gotten significantly stricter. Other players at the time, such as Toni Kukoc and Craig Ehlo, had similar clauses in their contracts.

In 1996, superagent David Falk reportedly hatched a cap circumvention scheme meant to allow the New York Knicks to make a competitive financial offer to sign Michael Jordan as a free agent. Both the Knicks and Sheraton Hotels were owned by the same parents company, ITT Corporation. While the Knicks had cap space, at that point, there was no maximum salary, meaning the Bulls, with Jordan’s Bird Rights, were capable of offering literally any amount of money to retain him. Therefore, the plan was for Jordan to be paid $15 million to endorse Sheraton Hotels. The plan was never officially brought before the league, however, as Jordan ultimately re-signed with the Bulls.

The most well-known case of cap circumvention in league history, though, involved former No. 1 overall pick Joe Smith. While Smith had not turned into the superstar Golden State had hoped when using the top pick on him in 1995, he was still viewed as a top free agent in 1998. It was surprising, therefore, when he signed a cheap, one-year deal to join the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Two years later, Smith’s agent left his former firm and a messy lawsuit allowed the truth to come to light: Smith had signed three separate one-year deals with the Timberwolves, which would have allowed Minnesota to gain his full Bird Rights after the third season and then give him a new, long-term deal after that which could have paid him as much as $86 million.

Then-NBA commissioner David Stern issued a historic punishment for that circumvention. The Timberwolves were fined $3.5 million. All of Smith’s contracts were voided, and with them his Bird Rights with Minnesota. Then-owner Glen Taylor was barred from operating the Timberwolves for a year. But most notably, Stern stripped the Timberwolves of their next five first-round picks. The penalty was so severe that he ultimately returned their picks in 2003 and 2005, but they still lost three in the process.

What is the penalty for cap circumvention today?

Fortunately for the Clippers if they are indeed found to have circumvented the salary cap, the punishments for doing so aren’t nearly as extreme as they once were. As detailed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the commissioner is authorized to issue the following penalties for cap circumvention:

A fine of up to $4.5 million for a first offense.
A fine of up to $5.5 million for the second and any subsequent offenses.
The forfeiture of one first-round draft pick.
Contracts or transactions that violated league rules can be voided.

Therefore, at least based on the CBA as it is written, the Clippers would not be subject to the same multi-year penalty that crippled the Timberwolves 25 years ago unless they committed multiple violations. For now, Torre has only reported the possible violation involving Leonard.

Have there ever been accusations against Leonard or the Clippers?

Neither Leonard nor the Clippers have ever been proven to have circumvented the salary cap. However, rumors have abounded since Leonard agreed to sign with the Clippers in 2019.

In the immediate aftermath of Leonard’s decision, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that a complaint was issued to the league office accusing Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s uncle, of asking for improper benefits during the free agency process. From Amick’s reporting at the time:

“The stories about Robertson’s wish list made their way to the league office soon after Leonard made his decision, with concerned parties reporting that Leonard’s uncle had asked pursuing teams for much, much more than a max contract (Kawhi ultimately signed a three-year, $103 million deal with the Clippers). Sources say the league was told that Robertson asked team officials for part ownership of the team, a private plane that would be available at all times, a house and — last but certainly not least — a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money that they could expect if Leonard played for their team. All of those items, to be clear, would fall well outside the confines of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.”

Amick reported that Robertson made those request of the Lakers and Raptors. However, the NBA did not find any evidence that these requests were met by the Clippers. Adam Silver addressed the investigation directly to The Athletic.

“We did tell our teams (at the Board of Governors meeting in New York in late September) that we are looking into and continue to look into activities from this summer,” Silver told The Athletic in 2019 when asked if the Clippers were under investigation. “I will also say that we (were) trying to draw a line at this board meeting, and focus everyone on the (free agency) rules going forward. I think that (I’ll) just leave it at that. We are looking at the behavior from the summer. We have and we continue to look at it, but first and foremost we want to change the way business is done going forward.”

Notably, Amick reported that “if any relevant evidence of improper benefits surfaces in the future, the league will re-open the investigation and pursue the charges yet again.” In 2020, the NBA was forced to investigate the Clippers yet again when Johnny Wilkes, an alleged friend of both Leonard and Robertson, sued the Clippers and team consultant Jerry West alleging that he was owed $2.5 million for helping the Clippers secure Leonard’s services. In 2022, that lawsuit was dismissed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Notably, Leonard signed with the Clippers in July of 2019. However, the the term of the deal obtained by Torre began on April 1, 2022 and was set to end on March 31, 2026. Leonard’s initial contract with the Clippers was for three years and $104 million. In 2021, he re-signed on a four-year, $176 million deal, and then in 2024, he extended again for $149.5 million over three years.

How have the Clippers and the league responded?

The NBA has not yet issued a statement on Torre’s reporting, and neither has Leonard. However, in a statement to Torre, the Clippers wrote that “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”

For now, it is not clear if the NBA will investigate the situation based on Torre’s reporting.

Sports

Volleyball Adds Transfer Kameron Stover to Roster for 2026

Published

28 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MILWAUKEE – On Monday, Susie Johnson announced the addition of transfer Kameron Stover to the roster for the upcoming volleyball season.

Stover will join the Panthers this spring after an impressive freshman campaign at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio.

“We are so excited to add Kami to our program this spring,” commented Johnson. “She has a ton of athleticism and competitiveness and has proved that she can compete day after day, which is what we have been looking to add to our program.”

Stover was a force for the Cavaliers in 2025, finishing the season 16th among all Division II players in total kills with 452. That mark ranked third among all freshmen at the Division II level and also led all players from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

In addition to her kill total, Stover led the GMAC in kills per set (4.30) and total points (507), while also pacing the league in points per set (4.83). She finished 10th in the league in service aces (30), and 14th in digs (299). Stover also recorded 33 kills in a match, the most by any GMAC player since the 2022 campaign.

Following her freshman season with the Cavaliers, Stover was selected as the conference’s Freshman of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors. She was also named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Midwest Region Freshman of the Year and later added Division II Conference Commissioners Association Second Team All-Region accolades.

Stover played at Marengo Highland High School in Ohio from 2021-24, where she amassed 1,770 career kills, the ninth-most in recorded state history. As a junior, she tallied 636 kills, the seventh-most in state history, and followed that up with another 567 as a senior. Her 48 kills in a match against Plain City Jonathan Alder as a junior ranked third all-time for a single match in Ohio.

She was a two-time First Team All-State selection and earned Third Team honors as a sophomore. A three-time First Team All-District and All-Conference selection, Stover also earned All-Region accolades from this AVCA as a senior and is the program’s kills record holder for career, single-season, and single-match.

Stover joins incoming freshmen Olivia Doerre, Emma Dufft, Kayla Landerud, and Hope Wagner, who announced their commitments to Milwaukee in mid-November.

Link

Sports

Utah Volleyball Adds Three Transfers to the 2026 Roster

Published

45 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Volleyball head coach Alyssa D’Errico welcomes the addition of three transfers to the Utes family ahead of the 2026 season.

Opposite hitter Loryn Helgesen (Utah State), libero Sierra Grizzle (Texas Tech), and setter Izzy Mogridge (Tennessee) will join freshman outside hitter Suttyn Harris who signed in November.

“We are incredibly excited about adding Sierra, Loryn and Izzy to our team for the upcoming 2026 season,” said D’Errico. “These three add to the qualities our team embodies that make this place so special. They will help us compete at a championship level daily and are all in on our culture of authenticity, consistency and connection. We hit a home run with this class in so many ways and couldn’t be more excited to get them in the gym this spring to start training with our returning core.”

Loryn Helgesen | 6-2 | Opposite | Kaysville, Utah | Utah State (Davis High)
“Loryn is incredibly gifted as a physical volleyball player with a huge upside and determination to be great in her career at the highest level,” said D’Errico. “We absolutely love that we get to keep a local talent of her caliber HOME and representing Utah on and off the court. She brings an energetic and fun presence that will fit right into our special group of humans from the start.”

Helgesen has two more seasons that she will spend with the Utes after starting her collegiate career two hours north at Utah State.

During her time with the Aggies, Helgesen was named an AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention (West Region), and All-Conference First Team in the Mountain West. Helgesen also broke a school record for hitting percentage over 20+ attempts, ranks 10^th all-time in Utah State history in hitting percentage with at least five attempts per set, and seventh all-time in career hitting percentage.

Utah’s new opposite was a two-sport athlete before coming to college, excelling in track as well as volleyball and breaking records in junior high and high school.

The daughter of Lindzi and Jack, Helgesen has three siblings, Alyssa, Hadlee, and Jack. Mom, dad, and uncle, Kurt are all Utah alums. Hadlee, played soccer at Shoreline Washington College.

When not on the volleyball court, Helgesen enjoys painting, cooking, and hanging out with friends.

Sierra Grizzle | 5-7| Libero | Meridian, Idaho | Texas Tech (Mountain View HS)

“Sierra is an elite defender who led the Big12 in digs per set and was also one of the best servers in the conference in 2025,” said D’Errico. “She adds competitive energy, toughness, and a winning mindset to our program. She is the kind of competitor whose play will elevate those around her. We are excited for the impact she will have for us in her final collegiate season.”

Grizzle comes to the Utes after gaining experience as a freshman with the Wyoming Cowboys where she was a two-time Freshman of the Week and three-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week before transferring to Big 12 foe Texas Tech for her sophomore and junior years.

During her time with the Red Raiders, Grizzle was a two-time Defensive Player of the Week (Sep. 2 and 30 of 2025), ranked first in the Big 12 (20^th nationally) in digs per set (4.82) and fourth in aces per set (.39). Additionally, Grizzle will bring 1356 career digs and 115 career aces to Salt Lake City.

As a high school prospect, Grizzle was recognized by the AVCA on their Under Armour Phenom Top 300 list, and their All-American Watch List. Additionally, the right-handed libero was a three-time all-conference and all-state selection, the Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year, and was named to Mountain View High School’s Hall of Fame.

She is the daughter of Valerie and Randall Grizzle and has one younger brother, Troy. Mother played basketball at Boise State, father played football at Montana State, and brother currently plays football for Boise State.

Grizzle enjoys snowboarding, biking, fishing, camping and food outside of volleyball.

Izzy Mogridge | 5-11 | Setter | Lutz, FL | Tennessee (Berkeley Preparatory School)

“Izzy is an elite athlete with a huge upside at the setting position,” said D’Errico. “She is a great competitor and teammate who has shown she can compete at the highest levels of the game through USA NTDP experiences and the Under Armour All-American game. She brings such joy and passion to the court that we feel fits perfectly with our programs culture.”

With one season at Tennessee under her belt, Mogridge comes to the Utes as a sophomore after playing 17 matches for the Volunteers with one start. She also had a stint last summer with the U.S. U19 National Team.

The four-year letter winner was a three-time Player of the Year and was one of 26 prep standouts chosen to play in the Under Armour All-American Game last January. In high school Mogridge helped lead Berkeley Prep to a runner-up finish in the 3A Florida Championships.

She is the daughter of Jennifer and Allen Mogridge and has two sisters, Liv and Lola. Father is the offensive line coach at Georgia Tech and sister Liv played volleyball for the Yellow Jackets and will finish her career at Iowa this upcoming season.

Mogridge enjoys making jewelry, collecting vinyl records, and listening to music when she is not on the volleyball court.

FOLLOW THE UTES

For an inside look at the Utah Volleyball program, including tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @utahvolleyball).

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360

Link

Sports

Johan Dulfer Announced as Next Hartford Volleyball Head Coach

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – On Monday, December 22nd, 2025, University of Hartford Director of Athletics & Recreation Alicia Queally announced the hiring of Johan Dulfer as the 12th head coach of the Hartford volleyball program.

“We are excited to welcome Johan Dulfer as the next leader of the women’s volleyball program at the University of Hartford. Johan brings extensive head coaching and leadership experience with a proven track record of being able to build elite Division III volleyball programs that are successful both on and off the court. I’m excited to have him on board as we continue to build our championship culture here at Hartford.”

Dulfer brings more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience to Hartford, highlighted by success across multiple NCAA programs. Most recently, Dulfer served as head volleyball coach at Ithaca College from 2016- 2023, where he led the Bombers to eight consecutive NCAA Tournament selections. During his tenure, Ithaca would win back-to-back Liberty League championships in 2022 and 2023. Johan would also lead the Bombers into the sweet sixteen on three occasions in 2018, 2019, and 2023, an elite eight finish in 2018, and a final four appearance in 2017.

“I would like to thank the search committee and Director of Athletics Alicia Queally for the honor of becoming the next head coach at the University of Hartford. During my research and my visit to campus it became clear that I really could see myself as part of the UHart community. Coming back to coaching in the environment that I experienced when I visited, was a no-brainer decision. I was so impressed with everyone’s passion for their jobs and for the University, their care for the student-athlete experience, and the desire to be successful. I can’t wait to get started. Together we will take Hartford volleyball to the next level.”

Before his time at Ithaca, Dulfer spent ten seasons as head coach at Clarkson University (2006–2015), leading the Golden Knights to four consecutive NCAA Elite Eight appearances from 2012 through 2015 and posting a program-best 37-4 record in 2014.

Across 17 seasons as a head coach, Dulfer has compiled a career record of 431-173 (.714), earning seven Liberty League Coach of the Year honors and five American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Regional Coach of the Year awards.

Prior to joining Clarkson University, Dulfer was an assistant coach at Division I James Madison University, where he served as the first assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2003-2005. While with the Dukes, Johan helped JMU make two CAA Championship appearances in 2003 and 2005. In addition, he spent seven years with USA Volleyball as a program coordinator for the IREVA High Performance program, evaluating and coaching athletes at national championships.

Dulfer also served as a regional chair of the Divison III National Volleyball Committee from 2017-2022.

Dulfer holds a master’s degree in Kinesiology/Sport Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in International Organizations from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

For the latest information on Hartford Athletics follow the Hawks on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

Link

Sports

BYU, Notre Dame agree to football series in 2026 and 2027 – BYU Athletics – Official Athletics Website

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

PROVO, Utah — BYU and Notre Dame today announced the two universities have agreed to a home-and-home football series that will bring the Fighting Irish to Provo in 2026 and take the Cougars to South Bend in 2027.

“We are excited to announce this home-and-home series between BYU and Notre Dame for the 2026 and 2027 seasons,” said BYU Director of Athletics Brian Santiago. “We have tremendous respect for Notre Dame, and appreciate Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua, who has been great to work with in arranging this series. These will be competitive football games, and will highlight Kalani Sitake and Marcus Freeman, two of the best leaders and coaches in college football. As private, faith-based institutions, BYU and Notre Dame share many common values, and this series provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase two world-class universities. It’s a matchup that will resonate strongly with Cougar fans and college football fans everywhere.”

Notre Dame will be making its third appearance in Provo next season when it faces BYU in LaVell Edwards Stadium for the first time since 2004. When BYU travels to face the Irish in 2027, it will mark the first meeting in South Bend since 2013 and the seventh matchup overall in Notre Dame Stadium dating back to the start of the series in 1992.

Notre Dame owns a 7-2 advantage in the previous nine games played after winning the last outing in the series in 2022 by a 28-20 tally at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. That game, played on Oct. 8, 2022, was part of the Notre Dame Shamrock Series neutral site home games. BYU’s two victories came by a 21-14 tally in South Bend in 1994 during BYU head coach Kalani Sitake’s freshman season and later in the last contest in Provo when the Cougars earned a 20-17 win to open the 2004 season.

BYU owns a 1-1 record against the Irish in LaVell Edwards Stadium, while Notre Dame boasts a 5-1 record against the Cougars in South Bend and a 1-0 mark in their neutral site Shamrock Series. The last time the two schools met in South Bend was a frigid, snow-flurry of a game in 2013 that the Fighting Irish won 23-13. BYU ran for 247 yards behind quarterback Taysom Hill in a one-score game heading into the fourth quarter but came up short in the end.

With the addition of the Notre Dame series, BYU has now finalized its scheduled opponents for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

BYU will play seven home games next season, hosting Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Cincinnati and Iowa State in Big 12 play along with nonconference matchups with Notre Dame and Utah Tech. The Cougars will travel to face Colorado State in nonconference and Kansas, TCU, UCF and Utah on their Big 12 slate.

In 2027, BYU hosts Big 12 games against Colorado, Kansas, Texas Tech and Utah along with Oregon State and Weber State in the nonconference, while traveling in league to Arizona State, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia as well as to South Bend to meet Notre Dame.

Game dates and times and television plans for all 2026 and 2027 games will be announced at a later date.

Link

Sports

Wildcats of the Week: December 15-21

Published

1 hour ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tyler Butler of B-CU Women’s Basketball and Jakobi Heady of B-CU Men’s Basketball have been named Wildcats of the Week for the week of December 15-21, 2025.

Tyler Butler was excellent for the Wildcats at the Stetson Hatter Invitational in DeLand. In two games against Stonehill and William & Mary, she totaled 23 points on an efficient 9-14 shooting with 18 rebounds, five blocks, and two steals.

Jakobi Heady starred in a road contest at the A10’s Saint Louis. He led all scorers with 23 on 8-14 showing with six rebounds, an assist, and three steals.

Each week, The Bethune-Cookman Office of Athletic Communications recognizes one male and one female student-athlete through the Wildcats of the Week award.

This award recognizes student-athletes who have excelled in competition, in the classroom, and in the community over the past week, exemplifying the Championship Culture of Wildcat Athletics.

2025-26 Wildcats of the Week

December 15-21

W: Tyler Butler, Women’s Basketball

M: Jakobi Heady, Men’s Basketball

December 8-14

W: N/A (No Women’s Competition This Week

M: Jakobi Heady, Men’s Basketball

December 1-7

W: Daimoni Dorsey, Women’s Basketball

M: Sha’Nard Walker, Track & Field

November 24-30

W: Chanelle McDonald, Women’s Basketball

M: Jakobi Heady, Men’s Basketball

November 17-23

W: Jordan Brooks, Women’s Basketball

M: Timmy McClain, Football

November 10-16

W: Shayla Henry, Volleyball

M: Javon Ross, Football

November 3-9

W: Madison Molock, Tennis

M: Arterio Morris, Men’s Basketball

October 27-November 2

W: Amya Jennings, Volleyball

M: Andrew Kiplagat, Cross Country

October 20-26

W: Sthefany Carvalho, Volleyball

M: Jaylen Lewis, Football

October 13-19

W: Melissa Gonzalez, Volleyball

M: N/A (No Men’s Competition this Week)

October 6-12

W: Valencia Butler, Cross Country

M: Andrew Kiplagat, Cross Country

September 29-October 5

W: Amya Jennings, Volleyball

M: Ali Scott Jr., Football

September 22-28

W: Sierra Herndon, Volleyball

M: Javon Ross, Football

September 15-21

W: Zahara El-Zein

M: Maleek Huggins, Football

September 8-14

W: Nola Hemphill, Volleyball

M: Cam’Ron Ransom, Football

September 1-7

W: Reese Wilson, Women’s Golf

M: Stephen Sparrow Jr., Football

August 25 – 31

W: Kaleigh Williams, Volleyball

M: Andrew Kiplagat, Cross Country

For all the latest Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Facebook (Bethune-Cookman Athletics), X (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUAthletics.com.

Link

Sports

Four repeat honorees highlight 2025 #SummitVB Academic All-League Team

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Four repeat honorees highlighted the 2025 Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League Team released by league officials Monday. There was a total of seven student-athletes named to the team that was voted on by the membership’s faculty athletic representatives and sports information directors.

South Dakota State’s Joslyn Richardson, a two-time Summit League Scholar of the Championship presented by JLG Architects, collected the second all-academic honor of her career.

South Dakota’s Avery Van Hook also earned her second honor and was joined by teammates and first-time honorees Kamryn Farris and Amanda Loschen.

First team All-Summit Leaguer Kali Jurgensmeier of Omaha added a second all-academic award to her list of honors this season.

North Dakota’s Lauren Perugini rounded out the quartet of repeat honorees while North Dakota State’s Ally Barth earned her first honor for the Bison.

To be eligible for the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), completed at least one full academic year at the current institution and participated in 50 percent of their team’s competitions.

Nominations are brought forth by sports information directors from the league’s ten institutions and voting is conducted by both the SIDs and facility athletic representatives (FARs). The team is made up of the seven student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.

2025 Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League Team

Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	GPA	Major
Ally Barth	NDSU	Sr.	MB	3.94	Management Communication
Kamryn Farris	South Dakota	Sr.	DS	3.75	Business
Avery Van Hook**	South Dakota	Jr.	S	3.87	Kinesiology & Sport Management
Kali Jurgensmeier**	Omaha	Sr.	OH	3.82	Biology
Amanda Loschen	South Dakota	Jr.	MB	3.86	Medical Biology
Lauren Perugini**	North Dakota	Jr.	OH	4.00	Dietetics
Joslyn Richardson**	SDSU	Jr.	DS	4.00	Construction Management