Sports
Kawhi Leonard in the starting lineup as he makes his season debut with Clippers
The Clippers are also getting back guard Terance Mann, who missed 10 games due to a broken left middle finger.INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Kawhi Leonard was in the starting lineup and made his season debut as the Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.Leonard missed the Clippers’ first 34 games with what the […]


The Clippers are also getting back guard Terance Mann, who missed 10 games due to a broken left middle finger.INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Kawhi Leonard was in the starting lineup and made his season debut as the Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.Leonard missed the Clippers’ first 34 games with what the team described as right knee injury recovery. It is his first NBA game action since April 26, when he played 25 minutes and scored nine points in Game 3 of the Clippers’ Western Conference first-round playoff series against Dallas. The Clippers lost that game and were eventually eliminated in six games.LA went into Saturday’s game with a 19-15 record and in seventh place in the Western Conference. Lue said with Leonard and Mann’s return, it might take a couple games to figure out everyone’s roles.AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaLeonard appeared in 68 regular-season games in 2023-24, but missed 12 of the final 14 with right knee inflammation. He then came back for two games during the playoffs. He was picked for the Olympic team but was sent home during the training camp in Las Vegas when the USA Basketball staff felt Leonard’s knee was not healthy enough to play.___“So just going back to the drawing board, trying to find the right rotation and guys who play well with each other. And so that’s going to be the toughest task,” Lue said.Leonard has missed 290 regular-season games over the last eight years, including all of the 2021-22 season with knee trouble after being injured in the 2021 Western Conference semifinals against Utah.Coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard is on a minutes restriction, but did not say how much playing time the six-time All-Star forward would get.“This is like his preseason and training camp because he hasn’t had that. Everybody who’s playing tonight had a training camp and they played 30-35 games,” Lue said. “We’re going to make sure we bring him back slowly. It’s a great step in the right direction tonight, but we’ve got to make sure we’re doing it the right way.”
Sports
TCU Advances to NCAA Quarterfinals
Story Links GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 2 seeded TCU swept No. 15 seeded Georgia State in a straight set victory to open its run at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship on Friday. Improving their record to 29-5, it was the Horned Frogs’ 13th sweep this season, and sixth against […]

GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 2 seeded TCU swept No. 15 seeded Georgia State in a straight set victory to open its run at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship on Friday.
Improving their record to 29-5, it was the Horned Frogs’ 13th sweep this season, and sixth against a ranked opponent.
TCU won all the first sets against the Panthers. Continuing the momentum the Frogs took the first two points on courts two and three. To clinch the match for TCU, Stacy Reeves and Deniela Konstantinova knocked the third point on court five, earning the pairings’ first win together this season.
Quick Hits against No. 15 seeded Georgia State
• Sofia Izuzquiza and Allanis Navas notched point one for the Frogs at the No. 3 spot: 21-13, 21-12.
• The duo improved to 23-2 on the season with their point over GSU’s Vuorinen/Mozeleski.
• The win followed the duo’s AVCA Top Flight, Flight Three recognition for their performance this season.
• Hailey Hamlett and Maria Gonzalez notched point two at the No. 2 spot: 21-14, 21-11.
• The two earned their 10th win on the season, improving their record to 10-2.
• Konstantinova and Reeves clinched the match for the Frogs at the No. 5 spot: 22-20, 21-17.
• The freshman duo moved to 1-1 on the season with their point over GSU’s Sullivan/Dirner.
• With their win over Georgia State, TCU maintained the lead in the all-time series, stretching to 9-4.
Up Next
TCU advances to play No. 7 seeded Texas in the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship Quarterfinals on Saturday. Play will begin at 11 a.m. CT and can be streamed on ESPN2.
In the all-time series, TCU leads 3-0 over the Longhorns. The Horned Frogs will compete for a spot in the semifinals and look to maintain their undefeated record against in-state teams. TCU is 41-0 all-time against opponents from the Lone Star State.
Sports
Beach Volleyball’s Historic Season Comes to an End at the 2025 NCAA Championships
Story Links GULF SHORES, Ala. — A season to remember for the Chattanooga beach volleyball squad came to a close on Friday at the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships, as the No. 16 seed Sandy Mocs fell to top-seeded UCLA 3-0 in the opening round of the tournament in Gulf […]

GULF SHORES, Ala. — A season to remember for the Chattanooga beach volleyball squad came to a close on Friday at the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships, as the No. 16 seed Sandy Mocs fell to top-seeded UCLA 3-0 in the opening round of the tournament in Gulf Shores.
After going back-to-back as Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament champions, the Mocs (26-6, 10-0 OVC) looked to put the Scenic City on the beach volleyball map as they took center stage on national TV against the No. 1 seeded Bruins (31-6). UTC leaves Gulf Shores having done just that, as the Sandy Mocs can hang their hats on competing with one of the top beach volleyball programs in the country.
“A team like this and a year like this, you just never really want it to end,” head coach Darin Van Horn said. “I’m just so proud of everybody and the way that they’ve battled throughout the year. I have all these memories from this year and I just don’t want them to stop, but every great thing has to come to a close.
“I think we can be proud of the way we showed up and competed against UCLA. Obviously they got the best of us, but as the No. 1 seed in the tournament you expect them to be tough and handle their business, and we still had some great back-and-forths with them. I think we shocked them and probably some other people watching with how well we competed today.”
The Sandy Mocs will now say goodbye to a group of four impactful seniors that have truly left their mark on Chattanooga beach volleyball. Neva Clark, Joy Courtright, Paige Gallentine and Kit Gresham leave having built up a foundation for the future of the program, while also leaving behind a legacy that no one can take away from them.
“For us to go out swinging today, I think we should all be proud of ourselves,” Coach Van Horn added. “A lot of tears and a lot of hugs were had, but this was definitely one that we’re all going to remember for a very long time.”
No. 16 Chattanooga vs. No. 1 UCLA – L, 0-3
With the ESPN2 cameras rolling and the bleachers packed at Gulf Beach Place, the Sandy Mocs came into their matchup against the No. 1 seeded UCLA Bruins with one thing in mind: putting Chattanooga beach volleyball on the map. While the overall 3-0 result may not have gone in UTC’s favor, the team still leaves Gulf Shores having accomplished its goal.
The Mocs put together admirable performances across all five courts of action, most noticeably in the opening sets on Courts 1, 2 and 5. Starting first on Court 1, the top-flight pair of Neva Clark and Corina Vale left every last ounce out on the sand against a pair of All-Americans for the Bruins. Clark and Vale were able to hang tight with the UCLA duo, only falling 21-17 in the opening frame before eventually losing the second 21-10.
The match marked the end of Clark’s collegiate career, one that consists of countless awards, honors, records and memories. The three-time OVC Player of the Year concludes her time at UTC as the program’s all-time winningest player.
UTC’s Court 2 pair of McKenna Faychak and Maddie Lecik had an unbelievable performance for the Mocs, pushing UCLA’s No. 2 pairing to a 21-18 result in the first set and going unfinished overall. The same can be said on Court 5, as Ansley Gulledge and Sydney Jackwin also dropped a very narrow 21-18 first set before their match went unfinished on the day.
On Court 3, the senior duo of Paige Gallentine and Kit Gresham saw their Sandy Moc careers come to a close as they would drop a pair of 21-12 sets to give UCLA yet another point on the board. The match would not conclude, however, without Gallentine showcasing some astounding digs on defense alongside Gresham tallying not one, but two of her patented windmill kills.
And finally, the No. 4 pairing of Joy Courtright and Julia Lawrence marked the clinching blow for the Bruins as UCLA would pick up a 21-11, 21-16 match win to seal a 3-0 victory over the Mocs. The match also marked the end of yet another illustrious career, as Joy Courtright made her final appearance in a UTC uniform.
Mocs fans have plenty to be excited about for next season, as starters Vale, Faychak, Lecik, Lawrence, Gulledge and Jackwin are all set to return to the team’s 2026 squad.
1. Sally Perez/Maggie Boyd (UCLA) def. Neva Clark/Corina Vale (UTC) 21-17, 21-10
2. McKenna Faychak/Maddie Lecik (UTC) vs. Peri Brennan/Natalie Myszkowski (UCLA) 18-21, 11-16 unfinished
3. Jessie Smith/Kenzie Brower (UCLA) def. Kit Gresham/Paige Gallentine (UTC) 21-12, 21-12
4. Alexa Fernandez/Kaley Mathews (UCLA) def. Joy Courtright/Julia Lawrence (UTC) 21-11, 21-16
5. Ansley Gulledge/Sydney Jackwin (UTC) vs. Harper Cooper/Ensley Alden (UCLA) 18-21, 13-15 unfinished
Order of finish: 3, 1, 4
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Sports
Trio of Gauchos Earn All-Big West Honors
Story Links IRVINE, Calif. — The Big West announced its 2025 Women’s Water Polo all-conference teams Friday, honoring three UC Santa Barbara student-athletes. Annie Kuester earned a spot on the All-Big West Second Team, Imani Clemons earned All-Big West Honorable Mention, and Bella Mady was named to the conference’s All-Freshman team. This […]

IRVINE, Calif. — The Big West announced its 2025 Women’s Water Polo all-conference teams Friday, honoring three UC Santa Barbara student-athletes. Annie Kuester earned a spot on the All-Big West Second Team, Imani Clemons earned All-Big West Honorable Mention, and Bella Mady was named to the conference’s All-Freshman team. This is the first time since 2019 that the Gauchos have had three all-conference honorees, and this year’s honors are the first in each Gaucho’s respective careers.
One of Santa Barbara’s captains and the focal point of their attack this season, Kuester started the season hot and just never cooled off, scoring 60 goals on the year, the first Gaucho to reach that number since Sarah Snyder scored 66 in 2019. Kuester opened the season with four consecutive hat-tricks, then tallied a five-goal game against Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 1, more than half of her team’s goals in the 9-8 win. She was just as unstoppable in conference play, scoring at least once in each of Santa Barbara’s Big West matches, including three at UC San Diego, three at Cal State Fullerton and five at UC Irvine, a haul which earned her the title of Big West Player of the Week. On the year, Kuester finished eighth in the conference in total goals and 10th in total points (goals plus assists), with 81.
Clemons was just as dominant as Kuester in conference action this season, tying her senior classmate with 19 goals in Big West games to share the title of Gauchos’ leading conference scorer. The center came alive down the stretch, scoring four goals in each of the final regular-season games, two of eight hat-tricks on the season. In March, she scored eight goals in three days with three against Hawai’i and a career-best five against UC Davis. Earlier in the year, she also tallied four against Indiana. Her 50 goals on the season make 2025 the first time since 2013 that two Gauchos have reached the half-century mark in the same year.
They nearly had three members in the 50-goal club this year, as Mady put together a tremendous rookie campaign, tallying 45 goals in her first year of collegiate water polo. The 45 tallies are the most by a UC Santa Barbara freshman since Samantha Murphy and Jessie Porter’s excellent 2013 seasons, where Murphy scored 78 and Porter 51. In 2025, Mady’s 45 goals were the second-most by any Big West rookie, behind only Freshman of the Year Ema Vernoux, of Hawai’i. Mady made a big splash early, scoring four goals in each of her first two games as a Gaucho and recording at least one goal in each of her first nine collegiate games, including four hat-tricks in that span. She tallied the first five-goal game of her career against Villanova, then announced herself to the conference with a three-goal game against Long Beach State in what was her first-ever Big West match. Mady ended the season on a five-game scoring streak, including a goal on her Big West Championship debut in the quarterfinal against UC Irvine.
Sports
No. 17 Winter Haven beach volleyball advances to regional final
WINTER HAVEN ― It’s expected that the farther a team goes in the regional beach volleyball playoffs, the stiffer the competition will get. That’s exactly what happened in the Class 3A regional semifinals on Friday at Winter Haven, as Winter Haven, the No. 1 seed in regionals and the No. 17 team in all of […]

WINTER HAVEN ― It’s expected that the farther a team goes in the regional beach volleyball playoffs, the stiffer the competition will get.
That’s exactly what happened in the Class 3A regional semifinals on Friday at Winter Haven, as Winter Haven, the No. 1 seed in regionals and the No. 17 team in all of Florida, took on Riverview Sarasota as the No. 4 seed in regionals. The Rams took the momentum early before the Blue Devils recaptured its magical momentum that has been evident all year, ultimately winning 3-1 and advancing to the regional finals.
“(I’m) proud of the team for getting one step closer — 100%. This is two out of five. The third one is going to be big for a regional championship and to advance to a final four. But I’m so proud of them ― the fight that they showed today and the resolve playing against a better team and better competition where everything wasn’t going our way all the time. We had to battle some adversity, and the kids responded and answered that call. All the credit too. All the credit to the girls for seeing better competition and stepping up to the plate,” Winter Haven head volleyball coach Dylan Sechrest said.
Boasting some talented players, the No. 1 line of Sarasota won over Winter Haven’s, which comprises The Ledger’s Player of the Year Rylee Tanner and Kylie Catrett. But Tanner and Catrett put up a fight.
Still, the No. 2 line comprised of Sophia Whitaker and Kindyl Goff was challenged as well but eventually came up victorious 2-0.
For the No. 3 line, Emily Drier and Addison Traina seized control the entire time, winning 2-0.
Additionally, in an effort to play much better than last week’s performance, the No. 4 line of Hala Heath and Isabella Sumner fought tooth and nail down to the wire and would go on to go down 2-1.
“…I got to give them their flowers: They fought a lot better. They did lose the first set. Still came out a little slow there. But then the second set they came fighting back and took the second set from them. … So, a much better battle today (for)the 4 line, especially seeing some better competition as well. They played better today. (They) just got to continue to do a little bit better of a job of following the game plan and making in-game adjustments.”
And the No. 5 line, Camila DeJesus and Leah Robles, put on a dominate show from start to finish, also winning 2-0.
With an overall good showing, Sechrest said it will be all about honing skills, practicing solid serves, putting the opposing team in compromising situations and minimizing errors.
The regional final will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Winter Haven High School vs. Venice — the No. 22 team in Florida.
Sports
Volleyball Returns to West End
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The re-introduced Vanderbilt volleyball program will play its first-ever NCAA match in Nashville on Aug. 29 versus Belmont with first serve slated for 7 p.m. The match will take place on Wyatt Lawn with a concert to follow. There will be special seating for season ticketholders based on availability. Fill out the season […]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The re-introduced Vanderbilt volleyball program will play its first-ever NCAA match in Nashville on Aug. 29 versus Belmont with first serve slated for 7 p.m. The match will take place on Wyatt Lawn with a concert to follow.
There will be special seating for season ticketholders based on availability. Fill out the season ticket interest form to be notified when season tickets go on sale.
Those interested in supporting Vanderbilt volleyball can do so through the program’s giving page.
Sports
Utah dropping beach volleyball and cites its change in conferences as a factor
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in… SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in part because of conference realignment. Utah introduced beach volleyball — an Olympic sport since 1996 […]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in…
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has decided to drop beach volleyball as a varsity sport after eight years in part because of conference realignment.
Utah introduced beach volleyball — an Olympic sport since 1996 — in 2017, when the Utes competed in the Pac-12 Conference. The Pac-12 had nine beach volleyball programs at the time but most of those schools have since left for the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12.
Utah is now in the Big 12, which has just three other beach volleyball programs and no automatic qualifying spot for the NCAA Tournament for its league champion.
“This was an extremely difficult decision,” athletics director Mark Harlan said this week. “We looked at the landscape of intercollegiate beach volleyball and the future opportunities of our student-athletes.”
Calling beach volleyball’s growth at the college level “stunted,” Harlan noted that just 12 power conference schools sponsor such teams “with little evidence of the sport expanding at this time.”
Harlan said the Utah athletic department would “work closely with each of our impacted student-athletes to provide them with all of the support they need” and honor the scholarships of those who decide to complete their education at Utah.
“Should a current or incoming student-athlete elect to pursue their sport at another school, Utah will do all that it can to facilitate the process,” Harlan said, adding that scholarship funds which had been dedicated to the beach volleyball program will be redirected to our other women’s sports.
Utah will now sponsor 19 intercollegiate sport programs in the coming academic year.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
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