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Libero Competition Highlights Offseason for Nebraska Volleyball

For the last four years, Lexi Rodriguez was the rock of the Nebraska volleyball program. The four-year starter and three-year captain owned the libero position from day one and put together a highly decorated, record-setting career in Lincoln. Now she’s playing in the pros, and finding her successor is one of the top offseason objectives […]

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For the last four years, Lexi Rodriguez was the rock of the Nebraska volleyball program. The four-year starter and three-year captain owned the libero position from day one and put together a highly decorated, record-setting career in Lincoln.

Now she’s playing in the pros, and finding her successor is one of the top offseason objectives for Dani Busboom Kelly as she heads into her first season as Nebraska’s head coach. Fortunately, she likes her options — senior Maisie Boesiger, junior Laney Choboy, sophomore Olivia Mauch and freshman Keri Leimbach.

“All four of them have done a great job,” Busboom Kelly said prior to Nebraska’s exhibition win against Kansas. “I think they’re having great springs, and they’re all very different, which is unique. When we set up our six-on-six teams, it’s been fun to kind of put them in maybe tougher situations, whether it be putting Olivia with the quieter team where she has to step up and be a vocal leader, and Laney maybe with more of the loud voices and see how they kind of all blend together.

“But all four of them have been very, very good, and you can pick out days where they’ve all been really impressive.”

Busboom Kelly herself spent her final season at Nebraska at libero after starting at setter, helping the Huskers win a national championship in 2006. Since then, the view of the position has changed dramatically — and Rodriguez played a part in that as she carried forth the libero legacy in Lincoln.

“I think it’s changed quite a bit,” Busboom Kelly said. “It was still kind of new in 2006 a little bit. Liberos weren’t even playing pro back then. It was really hard. And now, you go to a LOVB game and you see Lexi Rodriguez getting the loudest ovation of anybody, any team. So I think it’s become a pretty big deal to be a great libero.”

Busboom Kelly highlighted two key traits she believes a libero must possess: the ability to pass the ball at a high level and a lot of confidence. Each of them showed glimpses of meeting those requirements in Nebraska’s 4-0 win against the Jayhawks on Saturday.

Busboom Kelly gave all four defensive specialists a chance to see the court in multiple sets, with Choboy and Mauch rotating at the libero spot from set to set. The Huskers tried a different combination in each set, and Busboom Kelly said she liked what she saw from the “littles” throughout the match.

“I did tell them in the locker room as a group, the first thing I said was I was just super impressed by those four and the way they handled the changes,” Busboom Kelly said after the match. “I thought Maisie and Keri did an awesome job in their roles, and Laney and Liv — going in and out of being libero is not easy, and their stats might not be amazing when we look at them tomorrow morning, but I thought their play was very, very good, and I’m super proud of them. It’s one of the deepest groups of liberos I’ve ever coached.”

Choboy led Nebraska with 18 digs in three sets (two as libero, one as defensive specialist), adding two assists, one ace and one service error. Mauch recorded 12 digs, six assists and one ace, though she was also credited uncharacteristically with two reception errors. She also played in three sets, two as a libero and one as a defensive specialist.

Boesiger had two digs in two sets as a defensive specialist. Leimbach played in two sets, one as a defensive specialist and one as a serving specialist, notching one dig and one ace. The freshman impressed John Cook, who served as color commentator for the Big Ten Network broadcast of the match.

“In the practices that I’ve watched, I’ve been very impressed with her,” Cook said. “When you watch them in high school, they all look good. But when she got in with this group, she’s been very impressive.”

Nebraska Cornhusker Olivia Mauch (10) dives to dig the ball with Andi Jackson against the Kansas Jayhawk during a college volleyball match Saturday, April 26, 2025 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Photo by John S. Peterson.Nebraska Cornhusker Olivia Mauch (10) dives to dig the ball with Andi Jackson against the Kansas Jayhawk during a college volleyball match Saturday, April 26, 2025 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Photo by John S. Peterson.

Olivia Mauch (10) dives to dig the ball with Andi Jackson against the Kansas Jayhawks. Photo by John S. Peterson.

Mauch produced one of the highlights of the night in the fourth set, dropping a back-set dime cross-court to Harper Murray, who terminated over a triple block.

“I’m going to tell you right now, Nebraska has gone to another level with their liberos on setting out of system,” Cook said after the play. “That might be the most impressive thing for me.”

Cook said who wins the libero jersey is one of the offseason storylines he’s most looking forward to following.

“They’re up to the task,” Cook said. “I was talking to Dani about how is she going to make that decision … She had a really interesting answer. She said they’re all so even, they’re all passing-wise very good, serving. It’s going to come down to personality; what does the team need? They’re all very different personalities. So I thought that was a very interesting answer. I would never look at it that way, but that’s Dani and her instincts. She was a high-level player, and those are important things. What player is going to help that team feel comfortable and confident and be the best fit?”

From a personality standpoint, the two main contenders for the job — Choboy and Mauch — are almost complete opposites, which makes Busboom Kelly’s response all the more interesting.

“They both go about it their own way,” Harper Murray said. “I think Liv is a little bit more like Lexi as a person, a little bit more quiet and reserved, but they both have their own way about it, and it’s special, no matter how they’re going to do it.”

While an NCAA rule change allows teams to dress two players in the libero jersey and rotate them during the match, Busboom Kelly said she would prefer to have the consistency of one person filling the libero jersey. Fortunately for Nebraska, whoever ends up winning the competition will have had the best mentor one could hope for.

“I think Lexi is the type of person that’s going to leave her mark, and that’s exactly what she did, and I know that they all want to continue her legacy and continue to make us and our teammates and our fans and Lexi proud,” Murray said. “I know that they took a lot away from her, and I’m sure they’re going to find their own special way to show that. We obviously miss Lexi a lot, but it’s now their turn to fill her shoes, and they’ve done a great job of that.”



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Indiana University Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Former Indiana libero Paula Cerame was named among the initial 19-player preliminary Puerto Rican women’s national team roster, as announced by the organization on Saturday (May 31) evening.   Team Puerto Rico is set to compete in four major events this summer on the women’s side – including the 2025 FIVB Women’s […]

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Former Indiana libero Paula Cerame was named among the initial 19-player preliminary Puerto Rican women’s national team roster, as announced by the organization on Saturday (May 31) evening.
 
Team Puerto Rico is set to compete in four major events this summer on the women’s side – including the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championships in Thailand in August. Cerame has spent most of her collegiate and professional tenure training with her native country.
 
Cerame, who racked up over 990 digs in two seasons with the Hoosiers, is coming off her second season in the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF). She played in the inaugural campaign with Orlando and spent this last year with Columbus – primarily as the team’s starting libero.
 
Head coach Steve Aird, a native Canadian, has brought a ton of international flare to Bloomington during his tenure as head coach. There will be two foreign players on this year’s roster – veteran outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (Spain) and highly-regarded youth setter Teodora Krickovic (Serbia).
 
On top of the World Championships, Puerto Rico will also compete in the NORCECA Final Six and the Pan American Cup. Cerame’s former teammate, Mady Saris, will play with Team Canada’s roster in the Volleyball Nations League this summer. Krickovic and incoming outside hitter Charlotte Vinson (USA) will train with their respective youth national teams before joining the team this summer.



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Bradley Announces Season Ticket Availability for Fall and Winter Sports

Peoria, IL — Bradley Athletics announces season ticket availability for Soccer, Volleyball, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball. Bradley Athletics season tickets are now available for Soccer, Volleyball Men’s basketball and Women’s basketball. Season tickets for Soccer and Volleyball are all general admission and start at $50. Women’s basketball general admission tickets are $75.  Women’s Basketball Season […]

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Peoria, IL — Bradley Athletics announces season ticket availability for Soccer, Volleyball, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball.

Bradley Athletics season tickets are now available for Soccer, Volleyball Men’s basketball and Women’s basketball. Season tickets for Soccer and Volleyball are all general admission and start at $50. Women’s basketball general admission tickets are $75. 

Women’s Basketball

Season tickets are now on sale starting at $75 for general admission. Click below for more information.

WBB Seaosn tickets

Volleyball
Bradley Volleyball will play 15 home games at Renaissance Coliseum August through November this upcoming fall. Season tickets are at $50 for general admission. Click below for more information.

vb season tickets

Soccer
Bradley soccer will host nine home games at Shea Stadium from August through November this upcoming fall. Season tickets are $50 for general admission. Click below for more information.

Soccer season tickets

Men’s Basketball
Season tickets are now on sale for new season ticket holders After purchasing season tickets, season ticket holders are allowed to select their preference on ticket delivery options. If you are interested in season tickets and would like more information, fill out a Ticket Interest Form and a Ticket Office Representative will reach out to you.



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Colorado State athletes qualify for track and field NCAA Championships

Three total Rams will represent Colorado State at the outdoor track and field NCAA Championships. Mya Lesnar (shot put) and Kajsa Borrman (hammer throw) qualified May 29 and Klaire Kovatch (discus) made it a third with her effort May 31 to finish the NCAA West Regional meet. Kovatch finished 12th in women’s discus to secure […]

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Three total Rams will represent Colorado State at the outdoor track and field NCAA Championships.

Mya Lesnar (shot put) and Kajsa Borrman (hammer throw) qualified May 29 and Klaire Kovatch (discus) made it a third with her effort May 31 to finish the NCAA West Regional meet.

Kovatch finished 12th in women’s discus to secure the final qualifying spot.

The 2025 outdoor track and field NCAA Championships are June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon.

Here’s a look at how all CSU athletes competing at the West Regional fared. The top 12 in each event qualify for the championship meet.

Women’s Shot Put

  • Mya Lesnar: First with a top mark of 60-feet, 8 1/2 inches. Lesnar qualifies for nationals.
  • Makayla Long: 26th with a top mark of 51-feet and 1/4 of an inch.

Men’s Shot Put

  • Leonardo Ramos: 17th with a top mark of 60-feet, 8 1/2 inches.

Women’s Hammer

  • Kajsa Borrman: 12th with a top mark of 206-feet, 5-inches. Borrman qualifies for nationals.

Men’s Hammer

  • Leonardo Ramos: 26th with a top mark of 204 feet.
  • Adam Hellbom: 28th with a top mark of 203-feet, 11-inches.
  • Cameron Kalaf: 35th with a top mark of 200-feet, 6-inches.

Women’s Discus

  • Klaire Kovatch: 12th with a top mark of 178-feet, 2-inches. Kovatch qualifies for nationals.
  • Makayla Long: 27th with a top mark of 171-feet, 5-inches.
  • Kajsa Borrman: 35th with a top mark of 165-feet, 10-inches.

Men’s High Jump

  • Timothy Johnson: 33rd with a top mark of 6-feet, 8 1/4 inches.
  • Ndayiragije Shukurani: 33rd with a top mark of 6-feet, 8 1/4 inches.
  • Rhys Travis: 43rd with a top mark of 6-feet, 8 1/4 inches (when competitors finish at the same height, the placement is determined by how many attempts it took to reach).

Men’s Triple Jump

  • Ismael Dembele: 13th with a top mark of 52-feet, 1 1/4 inch. Dembele had to scratch his final two attempts and missed nationals by one spot, losing a tiebreaker for the final place.

Men’s Long Jump

  • Ismael Dembele: 31st with a top mark of 23-feet, 8-inches.

Women’s Pole Vault

  • Maria Kimpson: 33rd with a top mark of 13-feet, 2 1/4 inches.

Women’s 400 hurdles

  • Neya Jamison: 38th in a time of 1:00.05.

Men’s 5,000 run

  • Michael Mooney: 45th in a time of 14:35.63.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.





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Reliable Boston Red Sox Starting Pitcher Set to Begin Minor League Rehab Assignment S

According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Boston Red Sox’s starting pitcher Kutter Crawford is set to begin a rehab assignment next week. He’s been out all season with a patellar tendon issue that crept up at the beginning of spring training. Because he didn’t even make a single appearance in spring training, his rehab time […]

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Reliable Boston Red Sox Starting Pitcher Set to Begin Minor League Rehab Assignment S

According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Boston Red Sox’s starting pitcher Kutter Crawford is set to begin a rehab assignment next week. He’s been out all season with a patellar tendon issue that crept up at the beginning of spring training. Because he didn’t even make a single appearance in spring training, his rehab time should be lengthy, so it’s unknown when he’ll return to the Red Sox.

A 29-year-old Florida native, he made 33 starts for the Red Sox last season, going 9-16 with a 4.36 ERA. He struck out 175 batters in 183.2 innings.

A four-year veteran, Crawford has spent his entire career with Boston. He’s 18-31 with a 4.56 and his 16 losses led baseball in 2024. It’s unclear what his role will be moving forward, as the Red Sox currently have Walker Buehler, Garrett Crochet, and Brayan Bello in the rotation. Tanner Houck is injured and the team has dealt with injuries to Richard Fitts as well, but Fitts is back and Hunter Dobbins is in the mix too.

One of the more disappointing teams in baseball, Boston enters play on Sunday at 28-32 and in fourth place in the American League East. They’ll take on the Atlanta Braves on Sunday with first pitch set for 1:35 p.m. ET. Crochet, acquired this past offseason, will start on the mound against Bryce Elder.

Crochet has gone 4-4 with a 2.04 ERA in the early going while Elder is 2-2 with a 4.50. Atlanta enters play at 27-30.

RISING UP THE RANKS: Max Clark is now the No. 2 prospect in baseball, according to Keith Law of the Athletic. CLICK HERE:

CORA PUSHING THE ENVELOPE? Red Sox manager Alex Cora spoke to local radio in Boston on Thursday about top prospect Roman Anthony, and it seems like he may be pushing the front office into promoting him. CLICK HERE:

ISABELLA! Isabella Robb umpired a game at Double-A Springfield this week, marking the first time a female umpire had worked at Hammons Field, which has been open for 20 years. CLICK HERE:

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St. Ignatius rallies in fifth set to win first OHSAA boys volleyball state championship

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Down 7-0 in the fifth set of the OHSAA Division I boys volleyball state title game, St. Ignatius kept its composure after dropping the previous two sets to claim its first state championship in program history on Saturday afternoon at Wittenberg University. For the first time since becoming a varsity sport in […]

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Down 7-0 in the fifth set of the OHSAA Division I boys volleyball state title game, St. Ignatius kept its composure after dropping the previous two sets to claim its first state championship in program history on Saturday afternoon at Wittenberg University.

For the first time since becoming a varsity sport in 2023, the Division I state champion has come out of Northeast Ohio. The Wildcats completed an improbable comeback on Thomas Worthington to win in five sets.

Junior Jack Ragon amassed a game-high 24 kills, including the go-ahead point to put the Wildcats up 15-14 in the fifth set. An attack error by the Cardinals on the game’s final point sent the Wildcats’ side into a full-on frenzy as the championship point was earned.

Saturday’s match was the second straight game the Wildcats were pushed to five sets after defeating St. Xavier in the state semifinals on Friday afternoon.

Things started off well Saturday for the Wildcats by taking a 2-0 set lead (25-17, 25-23). Then the match started to shift momentum in favor of the Cardinals in the third set.

The Wildcats fell 25-17 in the third, but showed no signs of fatigue or concern. In the fourth set, the Wildcats once again fell behind, but battled back to close a large Cardinals lead, but it was too much of a hill to overcome as the fourth set went to Thomas Worthington, 25-20.

In the fifth and final set (played to 15 instead of 25) everything seemed to be going in favor of the Cardinals with a stern 7-0 lead that left the Wildcats with few answers. St. Ignatius head coach Dominick Adornato called a timeout to recompose his group, and the move paid off in a big way.

From down 7-0, the Wildcats were suddenly in control of the game, 8-7, with the title on the line. Both sides traded off points with the Cardinals close to sealing the deal up 13-11.

But just as they had done all postseason long, the Wildcats rose up to score three unanswered points before surrendering one, then closing the game out in championship fashion.

The Wildcats ended the season with a 25-3 record and another championship trophy to add to the school’s illustrious collection.



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A crucial timeout helped St. Ignatius boys volleyball rally for OHSAA state title

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Trailing 7-0 in the fifth and final set of Saturday’s OHSAA boys volleyball Division I state title game, St. Ignatius head coach Dominic Adornato called a timeout to huddle his team together. Haunted by this very game one year before, in which his Wildcats fell in the championship game, Adornato wanted to […]

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Trailing 7-0 in the fifth and final set of Saturday’s OHSAA boys volleyball Division I state title game, St. Ignatius head coach Dominic Adornato called a timeout to huddle his team together.

Haunted by this very game one year before, in which his Wildcats fell in the championship game, Adornato wanted to look each player in the face to remind them that everything they had worked so hard for this season was still within reach.

As cheers started to pump inside the Pam Evans Smith Arena on the campus of Wittenberg University, from the Thomas Worthington fans across the court who could almost reach out and touch the state championship trophy, Adornato knew he had to address each of his players to raise their spirits back up.

Things were turning bleak for the Wildcats in a roller coaster of a title match. Everything that was working early in the game that gave the Wildcats a 2-0 advantage was suddenly different.

“I could sense the game slipping away a little bit, so I called a timeout to remind the guys about our mission and our goal,” Adornato said. “I calmed them down and said just to do what we talked about, what won the first two sets. It’s not over, because as far as I’m concerned, there’s still plenty of volleyball left to play.

“I pointed to each guy and I told them exactly what they needed to do. I made them look me in the eye because I felt I had to give them that confidence that they were slowly losing. To their credit, just like throughout the year, we believed in each other, we did it as a group. So that was my contribution.”

What happened next even Adornato couldn’t have seen coming.

The Wildcats ripped off an 8-0 run to flip the script back in their favor, now leading the first-to-15 set, 8-7.

“I would be lying to you if I said to you yes, (I saw that 8-0 coming),” Adornato said. “However, I knew we were going to come back and win. I didn’t expect eight straight points, but that definitely was the turning point of not only believing with that confidence, but showing it on the court, and I think that really rattled Thomas Worthington.”

Even with the lead, the match was far from over. The Wildcats needed to call on their first-team All-Ohio outside hitter Jack Ragon, who rose to the occasion with his team playing elevated around him.

Ragon played one of the best individual games ever in the OHSAA state tournament. His 24 kills were the high-water mark for the match, but it was his serving that disrupted his opponent so much with the game on the line.

Four of Ragon’s five aces came during the 8-0 run to force the Cardinals into timeouts to collect themselves.

“I give all the credit to Jack for getting all those hard serves in; he forced Thomas Worthington to take both of their timeouts on his serve alone, which really riled us up,” Adornato said. “To not lay off on his serve was huge. It’s always great to have a player like Jack. It’s very special and doesn’t happen every year. However, when it does, and with Jack’s character and the way he presents himself, that’s just the little extra.”

Ragon set the Wildcats up for victory by earning the go-ahead kill to push the score to 15-14. A return error by the Cardinals that sailed out of bounds was the final point the Wildcats needed to be crowned champions.

Relief and pure elation fell over the faces of the Wildcats players as they swarmed one another on their side to celebrate the marathon finish to their championship season.

On Friday, the Wildcats won their semifinal in five sets over St. Xavier, the top-ranked team in Ohio, according to MaxPreps. Saturday, the Wildcats were treated to five more sets to prove themselves worthy of the program’s first title in boys volleyball.

If anything, the five-set win over St. Xavier on Friday gave the Wildcats all the confidence they needed in a do-or-die fifth set on Saturday. Already notching the win over the Bombers, who defeated the Wildcats in the state title game last season, provided growth.

“Beating the presumed No. 1 team in the state, you just have that confidence, and it was our redemption tour,” Adornato said. “We needed to get that monkey off our back with Xavier, and I think that instilled in our guys’ confidence that we can win against a team like that.

“Then, going into the situation we kind of created ourselves with Worthington, where it went five sets, the boys had no fear. So, playing 10 sets in less than 24 hours and winning like that, I think if you ask anybody at the OHSAA, those are two of the top five matches they’ve ever seen in the past 5-10 years.

“The most memorable and most awesome part of this is that we had our goal and we were able to reach the goal. Before the match today, I told the guys, and I did this yesterday too, I want us to have pride in our job, have pride in our craft, and if we all do this together, then we’ll ride this ship to the finish line.”



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