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Looking ahead to Orioles' draft with Jim Callis

SCROLL DOWN TO READ ARTICLE Jim Callis is a senior writer for MLB.com. He covers prospects and ahead of next month’s draft, spoke about the Orioles and what their strategy might be on July 13th. This interview has been edited for brevity. Question: How does this draft class look as compared with past years? Jim […]

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Looking ahead to Orioles' draft with Jim Callis

SCROLL DOWN TO READ ARTICLE

Jim Callis is a senior writer for MLB.com. He covers prospects and ahead of next month’s draft, spoke about the Orioles and what their strategy might be on July 13th.

This interview has been edited for brevity.

Question: How does this draft class look as compared with past years?

Jim Callis: “I think it’s a little down compared to past years. You don’t have the top-of-the-draft-type talents. The last couple of years we’ve had a bunch of guys that we’d say would be overall No. 1 picks in most years

“In 2023, it was Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford, Max Clark and Walker Jenkins. Last year, it was even more: Travis Bazzana,  Charlie Condon and Chase Burns and Hagen Smith, Nick Kurtz, JJ Wetherholt and Jac Caglianone.

“This year, I don’t think anyone has separated themselves from the pack. The strength undoubtedly is that there are a lot of high school shortstops and high school infielders

Q: Is this a good year for the Orioles to have three picks in the top 31 and six in the top 100?

Callis: “I think it’s always good to have extra draft picks. They’re not picking at the top, so I actually think you could argue that the guy they get at 19 might not be that much different than the guy they get at No. 9. You have those extra picks at the end of the first round, and that helps, too.

“Any scout will tell you there’s always talent in the draft, and it’s the team’s job is to go out and find it, and the thing the Orioles have going for them is that they don’t pick before 19, but because of those extra picks, they have  the fifth-highest draft pool in baseball. It’s only $500,000 behind the number one team. They have as much spending power as any team in baseball and can do some damage with it.”

Q: The Orioles have to restock the farm system because so many prospects have either graduated to the major leagues or been traded. Do you think they’ll draft for specific need with those first three picks or for the best available player?

Callis: “I think they’ll probably go best available player the way their draft board is lined up. You know this regime has not spent very many early picks at all on pitchers. The flip side is that the team needs pitching more than anything at both the major league level and the minor league level,

“I’m not convinced that they’re necessarily going to change that. I would be kind of surprised if they took a pitcher with one of those three first picks, especially at 19, but I do think it’s probably best player available because I think the way they line up their boards.”

Q: But isn’t there pressure on them to take a pitcher because it’s such an obvious need?

Callis: “If you look at what the organization needs, they still have a bunch of young hitters, and they’re trying to figure out how to get them in the lineup at the same time. Samuel Basallo is still in Triple-A. The pitching staff is kind of old and not really effective. I don’t think they have that many guys on the pitching staff under 30 years old playing major roles at the big league level.

“I don’t know that the owner is saying: ‘Hey, go get some pitching.’ They haven’t drafted that way, so I don’t think the front office is going to say we have to get more pitching.

“I think the pressure is more on the outside, and people saying, ‘They need to get some pitching. I don’t think they feel some internal pressure, like, ‘hey, we need to draft some pitchers.’ If you look at their philosophy, it clearly is, ‘we’re not going to spend high picks on pitchers, and we’ll find out the ways to find them. All things being equal, it would make sense that two of those first three picks to be pitchers. This regime has just not drafted many pitchers in the first three rounds.”

Q: How would you rate the Orioles’ farm system?

Callis: “It’s not as strong as it used to be, and that’s natural. It’s very hard to sustain a top farm system when you’re winning at the big league level. Instead of picking in the top five and having those huge bonus pools, you’re picking around 20, and you have less international money. You’re making trades like the Corbin Burnes trade, and you’re giving up prospects.

“It’s very rare to see a team win at the big league level and continue to sustain a top-shelf farm system. Coming into the year, we had the Orioles ranked as our No. 15 farm system. I haven’t contemplated farm system rankings because the draft’s approaching but they’d probably be down a little bit.

“Coby Mayo, who was ranked in our top 15 prospects, has graduated, out of rookie status, out of prospect status. It’s a farm system with one top 100 prospect, and that’s Samuel Basallo, who is one of the best hitters in the minor leagues, and he’s interesting.

“There’s Enrique Bradfield. He’s interesting. We have him as the No. 2 prospect, and he’s kind of polarizing. He can definitely run, steal bases and play a good center field, but there’s mixed opinions of how much impact he has on the bat. Chayce McDermott is kind of a rough year. He has a good arm. Vance Honeycutt, last year’s No. 1 pick. He had probably the best tools on the college side of the draft, but he’s hitting .185 in High-A, and they were swing-and-miss concerns with him.

“The farm system isn’t at that level where it was the best farm system in baseball. There have been some positive developments. [Aberdeen right-hander] Michael Forret has pitched pretty well. That’s a positive development. They need more of them. They’re kind of in the contender status of farm systems.”

Q: Considering those last two drafts, was it that they were drafting lower or did the Orioles lose their touch?

Callis: “Nobody has a good draft year after year. When you’re picking No. 1 and you have a huge bonus pool, you can take Adley Rutschman and you can push Gunnar Henderson down to your second-round pick. You can’t do that at 19 or at 22 or wherever they’re picking.

“It’s early, but last year’s draft does not look great right now. Vance Honeycutt is really struggling, and to be honest, there were swing-and-miss concerns with him. [Second pick in 2024] Griff O’Ferrall isn’t really hitting, and he was a glove-first shortstop. I don’t think we thought he’d be hitting .207 in High-A.

“[Second rounder] Ethan Anderson had an OK year at Virginia, and he’s struggling a little bit in High-A, too. You could argue guys are being pushed aggressively, too. Coming out of the ACC, you should be able to handle High-A in your first year, also.

“I wouldn’t say that last year’s draft is in the books, and we know what it is, but it’s not looking very good right now. The guys who made the good picks in prior drafts. I wouldn’t say they’ve lost their mojo.

“If you want a positive development, there’s a guy they spent extra money on in the 16th round, Nate George, who’s a really athletic high school kid from Illinois. He’s played really well. He might be a nice late-round find. It’s still early, but you would hope that your ’24 draft class was looking better than it has been in ’25.”

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: [email protected].

O’s VIDEOS FROM AROUND THE WEB





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36 Wolves Receive GNAC FAR Scholar-Athlete Award

Story Links 2024 25 GNAC-Wide FAR Award Recipients PORTLAND, Ore. — Western Oregon Athletics had a total 36 student-athletes receive the GNAC Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Scholar-Athlete Award Tuesday. The GNAC FAR Scholar-Athlete Award – presented by Barnes & Noble College – recognizes the incredible dedication […]

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PORTLAND, Ore. — Western Oregon Athletics had a total 36 student-athletes receive the GNAC Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Scholar-Athlete Award Tuesday.

The GNAC FAR Scholar-Athlete Award – presented by Barnes & Noble College – recognizes the incredible dedication to academics student-athletes hold. It honors all student-athletes of NCAA-affiliated teams – including Football, a Lone Star Conference team – who have achieved a cumulative grade point average at or above 3.85.

For the 2024-2025 Academic Year, Western Oregon had a total 36 student-athletes receive the award (26 female, 10 male), with 11 being repeat recipients. Women’s Track & Field teammates Amity Deters and Lindie Larson led the repeat Wolves – each receiving their fifth honor. Six Scholar-Wolves held a stunning 4.0 – the highest GPA possible – and are highlighted below in bold.

You can read the GNAC’s press release and view the complete list of conference award recipients with the links below.

GNAC-Wide list of award recipients | GNAC Release

 

 































WOU Female FAR Scholar-Athlete Recipients
Name Sport Academic Major Year GPA Hometown
Ally Beavers Soccer Business Sr. 3.85 Puyallup, Wash.
Taylor Brasfield Track & Field Business Fr. 3.91 Corvallis, Ore.
* Finley Buman Volleyball Environmental Science Jr. 4.00 Phoenix, Ariz.
*** Katie Chapman Track & Field Exercise Science Sr. 3.99 Lowell, Ore.
Jordyn Conrad Soccer Mathematics Sr. 3.94 Vancouver, Wash.
**** Amity Deters Track & Field Chemistry Sr. 3.99 Amity, Ore.
** Olivia Flack Track & Field Education Sr. 3.99 La Pine, Ore.
Sidney Friesen Volleyball Business Fr. 4.00 Salem, Ore.
Mya Fry Track & Field Interdisciplinary Studies Jr. 3.99 Salem, Ore.
Charlotte Gardner XC/Track & Field Biology Fr. 4.00 Newport, Ore.
* Kilinoelehua Helm Volleyball Exercise Science Jr. 3.93 Keaau, Hawaii
Maya Helmen Track & Field Business So. 3.91 Clatskanie, Ore.
Emma Higashi Soccer Public Health Jr. 3.97 Mililani, Hawaii
Kate Klobas Volleyball Business Fr. 4.00 Tillamook, Ore.
**** Lindie Larson Track & Field Social Science Sr. 3.94 Redding, Calif.
Alecia Lemeza Track & Field Exercise Science So. 3.99 Salem, Ore.
Malena Mathis Volleyball Business Fr. 3.95 Salem, Ore.
Amelia Merritt XC/Track & Field Business So. 3.93 Camas, Wash.
Ali Millspaugh Volleyball Public Health Fr. 3.96 Vancouver, Wash.
* Jessica Morgan Softball Business Sr. 3.98 Lewistown, Mont.
Gracie Nelson Softball Exercise Science Fr. 4.00 Kuna, Idaho
Kate Ronning Softball English Studies Sr. 3.98 Keizer, Ore.
Guinevere Rydberg Track & Field Psychology Sr. 3.93 Yakima, Wash.
Ciona Wells Basketball Public Health Fr. 3.96 Tacoma, Wash.
Lainie Wheeler Track & Field Business Fr. 3.91 Grants Pass, Ore.
Kameron Wimsatt Soccer Exploratory Studies Fr. 3.89 Redmond, Wash.

 















WOU Male FAR Scholar-Athlete Recipients
Name Sport Academic Major Year GPA Hometown
Kyle Babcock Football Criminal Justice Sr. 3.88 Springfield, Ore.
* Ethan Bothwell XC/Track & Field Business So. 3.91 Hillsboro, Ore.
Carson Evenson Football Business Fr. 3.86 Salem, Ore.
David Garcia Soccer Computer Science Fr. 3.85 Salem, Ore.
Michael Gibson III Football Business Jr. 3.89 Canby, Ore.
Dominic Hankins Football Exercise Science Sr. 3.91 Klamath Falls, Ore.
* Elwood Hosking XC/Track & Field Public Health Sr. 4.00 Phoenix, Ore.
* Nathan Hurtado Soccer Exercise Science Sr. 3.99 Tucson, Ariz.
** James Lackey Track & Field Exercise Science Sr. 3.97 Newport, Ore.
Braydon Olson Basketball Business Fr. 3.90 Chehalis, Wash.

***** – Six-Time FAR Award Recipient | **** – Five-Time FAR Award Recipient | *** – Four-Time FAR Award Recipient | ** – Three-Time FAR Award Recipient | * – Two-Time FAR Award Recipient

What is a FAR?

A faculty athletic representative (FAR) is a member of the faculty at an NCAA member institution who has been designated to serve as a liaison between the institution’s faculty and the athletic department. The FAR serves as a representative of the institution in conference and NCAA affairs. The role of the FAR is “to ensure that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and athletics.” Western Oregon’s FAR is Amy Hammermeister Jordan.


 



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Sask Provincial Beach Volleyball in Lloydminster, July 12-13

Over 20 teams from across Saskatchewan, including 13 from Lloydminster, will participate in the Sask Beach Volleyball Provincials at Bud Miller Park, July 12-13. This is the third stop in the Sask Beach Volleyball tour and the first time Lloydminster has been included on the circuit. The sand at Bud Miller Park got an upgrade […]

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Over 20 teams from across Saskatchewan, including 13 from Lloydminster, will participate in the Sask Beach Volleyball Provincials at Bud Miller Park, July 12-13.

This is the third stop in the Sask Beach Volleyball tour and the first time Lloydminster has been included on the circuit. The sand at Bud Miller Park got an upgrade for last year’s Saskatchewan Summer Games, making it one of the best in the province.

It will be a round robin format in each division with three set matches and a winner in each division.

The teams will see action in the following divisions:

  • Five x U14/U15 Men
  • Six x U16/U17 Men
  • Eight x U14/U15 Women
  • Seven x U16/U17 Women

“Two Lloyd teams to look out for are U17 male pair Jory Wagner and Konlan Topp, who are defending Provincial silver medalists and winners of the Lloydminster tournament at the end of June. The other team is U15 female pair Britt Willis and Paige Kvill, who also train out of the Lloydminster Rustlers Beach Volleyball Program and have had top-three finishes at all our local events,” says organizer Matt Peck.

The action spikes from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, and from  9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. on Sunday.



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Four ‘Bows Headed to Water Polo World Championships

Story Links HONOLULU — Four members of the University of Hawai’i women’s water polo program are slated to compete for their countries at the World Aquatics Championship in Singapore.   Ema Vernoux and Camille Radosavljevic were named to France’s roster for the world championship and Agatha Weston and Gabrielle Doyle will play […]

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HONOLULU — Four members of the University of Hawai’i women’s water polo program are slated to compete for their countries at the World Aquatics Championship in Singapore.
 
Ema Vernoux and Camille Radosavljevic were named to France’s roster for the world championship and Agatha Weston and Gabrielle Doyle will play for New Zealand.
 
The women’s water polo competition begins on July 10 and runs through July 23. New Zealand will compete in Group A with Australia, Italy and host Singapore. France will be in Group D with Spain, Great Britain and South Africa.
 
Vernoux and Radosavljevic will again compete for France after representing their home country at the Paris Olympics last summer. Vernoux made history by scoring France’s first goal in the nation’s Olympic debut, then began her collegiate career by leading the Rainbow Wahine with 78 goals on her way to earning Big West Freshman of the Year and ACWPC honorable mention All-America honors.
 
Radosavljevic was a starter for much of her junior season and contributed 17 goals, 13 assists, 19 steals and 14 field blocks. Along with playing in the Olympics, she also competed for France in the last two World Aquatics Championships in 2023 in Fukuoka, Japan and 2024 in Doha, Qatar.
 
Doyle also played in last year’s world championship in Doha before earning a place on the Big West All-Freshman team in her first season at UH. She posted 15 goals and 10 assists and finished second among UH’s field players with 34 steals.
 
Weston was a member of the Big West All-Freshman team in 2024 after posting 19 goals, 14 assists and 29 steals. She redshirted this past season while recovering from an injury.
 
Doyle and Weston will be joined on New Zealand’s roster by former ‘Bows Bridget Layburn and Elizabeth Gault.

The schedule and results for the world championship can be found at worldaquatics.com.

 

#WahineWP



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Here are the 2025 finalists for The Bowerman in track and field

Share Here’s what you need to know about the men’s and women’s finalists for The Bowerman — the Heisman of track and field. The finalists are the top three vote-getters for the annual award presented to the most outstanding athletes in collegiate track and field. The finalists come after a long indoor and outdoor track […]

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Here’s what you need to know about the men’s and women’s finalists for The Bowerman — the Heisman of track and field. The finalists are the top three vote-getters for the annual award presented to the most outstanding athletes in collegiate track and field. The finalists come after a long indoor and outdoor track and field season filled with elite performances. The 2025 winner will be announced on December 18 at the 2025 USTFCCCA convention.

Men’s finalists

Your 2025 men’s Bowerman finalists are Jordan Anthony, Nathaniel Ezekiel and Ja’Kobe Tharp. Here’s a quick breakdown for each from the 2025 season.

Jordan Anthony | Arkansas

Men’s 100m final – 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

Men’s 60m – 2025 NCAA indoor track and field championships

Anthony is the third finalist in Arkansas’ men’s program history, joining 2016 winner Jarrion Lawson and 2022 finalist Ayden Owens-Delerme.

Season Accomplishments

  • NCAA Indoor 60m champion
  • NCAA Outdoor 100m champion
  • SEC Indoor 60m champion
  • SEC Outdoor 100m champion
  • SEC Outdoor 200m champion
  • SEC Outdoor Team champion
  • No. 2 fastest all-conditions 100m in NCAA history
  • No. 3 fastest 60 meters in NCAA history

MORE BOWERMAN: Every watchlist from 2025 | How the watch lists predict the award’s winner | History

Nathaniel Ezekiel| Baylor

Men’s 400m hurdles final – 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

Ezekiel is the first Baylor athlete to be named a finalist.

Season Accomplishments

  • NCAA Outdoor 400 hurdles champion
  • Big 12 Indoor 400 meter champion
  • Big 12 Indoor 4×400 meter relay champion
  • Big 12 Outdoor 400 hurdles champion
  • No. 3, No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 fastest outdoor 400 meter hurdles in NCAA history
  • No. 7 fastest indoor 400 meters in NCAA history
  • Undefeated against collegiate competition in the 400 meter hurdles in 2025

Ja’Kobe Tharp | Auburn

Men’s 110m hurdles final – 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

Men’s 60m hurdles – 2025 NCAA indoor track and field championships

Tharp is the first Auburn athlete to be named a finalist.

Season Accomplishments

  • NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles champion
  • NCAA Outdoor 100m hurdles champion
  • SEC Indoor 60m hurdles champion
  • No. 5 fastest 110 hurdles in NCAA history
  • No. 8 fastest 60m hurdles in NCAA history

Women’s finalists

Your 2025 women’s Bowerman finalists are Pamela Kosgei, Doris Lemngole and Savannah Sutherland. Here’s a quick breakdown for each from the 2025 season.

Pamela Kosgei | New Mexico

Women’s 5000m final – 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

Women’s 10K finals – 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

Kosgei is the first New Mexico athlete to be named a finalist.

Season Accomplishments

  • NCAA Outdoor 5000 meter champion
  • NCAA Outdoor 10,000 meter champion
  • Mountain West Indoor mile champion
  • Mountain West Indoor 3000 meter champion
  • Mountain West Indoor 5000 meter champion
  • Mountain West Outdoor 5000 meter champion
  • Mountain West Outdoor 3000 meter steeplechase champion
  • Mountain West Indoor team champion
  • Mountain West Outdoor team champion
  • No. 2 fastest outdoor 5000m in NCAA history
  • No. 2 and No. 3 fastest 10,000m in NCAA history
  • No. 6 fastest 3000m steeplechase in NCAA history
  • No. 6 fastest indoor 5000m in NCAA history
  • Undefeated against collegiate competition in the outdoor 5000 meters and outdoor 10,000 meters in 2025

Kosgei’s cross country accolades do not count towards her resume for The Bowerman.

RECORDS: Every collegiate track and field record broken in 2025

Doris Lemngole | Alabama

Women’s 3000m steeplechase final – 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

Women’s 5000m – 2025 NCAA indoor track and field championships

Lemngole is the first Alabama athlete to be named a finalist.

Season Accomplishments

  • NCAA Indoor 5000 meter champion
  • NCAA Outdoor 3000 meter steeplechase champion
  • NCAA 3000m steeplechase record
  • NCAA Indoor 5000m record
  • SEC Indoor 5000 meter champion
  • SEC Outdoor 3000 meter steeplechase champion
  • SEC Outdoor 5000 meter champion
  • No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 11 fastest 3000m steeplechase in NCAA history
  • No. 5 fastest indoor 3000m in NCAA history
  • Undefeated against collegiate competition in the steeplechase

Lemngole’s cross country accolades do not count towards her resume for The Bowerman.

Savannah Sutherland | Michigan

Women’s 400m hurdles final – 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

Sutherland is the first Michigan athlete to be named a finalist.

Season Accomplishments

  • NCAA Outdoor 400 meter hurdles
  • NCAA 400 meter hurdles record
  • Big Ten Indoor 400 meter champion
  • Big Ten Outdoor 400m hurdles champion
  • No. 1 and No. 8 fastest 400m hurdles in NCAA history
  • Undefeated against collegiate competition in the 400 meter hurdles

Who should be the 2025 Bowerman finalists in NCAA track and field?

NCAA track and field beat reporter Stan Becton breaks down who should be the Bowerman finalists in 2025.

READ MORE

Here are the Bowerman frontrunners entering the 2025 NCAA outdoor championships

Stan Becton takes a look at the top Bowerman candidates ahead of the 2025 NCAA track and field championships.

READ MORE

Here are the potential repeat NCAA outdoor track and field champions in 2025

The 2025 Division I men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championships will see seven returning champions attempt to defend their titles.

READ MORE





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Kentucky Picked to Win SEC, Four on Preseason All-SEC Team – UK Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Volleyball team was picked by the 16 Southeastern Conference head coaches to win the league in the annual preseason poll, it was announced Tuesday afternoon. Additionally, the Wildcats received four spots on the All-SEC preseason team, the most of any team in the conference. Kentucky received nine of the 16 […]

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Volleyball team was picked by the 16 Southeastern Conference head coaches to win the league in the annual preseason poll, it was announced Tuesday afternoon. Additionally, the Wildcats received four spots on the All-SEC preseason team, the most of any team in the conference.

Kentucky received nine of the 16 first-place votes with Texas, who was picked second, gathering six first-place votes and Texas A&M receiving one. Kentucky received 218 points, beating out Texas by two points, who collected 216 points in the preseason poll, as the Wildcats were selected to win what would be their ninth-straight SEC championship. Texas A&M was picked third with Missouri (fourth) and Florida (fifth) rounding out the top five.

The All-SEC Preseason Team consists of the top 15 vote-getters in the SEC from the coaches, regardless of position and Kentucky had a league-high four on the team with Brooke Bultema, Brooklyn DeLeye, Eva Hudson and Molly Tuozzo all earning spots on the team. For DeLeye, she is coming off winning SEC Player of the Year in 2024 and will be looking to become the second player at Kentucky to win SEC Player of the Year twice in 2025, her junior year, as she would join Leah Edmond who did it in 2018 and 2019 in her final two years at UK.

Kentucky’s 2025 season kicks off Saturday, August 30 at Lipscomb in a 3 p.m. ET match in Nashville before playing in the first-ever Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena against Nebraska at Noon ET on ABC. The home season for UK open Sept. 13 against SMU as part of a four-team event with UK, SMU, Houston and Purdue.

SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

  1. Kentucky (9)
  2. Texas (6)
  3. Texas A&M (1)
  4. Missouri
  5. Florida
  6. Tennessee
  7. Oklahoma
  8. LSU
  9. Georgia
  10. Ole Miss
  11. Arkansas
  12. Vanderbilt
  13. Auburn
  14. South Carolina
  15. Mississippi State
  16. Alabama

Preseason All-SEC Team

Jaela Auguste (MB, Florida)

Brooke Bultema (MB, Kentucky)

Brooklyn DeLeye (OH, Kentucky)

Eva Hudson (OH, Kentucky)

Molly Tuozzo (L, Kentucky)

Jurnee Robinson (OH, LSU)

Nia Washington (OH, LSU)

Mokihana Tufono (S, Ole Miss)

Maya Sands (L, Mizzou)

Alexis Shelton (OH, Oklahoma)

Caroline Kerr (S, Tennessee)

Emma Halter (L, Texas)

Torrey Stafford (OH, Texas)

Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (MB, Texas A&M)

Logan Lednicky (OPP, Texas A&M)

 

For the latest on UK Volleyball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @KentuckyVB.





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Vodafone Launches Rally Tally to Bridge UK’s Digital Divide

One week into The Championships, Wimbledon, it’s not just the 18-shot rallies between Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini that are captivating audiences. It’s also the flurry of messages between fans, whose passion for the sport plays out in group chats as much as it does in the stands. New research from Vodafone reveals […]

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One week into The Championships, Wimbledon, it’s not just the 18-shot rallies between Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini that are captivating audiences. It’s also the flurry of messages between fans, whose passion for the sport plays out in group chats as much as it does in the stands.


New research from Vodafone reveals that these ‘message rallies’ – rapid-fire bursts of conversation – are lighting up more than a third (35%) of Brits’ group chats on a daily basis with debates over favourite athletes and teams sparking some of the nation’s longest streaks, second only to family catch-ups and weekend plans.




Comarch
Comarch


Over half (52%) of sports fans say they use their group chats to stay on top of the action, with one-in-five (20%) Brits admitting they have a dedicated group chat just to rally back-and-forth about sport.


The data also shows fans are spending just as much time chatting about matches with friends as they are watching them, with some message rallies hitting an impressive 74 back-and-forths during a single game. Top triggers include controversial umpire decisions (28%); team and player performances (28%); and the all-important points celebrations (25%).


Vodafone believes connectivity is essential and everyone should have access to the opportunities it brings, and as the Official Connectivity Partner of The Championships, Wimbledon, it’s turning this year’s on-court action into real-world impact. Through the launch of the Rally Tally challenge, the Nation’s Network is pledging up to 25,000 donated connections, matched to the average rallies recorded by IBM across the show courts.


The initiative is part of Vodafone’s everyone.connected programme, which is on track to help four million people and businesses cross the digital divide by the end of 2025.


With its partners, Vodafone has already helped over 3.5 million people and businesses cross the digital divide, donating mobile connectivity and technology to those who need it most. The company also provides free support to upskill businesses and communities, while offering targeted, affordable tariffs and services to make being connected easily accessible.


Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer


In today’s always-on world, rallying messages back-and-forth with friends has become second nature. Whether it’s a flurry of texts during a nail-biting match, a stream of emojis in a group chat, or brainstorming with a colleague, these conversations keep us connected to the people and moments that matter. But while millions of us enjoy everyday message rallies, not everyone can. That’s why we’re launching the Rally Tally challenge at this year’s Championships, as part of our everyone.connected programme, pledging to donate connections to those who need it most.



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