USA Volleyball

OSIJEK, Croatia –Crestview High School graduate and University of Pittsburgh freshman Abbey Emch and Team USA did not have the greatest time on July 4 in the U19 Volleyball World Championships.

The Red, White and Blue suffered its first setback of the tournament as Poland stunned the defending champs 25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-27, 16-14 on Friday.

Emch played in the third, fourth and fifth sets and had six kills.

The U.S. (2-1) will return to the court at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday against Bulgaria (2-1). Poland, who brought a boisterous crowd with it, is now 3-0 in Pool C.

The match was as close statistically as the final score would indicate with Poland holding a narrow margin in kills (64-62), the U.S. leading by one in aces (6-5) and each team totaling eight blocks.

Outside hitter Cari Spears scored a team-high 21 points, 13 of which came in the fourth and fifth sets, with 16 kills, a match-best four blocks and an ace. Opposite Henley Anderson paced the team with 19 kills.

Setter Genevieve Harris was all over the court setting, playing defense and contributing seven points with two kills, three blocks and two aces. Outsider hitter Kelly Kinney (seven kills, one ace) and middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols (six kills, one block, one ace) each scored eight points.

Outside Lameen Mambu added four kills.

“Congratulations to Poland on a well-fought match,” U.S. head coach Keegan Cook said. “This is the exact match we hoped for this group to experience in pool play. We will be better for it. We will also need to learn some lessons quickly as Bulgaria and Turkey are both strong opponents. I’m looking forward to seeing our USA team respond.”

The U.S. scored five of the first seven points of the match, but Poland responded with a 7-2 run to take a lead it would not relinquish in the first set. The lead grew to seven, 22-15, before a huge U.S. rally (8-2) made it 24-23 but Poland was able to get a kill to end the set.

Nichols scored five points on four kills and a block that finished a 4-0 run to cut the deficit from seven to three. Kinney and Spears each had three kills and four points.

A Kinney kill on an overpass in set two gave the U.S. its first lead, 7-6, since leading by the same score in the opening set. A Harris block and a Poland timeout evened the score at 14 and led to a Poland timeout. Kinney scored on a kill off a block and Spears followed with two aces, the second dribbling off the tape, for a three-point U.S. lead.

Back-to-back aces by Harris gave the U.S. a 21-17 lead. Poland scored the next three points and had a swing to even the set but a great dig by Harris led to an Anderson kill. Poland did eventually tie the set at 23 but Anderson put a ball down and an opposing hitting error gave the U.S. the set to square the match at one set apiece.

Anderson scored five points on kills, while Harris scored four points on a kill, a block and her two key aces.

With the U.S. leading 8-7 in the third set, Poland scored six of the next seven points to take a 13-9 lead. The U.S. pulled within three points on another Harris block, 15-12, but Poland went on a 5-1 run lead to take control of the set. Anderson produced four kills in the set.

The fourth set was close throughout with the U.S. denying two match points. Spears scored the team’s last five points. The first tied the set at 23 and the second staved off the first match point after Poland could not convert a free ball. Her kill off the block again saved match point and this time tied the set at 25. Spears recorded a block to give the U.S. its first set point and send the match to a fifth set with her 10th point and seventh kill of the set.

An Anderson kill gave the U.S. a 3-2 lead in the deciding set but it would be its last lead of the match. Poland led 13-10 before a kill by Emch and a hitting error brought the U.S. within a point. A tough Anderson serve led to a kill by Mambu to even the set at 13 apiece. Service errors on the last two U.S. serves opened the door for Poland to seal the match. Spears recorded three more kills in the set and Emch added two.

During the first half of last summer, Nyck Harbor blazed his way through the NCAAs, to earn a spot in the US Olympic Track and Field Trials.

However, Harbor decided before the end of June that his track season was finished. He bypassed the trials – he would’ve been a long-shot to make the Olympics – and rejoined the football team at South Carolina. It’s been all football in the 12 months or since then.

The 6-foot-5 wide receiver, who turned 20 on July 5, was a steady presence at the Gamecock football facility while camps were going on during the month of June. Like several player on the team, Harbor was spotted with his position coach, helping campers run through drills.

Knotts noticed a “huge leap” in Kari’s development this season.

“People were constantly saying, ‘She’s a great athlete, she’s a superstar, she’s a generational player,’ but I didn’t know what that really meant until maybe this year.”

Kari, a rising freshman at The Lovett School, recently became the youngest member of Team USA’s U19 squad. From that group, she was one of 12 selected for the U.S. roster for the Pan American Cup, which took place in Kingston, Ontario, in Canada, and helped America to a first-place finish in Saturday’s gold medal match.

Kari was named the tournament’s most valuable player and had 24 points, 19 kills, three aces and two blocks in the 3-0 win vs. Mexico on Sunday. She was also named the tournament’s best spiker.

“It was so much fun,” Kari said. “It was really competitive, playing with the best players across the country. It was a really good learning experience. It helped me grow as a person.”

Obviously Kari’s measurables make themselves known, but her coach for Team USA, Jamie Morrison, spoke to her motivation level.

“I think there’s a volleyball piece and a physical piece, and that obviously stands out for someone her age,“ Morrison said. ”You often forget how old she is, but I think that there’s something inside, a drive, a motor that’s unique, that’s a little bit different, and I think for me if she stays humble through all of the attention that she’s getting and uses that drive, the sky’s the limit for her.“

Kari started playing volleyball at the local YMCA when she was about 8 years old.

Despite all the “you must play basketball” comments she hears because of her height, that’s the one sport Kari didn’t try out for at the risk of introducing too much competition between her two younger brothers, both of whom already played basketball. She tried gymnastics, softball, flag football, tennis, soccer, swimming and track, but with her height, volleyball was the perfect fit.

Fast forward to now, and Kari has helped her club team, A5, to consistent success, including a win at the 2025 Triple Crown Championship (with Kari bringing home MVP).

If you watch her play, club coach Helen Walker said, the first thing to jump out might be her sheer physical ability, particularly how high she can jump and the power behind her hits.

“But really, what makes her special is how all-around she is,” Walker said. “She can really, at 14 years old, she can do everything. Blocking, hitting, setting, defense, back row pass, everything. She hits back row attack at really like a college level. … Based on my experience, she’s one of a kind. She’s a unicorn.”

Walker also spoke to Kari’s drive.

“The young players who look up to her, I always want them to remember that Kari works really hard,” Walker said. “She has very high expectations of herself and she puts that into action. So she works very hard and is very humble. … She’s a very good player, but she really betters her team. And she really always tries to help her teammates. So I think that’s the quality I want everybody to know, other than her volleyball ability, because talent is one thing, character is another thing.”

Kari inherited most of her height from her dad, Larry Knotts who is 6-foot-5 and played basketball at Washington Adventist University, formerly Columbia Union College. Her mom stands at 5-foot-9.

“At first I was like, like sometimes when I watch her play, I’m like, ‘She did that,’” her dad said. “And I’m in like, awe. I can’t believe she did that. I’m like, ‘Wow.’”

On Mondays, Kari trains with her dad. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she practices with her club team. On Fridays she works with a personal trainer, and Saturday or Sunday is usually another team training. Wednesday is an off day.

It’s a packed schedule, and she misses out on time with friends on occasion, but for Kari, it pays off.

“Sometimes I’m a little frustrated, but then I see all the effort and hard work I’m putting in, so it’s worth it in the end,” she said.

Despite all the attention coming her way, her parents work to keep her grounded and make sure she knows her whole identity isn’t rooted in the sport.

“I think we just kind of tell her that this is a blessing. … That you have this talent that God has given you, and that you should work your craft, and if you love it, and you just continue with your craft, you be kind to people, you’re nice to people,“ her mom said.

Kari’s volleyball goals are lofty, hoping to win a championship in college and one day to make the Olympic team.

“It’s just like the first step to my journey there,” she said of making the Team USA squad.

Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers captain Zoe Arancini has announced her retirement from international water polo, concluding an illustrious 16-year career that has cemented her as one of the sport’s most respected figures.

Arancini made her debut for the Aussie Stingers in 2009 and went on to amass 330 international caps (highest WA female athlete capped), representing Australia at the highest level across four Olympic cycles. Her career highlights include three Olympic Games appearances – Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 – and seven FINA World Championships, where she claimed a silver medal in 2013 and bronze in 2019. Her career culminated in a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Having achieved podium success at every major international competition in world water polo, Arancini said the timing felt right to step away, with the Stingers’ recent Olympic silver providing the perfect bookend to her journey.

“I’ve done this for 16 years now, and to finish on such an amazing note at Paris 2024 is pretty special,” Arancini said.

“I’m ready for the next chapter of my life… I know it’s the right decision because I’m happy, I’m content, and it’s my choice. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved, and I’m so excited for the next generation to step in.”

Reflecting on her journey, Arancini said it’s the people and memories along the way that will stay with her the most.

“I still remember making the Aussie Stingers squad for the first time – it doesn’t feel that long ago, but it was 2009!” Arancini said.

“Winning silver at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona was incredibly special, especially after missing out on the London Olympics. Then to be selected for Rio 2016 was a dream come true, and to captain the team to silver in Paris 2024 – that’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”

“There have been some amazing and challenging moments that have shaped not only my career but also the person I’ve become. Thank you to everyone who’s played a part in this journey, which started way back when I was a 12-year-old playing Flippa Ball at Melville.”

Although stepping back from the international stage, Arancini won’t be lost to the sport. While focusing on her next chapter outside the pool, she will continue to give back by playing domestically for Melville and Fremantle next summer – helping to support and mentor the next generation of Australian athletes.