Sports
Mark Patton
Overview:
Shane Bieber reverts back to the form of his Cy Young Award-winning season of 2020 by allowing just one run in six innings in his season debut last week
A knack for spinning a baseball to the edges of home plate propelled UC Santa Barbara pitcher Shane Bieber to the Major Leagues eight summers ago.
But a more important home, he’ll tell you, kept him centered when he needed that the most.
It helped return him to the game after a torn elbow ligament spun him out of baseball entirely last year.
“I was able to rely on my support system … my family,” Bieber told Noozhawk last week after returning to an MLB mound for the first time in 16 months.
He made sure that wife Kara and 5-month-old son Kav were at Miami’s LoanDepot Park on Aug. 22 when he pitched the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-2 victory.
He allowed just two hits, no walks and one run while striking out nine Marlins in a six-inning start.
The biggest emotion Bieber felt afterward wasn’t satisfaction or even relief.
He said it was one of “gratitude” for what Kara — his college sweetheart at UCSB — Kav, parents Kristine and Chris, and older brother Travis provided during his “long road” back to baseball.
“It was just awesome, sharing this moment with them,” he said.
And now the ace who pitched the Gauchos to the 2016 College World Series has the American League East-leading Blue Jays dreaming about their own World Series.
A Canadian team hasn’t made it to the championship series of America’s Pastime since Toronto won its second-straight October Classic 32 years ago.
“He raises the floor immediately,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider gushed after the win at Miami, “and he can definitely raise the ceiling pretty high for us.”
Bieber, born and bred in Southern California, is even trying to learn the words to “O Canada,” the country’s national anthem.
“I can’t rip it off for you right now, but I could sing along with it,” he said after last week’s game. “I feel like I’m getting more comfortable.”
In Arm’s Way
Bieber’s victory at Miami came in his first MLB appearance since he last pitched for the Cleveland Guardians on April 2, 2024.
He shut out the Seattle Mariners that day with another one of his six-inning, nine-strikeout gems.
But the pain in his right elbow was no April Fool’s joke.
Bieber had felt it building for a long time, having missed parts of the three seasons that followed his A.L. Cy Young Award-winning year of 2020.
“For the last few years, I was fighting myself in my head a little bit,” he said. “I don’t know if that was due to not feeling that great or just wanting to continue to achieve more.”
Enough was enough after he gutted out last year’s early season game in Seattle.
“Ultimately, I had a failing ligament,” Bieber said. “I was hoping that it was just general soreness and that it would go away.
“I think in my gut I knew what was going on. Surgery was the only option.”
Surgeons performed the Tommy John procedure to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow 10 days after his last game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.
“The hardest part was the three to four days post-surgery,” he said.
“The light was out of my eyes a little bit.”
Family, however, brightened his outlook again.
Bieber, who married Kara Maxine Kavajecz in January 2023, moved with his wife to Goodyear, Arizona, to begin his rehabilitation with the trainers at the Guardians’ player development complex.
They soon learned that another major change was entering their lives: Kara was expecting their first child.
Kav McClain — named after Kara’s late mother — was born in March, just as Shane was ramping up his throwing sessions.
“I was able to be there for her like she’s always been there for me throughout my career,” Bieber said. “Roles kind of switched.
“Obviously I was taking care of what I had to take care of rehab-wise, but I wasn’t missing any of those appointments, and sharing all those experiences with her was extremely special.
“It’s something I’ll be forever grateful for.”
Minors Adjustment
His first game back was on May 31 — just three days before he turned 30 — with a rehab outing in the Arizona Complex League.
The Rookie League hitters were no match for the Spin Doctor. Bieber struck out 10 of them in 4⅓ innings over the course of two outings.
The Guardians put him on a methodical, upward progression to High-A Lake County and then Double-A Akron.
He pitched 17 innings in seven rehab starts altogether, striking out 22, walking just three, and allowing only six earned runs for an ERA of 1.86.
But he was forced to face another one of life’s changeups in the process.
The Guardians dealt him to Toronto for pitcher Khal Stephen — one of the Blue Jays’ top minor-league prospects — in the final hours before the MLB trade deadline of July 31.
Bieber admitted to feeling “a range of emotions.”
“There’s no reason to shy away from that, right?” he said. “(Cleveland) is the only organization that I’ve known and that my family has known.”
But he also felt touched by how many in the Blue Jays’ orbit “reached out to not just myself, but my wife … That means the world to us.”
Toronto general manager Ross Atkins admitted that it was a gamble to trade for a pitcher — even a former Cy Young Award winner — who was still rehabbing a major injury.
“The risk is almost, in some ways, the exciting aspect of it because of the upside,” he said. “The upside is just so big.”
Bieber continued to toil in the minors, but now for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A farm club in Buffalo, New York.
Fitting in, however, is right up the alley of the former Gaucho.
Buffalo Bisons manager Casey Candaele, a former Lompoc High School star, noted how Bieber took part in such menial tasks as collecting balls during batting practice.
“For a guy of his stature on Major League rehab to come out on the field and just be one of the guys, that’s a testament to his character,” Candaele said. “He’s respectful of his teammates.
“It may seem like a trivial thing, but it means a lot to the players who are here.”
Nobody was more affected than Bisons pitcher Adam Macko. He sought Bieber’s counsel on everything from off-day routines to how to keep your chin up in a game that often bruises it.
“That guy would have every right to be out here and do his own thing and get out and not talk to anybody,” Macko told Sportsnet Canada reporter Kristina Rutherford. “But it wasn’t long before I realized, ‘OK, you’re a really cool guy and I can just be myself around you and be comfortable and talk baseball.’
“He’s very methodical. He has a purpose behind everything that he does.”
Pitch Perfect
Bieber’s attention to detail — even when he was a skinny teenager at Laguna Hills High School — separated him from the big-league prospects who were throwing the ball 10 mph faster.
Baseball, he admitted, had been his “outlet” as a child.
“My parents teased the term a little bit loosely, but anger issues — my fiery sense — just came from a lot of emotions, a lot of want, a lot of competitiveness,” he said.
The lack of college scholarship offers only fueled that fire.
“I was a bit overlooked in high school,” said Bieber, who went 8-4 with a 1.40 ERA, 77 strikeouts and just 16 walks during his senior season at Laguna Hills. “I was making all these decisions for my future with the feeling that I was kind of playing with house money.
“As long as I had an opportunity, I was going to take advantage of that opportunity.”
He took that mindset into the rehabilitation process.
“I know he’s going to work until he gets better,” Kara said. “His work ethic is like nobody else I know, so my worry was never that.”
Bieber has relaxed some of the meticulous regimen that became the stuff of legend at UCSB.
“It was too mentally exhausting to be counting every rep of trunk twists in warmups and all that stuff,” he said.
“Although I’m very routine-oriented, if it doesn’t go perfectly, I can still go out there and perform.”
Gaucho Great
His diligence in mastering the craft of pitching did upgrade him at UCSB from that of a recruited walk-on to the ace who won 23 games from 2014 to 2016.
Bieber ranked fifth nationally in pitching wins during his final Gaucho season with a 12-4 record. He’s also fourth in the Gaucho record books for career strikeouts (237) and seventh in ERA (2.74).
His ability to stay in control during the most dire of situations is best illustrated by the low number of bases on balls he’s allowed.
He walked just 42 batters during his 305 innings as a Gaucho and only 188 so far in the 854⅓ innings of his MLB career.
But the fire that flared within Bieber as a boy still empowers him as a big leaguer.
“Taking the mound in a big-league baseball game is a surreal experience,” he said. “It can get a little squirrely from time to time, and full of emotion.”
He admits that the regression from his Cy Young Award-winning season of 2020 put “a bit of a chip on my shoulder … I’m excited to show it.”
Bieber is especially eager to show off his improved changeup.
“A lot of guys are able to throw it slow, but I was just never able to, so I decided to change that,” he explained. “I had a firmer changeup, so I had to figure out the right grip and throw it hard and let it dive for me.”
Getting the time to work on it became the silver lining of his injury.
“I pride myself on handling adversity well,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re thrust into a new situation, it can kind of be rejuvenating.”
Thrusting a newborn baby into the routine does cut into a daddy’s sleep time, but he’s adjusted to that, as well.
“It’s all joy, no matter what,” Bieber said. “I can’t imagine not having him in our family.
“He’s really allowed us to grow and step up as adults, obviously.
“It’s quite the responsibility, but we were ready for it, and he just gives us a lot more meaning.”
The injury — and the family that got him through it — also gave Shane Bieber some new perspective about himself.
“Baseball is what I do,” he said, “but it’s not who I am.”
The person he is, however, is what helped put him back in the game.
DEKALB, Ill. – Six NIU Athletics teams will be in action this week, including home dates for men’s basketball, wrestling and women’s tennis, who will host both Missouri and Wisconsin this weekend at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. Women’s basketball, gymnastics and track and field will also be in action on the road this week.
Men’s Basketball
Tuesday, Jan. 13: at Eastern Michigan, 5:30 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio
Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. UMass, 2 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Audio | Live Stats | Buy Tickets
Following a weekend off, the NIU men’s basketball team returns to action with a pair of games this week. The Huskies travel to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday before hosting UMass on Saturday. Dylan Ducommon has scored in double figures in seven-straight games and is averaging 15.3 points per game during that stretch. In league play, Ducommun is averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game, tied for 10th-best in the Mid-American Conference.
Eastern Michigan brings an 8-9 overall record into Tuesday’s contest, including a 2-3 mark in league play after falling to Western Michigan, 79-62, in Kalamazoo (Jan. 10) last time out. UMass comes into the week with a 10-7 record, 1-4 in league play.
Women’s Basketball
Wednesday, Jan. 14: at Toledo, 6 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio
Saturday, Jan. 17: at Ohio, 12 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio
The NIU women’s basketball team plays a pair of road games this week. The Huskies head to Toledo on Wednesday to face the Rockets at 6 p.m. The two teams split last season’s two games with the road team winning each. NIU halted Toledo’s 20-game home court winning streak on Jan. 1, 2025 with a 59-58 win at Savage Arena. On Saturday NIU takes on Ohio the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio at 12 p.m. The Huskies are coming off a 65-48 loss to Bowling Green on Saturday. Senior forward Teresa Mbemba led the Huskies with 15 points off the bench. Mbemba is averaging 10.5 points per game in conference play and shooting 63.0 percent from the field.
Gymnastics
Saturday, Jan. 17: at Eastern Michigan, 3 p.m.
NIU gymnastics heads to Ypsilanti, Mich. this weekend for a tri-meet against Eastern Michigan and SUNY Brockport in the Golden Girls Classic on Saturday.
The Huskies fell at Kent State in their season opener on Sunday, 195.350-191.675. Freshman Avery Riiff tied for first place on beam with a 9.800 in her first-ever collegiate competition. Sophomore Drake White competed as an all-arounder, scoring a career-best 38.000.
Eastern Michigan (1-0) is coming off a 192.925-191.900 over Bowling Green while Brockport (1-2) enters the tri-meet following a 191.200-187.600 win over Ithaca College.
Wrestling
Friday, Jan. 16: vs. Central Michigan, 7 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Scoring
Returning to DeKalb, the Northern Illinois University wrestling program is set to host the Central Michigan University Chippewas in a MAC dual on Friday, January 16. Action will take place at 7 p.m. inside Victor E. Court. The Huskies and Chippewas will have their second meeting in a week as they met at the 2026 NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa on January 9. The Huskies pulled out a 20-14 win in that dual as they would take fourth at the competition.
At the NWCA National Duals, the Huskies posted wins over Harvard (22-20), Central Michigan, and Campbell (53-0). The Huskies competed against then-No. 8 South Dakota State (26-10) and Drexel (21-12) over the two-day competition. Markel Baker went 5-0 on the weekend, including a win over No. 33 Andrew Austin of Central Michigan. Devon Dawson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Goddard) went 4-0 on the weekend and had a pair of ranked wins.
Women’s Tennis
Friday, Jan. 16: vs. Wisconsin, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. Missouri, 9 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. Chicago State, 6 p.m.
The dual season is underway this weekend for NIU women’s tennis as the Huskies host Wisconsin, Missouri and Chicago State at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. NIU takes on the Badgers on Friday at 2 p.m. and will have a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with Missouri at 9 a.m. and Chicago State at 6 p.m.
NIU competed in the Northwestern Invitational in Evanston, Ill. this past weekend against both DePaul and Northwestern. The Huskies recorded seven doubles victories and two singles wins over the three-day invite.
Wisconsin finished the 2025 regular season ranked No. 23 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while Missouri was also nationally ranked last season.
Track and Field
Friday, Jan. 16: at Bill Bergan Open (Ames, Iowa)
The NIU track and field team returns to action for the first time in 2026 this Friday, Jan. 16, when the Huskies compete at Iowa State’s Bill Bergan Open. Field events are scheduled to begin at 11:20 a.m. while events on track are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Arianna Calloway is the defending champion in the high jump at the Bill Bergan Open.
NIU competed once in December before breaking for the Holidays as the Huskies attended Notre Dame’s Blue & Gold Invitational. Stella Oyebode won the 60 meters, Emma Curry won the 800 meters and Precious Umukoro won the triple jump at Notre Dame.
Bauer becomes only the third player in program history to earn CSC Academic All-American, joining Natalie Furry (2002) and Paige Briggs (2023).
To be selected, athletes must maintain a minimum 3.50 GPA and meet athletic eligibility requirements.
The 2025 Alyssa Cavanaugh CUSA Player of the Year was one of the top setters in the country, finishing the regular season ranked 22nd nationally and first in the conference in assists per set at 10.42. Her 1,073 total assists during that time ranked 48th nationally and second in CUSA. Bauer also helped the Hilltoppers to the third-best hitting percentage in the country (.312), fifth-best assists per set (13.63), and sixth-best kills per set rate (14.57) in the country.
Playing in 106 of the 108 total sets this season, Bauer finished her senior year with a total of 88 kills, 1,109 assists, 25 service aces, 225 digs, and 32 blocks. The CUSA First Team All-Conference selection also posted a total of five double doubles on the season, totaling 17 in her career. Bauer was also named CUSA tournament MVP.
In the classroom, Bauer carried a 3.88 GPA as a Business Management major.
As we enter the second full week of January, the chaos of the transfer portal is giving way to the calm of roster clarity.
More than 600 Division I players have entered the transfer portal since the beginning of December. Many of those student-athletes have found new homes as the second semester begins. However, once an athlete is in the portal, they do not have a deadline to find a new home. The academic calendar and personal preference dictate their timeline.
Even though the number of transfers was still massive, the transfer season lacked the pizzazz of the last few years, as the movement lacked the high-end talent changing programs. Overall, only five All-Americans (and three honorees from the past season) changed schools. It was a good time to be looking for a new setter, as many quality quarterbacks of the volleyball court opted for a change of scenery.
Nebraska has been quiet on both the coming and going fronts. No player entered the portal at the end of the season for the second straight season. However, the portal reopens at the beginning of May for two weeks, and the Huskers might see some movement during that window.
Here’s a list of the biggest winners from the transfer portal and a few teams that came out on the short end — so far. (All players are listed by their eligibility for the 2026 season.)
Winners:
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬’ 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞!
Mustangs, help us welcome home one of the best outside hitters in the country, Suli Davis ✌️#GoMustangs | @SMUMustangs pic.twitter.com/W16cYI4L8F
— SMU Volleyball (@SMUVolleyball) December 17, 2025
SMU
Added: OH Suli Davis, sophomore, from BYU; OPP Gabi Placide, senior, Ole Miss; S Ava Sarafa, junior, Kentucky; L Victoria Harris, junior, South Carolina.
Lost: OH Kennedi Rogers, sophomore, to Tennessee.
SMU needed to find a few plug-and-play pieces after losing six players from last year’s team, which included 11 freshmen and sophomores. Once again, the Mustangs hit the portal hard to fill in the roster holes.
Davis was one of the biggest prizes in the portal. However, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year wasn’t really on the market as she entered the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag and ended up with her hometown Mustangs. The Euless, Texas, native was a second-team All-American this past year and offers long-term potential as she reunites with several other players she played club volleyball with at TAV in the Metroplex.
In addition to Davis, the Mustangs added three undervalued SEC players. Placide was fifth in kills per set and third in points per set at Ole Miss. Harris was fourth in the SEC in digs per set for the Gamecocks and had a 54.6 good pass percentage. Sarafa got beat out by freshman Kassie O’Brien, the AVCA National Freshman of the Year, as the starting setter at Kentucky and will compete with Hannah Beauford for the job at SMU.
An All-American making her way down to Aggieland 👍#GigEm // #AggieVB pic.twitter.com/AkJGiuJGp1
— Texas A&M Volleyball (@AggieVolleyball) December 23, 2025
Texas A&M
Added: OH Natalie Ring, senior, Marquette; MB Kaia Castle, sophomore, Ohio State; MB Eliza Sharp, sophomore, Boise State.
Lost: None.
The Aggies needed to boost their roster after losing nine seniors and three All-Americans from the national championship-winning team. They also needed to bridge the gap before a pair of 2027 Top 10 prospects (OH Isabel Incinelli and S Sophee Peterson) arrive on campus next year.
The highlight of the group is Ring, who earned All-American honors at Marquette last season. She’s a proven arm and averaged 4.60 kills per set while hitting .274. She’ll pair very well with tournament breakout star Kyndal Stowers on the left pin.
The other area of need for A&M was the middle blocker position after the graduation of Ifenna Cos-Ipkalla and Morgan Perkins. The Aggies signed Sharp, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, and Castle, who flashed her potential in an otherwise dreadful season at Ohio State and broke the OSU school record with 15 blocks against Troy.
Penn State
Added: S Alexis Stucky, senior, from Florida; MB Ryla Jones, junior, Pitt; OH/RS Whiteny Lauenstein, senior, Texas
Lost: S Izzy Starck, junior, to Pitt; OH Karis Willow, senior, uncommitted; MB Catherine Burke, junior, Wake Forest; OH Marin Collins, sophomore, Georgia.
After Starck left the team in September, the Nittany Lions’ biggest need was a setter. The need was amplified later in the fall when 2026 signee Danielle Whitmire suffered a knee injury during her final prep season. PSU got the answer from Stucky, who will reunite with her former Gator teammate Kennedy Martin for their final collegiate season. Stucky also suffered a knee injury in her second year at Florida after earning All-American honors as a freshman, but has remained one of the top setters in the country, which should elevate the Nittany Lions’ offense.
Jones should step in at middle to fill the absence of Maggie Mendelson and Jordan Hopp. She hit .404 as a freshman with 1.14 kills and 1.03 blocks per set, but lost playing time this past year to freshman Abbey Emch. Lauenstein adds more firepower to the offense, but doesn’t do much to solve one of PSU’s biggest weaknesses from last year: passing. She likely won’t displace Martin, so she will join a crowded group on the left pin that includes fellow former Nebraska opposite Caroline Jurevicius, along with Emmi Sellman, Alexis Ewing and freshman Finley Krystkowiak.
Pretty good Christmas gift 😉
Everyone welcome Izzy Starck to the Pitt fam!
🔗 https://t.co/Y5CnRP62bS pic.twitter.com/LVxhNKMjnf
— Pitt Volleyball (@Pitt_VB) December 23, 2025
Pittsburgh
Added: S Izzy Starck, junior, from Penn State; MB Jordyn Daily, junior, Kentucky;
Lost: MB Ryla Jones, junior, to Penn State; MB Dalia Vîrlan, junior, Oregon; S Kiana Dinn, sophomore, South Carolina.
It was no secret that Stark was entering the portal after she left the Nittany Lions in September. She didn’t leave Pennsylvania and will team up with two-time reigning Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. Starck is an elite talent, having been an All-American, the National Freshman of the Year, and a key contributor to Penn State’s 2024 national title. Stark is listed as a junior on the Panthers’ roster. If she has contemporaneous medical documentation from the past year, she could be granted a medical hardship and receive an additional year of eligibility.
Pitt’s other big need was at middle blocker. The Panthers lost Bre Kelley to graduation, and then two other reserves left via the portal. They added Dailey, who can also play opposite, and should pair well with Abbey Emch.
The newest Bluejay setter 🔥
Katie Dalton, welcome to Creighton Volleyball!
📰: https://t.co/eiZ8v5OvJf#GoJays pic.twitter.com/1Sm4RPX3bg
— Creighton Volleyball (@CreightonVB) December 23, 2025
Creighton
Added: S Katie Dalton, senior, from Kansas; MB Ayden Ames, junior, Texas; OH Trinity Shadd-Ceres, junior, Wisconsin
Lost: OH/OPP Sophia Wendlick, junior, uncommitted; S Emersen Strain, junior, Jacksonville.
The Bluejays didn’t miss a beat in Brian Rosen’s first year at the helm. Creighton returned to the Elite Eight but faces another challenging task in replacing three All-Americans. The Bluejays hope to have their next great setter in Dalton, who led Kansas to the regional semifinals. She will follow in the footsteps of Kendra Wait and Annalea Maeder. Ames started 55 of 57 matches in her two years at Texas and should slide in seamlessly to the starting lineup for All-American Elise Goetzinger. Finally, Shadd-Ceres doesn’t get much court time at Wisconsin, appearing in 13 matches over two seasons, but she oozes athleticism and potential.
Our 2026 roster is shaping up nicely 🤩
Read about our five transfer signees below!#ForksUphttps://t.co/N0dO0OvzHI
— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) January 9, 2026
Arizona State
Added: OH Aniya Clinton, senior, from Kansas State; OH Una Vajagic, junior, Wisconsin; MB Aurora Papac, sophomore, Kansas; MB Tosia Serafinowska, sophomore, Wisconsin; S Isabella Costantini, senior, UTRGV.
Lost: L Bella Faria, junior, uncommitted
The Sun Devils lost six seniors following the 2025 season but reloaded through an international-flavored portal shopping spree, with four coming from outside the United States. Clinton and Vajagic (Serbia) added instant offense as they look to build on their roles as the second-best attackers on their respective teams last year. Costantini (Brazil) was a two-time Southland Setter of the Year. Papac (Croatia) recorded 107 blocks at Kansas. Serafinowska (Poland) appeared in five matches in two years at Wisconsin.
✍️ Welcome to the 608, @JaelaAuguste!
📝 | https://t.co/Ohchs5CCUI pic.twitter.com/jNbEc4KOky
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) December 22, 2025
Best single-player additions
Kentucky — The national runners-up needed to replace Eva Hudson at the left pin and found a capable candidate in Morgan Gaerte. The junior outside hitter averaged 4.64 kills for Notre Dame last season and earned All-ACC honors.
San Diego — The Toreros returned to the NCAA tournament last year and then increased their odds of returning with the addition of former Washington Kierstyn Barton. The All-Big Ten outside hitter averaged 3.57 kills and 1.96 digs per set for the Huskies last year.
Wisconsin — The Badgers were a mixed bag. They got the best middle blocker available in Florida’s Jaela Auguste, who should lessen the departure of seniors Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew. Auguste was an All-American last year for the Gators after putting up 2.69 kills on a .368 hitting percentage. On the downside, Wisconsin lost six other players to the portal, including rising sophomore outside hitter Una Vajagic. Her departure caught UW coach Kelly Sheffield off guard, as she was expected to take a bigger role in the offense next year. The other transfers were primarily young reserves, including setter Addy Horner to TCU. Overall, Wisconsin should be fine as it brings in four Top 25 recruits to bolster its ranks.
Also under consideration: S Marina Crownover from Missouri to Oregon; MB Brooke Bultema from Kentucky to Louisville and OPP Jovana Zelenovic from Kansas to Miami (Florida).
Mixed Bag:
All in on Florida 🐊
Welcome to the Gator family, Kamryn Chaney!
ℹ️ https://t.co/HlRgU4NHqn pic.twitter.com/kWUczz09GZ
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 17, 2025
Florida
Added: OH Kamryn Chaney, senior, Vanderbilt; OH Selena Leban, junior, Kansas; S Bri Denney, senior, Baylor; MB Bri Holladay, sophomore, Virginia Tech
Lost: S Alexis Stucky, senior, to Penn State; MB Jaela Auguste, junior, Wisconsin; MB De’Andrea McMillian, sophomore, TCU
The Gators lost two of their top players from this past season in Stucky and Auguste. Junior setter Taylor Parks should soften the blow of Stucky’s departure, but losing an All-American at middle blocker hurts. McMillian redshirted this past year. Chaney and Leban should help breakout star Jordyn Byrd on offense, and Holladay showed potential in her one year at Virginia Tech.
Tennessee
Added: OPP/S Jalyn Stout, senior, from Coastal Carolina; OH Kennedi Rogers, sophomore, SMU; OH Nia Hall, senior, South Carolina; L Marta Lazzarin, sophomore, Georgia State.
Lost: S Izzy Mogridge, sophomore, to Utah; OPP Paityn Chapman, junior, Illinois; S Camdyn Stucky, sophomore, Kansas State; OPP Starr Williams, senior, Grand Canyon; OH/OPP Sydney Jones, junior, Houston; OH Cate Schnell, junior, uncommitted; MB Zoë Humphrey, sophomore, Georgia Tech; MB Kiki Granberry, senior, Indiana.
The Lady Vols saw a mass exodus as eight players hit the portal shortly after their season ended. Those players combined to start 50 matches, so they won’t lose much in production, but it’s never a good sign when that many players leave. Eve Rackham Watt will have a roster reset with that much player turnover.
The one victory for UT was that 2023 All-American setter Caroline Kerr decided to stick around Knoxville. The Lady Vols added Rogers to the mix, who showed out in her first year with SMU, as well as triple-double machine Jalyn Stout to the roster, although with Kerr still running the offense, Stout will likely be limited to just attacking.
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Sports
Gamecock Student-Athletes Continue Academic Excellence in 2025 Fall Semester – University of South Carolina Athletics
Student-Athletes at the University of South Carolina ended the Fall 2025 semester with a departmental grade point average (GPA) of 3.51, the second highest semester departmental GPA in program history (Spring 2020 – 3.70).
This marks the department’s 38th consecutive semester with a departmental GPA above 3.0.
The cumulative grade point average for student-athletes in each sport since they arrived at Carolina is 3.52, which stands as the highest cumulative GPA ever for Gamecock student-athletes. In addition, department named 105 student-athletes to the President’s List for earning a 4.0 GPA, 194 student-athletes to the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) and 435 to the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll (3.0 GPA).
“In this new era of intercollegiate athletics, the commitment to being a student-athlete has not changed,” said Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati. “Our student-athletes work hard at their athletic craft and in the classroom. We appreciate their hard work and the efforts of our academic services staff for the outstanding support they provide our student-athletes. Also, we are incredibly appreciative of our Gamecock Club members whose philanthropic giving helps fund scholarships, meal and housing costs, medical expenses, and other areas of support.”
“To have 38 consecutive semesters of a 3.0 GPA is a result of the culture of excellence that has been developed by our student-athletes,” said Charlie Ball, Senior Associate AD for Academics. “The Dodie Academic Team is dedicated to the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes, which helps build a foundation for career success.”
All 18 teams earned a 3.0 GPA or higher for the semester for the second time in program history. Women’s Tennis had the highest team GPA for the fall at 3.77, followed closely by Men’s Soccer at 3.71, and Equestrian at 3.70.
A total of 26 student-athletes graduated after the Fall semester, with 262 student-athletes earning degrees during the last four semester graduation exercises (since Spring 2024).
Team – Fall 2025 Semester GPA
Baseball – 3.49*
Men’s Basketball – 3.36*
Women’s Basketball – 3.56
Beach Volleyball – 3.69
Equestrian – 3.70*
Football – 3.28
Men’s Golf – 3.54
Women’s Golf – 3.64
Men’s Soccer – 3.71
Women’s Soccer – 3.69
Softball – 3.63
Men’s Swimming and Diving – 3.70*
Women’s Swimming and Diving – 3.69
Men’s Tennis – 3.05
Women’s Tennis – 3.77
Men’s Track and Field – 3.51*
Women’s Track and Field / Cross Country – 3.30
Volleyball – 3.54
* – Highest semester GPA in sport program history
The Fall 2025 Semester continued a history of academic excellence for Gamecock athletics. A snapshot of recent successes include:
* From 2015-16, South Carolina leads all schools with 4,225 members in the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. South Carolina led all schools in the SEC Academic Honor Roll in seven of the last 10 years and in top 3 in the remaining three years.
* Ten Gamecocks earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors in 2024-25, the most ever for USC in the history of the Academic All-America program (previous high: 7 – 2013-14 & 2008-09). A total of 53 Gamecocks earned CSC Academic All-District honors in 2024-25.
* Two Gamecocks earned conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in their respective sports. Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk was the SEC Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Louise Rydqvist earned the SEC Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
* All University of South Carolina’s countable intercollegiate sports posted a multiyear score of 950 or better, according to the Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics for the 2023-24 academic year. Carolina had 13 sports reach a perfect single-year score (1000) for the 2023-24 academic year, the second highest total ever by Gamecock Athletics, only behind 14 sports total in 2015-16. Sixteen of the 18 sports maintained or improved on their previous year APR scores. Eleven of the 18 measured sports surpassed the national multi-year average while volleyball registered a perfect single-year score for the 11th-straight year. Beach Volleyball continues its streak of perfect APR scoring since the NCAA started collecting data for the sport.
* USC athletic programs tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in the latest Graduation Success Rates (GSR), which measures the number of scholarship student-athletes that graduate within a six-year period of their initial full-time enrollment. For the report, the GSR is based on student-athletes who entered college in the fall of 2017. South Carolina’s athletic teams had a 94 percent score, which tied with Auburn University and the University of Mississippi in the SEC behind Vanderbilt (96) and Alabama (96). South Carolina’s Football GSR score (95) ranked second among SEC schools and South Carolina schools. It tied for ninth among all Power 4 schools.
Men’s Volleyball | 1/13/2026 1:02:00 PM
Brady Stump, a member of the Saint Francis men’s volleyball team, has been named the NEC Player of the Week.
Stump showed exactly why he deserved Player of the Week honors, even in a pair of tough losses to No. 8 BYU. He was an offensive threat, totaling 17 kills on the weekend and delivering a 12 kill performance against one of the nation’s top programs. Stump also made his impact felt from the service line with five aces and contributed defensively with four digs.
Saint Francis returns to action with two games in Kentucky on Friday and Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m. and 4 p.m.
This Week in Huskie Athletics – Jan. 13, 2026
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Greg McElroy states Fernando Mendoza is the best college football quarterback since Joe Burrow
Gamecock Student-Athletes Continue Academic Excellence in 2025 Fall Semester – University of South Carolina Athletics
Brady Stump Named NEC Player Of The Week For Men’s Volleyball
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Ross Brawn to receive Autosport Gold Medal Award at 2026 Autosport Awards, Honouring a Lifetime Shaping Modern F1
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