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Maroon Belles Volleyball Club launches a summer program for girls and open event for everyone – The Sopris Sun

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For over an hour after the start time of 9am, organizers from the Maroon Belles Volleyball Club delayed its first-ever Carbondale Open, intended to be an annual tournament, checking and rechecking wind forecasts and air quality numbers. At 7am, as they set up nets, the numbers were moderate, but by 8am, they worsened. Then at 10am, the air improved. Surrounding hillsides hove into view. 

For a summer event, you might expect to manage issues of rain and wind, maybe lightning. The Aug. 9 youth outdoor volleyball tournament at Miners Park contended with heavy wildfire smoke.

At 10:15am, the organizer, Laird Little, gave the assembled girls and parents the choice: “If anyone does not want to play or isn’t comfortable playing, we’ll refund your entry fee” ($20 per team), he said. “Come and see me.”

No one dropped. At 10:30am, the tourney proceeded, with shortened rounds. 

Eleven teams, with 22 girls, had registered for age group 14U, and three teams with six girls for 16U, for a total of 28 at this inaugural event. The nonprofit Maroon Belles Volleyball Club (maroonbelles.com), established in 2019, has been an indoor girls’ volleyball program, with six-person practices and tournaments in winter and spring. This summer, the club launched a program for learning the outdoor game, with doubles in sand and on grass, for girls ages 12 to 20 (enrollees were 12 to 17) from Aspen to Glenwood Springs. The fee was $220 a player for the season.

The initiative took off. “The first practice, 30 girls showed up,” said Little, a Maroon Belles director. Practices, beginning in June, were not mandatory, but each drew 20 to 30 girls. 

“I’ve been wanting to play beach,” said Macy Swann, 16, of Glenwood Springs, at the tourney. “A lot of my friends did, for United [Volleyball Club] so I wanted to try it, and it’s been really fun.”

She and her partner, Kaia Devine, also 16 and from Glenwood, were part of the new program. “I like our team, and I like all the girls,” Kaia said, adding that she’d return. 

An exceptionally positive vibe marked the tourney. Throughout a hot day, with temps into the 80s, girls were heard to tell each other after errors, “that’s okay” or “my bad.” They might say to an opponent, “Nice one.” 

“Hey, I’m happy with second,” Chloe Cherry, 14, of Glenwood Springs, told her partner, Emma Ragan, 15, of Edwards, in the championship round where the two “played up” from their age group. Autumn Sherwin and Andrea Lee, 16, of Aspen, prevailed. 

“Good game,” Emma told them as it ended.

Shelby Little (Laird’s daughter), an event volunteer and University of Colorado Law School student who has coached club volleyball for two seasons (one with the Maroon Belles), said, “We’re pretty excited about the turnout. It’s just fun to grow the game and give girls the opportunity to play year-round.”

The event format was doubles on both sand and grass courts for age groups 18U (none attended) 16U, and 14U. The tournament was open to boys as well, and two teams signed up, though neither arrived. 

Shelby kept results, and other volunteers put up canopies and brought coolers of drinks. Two 15-year-old boys, Matteo Ritschard and Sawyer Ivansco, strolled by and offered to be DJs, producing hours of tunes.

The beach program has operated in partnership with the Town of Carbondale and Eric Brendlinger, Parks and Rec director. He and Laird, former volleyball teammates at the MotherLode Volleyball Classic in Aspen, have been working to upgrade the courts in Miners Park. The Town has put in new net brackets, boundary lines and safety pads. Girls in the program helped sift the river sand placed there years ago, last week filling five five-gallon buckets (Laird and Shelby loaded up four more) with abrasive gravel fragments; the gravel is being used to shore up the ground at the in-town cemetery. The current sand also contains clay that creates dust, which floated up around the girls’ feet and knees, and Brendlinger has requested that the Town replace it with washed sand, potentially taking the old sand (400 tons) to the rodeo for use.

Laird earlier this summer arranged for a pro, Kris Bredehoft, to come teach a skills clinic, paying her with two ski lift tickets he got from bootpacking at Aspen Highlands.

Two or three teams from the Maroon Belles Beach Program will be able to compete in the MotherLode (where Shelby, too, has played, four times) on Labor Day weekend. 

Participants on scene came from high schools including Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Roaring Fork, Basalt and Battle Mountain. Brian Arbuckle, another Maroon Belles director, said, “It was great seeing players from every town in the Valley in a fun and competitive event.”

Results: 14U: 1. Samantha Avalos, New Castle, and Lily Mondragon, Canyon Creek. 2. Ashlyn Sherwin and Hannah Lee, Aspen. 3. Alexis Meisel and Sylvie Leeds, Basalt. 16U: 1. Autumn Sherwin and Andrea Lee, Aspen. 2. Chloe Cherry, Glenwood Springs, and Emma Ragan, Edwards. 3. Macy Swann and Kaia Devine, Glenwood Springs.

The air cleared enough by 10am to let the games begin at the first annual Carbondale Open, Aug. 9, run with a shortened schedule. Photo by Laird Little



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Louisville volleyball NCAA Tournament bracket, Texas A&M vs UofL game

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December 8, 2025

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Dec. 6, 2025Updated Dec. 7, 2025, 6:08 a.m. ET

After defeating Marquette 3-2 in the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Saturday night, No. 2 Louisville will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, and take on No. 3 Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 at 7 p.m. Friday.

This will be the Cardinals’ seventh consecutive regional appearance but first with Dan Meske as head coach.

Here’s everything you need to know to keep up with the match from home:

No. 2 seed Louisville versus No. 3 seed Texas A&M will be broadcast live on ESPN or ESPN2.

Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN2 via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.

Those without cable can access ESPN2 via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial.

Buy Louisville volleyball tickets here

After defeating Marquette, UofL will play Texas A&M in the Lincoln, Nebraska, Regional Friday at 7 pm. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule:

  • First and second rounds: Dec. 4-6
  • Regionals: Dec. 11-14
  • Semifinals: Dec. 18 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Championship: Dec. 21 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri



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The Omaha World-Herald’s Nebraska All-Class volleyball teams

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December 8, 2025

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Men’s T&F Opens Season at Diplomat Open

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December 7, 2025

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Lancaster, PA (December 6, 2025) – The DeSales University men’s track & field team opened the 2025-26 indoor T&F season competing at the Diplomat Open at Franklin & Marshall College on Friday.

The Bulldogs posted 10 MAC qualfying times/marks in the meet.

Among the qualifying times were junior Bryce Guthier taking second in the 400-meters with a time of 52.08. It is the fifth fastest time in indoor history.  Senior Davis Trump also qualified in the 5K with a time of 16:20.32.

In the field events, DSU posted eight qualfying marks. Junior Weston Simak qualified for the MAC Championships in both the long jump (6.52m) and triple jump (13.72m). His triple jump mark was the second best in team history.  First-year Luke Heimann also qualfied in the triple jump (11.86m).

Junior Jonathan Castronovo took home first place in the long jump with a mark of 6.58m, the second best long jump in team history.

First-year John Amoretti qualified in the shot put (12.33m), seniors Jonathan Eudja and Giovanni Wellington qualified in the weight throw with marks of 14.85m and 14.23m. First-year Ryan Rodriguez also quallified in the weight throw (11.89m).

The Bulldogs won’t return to action till the New Year at the Blue and Grey Invitational on Jan. 17th.

 



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Women’s Track & Field Turns in Multiple High Marks to Begin Season at Cornell

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December 7, 2025

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RESULTS

ITHACA, N.Y. –

The Ithaca College women’s track & field team opened its 2025-26 season over the weekend as the Bombers made the short trip across town to compete in the Greg Page Relays hosted by Cornell University on December 5-6.

Lola Gitlin posted a time of 10:25.57 in the 3000-meter run to finish third overall.

Rachel Larson was a fourth place finisher with a time of 8.58 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. That time is currently No. 1 in Division III after the opening weekend of the season.

Aynisha McQuillar took fifth in the 200-meter dash in a time of 26.61 seconds. McQuillar also ran in the 60-meter dash and posted the 11th fastest time in DIII during the prelim with a performance of 7.78 seconds.

Lyla Powers was fifth in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:21.75.

Lily Seyfert claimed fifth in the shot put with a heave of 12.78 meters, which is currently ninth in the nation.

Bree Boyle and Erin Eastwood each cleared 3.54 meters in the pole vault, which is tied for 11th on the Division III performance list.

Alexis Brown turned in a leap of 11.02 meters in the triple jump for the 17th best mark in the country.

Ithaca is off for the remainder of 2025 and will return to Cornell on January 10 for the Southern Tier Invitational.

 



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Men’s Track & Field Opens Indoor Season at Cornell Greg Page Relays

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December 7, 2025

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RESULTS

ITHACA, N.Y. –

The Ithaca College men’s track & field team opened its 2025-26 season over the weekend as the Bombers made the short trip across town to compete in the Greg Page Relays hosted by Cornell University on December 5-6.

Anik Vossschulte claimed third in the 200-meter dash in a time of 23.32 seconds, while Jacob Antilety was seventh at 23.71 seconds.

Matt Lokshin posted a time of 8.65 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles to place third in the event. Aidan Irwin took fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.70 meters.

Quinten Lewis posted a mark of 13.73 meters in the triple jump to place fourth and Sebastien-Oliver Lacrete was sixth at 12.68 meters, while Evan Cherry secured fifth in the long jump with a leap of 6.84 meters.

IC’s 4×400-meter relay team of Damian Simmonds, Griffin Lupes, Noah McKibben and George Nilson placed sixth in 3:34.49.

Luke Ellor finished sixth in the shot put with a mark of 14.40 meters.

Three Bombers finished within the top eight in the 500-meter dash as Brad Kellogg was sixth in 1:09.73, Peter Tysiak followed in seventh with 1:10.74 and Matthew DeJulio was next at 1:11.59.

Kaiden Chandler and Luke Ferrer posted times of 4:41.29 and 4:53.44 in the mile to finish in seventh and eighth.

Raf Campanile was seventh in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.25 meters.

Ithaca is off for the remainder of 2025 and will return to Cornell on January 10 for the Southern Tier Invitational.

 



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Women’s track and field athletes win three events at Utica Holiday Classic

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December 7, 2025

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UTICA, N.Y. – The Hamilton College Continentals competed against 13 teams at the non-team scoring 2025 Utica University Track & Field Holiday Classic inside the Todd & Jenn Hutton Sports and Recreation Center on Saturday, Dec. 6.
 
The meet was the first of the 2025-26 season for the Hamilton women, who will be back at Utica for the Pioneers’ Winter Opener on Friday, Jan. 16 after taking a break for finals and the winter holiday.
 

The Continentals qualified for the 2026 All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference Indoor Championships in four different events and finished first in three events.
 
Emily Pogozelski ’26 won the 3,000-meter run by over 20 seconds with a regional-qualifying time of 10:27.93. Mackenzie Loudon ’29, who was competing in her first collegiate meet, took first place and qualified for regionals in the triple jump.
 
Loudon was also part of Hamilton’s winning 4×200-meter relay with Tatiana McCray ’28, Ava Chiappinelli ’29 and Marley Meyers ’28. Their performance was more than five seconds faster than the regional-qualifying time.
 
McCray ran a regional-qualifying 7.96 seconds and finished in second place in the 60-meter dash final. Chiappinelli also qualified for regionals in her first collegiate meet and finished right behind McCray with a time of 7.99 seconds.
 
TOP PERFORMANCES

300-Meter Dash (17 Runners)

4. Marley Meyers ’28, 43.08

7. Hannah Turner ’26, 43.91

 

60-Meter Dash (35 Runners)

2. Tatiana McCray ’28, 7.96 (PR, AARTFC)

3. Ava Chiappinelli ’29, 7.99 (AARTFC)

 

600-Meter Dash (16 Runners)

5. Aisha Kandji ’29, 1:47.31

 

4×200 Meter Relay (9 Teams)

1. McCray ’28, Mackenzie Loudon ’29, Chiappinelli ’29, Meyers ’28 (1:46.42, AARTFC) 

3000-Meter Run (19 Runners)

1. Emily Pogozelski ’26, 10:27.93 (PR, AARTFC) 

Triple Jump (15 Athletes)

1. Loudon, 11.29 meters (37 feet, 0.5 inches; AARTFC)

 



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