SANTA MONICA, Calif. —The University of Hawai’i beach volleyball team’s quest for a second straight conference title came to a close with a 3-0 semifinal loss to Long Beach State in the 2025 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship Friday at Ocean Park in Santa Monica. 

The No. 3 seed Rainbow Wahine started the day with a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 5 seed UC Davis (18-17) to advance to the semifinals. But UH’s road ended in the semis as the Beach (26-11) defeated UH for the second time this season and avenged last year’s loss in the tournament title match on their home turf.  In the process, UH failed to advance to the conference championship match for just the second time in nine years of the event.

A day after going 1-1 in pool play, UH met up with UC Davis on Friday morning to begin single-elimination bracket play. UH took a 2-1 dual lead on the strength of straight set wins by Alana Embry and Julia Lawrenz at the No. 1 court and Sarah Burton and Caprice Lorenzo at the No. 3 court. 

It came down to the No. 2 and No. 4 court which each went to three-set nail biters. Kimi Waller and Alex Leal got past Sophie Buschmann and Sydney Miller, 15-12, in the third set to even up the dual, 2-2. But moments later the UH duo of Amirah Ali and Jasmine Wandeler clinched the dual for UH by prevailing 15-13 over Emily Uhrinak and Kendal Steller at the No. 2 court.

That UH win set up a rematch of last year’s championship match as the ‘Bows took on LBSU, seeded second in the tournament and No. 10 nationally.  The Beach punched their ticket to the finals to take on top-seeded Cal Poly by taking flights 1, 2 and 4 in straight sets. With the dual clinched, Courts 3 and 5 went unfinished though the duo of Burton and Lorenzo were just a point away from earning their second win of the day leading 20-15 in the second set. Ultimately, LBSU took home the victory, just their second against the BeachBows in 13 all-time meetings in the Big West tournament.

UH, ranked 15th nationally entering the Big West Championship, concludes its regular-season with a 14-21 record. 

Hawai’i 3 UC Davis 2

1. Embry/Lawrenz (UH) def. Kylie Miller/Tabitha Mitchell (UCD) 22-20, 21-16

2. Ali/Wandeler (UH) def. Uhrinak/Steller (UCD) 21-12, 13-21, 15-13

3. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) def. Skye Smolinski/Mia Olen (UCD) 21-15, 21-19

4. Waller/Leal (UCD) def. Buschmann/Miller (UH) 21-19, 17-21, 15-12

5. LIndsay Heller/Kate O’Steen (UCD) def. Sydney Amiatu/Kristen Serrano (UH) 21-18, 21-9

Order of finish: 5, 3, 1, 4, 2

Long Beach State 3 Hawai’i 0

1. Malia Gementera/Taylor Hagenah (LBSU) def. Embry/Lawrenz (UH) 21-11, 21-16

2. Haley Carrington/Julia Westby def. Ali/Wandeler (UH) 21-17, 21-14

3. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) vs. Demi Wagdy/Megan Widener (LBSU) 21-19, 20-15, unfinished

4. Skyler Germann/Natalie Glenn (LBSU) def. Buschmann/Miller (UH) 21-13, 21-13

5. Amiatu/Serrano (UH) vs. Mahala Esser/Tineke Hinton (LBSU) 17-21, 14-16, unfinished

Order of finish: 4, 1, 2

 

Seguin, Texas – The Centenary men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete in the 2025 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships this weekend beginning on Friday and concluding on Sunday at Bulldog Stadium.

The three-day event, hosted by SCAC member Texas Lutheran University, features the Ladies and Gents along with the host Bulldogs, Concordia University, Colorado College, the University of Dallas, LeTourneau University, McMurry University, University of the Ozarks, Schreiner University, Southwestern University, the University of St. Thomas, and Trinity University.

Championship Central: https://scacsports.prestosports.com/tournament/spring/track_and_field/25championships/index

Complete Meet Schedule: https://scacsports.prestosports.com/tournament/spring/track_and_field/25championships/Schedule_of_Events.pdf

Live results and live video are available for the meet and links can be found in the “Championship Central”.

Sophomore Christian Cormier (Lafayette, La.) has been one of the top competitors in the conference all season as he has been named the SCAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week (April 22) and Co-Track Athlete of the Week on March 18. Cormier has the 12^th fastest time all season in the conference in the 100 meters (10.75) and 13^th fastest in the 200 meters (22.00).

Freshman Phillip Hughes (Bossier City, La.) ran a time of 51.68 in the 400 meters at the Jim Mize Invitational on April 19 which is the 24^th fastest time in the event all season in the league while freshman Clayton Hancock (Buna, Texas) has the 25^th fastest time (51.82) which he ran in the Carl Knight Invitational on April 12.

The Gents’ team of Cormier, junior Obadiah Butler (Crowley, La.), freshman Dwayne Mills Jr. (Slidell, La.), and freshman Jay Scott (Slidell, La.) own the eighth-fastest time (42.44) in the 4 x 100 relay which they ran in the Belhaven University Invitational on March 22. Hancock, sophomore Herman Pride (Baton Rouge, La.), Scott, and sophomore Bryan Washington (Wylie, Texas) ran the ninth-fastest time this season in the league in the 4 x 400 relay (3:37.90) recorded in the Carl Knight Invitational.

Scott is 12^th in the long jump (6.37m) in the conference this season which he accomplished at the Jim Mize Invitational and Pride is 24^th (5.97m) which he tallied at the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet in March and Scott’s 12.97m in the triple jump recorded at the Belhaven Invitational ranks ninth in the conference.  

On the women’s side, freshman Gabrielle Malagarie (Lafayette, La.)posted the conference’s 13^th-best mark this season in the high jump (1.40m) in the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet in March – the Ladies’ opening meet of the season. The rookie also has the 21^st-best score in the long jump (4.66m) in that same meet.

Freshman Grayson Shugart (McKinney, Texas) ranks 18^th in the long jump (4.79m) set at the Cowboy Relays Bob Hayes Louisiana Challenge hosted by McNeese State University last month, the Ladies’ top score of the season in the event. Shugart also posted the 10^th-best score in the triple jump in the conference this season, with a mark of 9.90m in the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet.

Sophomore Mackenzie Haley (Orange, Texas) is 22^nd in the long jump (4.62m), right behind Malagarie, which she recorded in the Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Meet. Sophomore Ella Walton (Lafayette, La.) is 22^nd in the discus (27.31m) after throwing that distance at the Jim Mize Invitational on April 19.

See where the Ladies and Gents rank within the conference and nationally at the links below:

MEN: TFRRS | 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Qualifying List

WOMEN: TFRRS | 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Qualifying List

See the complete Gents’ season schedule here: https://gocentenary.com/sports/mtrack/2024-25/schedule 

See the complete Ladies’ season schedule here: https://gocentenary.com/sports/wtrack/2024-25/schedule

#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity

When Matt Troy took the head coaching job for Elon University’s volleyball team, he saw it as an opportunity to grow as a coach. Troy previously hadn’t heard much about Elon’s volleyball program but after watching film of the team, he believed they had potential that could be built upon once the season begins in August. Last year, Elon finished 11-18.

While Troy does plan on incorporating a few things such as an up-tempo offense, he isn’t looking to change everything about the team. Elon will have 11 returning players next year, and Troy recognizes how tight-knit most of the players are going back to former head coach Mary Tendler’s tenure. Tendler spent the last 22 seasons coaching Elon where she won over 300 games. 

Troy said he made it a priority to know the players on the team so he could get a better understanding of who they are. He and his staff have also started recruiting players in preparation for the fall. 

“One of the first things I did coming in is I started to put meetings into play,” Troy said. “Once we started in February, I have them in my office every week and just get to know them.”

Troy said he’ll typically ask the players questions about their lives such as their personal interests or how they’re doing in school. He doesn’t want to know them as only volleyball players. 

“We’re invested in them as players of course, but also as people,” Troy said. 

When it comes to volleyball, Troy finds it easier to apply his offense from his previous coaching jobs, which he acknowledges is different from the offense they ran in the fall. During Troy’s most recent stint at Johns Hopkins, he compiled a 151-17 record which included an appearance in the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship. His career record in 14 seasons is 357-96.

Troy said he uses practices as an opportunity to get the players accustomed to his offense. The practices resemble most game simulations with lots of gameplay in an attempt to replicate game-like scenarios.

Although Troy recognized it might take some time to be fully effective, he is fine with this philosophy.

“In practice, it’s a lot of six on six and learning within the gameplay,” Troy said. “We’re willing to take some chances in our practices, and we might make some mistakes but we’re going to be better because of that.”

Troy also counts on the players to express their thoughts in practice. He believes that giving them ownership of the team will allow them to be more invested going forward. 

So far players including junior Cameron Lanier have admired Troy’s efforts in building connections with everyone on the team. She said Troy has been friendly and said she has gotten to know him better through one-on-one meetings.  

“Almost every week we do one-on-one meetings with him, and we watch film or go over questions that we have,” Lanier said. “That’s been really nice because he cares about us and wants us to get better.”

Troy said he’s invested in watching film of plays. He believes it’s an opportunity to really break down everything without worrying about performing a particular skill. 

Lanier said Troy hasn’t been afraid to incorporate new ideas during practice either. She believes the team has already shown glimpses of how effective Troy’s up-tempo strategy could be. 

She also said Troy sets high expectations for practice when the team is scrimmaging against each other. She said Troy expects everyone to practice the way they’d compete in an actual game. 

“He holds us to a high standard in practice and wants us to hold each other to a high standard,” Lanier said. “He’s always mentioning that which is nice because it’s true.”

Through Troy’s first few months on the job, he has found the players to be very receptive of his approach toward building connections along with the style of practices. 

He hopes to continue developing relationships among the players before the season through team activities whether it’s having dinner at his house or team road trips. 

“They’re brought into it pretty well,” Troy said. “One of my hopes is that a lot of our activities start taking place in the fall. And I think it’s fun when they’re a bit more genuine and not always planned.”

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Ohio Valley Conference Beach Volleyball Championship continued today as the University of Tennessee at Martin saw its 10-game winning streak come to an end against No. 1 seed Chattanooga, falling 3-0.
              
The Skyhawks (23-9) will take on No. 4 seed Lindenwood in tomorrow’s semifinals at 8 a.m. CT. The victor will advance to take on Chattanooga in a winner-take-all championship final at 11 a.m. CT.
              
After UT Martin’s Thursday match was the only one not affected by inclement weather, the Skyhawks and Mocs had to wait out a 2-hour and 45-minute lightning delay in the middle of their match today.
              
Two of the three final decisions went into third-set tiebreakers. After Kristin Phillips and Kylie Surratt were narrowly edged out (21-15, 21-16) at No. 5, the next two matchups were back-and-forth battles. Sydney Eckhardt and Reagan McGee started off strong at No. 4 but fell 19-21, 21-16, 15-12 before the delay.
              
Once play resumed, the third set at the No. 3 took place as Lauren Mariscal and Jenna Vallée were embroiled in a tight matchup. However, the Mocs (25-5) claimed the win with a 21-14, 19-21, 15-12 decision.
              
In other unfinished pairings, Kayla Bryant and Olivia O’Keefe were tied at 17-all in the second set after falling 21-17 in the opening set at No. 2. Riley Rushing and Dylan Sulcer were preparing to begin their second set at No. 1 after falling 21-14 in the first set.
 

Gallery: (4-25-2025) Beach VB at OVC Championship (Day 2)

DES MOINES — A quartet of distance runners from the Central College men’s and women’s track & field team started the program’s appearance at the 115th Drake Relays Thursday night.

Peyton Steffen (junior, Marion) was the top finisher for Central, taking 10th in the women’s 5,000-meter run open division. She clocked in at 16 minutes, 42.09 seconds to become the third-fastest runner in program history.

Jack Brown (sophomore, Norwalk) was 12th in the men’s 5,000 meters open division, cracking the program’s top-10 list with a time of 14:52.37. Addison Parrott (sophomore, Danville) also had a 12th place finish, running the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:53.33

Senior Randy Jimenez (senior, Liberty Center, Southeast Warren HS) was 34th in a deep men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase race in 9:31.17

Friday will be a busy day of action for the Dutch competing at both the Drake Relays and the Kip Janvrin Open in Indianola.

 

By: Contact: Hannah Hirst; Assistant Athletic Communication Director

PITMAN, N.J. – The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) has officially announced its 2025 Men’s Volleyball All-Conference selections, and New Jersey City University (NJCU) was well-represented with three standout student-athletes earning recognition for their exceptional performances this season. Sophomore outside hitter Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) and freshman outside hitter Matt Peralta (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) were named to the All-NJAC First Team, while junior setter Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) received Honorable Mention honors.

Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill), one of the most decorated players in the region this season, earned his second consecutive First Team All-NJAC honor. A dynamic sophomore outside hitter, Pardasie led the Gothic Knights in nearly every major offensive category. He tallied a program-best 452 kills and 33 service aces, while ranking second in digs (223) and blocks (34.0). He started 29 of NJCU’s 31 matches and played in 103 total sets. His conference-leading 4.39 kills per set and 508 total points—over 50 more than any other NJAC player—highlighted his dominance throughout the season. He also ranked fourth in hitting percentage (.313), fifth in digs per set (2.17), and ninth in service aces per set (0.32). Pardasie’s stellar year earned him a long list of accolades, including four NJAC Player of the Week selections, two Skyline Conference Player of the Week honors, a national AVCA Division III Player of the Week recognition, and a selection as NJAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Joining Pardasie on the First Team is freshman outside hitter Matt Peralta (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack), who made an immediate impact in his debut collegiate season. Peralta finished second on the team with 250 kills and 27 service aces, while adding 151 digs and 23 blocks. He started all 25 matches in which he appeared, playing in 84 sets. Peralta ranked in the NJAC top ten in several statistical categories: fifth in kills per set (2.98), 10th in hitting percentage (.245), eighth in service aces per set (0.32), ninth in digs per set (1.80), and fifth in total points (291). His breakout year also earned him Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Skyline honors, and numerous weekly awards from both the Skyline and NJAC, including NJCU Rookie of the Week (twice), Skyline Rookie of the Week, and NJAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Rounding out NJCU’s all-conference selections is junior setter Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne), who was named Honorable Mention All-NJAC, the first such honor of his career. Casais anchored the Gothic Knights’ offense with a team-leading 992 assists, averaging 10.23 assists per set—second-best in the NJAC. In addition to his setting duties, he contributed significantly on defense and in transition play, ranking third on the team in digs (157), fourth in blocks (30.0), and third in service aces (24). His consistency and leadership earned him a spot on the All-Skyline First Team as well.

The Gothic Knights concluded their 2025 campaign with a 23-10 overall record, including a 16-2 mark in Skyline Conference play. They finished third in the NJAC standings with a 1-2 conference record. The 23 victories set a new program record for wins in a single season and marked the sixth time NJCU has reached the 20-win milestone (2005, 2006, 2009, 2022, 2024, 2025). Under head coach Carlo Edra, the team has now reached 20 or more wins in four different seasons, including three in the last four years.

For the latest news, updates, and information on New Jersey City University sports, visit njcugothicknights.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Gothic Knights news by following NJCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.