Sports

Meet the new Majority Rules Team! Mizzou Tigers Olympic Sports

Published

4 months ago

August 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Meet the new Majority Rules Team! Mizzou Tigers Olympic Sports

Greetings!

We started our Majority Rules podcast —aptly named for the Olympic Sports athletes that make up the majority of Mizzou’s student athlete population— last year and recorded 30 (!) episodes… and I coughed my way through approximately 20-25 of them (sorry about that).

Unfortunately, the crew can’t stay together forever, though, and people graduate —bye, Abigail — and move on to other endeavors, including other Rock M beats. Since I decided that beats would switch over on the arbitrary date of August 1, it seemed like as good of a time as any to re-introduce the crew, say some goodbyes (though they are always welcome back) and let you get to know the new faces!

I’ve divided the group into several self-explanatory categories.

Head Lady in Charge

Karen Steger

I’ve been gracing Rock M’s digital pages since August 2019 after starting as a volunteer editor. Besides reading everything submitted —well, almost everything (sometimes we put out too much content to keep up with)— I wrote some Links/Morning Commute posts a couple times a week for years. I added softball to my reporting after spending the 2021 Super Regionals out on the berm with my lawn chair, iPad and a beer, and I decided to make it press-box official for the 2022 season. In 2023, after attending a gymnastics meet, I formally added that to my beat, and I’m slowly wading (see what I did there?) back into swimming content as well, as I’m a swammer and former high school coach. Fun Fact— I’ve won two team state titles as a head coach!

I’m originally from StL (Florissant) and went to school at Mizzou before moving to Charlotte, NC to teach elementary/coach high school for eight years. I moved back to CoMo in the summer of 2012 and I’ve been working at the J-School as a project coordinator for around 3.5 years, and I also teach an online PR & image management course that’s catered towards student-athletes and hopeful influencers. I root for all St. Louis teams, the Chiefs (Nicky Bolts 4ever!!!), and a variety of NBA teams who feature Mizzou alums, as well as some who don’t (Celtics, Pacers, Lakers). I’m also massive women’s sports supporter and keep up with all things WNBA. I am a champion of the “little guy,” which is why I am so passionate about ~~non-revenue~~ Olympic sports at Mizzou and leading this team. When I’m not working, you can probably catch me at a Mizzou sporting event— I go to pretty much every football game and I have VB, WBB & MBB season tickets. I’m super excited about this crew and can’t wait to get started.

The Newbies

Sophie Silvers

Hey, everybody! My name is Sophie Silvers, and I will be a rising sophomore this year at Mizzou. I am one of the newest members at Rock M and will start my year writing about XC and finish off the year writing about Track & Field. During my freshman year, I co-wrote the cross-country beat for The Maneater, MU’s student-run newspaper. During the spring semester, I wrote multiple features for The Maneater on various club sports around campus and gained an understanding of the experiences of non-D1 athletes as well. I will continue writing for them as well this year.

Another place I like to call home away from MU is Los Angeles, California. I have lived there all of my life and chose to go to Mizzou because of the astounding opportunities and experiences I have had. Since high school, I have enjoyed writing about sports and started to follow in-depth the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ever since, I have been a die-hard fan. Throughout high school, I ran track & field and played softball, where I was able to find a passion for running and the tranquility it provides me. Sports have been a constant commodity in my life, and I cannot wait to cover Mizzou XC & Track & Field this year and tackle this wonderful opportunity!

Colin Simmons

Hello, everybody! I am Colin Simmons, and I am a rising sophomore at Mizzou. As it says, I am new to Rock M and I will get my start on the soccer beat. I will also be helping out a mentor of mine, Dylan Heinrich, come volleyball season. During my freshman year, I contributed to The Maneater (Mizzou’s student newspaper), covering soccer, volleyball, and men’s basketball. I will be an editor of its sports section this coming school year. This Summer, I have had the opportunity to intern with Brooklyn Nets On SI to round out my writing experience.

On the personal side of things, I am from Omaha, Nebraska (but I was raised a Missouri boy through and through). My parents met while studying at the University of Missouri’s Medical School and found their footing later in Nebraska. Being from a place with no professional sports teams, I identified with Missouri sports like the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. I am also a die-hard Indiana Pacers fan (Paul George was my favorite player growing up). I played sports throughout high school and still find comfort in shooting hoops or throwing a football around. I am excited to dive into Mizzou Soccer this fall and grow as a journalist and person this year!

The Old Heads

Dylan Heinrich

Howdy, everyone! My name is Dylan Heinrich, and I will be a rising junior this year. I started with Rock M in the spring of 2024, spending my first year covering soccer and women’s basketball (with a pinch of softball). This year I will still be the primary beat writer for women’s hoops, but I am making the move to volleyball this year! I have been a key contributor on the Majority Rules podcast, and can’t wait for year two with a some familiar (and new) faces! Olympic sports mean the world to me, as I have been covering them at the collegiate level for the past three years at Rock M, The Maneater (Mizzou student newspaper) and the Rocky Mountain Collegian (Colorado St. student newspaper).

Outside of writing Olympic Sports, I work for Mizzou Broadcast Operations as a camera operator, where I have gotten to work sports such as football, men’s basketball and baseball (writer’s note: You would not BELIEVE how cold it is at the top perch of Faurot Field). In addition, I am the new General Manager for Mizzou Student Media after spending two years as a member of MSM. Other fun facts is I’m originally from Fort Collins, Colorado; which means I am a big time Broncos, Nuggets and Avs fan. Sports have always been a huge part of my life, and I’m very excited to cover some of the most interesting teams Mizzou has to offer.

True Deck (only been here a couple months, but still…)

Hey, everybody! My name is True Deck and I am one of the newer members of Rock M Nation. I spend a lot of time doing football recruiting writing with Rock M+ but I also help out when I can around Rock M Nation. (editor’s note: and we are very thankful for that.) I’m headed into my senior year in the Mizzou J-School and have spent time at the Columbia Missourian covering high school sports and Mizzou softball. I’ll be continuing my softball coverage this spring with Rock M Nation, sharing the beat with Karen.

I grew up in Chesterfield, Missouri, a St. Louis Suburb. My dad raised me into a crazy sports fan and it’s something I hope to share with my future kids! I grew up playing soccer and had the opportunity to visit my favorite team, Liverpool, and meet the team’s star player when I was young. I’ve been a huge Liverpool fan ever since. Aside from soccer, I enjoy watching the St. Louis Blues, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers (my dad went to college in Wisconsin). I’m super excited to get back on the scene!

Back, Back, Back Again

Matthew Smith

Good day, Tiger fans! My name is Matthew Smith and I am currently covering the Mizzou Wrestling team once again for the coming season. I was previously on staff a couple years back in the same role. Prior to stepping in at Rock M, I was a freelance writer covering multiple sports within the Missouri border (Mizzou, Chiefs, Royals). During my brief stint away from Rock M, I continued to cover the wrestling program on a different platform (FloWrestling).

After stepping away from Flo to spend more time with my wife and two beautiful daughters, I decided it was time to get back on the scene and resume coverage of one of my favorite sports to cover and compete in. Getting another opportunity to write for Rock M is a blessing as this family is welcoming and provides a great circle to communicate among other talented journalists. Mizzou is a top tiered University and Tiger Style is once again on the rise. I look forward to providing news and coverage for all wrestling fans and am excited to get back to work!

Sweet Farewells (from Olympic Sports)

Matthew Gustafson

Hello again! My name is Matthew Gustafson and for the last two years, I’ve been the volleyball and wrestling beat writer at this site. This past season, I was also a baseball beat reporter and co-host of the Majority Rules podcast with many of our other Olympic sports writers. I also filled in on spring football coverage and a variety of other sports, and was the creator and host of the Over The Net and Tiger Style Explored interview series. I’m a Chicago native and diehard Cubs fan, and many of you might not know that baseball is actually my favorite sport. I’ve worked in the Frontier League (same league as the Gateway Grizzlies, for our St. Louis folks), an independent baseball league, for the past nine years and was the No. 2 broadcaster for the Washington Wild Things this summer. Rock M was my go-to site for Mizzou athletics news as I became interested in attending the J School, and going from a daily reader to a writer for the site has given me so many incredible opportunities and experiences. (Editor’s Fun Fact: I remember Matthew’s J-School visit quite vividly, and he was treated to lunch by me and the School’s finest sports journalists at the time, including Anthony Kristensen, Arkansas beat writer at Whole Hog Sports, and Chris Blake, Editorial Producer at MLB.

For our Olympic sports readers, you likely won’t see as much of me this year as I transition to my new role at the site: covering football and men’s basketball as a beat writer. I’m incredibly excited for the new role and the experiences it will add, and I hope to do the job justice. Thanks to everyone who has read, watched, or listened to me over these past two years, and I know we’ve got some fantastic new writers that will continue to give us the best Olympic sports coverage around! (Editor’s Note: I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t turn up on a Majority Rules podcast or two)

Rory Whetstone

Hey, everyone! My name is a Rory Whetstone, and I’ll be a rising senior this school year. I’m from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, and (just like Matthew) am a diehard Cubs fan – I’m not even kidding I was almost named after Kosuke Fukudome. I’m also a huge hockey nerd, obsessed with the Blackhawks and also the New York Islanders. Lastly, yes, I’m a struggling Chicago Bears fan. Based on all these interests, I’m sure it was quite easy to gather that I came to Mizzou for sports journalism. At school, I’ve been involved in a variety of outlets. I was a part of at Southeastern Fourteen (Sidenote; I got this gig thanks to Karen. Freshmen, my biggest piece of advice is to read those Canvas notifications of the “Weekly Opportunities”) covering football and men’s basketball. I also am a member of KCOU and have had a weekly show since sophomore year. Additionally, I recently joined Mizzou Club Hockey as their sideline reporter. Internship wise, I was at Marquee Sports Network two years ago in the programming department, and this year I landed a dream gig. This summer, I’m at MLB Network working in Production News/Assignment Desk, an absolute DREAM come true.

Even if I’m moving to a different side of Rock M, I’m still quite new to the family. I joined this past year to cover a wide range of Olympic sports and also to chime in on the Majority Rules podcast. This endeavor has allowed me to pour my thoughts into writing and grow in more ways than one. I truly think writing has made me a stronger, more well-rounded reporter. Moving to the football (and basketball) beat this year alongside Matthew is such a privilege, and I can’t wait to hit the ground running. I hope to bring the passion that Rock M has thoroughly supplied on this beat over the years. Being a sports reporter has been a goal of mine since I saw Erin Andrews on the TV when I was younger, and the staff here has been excellent in supporting me as a woman in sports. Well – I hope you’ll follow along with Matthew and I this football season, and continue to follow along with Olympic Sports and this wonderful group listed above!

Sports

Hanson Wins Region Player of the Year, Cook Named Coach of the Year

Published

6 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Gophers senior outside hitter Julia Hanson was named AVCA Northwest Region Player of the Year while Keegan Cook was named Coach of the Year, the organization announced today.

There are 14 first-team All-Region members and an additional group of honorable mention selections for each of the 10 regions. A Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year were selected for every region.

The 213 student-athletes who made All-Region represent 109 different schools. Nebraska leads the way with seven All-Region selections, followed by Pittsburgh and Stanford with six apiece. Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin all have five All-Region first-team or honorable mention selections.

Joining Hanson on the AVCA All-Northwest Region First Team were freshman opposite Carly Gilk and redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson. Redshirt senior middle blocker Lourdes Myers and freshman middle blocker Jordan Taylor were named all-region honorable mention.

A Savage, Minn., native, Julia Hanson earns another major award after a magnificent senior season. She was also named a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2025. During her fourth year in the Maroon and Gold, Hanson won Big Ten Player of the Week on Sept. 1 and was named MVP of the Golden Gopher Invitational on Aug. 31.

For the year, she totaled 26 10+ kill matches in 32 chances, posting a career-high 4.13 kills per set, a mark that ranked her fourth in the Big Ten. Hanson also hit a career-best .309, a mark that ranked her third among Big Ten pins.

She tallied five 20+ kill matches and averaged a career-best 0.30 service aces on the year. Her 26 aces in conference play put her at No. 8 in the conference. Defensively, Hanson posted 0.64 blocks and 1.60 digs per set. She was named as one of 30 players to the AVCA Preseason Player of the Year Watch List and was a Preseason All-Big Ten honoree. Hanson helped Minnesota reach its first Sweet 16 since 2022 after going for 36 kills last weekend in two matches (.500 hitting).

Coach Cook was named AVCA Region Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career and first at Minnesota. Cook led the Gophers to a 24-9 (12-8 Big Ten) record and a Sweet 16 appearance for the first time in his three years at the ‘U’. He and his coaching staff did this despite losing four starters to season-ending injuries in the first four weeks of the season. The Gophers played five freshmen starters for a majority of the season, including three-fourths of Big Ten competition. Minnesota also won four ranked matches this year, taking down No. 23 Indiana, No. 24 Penn State, No. 11 Purdue and No. 23 Iowa State.

Carly Gilk earned an all-region nod to go along with her Freshman All-Big Ten accolades. The rookie opposite posted 2.28 kills per set on a scorching .293 hitting in 2025. She also posted 1.70 digs, 0.60 blocks and 0.27 aces per set in 28 matches played. She had seven 10+ kill matches and seven 10+ dig matches on the year. Gilk had the best match of her freshman year on Oct. 26 at Purdue, tallying 15 kills (.364) and 10 digs in a five set match.

Redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson added an all-region honor after being named All-Big Ten Second Team and to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. She averaged 9.78 assists, 2.16 digs, 0.61 blocks, 0.59 kills and 0.28 aces per set in her first year as a starter, playing in all 33 matches.

Swenson posted eight double-doubles, including a career-best 58-assist, 10-dig outing in a five-set win at Iowa. She ranked eighth in the Big Ten in assists per set and was fifth amongst setters with 0.59 kills per set. She was the first Minnesota freshman to post 1,000 assists in her rookie season since her sister, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, did so in 2015. Stella was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 1 after being named to the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team. She was added to the AVCA Mid-Season Player of the Year Watch List as the only freshman on there,

Redshirt senior middle blocker Lourdes Myers had the best season of her career in 2025 in the Maroon and Gold. She was named AVCA All-Northwest Region Honorable Mention after going for 1.70 kills and 1.19 blocks per set, playing in all 33 matches. Myers had two 10+ kill matches in 2025, including a 12-kill, nine-block match at Washington. She had seven-or-more kills 13 times and five-or-more blocks 12 times. Myers ranked ninth in the Big Ten in blocks per set.

Freshman middle Jordan Taylor also earned AVCA All-Northwest Region Honorable Mention. She had a banner freshman season, averaging a team-best 1.24 blocks per set, playing in 30 matches. Taylor averaged 1.35 kills per set on .355 hitting, going for five-or-more kills 12 times. She had five+ blocks nine times, including a career-high 11 block match at Iowa on Nov. 16.

The Gophers (24-9, 12-8 B1G) compete in the Sweet 16 against No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh (28-4, 18-2 ACC) at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday. The match will be on ESPN2.

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Badgers Land Five on AVCA North All-Region Team

Published

22 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MADISON, Wis. – Five total players of the Wisconsin volleyball team were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) North All-Region Team. Outside hitter Mimi Colyer was named North Player of the Year, while head coach Kelly Sheffield was named Coach of the Year.

The Badger list of North All-Region First Team honorees consists of Carter Booth, Mimi Colyer, Grace Egan, Kristen Simon and Una Vajagic. Head Coach Kelly Sheffield also earned his sixth Coach of the Year honor.

Freshman Kristen Simon was one-of-three freshman named First Team. In the regular season, Simon played in 89-of-92 sets as the starting libero for Wisconsin. The Kentucky native led the team with 3.49 digs per set, chipped in with 14 service aces and averaged 1.10 assists per set. She reached double-figure digs 19 matches, including a season-best in her very first collegiate match against Kansas with 23. The 5-foot-8 libero also earned Big Ten All-Freshman this season.

For the first time in her career, right side hitter Grace Egan earned All-Region honors. Traditionally, an outside hitter, Egan moved over to the right side and averaged 2.43 kills per set, 2.19 digs per set, 3.09 points per set and chipped in with 25 service aces this season for the Badgers. She totaled three double-doubles (kills, digs) against Texas, Florida and Northwestern.

Outside hitter Una Vajagic steadily became one of the Badgers most dynamic players in the starting rotation. The Serbian native totaled 2.71 kills per set, 2.56 digs per set, and 3.07 points per set in her first full season with the Badgers. Vajagic also collected eight double-doubles (kills, digs) in the regular season, including a back-to-back double-doubles in her first two collegiate matches against Kansas and Texas. The 6-foot outside hitter also chipped in with 18 service aces for UW.

Senior Carter Booth claims her fourth All-Region honor and third with the Badgers. In all four years, she has been a First Team honoree, including Freshman of the Year when she was with Minnesota. In the regular season, Booth led the Badgers and ranked 5th in the NCAA with a .436 hitting percentage. She added 2.02 kills per set, 1.24 blocks per set and 2.70 points per set. Booth totaled eight matches where she didn’t have a hitting error, including a season best 11 kills on 15 swings with no errors. Defensively, Booth achieved a season best 10.0 blocks at Michigan St. on Nov. 15.

Also joining Booth as a four-time AVCA All-Region recipient is outside hitter Mimi Colyer. She also repeats as All-Region Player of the Year. As a freshman Colyer was named the Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year at Oregon, and in 2024, she was named the Northwest Region Player of the Year. In just one season with the Badgers, Colyer has already broken and is on pace to break several more single-season offensive program records. The California native reached double-figure kills in every match but one this season, including nine matches with 20 or more kills. Colyer averaged 5.32 kills per set, 5.93 points per set, 2.20 digs per set, and added 0.69 blocks per set. She also hit .334 in the regular season. Colyer totaled seven double-doubles including a season-best 25 kill, 18 dig performance at Washington on Oct. 24.

Head coach Kelly Sheffield earned his sixth All-Region Coach of the Year honor after leading the Badgers to a 24-4 regular season record, and a 17-3 Big Ten record for second place. Sheffield replaced nearly his entire starting rotation, including four All-Americans from a season ago.

Wisconsin is 1-of-55 teams assigned to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) North Region, joining just Michigan State as a Big Ten school representing the North Region.

FULL LIST OF AVCA ALL-REGION RECIPIENTS

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Women’s Volleyball Puts Three on AVCA All-East Coast Region Team – Penn State

Published

38 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Three Penn State women’s volleyball players earned All-East Coast Region honors as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Tuesday. Gillian Grimes, Kennedy Martin, and Maggie Mendelson all received the award after helping the Nittany Lions qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the 45^th-consecutive season.

Grimes earned All-East Coast Region for the first time following her final collegiate season. The senior was a much-needed consistent player and presence as a team captain for Penn State. She was named the Big Ten Libero of the Year thanks to her impressive passing numbers. Defensively, she finished with 441 digs (3.64/set) and contributed offensively with her 30 aces. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Grimes now turns her attention to the pro ranks as she will play for the San Diego Mojo in Major League Volleyball.

Martin put together one of the greatest statistical seasons in program history, etching her name in the Penn State record books. She set program records for the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present) in kills (634), kills/set (5.42), points (728) and points/set (6.22). She was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in her first season in the conference and now adds All-East Coast Region recognition to the two All-Southeast Region awards she won at Florida.

Mendelson closes her collegiate volleyball career with her first All-East Coast Region award. The middle blocker hit .363 with 2.19 kills/set and tallied 91 blocks to lead the team’s defense at the net. She had 10 matches with double-digit kills, nine of which came during Big Ten play. She hit .500 or better in five of those matches.

Penn State has now had a middle blocker make an all-region team in back-to-back seasons as Mendelson joins Taylor Trammell (2024) as the recipients of the award. Grimes is the first Penn State libero to make all-region since Jenna Hampton in 2021, while Martin is the team’s first right side to earn the honor since 2021.

The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.

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Ugolini Named AVCA All-Region – America East Conference

Published

54 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

<br /> Ugolini Named AVCA All-Region – America East Conference <br />

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BOSTON – After claiming America East Player of the Year honors, Bryant’s Arianna Ugolini has been named Honorable Mention All-Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Ugolini led the conference in kills (419), service aces (43), and points (476.5) while helping Bryant claim a share of its first-ever regular season title. She is Bryant’s first-ever Player of the Year in volleyball and was a First-Team All-Conference selection.

ABOUT AMERICA EAST

Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.

– America East Conference – Where Champions Rise –

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Behrend sprinter wins at Houghton December Classic

Published

1 hour ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Behrend runner Carter Tobin won the 60-meter dash at the Houghton December Classic. He finished in 6.85 seconds — a qualifying time for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference.

Tobin, a sophomore from Irwin, placed third in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 22.22 seconds.

Lee Qualk, a freshman from Coal Center, placed third in the triple jump, clearing a distance of 7.13 meters.

In the women’s events, the 4×200 relay team — Anna Buck, Caroline McDevitt, Abigail Falk and Ruby Lormejuste — placed third, finishing in 1:54.41.

Behrend’s basketball, swimming and diving and wrestling teams also were in action last week. Here are the scores and highlights:

Men’s basketball

Penn State Behrend 69, Carlow 53
Penn State Behrend 75, La Roche 71

Jacob Dunkle, a freshman from Washington, scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds against La Roche. Dolan Waldo, a senior from Pittsburgh, scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Women’s basketball

Penn State Behrend 94, Carlow 38
La Roche 68, Penn State Behrend 64

Alaina Fabin, a sophomore from Indiana, scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against La Roche. Emma Marsteller, a sophomore from Sandy Lake, scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against Carlow.

Men’s swimming and diving

Penn State Behrend 129, Allegheny 70

Behrend’s 200 medley relay team — Nevin Rutherford, Evan Tritt, Nicolin Pierce and Michael Kali — won, finishing in 1:45.52. Isaac Stoeckle, a sophomore from Pittsburgh, won the 1,000 freestyle, finishing in 10:57.86. Kyle Malec, a freshman from Edinboro, won the diving events; he earned 198.35 points in the 1-meter event and 195.25 points in the 3-meter event.

Women’s swimming and diving

Penn State Behrend 154, Allegheny 106

Kaitlyn True, a freshman from Denton, Texas, won the 100 freestyle (59.42) and the 100 breaststroke (1:14.31). Izzy Sheridan, a senior from Orefield, won the 100 backstroke, finishing in 1:07.79. Rylee Ondrejko, a freshman from Washington, won the diving events; she earned 139.80 points in the 1-meter event and 150.20 points in the 3-meter event.

Wrestling

Fifth (of 14 teams) at the RIT Invitational

Mason Savitz, a freshman from Corry, won the 165-pound weight class. He finished the tournament 5-0, with one fall and two major decisions.

Scores, updates and video links for Penn State Behrend athletics are posted at psblions.com.

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Big West Trio Lands on AVCA All-Pacific Region Listings

Published

1 hour ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Representing three member-institutions, a trio of Big West women’s volleyball players have been announced as American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) All-Pacific Region honorable mention student-athletes.

Big West Player of the Year Jade Light helped UC Davis to their first regular-season Big West title while pacing the Aggies and the conference in both kills (4.01) and points (4.52) per set in 2025. Posting consecutive seasons of 400+ kills, the outside hitter from Sloughhouse, Calif., has tallied 1,162 career strikes and is just the 13th UC Davis player to reach the four-digit plateau. Light stands as the first – and only – Aggie to earn Player of the Year honors in UC Davis’ last season of league membership while also earning first-team All-Big West distinction.

UC Santa Barbara redshirt sophomore Eva Travis claimed a first career All-Region distinction after trailing only Light in both kills (3.93) and points (4.42) per set to lead the Gauchos back to The Big West postseason finishing the year tied for second in the conference standings. The product of Aliso Viejo, Calif., finished the year with six 20-point games reaching double-figures in all 28 matches played and started, earning All-Big West second-team honors.

Finally, Cal Poly middle blocker and Big West Championship Most Valuable Player Chloe Leluge made the listings after a stellar sophomore campaign. The powerful net play provided by the Bend, Ore., native has resulted in 126 total blocks, or 1.02 per set, along with 2.30 kills per set while sporting an efficient .383 hitting percentage for The Big West champions. Leluge and the Mustangs upended No. 5 seed BYU and knocked off host and No. 4 seed USC last weekend to advance to the regional semifinals of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. Cal Poly is set to square off with No. 1 seed Kentucky in the Round of 16 on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. PT.

Last year, the AVCA instituted a new 10-region alignment based upon state lines rather than conference alignment. In the new configuration, the Pacific Region consists of the states of California, Hawai’i and Arizona.

Regardless of various regional changes throughout the years, The Big West has enjoyed at least one All-Region/All-District selection every season, since 1986. Dating back to the 2015 season, this marks the ninth set of All-Region listings to include at least three Big West performers.