BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) today announced its 2024-25 ACWPC All-America Team. Among the honorees is Gannon’s Jade Strickland (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill). The senior was accorded honorable mention All-American honors for the second time.

A native of Santa Ana, Calif., Strickland was previously named a 2025 WWPA All-Conference first team honoree, adding to her numerous career accolades. Strickland also earned ACWPC honorable mention All-American honors as a sophomore. She is a three-time All-WWPA honoree after earning first team honors in 2023 and 2025 and second team a year ago. She was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2022 and has now been named to the All-Defensive Team the last two years.

Strickland finished as Gannon’s leading scorer for the third straight season with 50 goals and 21 assists for 71 points. In addition she led the team in steals with 30 and is second in defensive exclusions (19).

A year ago she finished with 43 goals and 21 assists for 64 points. She enjoyed her best season as a sophomore with 56 goals and 31 assists for 87 points after totaling 64 points as a freshman (37 goals, 27 assists).

Strickland climbed to eighth in career goals with 186 and fifth in career assists with exactly 100.

FAIRBANKS – The University of Alaska Fairbanks has announced a five-year contract extension for Alaska Nanooks volleyball head coach Brian Scott, reaffirming the program’s commitment to long-term growth and competitive excellence under his leadership.

Scott, who recently concluded his 10th season at the helm, guided the Nanooks to a historic 2024 campaign, finishing with a 21-7 overall record and a 13-5 mark in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. The 21 wins tied the program record for most victories in a single season and set a new benchmark for the highest winning percentage in Alaska Nanooks volleyball history. The team’s performance secured a second-place finish in the GNAC standings — the highest under Scott’s tenure.

“Today is an exciting day for the University of Alaska and the Alaska Nanooks volleyball program as we announce the five-year contract extension for head coach Brian Scott,” said Dr. Brock Anundson, Director of Athletics. “Brian is an exceptional coach and a proven leader who has built a strong foundation for our student-athletes both on and off the court. Under his leadership, the program has produced All-Americans, consistently broken program records, and elevated its level of play each season, earning well-deserved respect within the GNAC and across the NCAA. With Brian at the helm, I’m confident we’ll continue to elevate Nanooks volleyball and strengthen the culture of excellence we’re committed to here at UAF and in Fairbanks. He is also a trusted mentor and collaborative teammate within our department, across the university, and throughout the state. I look forward to the continued success ahead.”

Since joining the Nanooks, Scott has amassed a 116-143 (.448) career record, including a 71-49 mark over the last four seasons. The 2024 campaign marked his fourth winning season and continued a trend of sustained success and player development that has made Alaska a formidable presence in the GNAC.

“It has been very rewarding to see the program grow and become more competitive each year I’ve been in Fairbanks,” said head coach Brian Scott. “The athletes and coaches that have come through the program, UAF, and the community have truly made this home for our family. I am excited to continue working with our great athletes, coaches, and staff and am certain that together we will take this program to new heights in the years to come.”

As the Nanooks look ahead to the 2025 season and beyond, Scott’s extension signals a strong commitment to the trajectory of the program, both competitively and culturally. With a talented returning roster and renewed energy, the Nanooks are poised to keep climbing.

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The University of Hawaii announced a 29-match schedule with 17 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center for the 2025 Rainbow Wahine volleyball team on Wednesday.

The five-time defending Big West Conference champions, who went 21-10 last season and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, will play three other returning NCAA teams in the nonconference schedule.

UH will open the season with the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic on Aug. 29 against Marquette, which advanced to a regional semifinal in the NCAA Tournament last season.

Hawaii will also play Utah State and San Diego before hosting the Outrigger Invitational the following weekend against San Jose State, Utah Valley and St. John’s.

The nonconference home schedule concludes with two matches against Portland on Sept. 11 and 12.

UH’s first road trip will be in Palo Alto, Calif., in a four-team tournament hosted by Stanford. UH will open against the Cardinal, who advanced to a NCAA Regional Final and placed fifth in the final AVCA coaches poll. Hawaii will renew a rivalry with UCLA in the 79th meeting between the two programs before ending the tourney against reigning Sun Belt champion Texas State.

The Rainbow Wahine open conference play against UC Riverside and UC Davis at home on Sept. 26 and 27. Eight of UH’s 11 matches in October are on the road.

UH will end the regular season at home against Long Beach State on Nov. 22 before the Big West Championship is held Nov. 26-29 at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.

Head coach Robyn Ah Mow, who enters her eighth season at the helm, has three transfers and early-enrollee freshman Cha’lei Reid still on the roster who were added in the spring. UH, which lost three seniors and three more players to the transfer portal, is also expecting to add two more freshmen and at least one new transfer in 6-foot sophomore hitter Ravyn Dash, who averaged 2.31 kills per set as a freshman at Houston Christian last year, in the fall.

Lois Hansen, a UC Santa Barbara transfer from last season who played in UH’s spring matches, is no longer on the roster.

After defeating Glastonbury, West Hartford’s Conard High School boys volleyball team brings their unbeaten record to the CCC finals.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

Conard players celebrate the match winner Aidan Plamondon. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

By Paul Palmer

Having a long win streak, in any sport, can be grueling. Everyone else is always looking to knock you off.

The Conard boys volleyball team has lived that life – as the hunted – all season long as the state’s only unbeaten volleyball team. “Everybody wants to beat us as we are the only undefeated team,” said Conard head coach Kerry Roller. “We’ll figure it out.”

Wednesday they were pushed to the limit in the CCC semifinals by Glastonbury, but dug deep to pull off the five-set win and move to 19-0.

Lucas Hartland (9) and Tyler Richards go for the block on Trevor Hoffman. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

When the two teams met earlier this season, the Red Wolves won in straight sets. In fact, in the previous 18 matches they had lost just seven sets out of 59 played. But this is the post-season and that means Conard played on Tuesday, Wednesday, and with the win will play in the final on Thursday.

Rafael Ortiz at the net for the Red Wolves. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

Fatigue is something that has to be put out of mind as focus and attention to detail have to be front and center. Things started out well for Conard in the first set as they went up by as many as four points and closed it out at 25-19. Aidan Plamondon and Henry Drolet were tough at the net, blocking multiple Guardians’ returns.

Aidan Plamondon goes for the winner in the first set. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

The second set saw Glastonbury take a 4-2 lead, but Conard came back at 6-5 on a left-handed put away by Lucas Hartland. It stayed tight from there with each managing 3-point leads, only to see them slip away. Conard had a 3-point run to go up 16-10 and then later 18-11.

Then Glastonbury went on a huge run take the lead at 20-18. Two of the points came on blocks, another on a Conard violation, and Siddanth Nitin had a pair of kills as well. After regaining the serve, it was Hartland tying things at 20 and the Wolves went to 21-20 before Connor Payne’s block earned the point and the serve for Glastonbury. That ended at 23 each but Conard’s next serve went into the net, setting up the Guardians at set point and they took advantage when the Conard return went long and things were tied at 1-all.

Tyler Richards (13) and Rafael Ortiz set the block. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

“We were struggling with the pressure of the playoffs,” said Conard senior Tristan McClay, who was strong at the net all day. “But we have so much teamwork that we always fight back.”

In the third set it was Glastonbury bringing the early momentum, but Conard dug deep to keep things close. Again, it was very tight with neither side managing to give more than a 2-point lead until the visitors went up 16-13 and eventually to 18-14. The Conard rally saw them come back to 17-18 before Shalva Jika’s kill ended that. Tied at 21, it was McClay with the put away for the Wolves, and later it was McClay with the return that was blocked out of bounds by Glastonbury to make it 24-22.

Tristan McClay has the winner for Conard. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

Conard took the set 25-22 when a setup by Glastonbury hit the ceiling in the Conard gym and bounded away from the players.

“In the third set we finally relaxed and found a way to close it out,” McClay said.

Heading into the fourth set it was Conard with the chance to end the game. They opened on serve by going up 4-1, but Glastonbury fought back, winning seven straight points to make it an 8-4 lead for the Guardians. Serving at 9-5, Glastonbury benefitted from back-to-back returns out of bounds by Conard to go up 11-5. The Wolves picked up three points before losing serve and later finding themselves down four at 9-14.

Aidan Plamondon goes low for the serve. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

Nitin again found the space and won the point and serve back for his team, and then it was a block from Maksym Balaban and then a kill by Shalva to go up 16-11.

The point of the set came at 14-16 for Conard when Jonah White went all out with a dive to get to a ball at the back of the area, then it was Hartland’s turn as he headed for the sidelines and kept the ball in play before McClay managed to hit a winner from midway back that fooled Glastonbury with its placement. One point later and things were tied at 16.

Rafael Ortiz beats the block. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

The two sides went back and forth and White’s service got Conard up 20-19. On their serve it was Glastonbury storming back with four straight points before losing serve at 23-21. At match point it was Nitin once again beating the Conard block and tying things up at two sets apiece.

The junior let out a shout of excitement after the winner as he was being mobbed by his teammates. “We came out a little flat and it took us a while to get our energy going,” said Roller. “We just were not in rhythm.”

Aidan Plamondon goes for the winner in the first set. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

Heading to the tie-breaking fifth set, Roller stressed one word to her players …”details.” On every timeout that was what she kept reminding her players to take care of.

Again, in the final set it was back and forth until the Wolves built a 5-1 lead before an attempt to block a Glastonbury shot knocked the ball out. The Guardians took a timeout and came out focused serving from down 1-5 to down 4-5 on Hoffman’s big left-handed return. McClay had the answer on the next point and won back the serve at 6-4 Conard. Another run for the Guardians and they had things tied at 7 before Plamondon came through with the winner.

Serving at 9-8, the Wolves picked up a point before giving the serve back. Alex Niland served for Glastonbury and at 9-10, his serve hit the tape and dribbled over, falling to the floor before any Conard player could get there to tie things at 10. His next serve went out and the Wolves were now 4 points away from the win at 11-10.

Glastonbury players including (12) Siddanth Nittin celebrate his 4th set winner. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

Plamondon had a sparkling kill right down the line to go 12-10, but Conard’s next return hit the tape and went out of bounds giving the serve back to the visitors. Back and forth they went on serve until Plamondon put it away with a kill and the 15-12 final.

“They have a resiliency about them,” Roller said of her players. “When they get down there is a grit to them, they love the sport. At one point today one of our players told his teammates, ‘Let’s have fun’ and that settled them down,” she added.

Things will only get tougher for Conard as Thursday night they met once-beaten Maloney for the CCC title. It was Conard who beat Maloney back on May 12 to knock them from the ranks of the unbeaten.

After that it will be onto the State Tourney where they were a semifinalist in 2023.

McClay said there are two big things that have helped the team stay unbeaten. One is the camaraderie between the players, the other, he said, is the coaching staff. “We have three coaches that just complement each other so well.”

Coaches Kerry Roller and Don Colebrook shake hands before the match. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

Game notes

• Wednesday’s win was number 305 for head coach Kerry Roller who is in her 28th season leading the boys team.
• Four members of the Conard squad were name to the All-Conference Team. There are only 14 players from around the CCC named to the list, so Red Wolves players captured nearly one-quarter of the spots. The players are: Tristan McClay, Rafael Ortiz, Aidan Plamondon ,and Lucas Hartland. All but Hartland are  seniors.

Lucas Hartland had an excellent game as Conard’s setter. Conard vs. Glastonbury boys volleyball. CCC semifinals. May 28, 2025. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

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POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Two former Gauchos took home AVP silverware this past Memorial Day weekend, as Theo Brunner and Ryan Wilcox teamed up to win the 2025 Palm Beach Open.
 
The first AVP Contender event of the season, it was also the first time the duo have played together in any AVP competition. They proved to be a solid team, winning both of their pool play matches on Saturday morning to earn the No. 2 seed ahead of the single elimination playoffs. Then, with a 21-19, 21-19 round of 16 victory, they were through to Sunday’s quarterfinals.
 
The Gaucho legends stayed alive with a very tight 21-19, 18-21, 15-13 win in the quarters before a sweep (21-17, 21-18) of third-seeded Evan Cory and Caleb Kwekel to advance to the championship. Facing No. 9 Rowdy Lennon and Logan Mister, the teams traded the first two sets to force a decisive third set. After Brunner/Wilcox got out to a 9-8 lead, they rattled off six in a row crown themselves champions via a 21-18, 18-21, 15-8 victory.
 
Overall, the pair went undefeated playing six matches in two days in 90-degree Florida weather. With the championship win, they automatically receive a wild card berth to the prestigious Manhattan Beach Open beginning August 15.
 
Brunner, a middle blocker, was an AVCA First-Team All-American in 2007 and four-time All-MPSF selection from 2005-2008. Wilcox, an outside hitter, was the AVCA Newcomer of the Year in 2019, a four-time AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, and two-time All-Big West First Team selection playing 2019-2023.
 
Fans can watch a replay of the championship match on the AVP Beach Volleyball YouTube channel and find full tournament results at volleyballlife.com.