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Milford high school student arrested by ICE on his way to volleyball practice has been released

Local News “This kid is as clean as a whistle,” the teen’s lawyer, Robin Nice, told reporters after a hearing in Chelmsford. Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, is released from a federal detention facility in Burlington, MA on Thursday, June 5, 2025 and speaks to the media with Rep. Jake Auchincloss (left) and Rep. Seth […]

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“This kid is as clean as a whistle,” the teen’s lawyer, Robin Nice, told reporters after a hearing in Chelmsford.

Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, is released from a federal detention facility in Burlington, MA on Thursday, June 5, 2025 and speaks to the media with Rep. Jake Auchincloss (left) and Rep. Seth Moulton. (Jackeline Luna/Globe Staff) Jackeline Luna/Globe Staff

CHELMSFORD, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts high school student who was arrested by immigration agents on his way to volleyball practice has been released from custody after a judge granted him bond Thursday.

Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, who came to the U.S. from Brazil at age 7, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Saturday. Authorities have said the agents were looking for the Milford High School teenager’s father, who owns the car Gomes da Silva was driving at the time and had parked in a friend’s driveway.

Speaking with members of the media outside the detention center shortly after his release on $2,000 bond, Gomes da Silva described “humiliating” conditions and said his faith in God helped him through his six days of detention.

On his wrist, he wore a bracelet made from the thin sheet of metallic blanket he was given to sleep on the cement floor.

“I’ll always remember this place,” he said. “I’ll always remember how it was.”

His lawyer, Robin Nice, told reporters after the hearing in Chelmsford that his arrest “shouldn’t have happened in the first place. This is all a waste.”

“We disrupted a kid’s life. We just disrupted a community’s life,” Nice said. “These kids should be celebrating graduation and prom, I assume? They should be doing kid stuff, and it is a travesty and a waste of our judicial process to have to go through this.”

She said Gomes da Silva was confined to a room holding 25 to 35 men, many twice his age, most of the time he was detained, with no windows, no time outside and no permission to shower. He was able to brush his teeth twice. Nice said that at one point Gomes da Silva, who is active in his local church, asked for a Bible and was denied.

Gomes da Silva, who said his father taught him to “put other people first,” said many of the men imprisoned with him didn’t speak English and didn’t understand why they were there. He had to inform some of them that they were being deported, and then watched them break down in tears.

“I told every single inmate down there: When I’m out, if I’m the only one who was able to leave that place, I lost,” he said. “I want to do whatever I can to get them as much help as possible. If they have to be deported, so be it. But in the right way, in the right conditions. Because no one down there is treated good.”

He said some days, he was given only crackers to eat, which he shared with the other men. One of his first stops after being released was to McDonald’s to get a soda, chicken nuggets, and french fries.

Supporters gather outside federal court in support of Marcelo Gomes da Silva.
Supporters gather outside federal court in support of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was arrested on his way to volleyball practice last weekend, on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Chelmsford, Mass. – AP Photo/Mark Stockwell

Not ICE’s target, but detained anyway

U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said earlier this week that ICE officers were targeting a “known public safety threat” and that Gomes da Silva’s father “has a habit of reckless driving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour through residential areas.”

“While ICE officers never intended to apprehend Gomes da Silva, he was found to be in the United States illegally and subject to removal proceedings, so officers made the arrest,” she said in a statement.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Monday that “like any local law enforcement officer, if you encounter someone that has a warrant or … he’s here illegally, we will take action on it.”

Gomes da Silva initially entered the country on a visitor visa and was later issued a student visa that has since lapsed, Nice said. She described him as deeply rooted in his community and a dedicated member of both the school marching band and a band at his church.

The immigration judge set a placeholder hearing date for a couple of weeks from Thursday, but it might take place months from that, Nice said.

“We’re optimistic that he’ll have a future in the United States,” she said.

A federal judge considering Gomes da Silva’s request to be released while his immigration case proceeds has given the government until June 16 to respond and ordered that Gomes da Silva not be moved out of Massachusetts without 48 hours’ notice given to the court. The government sought permission Wednesday to move Gomes da Silva to a detention facility in a different New England state, Nice said. A judge quickly denied the request.

Supporters gather outside federal court in support of Marcelo Gomes da Silva.
Supporters gather outside federal court in support of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was arrested on his way to volleyball practice last weekend, on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Chelmsford, Mass. – AP Photo/Mark Stockwell

A shaken community

“I love my son. We need Marcelo back home. It’s no family without him,” João Paulo Gomes Pereira said in a video released Wednesday. “We love America. Please, bring my son back.”

The video showed the family in the teen’s bedroom. Gomes da Silva’s sister describes watching movies with her brother and enjoying food he cooks for her: “I miss everything about him.”

Students at Milford High staged a walkout Monday to protest his detainment. Other supporters wore white and packed the stands of the high school gymnasium Tuesday night, when the volleyball team dedicated a match to their missing teammate.

Amani Jack, also a recent Milford High graduate, said her classmate’s absence loomed large over the graduation ceremony, where he was supposed to play in the band. She said if she had a chance to speak with the president, she’d ask him to ‘just put yourself in our shoes.’

“He did say he was going to deport criminals,” she said. “Marcelo is not a criminal. He’s a student. I really want him to take a step in our shoes, witnessing this. Try and understand how we feel. We’re just trying to graduate high school.”

Veronica Hernandez, a family advocate from Medford who said she works in a largely Hispanic community where ICE has had an active presence, said cases like Gomes da Silva’s show immigration enforcement is serious about taking “anybody” without legal status, not just those accused of crimes.

“I think seeing that something so simple as a child driving themselves and their friends to volleyball practice at risk struck a chord,” she said.

Associated Press reporter Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this story.





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122 Huskers Named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars – University of Nebraska

A total of 122 University of Nebraska student-athletes were honored Monday afternoon with the release of the 2024-25 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award recipients. To earn the award, athletes must have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year. Nebraska’s 122 honorees combined for 134 awards with 12 multi-sport […]

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A total of 122 University of Nebraska student-athletes were honored Monday afternoon with the release of the 2024-25 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award recipients.

To earn the award, athletes must have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year. Nebraska’s 122 honorees combined for 134 awards with 12 multi-sport athletes on the list.

Special recognition goes to 35 athletes who posted perfect 4.0 GPAs during 2024-25. The list of 4.0 GPAs is listed below.

Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student’s academic career. 

Husker Student-Athletes with 4.0 GPAs in 2024-25

Name

Sport(s)

Major

Ali Bainbridge

Women’s XC/ Track & Field

Nutrition & Health Sciences

Caterina Bisiacchi

Swimming & Diving

Applied Science

Kathryn Bowman

Bowling

Biochemistry

Noah Bustard

Football

Computer Science

Emanuela Casadei

Women’s Track & Field

Management/Marketing

Kylie Clark-Fox

Women’s Track & Field

Child, Youth & Family Studies

Turner Corcoran

Football

Criminology & Criminal Justice

Bariborve Deebom

Women’s Track & Field

Nutrition & Health Sciences

Cammy Garabian

Women’s Track & Field

Applied Science

Alea Hardie

Women’s XC/Track & Field

Psychology

Roni Hietaranta

Men’s Tennis

Psychology

Max Herman

Men’s Track & Field

Construction Management

Johanna Ilves

Women’s Track & Field

Agricultural Economics

Axelina Johansson

Women’s Track & Field

Graphic Design

Barret Liebentritt

Football

Biological Sciences

Arden Louchheim

Women’s Golf

Sports Media & Communication

Giulia Marchi

Swimming & Diving

Biological Sciences

Brynna McQuillen

Women’s XC/ Track & Field

Psychology/Communication Sciences & Disorders

Micaylon Moore

Men’s Track & Field

Early Childhood & Family Policy

Reid Nelson

Men’s Track & Field

Accounting

Reagan Raabe

Soccer

Nutrition & Health Sciences

JoJo Randby

Swimming & Diving

Biological Sciences/Management

Amelia Riggott

Swimming & Diving

Psychology/Sports Media & Communication

Abbey Schwarz

Soccer

Marketing

Berlyn Schutz

Women’s XC/ Track & Field

Political Science

Seth Schnakenberg

Men’s Track & Field

Biochemistry

Emma Spence

Women’s Gymnastics

Communication Studies

Lucy Stanhope

Women’s Gymnastics

Educational Psychology

Beatrix Tanko

Swimming & Diving

Computer Science/Finance

Darby Thomas

Women’s Track & Field

Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education

Zac Tiderman

Men’s Gymnastics

Sales Excellence

Abby Vacek

Soccer

Biological Sciences

Sadie Waite

Soccer

Marketing

Grant Wasserman

Men’s XC/ Track & Field

Computer Science/Data Science/Mathematics

Tyus Wilson

Men’s Track & Field

Elementary Education

Ashtyn Yoches

Bowling

Child, Youth & Family Studies

 



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LA28 Releases First Look at Competition Schedule in Celebration of Marking Three Years Out from the 2028 Olympic Games

The LA28 Games shares Olympic competition schedule for most ambitious sports lineup in history as PlayLA surpasses one million program enrollments to date    Los Angeles, CA (July 14, 2025) – Three years from today, the Olympic Games will return to Los Angeles for the third time in history, a remarkable milestone for the iconic […]

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The LA28 Games shares Olympic competition schedule for most ambitious sports lineup in history as PlayLA surpasses one million program enrollments to date 

 

Los Angeles, CA (July 14, 2025) – Three years from today, the Olympic Games will return to Los Angeles for the third time in history, a remarkable milestone for the iconic Host City. To celebrate the Road to 2028, LA28 today released the first look at the Olympic competition schedule. Additionally, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover will join Los Angeles’ Recreation and Parks and PlayLA later today to commemorate a major pre-Games legacy achievement of one million program enrollments in PlayLA programming. 

 

“We couldn’t be more excited to mark this moment at exactly three years out from Los Angeles’ third Olympic Games in 2028,” said Reynold Hoover LA28 Chief Executive Officer. “There is so much to celebrate today between one million program enrollments in LA28’s pre-Games legacy through the PlayLA program, plus the first look at the Olympic competition schedule that has been meticulously developed to ensure the world’s best athletes can compete in LA. We are energized by today’s milestones and remain focused on the work ahead as the Road to 2028 continues.” 

 

“We are now three years away from the LA Memorial Coliseum hosting the opening of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and I’m proud that the first medal will be awarded at the iconic Venice Beach,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “When the world comes here for these Games, we will highlight every neighborhood as we host a Games for all and work to ensure it leaves a monumental legacy. We are already delivering that legacy as we announce there have been more than one million enrollments in PlayLA. I want to thank LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for making these programs possible and for their continued work to host the greatest Games yet.”

 

For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Games will return to the United States with a schedule designed to accommodate both domestic and global viewership of the 844 ticketed events.   

 

2028 Olympic Competition Schedule Highlights:

 

  • Opening and Closing Ceremonies: The 2028 Olympic Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday, July 14, 2028 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT, shared between the LA Memorial Coliseum and 2028 Stadium in Inglewood, and the Closing Ceremony will take place Sunday, July 30, 2028 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT at the LA Memorial Coliseum.  
  • Historic Swap of Athletics and Swimming competitions: The 2028 Games will kick off with a powerful start thanks to the historic swap of the Athletics and Swimming events. Athletics will move to the first week of competition while Swimming will be held during the second week. 
  • Athletics at the LA Memorial Coliseum: The Games will kick off with the world’s fastest athletes at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Consistent with tradition, the Marathon events will take place on the final weekend of the Games. 
  • First Medal of the LA28 Games to be Awarded at Venice Beach: Also on Day 1, Triathlon will award LA28’s first Olympic champion in the Host City of Los Angeles, set along the vibrant coastline of Venice Beach. 
  • Most Games Medals Awarded on Day 15: Day 15 of competition will go down as one of the most memorable final weekends in Olympic medal history when 16 gold and bronze medal team sport matches and the Finals for 19 individual sports, including Swimming, all take place on the single most action-packed day of the LA28 Games. 
  • Swimming Finale: Swimming will close out the LA28 Games on Day 16 with the final competition session held in one of the world’s most technically advanced and modern stadiums, the 2028 Stadium, setting the stage for an epic Closing Ceremony at the LA Memorial Coliseum. 

 

Developed in close coordination with Games delivery partners including the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), International Federations (IFs) of each respective sport and approval from the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, the 2028 Olympic competition schedule showcases the most ambitious sports lineup in history. Leading up to the 2028 Games, the competition schedule will continue to evolve as planning progresses. A more detailed schedule with medal events and gender order will be released later this year. A downloadable PDF of the current Olympic competition schedule by day and by session is available here.  

 

PlayLA Surpasses One Million Program Enrollments

In partnership with Los Angeles Recreation and Parks, LA28 and the International Olympic Committee have invested up to $160 million in PlayLA, offering quality, affordable, and inclusive sports programming for kids of all abilities. Today, PlayLA is celebrating one million program enrollments, marking an incredible milestone in LA28’s pre-Games legacy. Programming offers kids ages 3-17 the opportunity to engage in over 40 Olympic and adaptive sports, including aquatics, athletics, boxing, flag football, judo, as well as adaptive swimming, adaptive athletics, para surfing, sitting volleyball and more. 

 

ABOUT THE LA28 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

The LA28 Games will mark Los Angeles’ third time to host the Olympic Games, previously hosted in 1984 and 1932, and first time to host the Paralympic Games. Los Angeles will host the world’s most elite athletes in 2028 as it welcomes Paralympians and Olympians from around the world to compete on the biggest stage in sports. The LA28 Games are independently operated by a privately funded, non-profit organization with revenue from corporate partners, licensing agreements, hospitality and ticketing programs and a significant contribution from the International Olympic Committee.  

 

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BGSU volleyball adds Bosic, Hobson

The Bowling Green State University volleyball program and head coach Alex DelPiombo announced the signings of Anastasija Bozic and Avery Hobson on Monday morning. Bozic, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, will come to the Falcons as a freshman from Panzevo, Serbia. Hobson, a 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter, will arrive in Bowling Green from Duquesne. Bozic is […]

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The Bowling Green State University volleyball program and head coach Alex DelPiombo announced the signings of Anastasija Bozic and Avery Hobson on Monday morning.

Bozic, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, will come to the Falcons as a freshman from Panzevo, Serbia. Hobson, a 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter, will arrive in Bowling Green from Duquesne.

Bozic is the eighth international student-athlete on the Falcons’ 2025 roster with players also from Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic and Poland.

In Serbia, Bozic most recently played for Ok “Kula” Gradacac in 2025 after competing with Ok “Zeleznicar” Lajovac from 2022-24.

With Ok Zelenznicar, she aided the team to a semifinal appearance in the 2023 and 2024 Serbian Super League Playoffs while also capturing the Cev Cup in both 2023 and 2024 as well. During the 2025 season Bozic earned the Best Scorer of the regular season honor for the Women’s OSBIH Premijer League.

“Anastasija joins our program as a freshman with an immense amount of high level experience,” said DelPiombo. “She is a winner and getting to know her in our recruiting process has made us excited to welcome her to BGSU and our community.

“Anastasija’s talent is just the start; her commitment to getting better, being a good teammate and passion for volleyball will be a big piece for our program.”

Bosic said, “I chose to attend BGSU because of its strong academic programs and excellent volleyball team. The university offers great opportunities for both my athletic and academic growth.

“I was impressed by the supportive community, the coaching staff’s dedication, and the chance to study while competing at a high level. BGSU feels like the perfect place for me to develop my skills and prepare for my future career.”

Hobson will join the Falcons after two seasons with Duquesne. As a freshman in 2023, Hobson was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team as well as being a two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week.

She followed it up in 2024 by being named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. As for her stats, Hobson appeared in 212 sets over all 56 matches during her two seasons with the Dukes. During her time, she landed 513 kills and 61 aces while adding 534 digs and 90 blocks on the defensive end.

She posted at least 200 kills, 200 digs, 35 blocks and 25 aces in each season, including 296 kills during her freshman campaign.

“Our program is very proud of our past accomplishments, but we are always looking to get better and take steps forward,” said DelPiombo.

“Avery has the tools and competitiveness to help us on that journey. Avery’s experience and drive to be great will immediately impact us. We’re so excited to welcome her to our program and Falcon Nation and know she’s going to be a great fit in our BGSU community and gym.”

With the Dukes, Hobson recorded 12 double-doubles, including double-digit digs in 27 matches and double-digit kills in 21 matches. As a freshman in 2023, her 296 kills led the team while her 3.02 kills per set ranked eighth in the A-10 conference while finishing fourth on the team in digs.

As for her sophomore campaign, Hobson flipped the script, leading the team in digs with 282, averaging 2.47 per set, while finishing fourth on the team in kills.

Before her time at Duquesne, Hobson aided Hamilton Southeastern to a 34-1 record and an Indiana Class 4A state title in 2022. She earned First Team All-State, All-District and All-Conference honors while being named a First Team All-American by MaxPreps.

She was also one of five finalists for the first-annual Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association (IHSVCA) Indiana Ms. Volleyball. As for club, Hobson competed with Circle City Volleyball Club.





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Lake Worth Christian volleyball leaves no doubt as Palm Beach’s best of last 25 years

Head coach Terri Kaiser hails volleyball as the ultimate team sport, and under her watch, Lake Worth Christian has become the ultimate volleyball program when it comes to Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach Post’s “Summer Celebration” series takes a look at the last 25 years in each sport, but one would have to go […]

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Head coach Terri Kaiser hails volleyball as the ultimate team sport, and under her watch, Lake Worth Christian has become the ultimate volleyball program when it comes to Palm Beach County.

The Palm Beach Post’s “Summer Celebration” series takes a look at the last 25 years in each sport, but one would have to go long beyond that to find the roots of Kaiser’s impact on Lake Worth Christian’s community.

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A bricklayer, in the truest sense.

Entering her 37th year at the school — split into two stretches — Kaiser remembers laying pipe in the ground to help expand what was at that point a one-building school.

Lake Worth Christian High School volleyball coachTerri Kaiser of walks onstage to receive the Courage Award at the Palm Beach County Sports Awards on May 28, 2025 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Lake Worth Christian High School volleyball coachTerri Kaiser of walks onstage to receive the Courage Award at the Palm Beach County Sports Awards on May 28, 2025 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

A look back at this year: Lake Worth Christian focusing on ‘the little things’

“We didn’t build the gym until the 90s,” she said. “This is very important: Lake Worth Christian encouraged students first, and athletes followed.”

But when it came time for athletics, Kaiser quickly made her mark.

Surprisingly, she didn’t start out coaching volleyball.

Looking back at her career as a multi-sport athlete in high school and college, Kaiser admitted that softball was her best sport and is in fact what she started coaching in her first years at Lake Worth Christian.

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But then she was asked about coaching volleyball, and a moment’s hesitation transformed over the years into a dynasty-like run perhaps unlike any other in the county.

Part of that is because as the sport has evolved, Kaiser has evolved right along with it.

“Volleyball is one of those sports that has evolved, changed, more than any other sport,” she said, pointing to a number of rule adjustments. “The rules keep changing. Volleyball, in the past 25 years has gone from best two out of three games to three out of five now. If you’re not doing it 12 months out of the year and touching the volleyball and playing the club circuit, you can’t evolve to be that next-level player.”

In her time at Lake Worth Christian, Kaiser has become a coach that surrounds herself with the game throughout the year, and she says that’s made as big a difference as any in helping the program find success.

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“I think what’s evolved for Lake Worth Christian volleyball is the consistency, the willingness of me and other people that coach with me in the program to stay involved for the last 25 years in a 12-month program.”

Kaiser’s dedication to the program matches the importance it carries for her, in her heart.

Lake Worth Christian carries a unique sense of community for Kaiser, but it goes deeper than that.

It’s family, in the literal sense.

All four of her kids attended the school from kindergarten through senior year, and all four went to college at Palm Beach Atlantic. While Joy VanDyke remains coaching at Cardinal Newman after coaching for a time with her mother, two live in North Carolina and one lives in Texas, now.

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The roots are the same, though, a testament to Kaiser’s depiction of loyalty being the hidden truth behind why the Lake Worth Christian volleyball program has been so successful.

“I think loyalty speaks a lot,” Kaiser said, who then took a moment to reflect on all of the players of the last 25 years and beyond that had won The Post’s Player of the Year recognition.

“Everyone, if you look at the list, they pretty much all were at Lake Worth Christian for longer than two years,” she said. “They didn’t just come in when the program was good. They came into the program from the beginning. Their ‘claim to fame’ — is that a good phrase? — would be, they were loyal. They were consistent. They stayed. And that’s different than what you have in the world right now.”

The idea of family extends to those players she’s coached, too.

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Rather than focusing on the state championships under her watch — 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2020, with another four runner-up finishes — Kaiser instead spoke with excitement about a cross-country trip she has planned this week.

2017 Volleyball Small Schools Player of the Year: Sarah Franklin, Lake Worth Christian

2017 Volleyball Small Schools Player of the Year: Sarah Franklin, Lake Worth Christian

The veteran coach is traveling to Texas to watch former Lake Worth Christian standout Sarah Franklin play in the Volleyball Nations League as the star outside hitter and former Player of the Year continues her Olympian-sized dreams.

In the era of instant gratification, it’s players like Franklin and others that Kaiser said stayed in the Defenders program and took the time to develop and play as year-round players.

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And in that light, going forward, Kaiser says that while the question of best program in the last 25 years is an interesting one, she asks an intriguing follow-up.

“What school is going to give the biggest incentive to play there? It might be a unique year to do a ‘who had the most successful program in 25 years for each spot’ story. A good question would be, are they going to continue down that path?”

Certainly, it’s a question that will be answered in time. But for Kaiser, there is no time like the present, and her love for volleyball is as strong as ever.

Alex Peterman covers high school sports for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@gannett.com.

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Girls Volleyball Player of the Year winners (2000-25)

  • Lake Worth Christian – 11

  • Boca Raton Christian – 3

Palm Beach County girls volleyball state championship (2000-25)

  • Lake Worth Christian – 5

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How Lake Worth Christian volleyball built a dynasty built on loyalty



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White Pigeon grad to play volleyball with Glen Oaks

WHITE PIGEON — White Pigeon volleyball coach Melissa Gales believes Layla Abner will be able to play a strong game of volleyball at the next level. She has seen the signs of Abner’s ability both on and off the courts. Now, Abner will look to take the next steps in furthering her career with volleyball […]

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WHITE PIGEON — White Pigeon volleyball coach Melissa Gales believes Layla Abner will be able to play a strong game of volleyball at the next level.

She has seen the signs of Abner’s ability both on and off the courts. Now, Abner will look to take the next steps in furthering her career with volleyball at Glen Oaks Community College beginning next month. It is a step, Abner said, which she is both excited for and nervous.

But that’s just fine, because it shows that she cares.

“I really think it’s a good fit for her, I think she will excel in anything she does,” Gales said of Abner. “She is a very motivated person, I think. She knows what she wants to do and school is obviously important to her as well.”

Abner is cautiously optimistic. But she is happy with herself in finding a place like Glen Oaks where she can continue to become her own person. Moving on to the college ranks as an athlete can be a lot for a graduating high school senior.

“When I figured out where I was going, I was kind of proud of myself,” Abner said. “It is a big step but I’m happy to have it figured out.”

Abner plays the defensive specialist position, which is often a thankless one. It requires a lot of lateral movement and taking on the big hits of the opposing offenses. So why continue to play volleyball?

“I started in like, sixth grade, and ever since then I have just loved the sport. I like the competitiveness it has,” she said. “I’m a fan of the joy it brings to me, as well. It can be frustrating at times, but I love that the sport makes me happy.”

This past year, as a senior, Abner earned honorable mention accolades by the SouthWest10 Conference.

Abner spoke highly of the team she played with as a senior this past year. It was her final year with the Chiefs, which made it special enough, but Abner said it was also a year which helped her grow. She was proud of the team’s play on both offense and defense, additionally saying she felt like the team was more of a family.

“We all worked together so well this year, I think that was important,” she said. “This year changed quite a bit for me, I think.”

In the classroom, Abner said she plans to follow a career in nursing or potentially culinary.

She prefers baking to cooking, saying the ability to master brownies, cookies and cupcakes is quite a bit of fun.

Abner will miss her friends and teammates from White Pigeon when she moves on to the next level. She won’t be far away, but the new chapter brings along new challenges among other things.

Gales said Abner’s growth as a senior, even though she had only been coaching her for a year or so, was noticeable.

“She probably blossomed most her senior year, she was a staple for us defensively in serve-receive,” Gales said. “I think she really challenged herself as a player this year, learning to push herself.”

Abner said she appreciated what Gales did to help her this year. Getting to the next level can always be tough, she knows, but continuing to build confidence in herself will be a big movement forward.

“I’m pretty nervous, I don’t really know why but I am,” Abner said. “I think it’s meeting new people, learning new things. I’m not the best with that, there is some social anxiety, but I think it will be OK.”

Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.



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Shipway steps into Chair role on interim basis; view AGM agenda

Alison Shipway is to become Volleyball England’s Chair of the Board on an interim basis, starting after Saturday’s (19th July) Annual General Meeting.  The organisation’s Vice Chair will temporarily take over from Adam Walker – who steps down at the weekend after completing the maximum eight-year term of service – while the process to identify […]

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Alison Shipway is to become Volleyball England’s Chair of the Board on an interim basis, starting after Saturday’s (19th July) Annual General Meeting. 

The organisation’s Vice Chair will temporarily take over from Adam Walker – who steps down at the weekend after completing the maximum eight-year term of service – while the process to identify and appoint a permanent successor is concluded. 

“I’m honoured to step into the role of Interim Chair at Volleyball England whilst we continue our critical recruitment of a new Chair to take up the role on a permanent basis,” said Shipway. 

“As a committed and highly-skilled Board, we remain collectively focused on continuing to ensure effective governance and robust strategic oversight, and importantly, supporting the whole volleyball community as we embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead. 

“My immediate priority is to support with the transition to a new Chair’s tenure with steady and collaborative leadership as we all move forward together.” 

Meanwhile, the agenda for the AGM, which will be staged at Loughborough SportPark, starting at 11.30am, can be viewed here. 

For those who cannot attend in person, it will be streamed on Volleyball England’s YouTube Channel, which can be viewed by clicking here (stream will appear when live). 

The Volleyball England Foundation AGM will also take place on the same day at the same venue, starting at the slightly earlier time of 10.30am.

 



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