LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Nebraska legend and one of volleyball’s most iconic figures John Cook sat down with 10/11 Thursday to talk about the upcoming Omaha Supernovas season.

The former Nebraska volleyball head coach joined the organization as co-owner and general manager in August after announcing his retirement that January.

Cook shared details about his new role and transition from collegiate volleyball to professional volleyball.

“This has been a pretty easy transition for me because this is similar to what I’ve been doing,” Cook said. “If you look at it, you’re just trying to put all this group together, give them everything they need to perform their best I mean that’s the bottom line. That’s my job is to give them every opportunity to be the best that they can become.”

Cook said he was inspired to get involved in the organization when he noticed the amount of mothers and daughters attending Supernovas matches last season.

One of Cook’s goals for the Supernovas was to build a team around great culture. That helped guide the organization during recruitment season.

“It’s a first-class organization and so it was easy to find players that wanted to come here and then also fit what we were looking for in culture and being competitive.”

Fifteen players are on Supernovas roster this season, including two former Nebraska players, opposite hitter Merritt Beason and Leyla Blackwell.

“We wanted to create and built a team that the fans would recognize and relate to and I think that’s one of the reasons why people are so passionate about about the Supernovas,” Cook said.

Watch the Supernovas at 7 p.m. Thursday when they take on the San Diego Mojo at CHI Health Center in Omaha.

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.

BIRMINGHAM – UAB Track & Field returns to the Birmingham Crossplex on Friday and Saturday for its first meets of 2026. On Friday, events will kick off at 1 p.m. while Saturday events begin at 9 a.m.

THE FIELD

Among the teams participating with the Blazers this weekend will be Auburn, Chattanooga, Georgia State, Southern Miss, Troy, and UT Martin.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR

Last year’s Blazer Invite was canceled due to winter weather events.

THE LAST TIME OUT

The Blazers’ last meet came on December 5 at the Birmingham Icebreaker at the Birmingham Crossplex. Leticia Quingostas started her senior season strong in the 300m. The senior from Brazil placed ninth overall out of 28 athletes and won heat 4 with a time of 40.51 seconds. The freshmen middle distance duo consisting of Kelly Hughes and Katelyn Valtos made their college debuts in the 1000m. Hughes (3:05.08) and Valtos (3:06.08) finished sixth and seventh overall respectively. Valtos’ time was tops in heat 2. The Green and Gold rounded out the day with true freshman Sarah Hopkins competing in the Weight Throw. Hopkins finished her day with a mark of 14.58m on her final successful throw, which ranks third-best in school history for Indoor Weight Throw.

MEET INFORMATION

Fans can access live results, meet information, and the entire meet schedules on uabsports.com/sports/womens-track-and-field.

ENTRY TO THE CROSSPLEX

Only credit cards will be accepted on the campus of the Birmingham Crossplex.

FOLLOW THE BLAZERS

To keep up with UAB Track & Field, follow @UAB_TF_XC on Instagram and X.

Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina head volleyball coach Karen Glover finalized her 2026 roster with a pair of transfers, adding middle blocker Brookelyn Nance (Gardner-Webb) and Sophia Marini (Daytona State), as both are set to join WCU for the spring semester in advance of the 2026 season. Nance will have three years of eligibility with the Catamounts, as Marini has two years with WCU.

 

Marini and Nance join a quartet of student-athletes who will join the program in the fall of 2026 in setter Leilani Ramos (Jupiter, Fla.), outside hitter Taylor Baggett (Fayetteville, N.C.), middle blocker Aiyana Harris (Mansfield, Texas), and outside hitter Ashlyn Cobb (Delray Beach, Fla.), who each signed back in November to join the Catamounts.

 

Sophia Marini – 6-0 – RS – Daytona State / Hagerty HS / Oviedo, Fla.

Marini comes to Cullowhee after spending the past two seasons at Daytona State in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Oviedo, Fla. native appeared in 45 matches totaling 156 sets over two years at Daytona State. During her two years with the Falcons, she totaled 246 kills, ranking third on the team last season with 152.  She finished with a single-game, season-best 11 kills against Polk State (Sept. 27) and 10 vs Salt Lake CC (Aug. 29).

 

Marini contributed on defense with 65 blocks over her two seasons, including 44 in 2025. She garnered FCSAA All-Tournament team honors from the conference in 2025 after a standout performance in a pair of tourney matchups with 10 kills, five blocks, and four digs over seven sets. She also received “Battle at the Beach” all-tournament honors during the opening weekend for Daytona State, as she contributed on both ends of the stat sheet.

Brookelyn Nance – 6-2 – MB – Gardner-Webb / Hickory Ridge HS / Hickory, N.C.

Nance joins the WCU family after spending her debut collegiate season at Gardner-Webb out of the Big South Conference. A product of Hickory, N.C., Nance comes to the Catamounts after totaling 113 kills spanning 75 sets throughout 22 matches in 2025 with the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Nance totaled a season-high 10 kills against Norfolk State during the early part of the season, as she had five matches posting over a .300 hitting percentage.

 

On the defensive end, Nance helped lead Gardner-Webb to the second-best blocking team in the Big South, finishing with 67 rejections. Before her stop in Boiling Springs, she was an all-conference selection at Hickory Ridge High as a prep senior, surpassing 200 kills in both her junior (293) and senior (234) seasons. She played club volleyball for Carolina Juniors.  

Keep track of everything related to Catamount volleyball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts, @catamountvb), and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountvb). 

ARLINGTON, Texas – As UT Arlington student-athletes achieved championship success in competition, the foundation was laid in the classroom.
 
As a collective, UT Arlington student-athletes combined for a 3.125 grade point average in the Fall 2025 semester while holding a 3.123 overall department GPA. Of the 11 athletics units, all 11 teams earned at least a 2.9 GPA during Fall 2025, led by women’s golf with a 3.438 GPA, just ahead of baseball with a 3.281 GPA.
 

Those teams were followed by women’s basketball (3.229), volleyball (3.190), men’s tennis (3.116), women’s track & field (3.070), men’s basketball and women’s tennis (3.054), men’s golf (3.013), softball (2.967) and men’s track & field (2.964).
 
This is the 24th semester in a row that the athletic department held a cumulative department GPA above a 3.0. Overall, 10 of the 11 programs hold a 3.0 GPA or better with all 11 holding a 2.95 GPA or better.
 
2025 Fall Team Grade Point Averages

— #BuckEm —

 
FOLLOW THE MAVS SOCIALLY
For up-to-date news, photos and videos, follow UTA Athletics online at UTAMavs.com or via several social media accounts on X @UTAMavs, Instagram @UTAMavs and Facebook /UTAMavs.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Ryan Windisch has been promoted to Associate Head Coach of Arizona Volleyball after three years on staff as an assistant coach, head coach Charita Stubbs announced on Thursday.
 
“I am thrilled to announce Ryan’s promotion to Associate Head Coach,” Stubbs said. “He has been on my staff since the beginning and is extremely knowledgeable about the game of volleyball which has helped our program grow over the past three years. I am thankful to have him on staff and look forward to seeing him continue to grow with our program.”

Windisch, who coached the defensive specialists and setters in the 2025 season, helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and finish sixth place in the Big 12. In 2025, he helped the defense total 1,632 digs and average 14.57 digs per set. Windisch also helped Arizona’s setter rank second in the Big 12 with 10.63 assists per set during the 2025 season.

 

In Windisch’s second year on staff, the Wildcats won the 2024 NIVC Championship with a 24-9 overall record. Windisch helped the defense record 1,849 digs which ranked 10th in program history for digs in a single season.  During his three years on staff, Windisch has coached AVCA All-American Jordan Wilson and six All-Conference performers.

 

Earning it, not expecting it

Opportunity, however, was never confused with entitlement.

Haneline arrived on campus knowing nothing would be handed to her. Preseason practices were six-hour days, constant competition and physical and mental fatigue that tests even veteran players.

“I told myself it was okay if I didn’t play,” she said. “But my mindset was that I was going to do everything I possibly could to earn it.”

That meant winning positional battles, taking care of her body, eating right, lifting, getting sleep and showing up every day with purpose. Slowly, confidence replaced doubt.

“I think it was early in non-conference play when I realized, ‘Okay, I can do this,’” she said. “Once we started seeing how the lineup was shaping up, I felt it.”

A big reason for that confidence stood right next to her.

Learning from the best

As a freshman middle blocker, Haneline spent countless hours alongside senior standout Ady O’Grady, soaking in advice and modeling her approach.

“I stuck by her side a lot,” Haneline said. “I wanted to learn everything I could from her. Watching her, asking questions, trying to be like her.”

The mentorship left a lasting imprint.

“I told my coaches I want to be the next Ady,” she said. “I want freshmen coming in to look up to me the way I looked up to her.”

That leadership mindset has already shown itself, especially during moments when USC Upstate leaned heavily on its freshman class.

A freshman trio making history

There were nights this season when the Spartans featured three freshmen across the front row, with another freshman anchoring the back line at libero.

“One game, we were all up there, and I said in the huddle, ‘Okay, freshmen, we got this,’” Haneline said, laughing. “We’d say little things to each other on the net, just funny freshman comments.”

That trust paid off. USC Upstate finished 14-14 and saw three freshmen make program history. Outside hitter Summer Kohler earned Second Team All-Big South honors. Haneline and libero Sophia Overholt both collected Honorable Mention All-Big South nods. All three landed on the league’s All-Freshman Team, the most in a single season in program history.

For Haneline, the numbers backed up the accolades. She appeared in all 27 matches and 105 sets, ranking third on the team with 260 kills and second with a .245 hitting efficiency. She added 80 total blocks, including 10 solo stops, and recorded double-digit kills in 11 matches.

Her freshman résumé continues a trend of excellence that began long before she arrived in Spartanburg.

Built before she arrived

At Crest High School in Shelby, Haneline helped the Chargers to 63 wins and four playoff appearances. Over her prep career, she totaled 1,259 kills, 554 digs, 214 blocks and 167 service aces while posting a .306 hitting percentage. She was a three-time All-Conference selection, a two-time All-Region honoree and an AVCA Watchlist athlete.

Club volleyball further sharpened her edge, including a third-place finish in the Premier Division at AAU Nationals.

Still, college volleyball required growth. Injuries forced Haneline to spend time at right side, giving her a new perspective on efficiency and shot selection.

“It helped me realize the difference between being a middle and being on the pin,” she said. “As a middle, it’s quick and done. On the right side, you’re not getting a kill every swing. You have to be smart.”

That adaptability is shaping her focus heading into spring and beyond. Blocking. Efficiency. Finding every possible way to help the team.