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Monadnock Ledger-Transcript – ConVal volleyball players hit the road with travel teams

Eight members of the ConVal girls’ varsity and JV volleyball teams keep their skills sharp by playing travel volleyball throughout the winter and spring, competing in tournaments as far away as Las Vegas and going up against teams from all over the country. “Playing against really talented girls from all over is incredibly tough because […]

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2 weeks ago

May 1, 2025

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“Playing against really talented girls from all over is incredibly tough because the competition is on a whole different level. Every player is fast, powerful and smart on the court. You’re constantly challenged physically by the speed and strength of their game, and mentally by their ability to read plays and stay composed under pressure,” said ConVal varsity co-captain Zadie Marshall.

Marshall and fellow co-captain Ivy Armstrong-McEvoy play for Junior Dynamo NH Volleyball Club based in Milford. This winter, tournaments with Dynamo took them to Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Connecticut and Boston.

Most of the players travel 45 minutes to one hour each way to practice with their club teams, balancing schoolwork and other sports. All eight players also work during the school year and the summer.

“I would say that the most-challenging thing about playing travel volleyball is staying on top of schoolwork during tournament weekends,” Armstrong-McEvoy said. “It can be challenging to complete school assignments while also focusing on playing. A lot of my energy is saved for the games I have to play during the day, and I try my very best to use the rest of my energy on assignments. Although sometimes, all I want to do is take a nap after working hard on the court.”

Ava Van Horn, Regan Kirlin, Piper Bernier and Emily Simard play for the Capital Region Black Hawks Volleyball Club, which is based in Concord. When asked what she thinks is the best part of travel volleyball, Simard said she enjoys getting to play at a higher level.

“Depending on what bracket we are placed in, at all our tournaments, we seem to play a few higher-level teams, which I definitely enjoy,” Simard said. “I also like being able to meet and play against new people and to get to experience more game play during tournaments.”

All the players agree that playing travel volleyball is a very different experience from playing on the ConVal team.

“I would say that club volleyball is a lot different than the ConVal season. For me, I learn a lot of my skills during the club season, and then showcase them during the ConVal season,” Armstrong-McEvoy said.

Van Horn said the best part of playing travel volleyball is making new friends.

“From my experience, the social and physical dynamics of school and club teams are very different,” Van Horn said. “A highlight of my club season has been connecting with the girls and forming ‘forever’ friendships. Not only do we share a love for the sport, but now each other as well.”

Bernier said, “I really enjoy playing club volleyball because it gives me the opportunity to compete at a high level with players from all over, which pushes me to grow as an athlete. I can see noticeable growth in my skills and confidence, and I’m truly proud of that. I’m also really grateful for all the coaches. ”

Bernier said varsity and club volleyball are “hard to compare, since they’re so different.”

“I also really enjoy high school volleyball. The energy on our team is always so positive, and I’m surrounded by supportive teammates and peers. One of the best parts of school volleyball is the support we see at games from the students and parents. Club and school are so different, but I’ve learned a lot from both,’ she said.

Kirlin, a sophomore, balanced winter club volleyball with skiing on the ConVal Alpine team.

“Learning to play cohesively as a team with limited practice time is a real challenge, since we only practice twice a week, and one practice is optional,” Kirlin said.

Kirlin feels her travel team, the Black Hawks, are very supportive, and she appreciates the quality of the coaching.

“My travel team coach really cares, and spends time talking to us about how we can improve as players,” Kirin said. “I loved getting to play in a set position where I can grow and improve as a player, but also fill in where I am needed elsewhere on the team.”

Sophomore Grace Schuneman, who plays for the Mill City Orange, said travel and varsity volleyball are “very different.”

“It takes longer to come together on travel teams because very few girls know each other. The time commitment and the extra work required to be successful means sacrificing in other areas. It’s also really a year-round commitment,” Schunemann said.

Schuneman plans to attend volleyball camps to work on her skills throughout the summer.

Junior Ashlynn Williams, who plays for Meraki Volleyball in Bedford, travels just under an hour each way.

“Travel volleyball has way high expectations and it really will push me to make strides in my volleyball career,” she said.

Each of the players said the best part of travel volleyball, aside from making new friends, is winning tournaments. Marshall said the hours of practice “were all worth it” when Dynamo finished the season on top.

“Winning in a division above our usual level was the highlight of the season because it proved how much we had grown as a team and how hard we had worked. We weren’t expected to come out on top, and every match pushed us to play smarter, harder, and more together than ever before. That win wasn’t just a trophy; it was a statement that we could compete with the best and hold our own,” she said.

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McCutcheon boys volleyball advances in IHSAA sectional

WEST LAFAYETTE ― Exposure was at the forefront of McCutcheon boys volleyball coach Keith Crisler’s mind Wednesday night. Sophomore Mason Souligne was on a serving tear, putting the finishing touches on a three-set sweep against an outmatched Tri-West team in the opening round of the sectional at Harrison’s May Gymnasium. When Crisler played volleyball at […]

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7 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

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WEST LAFAYETTE ― Exposure was at the forefront of McCutcheon boys volleyball coach Keith Crisler’s mind Wednesday night.

Sophomore Mason Souligne was on a serving tear, putting the finishing touches on a three-set sweep against an outmatched Tri-West team in the opening round of the sectional at Harrison’s May Gymnasium.

When Crisler played volleyball at Lafayette Jeff, it was a club sport trying to gain traction and still seen in the eyes of some as a bit too niche.

Now he’s coaching in a sectional tournament sanctioned by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. It blew Crisler’s mind, he said.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Crisler said. “I’m glad we’re getting exposed to everybody in the entire state and we’re growing because volleyball is a fantastic sport.”

Personalities, Crisler believes, come out in the heat of competition.

It was evident Wednesday night when the Mavericks, viewing the postseason as a chance to right a wrong from their most recent outing, celebrated every kill, every block and every ace with the utmost enthusiasm.

This just six days after a four-set loss to North Putnam to conclude the regular season.

“We were kind of six individuals on a court and we weren’t really cohesive,” senior Khelan Patel said. “We really emphasized bringing our energy up and staying up no matter what happens.”

As McCutcheon’s libero, that energy starts with Patel, the team’s shortest player but also its driving force.

In a matter of years, boys high school volleyball in Indiana went from a club sport to an emerging sport to a sport officially recognized by the IHSAA.

For seniors Patel, Kierran Jordan, Josh Madsen, Jayden Heygood and Malachi Kenner, this is their one time to embrace being volleyball players under the IHSAA’s umbrella.

They want it to last as long as possible.

On Wednesday night, with a team that was engaged from the starting lineup all the way to the end of the bench, they proved it.

“We have had a lot of ups and downs this season, but we didn’t let that get in our head,” Madsen said. “However the season has gone, there’s no reason to feel like we don’t care or not push as hard as we can and want the best for each other.”

McCutcheon (14-9) next takes the court Saturday, May 17 in a sectional semifinal match with Lebanon (4-7-1) at 11 a.m. The winner advances to the championship game later that day at 7 p.m.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.

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Santa Barbara Foundation Awards $25,000 Grant to Support New Community Aquatics Complex in Santa Ynez Valley

The Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is honored to announce a $25,000 donation from the Santa Barbara Foundation in support of the Everybody in the Pool! capital campaign. This leadership gift will help advance the development of a new community aquatics complex designed to serve the entire Santa Ynez Valley region. Jackie Carrera, President & CEO […]

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30 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

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The Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is honored to announce a $25,000 donation from the Santa Barbara Foundation in support of the Everybody in the Pool! capital campaign. This leadership gift will help advance the development of a new community aquatics complex designed to serve the entire Santa Ynez Valley region.

Jackie Carrera, President & CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation, states, “The Santa Barbara Foundation is pleased to support local organizations that contribute meaningfully to the quality of life in Santa Barbara County. We commend the team that is working on developing this important community asset and look forward to the day when the residents of the Santa Ynez Valley can enjoy all that it will offer.”

This transformative project represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring accessible, year-round public swim to the Valley while honoring the legacy of community volunteerism that built the original 60-year-old high school pool.

The future SYV Community Aquatics Complex will feature two state-of-the-art pools: a 25-yard warm water pool for recreation, swim instruction, and therapeutic use, and a 33-meter competition pool designed for CIF-sanctioned swim meets, water polo, and diving. The facility’s innovative design allows for simultaneous school and community use, ensuring that at least one pool remains accessible to the public at all times while maintaining a secure environment for students.

The complex is built around three core goals:

Promote Health and Wellness through fitness, rehabilitation, and inclusive programming coordinated with local partners;
Provide a CIF-sanctioned Pool to host competitive athletic events and support student athletes;
Partner for Youth Development and Education with local schools and youth organizations to expand swim education and water safety.

“The Santa Barbara Foundation’s early investment sends a powerful message about the importance of local access to health, safety, and recreation,” said Lisa Palmer, Board President and Campaign Chair of the Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation. “This support brings us one step closer to creating a facility that will benefit our entire community—youth, families, seniors, and individuals with special or therapeutic needs.”

The SYV Community Aquatics Complex addresses a critical regional gap: the Valley currently has the lowest access to public aquatics programs in Santa Barbara County. The nearest public pools are 25 to 35 miles away, leaving thousands of residents with limited options for affordable swim programs, water safety education, and aquatic therapy.

The Everybody in the Pool! campaign seeks to raise $13.7 million to make the project a reality by December 2026. The Santa Barbara Foundation’s grant marks an important milestone in this community-driven effort.

To learn more about the project or to support the campaign, visit syvaquatics.org or contact us at campaign@syvaquatics.org.

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Celtics keep season alive with blowout win over Knicks in Game 5 – 98.5 The Sports Hub

The Boston Celtics are not done yet. Facing elimination and playing without Jayson Tatum, who is done for the playoffs with a ruptured Achilles, Derrick White and other secondary scorers stepped up and delivered in a 127-102 blowout win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at TD Garden. The series will now shift […]

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36 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

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The Boston Celtics are not done yet.

Facing elimination and playing without Jayson Tatum, who is done for the playoffs with a ruptured Achilles, Derrick White and other secondary scorers stepped up and delivered in a 127-102 blowout win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at TD Garden. The series will now shift back to New York for Game 6 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

White led the C’s on the offensive end with a game-high 34 points on 56.3 percent shooting. Big man Luke Kornet was the surprise standout of the night, especially on defense, as he blocked seven shots. Kornet nearly posted a triple-double off the bench with 10 points and nine rebounds to go with the seven rejections.

The first quarter saw a lot of scoring from both sides, but the Celtics found themselves trailing New York 32-30. White led the way in the stanza with 14 points, he opened the game 4-for-4 from three and concluded the quarter 4-of-5 from deep. For the Knicks, Mitchell Robinson had the point lead with six, and notably was 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

The second quarter began with the Knicks quickly jumping out to a nine point lead, but the Celtics climbed back later in the quarter finishing the half with the game tied at 59. White (19 points) and Jaylen Brown (17 points) were the two guys who led the charge for the Green – White ended the half shooting 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) from three, Brown was 3-for-3 (100 percent).

For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson, again, guided the way, giving New York 13 points, and five assists, in nearly 19 minutes of play. Robinson – who, again, was 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the half – gathered 11 rebounds (six offensive) for the Knicks during his 15-first half minutes.

In the third quarter the Celtics were able to sustain the first large lead of the game, finishing the frame with a 91-76 lead. Both White (32 points) and Brown (22 points) continuing to get the job done. Kornet was letting his defensive presence be known with key blocks sprinkled throughout.

The Celtics extended their lead to 23 at the 7:36 mark of the fourth quarter off a beautiful feed from Brown for a Jrue Holiday dunk to make the score 106-83. Soon after, Brunson was knocked out with his sixth foul of the game. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau used an unsuccessful coach’s challenge, prompting the New York star to watch the remainder of the game from the bench.

The Knicks get another chance to eliminate the C’s on their home court Friday night. You can catch the broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.

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Bears Finish Spring Semester with Strong Effort in the Classroom

Story Links SPRINGFIELD — As a department, Missouri State’s student-athletes combined for a collective 3.314 grade-point average with nearly 6,000 academic hours of class time for the spring 2025 semester, the university has announced. It marks the second-highest semester GPA on record for the department with 15 teams posting a 3.0 grade-point […]

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1 hour ago

May 15, 2025

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SPRINGFIELD — As a department, Missouri State’s student-athletes combined for a collective 3.314 grade-point average with nearly 6,000 academic hours of class time for the spring 2025 semester, the university has announced.

It marks the second-highest semester GPA on record for the department with 15 teams posting a 3.0 grade-point average or better for the term. Only last semester’s (fall 2024) 3.368 exceeds this spring’s semester academic standard.

All told, 315 Bears recorded a 3.0 GPA or better this spring while 213 individuals made the Dean’s List with a 3.5 GPA or better. Likewise, 83 student-athletes posted a perfect 4.0 GPA this semester.

The spring term also represents the highest semester GPA on record for women’s track & field (3.561) and STUNT (3.304), as well as the second-highest semester GPA’s for football (2.940), beach volleyball (3.734), softball (3.706) and women’s tennis (3.792).

Led by cross country (3.784), beach volleyball, softball and tennis, all 13 MoState women’s programs achieved a 3.0 or higher. Additionally, women’s soccer (3.687), women’s swimming and diving (3.563), and women’s track and field each eclipsed a 3.50 GPA for the semester.

On the men’s side, swimming and diving (3.312) led all programs, followed closely by men’s soccer (3.184) and baseball (3.177). Football’s semester GPA marked the program’s best spring semester on record and second-highest overall in any semester.

All Missouri State student-athletes with a 3.0 spring semester GPA are recognized as honorees on the MSU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, which will be announced at a later date.

#GoBears

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Cowgirls Announce 2025 Volleyball Schedule

LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team has announced its 2025 schedule, coinciding with the Mountain West’s release of the conference volleyball slate. The Cowgirls, who are entering year three under Head Coach Kaylee Prigge, will host a pair of non-conference tournaments, along with the customary nine home conference matches. Wyoming opens the regular season […]

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2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

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LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team has announced its 2025 schedule, coinciding with the Mountain West’s release of the conference volleyball slate.

The Cowgirls, who are entering year three under Head Coach Kaylee Prigge, will host a pair of non-conference tournaments, along with the customary nine home conference matches. Wyoming opens the regular season at home with the Rumble in the Rockies August 29-31.

Cleveland State, Colorado and Tulsa will be the opponents to kick off 2025. UW will also host the UniWyo Invite September 18-20, welcoming in Idaho State, Long Beach State and Portland.

Wyoming will make trips to South Dakota State and TCU during the non-conference. The Cowgirls will face Ole Miss and South Dakota State Sept. 6 and 7 before heading to Fort Worth, Texas to face Missouri, Rhode Island and TCU Sept. 11 and 12.

Mountain West play opens at home for the Cowgirls this season with matchups against Colorado State and New Mexico Sept. 23 and 25, respectively. UW’s first road matches of conference action will be Oct. 2 and 4 at San Diego State and UNLV. Senior Day is Nov. 15, also against the Aztecs. Other home matches during MW play are Oct. 9 and 11 against Utah State and Boise State, Oct. 23 versus Fresno State, Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 against Air Force and Nevada, while UNLV comes to town Nov. 13.

The annual Brown and Gold Scrimmage is slated for Saturday, Aug. 16 at the UniWyo. The Cowgirls’ annual outreach match is scheduled for Aug. 23 against Denver for an exhibition held in Cheyenne.

Times for every match will be announced later. All dates are subject to change. For the full 2025 schedule, head to GoWyo.com.

University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

The rules are simple: What was the player’s impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.

This isn’t a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220’s Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.

We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS — only we hope this catalog is fairer.

Don’t agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports – #Top50UWFB

Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com

– University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

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Kacie Ehinger tabbed to lead USA D-2 Volleyball in international competition

Story Links FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern Sharks Volleyball will be showcased on the international stage as Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, junior defensive specialist Marley Navaretta, and senior setter Gabrielle Spankus will represent USA D-2 Volleyball on the Brazil Tour. Ehinger will lead the USA D-2 Volleyball Blue Team, […]

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2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern Sharks Volleyball will be showcased on the international stage as Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, junior defensive specialist Marley Navaretta, and senior setter Gabrielle Spankus will represent USA D-2 Volleyball on the Brazil Tour.

Ehinger will lead the USA D-2 Volleyball Blue Team, which features both Navaretta and Spankus, as well as team members representing East Stroudsburg, Florida Tech, Ashland, Alabama-Huntsville, West Florida, Rollins, and Trevecca Nazarene.

The USA D-2 Volleyball team tour will run from May 12th through May 21st. The teams opened competition on May 13th, competing in Jundiai. Today, the team will travel to, and play in the city of Sao Paulo. On Thursday, May 15th, the USA D-2 teams will then travel to Rio de Janeiro, beginning the International Challenge on Saturday, May 17th.

In addition to competing in the International Challenge in Rio de Janeiro, team USA will then host a youth clinic at the Marina Barra Clube, hosted by Ripper Volei, as part of their social outreach project.

While in Brazil the team will experience educational, cultural, and social aspects of Brazilian life through city, school and sports club visits. While in Rio the team will be staying on the famous Copacabana Beach (location for the 2016 Rio Olympic Beach Volleyball) and touring the Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugar Loaf Mountain, two of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The team will visit the popular international market in Ipanema and Ipanema Beach.

To stay up-to-date on Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, Marley Navaretta, and Gabrielle Spankus during the USA D-2 Volleyball international competitions, be sure to follow on Instagram at NSU_Volleyball and X at NSU_VB.

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