Sports
NCAA office of inclusion sponsors 4 HBCU student-athletes to attend Black Student-Athlete Summit
For Anaya Martin, being nominated to attend the Black Student-Athlete Summit came at the perfect time in her career.
“We talked about life after athletics,” said the Tuskegee track and field student-athlete who finished her sophomore year on the team. “You have to think about (the future) now before it even happens. If you wait, it’s gonna be too late.
“That was a great eye-opener. You see so many eye-openers being here, and it kind of helps you realize that you’re not alone.”
The NCAA office of inclusion sponsored four student-athletes from historically Black colleges and universities to attend the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Chicago last month. The NCAA’s inclusion, education and community engagement team works with HBCU conference commissioners to provide opportunities for student-athletes to take part in this life-changing experience.
The summit, held May 21-24, united student-athletes, athletics professionals and industry leaders for four days of programming. Participants engaged in career development sessions, financial literacy workshops and wellness activities designed to prepare them for life beyond sports.
Aidan Starling, a track and field and cross country student-athlete from Grambling, used the summit to reflect on his position coming from an HBCU.
“HBCUs haven’t always been afforded the same opportunities. It’s usually a pretty stark difference. This kind of initiative, this fellowship, has really given me, as a representative of my school, an opportunity to be in a space and voice some of the struggles we’ve had and learn from people we couldn’t have possibly learned from before.”
Starling’s time in Chicago empowered him to see how far he has come while recognizing his future path.
“There are points of time when I never would have seen myself making it as far as I have,” he said. “When you get out, when you make it, when you get these positions you’re dreaming of, go back and bring somebody else out to where you are.”
The Black Student-Athlete Summit equipped participants with tangible skills, connections and pathways to leadership in business, culture and community. The programming brought in speakers from myriad industries.
Ethaliah Edouard, a volleyball student-athlete from Johnson C. Smith, plans to enter the medical field. An impactful moment for Edouard was the opportunity to listen to a session with a former student-athlete who became a doctor.
“She was talking about how she learns, how her brain works and how it was a struggle for her to study, how it was a struggle for her to focus,” she said. “It was like looking into a mirror. The things that she described are the exact things that I spent so much time going through.”
Additionally, Edouard said meeting participants who attend predominantly white schools allowed her to reflect on her own experience at a historically Black university.
“A lot of them talked about how they’re the only ones on their team, in their school, in their classrooms. They’ve never had black professors. Honestly, it made me appreciate my HBCU even more. It showed me there is so much power in me playing with and being surrounded by other Black girls.”
Clay Green, a golf student-athlete from North Carolina Central, said the law session broke down the process of becoming a sports attorney, a path he is interested in pursuing.
Ultimately, Green’s time at the summit will allow him to bring the lessons he learned back to campus.
“We’re trying to build a foundation of not only just financial literacy but understanding that there’s opportunities outside of sports. Knowing I’m not alone set a good foundation of what I want to talk about when I come back.”
Meeting other Black student-athletes, administrators and industry leaders allowed these four student-athletes to gain new perspectives, visualize different career paths and see representation in the professional world.
“Coming from an HBCU, I already see Black excellence,” Green said. “But seeing it outside of your HBCU is always a pleasure.”
THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls State University track and field coach Stefanie Slekis announced the 2026 schedule along with the hiring of assistant coach Cameron Bolt on Monday afternoon.
Nicholls will compete in two in state meets and two out of state meets for the indoor season. The teams will begin the season in Baton Rouge at the LSU Purple Tiger on Jan.16 followed by the McNeese Indoor II on Jan. 30. The Colonels will cross state lines to compete in the Bulldog Invitational hosted by Samford University on Feb. 13 before concluding the season at the Southland Conference Championship on Feb. 25-26.
The outdoor season is action packed with three out of state completion’s and four instate events. The Red & Gray will begin outdoor action at the Louisiana Classics hosted by Louisiana in Lafayette on March 20-21. Next, the squads will open the month of April in Austin, Texas at the Texas Relays on April 1-4. The Colonels return to the boot for the Pelican Relays (4/10-11), Strawberry Relays (4/17), and the LSU Alumni Gold (4/25). Nicholls will wrap up regular season action at Texas A&M’s Alumni Muster in College Station, Texas on May 1-2. The Southland Conference Championship is in Nacogdoches, Texas on May 14.
Coach Slekis is looking forward to the new season with some new opportunities for her student-athletes. Bolt joins the staff after coaching over 200 National qualifiers, 15 All-Americans, four National Champions. Additionally, he is the owner of Bolt Track and Field Club team that he started in 2023 and has had more than 20 National qualifiers.
We are so excited for our 2026 Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field schedule. For our schedule we changed up the second half of both our Indoor and Outdoor seasons from the past few years,” Slekis said. “Indoor we will head to Birmingham to compete at Samford’s Bulldog invitational which will give our team the opportunity to test themselves on the facility we will return to for the indoor championship. Outdoor we close out the season at two of the best SEC track & field programs in the country who have phenomenal facilities. Going first to LSU and then bringing full teams to Texas A & M for the Alumni Muster. Before we return to Texas for the Southland Championship hosted by SFA.”
Coach Slekis gave her overall thoughts on the addition of Coach Bolt and how he can help the team improve.
“We are changing things up a bit this year and I am also really excited to see how well our student-athletes perform this season especially our track & field only student-athletes who had the entire fall semester working with our new assistant coach Cameron Bolt,” Slekis said. “Cam comes with a wealth of knowledge as a young coach who founded his own track & field club and continuously worked to prepare himself for his first NCAA Division I collegiate coaching opportunity. His energy combined with his knowledge base make him a phenomenal hire. He understands how to develop student-athletes and maximize their potential. Through fall testing his event group has seen improvement across the board so it will be fun to see that hard work translate to their specific events this next semester.”
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the 78 student-athletes placed on the Academic All-MAC Team for the 2025 volleyball season, as Martina Villani, Gabby Brissett, Vanessa Del Real and Sarah Bettis represented the University of Akron.
The Academic All-MAC honor is awarded to a student-athlete who has excelled in both athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests in that sport.
- Martina Villani, Junior Criminology and Criminal Justice, 3.861
- Gabby Brissett, Senior, Biology, 3.745
- Vanessa Del Real, Junior, Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, 3.81
- Sarah Bettis, Junior, Biomedical Science, 3.363
Senior Macy Medors led the Rockets, tallying a 3.989 GPA as she earned her third conference honor. Anna Alford and Sierra Pertzborn received the honor for a second-consecutive season. Grace Freiberger and Olivia Heitkamp were named honorees for the first time.
To qualify, student-athletes must be a sophomore or higher academic standing, have maintained a 3.20 cumulative GPA or higher and competed in 50% of contests during the 2025 season.
2025 Toledo Women’s Volleyball Academic All-MAC Team
Anna Alford, Senior, Public Health Management, 3.415
Grace Freiberger, Sophomore, Recreational Therapy, 3.909
Olivia Heitkamp, Sophomore, Early Childhood Education, 3.501
Macy Medors, Senior, Recreational Therapy, 3.989
Sierra Pertzborn, Redshirt Sophomore, Nursing, 3.558
- Kansas City field consists of No. 1 Kentucky, No. 1 Pitt, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 3 Wisconsin
- Championship broadcast live on ABC for the third straight year; semifinals slated for ESPN, Thu., Dec. 18
- All matches will also stream on the ESPN App
It all comes down to Kansas City as ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship culminates this week live from the T-Mobile Center with the National Semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 18, followed by the Championship match on Sunday, Dec. 21.
The stage is set as the final four teams face off in the semifinals beginning with No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh in the first semifinal on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed 30 minutes later by No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky. Both matches will be presented on ESPN and available on the ESPN App.
For the third consecutive year, ABC is home to the Championship match, broadcasting live on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 3:30 p.m. and for the first time, ABC will also air a dedicated 30-minute preview show ahead of the Championship’s first serve, beginning at 3 p.m. Both the preview show and the match will be available on the ESPN App.
On the Mic
For the fourth straight year, game action for all three matches will be called by play-by-play commentator Courtney Lyle, alongside analysts Holly McPeak (three-time beach volleyball Olympian) and Katie George (2015 ACC Player of the Year). For the second consecutive year, the trio is joined by sideline reporter and former FSU beach volleyball standout Madison Fitzpatrick.
Studio Coverage
Studio Coverage will originate from the T-Mobile Center as Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman (four-year Northwestern standout) and Mary Wise (three-time AVCA Coach of the Year) bring viewers pre- and post-game insights and analysis throughout the semifinals and Championship.
The trio will prep viewers for all they need to know ahead the National Semifinals and National Championship match, bringing additional insight and analysis as a champion is crowded.
Every Serve, Every Angle
ESPN has all the action in Kansas City covered from every angle, including exclusive and behind-the-scenes coverage. This year, along with 25-plus cameras and two dozen replay sources, ESPN will have new and enhanced telestrations, giving the fans an additional in-depth look at the Xs and Os of the game.
Additionally, the presentation will have multiple jibs, giving fans a sweeping view over the arena. ESPN will also use six state-of-the-art slow-mo cameras to give viewers a look at the action at the net.
For the first time at the National Championship, the broadcast will feature Bolt 6, showcasing enhanced technology that shows viewers serve speed, spike speed, spike height and other statistical facets of the game.
In addition to the traditional main telecast, an alternate “High End Zone” viewing option will be available on ESPN+/ESPN App for the semifinals and the Championship, giving fans the option to watch the match from the end zone angle.
Kansas City Bound
The National Semifinals boast programs that have made a combined 15 national semifinal appearances. Pittsburgh is making its fifth consecutive trip to the National Semifinal with a No. 1 seed behind them as the Panthers look to hoist their first NCAA trophy. The Wildcats are making their first trip back to the semifinals since the ’20-21 season in which they cut down the nets in Omaha. Storied program Wisconsin makes its seventh trip to the national semifinals, looking to win the program’s second national title (2021). Rounding out the field are the Texas A&M Aggies, who are on the quest to win the program’s first national championship.
2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Network |
| Thu, Dec 18 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick |
ESPN ESPN App * |
| Between Match Coverage | NCAA Women’s Volleyball Studio Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman, Mary Wise |
ESPN ESPN App * |
|
| 30 mins after Semifinal 1 | No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick |
ESPN ESPN App * |
|
| Sun, Dec 21 | 3 p.m. | NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Preview Show Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman, Mary Wise |
ABC ESPN App |
| 3:30 p.m. | NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick |
ABC ESPN App * |
|
| Following Championship match | NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Trophy Ceremony | ESPN App |
* There will be two streams available on the ESPN App (Traditional Simulcast and High End Zone angle)
All of ESPN. All in One Place.
ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a limited time offer for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit stream.espn.com.
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