Just in time for summer, the readers of USA TODAY have named the 10 BEST beaches in California.

A matchup with the three-time defending National Champions highlights the 2025 Snow College volleyball schedule, which was released Wednesday.
 
The Badgers are coming off a season during which they went 16-10 overall and 7-3 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play. They finished the regular season in second place and defeated No. 12 Salt Lake Community College in the first round of the Region 18 Tournament before suffering a 3-2 loss to No. 8 USUE in the championship round.
 
The Badgers finished above .500 during the 2024 campaign after going just 11-18 during the 2023 season. They have finished with a winning record in eight of the last nine seasons, dating back to 2016. Snow College earned four victories over ranked opponents during the 2024 season.
 
The 2025 season will begin with a trip to Fort Myers, Florida, for the Battle of the Beach Tournament Aug 22. The Badgers are scheduled to take on four opponents during the two-day event, including Eastern Florida, Daytona State, Hillsborough, and the three-time defending national champion Buccaneers of Florida SouthWestern State College.
 
The Badgers will then head to Laramie, Wyoming, and take part in the Marriott Spring-Hill Suites Cheyenne Invitational hosted by Laramie County Community College Aug. 29. Snow College will take on the host school, as well as Central Arizona, Ranger, and Northeastern Junior College.
 
Snow College will conclude its non-conference schedule in a pair of familiar locations, beginning with the STARR Corporation Invitational in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Badgers will meet just three opponents, including Northeastern, Eastern Wyoming, and Central Wyoming.
 
The final non-conference tournament of the year will be the UFirst Intermountain Invitational in Taylorsville, Utah. Snow College will do battle with Trinity Valley, Eastern Wyoming, Miami Dade, and Missouri State University West Plains.
 
Snow College will kick off conference play on the road and take on SLCC Sept. 26 and Colorado Northwestern Community College Sept. 27. The Badgers will wrap up the three-game road swing against the 2024 Region 18 Tournament Champion Eagles from Utah State University Eastern Oct. 4.
 
The Badgers’ home-opener will be against North Idaho College Oct. 10. They will square off with the College of Southern Idaho the following day before hosting USUE Oct. 18.
 
The final road trip of the regular season will take place Oct. 23 and 25 as the Badgers head to Idaho to take on NIC and CSI. Snow College will wrap up the regular season at home against SLCC on Halloween before facing CNCC Nov. 1.
 
The Region 18 Tournament, should the Badgers qualify, will take place at the home of the regular season winner and will begin Nov. 5, while the championship will take place Nov. 6.
 
Michael Daniel will return to the sideline for his fourth season at the helm for the team. During his tenure, he owns a 71-43 overall record and a 24-16 mark within conference play. His teams have qualified for the Region 18 Tournament in three of those four years and won the championship in 2021.
 
For additional information about the 2025 volleyball schedule, visit snowbadgers.com.
 
2025 Volleyball Schedule
 

Casey Valenti-Paea is the newest member of the Grand Canyon women’s basketball team, officially signing with the squad as a graduate student.

A 5-9 shooting guard from Melbourne, Australia, Valenti-Paea spent last season at Virginia, where she appeared in 30 games and averaged 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest.

Prior to the Hoos, she spent two seasons at Long Beach State from 2022 to 2024. Her redshirt junior season in 2023-24 saw her notch 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game with 17 double-digit point totals and six 15+ point performances.

She began her career at Buffalo, where she made five appearances in 2020-21 as a true freshman. She made six appearances in 2021-22 before an injury shortened her season.

Valenti-Paea is the second Aussie to sign with the team, joining Holly Griffiths, who also hails from Melbourne.

GCU’s off-season signings include:

• Karley Johnson, 5-9 guard (Arkansas)
• Favor Ayodele, 6-1 forward (Tennessee)
• Faith Carson, 6-4 forward (Ohio State)
• Sophia Fontaine, 6-2 forward (Stetson)
• Holly Griffiths, 6-4 forward (Fresno State)
• Julianna LaMendola, 6-1 forward (Indiana)
• Chloe Mann, 5-8 guard (Cincinnati)

MEADVILLE – Each Meadville boys volleyball player has a role to play this season.

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. announced that it arranged $121.5 million in equity and debt financing for the acquisition of Ocean Gate, a recently built, luxury Class A apartment community with 170 multifamily located in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Walker & Dunlop Capital Markets, led by Aaron Appel, Jonathan Schwartz, Keith Kurland, Mo Beler, Adam Schwartz, Ari Hirt, Jackson Irwin, and Stanley Cayre, acted as an exclusive advisor to Lincoln Equities Group and raised $46.5 million in joint venture equity from RWN Real Estate Partners and Avenue Realty Capital, as well as $75 million of debt from TPG Real Estate Credit.

“We are pleased to partner with Walker & Dunlop, Avenue Realty Capital, and TPG Real Estate Credit on this strategic acquisition, which positions us to unlock significant value in a unique New Jersey asset,” said Ari Shalam, managing partner at RWN Real Estate Partners. “W&D Capital Markets brought deep expertise and seamless execution to a complex transaction involving both equity and debt. We’re excited about the potential of this conversion and look forward to working together on future opportunities.”

“The ability to deliver a brand new, Class A residential condominium community one block from the beach and without the need to take development risk is incredibly unique,” said Lance Bergstein, president of Lincoln Equities Group. “We are glad to work with the teams at Walker & Dunlop, RWN Real Estate Partners, Avenue Realty Capital, and TPG Real Estate Credit to close this successful transaction.”

Completed in December 2023, Ocean Gate offers high-quality one-, two-, and three-bedroom units with luxury finishes, including nine-foot ceilings, plank flooring, custom closets, and modern kitchens. Located on 11.63 acres along Ocean Avenue, the property provides direct beach access and is close to retail, upscale amenities, and Pier Village, a recently renovated shopping and dining destination. Resort-style amenities include a 16,000 square-foot clubhouse, heated pool, Tiki bar, fitness center, pickleball courts, and beach volleyball, with convenient access to NYC and Newark.

“Ocean Gate is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the market’s supply and demand imbalance, driven by strong local demand and limited for-sale inventory, as seen in the impressive sales velocity of existing condominium projects,” said Mo Beler, senior managing director of New York Capital Markets at Walker & Dunlop.

In 2024, Walker & Dunlop’s Capital Markets team sourced over $16 billion from non-Agency capital providers. This vast experience has made them a top advisor on all asset classes for many of the industry’s top developers, owners, and operators.

As we reported last week, Concordia University Irvine in California announced the elimination of four athletic programs: men’s and women’s swimming & diving and men’s and women’s tennis. All four cuts will take effect at the end of this school year.

While the university attributed the decision to rising operational costs and facility limitations, that rationale appears to conflict with other developments. In the same window the cuts were announced, the school reaffirmed its commitment to the remaining athletic programs in a separate email—detailing a $25.5 million investment in athletic infrastructure.

In its original public statement, Concordia wrote, “University leadership, in partnership with the Department of Athletics, determined that the current model is not sustainable in the midst of increasing operational costs, facility limitations, and significant changes in the collegiate athletics landscape.”

But in an email to athletes in unaffected sports, university leadership struck a very different tone: “I want to reassure you that your program remains secure and a vital part of our campus community. More than that, I want to emphasize the tremendous commitment the university continues to make to Golden Eagles Athletics.”

The email went on, “We are currently in the midst of a major $17.5 million construction project that includes a new 19,000-square foot facility featuring a state-of-the-art weight room, locker rooms, and modern training room space. This facility represents our belief in the future of our athletic programs and our student-athletes.”

It continued, “In addition, the university has invested over $8 million in upgrades to our baseball, softball, and soccer/track/lacrosse facilities—including the installation of lights on each of our outdoor fields. These enhancements are not just physical improvements—they are a reflection of our belief in your potential and our commitment to giving you the tools and environment to succeed at the highest level.”

The contrast between the stated reasons for the cuts and the $25.5 million upgrade to athletic facilities has raised questions from athletes, alumni, and observers—particularly regarding swimming, which, along with water polo, trains off-campus at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center and places minimal operational and facility demands on the school, despite those being cited as primary reasons for its elimination.

Student-athletes impacted by the cuts will retain their scholarships if they choose to remain enrolled. According to federal data, the swimming program had 23 men and 25 women this season, finishing 6th on the women’s side and 4th on the men’s at the PCSC Championship meet.

Concordia, a private, Lutheran-affiliated school with 1,474 undergraduates, transitioned from the NAIA to full NCAA Division II membership in 2017. Varsity athletes make up nearly a third of the student body. With these cuts, the athletics department is reduced to 20 varsity programs (counting all track & field disciplines separately) and continues not to field a varsity football team.

The swimming program joins Union Commonwealth University in Kentucky and fellow California school Cal Poly as programs eliminated this summer.