RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s track and field teams will begin the 2025-26 indoor season at the Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danvielle Season Opener and KTCCCA Commonwealth College Opener on Saturday.
 
Highlighting the group traveling to Boston is Taha Er Raouy, who will compete in the men’s elite-invite section of 3,000 meters.
 
The Moroccan native enters the indoor season after a successful 2025 cross-country season during which he was the ASUN Conference’s Male Runner of the Year and an All-American, finishing 21^st at the NCAA National Championships.
 
He will also compete in the men’s 5,000 meters with teammates Brian Kimutai, a 2025 cross-country All-American, and Mario Priego.
 
Running in the men’s open 3,000 meters for EKU will be Hammish Murray.
 
On the women’s side, Edna Chelulei will make her indoor debut for 2025-26 in “Beantown” running in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters.
 
In the 2025 outdoor season, Chelulei was the ASUN’s Most Outstanding Freshman while being a Second Team All-American in the 10,000 meters and an Honorable Mention All-American in the 5,000 meters.
 
In the women’s 3,000 meters, Chelulei will be joined by Khadija Ennasri.
 
Up the road in Louisville, another crop of Colonels will be in action at the Commonwealth College Opener.
 
On the track, Irene Rubio-Miralles is entered for the women to compete in the mile, 1,000 meters, and 800 meters, with Isabelle Shearer competing in the 3,000 meters.
 
Jacob Tapscott will be the lone representative running on the men’s side from EKU, being slated for the mile and 1,000 meters.
 
It will be a busy day in the throws department with EKU competing in the weight throw and shot put.
 
Anaiya Adams, Eliza Hoffman, Haley Angel, Ava Phillips, Lexi Lawless, Lariah Wooden, Amya Livingston, and Kristan Simmons will compete in the women’s weight throw.
 
Meanwhile, Landon Adkins, Bill Kissick, JJ Love, Matt See, and Daroyce Flemons will compete in the men’s section of the event.
 
In the shot put, Ava Phillips, Kristan Simmons, Eliza Hoffman, Lexi Lawless, Amya Livingston, and Lariah Wooden will compete for the women, with Landon Adkins, Bill Kissick, JJ Love, and Matt See competing on the men’s side.
 
BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener
 

 
KTCCCA Commonwealth College Opener
 

Along with the NCAA Tournament appearance being the Tigers’ ninth, it was Princeton’s fourth under Head Coach Sabrina King. In addition, the Tigers won the 2025 Ivy League Tournament and the regular season title outright.

Valerie Nutakor and Erin McNair tied for the team-high in kills with six each, while Sydney Draper led the team in assists with 15 and digs with 13 for her 12th double-double of the season

The Tigers kept it close early in the first set, battling the Trojans to trail by just one at 11-10. A 4-0 run by the Trojans gave USC a 15-10 advantage. Kills by McNair and Nutakor narrowed the deficit back down to three at 16-13, but the Trojans pulled away to earn the 25-19 first set victory.

Princeton again kept it close early, playing the Trojans to 11-8. A 5-0 USC run pushed the Trojans advantage out to 15-8, and USC did not look back from there as it went to prevail in the second set, 25-12.

The Tigers showed fight early, playing the Trojans to 16-12 after a kill by Nutakor. However, the night belonged to USC as the Trojans gain momentum and claim the 25-13 third set triumph to win the match, 3-0.

 

PROVO — The BYU women’s volleyball’s stay in a 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament was cut short for a second straight year Thursday evening.

Kendall Beshear poured in 20 kills, 12 digs, four blocks, two assists and two aces to lift Cal Poly to a 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10 win over fifth-seeded BYU at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

Recently named Big 12 freshman of the year Suli Davis had 18 kills and 10 digs, Claire Little Chambers added 14 kills and 14 digs, and Brielle Kemavor supplied 15 kills and three blocks for the 22nd-ranked Cougars (22-9), who were fed by 48 assists and 11 digs from Alex Bower.

But for a second straight year, BYU was eliminated early by an upstart mid-major conference champion. A year after the Cougars were swept by A-10 champs Loyola Chicago, Cal Poly out-hit BYU .312 to .256 and served up seven aces with 12 blocks to send the top-25 team from the Big 12 home early.

Emma Fredrick added 15 kills and 10 digs for the Mustangs (26-7), and Emme Bullis dished out 52 assists with eight digs and a pair of aces.

BYU rallied from a 25-19 gut-punch in the opening set, when Bower fed a balanced attack of three double-digit hitters to take the next two sets, 25-17 and 25-20 on Little Chambers’ 12th kill of the match.

How efficient was BYU? In the third set, the Cougars hit .357 with 17 kills and just two errors to out-hit the Mustangs’ .257.

But the Big West champions found momentum in the fourth set, using a pair of aces and several other well-served balls to take a 13-9 lead early after a 4-0 spurt. The Cougars trailed 22-20 when Little Chambers had to be helped off the court with an apparent lower leg injury, and Ella Scott’s ace helped the Mustangs close out a 25-20 victory to force a decisive fifth set.

“Coming out of the third, we looked at each other and knew it was now or nothing,” Beshear told ESPN+ after the match. “We trusted each other, we balled out, and we had relentless defense. I think that’s what changed the game for us.”

Beshear had a service ace during a 4-0 run that gave the Mustangs an 11-6 lead in the finale, and Fredrick finished off the upset with her second ace of the night, 15-10.

Sixth-seeded Northern Iowa rallies to reverse sweep Utes

Lily Dykstra, Cassidy Hartman and Reese Booth each posted a double-double as sixth-seeded Northern Iowa rallied to reverse-sweep Utah 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Kamryn Gibadlo poured in 20 kills with four blocks for the Utes, who ended the season with a 15-15 overall record. Levani Key-Powell added 17 kills, and Emrie Moea’i had a double-double with 10 kills and 10 blocks for Utah.

“We are very proud to have gotten to the tournament,” said Utah coach Beth Launiere, whose team was back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and 20th time in program history. “I think it’s been well-documented that we faced a lot of adversity this year. I couldn’t be more proud of my team for overcoming that, working together, finding a way, and getting us to this point.”

Utah Valley will be the fourth school from Utah to open the NCAA Tournament with first serve Friday at second-seeded Stanford.