Sports

No. 19 Women’s Volleyball at Michigan Friday, Hosts Indiana Sunday – Penn State

Published

2 months ago

October 31, 2025

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 19 Penn State women’s volleyball is set for a pair of Big Ten matches this weekend as it travels to play Michigan on Friday at 6:30 p.m., and hosts Indiana on Sunday at 4 p.m. Both matches will air on B1G Network.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Oct. 31 | 6:30 p.m.
No. 19 Penn State (13-7, 7-3 B1G) at Michigan (14-7, 4-6 B1G) | Live Stats | B1G Network

Sunday, Nov. 2 | 4 p.m.
Indiana (16-4, 7-3 B1G) at No. 19 Penn State (13-7, 7-3 B1G) | Live Stats | B1G Network

OPENING NOTE
• No. 19 Penn State starts the second half of Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions went 7-3 in the first half of conference play, putting them in a tie for fourth in the standings. They sit just one match back of Purdue and Wisconsin in second place.
• Four of Penn State’s final 10 Big Ten matches are against teams that are currently ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll.

SERIES HISTORY – MICHIGAN
• Penn State is 57-6 in the all-time series with Michigan. The teams first played in 1981.
• The Nittany Lions are 25-4 against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
• Penn State has won nine of the past 10 matches against Michigan, including a 3-0 win at Rec Hall last season.
• Gillian Grimes has averaged 4.00 digs/set and is 47-48 (.979) on serve receptions while playing libero in three career matches against Michigan.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN
• Michigan is 14-7 overall and 4-6 in the Big Ten after sweeping Ohio State and Michigan last week.
• The Wolverines were picked 10th in the 2025 Big Ten Preseason Poll. Graduate outside hitter Allison Jacobs was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
• Jacobs was a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season.

SERIES HISTORY – INDIANA
• Penn State is 62-1 in the all-time series with Indiana. The teams first played in 1982.
• The Nittany Lions have won 22 straight matches in the series, with the last loss coming in Bloomington in 2010. They won the most recent matchup in four sets in Bloomington.
• Penn State is a perfect 32-0 against Indiana at Rec Hall.
• Gillian Grimes has averaged 3.55 digs/set and is a perfect 30-30 (1.000) on serve receptions while playing libero in two career matches against Indiana.

SCOUTING INDIANA
• Indiana is 16-4 overall and 7-3 in the Big Ten after sweeping Northwestern in its most recent match.
• The Hoosiers were picked 11th in the 2025 Big Ten Preseason Poll but are currently tied for fourth at the halfway point of the conference schedule. At 7-3, they are off to the best 10-match Big Ten start in program history.
• Teodora Kričković ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally in assists/set (10.75). Ella Boersema ranks second in the conference in blocks/set (1.40).

STREAKS TO WATCH
Ava Falduto
· 4 straight matches with at least one ace

Gillian Grimes
· 84 straight starts at libero

Addie Lyon
· 3 straight matches with at least 10.00 assists/set

Kennedy Martin
· 71 straight matches with double-digit kills when playing at least three sets
· 4 straight matches with multiple aces
· 3 straight matches with at least 16 kills and .315 hitting

LAST TIME OUT
• Penn State picked up a pair of Big Ten wins last week, sweeping Rutgers on Friday at Rec Hall before beating Ohio State 3-1 in Columbus on Sunday.
• Kennedy Martin hit .517 with 16 kills, six digs, three blocks and two aces as Penn State swept the Scarlet Knights. Gabrielle Nichols made her first-career start and tallied a career-high 10 kills on .421 hitting in addition to four blocks. Jordan Hopp contributed five kills and six blocks.
• Kennedy Martin put up huge numbers, hitting .382 with 26 kills, a career-high 21 digs, three blocks, and four aces in a 3-1 win over the Buckeyes. Caroline Jurevicius also reached double-digits with 10 kills on .304 hitting. w tallied 13 digs and a pair of aces. The Nittany Lions held Ohio State to .151 hitting and overcame nine aces by the Buckeyes.

CAREER HIGHS SET LAST WEEK
vs. Rutgers
Caroline Jurevicius – aces (1)
Gabrielle Nichols – kills (10)

at Ohio State
Kennedy Martin – digs (21)

UP NEXT
• Penn State plays at No. 11 Purdue on Friday, Nov. 7, and at Illinois on Sunday, Nov. 9.
• The Boilermakers are 17-3 overall and 8-2 in the Big Ten after a four-match winning streak against No. 22 Indiana (3-1), Rutgers (3-0), Illinois (3-0), and No. 20 Minnesota (3-2).
• The Illini are 12-7 overall and 7-3 in the conference after being swept by No. 11 Purdue and Michigan last week.

The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.

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Volleyball Announces Addition of Reese Dunkle to Roster

Published

16 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College volleyball head coach Jason Kennedy announced the addition of middle blocker Reese Dunkle, a transfer student from Stanford University, to the Eagles’ roster.

The Eagles previously announced a six-player recruiting class last month.

Reese Dunkle, Middle Blocker, Greenwood, Ind.

One year member of Stanford VB

A 2025 graduate of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind.

Four-year letterwinner, captained her team as a junior and senior

Regional champions (2024)

Four-time Sectional champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Four-time County champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

AVCA All-America honorable mention (2024)

AVCA All-Region (2024)

AVCA Best and Brightest (2024)

County Player of the Year (2024)

Indiana Girls Volleyball Player of the Year finalist (2024)

Two-time All-State (2023, 2024)

Three-time All-District (2022, 2023, 2024)

Three-time All-County (2022, 2023, 2024)

All-County honorable mention (2021)

Indiana Senior All-Star (2024)

Indiana Junior All-Star (2023)

Team MVP (2023)

First Team Academic All-State (2024)

Holds high school’s record for blocks (486)

Played club for Circle City

“Reese adds to a strong presence in the middle for us for the next several years,” says Kennedy. “She’s quick laterally and can close well to either pin and we’re excited to get her in the gym this spring and get to work.

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Kiki Granberry Signs with Volleyball Program

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Veteran middle blocker Kiki Granberry, who has four years of college experience under her belt, will join the Indiana volleyball program for the 2026 season. Head coach Steve Aird made the signing official on Tuesday (Dec. 23) morning. Granberry will enroll for the spring semester in January.

“Our program is thrilled to add Kiki to the roster,” Aird said. “She brings a mix of experience and skill to the table, along with a personality that meshes so well with our team. Our goal is to continue to build on a fantastic season and adding a player of this caliber is a great step in that direction. We have a group that is physical, tough and proud to represent IU. I am positive that Kiki will have a tremendous impact on the group, compete like crazy and develop into a pro that will thrive at the next level.”

Granberry spent the last four seasons at Tennessee where she was one of the nation’s most efficient offensive forces. In her time on Rocky Top, Granberry was a career .376 hitter (509-134-997). During her junior campaign in 2024, she hit .455 with 189 kills and just 36 attacking errors and finished second in the country in hitting percentage.

The 6-foot-3 native of Florida will join a deep and talented collection of middle blockers in Bloomington. Current freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray hit .378 with 152 kills and 106 blocks in her debut season. Sophomore middle blocker Ella Boersema was the conference’s leading blocker (1.40 per set) before a season-ending injury in October. Collectively, IU’s four middle blockers for next year have a career hitting percentage of .366.

Granberry was one of Tennessee’s best blockers during her career in Knoxville. She recorded 314 blocks in four seasons including over 100 in each of her first two years. She had a career-high 11 blocks in a contest against Western Kentucky in 2024. Her career high in kills (14) came against Elon in 2022.

She will have one year of eligibility in 2026 after taking a medical redshirt last season. She played in just three matches in 2025 but finished her time in Knoxville as the second-most efficient hitter (.376) in program history. Granberry was a 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team member and a 2024 AVCA South All-Region Team selection.

Granberry will wear the 77 jersey for the Hoosiers, becoming the first player in program history to wear the number. She graduated from Tennessee with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Electronic Media this December. She will join the Hoosiers for the beginning of spring practice in January.

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Sports

David Nguyen named head coach of North Dakota volleyball program

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Bill Chaves announced on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 that David Nguyen (pronounced WIN) has been named the 15th head coach of the North Dakota volleyball program..

“We are tremendously excited to announce David as our next head coach of UND volleyball,” said Chaves. “What he has been able to do at FDU was nothing short of remarkable in such a short amount of time. To be a two-time NEC Coach of the Year and leading the Knights into the NCAA tournament for the first time in their history is something that he and we believe can be replicated at UND.”

Nguyen comes to North Dakota following a successful run as the head coach at Division I Fairleigh Dickinson, where he helped the Knights set multiple program highs in his four years. He guided the Knights to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and captured both the 2022 NEC Tournament Championship and the 2023 regular season title, each a program first.

“I am excited and honored to be selected as the next head coach at UND,” said Nguyen. “I would like to thank Director of Athletics Bill Chaves, Deputy Director of Athletics Erik Martinson and the entire search committee for having the confidence in me to lead the volleyball program into future success.”

His leadership helped claim the program’s first 20-win season in the modern era and earned him back-to-back NEC Coach of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023. Under his direction, FDU reached three consecutive NEC Tournament finals and four straight conference semifinals.

“My mission is to provide our student-athletes a first-class experience by being competitive on-and-off the court,” Nguyen continued. “We are going to work together to build a legacy our student-athletes, alumni, fans and donors can be proud of. I am excited to take this next step in my career, and I look forward to building a volleyball family at North Dakota.”

His teams produced the NEC Player of the Year, an AVCA All-American, nine all-conference selections and multiple all-tournament honorees. The Knights also recorded the four winningest conference seasons in school history during his tenure.

Nguyen brings more than a decade of Division I experience, including assistant coaching roles at Coastal Carolina and William & Mary, as well as an operations role at Virginia and a student position at Virginia Commonwealth.

Nguyen holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University. He will be introduced to the media at a later date.

THE DAVID NGYUEN FILE

Position: Head Coach

Hometown: Glen Allen, Va.

Education: Virginia Commonwealth (2018)

Family: David and his wife, Kaylin, have two children

CAREER IN VOLLEYBALL

AS A COACH

2022-25: Fairleigh Dickinson (Head Coach)

2021-22: Coastal Carolina (Assistant Coach)

2019-21: William & Mary (Assistant Coach)

2018-19: Virginia (Director of Operations)

2013-18: Virginia Commonwealth (Manager)

For more information on North Dakota volleyball, follow on social media @UNDvolleyball or visit FightingHawks.com.

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Springfield College Announces 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame Class

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Springfield, Mass. – December 23, 2025 – Springfield College is excited to announce the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame Class, which will be inducted on April 11. The six individuals who have been chosen to the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame include:

Marisa Clapp ’04 – Women’s Cross Country

Nick Guerette ’00 – Men’s Track & Field

Damian Larkins ’01 – Men’s Track & Field and Football

Jackie Moscardelli ’12 – Women’s Soccer and Women’s Lacrosse

Nick Porillo ’76 – Wrestling

Steve Spagnuolo ’82 – Football

The Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame was established by the Class of 1933 in 1972 to honor members of the College community for outstanding achievement on the “playing field” or for service, dedication, and commitment to athletics, sport and related programs. To date, over 200 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Sign up for free today to receive the latest news about your favorite Springfield College Athletics program directly to your email here.

For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to tune into all Springfield College Athletic events

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Outside hitter Eva Travis signs with Wisconsin volleyball

Published

2 hours ago

December 23, 2025

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Kentucky Volleyball Gained New Fans in Special Season That Ends Short of a Title

Published

2 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

If it feels too good to be true, it usually is. The Kentucky volleyball team felt like a team of destiny, but that destiny did not manifest in a National Championship. Even though the Cats came up one game short of a second title, this special season did unquantifiable good for the program.

Volleyball culture is embedded in the Commonwealth, with successful clubs racking up national titles, but that world is unknown to most sports fans around the state. In 2025, Kentucky hit all the right notes to grow the game.

Casuals turned on their TVs when the Cats jumped out to a two-set lead over top-ranked Nebraska in the opening weekend of the season. Even though it ended with a loss, that performance got plenty of people interested enough to turn on their TVs a week later. They watched the Wildcats sweep Penn State on the night the Defending National Champions hung their title banner.

It was a gauntlet of a schedule, one that produced plenty of dramatic moments. After falling behind 2-1 against Louisville, Kentucky rallied for a five-set rivalry win.

Kentucky owned the SEC for years. When perennial title contender Texas arrived, that dominance was in question. The Cats went on the road and swept the No. 2 team in the country.

It’s not just that they won. This Kentucky volleyball team played an entertaining and inspiring style of volleyball. Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson created an explosive 1-2 punch on the outside, while Lizzie Carr’s length looked like Spider-Man in the middle. You didn’t have to know ball to have fun watching this team.

As the Cats picked up steam, BBN got behind them in a way that I didn’t think was possible. Craig Skinner stood on a table to ask fans to show up to Historic Memorial Coliseum. He climbed to the rafters of Rupp, went to the top of the tallest building in Lexington, and even hopped in a fighter jet to rally Kentucky fans to support this team.

They showed up in droves and packed Historic Memorial Coliseum to propel Kentucky to the Final Four for just the second time in school history. When fans couldn’t make it to the game, they packed KSBar for watch parties. It was surreal to hear a harmonica playing a fight song in front of a full restaurant late on a weeknight while Kentucky reverse-swept Texas in the SEC Tournament Title.

Just when you thought you couldn’t love this team any more, they did the unthinkable in the Final Four. It’s easy to become jaded by college athletics in the money-driven world of NIL and the transfer portal. This team sacrificed for one another and played together, no matter the circumstances.

Wisconsin looked destined to dominate. Carter Booth was possessed in the middle. A dozen blocks would be a great game for a middle, and she had nearly two dozen. The Cats only scored 12 points in the first set. It didn’t look much better in the second, yet somehow, some way, they rallied under pressure. Brooklyn DeLeye’s defense was outstanding, while Eva Hudson powered the Cats’ offense with nearly 30 kills in a gutsy, five-set win, a victory that will make lifelong Kentucky volleyball fans.

All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, they could not capitalize on a hot start in the National Championship. After letting the first set slip away, Texas A&M took over. Kentucky did not have one more rally in the tank.

The season ended with a loss, but they won’t be losing much from this team. Eva Hudson was the star, but the only senior on the roster. After making countless new fans, the Kentucky volleyball team will surely give them more reasons to cheer in 2026.

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