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No. 2 UH Warriors facing No. 7 Penn State in the NCAA volleyball tournament

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Charlie Wade missed this. The architect of the Hawaii men’s volleyball program’s success over the last decade had a rare week off during last year’s NCAA Championship in Long Beach, Calif. Advertisement Not every season is going to end the way a coach of 16 years at one school wants. After not […]

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Charlie Wade missed this.

The architect of the Hawaii men’s volleyball program’s success over the last decade had a rare week off during last year’s NCAA Championship in Long Beach, Calif.

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Not every season is going to end the way a coach of 16 years at one school wants.

After not reaching the postseason last year, Wade began to realize during this season just how special it is to get to where he was on Wednesday, answering questions at a press conference ahead of UH’s 10th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

“Kind of down the stretch of the regular season there, I thought about how we really had a chance with this team to get to the postseason, ” Wade said. “They do a great job of making it a big deal and winning championships is a big deal. For this group of athletes we have, we were picked third in our league preseason and for us to be in a position to compete for a national championship this year is pretty special.”

The second-seeded Rainbow Warriors practiced inside of Covelli Center, which hosts the entire tournament, on the campus of Ohio State for the first time on Wednesday.

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Hawaii (26-5 ) plays No. 7 seed Penn State (15-15 ), which had to win a play-in game against Daemen University to reach the final field of eight, in the second quarterfinal today at 7 :30 a.m. Hawaii time.

It is the seventh time the two teams will meet in the NCAA Tournament. UH hasn’t played any other school more than twice in the tourney.

“We’re thrilled to play Penn State again. Mark Pavlik, the head coach, is one of the best coaches in the country and one of the best guys in college athletics, ” Wade said. “It’s a great honor to play against their program and I think they are a lot better than they were in March.”

The Nittany Lions last played the Rainbow Warriors in the Outrigger Invitational, losing in straight sets.

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Hawaii is 4-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament against Penn State and 18-10 overall.

UH will play its first game here since wining the first of back-to-back national championships in 2021.

Senior libero ‘Eleu Choy and middle blocker Kurt Nusterer were on the team back then, but didn’t play.

Choy, who had to wait five years after graduating from Farrington to assume the role of starter, will have a significant hand in the outcome for UH this time around.

“I find it pretty ironic that the first national championship was also here and now my last national championship is also here, ” Choy said. “Very excited.”

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After taking over as UH men’s coach in 2010, Wade first led the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2015 when the Warriors reached the play-in game.

Including that season, UH has advanced to the postseason six out of nine times, which excludes the COVID-19 pandemic season that was cut short in 2020.

Hawaii’s first national title was won in its last trip here in 2021 when UH swept UC Santa Barbara and Brigham Young.

Wade says there are some similarities, including the hotel the team is staying at, from four years ago. There’s also a level of confidence within the team gained by its recent stretch of performances that led UH to win the Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship.

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“I think I have found myself over the last couple of weeks just being more calm and more at ease with where we’re at and what we’re doing, ” Wade said. “I think there’s a level of confidence I’ve seen with the guys and how they are communicating with each other, and the level of engagement that tells me that we’re ready to compete, and let’s enjoy the ride.”

Sophomore setter Tread Rosenthal said he hadn’t felt the magnitude of playing in the NCAA Tournament had sunk in yet on Tuesday, but imagined that would change the moment he stepped onto the Covelli Center court for Wednesday’s practice.

“I think I’m more excited to just get out there for the first time and get a good practice in at Ohio State, ” Rosenthal said. “There’s obviously some nerves that come with being here for the first time, doing a press conference here for the first time, but it’s just kind of fun for us. We’ve done all of the hard work in our past, and we’re excited to just have fun now.”

Penn State, which swept its way through the EIVA tournament as the No. 3 seed to secure a NCAA berth, made it known it felt like the underdog against UH. Senior outside hitter Wil Kuhns, however, didn’t think it’d necessarily go the same way as the previous matchup.

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“They have a good offense. They have a lot of strengths, obviously they have a talented team, ” Kuhns said. “I think it’s hard to look back at that match and compare and draw conclusions because I think we have evolved so much as a team and I’m sure so have they.”

NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship At Covelli Center, Columbus, Ohio Quarterfinals Today—No. 3 UCLA (20-6 ) vs. No. 6 Belmont Abbey (17-8 ), 5 a.m.—No. 2 Hawaii (26-5 ) vs. No. 7 Penn St. (15-15 ), 7 :30 a.m.—No. 1 Long Beach State (27-3 ) vs. No. 8 Fort Valley State (16-9 ), 11 a.m.—No. 4 Loyola Chicago (25-3 ) vs. No. 5 Pepperdine (20-9 ), 1 :30 p.m.—TV : ESPN +—Radio : KKEA 1420 AM / 92.7 FM (UH match only )



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Eight Tigers Named to All-West Region Team

Story Links Eight members of the Colorado College women’s track and field team were selected to the 2025 Division III All-West Region teams by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Senior Isabel Olson (1500 and 5K) and junior Alison Mueller-Hickler (5K and 10K) were each […]

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Eight members of the Colorado College women’s track and field team were selected to the 2025 Division III All-West Region teams by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Senior Isabel Olson (1500 and 5K) and junior Alison Mueller-Hickler (5K and 10K) were each named all-region in two events, while seniors Sydney Rankin (5K) and Britt Helgaas (10K), juniors Ella Fullerton (800) and Clara Lippert (400) and sophomores Charlie Flint (10K) and Allison Barker (800) also earned a spot this season.

 

To be named all-region, an athlete must either be ranked in the top five of an individual event in the region according to final TFRRS (Track and Field Results Reporting System) data or be part of a top-three relay team.

 

Olson is ranked No. 2 in both the 1500 and 5K and will compete in both events this weekend at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio. Mueller-Hickler is second in the 10K and fifth in the 5K and she will run the 10K at the NCAA national meet.

 

Rankin is in the No. 3 spot in the region for the 5K, while Fullerton is third and Barker fifth in the 800, Flint and Helgaas fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 800 and Lippert fifth in the 400.

 

The eight all-region selections are the most in program history for one season.

 



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Rouse Named Director of Volleyball Operations

Story Links CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Volleyball Head Coach Benavia Jenkins has announced the hiring of Cole Rouse as the Director of Volleyball Operations. “We are thrilled to officially welcome Cole as our new Director of Volleyball Operations,” said Jenkins. “He is incredibly organized, a fast learner, and already well-respected by both the team […]

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CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Volleyball Head Coach Benavia Jenkins has announced the hiring of Cole Rouse as the Director of Volleyball Operations.

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Cole as our new Director of Volleyball Operations,” said Jenkins. “He is incredibly organized, a fast learner, and already well-respected by both the team and staff. Cole brings great energy to everything he does and is fun to work with. I am excited for what’s ahead with him on board!

Rouse graduated from Charlotte in 2024 with a degree in communications after working in the program throughout college as a technical and video coordinator.

“I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter and grateful for the opportunity to continue growing in the game I love,” said Rouse. “I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, especially my mentors, my family, and the teams that have helped shape me. I want to especially thank Coach Jenkins and the staff for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to work alongside a legendary staff! I am ready to get to work and make an impact.”

For all the latest updates on Charlotte Volleyball, follow the Niners on Instagram and X at @CharlotteWVB. 

 



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Thirty-Eight Empire 8 Student-Athletes Earn 2025 USTFCCCA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field All-Region Honors

Men’s Outdoor Track and Field | 5/22/2025 10:49:36 AM Story Links 2025 Division III Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Region Thirty-eight Empire 8 student-athletes from five institutions earned 2025 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men’s Outdoor […]

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Men’s Outdoor Track and Field | 5/22/2025 10:49:36 AM



Thirty-eight Empire 8 student-athletes from five institutions earned 2025 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men’s Outdoor Track and Field All-Region honors.
 
To earn All-Region honors, an athlete must be one of the top-5 individuals in their event in their respective region on the TFRRS Descending Order List. In addition, each member of a region’s top-3 relay team was selected for the distinction.

All Empire 8 institutions with the exception of Russell Sage compete in the Niagara region. Russell Sage is part of the Mideast Region.

 

SUNY BROCKPORT

Cardin Chau, Freshman — High Jump, 1.94m – t-fourth

Jeremy Chen, Junior — 110-Meter Hurdles, :14.83 – fourth

Gabe Giannini, Junior — Pole Vault, 4.65 meters – fourth

                                       Decathlon, 6,446 points – second

*Ayden Grinion, Junior — 400-Meter Hurdles, :52.62 – first

Tyler Miller, Senior — Decathlon, 5,799 points — sixth

Aaron Ottenwalder, Junior — 100-Meter Dash, :10.70 – third

Daniel Reinhart, Sophomore — Pole Vault, 4.70 meters – third

Tim Smith, Freshman — 400-Meter Hurdles, :53.71 – fifth

*Jonathan Zavala, Senior — 800-Meter Run, 1:52.60 – fifth

                                             1,500-Meter Run, 3:46.96 – second

SUNY GENESEO

Arjun Ojha, Freshman — 4.400-Meter Relay, 3:09.30 – first

*Sam Belmont, Sophomore — 4×400-Meter Relay, 3:09.30 – first

                                                400-Meter Hurdles, :53.37 – t-third

Giancarlo Di Fava, Sophomore — 4×400-Meter Relay, 3:09.30 – first

*Jacob Miller, Junior — 4×400-Meter Relay, 3:09.30 – first

                                    400-Meter Dash, :47.17 – third

Anson Butler, Junior — 5,000-Meter Run, 14:25.75 – fourth

Bergen Caprood, Freshman — 100-Meter Dash, :10.75 – t-fifth

*Emerson Comer, Sophomore — Steeplechase, 8:54.32 – second

*Ryan Hagan, Sophomore — 1,500-Meter Run, 3:47.14 – third

                                               5,000-Meter Run, 14:04.11 – second

Connor Hitt, Freshman — 800-Meter Run, 1:50.62 – third

                                         1,500-Meter Run, 3:51.17 – fifth

Micah McCulley, Senior — 10,000-Meter Run, 30:46.19 – fifth

Daniel Pagan, Freshman — Decathlon, 6,105 points – fourth

*Matthew Sheehan, Senior — 800-Meter Run, 1:50.22 – second

Brendan Style, Senior — 110-Meter Hurdles, :14.80 – third

                                       400-Meter Hurdles, :53.36 – t-third

Dawson Wadsworth, Sophomore — 800-Meter Run, 1:52.55 – fourth

*Charlie Wilson, Senior — 5,000-Meter Run, 14:08.50 – third

                                         10,000-Meter Run, 29:40.21 – third

*Pierce Young, Sophomore — Steeplechase, 8:50.73 – first

NAZARETH UNIVERSITY

Cade Eells, Senior — Steeplechase, 9:00.00 – third 

Jack Pomykaj, Junior — Decathlon, 6,173 points – third

ST. JOHN FISHER UNIVERSITY

*Brandon Kaplan Junior — Hammer Throw, 60.87 meters – second

Hayden Penna, Sophomore — Pole Vault, 4.90 meters – first

Corinthian Reed, Freshman — 400-Meter Dash, :47.55 – fourth

Manuel Sepulveda, Freshman — Triple Jump, 14.60 meters – third

Oren Welch, Freshman — Pole Vault, 4.80 meters – second

UTICA UNIVERSITY

Spencer Borghardt, Junior – Hammer Throw, 57.02 meters – fifth

Hunter Logan, Graduate Student — Shot Put, 16.30 meters – second

Bennett Melita, Sophomore — Steeplechase, 9:04.76 – fourth

Louis Pinto, Sophomore — High Jump, 1.96 meters – second

Joshua Talbot, Junior — Hammer Throw, 57.49 meters – fourth

* Qualified for 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

 

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE

The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.

 

EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram





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Florida State University Athletics

TALLAHASSEE – ESPN announced on Thursday morning that the Florida State volleyball team will face Oklahoma in the Showdown at the Net in Norman, Oklahoma, on September 10 on the SEC Network.  The matchup will be just the fifth all-time meeting against the Sooners. The teams have not met since 2015, and FSU owns the […]

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TALLAHASSEE – ESPN announced on Thursday morning that the Florida State volleyball team will face Oklahoma in the Showdown at the Net in Norman, Oklahoma, on September 10 on the SEC Network. 

The matchup will be just the fifth all-time meeting against the Sooners. The teams have not met since 2015, and FSU owns the series record 3-1. FSU is coming off a 21-10 season where it qualified for its 15th NCAA Tournament in the last 17 seasons. 

 The ‘Showdown at the Net’ features 16 squads from both the ACC and SEC as they face off in cross-conference challenge via matchups across the nation. Action to be featured on ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, SEC Network+ and ACCNX, with times for each match to be announced at a later time.

For updates and exclusive content, follow the Seminoles on X (FSU_Volleyball), Instagram (fsuvolleyball) and Facebook (Florida State Seminoles Volleyball).



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Neushul Among Cutino Finalists – Stanford Cardinal

SAN FRANCISCO – Ryann Neushul has been named one of three finalists for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, established in 1999 and presented annually to the most outstanding female collegiate water polo player in the nation as voted by NCAA Division I coaches. Neushul is joined by finalists Emily Ausmus and Tilly Kearns from […]

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SAN FRANCISCO – Ryann Neushul has been named one of three finalists for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, established in 1999 and presented annually to the most outstanding female collegiate water polo player in the nation as voted by NCAA Division I coaches.

Neushul is joined by finalists Emily Ausmus and Tilly Kearns from USC. The winner will be announced at the annual Cutino Awards Dinner to be held Saturday, June 7, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The ceremony will be live streamed at Overnght.com.

Seven Cardinal players have combined to win the award 10 times: Aria Fischer (2023), Makenzie Fischer (2019, 2022), Kiley Neushul (2012, 2015), Annika Dries (2011, 2014), Melissa Seidemann (2013), Jackie Frank (2003) and Brenda Villa (2002).

Neushul, who recently closed out a unique seven-year career which began as a freshman in 2019, became Stanford’s first four-time NCAA champion in school history (2019, 2022-23, 2025) following the Cardinal’s 11-7 victory over USC in the NCAA final on May 11.

One year after taking a leave of absence and redshirt year to train and compete with Team USA at the Paris Summer Olympics, Neushul returned for a seventh season and fueled the Cardinal’s 10th NCAA championship in school history and third over the last four years.

Named to both the NCAA All-Tournament Team and MPSF All-Tournament Team, Neushul started all 26 games in 2025. She led the Cardinal in multi-goal games (20) while ranking second in goals (60), assists (39) and shot attempts (105). Neushul departed The Farm with 228 career goals, ranking fifth all-time in school history.

Following in the footsteps of older sisters, Kiley and Jamie, Neushul was recognized as Stanford’s eighth MPSF Player of the Year while also earning all-conference accolades for the fourth time in her career. Neushul was also the second student-athlete in MPSF history to earn both a player of the year and newcomer of the year honor (2019), joining UCLA’s Maddie Musselman.

A three-time ACWPC All-American (2019, 2022-23), Neushul is likely to earn a fourth honor in the coming weeks in addition to being a strong contender for ACWPC National Player of the Year.

A three-time ACWPC All-Academic honoree and three-time MPSF All-Academic selection, Neushul is once again on track for more scholastic honors as she boasts a 3.78 GPA in human biology. Neushul serves as a teaching assistant for an on-campus Spanish service learning course and participates in the Bridge Peer Counseling Center, Stanford’s student-run peer counseling center.

ABOUT THE OLYMPIC CLUB
Founded in 1860, The Olympic Club enjoys the distinction of being among the oldest athletic clubs in America. Since its birth, The Olympic Club has fostered amateur athletics in San Francisco. The Winged “O” currently fields teams in 17 sports. Additionally, The Olympic Club has hosted five U.S. Opens, and looks forward to hosting the 2028 PGA Championship and 2032 Ryder Cup at its world-class Lakeside Clubhouse golf courses.



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Men’s Track & Field Garners 20 USTFCCCA All-Region Honors

Dan Urchuk earned an all-region accolade. Story Links The Middlebury men’s track & field team placed 20 members on the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Mideast All-Region outdoor squad.  RELAY HIGHLIGHTS INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS Joey Caspar tallied the second-quickest time (53.54) in the 400 hurdles […]

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Dan Urchuk earned an all-region accolade.


The Middlebury men’s track & field team placed 20 members on the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Mideast All-Region outdoor squad. 

RELAY HIGHLIGHTS

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS

  • Joey Caspar tallied the second-quickest time (53.54) in the 400 hurdles to earn his first all-region honor.
  • Securing his initial accolade is Logan Cosgrove. In the shot put, the Panther recorded a toss of 14.83 meters at the NESCAC Championship, ranking him fourth in the Mideast Region.
  • Dave Filias garnered all-region recognition in two events. The senior led the Mideast in the hammer throw, heaving the implement an event-best 60.37m at the Julie LaFreniere Commonwealth Invitational. He also had the fifth-farthest shot put toss at 14.71m from the NESCAC Championship. The honors are the fourth and fifth of his career, respectively.
  • Also earning accolades in two events is Ziggy Goddard. The Panther paced the region in the 3,000 steeplechase, clocking in at 9:12.41 en route to the conference crown and his third-consecutive all-region honor in the event. In the 1,500, Goddard tallied a school-record time of 3:48.48, good for third in the Mideast.
  • Quinn Kennedy collects his first regional honor. He crossed the finish line at 14.89 seconds in the 110 hurdles at the conference championship, marking the fifth-fastest effort in the region.
  • In the 400 hurdles, Parker Loupessis grabs his second consecutive all-region award. He clocked the fifth-fastest time of 55.20 seconds at the Aztec Invitational. 
  • Sam McGarrahan garners his third outdoor all-region distinction in the high jump. He cleared the bar with a season and region-best 2.00m at the NESCAC Championship.
  • In the 100, Motroni secured the fifth-quickest time of 10.70 seconds during the Julie LaFreniere Commonwealth Invitational hosted by the University of Massachusetts.
  • Sam Opawuyi earns his first all-region honor after recording a school record leap of 13.95m in the triple jump at the Middlebury Outdoor Meet. It was the fifth-best mark in the Mideast.
  • Earning his second-straight all-region honor in the decathlon is Caleb Smith. The Panther was runner-up in the Mideast, tallying 6,464 points at the Williams Farley Inter-Regional Extravaganza.
  • Xander Swann earns his second and third outdoor Mideast accolades. In the 400 hurdles, the senior paced his regional peers with his runner-up conference championship clocking of 51.96 seconds. He also grabbed honors in the 400, finishing fourth in the region after crossing the line at 47.92. 
  • Closing out the all-region accolades is Dan Urchuk. He tallied the third-best shot-put throw of 15.23m while finishing fifth in the Mideast in the hammer (52.56m). Both marks were recorded at the Aztec Invitational hosted by San Diego State.

To earn the award, athletes must finish the regular season in the top-five spots per event, while relay squads must place in the top three. The full list of honorees can be found here.
 



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