Texas and Creighton meet for just the third time ever. The Longhorns ended its 2024 season against the Blue Jays at the State College Regional with Creighton tying the series at one a piece with a 3-1 win. Texas took the first-ever meeting in the 2016 NCAA Austin Regional Final at Gregory Gymnasium. Texas swept Creighton in that match to advance to the NCAA Final Four.
Texas and Wisconsin will meet for the 12th time with the Longhorns winning the last matchup, 3-1, last September at the State Farm College Volleyball Showcase. Texas has a three-match win streak against the Badgers, including a 3-1 win at the 2023 NCAA National Semifinal.
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Texas begins the 2025 season as the No. 5 ranked team in the AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Longhorns have been ranked in both the top five in 19 of the past 21 seasons and the top 10 in 20 of the last 21 preseason rankings. Texas, who was picked second in the SEC Coaches’ Poll, is one of five SEC teams in the top-25 as Kentucky checks in at No. 7, Texas A&M at No. 9, Florida came in at No. 16, and Missouri is ranked 17th. The season features 11 preseason top 25 teams, including No. 6 Stanford in the home opener at Moody Center on Sept. 6.
ALL-SEC LONGHORNS
Torrey Stafford and Emma Halter were both named to the All-SEC First Team, tied for the second-most selections with LSU and Texas A&M. Kentucky led the league with four selections.
ON STAFFORD WATCH
Torrey Stafford, a 2024 AVCA First Team All-American at Pitt, was named to the 2025 AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List in early July. Stafford is one of 30 athletes on the preseason watch list. Stafford was an AVCA National Player of the Year Semifinalist in 2024 and was also an All-ACC First Team member.
FRESH FACES
Half of the Texas roster will play its first-ever match in Burnt Orange at the Opening Spike Classic. The roster features five freshmen and three standout transfers. The freshmen class features Callie Krueger – Texas 6A Defensive Player of the Year, Addy Gaido – AVCA Secon Team HS All-American, Taylor Harvey – the No. 1 MB in the 2025 class via VBAdrenaline, Cari Spears – 2024 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and Abby Vander Wal – AVCA First Team HS All-American.
The transfers are led by Torrey Stafford (Pitt) – the lone AVCA First Team All-American on the roster, Ramsey Gary (Indiana) – Second Team All-Big 10 with 968 digs in two seasons, and Aja Kujundzic (VCU) – Second Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference.
SUCCESS AT THE TOP
Texas has been the model of consistency for well over a decade now, being the only Division I volleyball program to have ended each of the last 19 seasons ranked in the top 10. The Longhorns have also finished in the top 5 in 15 of the last 18 seasons, including 11-straight years from 2008-18. Texas also has the nation’s longest active streak of NCAA Regional Semifinal (“Sweet 16”) appearances with 19-straight. Of the last 19 regional semifinal appearances, the Longhorns have advanced to 18 NCAA Regional Finals, 12 National Semifinals and eight National Championship matches.
RANKED SUCCESS
UT owns a 159-62 (.719) record against ranked opponents over the last 21 seasons (2004-24) and boasts a 72-15 (.828) home mark against ranked opponents at Gregory Gymnasium (69-15) and the Frank Erwin Center (3-0) during that span. The Longhorns finished 5-3 last season against ranked opponents.
NEW ERA ON THE FORTY
Texas Volleyball embarked on a new era in the SEC and came just short of winning the conference title in the program’s first season. The Longhorns have a long history of conference dominance with 29 all-time league championships, including 16 Big 12 titles and 13 Southwest Conference Championships. The Longhorns’ 2023 league title was a record seventh-straight Big 12 Championship, who won or shared 12 of the last 13 championships and 15 of the last 17. Texas departed the Big 12 Conference having won more league championships than any other program.
The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority faced a challenge rehabilitating a major interceptor line in Wilkes-Barre because it is beneath the Wyoming Valley Levee.
This aging reinforced concrete line, known as the authority’s East Side Interceptor, had to be addressed because it was installed in the 1960s and had reached the end of its service life. It carries wastewater from approximately 100,000 residents in 19 municipalities to the authority’s treatment plant in Hanover Township.
The traditional approach — excavating to remove and replace the line — would have cost an estimated $75 million or more and required extensive permitting and protective measures to ensure the flood control system along the Susquehanna River was not compromised, authority officials said.
Instead, the authority recently deployed a new engineering technology to restore the one-mile line for $14 million.
Authority Chief Technical Officer Samantha Albert said the solution involved steel-reinforced PVC that interlocks as it is fed through manholes into the pipe, creating a new standalone pipe within the existing line.
A machine was used to wind the large spools of PVC through the line, she said. The diameter of the line ranges from 4 to 6 feet, allowing crews to get inside during the installation, Albert said.
The authority could not use a different type of liner that requires a “curing” process with heat to dry and harden because the interceptor line would have to be completely dry for that option, Albert said.
The interceptor line could not be deactivated to dry because it handles a high volume of both wastewater and stormwater when it rains, she said.
“That was a huge advantage of the solution we chose because it still has to flow during the installation,” Albert said.
For the safety of crews, the contractor set up a temporary sewage bypass system — a large black pipe on the ground — to reduce the load passing through the line during installation, she said.
The section of line tackled in this project runs from the area of the Luzerne County Courthouse south to Riverside Drive, Albert said.
Albert said the line is “critical infrastructure” that must remain functioning to service residents and also protect the levee.
“We did not want this line to ever become compromised and impact the integrity of the levee,” Albert said. “It’s all about protecting the environment and the public.”
Georgia-based Ruby-Collins Inc. completed the project. The company has a specialized “trenchless division” to rehabilitate underground lines, its site says.
Luzerne County Council allocated $2 million of its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the project. The authority also received a federal STAG Clean Water Community Project Funding Grant and secured a Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST, loan.
Albert said the authority will continue seeking grants to help fund work on other segments of the interceptor.
Christopher Belleman, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority that oversees the Wyoming Valley Levee, said his authority allowed access to land at the site to complete the project.
“They got us involved at the very start. They were a good partner,” Belleman said of the sanitary authority.
Belleman spoke favorably of the sanitary authority’s solution, saying the flood authority has used a lining to address damaged piping — an option available if the original pipe still has structural integrity.
“Fortunately, technology has advanced over the years so this type of work can be done in a way that saves costs without having to excavate,” Belleman said.
Approximately 170 pipes of varying dimensions run through the levee system, officials have said.
Belleman said the flood authority must inspect these pipes every five years in compliance with a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mandate to keep the levee certified.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
REINBECK – The Gladbrook-Reinbeck PTO is partnering with eight current members of the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Panthers volleyball team in an effort to raise funds for a new, inclusive elementary school playground.
“We were trying to think of (fundraising) ideas. We’re pretty fortunate that [UNI] is so close to us and we knew that there were some girls from the area that play on the team. … We did some virtual meetings and here we are,” G-R elementary principal Shaun Lehmann told the newspaper about the inaugural three-day camp’s origins.
The all-skills camp is open to any girl – no matter the school district – in grades 3-8. Camp will take place on three consecutive Saturdays this coming January, including Jan. 17, Jan. 24, and Jan. 31, at the secondary building located at 600 Blackhawk St. in Reinbeck. Campers may register for a single session or multiple sessions at a discounted rate. Each session will be capped at 48 players. Grade groupings are as follows: grades 3-4 from noon to 1 p.m.; grades 5-6 from 1:30-2:30 p.m; and grades 7-8 from 3-4:30 p.m.
While G-R is hosting the camp, UNI volleyball players are running the show, Lehmann said, including freshman defensive specialist/libero Payton Askelsen; sophomore setter Reese Booth; redshirt freshman middle blocker Maryn Bixby – a Dike-New Hartford alumna; freshman defensive specialist/libero Sophie Buysse; senior opposite hitter Calia Clubb – a Clear Creek Amana alumna; freshman defensive specialist/libero Jadyn Petersen – a Dike-New Hartford alumna; redshirt sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Sellner; and redshirt freshman opposite hitter/middle blocker Kamryn Vogt.
The registration deadline for the volleyball camp is Dec. 31, 2025. More information, including cost and registration, can be found by visiting https://tinyurl.com/GRvbcamp. A spring camp for girls in grades K-2 is also in the works.
Profits from the camp will be split between G-R’s playground fund and the UNI volleyball players.
A playground for every child
G-R’s new, inclusive playground will be located on the south side of the elementary building in Reinbeck.
“There’s not really much there right now,” Lehmann said before adding that both the existing zip line and climbing apparatus will be removed to make way for the new equipment which will all be ADA-compliant. While Lehmann declined to disclose how much had been raised so far for the new playground, he did tell the newspaper the district will be contributing some funding and that they have “a ways to go” to meet the fundraising goal. But his hope is to have the new playground ready for the 2026-27 school year.
“Our playgrounds are used throughout the year by the community. We don’t have a fence. [An ADA-compliant] playground will be beneficial to all kids.”
To donate directly to the playground fund, contact Lehmann at 319-345-2822 or email shaun.lehmann@gr-rebels.net.
Green ranked first in the area in kills per set (5.40), sixth in digs per set (2.95) and eighth in aces per set (0.68). Class 4 State, Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection. Northwestern District and Winchester Star Player of the Year.
Brenna Corbin
James Wood — Senior
Outside hitter
Corbin led the area in total aces (96) and tied for first in aces per set (0.99). Ranked third in digs per set (3.69) and fifth in kills per set (2.94). Class 4 State, Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Kennedy Spaid
James Wood — Senior
Outside hitter
Spaid ranked first in the area in total kills (458) and third in kills per set (4.87). Ranked seventh in digs per set and aces per set. Class 4 State, Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Isabel Aliveto
Clarke County — Junior
Outside hitter
Aliveto ranked second in area in total kills (428) and kills per set (5.16). She ranked ninth in aces per set (0.66) and tied for 12th in digs per set (2.37). Class 2, Region 2B and Bull Run District First Team selection. Bull Run District Player of the Year.
Breeze Johnson
Handley — Sophomore
Outside hitter
Johnson ranked 4th in the area in kills per set (3.73) and digs per set (3.65) and placed 3rd in aces per set (0.82). Class 4 State Second Team and Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
McKenna Homans
Millbrook — Freshman
Setter/hitter
Homans ranked 14th in kills per set (1.62), sixth in assists (4.32), seventh in blocks (0.57), 11th in digs (2.42) and 12th in aces (0.61). Only area player to rank top 15 in all five major statistical categories. Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Bryn Franzen
Clarke County — Senior
Middle hitter
Franzen ranked 5th in area in blocks per set (0.65) and 11th in kills per set (1.89). Class 2 State Second Team. Region 2B and Bull Run District First Team selection.
Avery Curtis
Sherando — Freshman
Middle hitter
Curtis led the area in total blocks (78) and blocks per set (1.05) and ranked 6th in kills per set (2.45). Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Kate Madden
Millbrook — Junior
Libero
Madden led the area in total digs (368) and digs per set (4.91). Ranked 13th in aces per set (0.60). Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team selection.
Jillian Emmart
Clarke County — Senior
Setter
Emmart led area in total assists (596) and assists per set (7.64) and averaged 1.94 digs per set.
The Gainesville Sun is releasing its All-Area teams for five fall high school sports.
Fans have the opportunity to vote for the Player of the Year in polls accompanying each team.
The poll for the Big School Volleyball Player of the Year is now open for voting.
Gainesville High’s Rowan Kage was named the official Player of the Year by the publication.
After months filled with excitement and tears of happiness and sadness, the fall sports season is officially over in the Gainesville area.
The end of the season marks the release of the Gainesville Sun’s All-Area teams. As such, we’ll be releasing 12 All-Area teams for five fall sports (football, volleyball, swim and dive, cross country and golf).
All teams can be viewed on Gainesville.com/sports/high-school. For all these sports, we’re picking a Player of the Year — the athlete we and area coaches thought was the best.
However, we want to give you, the fans, the chance to make your voice heard.
That’s why we’re releasing Player of the Year polls to accompany each All-Area teams. Each of the first-team nominees in a respective sport will be a candidate.
Below is the poll for who the best Big School Volleyball Player was in 2025. We released this team Tuesday and picked Gainesville High’s Rowan Kage as our Player of the Year. There are 8 nominees to choose from, and you can vote as many times as you’d like. The poll closes at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31.
Please share this poll with family and friends, and congratulations to all those on the All-Area teams and their families!
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
PETOSKEY — Katie Parker made an impact on the varsity volleyball court in all four seasons of her Petoskey career.
After each season, she set her sights on becoming even better, something her Petoskey teammates and coaches were grateful for.
Then came the 2025 campaign and eventual end. There was no next, something that hit home with Parker, though it’s a four-year career that most can only dream about.
“I didn’t really realize how much playing school ball meant to me until it was over,” Parker said. “Since I started my freshman year I always through, ‘One more year…one more year.’ But then realized this year is the last year. That final game really took an emotional toll on me.”
Parker’s absence within the lineup is sure to take a toll on Petoskey as well.
The senior leaves Petoskey with the second most career assists with 2,901, placing her within the statewide career lists of the MHSAA.
As a setter, she knows she’s in a position where she needs her teammates for success as much as they need her and she credits that bond as the biggest factor of her career.
“I think just staying out of your head and having good teammates that continuously back you up, have your back and believe in you,” Parker said on how she stayed so consistent. “I think that really motivates people to keep going and learn. Once you start being confident in yourself and your abilities, others look up to you and their skills end up reflecting on the team as a whole.”
Parker’s skills brought Petoskey great success over her career, which included a district title – elusive in an always tough district – along with key league wins and multiple postseason honors.
She earned back to back spots on the all-region dream team and is now named the 2025 Petoskey News-Review Volleyball Player of the Year honor.
Change had been constant over her career, with hitters coming and going, along with coaches. She played for three different head coaches and seemingly a different group of lead hitters year after year.
She built great rapport with those hitters, first off the court.
“I think the main reason I had great connections with the hitters was because we had a great relationship off the court,” she said. “Each person, their hitting style reflects their personality and how they view the game. So just knowing them and how they’re going to hit makes the job easier.”
She was also never afraid of a little constructive criticism and feedback, something she used to become better. She got that particularly out of this last group.
“My favorite part about this last group of hitters was their ability to tell me when my sets weren’t perfect,” Parker said. “It wasn’t in a mean way, they’d say, ‘That was a great set, but could you do this…’ They were amazing teammates on and off the court.”
Along with the career assists, Parker also finished with 890 career digs and 191 aces, while recording 667 assists, 223 digs and 35 aces this season. She also got her hands dirty at the net, contributing 15 blocks.
What she’s most proud of this season was how a team full of players pushed into leading roles came together.
“We lost some height, but with a shorter team, we were really powerful working together, shifting our defense to blocks and understanding how to play with this group,” she said. “The ability to come together and work as a team was the best part.”
Parker was also focused on building up the future of the program and her position, where backup setters Courtney and Cora Howard are likely to take over ahead.
“The Howard twins are amazing teammates and setters,” she said. “We would go off on the side, they would ask for advice and I’d share with them. They’re amazing people and they have a bright future ahead.”
2025 NEWS-REVIEW ALL-AREA VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
MH: Sarah Bailey, Sr. Petoskey
Took off this season and earned dream team all-region. Had 240 kills and 69 blocks. Added 183 digs and 31 aces as well.
OH: Lanie Irwin, Sr. Pellston
Earned all-state once again and finished the season with 508 kills, 110 aces and 429 digs. Also held a 91% serve reception rate.
OH: Emma Mitas, Sr. Petoskey
Had a huge final season as an all-region hitter. Recorded 307 kills, 48 blocks and 37 aces. Also had 249 digs.
OPP: Addy Burns, Boyne City
All-region and all-conference pick, enjoyed a breakout season with 185 kills and 298 digs, adding 44 aces as well.
DS: Jaslyn Blanton, Jr. Charlevoix
Could do it all again and earned all-region. Had 260 kills, 408 digs, 238 assists and 66 aces. A special talent on the court.
DS: Sarah Simonis, Sr. Petoskey
A strong leader and defender that earned all-region. Had 377 digs and 33 aces from her libero spot.
L: Ayla Kemp, Jr. Charlevoix
All-region and a standout defender for the Rayders. Had 688 digs, a team-high, then 56 aces and 659 serve receptions.
S: Katie Parker, Sr. Petoskey
Two-time dream team all-region, Area Player of the Year. Had 667 assists, 223 digs and 35 aces. Also had 15 blocks.
SECOND TEAM
MH: Kerry-Ann Ming, Sr. Mackinaw City
MB: Leah Sulitis, Sr. Petoskey
OH: Olivia Pineda-Anderson, Jr. Boyne Falls
OH: Lily Snyder, Sr. East Jordan
DS: Taryn Carey, Jr. Charlevoix
L: Peyton Frost, Sr. Harbor Springs
S: Breanna Willis, Sr. Pellston
S: Lily Payton, So. Boyne City
HONORABLE MENTION
Cara Paulus, Jr. Harbor Light; Maryrose Halberg, Sr. Charlevoix; Elle Wilson, Jr. Boyne City; Alexis Cadarette, Sr. Petoskey; Remi Wiertalla, Jr. Alanson; Ella Klungle, Sr. Pellston; Rian Esper, Jr. Mackinaw City.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
2025 Coach of the Year: Josh Michael, Philip Simmons. Michael led both the boys and girls team to state championships in Class AA this season. It was the fourth consecutive championship for the girls team and the second for the boys team.
2025 Runner of the Year: Morgan Howell, Porter-Gaud. Howell, a freshman, won her second straight SCISA Class AAAA state championship and recorded the fastest time in the area among all classifications with a time of 17:47. Earlier during the season her time of 17:16 was the fastest in the state in 2025.
All-Lowcountry Team
Morgan Howell, Porter Gaud: SCISA AAAA State Champion, 17:47
Taylor Blackwelder, Summerville: AAAAA Div. I, State Runner-up, 18:17
Anna Cavallon, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 4th place, 18:34
Avah Mallek, Philip Simmons: AA State Champion (3rd straight), 18:37
2025 Runner of the Year: Brayden Bunt, Academic Magnet. Bunt was the highest-finishing runner among all Lowcountry runners in state meet competition, finishing as the state runner-up in Class AA with a time of 15 minutes, 47 seconds, which was two seconds faster than Summerville’s David Greer.
All-Lowcountry Team
Brayden Bunt, Academic Magnet: AA State, Runner-up, 15:47
David Greer, Summerville: AAAAA Div. I, 4th place, 15:49
Wilson Scapellato, Charleston Collegiate: SCISA AA State Champion, 15:56
Ari Laurient, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 8th place, 15:59
