FOUNTAIN – For the first time in state history, CHSAA crowned boys volleyball state champions for two classifications. Eaglecrest avenged an earlier loss to Littleton Public Schools to capture the Class 5A title while Regis Groff dropped just one set all weekend to win the 4A crown.

With three days of tournament play, below is a complete hub for each tournament featuring the championship coverage stories as well as photo galleries from Brian Livergood and Andrew Rydland.

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Class 5A

(Brian Livergood Photography)

FOUNTAIN – Simple thoughts went through Ashton Bond’s head as he spun the ball in his hand.

With a serve for the state title he wasn’t bogged down by technical details. The Eaglecrest junior outside hitter ignored any creeping doubt. After all, a few of his serves didn’t clear the net and after each unforced error, he looked at his teammates, his wrist and pointed to his chest in apology.

As he tossed it up, “hit it hard and prayed it goes in,” was the plan. The sage advice he heard in an interview with BYU senior Keoni Thiim paid off as the return sailed out of bounds as Eaglecrest secured its first Class 5A state title with a 19-25, 25-23, 25-19 and 27-25 win over Littleton Public Schools on Saturday at Trojan Arena in Fountain.

Read the full story here.

Photo galleries:

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Class 4A

(Andrew Rydland/AndrewRydlandPhotography.com)

More often than not, history is written by the winners.

And for the first time in school history, Regis Groff is a winner. The Fusion survived a tough first set and then maintained control to beat Pueblo South 30-28, 25-18, 25-19 to capture the first-ever Class 4A boys volleyball championship.

It’s also the first team state championship in Regis Groff history. And the volleyball team hopes this can be a beacon for the other programs to achieve their championship dreams.

Read the full story here.

Photo galleries:

The EIU men’s and women’s tennis programs will be cut effective immediately, Eastern Illinois University announced in an email this afternoon.

The cost and demands of both teams being in separate conferences are “no longer sustainable,” the email wrote. All impacted students will keep undergraduate athletic scholarship aid and support for up to eight semesters. 

According to President Jay Gatrell, reduced NCAA funding distribution from the House v. NCAA settlement is the main reason behind the cut.

The nearly $2.8 billion case was settled last summer and will back-pay athletes who have competed since 2016. Eastern will receive $200,000 less in funding for the athletics budget for the next 10 years.

Of the 18 students on the tennis teams, two graduated this year and 16 remain.

More information will be available later.

The News can be reached at deneic@gmail.com.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women’s volleyball adds four student-athletes ahead of its 2025 season, announced head coach Jennifer Weiss this week.  The Class of 2029 includes Bridget Egan, Sophia Jo, Sofia Rossi, and Sophia Wei.

Bridget Egan | Outside Hitter | 6’0″ | Louisville, KY | Sacred Heart Academy

A four-year varsity letterwinner for volleyball at Sacred Heart Academy…Played club volleyball for KIVA Sports…Served as team captain for the Sacred Heart Academy volleyball team in 2024…Two-time Sacred Heart Academy Offensive Player of the Year…Named the Kentucky High School Athletic Association District Tournament MVP and made the All-Tournament team…Received KVCA All-State honors…Named to the AVCA All-Region team…AAU National Champion 16 Open…Top-five finisher for 17 Open…Runner-up at 18 U Open Under Armour National Championship…Named the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Student-Athlete of the Year in 2024-25…Four-time Sacred Heart Angela Merici Scholar…Jean Frazier Leadership Institute Fellow (2022-25)…AAU Academic All-American…Four-time KHSAA Academic All-State…Brother, Liam, plays soccer at the University of Notre Dame (Undergraduate ’25, Graduate ’26)…Brother, Brendan, plays soccer at Centre College (’25)…Mother, Brooke, rowed crew at Notre Dame…Uncle, Brison, rowed crew at Yale (’92).

Sophia Jo | Libero | 5’5″ | Atlanta, GA | The Westminster Schools

A four-year varsity letterwinner for volleyball at The Westminster Schools…Libero/defensive specialist for the A5 Volleyball Club (since age 13)…Served as team captain for Westminster in 2024…Three-time All-Region first team…Two-time AVCA Phenom Watch List…Two-time All-State first team…2024 All-Region Defensive Player of the Year…2024 AVCA Best and Brightest second team…2024 AVCA All-Region watch list…2024 AVCA All-America watch list…Surpassed 1,000 digs in her junior season…Holds the Westminster record for career service aces…Recipient of the Marcia Wright Memorial Award at Westminster…Admissions Ambassador at Westminster…AP Scholar with Honor and National Honor Society.

Sofia Rossi | Outside Hitter | 6’0″ | Park Ridge, Ill. | Maine South High School

A four-year varsity letterwinner for volleyball at Maine South High School…Played for five years for the MOD Volleyball Club…Two-time team captain for the Maine South volleyball team…Three-time Maine South Varsity Volleyball Team MVP…Three-time All-Conference honoree…2023 All-Tournament player for the Mizuno Crimson Classic Tournament…2024 Central Suburban League South Player of the Year…Two-time AVCA Phenom watch list…Four-time JVA watch list…2025 All-Tournament player at the 18U Under Armour National Championships…Accumulated over 1,000 career kills in career at Maine South…Two-time National Honor Society…Two-time IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award…Two-time Central Suburban League Scholar Athlete honoree.

Sophia Wei | Setter | 5’8″ | Plano, TX | Plano West

A three-year letterwinner and starter for volleyball at Plano West…A member of Dallas Skyline Volleyball from 2024-25…A member and captain of Madfrog Volleyball from 2016-23…Two-year captain for Plano West volleyball team…2024 USAV 17 Open All-Tournament team at the Girls Junior National Championships…Texas Girls Coaches Association 6-A All-State selection in 2024…Texas UIL District 6-6A first team All-District in 2024…Texas UIL District 6-6A Setter of the Year in 2023…Texas UIL District 6-6A Newcomer of the Year in 2022…Two-time Allen Texas Open All-Tournament team…Two-time Under Armour All-American camp invitee…JVA Class of 2025 watch list in 2024…PrepVolleyball Class of 2025 watch list in 2022…USAV 17 Open bronze medalist at the Girls Junior National Championships in 2024…USAV 16 Open fifth place finish at the Girls Junior National Championships in 2023…Five-time top-10 finish in the highest division at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships…Three-time top-five finish in the Elite division at the Triple Crown Volleyball National Invitational Tournament…Accumulated 1,982 assists, 716 digs, and 115 aces across three seasons at Plano West…Two-time District 6-6A champions, Di-District champions, and All-Area champions…Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) first team academic All-State in 2024…Three-time UIL District 6-6A All-District…Cameron Impact Scholarship Finalist in 2025…Gold Congressional Award Medal in 2024…Three-time AP Scholar with Distinction…Executive Director and Head of Social Impact for Be The Light Youth Association…Sister, Jacqueline, is a 2023 Harvard graduate.
 

Via GoStanford.com

INDIANAPOLIS – No. 1 Stanford’s stingy defense powered a second-half surge to outlast No. 3 USC 11-7 on Sunday afternoon to capture the 2025 NCAA Championship.

The nation’s only program to have participated at every NCAA Championship since the event’s inception in 2001, Stanford claimed its 10th NCAA title overall and third in four seasons. The Cardinal also secured national championships in 2023, 2022, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011 and 2002.

The winningest program in collegiate water polo, Stanford (25-1, 5-1 MPSF) put the finishing touches on a dominant campaign. In addition to producing one of only four 15-0 starts in school history, the Cardinal recorded three wins apiece over fellow contenders USC and UCLA while holding the nation’s No. 1 ranking for most of the season. It’s also the fourth time in school history Stanford won both the NCAA and MPSF crowns, having completed the double-dip in 2023, 2022 and 2014.

Sunday’s hardware carried even more significant meaning for Stanford Athletics, which extended one of the most recognizable streaks in college athletics. The nation’s all-time leader in NCAA team championships with 137, the Cardinal has now won at least one NCAA team championship during each of the last 49 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign.

Juliette Dhalluin led the offense with a hat trick and was one of four players with multiple goals for Stanford, which extended its streak of having scored at least 10 goals in every game this season.

Christine Carpenter was named MVP of the All-Tournament Team, finishing with nine saves in goal while anchoring a shut-down defense that surrendered only one goal in the second half and kept USC scoreless for a stretch of 14:23 overall.

Stanford and USC have combined to win 14 of the last 15 NCAA titles, fueling a rivalry that dominates the sport and boasting Olympians on both rosters. As expected, Sunday’s final was a battle early on.

USC (29-5, 5-1 MPSF) controlled the first period, racing out to a 3-1 lead and immediately putting Stanford on its heels. It looked as if the Trojans were on track to becoming only the fifth opponent to reach double digits against the Cardinal this season.

Stanford managed to stay within striking distance in the second period, eventually breaking through thanks to a key offensive sequence from Dhalluin.

With 52 seconds left before intermission, Dhalluin scored to force the first tie of the game at 5-5. USC quickly countered but Dhalluin did as well, firing in a rocket with one second before the buzzer sounded.

Dhalluin wasn’t done, completing her hat trick at the 6:47 mark of the third period and accounting for the only scoring in the quarter. Dhalluin’s goal also gave Stanford a lead it would never relinquish.

Serena Browne turned in an outstanding two-way performance, including back-to-back goals to open the fourth quarter and increase the lead to 9-6.

USC finally broke its scoring drought with 1:56 left in regulation to make it 9-7 before Kamryn Barone and Jenna Flynn tacked on insurance goals.

Stanford Goals: Juliette Dhalluin (3), Kamryn Barone (2), Serena Browne (2), Jenna Flynn (2), Ryann Neushul (1), Jewel Roemer (1).

All-Tournament Team (Most Valuable Player): Christine Carpenter (Stanford)

All-Tournament Team (First Team): Ryann Neushul (Stanford), Jenna Flynn (Stanford), Emma Lineback (UCLA), Tilly Kearns (USC), Rachel Gazzaniga (USC), Bernadette Doyle (Hawai’i), Christine Carpenter (Stanford)

All-Tournament Team (Second Team): Ava Stryker (USC), Anna Pearson (UCLA), Jordan Wedderburn (Hawai’i), Eszter Varro (California), Ruby Hodge (Harvard), Ruth Arino Ariz (Loyola Marymount), Anna Reed (USC)

TROY, N.Y. – Liberty League commissioner Tracy King has announced that 1,226 spring sport student-athletes have qualified for the league’s All-Academic Teams in their respective sports, marking highest total for the spring season in the league’s 30-year history. The mark surpasses the previous high of 1,123 set last spring (2024). It also marked the fifth consecutive year that more than 1,000 spring sport student-athletes have qualified for the All-Academic Teams.
 
Skidmore was well represented by 99 student-athletes from nine teams. Men’s Lacrosse led the way with 22, while the women’s lacrosse team had 21.

“The fact that we saw an increase of more than 100 student-athletes qualifying for our all-academic teams is remarkable,” said King. “Our student-athletes are incredibly well-rounded individuals, excelling in the classroom and on the playing field while also engaging with their local communities. The academic achievement of our student-athletes has always been a great source of pride for our member institutions. I applaud our students for their outstanding work in the classroom.”

To be recognized as a member of the All-Academic Team a student-athlete must be a sophomore or higher in class standing with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30. The spring championship sports include baseball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s rowing, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track and field.

For the 2024-25 academic year, 756 fall sport student-athletes and 410 winter sport student-athletes also qualified for Liberty League All-Academic Teams. Combined with 1,226 spring-sport student-athletes, a total of 2,392 student-athletes in the league’s 27 sports have achieved a 3.30 cumulative grade point average or better.

2024-25 LIBERTY LEAGUE SPRING ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS:

Baseball (170)

Men’s Golf (38)

Women’s Golf (28)

Men’s Lacrosse (175)

Women’s Lacrosse (172)

Men’s Rowing (44)

Women’s Rowing (112)

Softball (71)

Men’s Tennis (38)

Women’s Tennis (52)

Men’s Track & Field (163)

Women’s Track & Field (163)