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Obituary

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RIP to Bill Hepler, a left-handed pitcher who played for the 1966 New York Mets as a 20-year-old rookie. The resident of Dade City, FL, died on August 12 at the age of 79.

William Lewis Hepler was born in Covington, VA, on September 25, 1945. He attended Covington High School and lettered in football (quarterback), basketball (forward) and baseball (pitcher). Hepler had strikeout stuff as a high school student and once struck out 16 of 21 batters in a 12-2 win over Cave Spring. He also racked up 16 K’s in a 1962 no-hitter against Greenbrier. One of the best games Hepler threw as a teenager came for the Covington American Legion team on June 14, 1963. On the 13th, he was knocked out of a game after giving up 5 walks and a double in 1/3 of an inning. The very next day, he no-hit Augusta and struck out 22 batters. Hepler graduated from Covington in 1964 and signed with the Washington Senators and scout George McQuinn. Before he did, he turned in an outstanding performance in the Virginia Legion tournament. Covington won 6 games before losing in the finals, and the left-hander got the victory in all of them, with a single-game high of 23 strikeouts.

Source: Finger Lakes Times, August 3, 1965.

Hepler pitched briefly in the Florida Instructional League in late 1964 and showed his wildness. He walked 18 in 22 innings and threw 5 wild pitches. He also struck out 13. His first full season in the minors was with Geneva of the New York-Penn League in 1965. He threw 21 wild pitches, which was tied for most in the league, but he also was second with 219 strikeouts, tied for first with 13 wins and first with 14 complete games. He was named to the All-Star Team and also received the Stedler Award, which the New York-Penn League presented to the played expected to go farthest in professional baseball. “League President William McNamara told the youngster, “you can become one of the best lefthanders in baseball if you believe in yourself.”

After the ’65 season had ended, the New York Mets took Hepler in the Rule 5 Draft for an $8,000 fee. He was added to the major-league roster, which provided both a problem and an opportunity. Hepler could not be assigned to the minor leagues without being offered back to the Senators for half the money the Mets spent to get him. The Mets were reluctant to part with a young pitching prospect or spend $4,000 unnecessarily, so the 20-year-old Hepler was able to stay on the roster for the full season with at least a little job security. The downside was that he was just one year into a professional playing career, and even with the awards and accolades he earned, Hepler still had control issues. The 1966 Mets, which finished ninth in a 10-team National League, couldn’t hide Hepler in the bullpen, because manager Wes Westrum needed all the pitching help he could get.

Hepler made his debut in a 5-4 loss to Atlanta on April 23, 1966. Starter Dick Selma was knocked out of the game with 1 out in the third inning and runners on the corner. Hepler walked Eddie Mathews to load the bases but retired Denis Menke and Woody Woodward to escape the inning. Hepler started the fourth inning and retired Hank Fischer but then allowed a single to Felipe Alou and a walk to Rico Carty. Reliever Darrel Sutherland bailed him out with a double play, giving Hepler a scoreless debut. He didn’t allow a run in any of his first 5 appearances, and he stranded 6 inherited runners, too. Hepler recorded his first major-league strikeout in his fourth game, fanning Houston’s Jim Gentile on May 24. His luck finally ran out against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 28. He came into the game with 2 runners on base and let them both score on a Willie Davis single. Then he walked 3 straight batters in his next inning, included a bases-loaded walk to Sandy Koufax. The run raised his ERA to 1.29 in 6 games.

Hepler started to give up runs more often, though his ERA remained good. He picked up his first career win in one of his off games, when he allowed a solo homer to Atlanta’s Felipe Alou, breaking a 3-3 tie. The Mets, however, came back against reliever Ted Abernathy and scored 2 runs in the top of the ninth to win 5-4. Eventually, Westrum decided to give Hepler some starts. The first one came against Philadelphia on July 5, and the Phillies pitcher was Larry Jackson, a known Mets killer. Still, Hepler held his own and threw 5 scoreless innings, escaping a bases loaded jam by getting Cookie Rojas to hit a harmless fly ball. He tired in the sixth inning and, after allowing a single to Bill White and a walk to Bob Uecker, gave up a 2-run double to Jackson. Johnny Callison chased Hepler after an RBI single, and the Phillies won 3-1. Still, it was a solid performance until the pitcher ran out of gas. “I was pleased I did as well as I did,” Hepler said after the game, “but I was disappointed that I let the pitcher get the hit that beat me. I was trying to strike him out with a high fastball but I didn’t have enough on it… I feel that if I can gain control I can be a big league pitcher for a lot of years.”

Control ended up being the problem for Hepler. He appeared in 37 games for the Mets in 1966, 3 of which were starts, and he had a 3-3 record and a 3.52 ERA. At the plate, Hepler had 3 hits in 14 at-bats for a .214 batting average, and his first career hit came off Atlanta’s Arnold Umbach on June 7. Hepler walked 51 batters in 69 innings and struck out only 25. He also threw 9 wild pitches, which was 9th-most in the National League. One of those wild pitches came in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs on August 25, and it let Don Kessinger dash home from third base with the winning run in a 3-2 game. In fact, of Hepler’s 9 wild pitches, 4 of them came with a runner on third base.

After the season, the Mets were able to send Hepler to the minors without fear of losing him, and the team did just that. He ended up pitching for three different teams in the farm system — Williamsport, Durham and Winter Haven — and fashioned an 8-9 record and a 3.76 in 22 games. Hepler had the misfortune of throwing a 7-inning no-hitter against Elmira on June 24 while playing for Williamsport, but he lost 1-0 because of 2 first-inning walks and an error on the second baseman. He spent all of 1968 with Memphis of the Double-A Texas League, and he won 9 games while losing 6. His control had improved, as he allowed 54 walks in 156 innings, and he fanned 107 batters while earning a 3.12 ERA. Still just 22, Hepler could have been considered for a return to the majors, but he struggled with Memphis in 1969. He appeared in 21 games, including 8 starts, but had just 45 innings of work and a 6.40 ERA. He was purchased by the Kansas City Royals in December 1969 and, in an unknown transaction, ended up playing in the Washington Senators’ organization in 1970. That would be the new Senators (now the Texas Rangers), not the Senators that originally signed him (now the Minnesota Twins). Hepler gave up 8 runs in 8 innings for Class-A Burlington and spent much of the year on the disabled list with a bad shoulder. His playing career ended after the season. In 5 minor-league seasons, Hepler had a 33-32 record and 3.91 ERA.

After his playing career, Hepler embarked on a career in the construction industry as a senior superintendent. He threw out the first pitch of a high school baseball field in Tampa in 2007 after he helped build it, and his family-placed obituary noted that his proudest professional accomplishment was overseeing the completion of Idlewild Baptist Church. Hepler is survived by his wife Mary, daughter Angela and sons Steve and Jeff, as well as their families.

Of Hepler’s 37 major-league games, the one on September 11, 1966, seemed pretty unimportant at the time. The Braves beat the Mets 8-3, and he pitched the final 2 innings, allowing Eddie Mathews to score on a wild pitch. The pitcher he relieved also pitched 2 innings, striking out 4 batters and surrendering Joe Torre’s 35th home run of the year. It was 19-year-old Nolan Ryan, and he was making his major-league debut. “The first thing I noticed about him was his rising fastball,” Hepler said in a 1991 interview. “It took off like nothing I’d ever seen. He was very slender, and I felt at the time that if he filled out a little, he’d have a great career.”

When asked about his own career, Hepler said, “It didn’t work out the way I hoped. The Mets had built me up like I’d be a 20-year veteran. But who knew Nolan would be the one, and that he’d last even longer than that?”

For more information: Hodges Family Funeral Home

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Former Alabama Volleyball Standout Alyiah Wells Rejoins Crimson Tide as Assistant Coach

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January 12, 2026

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Former Alabama standout player Alyiah Wells has rejoined the Crimson Tide as its newest assistant coach, it was announced Monday by head coach Rashinda Reed.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to return to Tuscaloosa, where I committed to at just 15 years old,” Wells said. “I spent five years helping to grow this program on the court and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to do so from the sidelines alongside the same staff who believed in me from the very beginning.

“I’m incredibly thankful for Coach Reed’s mentorship over the past four years. She pours her heart and soul into developing this program and its players every day, on and off the court, even long after they leave the Capstone. During my time playing for her, we always discussed building a program people would be proud to be a part of, creating a winning culture and leaving a legacy. Now, I’m even more excited to bring my loyalty and passion for Alabama into a new role.”

Wells played at Alabama from 2019-23, accumulating 987 career kills over 117 matches played with the Tide. She was an SEC All-Freshman team selection in 2019 and finished her career with a .312 hitting percentage and 411 blocks. Following her graduation, she played professionally in Europe with the Elite Féminine league in Sens, France for Sens Volley 89 in 2024-2025 and the Hungarian first division for MÁV Elore Foxconn in Székesfehérvár, Hungary serving as team captain 2025.

“Thank you to Coach Reed, Greg Byrne and the entire compliance and administrative staff who watched me grow from an 18-year-old student-athlete into someone ready for this opportunity,” Wells said. “I’m proud to be home with my family after my professional career in Europe.

“Thank you to my parents and grandparents for your endless support of a little girl chasing her dream of becoming a professional athlete and always putting me in the best position to be successful. I would not be here without my village! I can’t wait to get to work and be back in Foster Auditorium this fall. Bama has always had my heart. Roll Tide!”

  • Memphis, Tenn. native

  • 2018-19 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year at Briarcrest Christian School

  • 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team

  • Finished her Alabama career (2019-23) with 987 kills, a .312 hitting percentage and 411 blocks over 117 matches played

  • Played professionally in Europe for the Elite Féminine league in Sens, France for Sens Volley 89 in 2024-2025 and the Hungarian first division for MÁV Elore Foxconn in Székesfehérvár, Hungary serving as team captain 2025



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Rising Phoenix: This Week In Elon Athletics

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January 12, 2026

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ELON – The Elon women’s tennis team is set to begin its spring season at Charlotte this Friday. The Phoenix is coming off of the 2025 CAA Championship win over William & Mary at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center last spring. 

Each Monday, Rising Phoenix will preview the week ahead in Elon athletics. Here is a look at each Elon team competing this week.

Men’s Basketball

After trailing the entire contest against Campbell on Saturday night, the Phoenix prevailed, going on a 10-0 run to defeat the Camels, 83-82. Kacper Klaczek and Chandler Cuthrell paced the team with 20 points each, followed by Randall Pettus II and Ja’Juan Carr, who scored 17 apiece. Pettus II scored the go-ahead layup to secure the victory. The Phoenix will spend the week on the road, facing Northeastern in Boston on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Hofstra in Hempstead on Saturday at noon.

Women’s Tennis

For the first time this spring, the Elon women’s tennis team will take the court, facing off against Charlotte on the road Friday. The Phoenix returns with junior Simone Bergeron, the 2025 CAA Player of the Year, 2025 CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and member of the All-CAA First Team in both singles and doubles. Also returning is Bergeron’s doubles partner junior Mariana Reding, seniors Helen Sarikulaya and Madison Cordisco and sophomore Lisa Kranec. Elon welcomed three newcomers this offseason in Cornelia Kack, Nathalie Marinovitch and Alexis Nyborg.

Men’s Tennis

The Elon men’s tennis team earned its first victory of the 2026 season against St. Joseph’s on Saturday, 6-1. Elon secured the doubles point via victories from Rafael Ymer and Jack Curtis on Court 2 and Veljko Krstic and Nikola Parichkov on Court 1. Krstic, Ymer and Parichkov, as well as Charles Pilet and Oskar Antinheimo, also earned their first singles victories of the season. Elon heads to Durham to face No. 17 Duke on Friday at 5 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

The road slate continues for the Elon women’s basketball team, who will face UNCW on Friday at 7 p.m. and College of Charleston on Sunday at 1 p.m. Against Campbell last week, Ashanti Fox scored a career-high 14 points with a career-high and team best four steals. LaNae’ Corbett led the team with 17 points and one block.

Track & Field

The Elon University track & field team will compete for the first time in 2026 on Saturday at the Mondo College Invitational in Winston-Salem. At the Liberty Kickoff, Jasmine Young took home first place in the 5,000 and Winter Oaster also placed first in the mile. In Boston for the Sharon Colyear-Danville Opener, Sarah Petitjean ran a personal-best 9:49.97 in the 3,000 while Hannah Weber ran a personal-best 16:29.00 in the 5,000.

 

‘Rising Phoenix’ is a student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department’s various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Sydney Spencer at sspencer9@elon.edu.

–ELON–



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What to know about the 2026 NCAA Convention

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January 12, 2026

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The 2026 NCAA Convention begins Tuesday in the Washington, D.C., area, where all three divisions will gather for the annual event, which includes education sessions on important topics, action on legislative proposals and celebrations to honor the achievements of many people in college athletics. 

The event runs through Friday. Roughly 3,000 attendees from member schools and conferences across the country are expected to attend. Below is a snapshot of the event. View the full schedule here.

New championships

All three divisions will vote on recommendations to make stunt and acrobatics and tumbling NCAA championship sports. If the measures are approved, the two sports will host their first championships in spring 2027. They would also join the following sports to earn NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015) and wrestling (2025).

Additionally, Divisions II and III will vote on proposals at their business sessions to create division-specific championships for women’s bowling (Division II) and women’s wrestling (Division III). If approved, both division-specific championships first would be held in 2028. 

Division I

Division I will hold a full membership vote on a proposal that would add three units each to the men’s and women’s basketball distribution funds: one unit for each team competing in the respective championship games and an additional unit for each national champion. If approved, teams competing in championship games during the 2026 tournaments will begin earning distributions that will be paid out to conference offices starting in 2027.

The Division I Cabinet is expected to consider a proposal to allow additional commercial logos on uniforms, apparel and equipment — except during NCAA Championships. The measure would become effective in August. The Cabinet also will consider proposals to create National Collegiate Championships for women’s stunt and women’s acrobatics and tumbling and may introduce women’s flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program. Additionally, the Cabinet will review proposals from oversight committees in several sports — men’s and women’s basketball, track and field, wrestling and men’s ice hockey — to adjust notification-of-transfer windows in those sports.

The Division I Board of Directors will receive an update on the Decision-Making Working Group’s recommendation to decentralize certain regulatory areas of NCAA rules and will consider a proposal that requires a supermajority to approve changes to Division I membership requirements, effectively preventing the autonomy conferences from unilaterally acting without the support of at least one other voting member of the Cabinet or board.

Division II

Division II’s Convention week will include key committee meetings, impactful education sessions and its business session. 

The business session Friday will include 17 proposals, with 11 membership-sponsored proposals and a resolution specific to the Division II Football Championship date formula. The Division II Official Notice and Question and Answer Guide provide details on all the proposals. In addition, the winner of the 2026 Division II Award of Excellence will be announced during the business session. The finalists were revealed last week. 

The Division II Executive Board, Management Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will also meet individually and collectively during the week. 

Division II will hold division-specific education sessions on topics covering business models and enrollment strategies, the future of Division II championships, strengthening the Division II academic and compliance framework, and the impact of Division I decisions on the Division II landscape. 

Additionally, Eric Gaynor from Bentley will be recognized at a reception Thursday as the 2025 Dr. Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor Award recipient. Also at the reception, Division II will celebrate 20 years of Division II faculty athletics representative institutes, which provide professional development and education.

Division III

Division III will vote on legislative proposals and continue its divisional analysis. The NCAA’s largest division will focus on the betterment of student-athletes and its schools and conference offices.

Key legislative proposals for Friday’s business session include establishing a Division III women’s wrestling championship, redefining how a season of eligibility is used, permitting multiple automatic qualifiers for conferences and requiring use of the Transfer Portal. Dive deeper into the proposals.

The Presidents and Management Councils and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee all will gather. During those meetings — as well as the Presidents and Chancellors Forum and the Issues Forum — delegates will engage in initial discussions of the Division III analysis the Presidents Council is undertaking.

The Division III educational sessions include “Connecting With Generation Z,” “Building Campuswide Relationships for Athletic Success” and “How Technology Can Help an Athletics Department.”

The annual Special Olympics event will occur Wednesday afternoon, and the Division III LGBTQ of the Year Award celebration will be held that evening. This celebration recognizes those in college athletics for their service and leadership. Division III delegates are encouraged to attend these events.

For more information, visit the Division III Convention resources page.

Awards

Several student-athletes, coaches and administrators will be celebrated during the Convention for their success on and off the field, as well as their positive contributions to college sports and society. 

The NCAA Honors Presentation will be livestreamed from 5-6:30 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday. The following award winners will be recognized during the event, which will also include the State of College Sports address from NCAA President Charlie Baker. (Livestream)

  • Theodore Roosevelt Award: Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown men’s basketball.

  • NCAA Woman of the Year: Sam Schott, The University of Texas at Tyler softball.

  • Silver Anniversary Awards: Nick Ackerman, Simpson men’s wrestling; Drew Brees Purdue football; Tamika Catchings, Tennessee women’s basketball; and Dr. Lauren Witmer, Millersville women’s tennis. 

  • Gerald R. Ford Award: Charlene Curtis, Radford women’s basketball.

  • Pat Summitt Award: Nikki Franke, Temple fencing.

  • Inspiration Award: Francesca Loiseau, Marymount (Virginia) women’s tennis.

  • Award of Valor: Alex Guerra, Radford baseball. 

  • Impact Award: Ella Brissett, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s tennis; Mia Levy, Yale rowing; Brayden Long, Slippery Rock football; Aino Martikainen, Franklin Pierce women’s soccer; Micaylon Moore, Nebraska men’s indoor and outdoor track and field; and Matt Wrather, John Carroll football. 

Featured Association-wide sessions (all times Eastern)

The Power of Partnership: Leveraging Team IMPACT To Transform the Student-Athlete Experience (2:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesday): This panel will highlight how NCAA member schools are partnering with Team IMPACT to create life-changing experiences for children facing serious illness and disability while enhancing student-athlete development. Panelists will share best practices, outcomes and stories that demonstrate the profound influence on community engagement and the leadership development of student-athletes. (Livestream)

Sports Betting (10-11 a.m. Wednesday): This session will educate attendees about prevention and harm-reduction strategies related to gambling and sports betting in collegiate athletics, including educational and mental health resources available for member schools. Experts will also discuss integrity trends and social media abuse research and monitoring techniques. (Livestream)



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Week Ahead: Monday, Jan. 12 to Sunday, Jan. 18

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January 12, 2026

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By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Here’s a look at the week ahead (Jan. 12-18) for the Bridgewater State University athletics teams:

WEDNESDAY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, at Anna Maria College, 5:00 PM: The Bears travel to Paxton, Mass., for a game against the AMCATS.

Anna Maria is a new member of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference after moving from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

The AMCATS are 4-7 overall and dropped their lone conference game to Salem State, 71-67.

BSU, after a 1-9 start in non-conference games, are 2-0 in the MASCAC with wins over Fitchburg State and Salem State.

MEN’S BASKETBALL, at Anna Maria College, 7:00 PM: BSU takes on a MASCAC newcomer on the road.

The teams played non-conference games the past two seasons with the Bears winning both. They opened the 2023-24 season with a 119-110 overtime win on the road and defeated Anna Maria, 89-64, in a game played at Wheaton College last season.

The AMCATS are 4-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference with a loss to Salem State and a win over the Mass. College of Liberal Arts.

BSU is 3-10 overall and is 1-1 in the MASCAC, defeating Fitchburg State and losing to Salem State.

FRIDAY

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Bates Invitational & Multi, 10:00 AM: Ryker King and Drew Alves will compete in the heptathlon at the two-day meet held at Bates College’s Merrill Gymnasium.

The University of New Hampshire finished first last season while Bates was second in the seven-team field.

SATURDAY

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational, 10:00 AM: The Bears will take part in the meet held at Tufts University.

Last season, BSU was third in the six-team field with Kevin McBirney winning the 1,000-meter run, breaking the school record with a time of 2:29.42.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Bates Invitational & Multi, 10:00 AM: King and Alves will wrap up their two-day stay at the Bates College meet in Lewiston, Maine.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational, 10:00 AM: The Bears compete in the meet at Tufts University.

Kiara Abrantes led BSU by winning two events last season, setting a school record of 25.26 seconds in the 200 and placing first in the 60.

Serenity Sands was also first for BSU in the high jump, helping the Bears wind up third overall.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at home, Brandeis and Keene State, Noon: The Bears have their first competition since Dec. 6 when they host a tri-meet against the Judges and the Owls.

BSU lost to both Keene State, 166-133, and Brandeis, 165-121, in a tri-meet in New Hampshire last year.

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at home, Brandeis and Keene State, Noon: The Bears return to the pool for the first time since hosting the BSU Invitational on Dec. 6.

In a tri-meet a year ago in New Hampshire, BSU split a pair, defeating Keene State, 145-112, and losing to Brandeis, 184-77.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, at home, Mass. College of Liberal Arts, Noon: The Bears close out January with four of five games at the Tinsley Center, beginning with a matchup with the Trailblazers.

The teams are meeting for the first time since Feb. 3, 2024.

WRESTLING, at home, Williams College, 12:30 PM: The Bears will host Senior Day at Kelly Gym as part of the final home match of the season.

BSU lost at home to Williams a year ago, 42-9.

Williams was No. 3 in the last New England Wrestling Association rankings.

MEN’S BASKETBALL, at home, Mass. College of Liberal Arts, 2:00 PM: After playing just two home games in the opening two months of the season, the Bears will be playing four of five games at the Tinsley Center to finish January.

BSU and Mass. College split two games last season, each winning at home.

The Trailblazers begin the week 3-8 with three straight losses and are 0-2 in the MASCAC.

SUNDAY

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Bentley University, 1:00 PM: The Bears will be in Waltham, Mass., to face the Division II Falcons.

Desmond Ng led BSU last season against the Falcons, winning the 100 breaststroke and placing second in the 200 freestyle. the Bears were defeated at home, 173-50.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Bentley University, 1:00 PM: The Bears compete in the first of two straight road meets, traveling to Waltham, Mass., to take on the Division II Falcons.

BSU lost at home to Bentley, 189-99, a year ago.



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VOTE for the 2025 Las Cruces Sun-News Female Athlete of the Year

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January 12, 2026

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Updated Jan. 11, 2026, 1:02 p.m. MT

This post has been updated to correct a duplicate nominee.

Voting is now open for the 2025 Las Cruces Sun-News Female Athlete of the Year award.

100 nominees have been chosen by the Sun-News across Las Cruces-area schools, including Las Cruces, Mayfield, Organ Mountain, Centennial, Mesilla Valley Christian, Gadsden, Santa Teresa, Chaparral and Hatch Valley. They have been chosen from volleyball, basketball, softball, soccer, track and field, cross country, wrestling, golf and tennis teams from all nine of those schools.

The nominees represented themselves, their schools and their communities in the best possible way they could during their respective seasons. They each accomplished something notable and made their friends, family, coaches and loved ones proud. They were All-State players, All-District players, strong performers at state championships, or members of the Sun-News’ Super Teams.



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UNC Bears volleyball’s busy offseason

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January 12, 2026

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The UNC volleyball team’s fall season ended a little more than a month ago, and the Bears are already moving on toward 2026

In a rare occurrence, two freshmen will join UNC this month with the start of the spring semester. The program also said good-bye to associate head coach Pi’i Aiu, who announced his retirement in December.

Freshmen Gillian Walton and Riley Taylor were among six players to sign for 2026, the program announced in November. Walton and Taylor are expected to be on campus for the start of the spring semester Monday with both athletes opting to graduate a semester early from high school.

UNC has since announced the signing of three transfer students in setter Emily Bruss, middle blocker Summer Snead and outside hitter Kylie Cackovic.

Walton was an outside hitter, defensive specialist and opposite hitter at Overland Park High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Taylor was a right-side outside hitter at Green Level High School in Apex, North Carolina.

University of Northern Colorado head volleyball coach Lyndsey Oates, right, and associate head coach Pi'i Aiu walk off the court at Bank of Colorado Arena following a stoppage of play Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 in Greeley. UNC defeated Montana State 3-0 for its first sweep of the season and to remain in a tie for second place in the conference standings. (Anne Delaney/Staff Reporter).
University of Northern Colorado head volleyball coach Lyndsey Oates, right, and associate head coach Pi’i Aiu walk off the court at Bank of Colorado Arena following a stoppage of play Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 in Greeley. UNC defeated Montana State 3-0 for its first sweep of the season and to remain in a tie for second place in the conference standings. (Anne Delaney/Staff Reporter).

UNC, 17-16 overall in 2025, turned in one of its most successful seasons under head coach Lyndsey Oates.

After starting their nonconference season with a 3-9 record, the Bears turned things around during the Big Sky Conference season.

UNC won the conference tournament title on its home court, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. UNC then pushed nationally ranked Creighton to five sets in a first-round match on the Bluejays’ home floor in Omaha, Nebraska.

The match was the final one for Aiu, who’d been with Oates for seven years.

Aiu came to UNC before the 2019 season after 12 years at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He was promoted to associate head coach in January 2020, and was really a right-hand man for Oates.

She said this week the search for a successor will soon begin. Oates was aware of Aiu’s plans to retire long before the end of the season. She said she heard from several people on her coaching connection with Aiu as news of his retirement became public.

“I don’t know that I took that for granted,” Oates said of Aiu as a coaching colleague. “It is maybe true how much success the two of us had together in the last seven years.”

Oates said she previously had the same camaraderie with assistants Jenny Glenn and Tom Hunter, both of whom spent close to a decade in the program.

Northern Colorado Bears head coach Lyndsey Oates talks to her players on the court during the Big Sky Conference Volleyball Tournament championship match against Idaho State at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)
UNC Bears volleyball coach Lyndsey Oates talks to her players on the court during the 2025 Big Sky Conference Volleyball Tournament championship match against Idaho State on Nov. 26, 2025 at the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley. UNC beat the Bengals in three sets to earn the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)

In the last seven years, UNC’s record is 150-64 with four Big Sky Conference Tournament titles leading to four NCAA Tournament appearances. In the same span, UNC also won a Big Sky Conference regular-season championship (2024). Also in 2024, UNC qualified for the National Invitational Volleyball Championship after a runner-up finish at the Big Sky tournament.

“It just shows you how valuable assistant coaches are,” Oates said. “I mean, they are doing a bulk of the recruiting and their training, and they create our culture as much as a head coach does.”



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