Sports

Ohtani was supposed to usher in a two

Published

5 months ago

August 12, 2025

This June, Shohei Ohtani stepped onto the mound for the first time in 21 months. Two minutes after recording the final out of the first inning, he dug into the batter’s box to lead off for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That moment marked the official return of the two-way player to the major leagues.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When Ohtani debuted with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, other teams had seemingly warmed to the idea of allowing players to pursue mastery both on the mound and at the plate. But years later, even with several two-way players selected in the higher rounds in recent MLB Drafts, Ohtani remains MLB’s only two-way player.

The reasons for that aren’t clear-cut, say team executives and players who have attempted to hit and pitch at the big-league level. They point to the physical and mental strain of doing both, noting that it can be too great for players to bear over the course of a full season. Others believe the injury risk remains too great to justify what might be a minimal return on investment.

And then there’s another theory, one predicated on the extremely high bar Ohtani has set for two-way players: If you’re not him, the thought goes, then what’s the point of even trying?

“Shohei kind of came in and he’s like the Babe Ruth of hitting and pitching,” said the Kansas City Royals’ Michael Lorenzen, who has been a two-way player at points in his career but hasn’t done both since 2021. “Now you’re like, that’s the bar. How much value is there in someone who’s just above average at both? I think if that’s proven by someone that it’s really valuable, then a lot more people will do it.”

Average, of course, is not an easy standard to reach in the big leagues. As a pitcher, Lorenzen has a 104 ERA+, slightly above league average over the course of his 11-year career. But his 84 OPS+ at the plate made him a below-average hitter.

Then there’s a matter of opportunity. During his time at Cal State Fullerton, Lorenzen batted .324/.394/.478 as a center fielder and went 5-0 with a 1.63 ERA and 35 saves as the Titans closer. Once he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013, he was told that the quickest way for him to make it to the major leagues was with his arm rather than his bat.

That holds true for many prospects coming up who want to be two-way players. According to an NL scout, by the time a player is drafted and signed, the team is “99 percent” sure on whether that player will hit or pitch if they did both at a previous level. Because these players’ lifelong dream is to make it to the majors, they usually follow the team’s advice to get there.

And then there was Ohtani, who came to America after five seasons as a two-way star in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

“Shohei had all the leverage in the world,” Lorenzen said. “He proved it in a different, high-caliber league, and he came over early so he was a discount (salary-wise) to everyone when he did come over. He got to make every decision of like, this is what I want to do.”

Lorenzen would get chances only sparingly to show that he was capable of playing both sides of the ball. Against the Phillies in September 2019, he became only the second player in history to hit a home run, earn a win and play in the field in the same game. The other player to do that was Babe Ruth back in 1921. Lorenzen’s last plate appearance came in 2021.

Other two-way players haven’t had as many opportunities as Lorenzen did to do both. Former Angels first baseman and right fielder Jared Walsh — a teammate of Ohtani’s with the Angels — only got to pitch in five blowout games over his six-year major-league career, all in 2019.

Brendan McKay, the No. 4 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, was a three-time recipient of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award in college. He was developed as a two-way player in the minor leagues but injuries have limited him to just 49 big-league innings as a pitcher and 10 major-league at-bats (he homered in one of them), all of those coming in 2019.

More recently, the New York Mets’ Nolan McLean spent his first two minor league seasons pitching and hitting. However, his path toward the majors seemed clearer as a pitcher and he decided to choose that route. It paid off with McLean now the Mets’ No. 3 prospect.

Though the Mets have yet to develop a player who hit and pitched in the big leagues, they haven’t been shy about drafting two-way players. In addition to McLean (a third-round pick in 2023), the Mets took Carson Benge and Mitch Voit with their first picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts, respectively, and announced both as two-way players. Benge has been exclusively a position player since turning pro and has already reached Triple A, while Voit also is expected to focus on second base.

The Mets are hardly alone among clubs who have seemingly been intrigued enough by the possibility of developing a two-way player to draft them and announce them as two-way players on draft day. The San Francisco Giants used first-round picks on Reggie Crawford (2022) and Bryce Eldridge (2023) and announced both as two-way players, but Crawford has been slowed by injuries and has primarily been a pitcher, while Eldridge showed such early promise as a hitter he hasn’t thrown an official professional inning.

Arguably the most famous player in last year’s draft class was No. 6 pick Jac Caglianone, who went to the Royals. A two-way star at Florida, Caglianone was dubbed the “Ohtani of college baseball.” But he, too, has found a one-way track to the major leagues as a position player.

Jac Caglianone’s two-way player exploits at Florida made him college baseball’s most well-known face in 2024. (Jay Biggerstaff / Getty Images)

So the question remains, with all of this two-way talent in college and professional baseball, why haven’t we seen anyone join Ohtani as a two-way player in the major leagues the past few years? Part of the reason could come down to the complication of creating a development plan for a player who pitches and hits. But the main blockade could boil down to MLB roster rules.

Starting in 2020, a new MLB rule altered who qualified to have the two-way classification on an official roster. To earn the distinction, a player would need to pitch in 20 MLB innings and play in at least 20 MLB games as a position player or DH, with at least three plate appearances in each game in either the current or previous MLB season.

This distinction matters because those designated as two-way players would not count toward the limit of 13 pitchers on the 26-man roster. The designation would essentially allow teams to carry an extra pitcher on the roster.

That same rule stunted Jake Cronenworth’s growth as a two-way player. The San Diego Padres infielder was a two-way player in college during his time at Michigan. When he was drafted by the Rays, he got reps pitching in Triple A and even threw bullpen sessions later when he was acquired by the Padres. But since making it to the majors, he has only pitched once, in a game that went into extra-innings against the Dodgers in 2021.

“Why does somebody need to qualify for something they’ve already proven they can do in college or the minor leagues?” Cronenworth asked. “And all of a sudden they have to qualify to do it in the major leagues? To me, that doesn’t make any sense. Now you’re taking away this guy’s natural ability to do two things at a high level, and now you have to make them basically earn it again?”

Outside of earning the two-way classification, the only way a hitter would be able to pitch in a game or vice versa would be in a game that goes to extra innings or when their team is either winning or trailing by six runs or more in a contest.

“You could go four games where you have that,” Cronenworth said. “You could go three weeks where you never have that. So you’re getting put on the roster as a hitter but you’re a two-way guy and you can only pitch in certain situations. But if you put a guy on the roster as a pitcher, now you’re taking away that bullpen spot. That was really the thing that hurt all the (two-way) guys.”

Even with Cronenworth’s two-way dreams stalling out, he still believes that there is a place for it even if it’s not at the level of what Ohtani has been doing.

“Another value,” Cronenworth said, “is you have your bench guy who comes in, makes a start sometimes, pinch-hitter at the end of the game but also available in the bullpen. So now you kind of have this kind of super-utility bench guy who’s playing 150 games a year, some as a pitcher, some as a hitter. I think that would be the next-best thing.”

Some players had a choice. Coming out of high school, Reds right-hander Hunter Greene was touted as a big two-way star. The Reds believed in his potential, selecting him with the second pick in the 2017 draft.

But because of that high selection, in addition to his coming out of high school versus college or another league, he and the Reds decided to cut short his two-way development.

“In today’s game, it’s a lot harder to develop hitters, especially high school hitters,” said Shawn Pender, the Reds’ vice president of player development. “There’s a lot of things that go into it that are difficult, more difficult than a pitcher. (Greene) knew what he needed to do from a secondary pitch standpoint, so his path to the big leagues is certainly going to be quicker than if you were to be a high school hitter that is now trying to do both.”

Caglianone followed a similar route to Greene by taking the advice of the team to get to the majors quicker, and it paid off with him getting called up less than a year after being drafted.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach showed promise as a two-way player in college, culminating in his winning the John Olerud Award in 2021. Despite that, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he had to choose.

He had people in his corner urging him to choose one or the other, but ultimately Schwellenbach made the decision based on his own personal experiences. After getting Tommy John surgery following his junior year of college, he knew that the physical demands on a two-way player in college were simply too much for him.

“It’s not a good recipe to stay healthy,” Schwellenbach said. “Doing both is almost impossible, especially if you’re gonna play a position and pitch. There’s not enough time to heal up in between starts and get enough work in to play both positions.”

Injury risk, according to players and execs, another significant reason for the lack of two-way players. Royals reliever Lucas Erceg was drafted as a power-hitting third baseman out of college. In 2021, he’d pitch in Double A one or-two times a week and either play first, third or DH upwards of five times a week.

Erceg soon felt soreness in his pitching arm. And during at-bats, whenever he’d swing over a change-up, he’d hyperextend his elbow slightly. Before long, Erceg committed fully to pitching after realizing his body simply couldn’t hold up.

Even Ohtani isn’t immune to overuse injuries. He’s had two major elbow surgeries within five years. And during a recent start, the Dodgers star exited the game after throwing six straight balls. Ohtani cited cramping in his right hip as the issue.

One NL scout believes that moments like these are why teams are hesitant to let more of their guys become two-way players.

“It all goes back to the number one fear: injury,” the NL scout said. “Teams are scared to risk hurting their best hitter or one of their best hitters.”

The scout cited another reason for Ohtani’s standing as baseball’s only two-way player: the belief that kids tend to specialize earlier more today than they did in the past.

“I think we’re a pick-one society more today than we used to be,” the scout said. “We’re very big at categorizing right away.”

Still, players such as Lorenzen still want to give playing both ways a try, even insisting he has no problem going down to Triple A to take at-bats to prove he still has what it takes. Caglianone said he’d be “lying” if he still didn’t think about the possibility of being a two-way player. But despite the interest, Ohtani stands alone as the sole two-way star in today’s game.

“I’m sure we can look forward to having another two-way player in the future,” Ohtani said through his interpreter Will Ireton. “When that time comes, I’ll be excited as much as that person will be too. In that sense I’m just excited for that kind of possibility.”

But, for now, that possibility seems remote.

(Top photo: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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2025 All-News-Herald Volleyball Second Team – The News Herald

Published

5 minutes ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Introducing the 2025 All-News-Herald Volleyball Second Team

FAITH BALLANTYNE | Grosse Ile: Arguably their best and most important player, Faith Ballantyne consistently delivered for a Grosse Ile team that played its best ball late in the season. The senior Ballantyne was named all-Huron League and all-region after averaging over four kills and digs per game, serving at a 91 percent success rate, and posting an above-average serve receive rating as well.

ESMERELDA HERNANDEZ | Lincoln Park: Deemed their “most consistent performer” by head coach Natasha Villarreal, Lincoln Park’s Esmerelda Hernandez earned team MVP recognition after a strong junior campaign. An all-Downriver League and all-region honoree, Hernandez “played multiple positions” for the Railsplitters, finishing with just under 100 kills, over 100 digs, and a dozen aces at a 90.2 percent serving rate.

KATIE SMOLYANOV | Allen Park Inter-City Baptist: The regional champions from Inter-City housed one of the better hitting tandems in Division 4 with Katie Smolyanov opposite of and classmate first-team all-News-Herald honoree Madeline Frank. An all-MIAC and all-region standout, the senior for the Chargers collected 200 kills at around a 25 percent hit rate while also picking up close to 50 blocks.

ADDISON BURGEI | Gibraltar Carlson: A budding star in the middle, Addison Burgei was “consistently one of our most reliable, high-level performers” according to Carlson head coach Regan Sliwinski. Only a freshman, Burgei is already playing above her pay grade, if you will. She earned both all-DRL and all-region honors after collecting close to 200 kills and 100 digs, as well as 47 blocks with also a 94 percent serving success rate.

GRACE WEND | Trenton: Staying in the Downriver League, the depth at the middle blocker position in the conference continues with Trenton’s Grace Wend. Another all-conference and all-region standout, Wend was a very important piece for the News-Herald Invite and first-time regional champion Trojans this past fall. The junior by season’s end logged 185 kills, 145 digs, 46 blocks, and two dozen aces in the service game.

AMELIA VOSS | Allen Park: Speaking of late-season surges, Amelia Voss “blossomed as the season went on” according to Allen Park head coach Brooke Martin. Voss figures to be one of the top returning setters in the Downriver League come next season after putting together a junior campaign that included 400 assists, 100 kills, 100 digs, and 40 aces.

Junior Amelia Voss (9) sets up a possible point opportunity for Allen Park during a D1 regional final match vs Trenton on Nov 13, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

ADDISON SKINNER | Gibraltar Carlson: A “true anchor to the program.” Those were the words of Carlson’s Sliwinski when describing the versatile and dependable Addison Skinner. Now a three-time all-News-Herald honoree in her career, Skinner split time between being a setter and an opposite side hitter for the Marauders. The senior and all-region recipient logged over 200 assists and digs each while also picking up north of 100 kills.

MAELIE FRICKE | Flat Rock: It was a collective team effort in order for Flat Rock to reach their first-ever state championship game back in the fall. Perhaps the biggest unsung hero for the Rams was Maelie Fricke, who head coach Morgan Delhey described as the “rock of the back row.” Delhey will also get Fricke for one more season as well. The junior libero was name all-region after racking up 273 digs and was a threat in serving with 45 aces.

BELLA SMITH | Brownstown Woodhaven: Another key returning player in the Class of 2027, Bella Smith has and will continue to be a steady presence on the back row for Woodhaven. An all-Downriver League and all-region representative for the Warriors, Smith in addition to her over 250 digs as a libero was also reliable on both ends of the service game, evident by her near two dozen aces and a 1.89 serve receive rating.

JADA PAULSEN | Trenton: While they will see all-state standout Mia Hyde eventually graduate, Trenton appears to have a very capable hitter in Jada Paulsen to fill that role on the outside next school year. Paulsen, who also saw steady time as a defensive specialist for the Trojans, logged just over 150 kills and 200 digs. The junior was also well above average in the serve receive department and also collected 24 aces.

ADDISON WALLACE | Gibraltar Carlson: Another player no stranger to making all-News-Herald teams — in multiple sports — Carlson’s Addison Wallace finds herself on the all-area second team for a second straight year. Coach Sliwinski said Wallace’s “presence on the court sets the standard for everyone.” The senior hitter for the Marauders compiled over 100 kills and digs, a strong 95 percent serving mark, and a positive serve receive rating.

JULIA WILLIAMS | Grosse Ile: Praised for her “great accuracy” by head coach Rebecca Kuehn, Julia Williams was the “key piece to the offense” for Grosse Ile this past season. Williams figures to slide is as the No. 1 hitter for the Red Devils come next school year, following the eventual graduation of the aforementioned Ballantyne. The junior posted per-game averages of around four kills, six digs, three blocks, and one ace.

GABRIELLA FERRERA | Brownstown Woodhaven: Few local middle blockers have had as strong and consistent of a career as Gabby Ferrera has during her time at Woodhaven. An all-News-Herald honoree each of the two seasons prior also, Ferrera was active both at the net and in the back row for the Warriors. The senior turned in 169 kills and 76 digs, while also picking up over a dozen solo blocks.

OLIVIA BLACKLEDGE | Wyandotte Roosevelt: In an area surrounded by veterans at the setter position, Roosevelt’s Olivia Blackledge is showing she more than belongs despite only being a sophomore. In addition to her effectiveness in the service game — evident by her 96 percent success rate — Blackledge for the Bears averaged just over five assists and just below three digs per set throughout the season.

ZOE RYAN | Flat Rock: Despite not joining the team until early October, Zoe Ryan was able to step in and help carry Flat Rock all the way to the state finals in D2. A transfer from Dearborn Divine Child, Ryan more or less became the Rams’ primary setter in the back half of the season. The junior finished with well over 300 assists, 55 of which came in the state semifinals, while also logging 137 digs and 21 aces.

LYDIA DURAN | Southgate Anderson: A largely junior and sophomore-heavy Anderson squad on the rise regularly leaned on the veteran back row presence of Lydia Duran throughout the season. An all-region honoree like freshman teammate Bristol Davenport, the senior Duran finished with well over 100 digs, nearly two dozen aces, and both passing and serve receive ratings over over 2.0.

MARIAN MCCARTHY | Grosse Ile: Elsewhere at the libero position, Marian McCarthy was Grosse Ile’s “most consistent player when it comes to serving and digging” according to Coach Kuehn. One of several key returning liberos come next season, McCarthy averaged an incredible 16 digs per match for the Devils this past fall. The junior also logged nearly 50 aces at a 93 percent serving clip.

BRIANNA JACKSON | Melvindale: Although it was an up-and-down season overall for Melvindale, one player who consistently performed from start to finish was Brianna Jackson. A standout for the school’s softball team as well, the senior defensive specialist was praised for “showing up to every game and practice giving it her all” by Cardinals head coach Nadya Nasser.

Taylor senior Samantha Briggs, #13 in vegas gold, goes up for a spike over the middle during the second set of the Griffins’ road match vs Crestwood on Sept 3, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

SAMANTHA BRIGGS | Taylor: Despite their season-long woes, Taylor oftentimes proved to be a tough out for their Downriver League counterparts. A big reason for that was the play of Samantha Briggs, who Griffins head coach Jeana Rybski called “one of the hardest-working players I have ever coached.” Dubbed the team MVP at season’s end, Briggs was the Griffins’ all-conference honoree at season’s end.

AMARA JAE MILES | Ecorse: A “great leader both on and off the court.” Those were the words of Ecorse head coach Tania Woodard when describing Amara Jae Miles. An all-Charter School Conference recipient, Miles did a little bit of everything for the Red Raiders. Primarily a hitter and middle blocker, the junior finished with a full stat line of 125 kills, 40 blocks, 45 digs, 56 assists, and 33 aces in just nine total matches.

JENNA WOODWORTH | Riverview Gabriel Richard: One of the more productive middle blockers in the Downriver area, Jenna Woodworth “continues to grow in many different ways” according to Gabriel Richard head coach Elizabeth Clemence. An all-conference honoree in the Catholic League, Woodworth finished her junior season with the Pioneers tallying close to 200 kills and over 70 blocks.

LOLA WILLIAMS | Riverview: After being named honorable mention in 2024, Lola Williams finishes her career at Riverview with second-team all-area honors after a strong senior season. Williams, who also saw time as both a right-side hitter and libero, was the Pirates’ primary setter during the fall season. The team MVP turned in just under 300 assists, over 200 digs, and 56 aces, all good to earn all-Huron League status.

Junior Brianna Holbrook (black) cleanly returns an opposing shot attempt for Huron during their road match vs Flat Rock on Sept 15, 2025. (SAMANTHA ELLIOTT — For MediaNews Group)

BRIANNA HOLBROOK | New Boston Huron: Elsewhere in the Huron League, the libero position in the conference is a stacked one in the Class of 2027 with Huron’s Brianna Holbrook right in the mix. Noted for her “exceptional passing and relentless coverage” by Chiefs head coach Devon Newman, Holbrook ended her junior season well north of 300 digs while also chipping in with 17 aces off the service line.

PAYTON KOSKI | Brownstown Woodhaven: Despite only being a freshman, Woodhaven’s Payton Koski appears to already be establishing herself as one of the local area’s top defensive specialists. In addition to her 153 digs, Koski in her first season of high school volleyball for the Warriors also added over two dozen aces and an above-average serve receive rating.

Honorable Mention

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Men’s Volleyball Selected First in MAC Preseason Poll

Published

21 minutes ago

January 2, 2026

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Hoboken, N.J. – Looking to defend their Middle Atlantic Conference Championship, the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s volleyball team was selected first in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll, it was announced Friday.

The Ducks collected 62 points and six first-place votes, with Messiah earning 58 points and the remaining three first-place votes. Rounding out the top four were Misericordia (51 points) and Stevenson (40 points).

Arcadia was slotted fifth with 35 points, while Widener registered 29 points to place sixth. Rounding out the poll were Eastern (25 points), King’s (16 points), and Hood (8 points).
The Ducks, who won their fourth consecutive MAC Championship last season, open the 2026 campaign by hosting St. Joseph’s (Long Island) and Drew in a tri-match on January 16.

2026 MAC Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll

Rank	Team	Points	First-Place Votes
1	Stevens	62	(6)
2	Messiah	58	(3)
3	Misericordia	51
4	Stevenson	40
5	Arcadia	35
6	Widener	29
7	Eastern	25
8	King’s	16
9	Hood	8

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New UND volleyball coach ready to tap Midwest recruiting – Grand Forks Herald

Published

37 minutes ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

GRAND FORKS — When it comes to athletics, geography isn’t always a benefit in attracting those outside the region to Grand Forks and UND.

For new UND volleyball coach David Nguyen, however, his move from New Jersey to North Dakota had a lot to do with location.

“Knowing that there’s a really big hub in recruiting, that as a coach, kind of just threw green flags right away,” said Nguyen, who made his first public comments in Grand Forks on Wednesday in the media room at Ralph Engelstad Arena. “The research I’ve done with my family — and family is a huge thing for me — it’s making sure my family is in a good situation. Everything I’ve researched about Grand Forks and the Midwest, it’s community is the first thing that comes up. That’s really important for me, and I’m excited to be part of that.”

As head coach, Nguyen brought Fairleigh Dickinson to the NCAA tournament in 2022 and won the Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season championship in 2023.

Nguyen was named NEC coach of the year twice in four seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson. His teams went 9-5, 11-3, 11-3 and 12-4 in the NEC. Before his arrival, Fairleigh Dickinson went 3-11, 2-6, 3-13, 0-14, 1-13 and 1-13 in the NEC.

Nguyen wants to establish a base of recruiting within UND’s traditional footprint.

“We will be strategic with our recruiting process, starting with the regional players within our area,” Nguyen said. “My job is to make sure that we keep the North Dakota players that are quality players and quality for the culture. This whole recruiting process is going to be all over the place, but we do live in the hot bed of volleyball, so our focus will start with Minnesota, along with Wisconsin and Nebraska. There’s going to be a lot of really good volleyball around this area for us to recruit.”

Nguyen said UND’s campus can be a recruiting tool.

“The campus is beautiful,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of research, as well, so I’m able to see the campus while it’s green. I’m excited for the area, and I’m excited to explore a little bit more, as well.”

Nguyen will have a rebuilding project at UND. The Fighting Hawks have posted eight consecutive losing seasons as the program spiraled from a strong mid-major under Ashley Hardee (2009-13) and Mark Pryor (2014-18) to a floundering team in the Summit League.

UND, under previous head coach Jesse Tupac, went 7-20 and 4-12 in the Summit last season. It has not yet won a match at the Summit League tournament since joining the conference in 2018.

“We need to get this program back to where it used to be,” Nguyen said. “I think we can get there. The support and everything that the university has given us, it’s right there. It’s right there for the taking, and we’ve just got to make sure that we move it in the right direction.”

Nguyen said his successful teams at FDU were known for creativity.

“Position-less volleyball is kind of how I come at it,” Nguyen said. “I like players that come in and have the ability to play multiple positions and are able to adapt to different things. I think that’s what we’ve been successful at at my previous school, and I’m looking to do the same thing here at UND. I want to bring in players that are adaptable into different situations.”

UND athletic director Bill Chaves and UND President Andrew Armacost were in attendance for Nguyen’s initial press conference. Nguyen said when he received the call about landing the job, he couldn’t believe it.

“I can’t believe how far my family and I have come throughout this process,” Nguyen said. “I started at the very bottom of the things, being a volunteer assistant, being a manager. Now, it’s just like a big flagship school like UND is offering me a position … I’m just grateful.”

Miller has covered sports at the Grand Forks Herald since 2004 and was the state sportswriter of the year in 2019 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2022 (NSMA, NDAPSSA) and 2024 (NDAPSSA).

His primary beat is UND football but also reports on a variety of UND sports and local preps.

He can be reached at (701) 780-1121, tmiller@gfherald.com or on Twitter at @tommillergf.

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Former Hallsville standout Pyle signs with Sam Houston volleyball

Published

53 minutes ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Former Hallsville standout Pyle signs with Sam Houston volleyball

Published 10:35 am Friday, January 2, 2026

Lauren Pyle, a three-year starter at Hallsville High School and two-year standout at Tyler Junior College, will continue her academic and athletic career at the 4-year level after signing a volleyball national letter of intent with Sam Houston State University recently.

“Sam Houston reached out to me, and that gave me a lot of confidence,” Pyle said of her decision to sign with the Conference USA school located in Huntsville.

“I went to visit, and just liked the environment,” she added. “It felt like family, and I really liked the program they are building there. The campus is awesome, and the program is just a good fit for me. I just felt strongly it was where I wanted to be for the next two years.”

Pyle spent the past two seasons at Tyler Junior College, recording 1,415 assists, 171 kills, 372 digs and 102 aces during that span.

She was the Region XIV Conference Setter of the Year and a first team all-region selection after the 2025 season, recording 995 assists, 122 kills, 50 aces and 285 digs during a season that saw the Apache Ladies finish 17-14 overall and 10-6 in conference play.

“Tyler was awesome,” Pyle said of her time at TJC. “I was able to grow and learn as a player, and was able to become more of a strategic player, a better player and a better all-around athlete.”

Prior to heading to TJC, Pyle was a standout at Hallsville High School – recording 2,975 assists, 1,052 digs, 464 kills, 261 aces and 101 blocks in her final three seasons with the Ladycats.

She played sparingly as a freshman, and then recorded 830 assists, 55 aces, 72 kills, 34 blocks and 246 digs as a sophomore. Pyle had 1,042 assists, 100 aces, 167 kills, 25 blocks and 382 digs as a junior for Hallsville, and capped her high school career by recording 1,103 assists, 106 aces, 225 kills, 42 blocks and 424 digs her senior season.

Pyle said she will be a setter – either in a 6-1 or 5-2 offense – at Sam Houston, and looks forward to taking the next step.

“I plan to go in and fight for my spot,” she said. “They have another setter coming out of high school, but they want my experience that comes with having two years (of college) under my belt. They know how competitive our conference is, and they want my leadership and experience.”

Tyler competed in the Region XIV Conference along with Trinity Valley, Blinn, Panola, Navarro, Lee, Wharton and Coastal Bend.

Sam Houston is a member of Conference USA with UTEP, Western Kentucky, Kennesaw State, Florida International, Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, Missouri State, Delaware, Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech

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Trevor Clevenot sees no finish line in success – FIVB

Published

1 hour ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Trevor Clevenot has been part of the French men’s national team for more than a decade, during a period that has delivered the greatest results in the programme’s history. Across that time, he has built a reputation based on consistency and reliability rather than visibility.

Even after winning Olympic gold medals in Tokyo and Paris, Clevenot does not speak about success as something that lasts by itself. For him, high-level volleyball remains subject to constant change, a reality he acknowledges when reflecting on the past year with the national team.

Trevor Clevenot shares a moment on court with setter Antoine Brizard and superstar outside hitter Earvin Ngapeth during France’s gold medal run at Paris 2024.

“I think 2025 was a difficult year for our national team. We didn’t manage to reach our objectives,” he said. “Yesterday’s truth is not today’s truth in high-level sport, and especially in volleyball. We will have to go back to work and improve if we want to perform in 2026.”

Clevenot has been a regular presence in the French lineup throughout the most successful era in the team’s history. While others have often taken attacking responsibility, his role has focused on defence, stability and decision-making, particularly in tight moments.

At club level, he is now based in Ankara with Ziraat Bankasi, where he plays alongside stars Nimir Abdel-Aziz of the Netherlands and Poland’s Tomasz Fornal, players he has faced frequently at international level. The shift from opponents to teammates has been straightforward, forged by familiarity and the daily demands of training.

“I was lucky enough to play with them in my previous clubs. They are great players, but above all great people,” he said. “Training every day with top-level players is very inspiring and pushes you to keep improving.”

Life in Turkey has required adjustment after spells in France, Italy and Poland, but Clevenot says he has settled quickly. Living in a different environment has influenced not only his professional routine but also his life away from the court.

“Ankara is a big city, and for me the balance between volleyball and life outside the court is very important,” he said. “I’ve found a very good balance here. You have to adapt to the culture, but that’s also a real source of personal growth.”

Trevor Clevenot stays locked in during Volleyball Nations League action, focused on his role and the details that hold France together.

Looking ahead to 2026, Clevenot does not frame the season around personal targets. With commitments at both club and international level, his approach remains unchanged and focused on consistency rather than outcome.

“2026 will be another very demanding year, both for the club and the national team,” he said. “I don’t set myself specific objectives, but I always try to give the best of myself. The results will be a consequence of our preparation and the level of commitment we put in throughout the season.”

Trevor Clevenot during Volleyball Nations League 2025 action.

Success does not come with a finish line for Trevor Clevenot, only the reality that each season starts again on equal terms.

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Sports

MOVING ON: Former Hallsville standout Pyle signs with Sam Houston volleyball

Published

2 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

MOVING ON: Former Hallsville standout Pyle signs with Sam Houston volleyball

Published 8:33 am Friday, January 2, 2026

“Sam Houston reached out to me, and that gave me a lot of confidence,” Pyle said of her decision to sign with the Conference USA school located in Huntsville.

Pyle spent the past two seasons at Tyler Junior College, recording 1,415 assists, 171 kills, 372 digs and 102 aces during that span.

Prior to heading to TJC, Pyle was a standout at Hallsville High School – recording 2,975 assists, 1,052 digs, 464 kills, 261 aces and 101 blocks in her final three seasons with the Ladycats.

Pyle said she will be a setter – either in a 6-1 or 5-2 offense – at Sam Houston, and looks forward to taking the next step.

Tyler competed in the Region XIV Conference along with Trinity Valley, Blinn, Panola, Navarro, Lee, Wharton and Coastal Bend.

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