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Over 340 Luzerne County police complete special training on mental health crisis response

Published

8 months ago

March 29, 2025

Over 340 Luzerne County police complete special training on mental health crisis response

The officers kept their distance and tried to get Kloss to put down the knife, saying they did not want him to kill himself and were interested in discussing his troubles.
Participants also learn about the county’s mental health court and the mechanics and nuances of the mental health involuntary commitment process, he said.
Participants also get a sense of what it’s like for someone dealing with psychosis by wearing headphones that play voices, Fox said. They must try to mentally ignore these voices and concentrate on external police commands.
“This is a real scenario police deal with,” he said.
“It provides them with an opportunity to put the training into motion,” McAllister said of the simulations.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
As part of the latest training, simulated scenes played out inside the Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre on Friday.
Yelland, a Wilkes-Barre Police officer, monitored law enforcement response.
Patty Roper, supervisor of blended case management at the Robinson Counseling Center, played one of the sisters and credited the officers for their sensitivity in dealing with the situation. The officers asked relevant questions in an even tone and did not yank the blanket off the sisters, which could have alarmed them, she said. Police also did not get worked up when the sisters tossed some contents of the box, such as flip flops, on the ground in response to the police directive.
An officer kept the female caller away from the sisters as she loudly complained the women were making people uncomfortable. The other officers approached the sisters and calmly asked them to display the contents of the box to ensure there were no weapons.
Cordaro echoed those sentiments. The training includes presentations from local nonprofits and county departments equipped to help the homeless and those with mental health issues and substance use disorders.
Kloss, who was instrumental in securing funding for the program as the county human services grants director, portrayed a suicidal man clutching a knife.
Another exercise Friday involved a caller reporting an intoxicated woman at the fake Kirby Park.
In one, Wilkes-Barre Police Sgt. Peter Cordaro, who has helped coordinate the CIT program for several years, closely observed officers entering a pretend Kirby Park to respond to a woman outraged over her perception of two sisters who came to the park for a picnic.
“Because they’re experiencing these auditory hallucinations, it’s difficult to organize their thoughts and respond accurately and timely to officer commands,” Fox said. “That’s a huge eye-opener. The officers can see how disorienting this is.”
Cordaro also commended the officers, saying versions of the Kirby Park exercise are regularly encountered by police. While the sisters’ behavior may seem odd to some, they were not committing any crimes, he said.
As the law enforcement training continues for interested officers, the county is starting to plan the creation of a Crisis Intervention Partner, or CIP, training program for residents in other professions, including teachers, bus and van drivers and county Children, Youth and Families caseworkers, she said.
The experience shows officers someone with psychosis is not willingly oppositional or defiant by failing to comply with directions, she said.
Ultimately police had to use a Taser because he plowed toward them with the knife.
“It is improving the everyday interaction between the public and police,” said Fox.
Robert McAllister, the county’s Mental Health/Developmental Services CIT coordinator, said Friday’s exercises followed four days of classroom training.
Overall, the goal is to strategically use law enforcement during crisis situations — such as when there is an imminent threat to safety or a criminal concern — and increase the involvement of mental health professionals, peer support specialists and other community resources when possible, Fox said.
“This is about connecting more to resources that are already available,” Cordaro said.
Yelland said he wholeheartedly supports the program because it promotes safety and reinforces tools and resources available to police officers.
Fox thanked law enforcement, which includes county sheriff deputies, for undergoing the training and for their employers’ willingness to make scheduling accommodations for officers to attend.
Reducing trauma during a mental health crisis can improve long-term recovery, she said.
Known as the Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, program, the five-day sessions provided by Fox’s department connect law enforcement with mental health professionals and advocates to share resources and techniques. The county is using CIT International’s model.
Joe Kloss and Shawn Yelland, also coordinators in the program, oversaw another simulation elsewhere in the building.
“No officers are forced to take the training. These are officers who want to do this,” Fox said.
The sisters clutched a box with their belongings and had a shared blanket draped over their heads to make them feel safe when police arrived.
More than 340 Luzerne County law enforcement officers have completed special training to enhance responses to incidents involving mental health crises, said county Mental Health/Developmental Services Administrator Tara Fox.
Kloss paced back and forth and wouldn’t change his mind, saying he was broke, discovered his girlfriend was unfaithful and had no support from family or friends.
With an experienced eye, Yelland critiqued their actions, commending them for maintaining space, trying to connect with him and recognizing the point when he had to be non-lethally subdued for the safety of everyone involved.

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2025 NCAA volleyball live updates: Bracket, schedule, highlights

Published

7 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Updated Dec. 6, 2025, 9:04 p.m. ET

The NCAA Division I volleyball tournament’s second round concludes on Saturday.

No. 1 seeds Nebraska, Texas and Pitt all swept their first round matches and play again Saturday. Kentucky, the fourth No. 1 defeated No. 8 UCLA in the second round on Friday to advance to the Sweet 16.

Cal Poly defeated No. 4 seed USC in the second round of the tournament play on Friday, the biggest upset of the tournament thus far. Stanford also got an early scare from Utah Valley, losing the first set before rallying. Cardinal setter Logan Parks did not play in the match.

The 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue, formerly known as the Sprint Center, has hosted the volleyball national championship.

What time is NCAA volleyball tournament?

Date: Saturday, Dec. 6
Start time: Eight matches, beginning at 6 p.m. ET Saturday. Match-by-match times below.

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. All first- and second-round games can be found streaming on ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament live with Fubo (free trial)

Follow along with USA TODAY Sports for live updates, scores and schedule for the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament:

Live results of Saturday’s NCAA women’s volleyball tournament

Minnesota 2, Iowa State 0

The Gophers win the first two sets 25-22, 25-21.

SMU 1, Florida 0

The Mustangs win the first match 25-11.

TCU 1, Texas A&M 1

The teams are knotted at one set each.

Nebraska 1, Kansas State 0

Nebraska goes for the it’s 32nd win of the season.

Texas 3, Penn State 0

Texas eliminates defending champion Penn State, 25-16, 25-9, 25-19.

Pittsburgh 3, Michigan 0

No. 1 seed Pitt won 25-23, 25-23, 25-18 to eliminate Michigan.

Louisville 3, Marquette 2

Louisville staved off an upset 21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12.

NCAA volleyball second-round matchups, game times

The second round concludes Saturday Dec. 6.

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 8 UCLA 1 (30-28, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17)
No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 UNI 1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15)
Cal Poly 3, No. 4 USC 2 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)

Austin bracket

No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0 (25-14, 25-21, 27-25)
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday
No. 2 Stanford vs. Arizona, 9 p.m. ET, Saturday

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Michigan 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18)
No. 2 SMU vs. Florida, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Iowa State, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday

Lincoln bracket

No. 4 Kansas 3, No. 5 Miami 1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Marquette 2 (21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12)
No. 1 Nebraska vs. Kansas State, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 6 TCU, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday

NCAA volleyball first-round results

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-12)
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2 (25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10)
No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0, (25-19, 25-12, 25-13)
No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2 (12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15)
No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-12)

Austin bracket

No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0 (25-11, 25- 8, 25-14)
No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1 (25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19)
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15)
No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14)

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 1 Pitt 3, UMBC 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13)
Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-23)
No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8)
No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0 (25-12, 25-7, 25-13)
No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-19)
No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13)

Lincoln bracket

No. 1 Nebraska 3, LIU 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-17)
Kansas State 3, San Diego 2 (21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12)
No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18)
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13)
No. 6 TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0 (25-8, 26-24, 25-20)
Marquette 3, Western Kentucky 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola Chicago 0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-12)

NCAA volleyball tournament rounds

Second round: Dec. 6
Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
National championship: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 21

All games on ESPN Unlimited, ESPN, ABC

NCAA volleyball games Friday

Cal Poly 3, USC 2

Cal Poly 3, No. 4 USC 2 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)

Final: Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1

No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14)

Final: Arizona State 3, Utah State 1

No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15)

Final: Nebraska 3, Long Island University 0

No. 1 Nebraska swept Long Island University 25-11, 25-15, 25-17

Final: No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0

No. 3 Wisconsin swept North Carolina 25-14, 25-21, 27-25

Final: No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 UNI 1

No. 3 Creighton defeated No. 6 UNI 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21

Final: No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0

No. 4 Minnesota swept Fairfield 25-12, 25-7, 25-13

Final: Texas 3, Florida A&M

No. 1 Texas swept Florida A&M (25-11, 25- 8, 25-14)

Final: Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1

Arizona defeated No. 7 South Dakota State 25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15

Final: Kentucky 3, UCLA 1

No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 UCLA 30-28, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17

Final: Kansas 3, Miami 1

No. 4 Kansas defeated No. 5 Miami (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25)

Final: Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0

Texas A&M swept Campbell 25-20, 25-10, 25-13

Final: SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0

No. 2 SMU swept Central Arkansas 25-13, 25-13, 25-13

Final: Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1

No. 3 Purdue defeated No. 6 Baylor 1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)

Final: No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0

No. 4 Indiana swept No. 5 Colorado (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)

Final: Kansas State 3, San Diego 2

Kansas State defeated No. 8 San Diego 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12

Final: Pitt 3, UMBC 0

No. 1 Pitt swept UMBC 25-10, 25-17, 25-13

Final: Penn State 3, South Florida 1

No. 8 Penn State defeated South Florida 25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19

No. 8 Penn State took the first set 25-23, while South Florida took the second set 25-12. The defending champions won the third set 25-21 and the fourth 25-19 to win, 3-1.

Final: Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2

No. 5 Iowa State defeated St. Thomas-Minnesota 21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8

St. Thomas took the first set 25-21, while Iowa State took the second, 25-13, and third, 25-16. St. Thomas forced a decisive fifth set by taking the fourth 25-21, but Iowa State closed it out 15-8 in the fifth.

Final: Louisville 3, Loyola Chicago 0

No. 2 Louisville swept Loyola Chicago 25-17, 25-9, 25-12.

Final: TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0

No. 6 TCU swept Stephen F. Austin 25-8, 26-24, 25-20.

Final: Florida 3, Rice 0

Florida swept No. 7 Rice 27-25, 25-23, 25-19.

Final: Michigan 3, Xavier 0

Michigan swept No. 8 Xavier 25-19, 25-15, 25-23

Final: Marquette 3, Western Kentucky 0

Marquette swept No. 7 Western Kentucky 25-22, 25-21, 25-16.

NCAA volleyball games Thursday

Final: USC 3, Princeton 0

No. 3 seed USC swept Princeton 25-19, 25-12, 25-13

Final: Kentucky 3, Wofford 0

No. 1 Kentucky swept Wofford 25-11, 25-19, 25-12

Final: Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0

No. 2 Arizona State swept Coppin State 25-11, 25-14, 25-12

Final: Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0

No. 3 Wisconsin swept Eastern Illinois 25-11, 25-6, 25-19

Final: Purdue 3, Wright State 0

No. 3 Purdue swept Wright State 25-13, 25-21, 25-19

Final: Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2

No. 3 Creighton swept Northern Colorado 12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15

Final: Kansas 3, High Point 0

No. 4 Kansas swept High Point 25-20, 25-15, 25-18

Final: Cal Poly 3, BYU 2

Cal Poly defeated No. 5 BYU 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10

Final: Utah State 3, Tennessee 2

Utah State defeated No. 7 Tennessee 25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11

Final: North Carolina 3, UTEP 1

North Carolina downed No. 6 UTEP 24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21

Final: Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2

No. 6 Northern Iowa defeated Utah 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10

Final: UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2

No. 8 UCLA defeated Georgia Tech 24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10

Final: Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2

No. 6 Baylor defeated Arkansas State 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10

Final: Miami 3, Tulsa 1

No. 5 Miami defeated Tulsa 25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20

Final: Indiana 3, Toledo 0

No. 4 Indiana swept Toledo 25-18, 25-15, 25-17

Final: Colorado 3, American University 0

Colorado eliminated American 25-16, 25-19, 25-16

NCAA volleyball tournament automatic qualifiers

Here’s a look at the 31 teams that earned automatic berths to the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament by virtue of winning their conferences:

ACC: Stanford
American: Tulsa
American East: UMBC
Atlantic Sun: Central Arkansas
Atlantic 10: Loyola Chicago
Big East: Creighton
Big Sky: Northern Colorado
Big South: High Point
Big Ten: Nebraska
Big 12: Arizona State
Big West: Cal Poly
CAA: Campbell
Conference USA: Western Kentucky
Horizon: Wright State
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Fairfield
MAC: Toledo
MEAC: Coppin State
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
Mountain West: Utah State
NEC: LIU
Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois
Patriot: American
SEC: Kentucky
SoCon: Wofford
Southland: Stephen F. Austin
SWAC: Florida A&M
Summit: St. Thomas
Sun Belt: Arkansas State
WAC: Utah Valley
WCC: San Diego

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Emma Reaves Breaks Own School Record in Tri-Meet with URI, Stonehill

Published

35 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KINGSTON, R.I. — Sophomore thrower Emma Reaves (Westminster, Md.) placed first in the shot put, headlining the women’s track and field team’s first-place finish in the team’s tri-meet with the University of Rhode Island and Stonehill College, winning with 104 points.

UNH’s men’s track and field team finished in third with 89 points, while URI won the meet with 96 points and Stonehill closed with 91 points.

In addition to Reaves’ win, the following Wildcats placed:

Women’s Long Jump
- Sophomore Sarah Moore (Lisbon, Maine), first place (5.75m)
- Graduate student Autumn Agri (Stratham, N.H.), second place (5.35m)
- Junior Audrey Thornton (Freedom, N.H.), third place (5.28m)

Men’s Long Jump
- Freshman Rio Calle (Weare, N.H.), fourth place (7.01m)

Women’s Triple Jump

Men’s Triple Jump
- Sophomore Ethan Palmer (Bowdoin, Maine), third place (14.60m)

Women’s Shot Put
- Reaves, first place (14.38m)
- Freshman Payton Goulding (Cumberland, R.I.), third place (11.86m)
- Sophomore Ruby Prentiss (Falmouth, Maine), sixth place (11.13m)

Men’s Shot Put

Women’s Weight Throw
- Reaves, first place (17.87m)
- Goulding, third place (15.23m)
- Junior Briana Danis (Hooksett, N.H.), fifth place (15.06m)
- Prentiss, sixth place (14.31m)1.5

Men’s Weight Throw
- Senior Liam McGovern (North Kingstown, R.I.), first place (19.79m)
- Abaka-Amuah, second place (19.53m)
- Senior Jack Washam (Nashua, N.H.), third place (17.73m)

Women’s High Jump

Men’s High Jump
- Junior Gunnar Sokol (Berwick, Maine), seventh (1.90m)
- Sophomore Samuel Grube (Dover, N.H.), ninth (1.90m)

Men’s Pole Vault

Men’s 1 Mile

Women’s 60m Hurdles

Women’s 600m Run

Men’s 600m Run
- Sophomore James Gecek (High Bridge, N.J.), seventh (1:25.58)

Women’s 60m Dash
- Nada, first (7.71)
- Moore, second (7.72)
- Thornton, third (7.88)
- Sophomore Eva Roberts (Derry, N.H.), fifth (7.92)

Men’s 1000m Run

Women’s 300m Dash
- Thornton, second (42.43)
- Sophomore Brooke White (Barnet, Vt.), fifth (42.90)
- Senior Liliana Chirichella (Troy, N.H.), seventh (43.66)
- Roberts, ninth (45.25)

Women’s 3000m Run
- Senior Claire Ronan (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.), first (10:09.32)
- Senior Carolyn Day (Wolfeboro, N.H.), third (10:37.08)

Men’s 3000m Run

Women’s 4x400m Relay
- New Hampshire “A” (Chirichella, Hickey, Dillon, Agri), second (4:08.42)

Men’s 4×400 Relay
- New Hampshire “A” (Gecek, Daniel Anderson [Naugatuck, Conn.], Calle, Lesniak), fourth (3:28.38)

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ACU Heads to College Station for First Meet of the Indoor Season

Published

51 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The ACU track and field team opens its indoor season by competing in the McFerrin 12-Degree Invitational on the campus of Texas A&M on Saturday. The meet will be a low-key meet designed to get in some competition before the Christmas break.

Joining ACU and host Texas A&M in the field will be Baylor, Sam Houston State, SMU, and UTSA.

This meet will be the first competition for several newcomers to the program. There are plans to have three 4×400 relays for the women and the men and some of the newcomers will only run on the relays this weekend.

ACU entries for the men include: 60 (Horatio Brooks); 300 (Gage Heighten); 1000 (Evan Martin); Mile (Benjamin Castro, Vincent Luffey); 3,000 (Mark Barajas, Carlos Cortez); 60 hurdles (Canaan Fairley, Miguel Hall); high jump (Canaan Fairley); long jump (Horatio Brooks); weight throw (Rhet Punt, Matthew Udemba).

There will also be a large relay pool to fill out the three 4×400 relays and this pool includes newcomers who will only be competing in the relays – Durrell Collins, Abraham Olufemi-Dada, Nickens Lemba – and two returnees also running solely on the relays this weekend – Ethan Krause and Ryan McMeen.

ACU entries for the women include: 60 (Lauren Foxworth, Darinasia Taylor, Kee’Lani Whitlock, Neriah Williams, Morgan Morris, Halle Gunter, Jaeden Thomas); 300 (Morgan Morris, Kaycian Johnson); 600 (Madelyn McFadden, Anna Vyn, Gracee Whiteaker, Jalyn Childers); 1000 (Emma Santoro); Mile (Lola Buentello); 60 hurdles (Hana Banks, Nele Huth, Natalie Poe, Skyla Riedel); high jump (Kaia Anderson, Kennadi Payne, Natalie Poe); long jump (Halle Gunter, Nele Huth, Skyla Riedel, Jaeden Thomas); shot put (Sterling Glenn, Ciara Tilley, Mariana Van Dyk); weight throw (Sterling Glenn, Mariana Van Dyk).

Because the McFerrin Invitational will not have a triple jump in the meet, two Wildcats took part in the OU Winter Field Fest. Arthur Jenkins recorded a 14.94m triple jump, while Mackenzie Flaugher went 11.70m.

The McFerrin 12-Degree Invitational will be held in the Murray Fasken Indoor Track on the Texas A&M campus. The field events will begin at 2 p.m. and the running events at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Coach Miles Smith: I’m excited to see our kids compete. They have been working hard. We have a lot of newcomers who are getting their first taste of collegiate competition, so it will be fun to watch them compete. Our goal is to come out healthy and learn what we need to work on over the next few weeks before the bulk of our season kicks off in mid-January.

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Petitjean, Weber Set Personal Bests In Boston

Published

1 hour ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BOSTON – The Elon University women’s track and field team opened its indoor season with two members of its distance squad competing at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Opener on Saturday at the BU Track and Tennis Center.

Senior Sarah Petitjean led the Phoenix in the 3,000 meters, posting a personal-best time of 9:49.97 to place 52nd in a field of 95 runners.

In the 5,000 meters, junior Hannah Weber also set a personal record with a time of 16:29, improving her previous best by nearly three seconds.

ON DECK
Elon will be idle for the winter break before returning to competition on Jan. 17 at the Mondo College Invitational at the JDL Fast Track Complex.

— ELON —

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Mountaineers Set New 4×400-Meter Relay Meet Record at Indoor Season Opener

Published

1 hour ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The App State women’s track and field team opened the 2025-26 indoor season at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-Off on Saturday. A new meet record, set by the 4×400-meter relay quartet of junior Nicole Wells, seniors Damyja Alejandro-Ortiz and Daye Talley, and junior Jayla Adams, punctuated the day’s action.

“This was a great season opener for all event groups to knock the rust off from months ago. The athletes are really motivated to be back from break and start the season.” said director of track & field/cross country Damion McLean. “Expectations are high this season, so we have to stay motivated on an elite level to be competitive.”

Wells, Alejandro-Ortiz, Talley, and Adams stopped the clock at 3:45.76 for a new meet record in the women’s 4×400-meter relay. The previous meet record was 3:49.07, set in 2021 by Duke’s Jenna Crean, Lauren Hoffman, Megan McGinnis, and Kiara Ekeigwe. The Mountaineers were two seconds shy of the App State school record of 3:43.85, which was set at the 2023 Sun Belt Indoor Championships. Earlier in the afternoon, Adams and Talley finished third (24.39) and fifth (24.77), respectively, in the women’s seeded 200 meters. Adams remains third in the App State all-time list with her personal best of 24.22, which she set during the 2024 campaign. In the women’s unseeded 200 meters, sophomore Kaitlyn McLeod placed fifth with a time of 25.04.

In her collegiate indoor debut, freshman Alana Braxton posted a pair of first place finishes in the women’s triple jump (12.32m (40′ 5″)) and women’s long jump (5.87m (19′ 3.25″)). Fellow freshman Ashlynn Wimberly landed second with a leap of 12.14m (39′ 10″) and sophomore Jahaila Wright placed sixth with a leap of 11.60m (38′ 0.75″) in the women’s triple jump. With a leap of 5.31m (17′ 5.25″) freshman Kelly MacBride rounded out the top 10 in the women’s long jump.

Senior Ava Studney placed first in the women’s pole vault, recording a clearance of 3.95m (12′ 11.5″).

Junior Kendall Johnson placed second with a time of 7.50 in the women’s 60 meters, coming within 0.08 of her personal best and program record of 7.42, which she set at last season’s SBC Indoor Championships. Wells rounded out the top 10 in the women’s 60 meters with a time of 7.73.

With a time of 2:18.09, senior Addison Ollendick-Smith placed fourth in the women’s 800 meters. Ollendick-Smith, who stands second all-time in the program record book, was seven seconds shy of her personal best of 2:11.13, which she set last season.

With a personal best toss of 14.70m (48′ 2.75″), junior Dianna Boykin placed eighth in the women’s weight throw. Sophomore Emily Edwards placed eighth with a toss of 12.17m (39′ 11.25″) in the women’s shot put and rounded out the top 10 in the women’s weight throw with a mark of 14.03m (46′ 0.5″).

Up Next

The Mountaineers will resume the indoor track and field season with the UNC Asheville Collegiate Opener at Tryon International on Jan. 10.

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No. 2 seed ASU volleyball advances to Sweet 16 in NCAA Tournament

Published

3 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Updated Dec. 5, 2025, 11:15 p.m. MT

One step closer.

No. 2 seed Arizona State volleyball is back in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons.

The Sun Devils defeated Utah State in four sets (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Desert Financial Arena on Friday, Dec. 5.

“It was really special for me,” senior outside hitter Bailey Miller said. “I was one of the only ones last year when we got upset (in the second round), so I think going into it, all the girls just wanted to recognize all the girls who didn’t get to go to the Sweet 16 last year and took it seriously. It was really special.”

ASU’s return to the Sweet 16 offers a sweeter follow-up to last season’s second-round exit after the Sun Devils earned a hosting bid for the first two rounds. As painful as it was for coach JJ Van Niel, he chose not to let last year cloud the current success.

“I don’t reflect back,” Van Niel said. “That’s negative, but it’s just moving forward. Every year is a new shot, but last year was very painful. Mostly, because I didn’t think we played our best volleyball.”

With few players remaining from last year, Van Niel wasn’t sure how ASU’s season would go and if they’d repeat as Big 12 champions and NCAA Tournament hosts. But his team has done both and added more with a Sweet 16 berth.

“I really had no idea this year what we were going to look like,” Van Niel said. “It’s 100% a new lineup and I’m really proud of these kids because they’ve fought and they’ve scrapped. They’ve all gotten better through the year and they’ve earned this Sweet 16, it’s a really special group.”

What was key for ASU was their defense against a scrappy team that rarely went down in one swing. The Sun Devils were up to the task as they benefited from USU’s 21 attack errors.

USU’s strong offense forced ASU’s middle blockers to front the middle, exploiting their right-side players. While the middle blockers didn’t get as many kills as they did in the first round, it opened the floor for Miller, Noemie Glover and Tatum Parrott.

Miller led ASU with 18 kills on .471 hitting and two errors, a stark improvement from her first-round performance. Glover didn’t commit any errors and had 17 kills on .531 hitting. Parrott added 13 kills.

ASU was serving well again as the Aggies sided out 56.3% of the time, including less than half the time in the first set. Miller’s three aces helped ASU finish with a 7-5 advantage in service aces.

“They’re a great offensive team and their middle (blockers) were very active,” Miller said. “We haven’t really seen a lot of that, so it definitely took some adjusting. But in the end, that’s our bread and butter, being able to adjust and be ready.”

The Aggies got their first lead since early in the first set when they started with an 8-5 edge over ASU in the third set. Instead of putting them away like in the first two sets, ASU had trouble against USU’s attack.

As the third set neared the end, neither side scored twice for six consecutive points until USU got a 24-22 lead over ASU. The Aggies then scored off a bad set from ASU’s Sydney Henry.

The Aggies were strong to start the fourth set, but ASU’s 6-0 run midway through the set helped the Sun Devils gain the separation needed and eliminate them.

The Sun Devils will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, and play No. 3 Creighton in the regional hosted by No. 1 seed Kentucky, either Dec. 12 or 13.

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