HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana University has named baseball’s Brennan Stuprich and softball’s Maria Detillier the 2024-25 Male and Female Athletes of the Year Monday.
 
Stuprich, a graduate pitcher from Kenner, Louisiana and Detillier, a junior third baseman from Gramercy, Louisiana, earned their latest prestigious honor in similar fashion. Both were named the Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year for their respective sports. Both Stuprich and Detillier also were key members of SLC championship-winning squads.
 
Stuprich is the 12^th baseball student-athlete to be named Southeastern Male Athlete of the Year and the first since Preston Faulkner in 2021-22. He joins a list that includes Troy Melancon (1991-92), Jeff Williams (1995-96), Macky Waguespack (1998-99), Steve Trosclair (2000-01), Chris Province (2006-07), Wade Miley (2007-08), Tyler Watkins (2010-11), Jameson Fisher (2015-16) and Corey Gaconi (2018-19).
 
Detillier’s selection marked the fourth straight season that the SLU Female Athlete of the Year was bestowed upon a softball student-athlete, extending a streak that included Aeriyl Mass (2021-22), Bailey Krolczyk (2022-23) and Ka’Lyn Watson (2023-24). All told, Detillier is the eighth softball student-athlete to earn the honor, along with Sarah Gascon (2002-03), Katie Duhe (2010-11), Mahalia Gibson (2017-18) and Jaquelyn Ramon (2018-19).
 
Stuprich and Detillier will be recognized at this year’s North Oaks Health System Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, which is set for Sept. 12 in the War Memorial Student Union Ballroom. The 2025 SLU Athletics Hall of Fame class of Mack Boatner, Courtney Donald Sweeney, Cqulin Hubert, Ed Nodhturft, Hope Sabadash and Sarah Williams will be honored, along with the 1975 SLU baseball team that advanced to the Division II College World Series.
 
Stuprich was named an NCBWA All-American this spring, after posting a 9-5 record and a 2.90 ERA while striking out 109 for the Southland regular season champions. Named to the ABCA All-Region team and the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, the first team All-SLC selection led the league in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.
 
A member of the College Baseball Foundation’s National Pitcher of the Year watch list, Stuprich was also an outstanding performer in the classroom. Joining Fisher and Gaconi as the third SLC Student-Athlete of the Year in program history, Stuprich carried a 3.63 GPA as an MBA candidate.
 
Detillier helped SLU to a school-record 50 wins and its second straight SLC Tournament title and NCAA regional final appearance. She hit .365 with 43 runs scored, 69 hits, 15 doubles, six triples, four home runs, 55 RBI and 17 stolen bases, ranking among the SLC top 10 in slugging percentage, OPS, runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBI, sacrifice flies and stolen bases.
 
Like Stuprich, the first team All-SLC and second team All-Louisiana selection balanced her success on the field with excellence in the classroom. An accounting major boasting a 4.0 GPA, Detillier joins Duhe as the only SLU Softball Student-Athletes of the Year in program history.
 
The 2024-25 Male and Female Athlete of the Year were selected by the department’s head coaches and administrative staff.
 
Southeastern Louisiana University Athletes of the Year
2024-25: Male: Brennan Stuprich, Baseball; Female: Maria Detillier, Softball
2023-24: Male: Slavko Stevic, Track and Field; Female: Ka’Lyn Watson, Softball
2022-23: Male: Slavko Stevic, Track and Field; Female: Bailey Krolczyk, Softball
2021-22: Male: Preston Faulkner, Baseball; Aeriyl Mass, Softball
2020-21: Male: Cole Kelley, Football; Female: Megan Gordon, Soccer
2019-20: Male: Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Football; Female: Jodi Edo, Volleyball
2018-19: Male: Corey Gaconi, Baseball; Female: Jaquelyn Ramon, Softball
2017-18: Male: Marlain Veal, Basketball; Female: Mahalia Gibson, Softball
2016-17: Male: Alex Young, Track and Field; Female: Ashley Davis, Track and Field
2015-16: Male: Jameson Fisher, Baseball; Female: Renee Villarreal, Tennis
2014-15: Male: Alex Young, Track and Field; Female: Renee Villarreal, Tennis
2013-14: Male: Bryan Bennett, Football; Female: Renee Villarreal, Tennis and Hope Sabadash, Soccer
2012-13: Male: Robert Alford, Football; Female: Courtney Donald, Volleyball
2011-12: Male: Brock Hebert, Baseball; Female: Maiya Cooper, Soccer
2010-11: Male: Tyler Watkins, Baseball; Female: Katie Duhe, Softball
2009-10: Male: Adonson Shallow, Track and Field; Female: Dana Mayer, Soccer
2008-09: Male: Cedric Scotto, Golf; Female: Kristy Carlin, Basketball
2007-08: Male: Wade Miley, Baseball; Female: Emilija Arnaudovska, Tennis
2006-07: Male: Chris Province, Baseball; Female: Emilija Arnaudovska, Tennis
2005-06: Male: Lars Laursen, Track and Field; Female: Iva Velkovska, Tennis
2004-05: Male: Chris Carter, Track and Field; Female: Kim McNally, Soccer
2003-04: Male: Amir Abdur-Rahim, Basketball; Female: Kendra Oney, Soccer
2002-03: Male: Chris Carter, Track and Field; Female: Sarah Gascon, Volleyball/Softball
2001-02: Male: Andy Smith, Golf; Female: Becca Weingartner, Soccer
2000-01: Male: Steve Trosclair, Baseball; Female: Christine Amertil, Track and Field
1999-00: Male: Jacques Chevallier, Golf; Female: Stacey Turner, Basketball
1998-99: Male: Macky Waguespack, Baseball; Female: Allison Holladay, Soccer
1997-98: Male: Grant White, Golf; Female: Simona Nedorostova, Tennis
1996-97: Male: Martin du Toit, Golf; Female: Anne Bauer, Volleyball
1995-96: Male: Sam Bowie, Basketball and Jeff Williams, Baseball; Female: Darci Starr, Volleyball and Deneka Knowles, Basketball
1994-95: Male: Harvey Baker, Basketball; Female: Felisa Howard, Track and Field and Rena Faust, Basketball
1993-94: Male: David Bennett, Track and Field; Female: Renata Smekalova, Tennis
1992-93: Male: Hank Washington, Basketball; Female: Renata Smekalova, Tennis
1991-92: Male: Troy Melancon, Baseball; Female: Millie Williams, Basketball
1990-91: Male: Oja Fjellstrom, Tennis; Female: Diana Brown, Track and Field 
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Athletics, follow @LionUpAthletics on X and Instagram or like /LionUpAthletics on Facebook.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.
 
 

Pittsburgh, Pa. – Duquesne University volleyball head coach Steve Opperman announced the program’s 2025 recruiting class on Monday, featuring four incoming freshmen and one transfer set to join the Dukes for the upcoming season.
Donning the red and blue this season are Kylie Griffin, Karli Jordan, Alexa Flowers, Ryan Hicks, and Kaylie Baumgart.

BACK ON THE BLUFF

The Dukes return 10 players from last season, including five starters and two all-conference honorees. The group features five seniors, three sophomores, and two juniors, among them are Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team selection Ariel Helm and All-Rookie Team standout Emersen Schrom. Helm had a record-breaking campaign last year, starting all 30 matches and playing in all 115 sets. She anchored Duquesne’s defense at the net, leading the team and ranking 15th nationally with 139 total blocks. In the process, she became just the seventh player in program history to surpass 300 career blocks and broke the single-season blocks record that had stood for 20 years. Schrom also made an immediate impact as a freshman, appearing in all 30 matches and every set. A two-time Rookie of the Week honoree, she finished second on the team with 295 total kills, averaging 2.57 kills per set. Schrom posted double-digit kills in 17 matches, including a dominant stretch of seven consecutive matches with 10 or more successful swings.

KYLIE GRIFFIN | Modesto, Calif. | Cal State Fullerton

Griffin comes to the Bluff after spending a pair of seasons at Cal State Fullerton, where she appeared in 25 matches while making 12 starts for the Titans. During her time there, she tallied 12 kills, 10 total blocks, and eight digs, highlighted by a standout performance against UC San Diego in which she posted a season-best eight kills, three digs, and three blocks. In her final season, Griffin registered multiple kills in three matches and recorded at least two blocks in three contests. A native of California, she starred at Thomas Downey High School, where she earned First-Team All-League honors as a junior and senior. Griffin was named team captain both years and was selected as the team’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior. She led the league in kills in 2022 and played a pivotal role in guiding the Knights to their first playoff appearance in 15 years.

KARLI JORDAN | Frisco, Texas

A native of Frisco, Texas, Jordan joins the Dukes following a standout career at Frisco High School. A three-time First Team All-District selection from 2022 to 2024, she was named to the AVCA All-American Watch List during her senior season. Jordan also earned AVCA Phenom recognition in both 2022 and 2023, and capped her high school career by receiving the AVCA Best and Brightest Award—an honor given to athletes who excel both athletically and academically. In 2022, she was named Frisco High’s Outstanding Hitter, and went on to earn Most Valuable Player honors as both a junior and senior. The 5’7″ outside hitter made the Allen Tournament All-Tournament Team in 2024, highlighted by a career-high 18-kill performance. At the club level, Jordan competed with Untouchables EPA, helping her team to a third-place national finish in the open division in both 2019 and 2022.

ALEXA FLOWERS | Buford, Ga.

A four-year varsity letterwinner, Flowers comes to the Bluff after a successful career at Buford High School. She played a key role in leading the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022, helping the team post a 37-4 record during her freshman season and a 38-5 mark as a sophomore. Flowers was also part of the squad that captured the 2022 Gwinnett County Championship and helped Buford claim four consecutive region titles. A Georgia native, she earned First Team All-Region honors, received the AVCA Best and Brightest Award, and was recognized as a scholar-athlete. Off the court, Flowers was a four-year honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America). At the club level, she competed with A5 Volleyball Club, helping the team earn a third-place finish at the USAV Nationals in the 17 National Division.

RYAN HICKS | Ashburn, VA.

A native of Ashburn, Virginia, Hicks joins Duquesne following a standout career at Broad Run High School. She helped lead the Spartans to four consecutive Chesapeake Region championships and a district runner-up finish. As a senior, Hicks was named District Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Region honors in both her junior and senior seasons. A four-year varsity starter, she also earned back-to-back Second Team All-State selections and was a three-time First Team All-District honoree. Hicks was selected to the UA Next program for four straight years and was named the US Next Jordan Thompson MVP. She also competed at the club level with Metro Volleyball Club of DC.

KAYLIE BAUMGART | Pittsburgh, Pa.

No stranger to the Steel City, Baumgart played her high school volleyball at Chartiers Valley, where she led the Colts to the 2024 Class AAA Section 1 Championship and a WPIAL quarterfinal appearance, finishing the season with a 16-3 record. A standout performer, she was named to the All-WPIAL First Team and earned All-Section First Team honors as a senior, after receiving Second Team recognition as a junior. The Pittsburgh native served as varsity captain in her final season and led the team in blocks for two consecutive years, recording 97 in 2024 and 74 in 2023. Baumgart also competed at the club level for Pittsburgh Elite 18 Elite.

_­FOLLOW THE DUKES

For the latest news and information on Duquesne volleyball, follow the Dukes on Twitter (X) and Instagram.

 

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PENN Entertainment Publishes 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report

PENN Entertainment, Inc., (“PENN” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: PENN) North America’s leading provider of integrated entertainment, sports content and casino gaming experiences, published today its 2024 Corporate Responsibility report. The full report is available on the Corporate Responsibility page of the Company’s website.

The 2024 Report details PENN’s longstanding commitment to supporting its team members and neighbors, practicing good corporate citizenship, and ensuring responsible stewardship of the planet’s natural resources. These programs and initiatives comprise The PENN Way, which is reflective of the Company’s core values and the unique culture at PENN.

Key highlights of PENN’s 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report Include:

• PENN Entertainment, through its Corporate office, retail casinos and Interactive businesses in Canada and Gibraltar, donated approximately $9 million in support of local charities and Veterans-focused organizations, and generated more than $16 million in economic development grants.

• PENN team members volunteered over 11,000 hours to help those in need.

• Awarded over $4.2 million in need-based scholarships to the children of our team members since the inception of our PENN Scholarship Fund, 58% of whom are first generation college students, and 61% of whom are female. In 2024, we recognized 44 graduates from the first year of our program.

• With an ongoing focus on sustainability, we set an abatement goal of a 25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and we expanded our climate-related disclosures, including filing with three of the major reporting frameworks for the first time.

Jay Snowden, CEO and President of PENN Entertainment commented: “I am thankful for the tireless efforts of our Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, our internal Corporate Responsibility committee, and all of our Corporate, property and Interactive leadership teams for championing The PENN Way. Providing support to causes that are most important to our team members, customers, and key stakeholders is core to who we are, and I’m incredibly proud of all the work being done across PENN to carry forth these initiatives.”

About PENN Entertainment, Inc.

PENN Entertainment, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“PENN,” or the “Company”), is North America’s leading provider of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming experiences. PENN operates in 28 jurisdictions throughout North America, with a broadly diversified portfolio of casinos, racetracks, and online sports betting and iCasino offerings under well-recognized brands including Hollywood Casino®, L’Auberge®, ESPN BET™, and theScore BET Sportsbook and Casino®. PENN’s ability to leverage its partnership with ESPN, the “worldwide leader in sports,” and its ownership of theScore™, the top digital sports media brand in Canada, is central to the Company’s highly differentiated strategy to expand its footprint and efficiently grow its customer ecosystem. PENN’s focus on organic cross-sell opportunities is reinforced by its market-leading retail casinos, sports media assets, and technology, including a proprietary state-of-the-art, fully integrated digital sports and iCasino betting platform, and an in-house iCasino content studio (PENN Game Studios). The Company’s portfolio is further bolstered by its industry-leading PENN Play™ customer loyalty program, offering its over 32 million members a unique set of rewards and experiences.

Eric Schippers

Senior Vice President, Public Affairs & Government Relations

PENN Entertainment

610-373-2400

Joseph N. Jaffoni

JCIR

212-835-8500 or penn@jcir.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250623571696/en/

By: Mark Wasik

KENNESAW, Ga. – Games against three NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago along with contests at Power Four squads Arkansas and a home match against Michigan State highlight Kennesaw State’s 2025 volleyball slate, as the Owls announced their 26-game slate on Monday.
 
“I’m super excited for this season, the roster we have in place, and this schedule,” said KSU head coach Keith Schunzel. “We had a great spring training block, an incredible overseas trip, we returned 15 players from a semifinal team in 2024, and we’ll add two talented freshmen to the mix this summer. With how much experience and talent we have returning we didn’t schedule with guaranteed wins in mind, rather we scheduled to challenge ourselves and give ourselves opportunities to play against high level teams. If some things go our way in non-conference play, hopefully we can earn a few wins with this tough schedule and carry a solid RPI heading into league play.”
 
KSU starts the season on the road with a weekend tournament at Wichita State. The Owls will open against the host Shockers on Aug. 29, followed by a neutral site contest against Arkansas on Aug. 30. That will be followed by a mid-week game at in-state rival Mercer on Sept. 2.
 

The Owls will then come home to Kennesaw for a five-game homestand, starting with a pair of games against South Carolina State on Sept. 6 and 7 in the Convocation Center. The next week will see the Owls host the annual Kennesaw State Invitational. KSU opens the event against Michigan State on Sept. 11 and will also face Appalachian State (Sept. 13) and Troy (Sept. 14). The non-conference slate will then conclude the next weekend with a pair of games at Tennessee, with a neutral site contest against Alabama A&M on Sept. 18 followed by a contest against the Vols on Sept. 19.

Four of the Owls’ first six Conference USA games will be on the road, starting with two contests at Middle Tennessee on Sept. 26-27, while the Owls’ first home conference games will be on Pct. 3-4 against Liberty. KSU will then play a four-game homestand, with two games against rival Jacksonville State (Oct. 17-18) before closing out against new league member Delaware (Oct. 24-25).

 

After a pair of games at Sam Houston (Oct. 31-Nov. 1), KSU will host UTEP for Senior Weekend on Nov. 7-8. The Owls will close out the regular season with a pair of games at New Mexico State on Nov. 14-15. This year’s CUSA Tournament will be hosted by FIU in Miami on Nov. 21-23.

 

“In CUSA, until someone can knock off the champs, it’s Western Kentucky’s league,” said Schunzel. “They haven’t lost a regular season league game in five seasons, so very clearly they’re the team to beat. But UTEP is rolling right now and they’re hungry. NMSU has found a way for years to compete at the top, Delaware is coming in to the league as a championship level program from their former conference so they’ll be very capable and confident, and then a bunch of other schools will have the talent and coaching to knock anyone off and make wins a hard thing to come by. We’re looking forward to a fun, challenging 2025!”

 

KSU brings back all seven starters from last year’s team that finished 19-14, including 10-8 in conference play to finish fourth. The Owls also reached the semifinals of the CUSA Tournament, marking the 10^th straight year KSU had reached the semifinal of a conference tournament.

 

The Owls Fund

The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU’s programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Joining The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.

 

WICHITA, Kan. – Head coach Chris Lamb and the Wichita State volleyball program finalized their 2025 schedule on Monday, including a season-opening home tournament and a home date against in-state rival Kansas.

Among the 12 non-conference teams the Shockers have on the schedule, seven finished the 2024 season in the top 100 of the RPI and three (BYU, Kansas, South Dakota) qualified for the NCAA tournament.

Wichita State will host the Shocker Volleyball Classic to kick off the campaign, marking the first time since the 2007 season that WSU has opened the season at home. The Shockers host Kennesaw State in the season opener on Friday, August 29, then conclude the competition against SEC foe Arkansas on Sunday, August 31.

From there Wichita State heads to Provo, Utah for a tournament hosted by perennial national power BYU. The Shockers will take on Incarnate Word and the host Cougars on Friday, September 5 before battling a familiar opponent in Northern Colorado the following day. WSU has played Northern Colorado each of the last three seasons; the Bears are coming off a program record 28-win season in 2024.

The Shockers travel to Cookeville, Tennessee for a tournament featuring Radford, host Tennessee Tech and Samford on September 11-12, then return to Charles Koch Arena to square off with Kansas on Tuesday, September 16.

The final non-conference tournament takes WSU to Vermillion, South Dakota, where the Shockers take on Drake, South Dakota and Villanova. All three programs finished last season with top-100 RPIs.

The 16-match conference slate begins on September 26 at UAB. The Shockers will host Tulsa, Memphis, UAB, Tulane, North Texas, East Carolina, Charlotte and Rice, with road trips to UAB, Memphis, Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, Florida Atlantic, South Florida and Temple. The American Athletic Conference tournament will be hosted by South Florida and begins November 21 in Tampa, Florida.

The Shockers return 13 players from a team that finished the 2024 season with an 18-14 record, including outside hitters Brooklyn Leggett, Emerson Wilford, Gracie Morrow and Nadia Wasilewski plus middle blockers Maddie Wilson and Allie Paulsen. Katie Galligan and Grace Hett return to the back row, along with Gabi Maas, who missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to injury.

Lamb has added four transfers to the mix, bringing in outside hitter Sydney Dunning (Cal State Bakersfield), middle blocker Elinor Engel (Central Missouri), and setters Hannah Hawkins (High Point) and Jordan Heatherly (Memphis). The veteran head coach enters his 26th season in 2025, with a career record of 526-250.