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PREVIEW: Montana Awaits the Coyotes in FCS Quarterfinals

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12.08.2025


VERMILLION, S.D. — The story continues for the 2025 South Dakota football team, adventuring to the state of Montana for the second-straight FCS Playoffs as they head to Missoula, Montana to battle the No. 3-seeded Montana Grizzlies on Saturday, December 13 in the FCS Quarterfinals from Washington-Grizzly Stadium led by the new South Dakota career passing leader Aidan Bouman
 
The game will televisted on ABC with Roy Philpott (PxP), Sam Acho (analyst), and Taylor Davis (sideline) on the call for the 2025 FCS Quarterfinals. You can listen to the voice of the Coyotes John Thayer on the Coyote Sports Network beginning at 1:30 p.m. (CT) for the pre-game show with former Coyote Gary Culver joining Thayer for the call at 2:30 p.m. (CT).
 













FCS QUARTERFINALS | No. 11-seed SOUTH DAKOTA (10-4, 6-2 MVFC) at No. 3-seed MONTANA (12-1, 7-1 Big Sky)
Date | Time Saturday, December 13 | 1:30 PM (MT) / 2:30 PM (CT)
Location Missoula, Mont. | Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217)
Fan Information Tickets | Parking | Game Day Info
Television ABC – Roy Philpott (PxP), Sam Acho (Analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline)
Radio Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver) [KVHT 106.3 FM]
Live Stats NCAA
Game Notes South Dakota | Montana | MVFC | College Pressbox
Digital Program NCAA Program
Social Media @SDCoyotesFB Twitter | #GoYotes | @sdcoyotesfb Instagram | Facebook Facebook

YOTES IN THE FCS PLAYOFFS

  • South Dakota makes their fifth trip to the FCS Playoffs this season (2017, 2021, 2023-25) and third-straight trip.
  • It’s the first trip for head coach Travis Johansen in his first season as head coach, though he’s been a part of four total trips now as defensive coordinator and/or head coach. 
  • Six of the 10 total FCS Playoff games for South Dakota have been played in the DakotaDome, while Saturday’s game at Montana will be the fifth road FCS Playoff game.
  • The Yotes are set to clash with what’s proven to be the most frequent conference in the FCS Playoff with their fourth meeting against a Big Sky school in the playoffs.
  • QB Aidan Bouman is just one of two USD QBs to play in multiple FCS Playoff games (Streveler, 2017). He’s the only QB to throw for 1,000+ yards in the playoffs.
  • South Dakota is undefeated in FCS Playoff games when they score first (4-0), lead at halftime (5-0), force 3+ takeaways (4-0), and/or holds the ball for 30+ minutes of game action (3-0).

 
KEY STORYLINES

  • South Dakota and Montana are set to meet for the 21st time in program history on Saturday with the first-ever meeting in the FCS Playoffs.
  • This season South Dakota is 7-2 when scoring first, 7-0 when leading at halftime, 7-1 when not committing a turnover, 5-0 with a rusher over 150+ yards in the game, and 5-0 with a receiver having 100+ yards in the game.
  • The Yotes are 4-2 against top-25 FCS opponents this season with all four wins coming in the months of November and December.
  • USD had a stretch of not committing a turnover in six-straight games did not commit a turnover in six of the eight MVFC games this season. It’s now eight games this season without a turnover, following the Mercer game (Dec. 6).
  • PACING THE FCS: L.J. Phillips Jr. LEADS the FCS net rushing yards (1,847), fourth in carries (279), fourth in rushing yards per game (131.9), T7th in rushing touchdowns (18), and sixth in yards per carry (6.62).
  • Phillips Jr. has climbed the top-10 single-season all-time list for rushing yards, sitting SECOND entering heading to Missoula. He needs 115 yards to set a new single-season program record.  
  • Phillips Jr. became the 12th Coyote – and third in the Division I FCS era – to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season against Northern Iowa (Oct. 18).
  • Aidan Bouman holds a 32-13 (45 games) record as the starting quarterback at South Dakota and has thrown a touchdown pass in 12 of the 14 games this season with a new season – and career-high five touchdowns in the regular season finale at Southern Illinois.
  • After the Mercer game, Bouman is now the South Dakota career passing yards leader (9,047) and SECOND all-time in career passing touchdowns (66).
  • Bouman has now thrown 11 touchdown passes in the last three games.
  • With 11 100-yard rushing games this season (nine from Phillips Jr., two from Fletcher), South Dakota now has had 78 100-yard rushing games in the Division I FCS era with Phillips Jr.’s 301 yards against Northern Colorado being the Division I single-game record.
  • Walsh (at Lamar), Roman Tillmon (vs. UNC), Nate Ewell (at NDSU; at UNI; vs. UND; at SIU; vs. Drake) are the only three Yotes with 10+ tackles in a game this season with Tillmon (14) now holding the season high.
  • Mikey Munn has been on a tear at cornerback with a career-high two interceptions (x2; vs. Drake, Sept 20; at Mercer, Dec. 6) and leads the team with ten (10) pass-break ups on the season.
  • South Dakota has won 20 of their last 24 MVFC games dating back to the 2023 season.
  • South Dakota is in their 130th season of college football and with their 31st head coach in program history.  
  • Last week, head coach Travis Johansen became the first coach to win double-digit games in their first season as head coach at South Dakota.
  • South Dakota holds an all-time program record of 590-568-35 entering Saturday. In the Division I FCS era, South Dakota has won 96 games (96-108).

 
MONTANA GRIZZLIES

  • Led by Bobby Hauck in his 14th full season in Missoula, he picked up his 150th win leading the Griz with the 50-29 win over South Dakota State last weekend in the Second Round.
  • Montana won their first 11 games of the season before dropping a top-5 clash to in-state rival Montana State to end the regular season and finished with a 11-1 record.
  • Earning the No. 3 national seed, the Griz had a First Round bye before a dominant win over SDSU last time out.
  • The Griz are 2-0 against MVFC teams this season – both games in Missoula – defeating SDSU and North Dakota (24-23 back in September).
  • QB Keali’I Ah Yat has thrown for over 3,500 passing yards this season with 29 touchdowns to help the Griz to their 12-1 mark. He leads an offense that boasts a top-10 FCS passing offense (286.6 yards per game) and top-5 total offense (466.1 yards per game).
  • The defense, however, has struggled to stop opponents’ passing attacks. The Griz sit 115th of 126 FCS programs, allowing 263.6 passing yards per game.

 
SERIES HISTORY

  • South Dakota and Montana have met 20 previous times, with Montana leading the all-time series, 14-6.
  • Montana has won eight-straight games in the series with South Dakota never defeating the Griz since going Division I (0-5).
  • In Missoula, the Griz lead the series 11-3 with the last South Dakota win coming in Montana back in 1965.
  • It marks the fourth Big Sky opponent for South Dakota in the FCS Playoffs (USD, 2-1).
Stay up to date with all things Coyotes by following South Dakota Athletics on Facebook /SDCoyotes, X (Twitter) @SDCoyotes, and Instagram @sdcoyotes
#GoYotes x #WeAreSouthDakota





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Nabwe Wins Seventh Career Big Ten Weekly Honor

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MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time this indoor season the University of Minnesota women’s track and field team has earned weekly honors from the Big Ten Conference. Anthonett Nabwe earned the Field Athlete of the Week honor, the conference office announced on Wednesday. 

Nabwe returned to the college indoor scene at the M City Classic where she tossed a season-opening 23.74m (77-10 3/4) in the weight throw to sit at No. 1 in the NCAA. The toss for Nabwe was over four feet further than her 2024 opening weight throw of 22.45m (73-8) at the same meet. Nabwe’s winning throw of 16.40m (53-9 3/4) in the shot put was also an improvement from last year’s opening indoor competition by nearly two feet (15.95m | 52-4). Nabwe’s shot put mark from the M City Classic is ranked No. 3 in the nation and the No. 1 in the Big Ten after last weekend’s action. 

The weekly honor for Nabwe is the seventh the redshirt junior has earned between the indoor and the outdoor season. Last indoor season Nabwe became the first Big Ten weight thrower in nine years to repeat as champion at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and was just the fifth Big Ten women’s weight thrower all-time to defend their conference title. According to the USTFCCCA, Nabwe ranks No. 8 all-time with her lifetime best weight throw mark of 24.22m (79-5 1/2) – which she set at last year’s Big Ten Indoor Championships.

For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.



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Kimm, LaPlant and Thompson Earn AVCA All-America Honors

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the fourth time in the last five seasons, St. Cloud State Volleyball had at least three student-athletes named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-America teams as announced by the organizations on Wednesday. Junior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa), sophomore setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) and redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) were each named to the second team.
 
This is the sixth straight season that the Huskies have had at least two players named to the AVCA All-America teams and the fourth time in program history that SCSU has had three or more All-America selections in a season which have all come in the last four seasons (four in 2021, three in 2022, three in 2024).
 
Thompson becomes the fifth player in program history to become a multi-time All-American after Lindsey Rachel ’22 (3x; 2019, 21, 22), Phebie Rossi ’22 (2x; 2021, 22), former teammate Kenzie Foley ’24 (4x; 2021, 22, 23, 24) and current teammate Emma Berran (2x; 2023, 24). Last season Thompson was also named to the second team. Kimm and LaPlant are the 12th and 13th players in program history to earn All-America honors.
 
The redshirt senior middle blocker was named a first team All-Central Region performer by the AVCA and Division-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) after being named a second teamer by the AVCA in 2024. Thompson was also named to the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) First Team, to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team, the NSIC All-Tournament Team all for the second consecutive season and was also the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year this season. The Lakeville, Minnesota native averaged 3.89 points, 3.37 kills and 0.96 blocks per set this season on .331 hitting this season.

 
Kimm earned her first all-region and all-conference honors this season after being named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team and the D2CCA All-Central Region Second team and the All-NSIC First Team. The North Liberty, Iowa native was also named to the to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team, the NSIC All-Tournament Team (second consecutive season). The junior outside hitter averaged 3.88 points, 3.47 digs, 3.40 kills and 0.46 blocks per set this season.

 
LaPlant also earned the first all-region and all-conference honors of her career this season after being named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team and the D2CCA All-Central Region Second team and the All-NSIC First Team. The sophomore setter was also named to the to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team, the NSIC All-Tournament Team. She also became just the fifth player in program history to be named AVCA DII Player of the Week and was the lone Husky to earn weekly NSIC honors this season after being named Setter of the Week twice (her first career weekly awards). The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native averaged 11.69 assists, 2.21 digs, 1.23 points, 0.62 kills and 0.49 blocks per set this season.

 
This season, the Huskies won their second consecutive and fourth overall NSIC Tournament Championship (all in the last five seasons) after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country and advanced to the NCAA Central Region Championship/Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season, tying the program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season, with two (4x; 1995, 2022, 2024, 2025). En route to the region championship, the Huskies beat the No. 17 team in the nation before taking down the No. 2 team and tournament host, Nebraska Kearney, on their home court.
 
AVCA All-America
Second Team:
Shelby Kimm
Braya LaPlant
Ella Thompson
    
AVCA RELEASE
 
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  





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Blinn makes Bentley history with All-American nod

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WALTHAM, Mass. – The 2025 Bentley volleyball team continues to make history. Elizabeth Blinn is the first player in program history to be named to an All-America team, as she landed on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Third Team, the AVCA announced Wednesday morning.

Sophia Poehlein, Tory Vitko, and Lulu Pavan each received All-American Honorable Mention from the AVCA.

Prior to 2025, only two players in Bentley history earned AVCA All-American honors. Christiana Sadowski is a three-time All-American Honorable Mention (2005, 2006, 2007), and Alyssa Carter was an All-American Honorable Mention in 2003.

Heading into Thursday’s NCAA Quarterfinal match, Blinn leads the country in blocks per set (1.67). She is the Northeast 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, and she was named the Most Outstanding Player during the NE10 Tournament.

Poehlein is Bentley’s leading outside hitter, averaging 3.74 kills per set. Three times this year she reached at least 20 kills, each in just four sets. She had a career-high 23 kills in Bentley’s 2025 home-opener against Post.

Vitko  is the 2025 NE10 Setter of the Year. She enters the NCAA Quarterfinals averaging 9.37 assists per set, and she has 10 double-doubles this season. Two of those double-doubles were during the NE10 Tournament.

Pavan’s 2.87 kills per set rank second on the team, and she has reached double-digit kills 12 times this season. Pavan’s collegiate career began with 10+ kills in each of her first four matches.

Bentley won the NCAA East Regional title for the third consecutive year. The Falcons are the only program in the country to reach the NCAA DII Championship Quarterfinals in each of the past three seasons.

The Falcons enter the NCAA DII Quarterfinals as the #6 seed, which is the highest seed ever for a team from the East Region. Thursday’s game time against #3 Point Loma is at 12 p.m. (EST).  

 



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Nwachukwu, Walker Tabbed B1G Athletes to Watch – Iowa Hawkeyes Athletics

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa sprinters Chioma Nwachukwu and Kalen Walker were tabbed as the program’s Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Athletes to Watch, the conference announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Nwachukwu, a sophomore from Asaba, Nigeria, enters her second collegiate season as Iowa’s leader in the 400 meters. She posted the team’s top time at the Big Ten Championships a season ago, earning third place in 52.07.

Nwachukwu is a strong presence for Iowa’s relays and ran on the program’s top three 4×400 relays last year. She ran the second leg of the school-record breaking relay (3:30.42) at the New Mexico College Classic last season. Additionally, Nwachukwu earned second-team All-Big Ten honors at the conference meet after helping the relay place second in 3:31.04. She is also a part of Iowa’s third-fastest 4×400 relay time that ran a 3:31.62 at the 2025 Tyson Invite.

Highlighting her indoor season, Nwachukwu was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman team and was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Walker redshirted the 2025 indoor season and returns to round out his career in 2026. The senior from Eddyville, Iowa, was a first-team All-American and national runner-up in the 60 meters during his last full indoor season in 2024. He was also the Big Ten’s runner up in the event that year. Walker’s decorated career also includes a second-team All-America honor in the 60 meters during his first season as a Hawkeye in 2022. He finished 13th overall at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Walker holds Iowa’s school record in the 60 meters, racing 6.51 at the 2024 Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock, Texas. Walker was twice named the Big Ten Men’s Track Athlete of the Week during the 2024 campaign after performances at the Jarvis Scott Open and Jimmy Grant Invitational.

Iowa track and field opens its 2025-26 season with the Jimmy Grant Invite on Dec. 12-13.



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Cal Volleyball Adds Siena MacCudden

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Cal Volleyball Adds Siena MacCudden

MacCudden is the third member of the Bears’ 2026 class to receive AVCA All-America recognition.


Defensive Specialist Is A 2025 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention

The California volleyball team has added another member to its incoming freshman class, with defensive specialist Siena MacCudden officially set to join Abby Zimmerman, Anna Flores and Nicole Milosevic as new Golden Bears in 2026. Both MacCudden and Flores have enrolled early and will be practicing with the team this spring.
 
“Siena is a great competitor and has played high level volleyball her entire career,” Cal volleyball head coach Jen Malcom said. “We appreciate how she carries herself on the court – steady in serve receive and scrappy on the defensive end. She will be a great addition to our back court group this spring. When she said she wanted to join the team early, we knew that we got someone who is all in and wants to be great.”
 
A native of Nashotah, Wisconsin, the 5-foot-9 product of Arrowhead Union High School was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Honorable Mention after a senior season in which she collected 685 digs, third most in the state, and was named Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association (WVCA) All-State and the Classic 8 Conference Libero of the Year for the second consecutive season while earning AVCA All-Region 6 honors. MacCudden was also named WVCA All-State and All-Conference Honorable Mention as a sophomore in 2023 after leading her team to the first of two consecutive regional titles.
 
With MacCudden’s assistance, her club team, Milwaukee Sting, won the national championship at the 2023 Girls Junior National Championships (GJNC) 15s, a year in which she was named to the AVCA Phenom and Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) Watch Lists for the first time. MacCudden was also recognized by the JVA Watch List in 2024 and 2025.
 
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal volleyball, please follow the Bears on X (@CalVolleyball), Instagram (@calvolleyball), Facebook (Cal Volleyball) and TikTok (@calbearsvb).
 





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Bryant, Walker Win CAA Track and Field Weekly Honors

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0149_DyimondWalkerGREENSBORO –  The North Carolina A&T men’s and women’s track and field programs started off their respective seasons with programs capturing four first-place finishes apiece over the weekend at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-off hosted by the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, NC.

The Coastal Athletic Association awarded some of those accomplishments by naming junior sprinter Hayleigh Bryant Women’s Track Athlete of the Week and senior Dyimond Walker Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

Bryant captured her first career weekly honor. She took first place in the seeded 200 meters by running an indoor personal-best 24.03, the eighth-fastest time in the country and the best in the CAA. Bryant joined junior Kymara Brodie, freshman Richari Wildgoose, and junior Serenity Brazell to win the 4×400-meter relay in 3:45.85. Their time is also a CAA-best thus far this season.

Meanwhile, Walker led a strong contingent of Aggies in the 800m. Walker won the event with a time of 1:52.68. Four other Aggies finished in the top 10 to dominate the event, including freshman Taysaun Wilson (2nd, 1:53.05), senior Dawson Grogan (3rd, 1:54.25), sophomore Elijah Thomas (5th, 1:55.69), and junior Kaleb Conway (9th, 1:59.15).

Walker also joined senior Ha’Mir Hampton, Wilson, and junior Isaiah Taylor to run a 3:12.29 to win the 4×400-meter relay. Walker’s 800m time is the best in the CAA and ranks ninth nationally. The Aggies are second in the CAA in the 4×400 and 12th nationally. Bryant, Walker, and the Aggies are not scheduled to return to action until January 17, when they will participate in the Mondo Collegiate Invitational at the JDL Fast Track.





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