The Texas A&M University–Texarkana Athletic Department officially introduced its newest sports programs and head coaches during a press conference held Thursday, July 10, inside the Patterson Student Center on the A&M–Texarkana campus.

University President Dr. Ross Alexander and Director of Athletics Ryan Wall addressed attendees, celebrating the continued growth and success of Eagle Athletics. The event also welcomed several coaches who are new to the department or recently promoted, showcasing the depth of leadership driving the university’s athletic momentum.

Beginning in Fall 2025, the university will expand its competitive offerings with the addition of men’s and women’s bowling, golf, and indoor/outdoor track & field. The following head coaches were introduced:

 Men’s and Women’s Bowling: Michael Flanagan
 Men’s and Women’s Golf: Ryan Huntze
 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field: David Lawrence Jr.
 Men’s and Women’s Tennis: Brian Nelson
 Women’s Basketball: Deacon Jones
 Baseball: Chase Brewster
 Men’s Basketball: Darion Brown
 Cheer/Dance: Michael Flanagan
 Esports: Rick Allen
 Men’s and Women’s Soccer: Don Koontz
 Softball: Tony McKnight
 Volleyball/Beach Volleyball: Madeleine Halford

Other key department members include Assistant Athletic Director Fachaitte Kinslow, Athletic Trainer Erica Erwin, and Assistant Director of Sports Information Camry Dillie. All coaches were available for media interviews following the formal announcements.

With 21 sports now under its umbrella, A&M–Texarkana continues to cement its place within the NAIA’s Red River Athletic Conference as a growing hub for collegiate athletics. The press conference underscored the university’s commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes and strengthening the Eagle community.

For more information about Eagle Athletics, contact Camry Dillie at cdillie@tamut.edu or visit www.tamut.edu.

Preliminary Round Group Match Reports

Match 5, Group C, JAPAN 25 CROATIA 12 (7-3, 4-3, 11-5, 3-1)

Japan made sure of victory with a solid first quarter that was needed to withstand the Croatian onslaught in the second quarter. It was 2-2 two and a half minutes into the first quarter and looking like a brilliant contest, especially with Croatia debuting at this level. Japan missed Doha last year but was the host in Fukuoka the year before. With the score level, Japan went on counter and buried the next five goals, three on counter and one on a drive while the first of the string came from the top and the safe arm of Yumi Arima. She was to go on and make her stamp on the match. Saya Sekine scored consecutive goals for 7-2 and then Croatian captain Matea Skelin converted an extra play off the right-post position for 7-3 at the turn.

Arima opened the second half with two blasts from the top, well-weighted shots that found pinpoint targets beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. Fuka Nishiyama converted a penalty foul, watched as Nina Medic fired from the top for Croatia and then swam up and scored her third goal for 15-7. Eruna Ura netted her fourth when finishing extra. Kako Kawaguchi scored twice in the closing stages with Arima scoring her sixth as Japan moved out to 22-11. Rozic twice and Skelin kept Croatia in play but it was all about Japan and how many goals it could finish with in the final eight minutes.

Arima and Kobayashi led the charge, but it took time and Croatia called a timeout at 3:06 when 24-11 down and earned a penalty foul. Jelena Butic converted for her second goal. Japan countered with the last goal for 25-12 in a quarter that Croatia would have been happy with, considering no Croatian player has played at this level.

Match Heroes
Arima was the undoubted star with seven goals in a total team effort. Ura and Nishiyama netted four apiece as 10 Japanese players made the sheet. For Croatia, Rozic grabbed four and Skelin three. The goalkeepers had a grand start to the tournament with Manami Noda pulling down nine saves and Haruka Inaba five for Japan. Croatia’s Latica Medvesek made 10 saves.

Turning Point
Moving from 2-2 to 7-2 and when Croatia came back to 8-6 behind, Japan romped out to 14-6.

Stats Don’t Lie
Japan converted three from four on extra and stopped two from six. Japan scored both penalty attempts and stopped one of three Croatian efforts. On steals, Japan made two to none and on overall shots, Japan went 43-34.

Bottom Line
Japan has been here before and played the Olympic Games. Croatia is just starting its journey.

Match 4, Group D, FRANCE 9 GREAT BRITAIN 12 (4-3, 0-3, 2-5, 3-1)

Olympic team France felt the wrath of Great Britain after leading 4-3 at quarter time. Great Britain won the match 9-5 from then on for what was something quite historic. France missed the goalkeeping services of Olympian Mia Rycroft while the Brits played up to their expectations brilliantly on the opening day. This was a match where penalty fouls outshot exclusion fouls.

France started quickly with Great Britain responding twice. France regained the lead with successive shots. Harriet Dickens lobbed to equalise at three, however, Ema Vernoux, who was such a revelation at Paris 2024, rightfully put France back in the lead at 0:38. It was looking good for France, but Great Britain turned the tables in the second quarter, keeping its cross-Channel cousins at bay for the entire period. Katie Brown drilled from the deep right; Lily Turner scored from the top left and skipper Kathy Rogers drove in down the left post and slapped in a rebound for 6-4 at 1:32. France had no answer at this stage.

France was not out of it yet and worked tirelessly while denying Great Britain valuable chances. Rogers and Brown doubled the difference early and France slowed the match down, scoring through Erica Hardy. Britain took a timeout at 2:51 and put away the shot, thanks to Brown and at 9-5 the improbable was becoming a strong possibility. On extra, Cutler rifled one in down the right for 10-5 at 0:53. Vernoux powered in a French cannon, sliding the ball to goal for 10-6 and at the other end, Turner converted a penalty foul into 11-6 — three goals inside a half minute. It became the final-break scoreline, gifting Britain a magnificent five-goal buffer.

Vernoux and Hardy changed the face of the match with the first two goals of the final period, giving a shaky look to the result. Vernoux shot from penalty and Hardy from the top left. Two minutes after Hardy’s shot, Turner accepted a cross pass to the far left on two metres to score the most important goal for 12-8. France went to a timeout and fumbled the ball in front of goal. Britain called time at 2:12 and hit the crossbar. France fired up to centre forward and gained the penalty at 1:40 with Vernoux scoring her third goal and second from five metres. There was still 1:40 on the clock but neither team could find a way through the defence, allowing Britain to start the fortnight with a big “W”.

Match Heroes
Vernoux scored four goals for France and Turner and Brown three apiece for Britain. Best goalkeeper was France’s Pasiphae Martineaud Peret with nine saves.

Turning Point
From 4-3 down to 8-4 up, Britain worked hard to maintain the difference.

Stats Don’t Lie
France missed the only extra-player chance; scored two to one on penalty; made eight steals to seven, outshot Britain 29-28 and still lost the match!

Bottom Line
France may be the more experienced team but changes since Paris 2024 proved insurmountable. Britain proved it is capable of finishing in the top 10 in Singapore.

What They Said

Lara ANDRES (FRA) — Goal Scorer and Captain

On the team’s performance:
“It was a very close game. It’s a completely new team with a lot of young ones. We lost but I think the two first quarters were good enough but it was a bit difficult as Britain is a good team and not a new one, so they have a lot of experience, unlike us. It was such a difficult game and we lost, so I’m not very happy, but it’s just a game.”

On positives that can be taken away from this match:
“In terms of attacking, we were good and we made very good shots and in defence.”

Match 3, Group B, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15 CHINA 7 (3-1, 4-3, 6-1, 2-2)

China, now under the coaching spell of Spanish Olympic champion player and coach Miki Oca, kept USA honest for large periods of the first half. USA may have talked down the experience of his team but his experience and guile led these newcomers to a comfortable victory. Goals were traded at the start with USA missing a penalty chance. Two more penalty strikes gave USA the 3-1 quarter-time advantage. Wang Huan brought China back to 3-2 at the start of the second period and then at 4-3 after Ryann Neushul scored off the left-post position. Wang Xuan took a pass to the left post for 4-4 at 6:02. Then USA put the foot on the pedal and rammed home the next three goals, including a penalty to Emily Ausmus for 7-4 at the long break.

The third period was where USA proved its brilliance, lifting to 10-4 and then finishing 13-5, so three goals, a Chinese extra-player score to Yan Siya and then three more with Emma Lineback collecting her third from deep right on extra. Emily Ausmus earned her star rating with her third goal coming on extra from the left post off a near pass. Shao Yixin finished a polished extra play for 14-6 but Tara Prentice spoilt the Chinese mini-party with a powerful centre-forward turn at 2:49. With the clocking ticking to the one-minute mark and China running out of possession time, Nong Sanfeng put away a long shot from top right into the top left for 15-7. China went to a timeout at 0:27 and goalkeeper Amanda Longan was the thorn in the side. She stopped the shot and kept the ball until the final buzzer for the first victory of its title defence.

Match Heroes
Ausmus and Lineback scored three each for USA but it was goalkeeper Longan who proved best in pool with her magnificent 13 saves. Wang Huan was best for China with two goals.

Turning Point
After that 4-4 scare, USA pulled away to 7-4 at halftime kept the pressure on in the third quarter.

Stats Don’t Lie
USA struggled on extra at one from six, as did China at two from seven. USA sent in four from five on penalties. USA had the better of steals at six to one and outshot China 36-32.

Bottom Line
USA is the reigning world champion and this proved that even with a new batch of players, it is still a major threat, no matter what the stage. However, with Oca at the helm of China, more can be expected in Singapore.

What They Said

Adam KRIKORIAN (USA) — Head Coach

On his team’s performance:
“It’s a little bit of a shaky start; I think we were a bit nervous. As we settled down, we were much more organised defensively, and much more efficient offensively.”

On facing a strong opponent:

“What comes to mind is (China’s) number eight (Wang Huan). She hit a couple of nice shots against us. I think it’s not so much them, but playing the first game is always difficult. There’s the anxiousness and having to kind of deal with that.”

On the team’s future goals:

“For the very near future, it’s just to go back and watch the video (playback and) learn. We have such a young group here, that it’s really important we learn as much as we can in each one of these games, and then try to fix those (mistakes). We’re gearing up for the Netherlands (for our) next match — they’re such a talented team, it’s going to be a tough task for us.”

On message for fans back home:
“I think we’ve got incredible support in America for the women’s team, and they always inspire us to give a little bit more to make them proud. Hopefully, we made them proud today, and will continue (to do so) through our effort in our attitude.”

Isabel WILLIAMS (USA) — Athlete

On USA’s mindset going into this match:
“Mindset is just to play together, play our best, work really hard.”

On how the team stayed focused after the close start:
“We relied on each other; we talked to each other and just remembered what we practised every time.”

Miguel OCA (CHN) — Head Coach

On how he feels about representing China as a coach on the world stage, being from Spain:
“Feels good, feels good. I mean I knew a few months ago but I knew before that I was going to coach this team. It was very challenging and I am very much into it.”

On how he keeps his players motivated:
“Wow, well this is the world championship. If we aren’t motivated now when will you be motivated, you know?”

Tactics that his team employed to face off against strong opponents such as the USA:
“We needed good defence and help from each other with many movements. Because the US has a good centre, good shooters. We need to protect the centre but also the shooters. So, we have to move along and help each other a lot that we have been trying.”

His feelings about his team’s performance:
“Well let’s see, let’s see. This is the first game of the tournament and we will work on growing, game after game.”

WANG Huan (CHN) — Two Goals

On how she feels after the match:
“Good and bad. I feel like we performed quite well, but our performance fell off during the second half. We were feeling a bit tired during the third quarter, so we were slower, but we managed to turn that over in the fourth quarter.  

On whom she’s looking forward to face this year: 
“We’re quite a new team, we changed a lot of members after the Olympics. So, we’re looking forward to facing many teams.” 

Match 2, Group B, ARGENTINA 6 NETHERLANDS 25 (1-6, 2-6, 2-7, 1-6)

Netherlands came through as expected but what wasn’t expected was the opening goal to Argentina, earning a penalty in the second minute with Julieta Auliel converting. Never mind, the Dutch were in control thereafter with the next six goals, Simone van de Kraats gaining two down the right unattended. Captain Sabrina van der Sloot split the goals from the same position. The Dutch were equally impressive in the second quarter with van de Kraats and van der Sloot picking up extra goals. It became 9-1 before Argentinian captain Maria Canda scored from the top and at 10-3 Isabella Mastronadi converted from the five-metre line. Vivian Sevenich backhanded from two metres and captain van der Sloot also enjoyed a penalty shot for 12-3 before the halftime buzzer.

The second half was much like the first with the Dutch swelling the score to 18-4 with a raft of different scorers. Argentina made the sheet for the fifth time at 18-5 through Anahi Bacigalupo on penalty. Bente Rogge also scored from the line for her second goal in just over a minute. Kitty Joustra opened the fourth period  with a centre-forward sweep shot and turned for her next at 21-5. Lieke Rogge scored a pair and the last two shots were traded for 25-6.

Match Heroes
Van de Kraats, Fleurien Bosveld, Joustra and Lieke Rogge all scored three each for the Dutch. Mastronardi and Canda netted twice for Argentina.

Turning Point
Netherlands overcoming the tentative start and running out to 9-1.

Stats Don’t Lie
Netherlands scored four from six on extra and defended five from six. Both teams shot three from the penalty line while Netherlands grabbed 14 steals to five and shot 38 times to 24.

Bottom Line
Netherlands won this title two years ago in Fukuoka and was the bronze medallist at the Paris Olympic Games last year and also took bronze at this year’s World Cup. Argentina was 16th in 2023.

What They Said

Sabrina Van der SLOOT (NED) — Captain

On what went well for her in this performance: 
“I think for the first game early in the morning, we did OK. We can improve, but it was OK.”

On how this helps her team mentally for the next match: 
“Well, I think we already knew we had a big chance of winning this game, so we just used it to practise some tactics that we want to use, so in a way, it helps us prepare against the USA.”

On helping rookies and those new to the team:
“We try, every summer when we start preparing the national team to have team meetings, and talk about our values, so that the people who are new to the team can learn and understand the values before the big tournaments.”

Ana AGNESINA (ARG) — Centre Forward

On her team’s performance:
“Actually, I think we could do better. Obviously, they are better than us in many ways. We need to prepare better, and we want to get (at least 20 to 25 points in the next match) but it’s OK.”

On reasons causing the team’s defeat:
“In Argentina, we don’t have (as many preparation opportunities as we would like. We have fewer) trainings and pools, and we don’t have people who want to play water polo (because) nobody knows (about it. So,) it’s difficult to get better.”

On learning takeaways:
“I would say (we played rather aggressively). We need to (work on faster) defence. When we (see) that (the opponent) is about to (make a pass), I (should) swim back to defend (nearby opponents, to prevent the pass from going through). That’s something we need to practise on.”

Match 1, Group D, SOUTH AFRICA 4 SPAIN 23 (1-9, 0-5, 2-4, 1-5)

Spain made its intentions known early with the first four goals from four shots. It took six minutes before Spain missed a couple as South Africa tightened its defence. However, goals were hard to come by as there were more blocks than misses. The goal that got away from Spain was Georgia Eccles’ lob from top right at 4-1. It was a dry affair for South Africa from there as Spain rattled off the goals to 9-1 at the quarter and 14-1 at halftime. The goals were spread around for Spain with Elena Ruiz the first double scorer.

South Africa came alight in the third period after a timeout, scoring consecutive goals after Spain went out to 16-1 with two Paula Crespi strikes. Jo Williams had her shot deflected into goal and Boati Motau made sure of an extra-player goal from deep right for 16-3. Paula Camus and Ariadna Ruiz with their second goals gave Spain the 18-3 margin by the final break. Irene Gonzalez enjoyed her first world championship match with a penalty goal for her third to start the fourth period and then again from deep left. With the match coming to its conclusion, Gonzalez netted her fifth from deep left after a Danielo Moreno penalty goal. South African captain Shakira January finished her team’s scoring with as penalty goal five seconds from the final buzzer.

Match Heroes
Gonzalez with five Spanish goals was the best in pool. Elena Ruiz netted three as four others scored twice. For South Africa it was four different scorers. Both goalkeepers netted nine saves between them.

Turning Point
The opening four-goal haul before South Africa stopped the charge. Spain then swam away with the match to 14-1 at halftime.

Stats Don’t Lie
Spain had the better of the stats with three from three on extra to South Africa’s one from three. Penalty goals went Spain’s way two to one while Spain made 11 steals to two. On total shots, Spain ripped in 36 to South Africa’s 25.

Bottom Line
Spain is the Olympic champion, so this was like the world’s best versus a nation that fills the bottom positions at this level.

What They Said

Anni ESPAR (ESP) — Captain

On the team’s performance:
“I think we had a very good performance. A very good start to the tournament.”

Feelings on representing her country on the world stage:
“It’s really good, I’ve been on the team for a while, representing Spain and to keep being here with my team-mates, younger team-mates. I just feel really proud.”

Opinions on the atmosphere:
“I think it’s a bit early. I think we’ll have better matches in terms of people coming to watch. 9am isn’t the best time to come and support the team, but it’s still good. We had some people in the stands cheering for us; it was good.” 

Shakira JANUARY (RSA) — Captain

On how the team feels:
“It’s not every day that you get to play the Olympic champions. We’re happy with the result, we focused on (it) and we’re happy with the small wins and goals we set for ourselves. I mean, we just focused on hitting our small goals and we’re happy with the outcome.”

On what results the team is seeking:
“So, we’re obviously always striving for (a) top 12 (placement). I think our games (with) France and Great Britain are the two ones we’re looking for a much smaller goal margin than this one. But we are definitely excited and pushing for (a win) with Great Britain.”

On what message she wants to send to her rivals:
“Watch out for South Africa!”

Progress Points

Group A: Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore.
Group B: Netherlands 3, United States of America 3, China 0, Argentina 0.
Group C: Japan 3, Greece Hungary, Croatia 0.
Group D: Spain 3, Great Britain 3, France 0, South Africa 0.

Day 3 Schedule

Match 09. 09:00. Group B, China v Argentina
Match 10. 10:35. Group C, Hungary v Japan
Match 11. 12:10. Group D, Great Britain v South Africa
Match 12, 13:45, Group C, Croatia v Greece
Match 13. 16:00. Group D, Spain v France
Match 14. 17:35. Group A, Australia v Italy
Match 15. 19:10. Group A, New Zealand v Singapore
Match 16. 20:45. Group B, United States of America v Netherlands

GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Green bay’s vision for its Shipyard district near the Fox River is one step closer, with new renderings being released by the City’s Parks Department at Wednesday’s Parks Committee meeting.

The renderings show Phase II of the Shipyard improvement projects, which City Alder Brian Johnson says will include a beach volleyball courts, a dog park, a grass amphitheater, playground, and what he calls an urban beach.

Johnson says construction on that phase of the project will begin in in 2026, and that, so far, the project has been supported by grants and tax increment district (TID) funding rather than directly by taxpayer money.

See Johnson’s full post about the renderings here, and the renderings below.

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

City of Green Bay | Ayres Associates

World Championships Entry List Released: Leon Marchand Entered in All Four Gold-Medal Events

World Aquatics has released the entry list for the 42 pool swimming events that will be contested at the organization’s upcoming signature event in Singapore. These entries contain the swimmers entered in each event in alphabetical order by country, not in order of seed times. The pool swimming competition will take place July 27-August 3 at a special venue at the Singapore Sports Hub.

View the full entry list here.

Little new information can be gleaned from these initial entries as each national federation had staged selection meets or announced their rosters heading to Singapore. However, these lists do confirm that Leon Marchand is entered in all four individual events in which he won Olympic gold last summer in Paris. It was unclear if he would attempt both the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke in addition to the individual medley events. Previously, he skipped the 200 breast at global meets in 2022 and 2023.

Marchand did not race at the French Championships in June, but he did post some reminders of his 2024 dominance at the Longhorn Elite Invitational in May, where his times included the world’s best 400 IM this year.

Summer McIntosh is the headliner on the women’s side, with the 18-year-old Canadian set to swim five individual events following her historic performance at Canadian Trials. McIntosh will be the top seed in both medley events, the 400 free and 200 fly and the No. 2 seed behind Katie Ledecky in the 800 free.

One unresolved entry was cleared up with this release: James Guy will be the second British representative in the 200 free along with 2023 world champion Matt Richards. Guy had tied with Duncan Scott for the win in the event at the British Championships, but only one spot was available with Richards pre-selected by virtue of his Paris Olympic silver in the event. Guy receives the nod while Scott has several other individual events and relays on his Singapore slate.

For the United States, this list confirms several adjustments to the roster that took place following U.S. Nationals. Bobby Finke has opted out of the 400 IM to focus on the distance freestyle races, ceding his spot to Rex Maurer, while both Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske declined spots in the 200 free, putting Erin Gemmell in position for the individual nod alongside Claire Weinstein.

While the pool events are still more than two weeks away, the World Championships officially begin Friday with water polo action taking place over two weeks (July 11-24). Open water swimming will follow with competition starting July 15.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 10, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s National Team earned its second win as many nights with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-20) victory over the Dominican Republic in a key Volleyball Nations League (VNL) matchup on Thursday at the UT Arlington College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

The U.S. (6-4) will have a day off before meeting Canada on Saturday, July 12, at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are still available for the final two U.S. matches. Buy your tickets now.

“Bunch of good things,” said U.S. head coach Erik Sullivan. “Loved that we got some production out of players off the bench. I feel like it’s a total group effort right now, both last night and tonight. We need to find some consistency. We still have too many periods of times when we’re just giving easy points away. We need to shore that up a little bit. But I’m overall very happy with how we’re competing right now. Playing a team that’s a little bit slower in their offensive tempo (compared to Thailand) gave us an opportunity to get in front of them a little bit more. Our middles did a really nice job of closing up the block and getting straight up and over.”

The U.S. led in each major statistical category, including 50-41 in kills, 14-10 in blocks and 6-4 in aces.

Outside hitter Avery Skinner again led the U.S., scoring 18 points on 15 kills, two aces and a block. Middle blocker Tia Jimerson made her VNL debut and shared the match-high with four blocks to go with nine kills and an ace for 14 points playing the first three sets.

“It’s just about us being in system and (Jordyn) Poulter being able to see the other side and feeding it to me. We have been working really hard in the gym and today we wanted to show our chemistry and hard work, and I think we did that,” stated Jimerson, who appreciated making her debut before the home crowd. “It’s amazing, and I am just so grateful for the opportunity to be out here and compete with these women.”

Poulter finished with 39 assists and an ace in leading the effective U.S. offense. Avery Skinner and fellow outside hitter Logan Eggleston helped the U.S. stay in system often with eight and five successful receptions, respectively. Libero Morgan Hentz led all players with 13 digs, many in spectacular fashion, and opposite Stephanie Samedy added 11 digs.

Eggleston ranked second on the team with 10 kills. Samedy scored eight points on six kills and two blocks, while middle blocker Brionne Butler shared the team lead with four blocks while also contributing a pair of kills. Madi Skinner scored five points on four kills and a block, and middle blocker Dana Rettke scored four points on two kills, a block and an ace while only playing the fourth set. Outside hitter Sarah Franklin also totaled four points with three kills and a block as seven different U.S. players recorded at least one block.

The Dominican Republic led 15-12 in the first set before the U.S. scored the next two points. From that point forward, neither team led by more than two points in the set. An Avery Skinner kill off a free ball set up by a strong Jimerson serve tied the set at 18 and a Butler block evened the score at 19.

Avery Skinner put a ball down on a back row attack after a good pick up by Hentz to finally give the U.S. the lead back, 23-22, but the Dominican Republic scored the final three points to take the set. Avery Skinner led the U.S. with seven points on six kills and a block.

Behind strong serving from Madi Skinner, the U.S. jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the second set. Avery Skinner scored on another back row attack, Jimerson scored on a slide, and back-to-back blocks by Franklin and Jimerson stretched a 6-2 lead to 10-2.

Trailing 12-3, the Dominican Republic successfully challenged asking for a block touch and it started a 7-2 run that cut the lead to four points, 14-10. After a U.S. timeout, Samedy scored to stop a four-point streak, but the U.S. gave up the next four points to shrink the lead to one, 15-14.

A Butler kill stemmed the tide and sent the U.S. on its own four-point run. A great cover by Samedy led to a kill by Eggleston, who had recently entered the match, and another Jimerson block put the lead back at five points, 19-14.

Two Jimerson kills, one on another slide and the second on an overpass made it 22-16 and a great Hentz dig set up Avery Skinner to tool the block for a seven-point lead. Avery Skinner again paced the U.S., this set with six points on four kills and two aces, while Jimerson contributed five points on three kills and a pair of blocks.

Another great Hentz dig set up an Eggleston kill down the line that staked the U.S. to a 7-3 lead to start the third set. A Poulter ace stretched the lead to six at 14-8 and a 6-2 run from that point, culminating with a Roni Jones-Perry ace off the tape, gave the U.S. a double-digit lead, 20-10.

The Dominican Republic scored the next five points but could get no closer. Strong serves by Eggleston on the final two points led to a Madi Skinner kill on an overpass and Jimerson’s fourth kill and seventh point of the set. Eggleston added five kills.

It was the Dominican Republic’s turn to start quickly in the fourth set as it took a 7-4 lead behind some sterling defense. The U.S. scored the next four points with a Butler block tying the score. Another Butler block capped a 7-1 run that put the U.S. ahead 11-8.

The lead was cut to one, 15-14, before the U.S. scored three consecutive points, the last when Rettke and Madi Skinner each got their hands on a block that forced the Dominican Republic to call its final timeout. Avery Skinner scored on back-to-back kills, the second against a triple block, to make it 22-17.

Great defense on the following point eventually led to a back row attack by Eggleston to extend the lead to six, 23-17. The Dominican Republic scored the next three points before a service error followed by an Eggleston kill ended the match.

U.S. Women’s Week Three Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Kentucky, Lone Star)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
11 Taylor Mims (Opp, 6-3, Billings, Mont., Washington St., Evergreen)
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
18 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Texas, North Texas)
20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue, Hoosier)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
25 Tia Jimerson (MB, 6-3, Sugar Hill, Ga., Univ. of Ohio, Southern)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (Opp, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Minnesota, Florida)

Coaches
Head Coach: Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors: William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

Week 3 Schedule: Arlington, Texas (all times PDT)
Matches will be shown on VBTV, Big Ten Network and/or CBS Sports Network. Please check listings for BTN and CBSN.

July 9 USA def. Thailand, 3-1 (28-26, 21-25, 27-25, 25-15)
July 10 USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-20)
July 12 at 5:30 p.m. USA vs. Canada
July 13 at 5:00 p.m. USA vs. China

Week 1 Results: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 4 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28)
June 5 Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
June 6 Czechia def. USA, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25)
June 8 USA def Korea, 3-0 (25-13, 28-26, 25-17)

Week 2 Results: Belgrade, Serbia
June 18 USA def. Serbia, 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 15-11)
June 19 Poland def. USA, 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-18)
June 21 USA def. Netherlands, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-19)
June 22 USA def. France, 3-2 (25-22, 26-24, 20-25, 21-25, 15-13)

LORMAN, Miss. — The Alcorn State University volleyball team is set to return to action with an exciting 2025 campaign, featuring a competitive mix of non-conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) match ups. The Lady Braves will play a total of 30 matches, including 14 home contests at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.

The season kicks off on August 30 with a home opener against Nicholls State University at 2:00 PM. Alcorn will host early-season match ups against Louisiana Tech (Sept. 2) and University of Louisiana Lafayette (Sept. 11) before hitting the road for a string of away games across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

Notable non-conference highlights include a multi-match series in Memphis on September 19–20, where the Lady Braves will face Christian Brothers University, LeMoyne-Owen College, and University of Arkansas Monticello.

Conference play begins at home on September 28 versus Texas Southern, followed by a key SWAC battle against Prairie View A&M (Sept. 29). Alcorn will also host SWAC rivals Southern (Oct. 3), Florida A&M (Oct. 10), Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 12), and close out the regular season with a home stand against Grambling State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alabama State, and Alabama A&M in November.

The regular season concludes with the SWAC Tournament, held November 21–23 in Tallahassee, Florida, where the Lady Braves aim to make a strong postseason push.

All home matches will be held at the Davey L. Whitney Complex. Game times are listed in Central Time.

To view the full schedule, visit www.alcornsports.com or follow us on social media for the latest updates.

2025 Alcorn State Volleyball Home Schedule Highlights

• Aug. 30: vs. Nicholls State – 2:00 PM
• Sept. 2: vs. Louisiana Tech – 3:00 PM
• Sept. 11: vs. UL Lafayette – 6:00 PM
• Sept. 28: vs. Texas Southern* – 3:00 PM
• Oct. 3: vs. Southern* – 6:00 PM
• Oct. 10: vs. Florida A&M* – 6:00 PM
• Nov. 9: vs. Grambling State* – 3:00 PM
• Nov. 16: vs. Alabama A&M* – 3:00 PM

*Indicates SWAC Conference Match

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