INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – William & Mary Athletics recorded strong numbers in the latest Academic Progress Rate released by the NCAA on Tuesday. The Tribe saw an increase in both perfect APR scores and NCAA Public Recognition Awards, while ranking second nationally among all public universities in both categories.   
 

W&M programs garnered 14 Public Recognition Awards, which were the most in the CAA and the state of Virginia. The Tribe ranked sixth overall nationally for awards. It marked W&M’s second most awards in the program’s 21-year history, up two from last year, and most for the university since it had 18 for the cohort ending in 2004-05. Only the University of Michigan’s 15 Public Recognition Awards among public schools topped the Tribe nationally.
 

Public Recognition Awards go to teams earning multiyear Academic Progress Rates in the top 10% of all squads in their respective sport. The list of Public Recognition Award winners for W&M includes: Men’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Swimming, Women’s Tennis, Men’s Track & Field, and Volleyball.
 

W&M has received 145 Public Recognition Awards all-time. Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, and Women’s Golf have each produced a school-best 13 awards in the history of the APR.
 

As a department, W&M’s APR for 2023-24 was 996 among its 21 programs (indoor and outdoor track and field are combined), while its multiyear APR was 994.06, ahead of the national average of 984. The APR included data from the 2020-21 academic year through the 2023-24 academic year.
 
In total, 17 Tribe programs achieved perfect APRs in 2023-24 and 13 produced perfect multi-year APRs. Each of those totals was up one from the previous numbers in 2022-23. The Tribe’s 13 multiyear APRs ranked second among all Division I public schools, seventh nationally among all DI intuitions, and once again led the state of Virginia and the CAA.
 
The 17 teams that sported 1,000 APRs in 2023-24 included Men’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Field Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Swimming, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s Track and Field and Volleyball.
 
Each academic year, every Division I sports team across the country calculates its APR using a simple and consistent formula. Each term, scholarship student-athletes can earn 1 point for remaining eligible and 1 point for staying in school or graduating. For schools that do not offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked.
 
The Academic Performance Program has established an essential framework for academic excellence. The program provides measurable goals to ensure schools are fulfilling their commitment of equipping student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary to achieve academic success.
 
In the past 21 years of the Academic Performance Program, nearly 22,000 student-athletes have gone back to school to earn their degrees and APR points for their former team. For football (6,428), baseball (2,416), and men’s (1,657) and women’s basketball (761), more than 11,000 former student-athletes have returned to college and earned degrees. These student-athletes are typically not counted in the federal graduation rate or Graduation Success Rate calculations. 
 

The APR is another example of the Tribe’s success in the classroom. During the fall, the Tribe achieved elite marks in the NCAA annuals ratings – graduation rates and the APR. During the fall, the Tribe led all Division I public institutions in Federal Graduation Rate for the 19th time in the last 20 years. W&M’s 88% FGR was well ahead of the national average for all student-athletes (68%). It ranked ninth overall among all Division I schools and was the highest in the state of Virginia. W&M had 14 teams report a 100% GSR (men’s and women’s basketball, women’s cross country and track & field, field hockey, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s gymnastics, lacrosse, women’s soccer, women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball).
 

Sport	2023-24 APR	Multiyear APR
Baseball	947	978
Men’s Basketball	1,000	994
Men’s Cross Country	1,000	1,000
Football	996	985
Men’s Golf	1,000	1,000
Men’s Gymnastics	1,000	1,000
Men’s Soccer	1,000	990
Men’s Swimming	1,000	1,000
Men’s Tennis	1,000	990
Men’s Track and Field	1,000	1,000
Women’s Basketball	982	995
Women’s Cross Country	1,000	1,000
Field Hockey	1,000	994
Women’s Golf	1,000	1,000
Women’s Gymnastics	1,000	1,000
Women’s Lacrosse	1,000	1,000
Women’s Soccer	1,000	1,000
Women’s Swimming	1,000	1,000
Women’s Tennis	1,000	1,000
Women’s Track & Field	991	998
Volleyball	1,000	1,000

 It’s Trophy Time! 

 Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!

The Big West will begin its quest for the title on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship inside the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday, May 8.  Second-seeded Big West champion Hawai’i (26-5) takes on No. 7 seed Penn State (15-15) at 10:30 a.m. PT/7:30 a.m. HT. The Nittany Lions advanced to the contest after winning their opening-round matchup last Friday, downing Daemen in three. Top-ranked and No. 1 seed Long Beach State (27-3) meets No. 8 seed Fort Valley State (16-9) at 2 p.m. PT.  

 

The Big West has been a finalist in each of the last six National Collegiate Championship brackets, claiming four of the last six national collegiate titles. Hawai’i hoisted consecutive trophies in 2021 and ’22 and Long Beach State earned the championship in both 2018 and ’19. In both 2019 and ’22, the championship finale featured both the Rainbow Warriors and the Beach in an All-Big West showdown for the title and should the bracket hold true, 2025 will see the same. 

 About the Bracket

The Big West will embark on the quest for the title owning the top two lines in the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship. A third team, UC Irvine, was listed as the first team out of the fray after the second at-large bid in the bracket went to UCLA.

The Big West victor Hawai’i occupies the No. 2 position with regular-season champion Long Beach State claiming the No. 1 seed in the bracket with games slated at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. UH enters with an overall record of 26-5 on the season and is set to take on No. 7 seed Penn State. Hawai’i owns an 18-10 all-time record over the Nittany Lions, including a straight-set victory on O’ahu on the second day of the 2025 Outrigger Invitational back in March.  

Should UH advance in the bracket, the semifinal opponent will be the victor between defending champion and No. 3 seed UCLA and Belmont Abbey. The Rainbow Warriors saw Belmont Abbey back on Feb. 20 in a 3-0 road sweep. The last time UH met up with UCLA was back in 2023, a 3-1 win in the regular season followed by a loss in the championship match in Fairfax, Va. 

Top-seeded Long Beach State earned an at-large bid into the field after a stellar 2025 campaign with just three blemishes on the record. The Beach (27-5) opens up their quest for the title against eighth-seeded Fort Valley State (16-9) as the back-to-back SIAC champions. The two teams saw each other earlier this season back on Jan. 31 as the Beach swept through The quarterfinal match is set for May 8 at 2 p.m. PT. 

LBSU’s semifinal foe will be the winner of the No. 4/5 matchup between Loyola Chicago and Pepperdine. The Beach holds a 7-0 all-time series record over Loyola with the last meeting going five in Walter Pyramid back on Feb. 5, 2023. The last clash with the Waves came on Jan. 26 in Malibu, Calif., a 3-2 win for the Beach. 

The Big West has been a mainstay on the national stage since sport-sponsorship and 2025 is sure to be no exception. The league has combined for four national titles with both Long Beach State (2018, ’19) and Hawai’i (2021, ’22) going back-to-back for the crown. Two of those iterations were between the Beach and the ’Bows, one of the fiercest men’s volleyball rivalries around. At least one league team has been a national finalist in each of the last six seasons. 

UH won its first national title in 2021 at the Covelli Center, defeating BYU in straight sets with the 2022 title defense captured in Los Angeles against LBSU. The Warriors return to the national tournament after making four consecutive title match appearances from 2019-23.  

For Long Beach State, the championship victories came in consecutive seasons as well with one coming in an all Big West finale in 2019 as the Beach played host. All told, LBSU has been on the national postseason stage 15 times, with six appearances and two titles in The Big West era (2018, ’19, ’22, ’23, ’24) and another championship hoisting moment back in 1991. 

 League Superiority

The Big West has dominated the collegiate men’s volleyball landscape since the league began its sponsorship of the sport ahead of the 2018 campaign, laying claim to four of the last six national titles, with at least one national finalist in each season. 

Long Beach State went back-to-back in 2018 and ’19, first rallying past host UCLA, 3-2, and then Hawai’i, 3-1, at its own Walter Pyramid. After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 installment, Hawai’i claimed the crown in 2021 and ’22, both in straight sets, over BYU in Columbus, Ohio, followed by a rematch with the Beach at UCLA in ’22. In 2023’s installment, UH was vying for a three-peat, but fell just short with UCLA earning the title at George Mason in Fairfax, Va., defeating The Big West champions in four in the finale. Last season, UCLA was able to secure the repeat, with Long Beach State closing as national runners-up after hosting the Championship at Walter Pyramid.

 Real Recognize Real

The AVCA National Player of the Year has gone to a Big West player in each of the last four seasons and six of the seven years since the league began sponsoring men’s volleyball. Reigning award winner Hilir Henno is a senior at UC Irvine in 2025.

This year’s Player of the Year is set to be announced Friday evening from Columbus after the banquet. Big West Player of the Year and AVCA Newcomer of the Year Moni Nikolov is a prime candidate for selection. 

All-American Heroes

 After yet another stellar year on courts across the league, five programs from The Big West are represented in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) 35th National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball All-America Team, unveiled on Monday. All told, the league boasts 10 on the first and second teams, over 40 percent of all honorees, and another 12 on the honorable mention listings.  

 

The 24 first- and second-team players sees representatives from 11 schools across the country, including five Big West member-institutions. League champion Hawai’i and national No. 1 Long Beach State each see a pair of players on the first team, and three total All-Americans. UC Irvine sports two honorees on the main listings with CSUN and UC San Diego claiming one apiece.  

 

The Big West comprises half of the first-team selections, headlined by 2025 Big West Player and Freshman of the Year Moni Nikolov. The setter from Long Beach State earns the first-team nod as well as AVCA Newcomer of the Year honors after an impeccable first season on the court. Nikolov is joined by Skyler Varga on the first-team listings with middle blocker DiAeris McRaven earning the second-team nod.

 

Hawai’i also claims a trio of selections with sophomore setter Tread Rosenthal up from the honorable mention listings last season. The international freshman attacking tandem of Adrien Roure and Kristian Titriyski made the first and second team listings, respectively. Heading into the Championship on a high from The Big West title, Roure was named the Most Valuable Player of The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship to get his first postseason started.

Honorable mention All-American players primed for the national postseason include ‘Eleu Choy (UH libero), Daniil Hershtynovich (LBSU RS), Kellen Larson (LBSU libero) and Nurt Nusterer (UH MB).  

Men’s Track and Field | 5/7/2025 2:30:00 PM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Empire 8 named St. John Fisher men’s track and field junior Brandon Kaplan its Field Athlete of the Week on Monday. 

In the conference’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships this past Friday, Kaplan won the hammer throw with a toss of 60.87 meters. That mark shattered former NCAA Champion Luis Rivera of Nazareth University’s mark of 59.22 meters, set in winning the 2015 NCAA National Championship. 

Kaplan, who earned Field Athlete of the Meet honors, holds the sixth-best hammer throw mark in Division III to date this season.

 

HUNTINGTON BEACH — The Huntington Beach boys volleyball team took care of business Tuesday night by sweeping Redondo, 25-23, 25-23, 25-19, to move one step closer to a CIF-SS finals appearance.

The Oilers (33-3) are now 2-0 in Division 1 pool play and can advance to the championship game with a win  Friday over Loyola or with a Newport Harbor victory over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Huntington Beach coach Craig Pazanti believed execution in the pivotal moments proved to be the difference, especially in the first two sets.

“We played them twice, so I don’t think there were any surprises for either team,” Pazanti said. “It was just a matter of execution, and you saw that in the first two sets, 25-23, 25-23.

“Both teams were playing at a pretty high level, I think our serve and pass game was just a little tighter and that’s kind of what got it (done). We just went on a couple runs late in both those sets.”

Pazanti added that the Oilers’ serving subs “did an amazing job tonight. Easton Ebmeyer and Nicky Brazao came in and really changed the tide from the service line, which is what we’ve been expecting from those guys all year. We don’t have a lot of jump servers, so those guys both jump serve and to have that happen is nice.”

Sophomore outside hitter Logan Hutnick led the Oilers attack with 15 kills while junior outside Colin Choi added 10 kills.

Pazanti was not surprised by Hutnick’s performance.

“You know, he doesn’t ever surprise me,” the coach said. “He’s just been steady for us. I mean in my eyes, I expect that out of him, you know.”

Pazanti called Choi “our unsung hero” and possibly the key to the team’s success in the postseason.

“He was amazing at the net tonight,” Pazanti said. “I always expect him to pass and play defense, but I don’t think they stopped him. … if he continues to play like that we’re going to be a tough out.”

Halfway through the opening set, Huntington Beach started to pull away on a kill from Hutnick and an ace from Ebmeyer.

The Sea Hawks (27-9) came right back to take a slim lead in the second set, 12-9, as they leaned on the play of Bobby Bennett and Cash Essert but the Oilers closed the gap before eventually taking control of the set and the match.

Pazanti stressed the importance of keeping their preparation the same despite what’s at stake.

“We play the game one way. It doesn’t matter what’s on the line,” he said. “I mean, our practices have been that way. We play the game one way, we play as hard as we can for as long as we can. That’s been our motto. So we’re gonna come out, we’re gonna prep tomorrow and Thursday and then we’ll come back out Friday night and we’ll go through the same routine we’ve been going through.”

Talia Fonseca and the Golden Bears will face fourth-seeded Hawaii in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals.

WPOLO5/7/2025 11:00 AM | By: Cal Athletics

Golden Bears Earned At-Large Bid, Will Make 11th Championship Appearance

BERKELEY – No. 4-ranked California will face fourth-seeded and fifth-ranked Hawaii in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship quarterfinals on Friday at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. The Golden Bears earned an at-large bid following a third-place finish in the MPSF Championship in late April, and will make their 11th all-time NCAA Championship appearance, all since 2010.
 
The quarterfinal contest between Cal (19-5) and Hawaii (21-4) – which earned an automatic berth after winning the Big West Championship title on April 27 – starts at 11 a.m. PT. The teams clashed once prior this season on Feb. 22 when Hawaii won 12-11 at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine to snap the Bears’ season-opening nine-match win streak.
 
With a win on Friday, Cal would advance to the NCAA Championship semifinal and face the winner of top-seeded Stanford or Wagner/McKendree at 9 a.m. PT Saturday. The championship match will air live on ESPNU at 9 a.m. PT Sunday.
 
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
Dates: May 9-11, 2025
Location: IU Natatorium (Indianapolis, IN) | Host: Indiana University
Watch: NCAA.com
Live Stats: 6-8 Sports
2025 Season Stats: CalBears.com
NCAA Championship Bracket: NCAA.com
 
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 7 – Play-In Game
3 p.m. PT – Wagner vs. McKendree
 
Friday, May 9 – Quarterfinals
9 a.m. PT – Game 1: No. 1 Stanford vs. TBD
11 a.m. PT – Game 2: No. 4 Hawaii vs. California
1 p.m. PT – Game 3: No. 2 UCLA vs. LMU
3 p.m. PT – Game 4: No. 3 USC vs. Harvard
 
Saturday, May 10 — Semifinals
9 a.m. PT – Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
11 a.m. PT – Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
 
Sunday, May 11 – Championship
9 a.m. PT – Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (ESPNU)
 
BEAR NECESSITIES
REMATCH WITH HAWAII
Hawaii handed Cal its first loss of the 2025 season on Feb. 22, defeating the Bears 12-11 at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine. It proved to be the Bears’ biggest test of the early season and was their lone loss in the first 13 games of the year. The contest featured four first-half ties before Cal took its first lead, 5-4, on the first of Julia Bonaguidi’s three goals just before halftime.
 
Bonaguidi scored the first goal of the fourth quarter to give Cal a 9-7 lead and put away her third of the game two and a half minutes later to make it 10-9. The Rainbow Wahine equalized a minute later, but Rozanne Voorvelt put in a clutch goal to once again put the Bears up 11-10. Hawaii netted the final two goals to come away with the win in a game that featured nine ties and two lead changes.
 
REPEAT RUN?
Cal finished the 2024 season as the NCAA runner-up after advancing to the title match for just the second time in program history. The Bears’ run through the 2024 NCAA Championship included a 14-7 quarterfinal win against Fresno State and a 9-6 victory over Hawaii in the semifinals before ultimately falling short with a 7-4 loss to top-ranked UCLA in the title game.
 
PRIMED AND READY
Cal proved it was worthy of an NCAA at-large bid with a competitive three days at the MPSF Championship in Los Angeles on April 25-27. After rolling past San Jose State 15-7 in the quarterfinals, the Bears pushed top-ranked UCLA to the brink in a 15-14 semifinal loss in the Bruins’ home pool the next day. Cal’s strong play continued into Sunday when it topped No. 2 USC 13-12 in the third-place game; it marked the Bears’ first victory over the Trojans since March 5, 2011.
 
STARS SHINING
Senior attacker Ruby Swadling highlighted six Golden Bears who collected All-MPSF accolades in late April prior to the MPSF Championship. Swadling – a Cutino Award Watch List member – was named to the All-MPSF First Team and leads the Bears with 55 goals this season. She also ranks among conference leaders in steals (32), sprint wins (14) and field blocks (12).
 
Swadling was flanked by fellow senior attacker Elena Flynn on the All-MPSF second team, senior utility Rozanne Voorvelt and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Talia Fonseca as All-MPSF honorable mentions, and freshmen Miriam Bogachenko and Rosalie Hassett on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team.
 
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal women’s water polo, follow the Bears on X (@CalWWPolo) and Instagram (@CalWWPolo).

 

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The Valley City State University track & field teams are headed to Dickinson to compete in the North Star Athletic Association Outdoor Championships on Thursday and Friday, May 8-9.
 
The action starts on Thursday beginning with field events at 12:30 p.m. First up is the men’s javelin. Running events will follow starting with the women’s 100-meter hurdles at 3:00 p.m.
 
On Friday field events will resume at 10:00 a.m. starting with the men’s long jump. Running events are set to start at 12:00 p.m. with the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase.
 
View Meet Information | View Live Results
 
The Vikings are slated to take on athletes from Bellevue, Dakota State, Dickinson State, and Jamestown.
 
Viking track and field has two returning conference champions from the 2024 outdoor season. Senior Kendra Odegard was a national qualifier and conference champion in the javelin 2024. Sophomore Aaron Cutshall was the 2024 conference champion in the long jump.
 
In addition to Odegard and Cutshall, VCSU’s returning all-conference athletes include Sadie Hansen, Emma Muggli, Olivia Backus, and Cameron Champagnie.
 
Viking freshman to look out for are Tayshaun Robinson competing in the 110-meter hurdles, Gage Gunther competing in the 800-meter, Jordan Mount in the 200 and 400-meter, Zeke Barnick in the high jump and long jump, and Caitlin Armbrust in the triple jump.