Sports

Rangers State of the Farm 5/20

Published

7 months ago

May 27, 2025

Welcome to the sixth installment of the 2025 season. This post provides a visual breakdown of the Rangers minor league system, weekly transactions, analysis and context.

Rangers Org Depth Chart

BIG PICTURE

Fellow LSBians know the 2024-25 narrative of the big league club. The hitting is not there. Bruce Bochy has attempted to magically assemble lineup combinations like a mad scientist locked in a cage with a radioactive Rubik’s cube. It is a significant departure from a stay the course mantra in 2024 that never panned out. Nothing’s working. Everybody is underperforming, injured or all of the above.

Here is the interesting part that I don’t hear talked about. Look at the four minor league affiliates of full season ball in our system. It is a replica of the major league offensive deficiencies. Underperforming. Underproducing. Ungodly amounts of strikeouts. Solo homers. In the box scores, it is commonplace to witness clubs putting up finals of 0, 1 or 2 runs.

I believe this is a bigger issue than Donnie Ecker or Bret Boone. It is a drastically bigger issue than which player Bruce Bochy is hitting in what spot in the order. It is a bigger conundrum than Chris Young deciding whether he can, may or won’t make a trade. This is an organizational philosophy that must change and adapt – top to bottom. It is not one guy giving a bad message. It is likely at least 30 people giving the SAME bad message that needs to be altered. It may not happen until the offseason.

My baseball fandom began in the late 1980s and 1990s. Back in the day, it was reasonable to assert that .270+ was a positive batting average. If coupled with cumulative counting stats like 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB and, to a lesser degree, BB and K … well, you could pretty easily determine who was an All Star or impact player. That was what was on the back of a Donruss, Fleer or Topps baseball card that fans hoarded. Those stats were what flashed on the screen of a WGN, TBS or FOX Sports SW telecast as a hitter stepped to the plate. They appeared in a Charley Steiner B roll infographic on SportsCenter, as well as in a thick Dallas Morning News SportsDay section that housed MLB box scores.

At some point, we shifted over to an OBP and OPS model. Those stats were introduced in 1984, but it wasn’t until decades later that they became water cooler talk. Nobody ever sat me down and said .780 is a respectable OPS, just like nobody ever said .270 was a solid batting average thirty years ago. I suppose we just find our own number that comfortably fits our expectations. If a .750 OPS is statistically average for MLB, I want better than that in my minor league prospects at the level they are hitting at, because they are going to need to be measurably better than the competition that they are facing in order to make it to the big show. Yes, there are other factors to consider. Sebastian Walcott is the second youngest player in AA at 19 years old. He is well ahead of the curve in development. It would be foolish to claim that he is floundering or average because of his OPS stat (which for the record is .757). Holding his own with players that are five and six years older than him is pretty incredible. All that to say, take the following stats with a grain of salt. Just looking at this in a vacuum, our current minor league OPS leaders:

C Malcolm Moore .930 (Hub City)

OF Marcus Smith .911 (Round Rock & Hub City)

1B Blaine Crim .905 (Round Rock)

IF Luis Marquez .888 (Arizona Complex League)

1B/2B Justin Foscue .880 (Round Rock)

OF Alejandro Osuna .802 (Round Rock & Frisco)

OF Aaron Zavala .802 (Frisco)

Of the 55 to 60-ish hitters with our full season affiliates, that list is it for everybody producing an .800+ OPS. Scary. Looking at this deeper, you can throw out Malcolm Moore and Luis Marquez from this list because their sample size of plate appearances is tiny (both have been out for most of the season with injuries). Marcus Smith suddenly caught fire when arriving in Round Rock. Originally slated as outfield filler (thus the aggressive jump), he’s played so well since the promotion that he’s now earning regular playing time in RF at AAA. That’s a nice development. Perhaps he turned the corner. I’m not buying it yet.

Crim and Foscue: We know who they are. Foscue, in particular, is currently on the shelf with an injury. Time is ticking. I’d love him to grab the DH slot by the balls in Arlington before the season is over.

Osuna? He earned the promotion to Arlington. I believe he’s going to be good. Maybe not spectacular, but if you have a guy in the #5-#7 spot in a big league order who has plate discipline, hits the ball hard and is a gamer? I’ll take that all day.

Aaron Zavala has turned over a new leaf. It’s time for him to be in Round Rock.

Who had Zavala and Smith on their bingo card as among the most productive hitters a third into the season? Not me.

Now the good news. When you get to the Arizona Complex League, these are the guys that I have been bragging on. They produced in the Dominican Summer League last year and have now formed a murderer’s row in the order for the ACL Rangers.

CF/RF Paulino Santana .818

2B/3B Devin Fitz-Gerald 1.085

SS Yolfran Castillo .867

1B/DH Kleimer Lemos .744

DH/C/1B Javier Sanchez .990

LF/CF Rashawn Pinder .813

These teens are years away from contributing at the big league level. They are facing fellow teenage pitchers who are still harnessing control and velocity. Yet … these guys are outproducing the majority of their peers across the league and are still developing physically and growing into their bodies. This is the level that is the crown jewel of the Rangers’ minor league system. This is the bunch you want to watch climb the ladder each year.

It also has a lot of volatility to it as players get promoted and face new challenges. OF Yeremi Cabrera obliterated the ACL last season. This year, he is struggling at low A.

There has been disappointment with early round offensive draft picks such as 2B Casey Cook, C Ian Moller, 2B/SS/CF Cam Cauley, C Julian Brock and UT Chandler Pollard.

Here’s to hoping that when the ACL crew shows up to full season ball, they do not regress. Enough narrative. Now on to the weekly transactions.

Arizona Complex League (ACL)

5/26 Round Rock Express sent RHP Marc Church on a rehab assignment to ACL Rangers.

5/26 Hickory Crawdads sent IF Luis Marquez on a rehab assignment to ACL Rangers.

5/26 C Jhocsuanth Vargas assigned to ACL Rangers from Hub City Spartanburgers.

5/26 Round Rock Express sent 2B Jax Biggers on a rehab assignment to ACL Rangers.

5/26 OF Deward Tovar assigned to ACL Rangers from DSL Rangers Red.

‘Tis the season of rehab. Marc Church is a legitimate prospect; a late inning reliever who may figure into the big league bullpen picture before the season is out. Luis Marquez is still young, but has not asserted himself into a meaningful infield role to this point in his career. Jax Biggers, the Rangers minor league man of the year, is close to returning. Round Rock’s infield depth has been gashed and there is a hole to be filled. Deward Tovar isn’t a top prospect, but he got a lot of run for the DSL Rangers last season and is capable of playing all three outfield positions.

A- HICKORY

5/25 RHP Josh Sanders assigned to Hickory Crawdads from Hub City Spartanburgers.

5/23 RHP Enrique Segura assigned to Hickory Crawdads from ACL Rangers.

5/20 Hickory Crawdads placed RHP Alberto Mota on the 7-day injured list.

Josh Sanders and Mailon Felix have been shuffled back and forth for each other this past week. I’m unsure if that is about having a fresh arm available for a game, or if there is something else to it. Sanders has been the superior pitcher this season.

Enrique Segura was the prospect sent back to the Rangers from the Phillies in the Daniel Robert trade. He looked good in the ACL and got bumped up to Hickory. His background is a SP, but he is pitching in long relief in low A for now.

A+ HUB CITY

5/25 RHP Mailon Felix assigned to Hub City Spartanburgers from Hickory Crawdads.

5/20 Hub City Spartanburgers activated LHP Dylan MacLean from the 7-day injured list.

LHP Dylan MacLean is back after missing the entirety of 2024 season due to injury. He is primarily pitching in low leverage relief.

AA FRISCO

5/25 C Aaron Antonini assigned to Frisco RoughRiders.

5/23 Texas Rangers sent RHP Kumar Rocker on a rehab assignment to Frisco RoughRiders.

5/23 Frisco RoughRiders transferred RHP Nick Krauth to the Development List

5/21 Frisco RoughRiders activated LHP Avery Weems from the 7-day injured list.

Aaron Antonini is an organizational depth catcher. I recognized the name and after looking it up, realized the connection was from watching him play in some spring training games for the Cardinals a few years back. Antonini was plucked by the Rangers from the Diablos Rojos de Mexico after a six week stay there. tball can back me up or discredit me on this, but I feel a good baseline comp for the Mexican Baseball League is somewhere in between AA and AAA. Typically, it is filled with busted minor league prospects trying to redeem themselves, Mexican national ballplayers who did not have the credentials to make it to a big league organization and aging major league veterans in their upper 30s/early 40s who aren’t ready to hang up the spikes.

I mentioned last week that the Rangers have found a niche (and it’s a good strategy) to put three catchers at each of their minor league levels. It helps with the development of pitchers. If you’re not going to implement a true rotation of bench players for your minor league team (example: rotating four players through three outfield spots), you might as well load up on catchers and get the value there. Well, Antonini now makes the 4th catcher on the roster for Frisco. They’re not just Flamin Hot Cheetos. They’re X-TREME Flamin Hot! Way to commit.

Kumar Rocker is getting stretched out in Frisco. There were rumblings from Evan Grant and Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News that Rocker might be getting outfitted for future closer duties, but that ultimately got shot down by both Chris Young and Bruce Bochy in follow up interviews with them.

Although there is credence to Rocker being an effective 8th or 9th inning option for the Rangers, it is much easier to go from starting to relieving in a season, instead of the reverse. If the Rangers do fall out of the race, I would expect Tyler Mahle and/or Nathan Eovaldi to be highly coveted on the trade market. Patrick Corbin too, though even with the success he has had, I don’t anticipate we would receive an enormous amount of prospect capital for him. In any case, you’ll want Kumar Rocker ready to step into the rotation (along with a rehabbing Cory Bradford) at that junction in the event of a firesale. On the other hand, if the heavens open up and shoot a thunderous clap of lightning up our offense’s anal glands into the sweet spots of their bats, Rocker would serve as (a) injury insurance (b) insurance if Corbin loses his effectiveness and (c) eventual pen insurance.

Nick Krauth is a swing pitcher that will be reactivated when the need arises for that depth. I bragged on Trey Supak last edition and he has done nothing but defecate in his bed sheets since then. Bad, Supey! Bad! It’s nice to see Avery Weems back out there.

Can I tell you a dream of mine?

There are times that I’d like to sidle up to Chris Young’s doorstep, press the bell, wait for him to crack open the door and then … ever so lovingly … scale up all 6’10” of him to where I am nestled on his shoulder. With the anticipation of a sweet subtle whisper in his ear, as my lips began to tickle the hairs on the nape of his neck, I utter the phrase: “WHAT THE FLIP ARE YOU DOING PITCHING ROBERT DUGGER AND HIS 21.13 ERA EVERY FIVE DAYS WHEN YOU HAVE TWO PERFECTLY CAPABLE PITCHERS AND LEGITIMATE PROSPECTS IN MITCHELL ERIC BRATT AND KOHL EVERETT-SCOTT DRAKE WHO SHOULD BE IN ROUND ROCK, YOU NINNY?!!”

But I haven’t done that yet. It’s on my bucket list.

AAA ROUND ROCK

5/26 Texas Rangers recalled 1B Blaine Crim from Round Rock Express.

5/25 Texas Rangers selected the contract of RF Alejandro Osuna from Round Rock Express.

5/24 SS Richie Martin assigned to Round Rock Express.

5/24 Round Rock Express placed RHP Peyton Gray on the temporarily inactive list.

5/23 RHP Florencio Serrano assigned to Round Rock Express from Frisco RoughRiders.

5/23 Round Rock Express activated RHP Patrick Murphy from the 7-day injured list.

The big league plan, as I can best make sense of it, appears to be to have Alejandro Osuna play daily in LF against RHP with Wyatt Langford moving over to CF. Osuna is capable of hitting lefties too, so it’s too early to tell whether there is going to be a platoon there. Crim would seem to, in a bizarre way, be a platoon mate with Sam Haggerty. Evan Carter and Corey Seager are going to be back this upcoming week, so all of this is in flux.

If I had a magic wand when they return? I’d go:

LF Carter

CF Langford

DH Seager

SS Smith

3B Jung

RF Osuna

C Heim

1B Burger or Crim (whomever is hitting over .150 at that point)

2B Haggerty

Marcus and Adolis can get on a Zoom call with Donnie from the bench at that point for all I care.

Back to the other guys at Round Rock:

If you are looking for offense, Richie Martin is not your guy. In fact, he was among the worst players in professional baseball when made a Rule V draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles back in the year of our Lord, 2018. He rocked an OPS of .582. His minor league numbers are not better. He’s … umm … special … when it comes to hitting. I mean that in the Johnny Knoxville context of the word. So why did he get signed? Jonathan Ornelas got sent to the Braves after a DFA. Michael Helman is not a quality SS. Cody Freeman is a solid 3B but too limited for daily SS. Martin is a glove guy. There ya go.

I do not know what the situation is with Peyton Gray. He’s had a nice season for Frisco.

Patrick Murphy was my pet cat of spring training. Expect him to shake off some rust in the initial outings with Round Rock. I’m hoping he can return to the form he had in April, as he can contribute to the Rangers this season.

Sports

Utah State Volleyball Quartet Named to CSC Academic All-District Team

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball had four players named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, it was announced on Tuesday. Senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow, sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen, sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe and sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic all received the honor, marking the second-straight season USU has received the maximum allotment of four honorees.

Kofe earned the distinction via a 3.81 GPA while majoring in marketing and leading the Aggie offense to a program-record .274 hitting percentage this season, ranking third in the nation with 11.08 assists per set and also earning Mountain West Player of the Year honors. Kofe is the only player in the nation with three matches of 60 or more assists. Her 1,330 total assists this season ranks fifth all-time at USU while she already sits in eighth for career assists at Utah State with 2,290. Kofe also added 32 kills, 28 aces, 285 digs and 37 total blocks on the year.

Barlow received the honor after posting a 3.97 GPA while majoring in integrated studies. This season, Barlow Utah State’s single-season program record for hitting percentage with a mark of .444, shattering the previous mark of .375 (min. 5 attempts per set) held by Denae Mohlman and set in 1997. Barlow is now the career record holder for hitting percentage, sitting at .418 for her career at Utah State, topping current assistant coach/director of operations Kennedi Hansen’s career mark of .362 (min. 1,000 attacks). Barlow recorded six matches of at least 17 attempts and zero hitting errors this season while no other player in the nation had more than four according to ESPN research. Barlow finished with 321 kills, 18 aces, 51 digs and 93 blocks on the season. She earned All-MW honors for the fourth time in her career.

Helgesen earned the award after recording a 3.57 GPA while majoring in psychology. Helgesen finished the season with 391 kills on a .295 hitting percentage, the 10th-highest hitting percentage in program history with at least five attempts per set. Helgesen also ranks seventh all-time for career hitting percentage at USU (min. 1,000 attempts) with a mark of .275 as an Aggie. Helgesen broke USU’s single-game hitting percentage record with at least 20 attempts, hitting .704 against Grand Canyon. Helgesen also added 26 aces, 96 digs and 68 blocks on the year. She earned All-MW honors for the first time in her career this season.

Štiglic earned the honor after posting a 3.68 GPA and majoring in marketing. Štiglic finished the season with a team-high 3.56 kills per set, totaling 431 kills alongside 29 aces, 146 digs and 63 blocks. Štiglic earned all-MW honors this season after ranking seventh in kills per set (3.63) and fourth in points per set (4.27) during conference play. Štiglic also ranked sixth in the MW with 0.31 aces per set, totaling 21. She hit double-digit kills in 17 of 18 matches during MW action, totaling nine kills in her lone match not reaching the plateau. Štiglic also recorded seven matches with multiple aces.

Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.

– USU –

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Ptacek, Zelenovic Named AVCA All-Americans

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas volleyball’s Reese Ptacek and Jovana Zelenovic were named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-Americans, the organization announced on Wednesday.

The Honorable Mention All-America honors come after both Ptacek and Zelenovic were named First Team All-Big 12, leading one of the league’s most efficient and balanced offenses. Under first year head coach Matt Ulmer, the Jayhawks finished with a 24-11 and the program’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 all-time.

Ptacek, a native of Prescott, Wis., earns her first career All-America honors after hitting .314 with 331 kills, 136 blocks and 27 service aces during the 2025 season. Ptacek was recently named to the AVCA All-Region Team and was named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List during the 2025 season.

Zelenovic, a freshman from Novi Sad, Serbia, finished a standout freshman season for the Jayhawks, leading the team with 485.5 total points, 375 kills, 46 service aces and a .276 hitting percentage. Defensively, Zelenovic posted 123 total blocks. Zelenovic was also named to the AVCA All-Region Team and was named as the Central Region’s Freshman of the Year.

Ptacek and Zelenovic are the latest Jayhawks to earn All-America honors, becoming the 14th and 15th Jayhawks to earn All-America honors all-time. Kansas has had multiple All-Americans in just eight seasons all-time, including 2025, 2024, 2023, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

See below for a full list of Kansas volleyball All-American honors:

Josi Lima 2003 Honorable Mention Caroline Jarmoc 2013 Third Team 2012 Second Team Chelsea Albers 2014 Honorable Mention 2013 Honorable Mention Sara McClinton 2013 Honorable Mention Erin McNorton 2013 Honorable Mention Cassie Wait 2016 Honorable Mention Ainise Havili 2017 Honorable Mention 2016 Third Team 2015 First Team 2014 Honorable Mention Kelsie Payne 2017 Third Team 2016 First Team 2015 First Team Madison Rigdon 2017 Honorable Mention 2016 Honorable Mention Caroline Bien 2021 Honorable Mention Reagan Cooper 2023 Third Team Camryn Turner 2024 Third Team 2023 Honorable Mention Toyosi Onabanjo 2024 Honorable Mention

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Colorado Volleyball Pin Attacker Ana Burilovic Named AVCA All-American

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Colorado volleyball junior pin attacker Ana Burilovic (Split, Croatia) was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) All-America Third Team on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Burilovic’s selection makes her the volleyball program’s seventh All-American (sixth athlete), and she collects the fifth presented by the AVCA (since 1981). She becomes the Buffs’ first AVCA All-American since middle blocker Naghede Abu was named to the third team at the conclusion of the 2018 season. The Buffs also boast six previous AVCA All-American honorable mentions and two Volleyball Magazine All-American honorable mentions.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Ana’s efforts and achievements this season, and it’s gratifying to see her get the recognition she deserves,” head coach Jesse Mahoney stated. “She has grown into one of the premier six-rotation players in the country.”

Last week, Burilovic was named to the AVCA All-West Region First Team for the first time in her career, just a week after being selected to the 2025 All-Big 12 First Team. On Sept. 30, Burilovic was named AVCA Player of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after aiding the Buffs in their road sweep over then-No. 14 BYU and then-No. 23 Utah. She was named Big 12 OPOW again on Nov. 4, after leading Colorado’s win over Northern Colorado with 30 kills, hitting .329, nine digs, two blocks and one ace (Oct. 28). At the beginning of the season, Burilovic was selected to the 2025 Preseason Big 12 Team, and she was on the Anteater Classic and Buffs Invitational all-tournament teams.

Burilovic led the Big 12 in points per set with 5.47, good for sixth in the NCAA, and in kills per set with 4.71, good for ninth in the country. She was also third in conference for aces per set with 0.43, landing at 46th in the country. In the NCAA, Burilovic was also fifth for total points (656.0), seventh for total attacks (1,424), eighth for total kills (565), 17th for attacks per set (11.87), and 23rd for total aces (51).

In her 32 matches in 2025, she has accumulated 565 kills, 211 digs, 51 aces, 64 blocks and 19 assists. Burilovic has four kill-dig double-doubles on the season, now totaling 10 in her career. She has had 13 matches with 20 or more kills this season (a CU VB record). Burilovic surpassed 1,000 career kills at West Virginia, becoming the 19th Buff to total over 1,000 career kills. She now has 1,061 career kills, 521 career digs, 118 career aces and 116 career blocks.

At the end of the 2025 season, Burilovic leads the program in rally-scoring era aces with 115, putting her at eighth overall. She is also 15th in CU history for career kills (1,061), and second overall for kills in a single season with 537. Additionally, with two 30-kill matches against UCF (Oct. 2) and at Northern Colorado (Oct. 28), she is only the second player in Colorado Volleyball history to have two matches in a single season with over 30 kills.

Fourteen student-athletes across the country were selected to the AVCA All-America Third Team, 14 to the second team and 14 to the first team. Fifty-seven were also named Honorable Mention. A full list of the honorees can be found at avca.org.

Under 10th-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, Colorado finished the 2025 season 23-9 and went 12-6 against Big 12 opponents. Coach Mahoney has led the Buffs to a 164-135 record in his 10 seasons at the helm. The Buffs made their 22nd appearance in the NCAA tournament after the conclusion of the regular season, sweeping American in the first round before falling to four-seed Indiana in the second round. The Buffs’ last match against the Hoosiers marks the 12th second round appearance in program history. Colorado has 20 wins this season, marking the program’s 13th 20-win season and its first since 2022. With 23 wins this season, this is the most in a season since 2017 and ties for the third-most wins in a season in program history.

For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.

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Cassidy Hartman earns AVCA All-American Honorable Mention staus

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its annual All-American selections on Wednesday morning ahead of the NCAA Tournament semifinals with UNI’s Cassidy Hartman earning All-American Honorable Mention recognition.

The announcement marks the 17th All-American selection in program history and 16thin the Bobbi Petersen era (1997, 2001-pres.). A full list of UNI’s AVCA All-American can be found below.

The 2025 MVC Player of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection, Hartman led the league with 4.64 kills per set, along with 2.74 digs per frame, 58 total blocks and 19 aces during her junior season. Starting all 32 matches during her junior season, Hartman recorded ten or more kills in 27 matches this season, as well as six matches with 20+ kills, including a career-high 26 terminations at Southern Illinois in the regular season.

She also posted 14 double-double outings. A three-time MVC Player of the Week this season and a member of the Capital Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team back in September, Hartman earned AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention honors in 2024.

Hartman helped lead the Panthers to a 26-6 record overall, a 16-0 mark in MVC play and the program’s fourth consecutive MVC regular season and tournament titles, as well as a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

UNI’S AVCA ALL-AMERICANS

1999 – Shannon Perry (3rd Team)

2002 – Molly O’Brien (3rd Team)

2009 – Ellie Blankenship (Honorable Mention)

2009 – Bre Payton (Honorable Mention)

2010 – Bre Payton (2nd Team)

2010 – Ellie Blankenship (3rd Team)

2010 – Michelle Burrow (Honorable Mention)

2011 – Bre Payton (2nd Team)

2011 – Krista DeGeest (Honorable Mention)

2013 – Shelby Kintzel (Honorable Mention)

2017 – Heather Hook (Honorable Mention)

2017 – Karlie Taylor (Honorable Mention)

2017 – Piper Thomas (Honorable Mention)

2018 – Piper Thomas (Honorable Mention)

2019 – Karlie Taylor (Honorable Mention)

2024 – Kira Fallert (Honorable Mention)

2025 – Cassidy Hartman (Honorable Mention)

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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Kentucky Volleyball Final Four Watch Party Set for Thursday at Drake’s Lansdowne – UK Athletics

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Big Blue Nation is invited to cheer on Kentucky Volleyball in the NCAA Final Four at the official watch party hosted at Drake’s Lansdowne, on Thursday, Dec. 18.

The Wildcats face Wisconsin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Texas A&M vs. Pitt match, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. Kentucky’s match is expected to start around 9 p.m. ET.

Fans at the Lansdowne location can enjoy UK Volleyball promotional items and giveaways, with tables available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Landsdowne Drakes is located at 3347 Tates Creek Road in Lexington,

Can’t make it to Lansdowne? All Drake’s locations in Kentucky will show the match, so you can find a spot near you to support the Wildcats.

Drake’s Kentucky Locations:
Lexington

Lansdowne – 3347 Tates Creek Road
Brannon Crossing – 390 E. Brannon Road, Nicholasville
Hamburg – 1880 Pleasant Ridge Drive
Leestown – 1735 Sharkey Way

Louisville

Hurstbourne – 2651 S. Hurstbourne Parkway
Outer Loop – 3501 Outer Loop
Paddock Shops – 3921 Summit Plaza Drive
St. Matthews – 3939 Shelbyville Road

Other Locations

Elizabethtown – 151 The Loop
Bowling Green – 3267 Ken Bale Blvd
Owensboro – 3050 Highland Pointe Drive
Florence – 6805 Houston Road
Danville – 2596 South Danville Bypass
Pikeville – 175 Lee Ave.

Join us and be part of the excitement as Kentucky Volleyball competes for a spot in the national championship match!

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Florida Volleyball Adds Three Transfers to 2026 Roster

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida volleyball announced Wednesday that outside hitter Kamryn (Kami) Chaney, middle blocker Brianna (Bri) Holladay and outside hitter Selena Leban will join the Gators for the upcoming 2026 season.

Arriving for the spring 2026 semester, Holladay and Leban each bring one year of collegiate experience, while Chaney arrives with three.

“Selena and Bri are talented freshmen who offer both production and upside,” Florida Head Coach Ryan Theis said. “Kami gives us a proven point scorer and while we’ll add a few more pieces between now and August, we’re thrilled with this start.”

The trio joins incoming freshman opposite/outside hitter Nadi’ya Shelby as newcomers on Florida’s 2026 roster.

Details on Chaney, Holladay and Leban are below.

Kamryn (Kami) Chaney

Position: Outside Hitter

Class: Senior

Height: 6-1

Hometown: Park Forest, Illinois

Previous Teams: Vanderbilt (2025), Princeton (2023-24)

High School: Marist

At Vanderbilt
Honors:

TSWA Volleyball Player of the Week – Sept. 23

Recorded a double-double vs. UC Irvine (19 kills/11 digs)

Black Student-Athlete Group Executive Board – Treasurer

2025 as a junior: Saw action in 17 matches and led the Commodores attack 12 times and behind the service line in eight matches… Finished with double-digit kills 12 times, including three with 20 or more… Season-best 22 kills against California (Sept. 10)… Matched career-best six aces against Western Kentucky (Sept. 16)… Led Vanderbilt in aces with 33 and totaled 218 kills, .182 hitting %, 94 digs,25 blocks and 264.5 points…Averaged 4.01 points per set, 3.30 kills per set, 0.50 aces per set, 1,42 digs per set and 0.38 blocks per set

At Princeton
Honors:

Ivy League Player of the Year (2024)

First Team All-Region (2024)

First Team All-Ivy League (2024)

Ivy League All-Tournament Team (2024)

#9, Most Kills in A Season (421, 2024)

Second Team All-Ivy League (2023)

4x Ivy League Player of the Week (Nov. 18 2024, Nov. 4 2024, Oct. 21 2024, Sept. 16 2024)

Ivy League Rookie of the Week (Oct. 16, 2023)

2024 as a sophomore: Led the Ivy League and ranked 16th nationally in points-per-set (5.20) … led the Ivy league and ranked 24th nationally in kills-per-set (4.43) … led the Ivy League in points (494) and kills (421) … ranked second in the Ivy League in service aces (48) and service aces-per-set (0.42) … her season-high 34 kills that came on a .484 hitting percentage against High Point on Sept. 21 were the eighth-most kills recorded in a five set match by any player in the 2024 season … became the first Ivy League player Maddie Lord of Penn of Penn on Oct. 11, 2014, to have 34 kills in a match … recorded 12 double-doubles … exceeded 20 kills in eight matches … tallied 25 kills, a season-high 16 digs and a season-high seven blocks on Sept. 13 against St. John’s … recorded 25 kills on a .532 hitting percentage, 13 digs and two service aces against Yale on Nov. 1 … accumulated 24 kills on a .404 hitting percentage and four digs against Yale on Oct. 5 … had 24 kills, hit .358 and had four digs on Sept. 28 against Penn … contributed 23 kills on a .400 hitting percentage and 11 digs at Cornell on Oct. 19 … finished with 22 kills, 10 digs and three blocks at UMBC on Sept. 21 … compiled 20 kills on a .357 hitting percentage, 10 digs and four blocks on Nov. 16 at Harvard

2023 as a freshman: Led the Tigers and ranked second in the Ivy League in points per set (3.86) … led the Tigers and ranked fourth in the Ivy League kills per set (3.27) … led the Tigers and ranked 10th in the Ivy League in service aces per set (0.33) … tied the team-high and ranked 10th in the Ivy League in service aces (24) … appeared in 21 matches and 73 sets … recorded 42 digs and 32 blocks … had a season-high 25 kills on a .417 hitting percentage in the Tigers’ win over Dartmouth on Nov. 10 … recorded 17 kills, three digs and two service aces at Harvard on Oct. 6 … finished with 16 kills, five service aces and three digs in the Tigers’ win at Dartmouth on Oct. 7 … tallied 13 kills, a season-high six service aces, four digs and three blocks on Oct. 14 in Princeton’s win over Cornell … finished with 15 kills, four digs and three blocks at UMBC on Sept. 8 … had a season-high four blocks in the Tigers’ victory over Penn on Sept. 22 … had double digit kills in 13 matches

Why Chaney chose the University of Florida
“Florida checked all the boxes for me. They have the best combination of elite academics and high-level athletics which is super important for me. How could I say no to Gainesville and the opportunities Florida can bring? Go Gators!”

Career Stats
Year	S	MP	Kills	E	TA	Hit. Pct.	A	SA	SErr	D	BS	BA	TB	BErr	PTS
2023	73	21	239	126	650	0.174	2	24	34	47	6	26	32	2	282.0
2024	95	26	421	151	968	0.279	16	40	62	222	10	46	56	5	494.0
2025	66	17	218	113	578	0.182	6	33	67	94	2	23	25	3	264.5
Totals:	234	64	878	390	2,196	0.222	24	97	163	363	18	95	213	10	1,040.5

Brianna (Bri) Holladay

Position: Middle Blocker

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6-3

Hometown: Leesburg, Va.

Previous Teams: Virginia Tech

High School: Riverside

At Virginia Tech
Honors:

Earned All-Tournament Team honors at both the Blue Hen Invitational and the Seahawk Classic

Named MVP of the Hokie Invitational

2025 as a freshman: In her rookie campaign, the Leesburg, Va., native appeared in 30 of Virginia Tech’s 31 matches, recording 108 blocks. She led the Hokies in blocks in 12 matches and posted five or more blocks 11 times during the season. Holladay added three double-digit kill performances and recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 13 kills and 10 blocks in Virginia Tech’s season finale against Syracuse on Nov. 28.

High School: Earned First Team All-State, All-Region and All-District selections in 2024… Named the 2024 State Player of the Year… Earned 2024 County Player of the Year honors and was named First Team All-Metropolitan… Earned Earned First Team All-State, All-Region and All-District selections in 2023… Named to the Second Team All-Metropolitan in 2023… Is an AP Scholar with Distinction… Earned the Academic Excellence Award four times.

Why Holladay chose the University of Florida
“I chose Florida Volleyball because the program represents a legacy of excellence that inspires every player to set a higher standard. I value the opportunity to represent Florida on the court and develop under the guidance of the new coaching staff. The passionate Gator fan base and strong support for student-athletes create an environment where I know I will be pushed to excel. Beyond athletics, the university’s strong academic reputation, particularly in engineering, will prepare me for a career after volleyball.”

Career Stats
Year	S	MP	Kills	E	TA	Hit. Pct.	A	SA	SErr	D	BS	BA	TB	BErr	PTS
2025	95	30	158	49	332	.328	5	7	12	20	10	98	108	12	224.0
Totals:	95	30	158	49	332	.328	5	7	12	20	10	98	108	12	224.0

Selena Leban

Position: Outside Hitter

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6-0

Hometown: Nova Gorica, Slovenia

Previous Teams: Kansas

High School: Gimnazija Šiška

At Kansas
2025 as a freshman: Appeared in 21 of the Jayhawks’ 35 matches, posting double-digit kills seven times and double-digit digs four times. Recorded back-to-back double-doubles, including a career-best 20 kills and 11 digs against then-No. 2 Penn State on Aug. 25, followed by 14 kills and 10 digs against then-No. 8 Wisconsin on Aug. 29.

High School: Competed for Slovenia on the national stage since 2019, beginning with the U16/U17 European Championship…. The European Golden League in 2024 was her 10th competition within the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV)… In 42 career CEV matches, Leban has recorded 289 kills, 52 service aces and 32 blocks…. Also competed in the 2020 and 2023 European Cups for her club.

Career Stats
Year	S	MP	Kills	E	TA	Hit. Pct.	A	SA	SErr	D	BS	BA	TB	BErr	PTS
2025	67	21	147	74	425	.172	11	15	32	126	1	28	29	5	177.0
Totals:	67	21	147	74	425	.172	11	15	32	126	1	28	29	5	177.0