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Rioko Umekuni, one of Nebraska's new tennis stars

Published

3 weeks ago

April 2, 2025

Rioko Umekuni, one of Nebraska's new tennis stars

“She’s a very high-character person. I think she’ll be somebody that will kind of be loved by everybody. She’s kind and very positive. I think she’ll bring a good level of competition. I think she’s somebody that is pretty consistent when she plays and she moves well.”“Although tennis is not a particularly popular sport in Japan, I think more people have started to take an interest in it recently as the number of domestic matches has increased,” Umekuni said. “She is one of the players I respect, and seeing her play at an American university inspired me to want to play at an American university as well,” Umekuni said. “Recruiting in tennis, it is a very global sport,” Dalmagro said. “There’s over 200 countries in the world that have good tennis players.”“I really like her energy,” head coach German Delmagro said. “I really enjoyed the way she played and competed, and I thought that she can fit really well in our team and kind of the way that we kind of wanna do things here.” “We will return a good maturity, a good experienced team and hopefully they can kind of lead us to better things in the future.”“We’re excited,” Dalmagro said. “We’re in conversations with quite a few, two recruits, and then hopefully we’ll land a couple of those and then you know, I’m excited because I feel like we have a good core.”But even with not as many matches and tournaments going on in Japan, Umekuni sees people starting to take an interest in tennis. “I think I will miss Japanese bathtubs,” Umekuni said. “When I was in Japan, I used to take a long soak in the bathtub every day and listen to music or have a massage. I thought I would miss Japanese food too, but it seems to be ok because there is a good Japanese restaurant near the university.” sports@dailynebraskan.comDalmagro also shows his excitement for not just Umekuni but other recruits that the Huskers are looking to hopefully land, and he looks towards the following 2025-26 season and roster.“I always feel like we have an NCAA team or to compete for the Big Ten Championship. So that’s the goal every year. No matter what team we have, you know, and then we work hard and try to compete hard and some matches go your way and some matches just don’t. But hopefully we’ll have a team that can compete for those two things. We try to work for that, we try to recruit for that and then we try to develop ourselves.”Nebraska women’s tennis signed a new star, Rioko Umekuni, towards the end of February. She was ranked No. 1 in U12 doubles in Japan in 2019 and, most recently, has qualified for the 2025 Australian Open Juniors.Umekuni was born into the sport of tennis as her parents met through tennis in college. She started tennis at a young age of three and continues to grow as an athlete and can still have the opportunity to play with her dad to this day. Umekuni will make her appearance on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus this coming fall. She comes to Nebraska excited and has various things she is looking forward to. Dalmagro also mentioned how the sport of tennis continues to grow throughout many countries that host amazing athletes. Her sister, Risako, who is a senior at New Haven, was one of Rioko’s biggest influences growing up. Umekuni will now go on to UNL following her family’s path of collegiate tennis and especially her sister’s path of playing tennis in the United States. “Since the start of the pandemic, I haven’t participated in Japanese tournaments,” Umekuni said. “But my most notable experience was becoming number one in the U12 doubles ranking in Japan in 2019.” “I chose the University of Nebraska because when I visited last September,” Umekuni said. “I was impressed by the amazing team atmosphere and excellent facilities. I also felt that the strong academic support would allow me to focus more on tennis. Additionally, Nebraska is part of the competitive Big Ten Conference, which offers many opportunities to learn and grow. Most importantly, the food in Nebraska is delicious.”“My father is a good tennis teacher,” Umekuni said. “So outside of academy practice, he taught me how to play tennis, and we still play practice and doubles together sometimes.”From there on, Umekuni has made a name for herself around the sport of tennis in Japan. Most recently in 2024, was runner-up for ITF Junior doubles. She also won the All-Japan Doubles Tournament, was part of the 2021 World Junior Tennis finals, won singles at ITF Junior J60 India and was the doubles winner at ITF Junior J200 China. As Umekuni looks towards going to the United States for college, she mentions a few things that she will miss from Japan as she enters her first year of collegiate tennis at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Umekuni is an 18-year-old tennis star from Saitama, Japan and is the newest addition to the 2025-2026 Nebraska women’s tennis roster.

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Broncos Earn Second Place Finish at WCC Championship

Story Links SANTA MONICA, Calif.– The Santa Clara women’s beach volleyball team picked up three huge victories on Friday, defeating USF 3-0, Saint Mary’s 3-1, and Pepperdine 3-2, advancing to their first WCC Beach Volleyball Championship in program history against #4 LMU at Ocean Park in Santa Monica, Calif. The Broncos […]

Published

32 seconds ago

April 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SANTA MONICA, Calif.– The Santa Clara women’s beach volleyball team picked up three huge victories on Friday, defeating USF 3-0, Saint Mary’s 3-1, and Pepperdine 3-2, advancing to their first WCC Beach Volleyball Championship in program history against #4 LMU at Ocean Park in Santa Monica, Calif. The Broncos ultimately came up short against LMU, falling 3-0, but took home a second place finish in their first ever WCC Tournament Championship game, their best conference finish in program history.

vs. USF

Santa Clara 3, USF, 0

The Broncos defeated USF 3-0 in their first match of the day. Sadie Snipes and Sammy Wood defeated the Dons 22-20, 21-18 and Alexandra Urbina/Ciara Cantlen won their matchup at the No. 3 spot 21-10, 21-12. Kawena Chillingworth and Teagan Wilson closed out the victory for the Broncos with a 21-18, 21-14 victory.

1. Noelle Niederman/Holland Jackson (SCU) unf. vs. McKenna Towne/Kaydence Stormes (USF) 21-19, 11-19, unf.
2. Sammy Wood/Sadie Snipes (SCU) def. Letizia Aquilino/Branson Lennon (USF) 22-20, 21-18.
3. Ciara Cantlen/Alexandra Urbina (SCU) def. Rylie Reeves/Burkleigh Smith (USF) 21-10, 21-12.
4. Kawena Chillingworth/Teagan Wilson (SCU) def. Lucy Speier/Jacquelyn Strawn (USF) 21-18, 21-14.
5. Callie Loughran/Ava Stoddard (SCU) unf. vs. Francesca Stanschus/Rainie Stevens (USF) 21-23, 15-11, unf.

vs. Saint Mary’s

Santa Clara 3, Saint Mary’s, 1

The Broncos defeated Saint Mary’s 3-1 for their first victory against the Gaels this season. Sammy Wood/Sadie Snipes again gave the Broncos the victory in the No. 2 spot, and Ciara Cantlen/Alexandra Urbina earned a victory at the No. 3 spot. The Broncos fell at the No. 4 spot with Kawena Chillingworth and Teagan Wilson, but secured the dual winning at the No. 5 spot in a three-set thriller 25-23, 13-21, 15-11, taking the dual 3-1.

1. Noelle Niederman/Holland Jackson (SCU) unf. vs. Allie Cataldo/Hannah Couch (SMC) 21-17, 18-21, 12-13 (unf.).
2. Sammy Wood/Sadie Snipes (SCU) def. Clarissa Klein/Chloe Swanson (SMC) 21-18, 20-2, 15-11.
3. Ciara Cantlen/Alexandra Urbina (SCU) def. Angelina Bour/Nya Crump (SMC) 21-19, 24-22.
4. Hannah Glick/Sedona Sherman (SMC) def. Kawena Chillingworth/Teagan Wilson (SCU) 21-16, 21-18.
5. Callie Loughran/Ava Stoddard (SCU) def. Grace Travis/Genevieve Bane (SMC) 25-23, 13-21, 15-11.

vs. Pepperdine

Santa Clara 3, Pepperdine 2

In the semifinal matchup against Pepperdine, the Broncos again showed their resilience fighting back against a tough Waves team. Callie Loughran/Ava Stoddard started things off with a quick victory in the No. 5 spot 21-12, 21-8. The Broncos then fell in the No. 2 and No.1 spots to give Pepperdine a 2-1 lead. However, Ciara Cantlen/Alexandra Urbina won in the No. 3 spot to even up the match 2-2, bringing the match to a final winner-take-all match at the No. 4 spot. Kawena Chillingworth/Teagan Wilson took care of business for the Broncos, winning 21-14, 21-18, sending the Broncos to their first ever WCC Championship game in program history.

1. Kate Clermont/McKenna Thomas (Pepp) def. Noelle Niederman/Holland Jackson (SCU) 21-16, 21-15.
2. Emma Eden/Ella Foti (Pepp) def. Sammy Wood/Sadie Snipes (SCU) 21-15, 21-14.
3. Ciara Cantlen/Alexandra Urbina (SCU) def. Madison Oriskovich/Bella Avelar (Pepp) 21-16, 21-16.
4. Kawena Chillingworth/Teagan Wilson (SCU) def. Marley Johnson/Emi Erickson (Pepp) 21-14, 21-18.
5. Callie Loughran/Ava Stoddard (SCU) def. Deanie Woodruff/Kenzi McSpadden (Pepp) 21-12, 21-8.

vs. #4 LMU

Santa Clara 0, #4 LMU 3

The Broncos fell to No. 4 LMU 3-0 in the WCC Championship. The Broncos gave the nationally ranked Lions all they could handle, ultimately falling just short. It was an incredibly run for a Broncos team originally picked to finish third place in the WCC Preseason Poll, including a victory over #17 Washington earlier this season and a Pepperdine team receiving votes in the national poll in the WCC tournament.

1. Chloe Hooker/Vilhelmiina Prihti (LMU) unf. vs. Holland Jackson/Noelle Niederman (SCU) 21-15, 17-11 (unf.).
2. Michelle Shaffer/Anna Pelloia (LMU) unf. vs. Sammy Wood/Sadie Snipes (SCU) 19-21, 21-14, unf.
3. Abbey Thorup/Lisa Luini (LMU) def. Ciara Cantlen/Alexandra Urbina (SCU) 21-11, 21-13.
4. Isabelle Reffel/Magdalena Rabitsch (LMU) def. Kawena Chillingworth/Teagan Wilson (SCU) 21-7, 21-10.
5. Tanon Rosenthal/Gi Poletti Corrales (LMU) def. Callie Loughran/Ava Stoddard (SCU) 21-13, 21-19.

Sports

Bucknell University

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- Bucknell men’s track & field concluded its expedition to the Penn Relays on Friday with several throwers participating in the discus and shot put. Results Wade Shomper continued his successful junior season in the shot put with a sixth place finish in the College Shot Put division. His first throw of 16.42m (53-10.50) […]

Published

11 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- Bucknell men’s track & field concluded its expedition to the Penn Relays on Friday with several throwers participating in the discus and shot put.

Results

Wade Shomper continued his successful junior season in the shot put with a sixth place finish in the College Shot Put division. His first throw of 16.42m (53-10.50) was his longest of the day. His next throw went 16.01m (52-6.50). Shomper fouled on his third attempt but his first mark qualified him for the finals. His next two tosses were in the 53-foot mark. The final throw went foul.

Braden Stryker finished tenth in the shot put, missing qualifying for the finals by less than a foot. The senior continued to increase his mark with each attempt and his third try went 15.98m (52-5.25).

Stryker made the finals in the discus, placing ninth. The event started inauspiciously for the senior with his first two throws flying foul. He rallied and his third attempt went 48.71m (159-9), his best mark of the day, and earned him entry into the finals. He fouled twice more until his last fling flew 47.12m (154-7).

Angelo Regec also competed in the discus. He finished 12nd, missing the finals, with a best toss of 47.91m (157-2), which arrived during his first attempt. He fouled in his last two chances.

Bucknell men’s track & field complete the day at Bloomsburg’s Maroon & Gold Invite before traveling to tomorrow’s Red Flash Open hosted by Saint Francis.

Sports

Mackey Arena to host IHSAA boys state volleyball championships

Lafayette area high school plays April 1 to April 19 From stellar snags to grand slams, check out these top Lafayette area high school plays in softball, baseball and boys volleyball between April 1 – 19. WEST LAFAYETTE — Mackey Arena which hosted the 2021 Final Four and IHSAA regional boys basketball tournaments is set […]

Published

12 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WEST LAFAYETTE — Mackey Arena which hosted the 2021 Final Four and IHSAA regional boys basketball tournaments is set to usher in a new era of boys volleyball in Indiana.

The host gym for Purdue men’s basketball and women’s basketball will be the inaugural site of the first IHSAA boys volleyball state championship, the IHSAA announced on Friday afternoon.

Mackey Arena will host two semifinal matches and the state championship on Saturday, May 31, 2025, wrote IHSAA sports information director Jason Wille in a press release.

The first year of IHSAA boys volleyball has seen 136 programs competing statewide.

Boiler Juniors Boys Volleyball Director Andrew Fuller who has been a lead in growing the sport in the Lafayette area praised the IHSAA’s decision to host the state boys volleyball tournament in Mackey Arena. Mackey Arena holds a seating capacity of 14,876.

“I think the IHSAA putting the state championship at Mackey Arena is a great opportunity spearhead growth as we continue to grow the sport and work with them to provide opportunities for more players,’ Fuller said.

Along with running the boys programs at Boiler Juniors based in West Lafayette, Fuller is also head coach at Carmel.

“I hope plenty of people can come and see this great event,” Fuller said. “It’s been a tremendous venue both for Purdue basketball and for Big Ten Conference sports events. I think it’s a great opportunity to spearhead the growth of boys volleyball.”

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson

Sports

Six WCC Championships In A Row For LMU Beach Volleyball

Story Links SANTA MONICA, Calif. – #4 LMU Beach Volleyball won the West Coast Conference Tournament Championship for the sixth consecutive season and will represent the WCC in the NCAA Tournament Next week in Gulf Shores, Ala., for the fifth consecutive time. The Lions won two duals on Friday, each by […]

Published

16 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – #4 LMU Beach Volleyball won the West Coast Conference Tournament Championship for the sixth consecutive season and will represent the WCC in the NCAA Tournament Next week in Gulf Shores, Ala., for the fifth consecutive time.

The Lions won two duals on Friday, each by a score of 3-0, to go a perfect 3-0 in this year’s tournament. The Lions opened the day with a 3-0 win over 2-seed Pepperdine before taking down 4-seed Santa Clara in the Broncos’ first final WCC Championship Finals appearance.

Head Coach John Mayer is the first coach in school history to lead the Lions to six consecutive conference championships in any sport.

LMU, ranked fourth in the nation, will learn their opening round matchup for the NCAA Championships in this Sunday’s selection show. NCAA.com will air the selection of the 16-team tournament at 10:00 AM.

Match 9 – LMU vs. Pepperdine

Official Beach Volleyball Results

#4 LMU vs Pepperdine

04/25/2025 at Santa Monica, CA —

Match Score: #4 LMU 3, Pepperdine 0

Chloe Hooker and Vilhelmiina Prihti (LMU) vs. Kate Clermont and McKenna Thomas (PEP): match was unfinished, 21-16, 14-7

Michelle Shaffer and Anna Pelloia (LMU) vs. Emma Eden and Ella Foti (PEP): match was unfinished, 21-17, 14-10

Abbey Thorup and Lisa Luini (LMU) def. Madison Oriskovich and Bella Avelar (PEP): 21-15, 21-13

Isabelle Reffel and Magdalena Rabitsch (LMU) def. Marley Johnson and Emi Erickson (PEP): 21-12, 21-14

Tanon Rosenthal and Giuliana Poletti Corrales (LMU) def. Deanie Woodruff and Kenzi McSpadden (PEP): 21-9, 21-10

MATCH NOTES
Order of finish: 3, 4, 5

Match 12 – LMU vs. Santa Clara
Official Beach Volleyball Results (Final)
#4 LMU vs Santa Clara
04/25/2025 at Santa Monica, CA —
Match Score: #4 LMU 3, Santa Clara 0

Chloe Hooker and Vilhelmiina Prihti (LMU) vs. Holland Jackson and Noelle Niederman (SCU): match was unfinished, 21-12, 17-11

Michelle Shaffer and Anna Pelloia (LMU) vs. Sadie Snipes and Sammy Wood (SCU): match was unfinished, 19-21, 21-14

Abbey Thorup and Lisa Luini (LMU) def. Alexandra Urbina and Ciara Cantlen (SCU): 21-11, 21-13

Isabelle Reffel and Magdalena Rabitsch (LMU) def. Kawena Chillingworth and Teagan Wilson (SCU): 21-7, 21-10

Tanon Rosenthal and Giuliana Poletti Corrales (LMU) def. Callie Loughran and Ava Stoddard (SCU): 21-13, 21-19

MATCH NOTES
Order of finish: 3, 4, 5

Donate Today:
Fans interested in making a contribution to the Lions Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will help provide a transformational student-athlete experience athletically, academically, and culturally for every LMU student-athlete. We appreciate your continued support of LMU Athletics.

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For complete coverage of Loyola Marymount University athletics, visit LMULions.com. We encourage you to follow along with all the action on social media as well. Follow along by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram.

Sports

Beach Volleyball Concludes Season at WCC Championship

Story Links SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The University of San Francisco beach volleyball team (10-23) concluded the 2025 season at the West Coast Conference Championship, playing three dual matches on Thursday and Friday, falling to Santa Clara (15-17) twice while defeating Portland (5-17) 4-1. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: San […]

Published

29 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The University of San Francisco beach volleyball team (10-23) concluded the 2025 season at the West Coast Conference Championship, playing three dual matches on Thursday and Friday, falling to Santa Clara (15-17) twice while defeating Portland (5-17) 4-1.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

San Francisco beat Portland in the lone victory in the tournament, securing its 10th win of the season.

Letizia Aquilino and Branson Lennon won in just two sets against the Pilots. Francesca Stanschus and Rainie Stevens also earned a straight-set win at the fifth doubles flight.

Rylie Reeves and Burkeligh Smith earned a come-from-behind victory over Elizabeth Ortiz and Elena Bullemer, taking the final two sets after dropping set one, 21-18.

RESULTS VS. SANTA CLARA:

1. Holland Jackson and Noelle Niederman (SCU) def. McKenna Towne and Kaydence Stormes (USF) 18-21 21-15 15-12

2. Sadie Snipes and Sammy Wood (SCU) def. Aquilino/Lennon (USF) 21-15 21-18

3. Alexandra Urbina and Ciara Cantlen (SCU) def. Reeves/Smith (USF) 15-21 21-17 15-10

4. Kawena Chillingworth and Teagan Wilson (SCU) def. Lucy Speier and Jacquelyn Strawn (USF) 21-12 21-13

5. Callie Loughran and Ava Stoddard (SCU) def. Francesca Stanschus and Rainie Stevens (USF) 21-12 20-22 15-11

RESULTS VS. PORTLAND:

1. Emily Wood and Annika Stammberger (POR) def. Towne/Stormes (USF) 21-16 12-21 15-10

2. Aquilino/Lennon (USF) def. Leonie Freytag and Elin Larsson (POR) 21-11 21-7

3. Reeves/Smith (USF) def. Elizabeth Ortiz and Elena Bullemer (POR) 18-21 21-17 15-13

4. Speier/Strawn (USF) def. Valerie Bruk and Taylor Helle (POR) 21-15 15-21 15-13

5. Stanschus/Stevens (USF) def. Michela Strati and Hannah Debban (POR) 21-13 21-16

RESULTS VS. SANTA CLARA:

1. Jackson/Niederman (SCU) vs. Towne/Stormes (USF) match was unfinished 19-21 19-11

2. Snipes/Wood (SCU) def. Aquilino/Lennon (USF) 22-20 21-18

3. Urbina/Cantlen (SCU) def. Reeves/Smith (USF) 21-10 21-12

4. Chillingworth/Wilson (SCU) def. Speier/Strawn (USF) 21-18 21-14

5. Loughran/Stoddard (SCU) def. Stanschus/Stevens (USF) 21-23 15-11

FOLLOW US:

For updates and more information on the San Francisco beach volleyball team, follow the Dons on Instagram @USFDonsBeach.

MERCHANDISE:

Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.

SPONSOR THE DONS:

The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor – Provident Credit Union – for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.

Sports

UNCW Advances To SBC Semifinals

Story Links FOLEY, Ala. – UNCW held off Southern Miss, 4-1, in an elimination dual on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championships at the Foley Beach Volleyball Complex. The Seahawks (21-8) take on top-seeded Coastal Carolina at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday. The dual […]

Published

32 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

FOLEY, Ala. – UNCW held off Southern Miss, 4-1, in an elimination dual on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championships at the Foley Beach Volleyball Complex.

The Seahawks (21-8) take on top-seeded Coastal Carolina at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday. The dual will be streamed on ESPN+.

In Friday’s final dual of the day, UNCW topped USM, 4-1. The Seahawks picked up wins on courts five and two and Gabby LaPata and Sarah Thompson provided the clinching point on court one in straight sets.

UNCW edged Louisiana Monroe in another elimination dual earlier in the day. The Seahawks won the first three matches to clinch the dual with Gracie Sistrunk and Lyvia Trimp netting the clinching point on the second court in straight sets.

Sistrunk and Trimp pushed their winning streak to 23 and their record to 28-1.

Sistrunk also became the program’s all-time wins leader with her 74th victory coming in the second dual.