Each passing point generated gasps from the stands, those on court digging just a little deeper as the fourth set offered one climatic moment after another.

In its desperation to stay in a match with the nation’s best boys’ volleyball team in Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, Huntington Beach staved off four championship points in an extended set.

When Colin Choi polished off the second of back-to-back kills to claim the marathon game, the Oilers poured onto the court. It hadn’t decided the match, and yet it had been met with the sort of reaction as though it had.

Huntington Beach had waited since the first week of the season to get another look at Mira Costa, and in the rematch the Oilers delivered a heart-and-soul effort to send Friday’s final to a fifth set.

Mira Costa pulled out the decisive set, a late run taking much of the drama out of the conclusion of what had been a riveting back-and-forth affair in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship match at Cerritos College.

Grayson Bradford’s match-best 25th kill ended it, as Mira Costa beat Huntington Beach 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 29-31, 15-11 to give the Mustangs a ninth section title in program history.

Mira Costa won a championship a year after appearing in the final and losing to Los Angeles Loyola.

“It’s not a good feeling to come so close to your goals and not make it,” Mira Costa coach Greg Snyder said. “I think that motivated us, for sure, especially the boys that were on this court last year and didn’t quite get the job done. … They took those lessons, and I think they applied them this year, and it showed, I think, in their maturity on the court, that they were never really rattled.”

Snyder said that he felt “a lot of weight off my back” in winning the CIF title, adding that “a lot of people were expecting” the Mustangs to win as the top seed.

Huntington Beach (34-4), the second seed, was after its sixth CIF title and first since a run of three consecutive championships from 2013 to 2015.

The Oilers won a CIF State Southern California Division II regional championship in 2021. They will now take aim at the inaugural boys’ volleyball state championship, the brackets for which were released on Sunday.

State playoff openers were scheduled for Tuesday, with Huntington Beach’s path beginning with a home match against Redondo Union (27-10).

“We’re going to come back to work and see if we can get another chance at these guys,” said Huntington Beach coach Craig Pazanti, quickly turning the page to the state playoffs.

Mira Costa (32-2) jumped in front by winning the first and third sets. Huntington Beach had impressive answers to each deficit. Kai Gan stepped up to the service line in a rotation that saw the Oilers rattle off seven straight points to open the second set.

In the fourth set, Huntington Beach received match-extending kills from Ben Arguello, Nick Ganier Jr. and Choi on championship points for the Mustangs.

“The character that this team showed in set four was unbelievable,” Pazanti said. “You know, could have given up several times in that match, and just kept battling, kept battling, kept battling. It was just a great effort, and I just think we ran out of gas.”

During the crucial stretch, Choi was blocked on an initial hitting effort, fell to the floor and then got up in time to rise for a bump set from a teammate and win a point.

“He’s probably our most tenacious player,” Logan Hutnick said of Choi. “He really just sticks through anything, and he never gives up on any point.”

Aiden Atencio, Choi and Hutnick came up big in back-row defensive efforts against a Mira Costa team that had a considerable height advantage. Justin Bulsombut was also credited with contributing to six points on blocks.

“We didn’t want to play Mira Costa’s game,” Pazanti said. “We wanted to play our game. Our game is different than those guys. They can afford to chuck it to the ceiling and go hit it over the block. We got to rely on playing great defense. We got to rely on passing the ball. We got to rely on putting service pressure on people from the service line.”

Hutnick had an up-and-down evening as a hitter — 22 kills and 11 errors — but he handled the lion’s share of opportunities in serve receive, committing just two miscues in 55 chances. The sophomore outside hitter also had a team-best 13 digs to go with 2½ blocks.

Harvard-bound setter Kai Gan had 53 assists. Arguello accumulated 13 kills, Ganier Jr. had a dozen kills, Choi contributed nine kills and 10 digs, and Atencio produced 11 digs.

“We wanted to really have that mindset that ‘we’re the underdogs, and we have nothing to lose,’” Gan said of facing the finalists from a year ago. “Real standpoint, though, obviously, they have huge height, and we knew that we have smaller guys on our team, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t still be effective in the offense.

“I think kind of positioning ourselves into establishing the middle and then also using all of our options, back row and front row, really helped us get to that fifth set.”

Mira Costa put itself on the brink of victory with a 6-1 run to move within a point of the title once more at 14-8. It was academic at that point for the Mustangs, Andrew Chapin (57 assists, 12 digs) connecting with Bradford after the Oilers had fought off three more match points.

“I can set him every single ball of every single game and trust him that we’re going to go out there and win this game,” Chapin said of Bradford. “In crunch time, the fourth set, he had a swing to put it away, and he got dug, and I never ran away from it because I knew that he’s a big-time player and he makes big-time plays.”

Mateo Fuerbringer had 17 kills, three total blocks and two service aces for the Mustangs. Alex Heins had nine kills and nine block assists, Thatcher Fahlbusch also had nine kills, and Wyatt Davis chipped in with six kills and 3½ blocks. Justin Warner had a match-best 14 digs.

Also in the CIF Southern Section boys’ volleyball finals:

Sage Hill 3, Santa Barbara 2: Jackson Cryst had 31 kills, as the Lightning rallied past the host Dons 15-25, 25-14, 18-25, 25-20, 15-8 on Saturday in the Division 4 final.

Sage Hill (19-11) captured a section title for the second straight year. The Lightning earned the first CIF title in program history in winning the Division 5 championship last season.

Ryan Manesh pounded out 11 kills, and Ethan McNutt turned in 19 digs defensively.

Sage Hill, the top seed in the Southern California Division III regional, drew a home match against Fresno Sanger West (26-15) to start the state playoffs.

For David Smith, the progression from player to coach of the Ryde Rhinos 16&U Girls Gold team at the recent Australian Youth Water Polo Championships (AYWPC) held in Perth has been a fulfilling journey.

David was first introduced to water polo by his father at the age of six. Rising through the junior ranks and going on to compete on the national stage, he would develop a strong passion in nurturing and providing coaching for tomorrow’s stars, taking on the reins for the Ryde Rhinos 16&U Girls Gold team.

“It’s about improvement, it’s about watching the girls enjoy and improve, while they’re enjoying the sport that I love playing,” Smith said.

David further emphasised the importance and impact volunteers like himself play in the water polo community.

“The more volunteers in any sport, the better. But particularly in water polo, there’s only a limited amount of knowledge in water polo, so we need those people volunteering,” he said.

“I think it’s a great sport to continue throughout your life and then giving back through coaching is another great thing to do.”

Volunteer coaches play a vital role in nurturing talent and growing the sport, something David said is particularly important leading into events like the AYWPC.

“There’s high level water polo here [AYWPC, Perth] and you get to try new things with the team and put in place what you’ve been practicing and working really hard for,” David said.

“But then it’s a real community, water polo. The girls all know each other and they’re all talking and celebrating after each game too, which I love.”

The opportunities that come with volunteering also provide value for coaches to perfect and refine their coaching and management skills, whilst also creating a space for coaches and development staff to network and share insights.

“You’re always learning as a coach as well and then you take that experience back to club land for your team as well.”

For David, coaching is a continuous learning process – believing the sport’s strong community spirit keeps players engaged, ensuring water polo thrives for future generations.

“I think it’s about the community spirit and they see each other [Youth participants] and they encourage each other. And I think they want to stay in playing the sport because they see others, some of their friends playing the sport too.”

CARLSBAD, Calif. — Top-seeded Stanford women’s golf endured a shaky beginning to NCAA Championship match play in the quarterfinals against No. 8 Virginia before coming from behind to win 3-1. All three winners occurred in short order, advancing Stanford to the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.

As most groups reached the turn, Stanford was trailing in three of five matches, including a pair of matches that were down by three strokes. As the back nine progressed, Stanford continued to get better and flipped several matches.

The biggest flip was the first one to finish, as Paula Martín Sampedro struggled early in her match against Kennedy Swedick. She gave up the first hole and trailed by as many as three with five holes remaining. That’s when Martín Sampedro caught fire and won an incredible four-straight holes, knocking down the putts she needed to, to turn a 3-stroke deficit into a one-stroke lead heading to 18. Swedick had a chance to tie and force a playoff but lipped out her birdie putt, giving Stanford its first point of the match in dramatic fashion.

While this was going on, Meja Örtengren was securing her match against Megan Propeck. Meja never trailed, but it was tied through 12 holes. She then won two of the final holes, including a birdie putt on 17, to get the win. She only had two birdies throughout the round but was able to make clutch par saves when she needed to.

Stanford officially secured the win thanks to a hot finish from Andrea Revuelta, who became the third underclassman to win for the Cardinal in the quarterfinals. She beat Rebecca Skoler 5&3 and did so thanks in part to winning three straight holes from 11-13, putting the pressure on Skoler to start winning holes. The match was essentially conceded when Revuelta stuck an incredible shot on the green that kissed the flag, giving her a tap-in for birdie while Skoler wound up in the bunker.

The Cardinal will turn around and face off against the ACC Champions, No. 4 Florida State, at 1:15 pm this afternoon. Coverage will begin on Golf Channel at 3 pm.

No. 1 Stanford def. No. 8 Virginia, 3-1

1. Paula Martín Sampedro (STAN) def. Kennedy Swedick (UVA), 1up

2. Meja Örtengren (STAN) def. Megan Propeck (UVA), 2&1

3. Jaclyn LaHa (UVA) def. Kelly Xu (STAN), 3&2

4. Megha Ganne (STAN) tied with Amanda Sambach (UVA), thru 15

5. Andrea Revuelta (STAN) def. Rebecca Skoler (UVA), 5&3

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3, 5*

LOS ANGELES – UCLA Athletics honored its top scholar-athletes on Monday, May 19 at the annual UCLA Scholar-Athlete Banquet, held at Covel Commons. Swimmer Ana Jih-Schiff and tennis player Alexander Hoogmartens were recognized as Scholar-Athletes of the Year after compiling the highest cumulative GPAs among female and male graduating seniors, respectively. 

2024-25 Scholar-Athlete Award Winners

Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Awarded to the female and male graduating student-athletes with the highest cumulative GPA.

Ana Jih-Schiff, Women’s Swimming & Diving (3.944, Psychology)

Alexander Hoogmartens, Men’s Tennis (3.967, Economics)

Rose Gilbert Courage and Character Award

Given in honor of Maggie Gilbert, this award recognizes the student-athletes who have shown tremendous growth throughout their academic career at UCLA. These recipients have demonstrated relentless perseverance and commitment to their academic endeavors, and their hard work and determination have allowed them to excel in the classroom.

Emma Malabuyo, Gymnastics

Ido David, Men’s Volleyball

Maggie Gilbert Academic Achievement Award

Awarded to student-athletes who have shown tremendous growth throughout their academic career and demonstrated relentless perseverance and commitment to their academic endeavors.

Carly Hendrickson, Women’s Volleyball

Lazar Stefanovic, Men’s Basketball

Bruin Leadership Award

Through their leadership skills and initiative, the recipients of the Bruin Leadership Award are student-athletes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to make a significant impact on the UCLA student-athlete experience. They have demonstrated outstanding services to others and within the community.

Anika Roche, Rowing

Oluwafunto Akinshilo, Football

OAE Success Award

This award is a tribute to Rose Gilbert, recognizing her many contributions to the lives of UCLA student-athletes. As a life-long educator, Rose was especially committed to assisting students who were confronted with significant obstacles outside the classroom. The recipients of this award met their challenge with courage, strength, and resiliency and were able to successfully overcome challenges in their personal lives while still excelling academically.

Sydney Johnson, Women’s Track & Field

Trey Doten, Men’s Water Polo

UCLA All-Academic Team

The UCLA All-Academic Team is comprised of the person from each team with the highest cumulative GPA.

Kaena Kiakona, Baseball

Lazar Stafanovic, Men’s Basketball

Amanda Muse, Women’s Basketball

Jessie Smith, Beach Volleyball

Patrick Curulla, Men’s Cross Country

Annika Salz, Women’s Cross Country

Sam Yoon, Football

Matthew Yamin, Men’s Golf

Tiffany Le, Women’s Golf

Madisyn Anyimi, Gymnastics

Jacqueline Vargas, Rowing

Sam Scott, Men’s Soccer 

Lily Boyden, Women’s Soccer 

Savannah Pola, Softball

Elena Dry, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Alexander Hoogmartens, Men’s Tennis

Mia Jovic, Women’s Tennis

Shawn Toney, Men’s Track & Field

Audrey Allen, Women’s Track & Field

Thiago Zamprogno, Men’s Volleyball 

Brooklyn Briscoe, Women’s Volleyball

Max Matthews, Men’s Water Polo

Sienna Green, Women’s Water Polo

Athletic Director’s Academic Excellence Award

For the student athletes with outstanding academic achievements, maintaining their status on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every quarter attended at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Audrey Allen, Women’s Cross Country

Matthew Aziz, Men’s Volleyball

Chase Barry, Football

Lily Boyden, Women’s Soccer

Caroline Canales, Women’s Golf

Jada Cecil, Softball

Devin Delgado, Football 

Angela Devine, Rowing

Riley Dix, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Morgan Hawes, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Alexander Hoogmartens, Men’s Tennis

Reagan Hope, Beach Volleyball

Ana Jih-Schiff, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Sydney Johnson, Women’s Track & Field

Mia Kane, Women’s Cross Country 

Tiffany Le, Women’s Golf

Cheridyn Leverette, Women’s Volleyball

Kathryn Lundh, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Paige MacEachern, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Emma Malabuyo, Gymnastics

Sophia Manos, Rowing

Peyton Marcisz, Women’s Soccer

Emma Matous, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Katie McCarthy, Women’s Volleyball

Tzipporah Moehringer, Rowing

Ella O’Neil, Rowing

Jack Pedersen, Football

Molly Renner, Women’s Water Polo

Giacomo Revelli, Men’s Tennis 

Lazar Stafanovic, Men’s Basketball

Ashley Stenstrom, Women’s Swimming & Diving 

Nicole Struss, Women’s Water Polo

Michael Sullivan, Football

Sonia Virk, Women’s Track & Field

Elise Wagle, Women’s Tennis

 

The World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) has revoked accreditation of The Bloemfontein Laboratory, Africa’s only accredited sports anti-doping lab.

Located in the South African province of Free State, The Bloemfontein Laboratory was placed under analytical testing restriction in 2023 due to the “Gas Chromatography / Combustion / Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analytical method.”

In March 2024, WADA suspended the lab for six months, eventually extending the suspension to a year. The organization cited several non-conformities, including technical documents along with the analytical testing restriction.

Now, the lab has no accreditation by WADA or any of its affiliates, effectively ending its ability to work in sports. WADA said that Bloemfontein did not “satisfactorily address” the non-conformities that led to the suspension.

The Bloemfontein Lab did not attempt to challenge the revocation, which was recommended by WADA’s Laboratory Expert Group and approved by its Executive Committee. If it wishes to work in sports in the future, the organization must re-apply for accreditation as a new laboratory.

According to ESPN, transporting athlete samples long distances increases the likelihood that the sample will degrade and therefore be unfit for testing. With no options on the continent, athlete samples in Africa can be sent to labs in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, India, or Qatar.

Simon Kuszynski and Andrin Zuellig from the Portland State men’s tennis team earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators (CSC). Kuszynski received the award for the second consecutive year, while Zuellig was named an All-District honoree for the first time in his career.

To be eligible for nomination, student-athletes must be at least sophomores both academically and athletically, must have competed in at least 70 percent of their team’s matches during the 2025 dual season, and must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.

A junior from Markham, Ontario, Kuszynski qualified for the honor with an impressive 3.96 cumulative GPA as a finance major. He played in all 18 matches for the Vikings this season, primarily competing at No. 6 singles and No. 1 and 2 doubles. Kuszynski finished his junior campaign with a team-high eight singles wins, along with three doubles victories.

 

Zuellig, a senior from Baar, Switzerland, earned the honor as a Data Science major with a 3.63 cumulative GPA. He appeared in all 18 matches for the Vikings during the 2025 dual season, competing at all three doubles positions and primarily at the No. 4 and No. 5 singles spots, finishing the season with a total of six wins across singles and doubles.

FULL LIST OF 2025 MEN’S TENNIS ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONOREES