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Scheffler's dominance, players to watch and more following Open Championship

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5 months ago

July 22, 2025

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Scheffler's dominance, players to watch and more following Open Championship

Mark Schlabach
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Mark Schlabach

ESPN Senior Writer
- Senior college football writer
- Author of seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia
Paolo Uggetti

Jul 22, 2025, 10:52 AM ET

The final major of the season — the Open Championship — is over, with Scottie Scheffler dominating the field on the way to his second major of the season.

With the FedEx Cup playoffs, the Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup still to come, there is plenty left to play for.

What’s next for Scheffler? Who surprised and who disappointed at the Open? What’s the latest on the race for spots on the Ryder Cup teams? We answer some of the biggest questions coming out of Royal Portrush and heading into the rest of the season.

Scottie Scheffler has now won four career majors. David Blunsden/Action Plus/Icon SportswireMark Schlabach: Scheffler doesn’t want to hear comparisons to Tiger Woods, but perhaps no one has played as consistently for so long since the height of Tiger’s career.

“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance,” two-time major champion Xander Schauffele said. “You can’t even say he’s on a run. He’s just been killing it for over two years now. He’s a tough man to beat, and when you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for us.”

Scheffler, 29, is now the third-youngest player with 15 PGA Tour victories and four majors; only Tiger (24) and Jack Nicklaus (25) were younger. He is only the fourth golfer to win the Masters, PGA Championship and The Open before turning 30; Woods, Nicklaus and Gary Player were the others. That’s elite company.

Given Scheffler’s ballstriking and vastly improved putting, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at least double his four major victories — if not more. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t complete the career Grand Slam in next year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. For a guy who seems to have better perspective than most when it comes to golf, family and faith, he still has a red-hot competitive fire that we’ve rarely seen.

Paolo Uggetti: Well, you heard the man. He’s on to Memphis (and eventually the Tour Championship), where he’ll start even par and get back at it. Scheffler said in our interview with him that he will take time to enjoy this but if there’s anything we learned about Scheffler this week — or rather have it confirmed — is that the process of becoming the best player in the world is more enjoyable to him than actually being the best player in the world.

“It’s hard to describe what it feels like because, yeah, I don’t feel any different because I’ve won a golf tournament. This is not the be-all, end-all for me, but I’m extremely grateful for it,” Scheffler said. “I don’t think that I’m anything special just because some weeks I’m better at shooting a lower score than other guys are.”

The thing is that Scheffler continues to shoot lower scores than anyone else and there’s no sign of that stopping anytime soon — be it in Memphis, the Tour Championship, the Ryder Cup or eventually the major championships next season. His propensity for being the odds-on favorite will get even more stark and chances are, barring injury or otherwise, he’ll keep adding to his win tally and major championship record too.

Other than Scottie, who were biggest winners at The Open?

Schlabach: It was Scheffler’s tournament with his dominance over 72 holes, but in many ways it was Rory McIlroy‘s week. After missing the cut at the first Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 68 years in 2019, Rory was around for the weekend this time, and he put on quite a show in his homeland.

While McIlroy finished a distant seven shots behind Scheffler for a tie for seventh at 10 under, the week was in many ways a celebration of his Masters victory in April, which allowed him to finally complete the career Grand Slam.

With thousands of fans following him on the links course, McIlroy delivered a 5-under 66 in the third round that at least gave him an ounce of hope in trying to chase down Scheffler. He said the roars after his eagle on the par-5 12th were the loudest he’d ever heard in a golf tournament.

“It’s been an awesome week,” McIlroy said. “I’ve gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a Claret Jug, and that’s just because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us.

“I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of this crowd. Hopefully, I’ll have one or two Opens left here, if the R&A decide to keep coming back, probably one while I’m still competitive and another one while I’m more gray than I already am.”

Uggetti: There’s not enough talk about Harris English, who has finished second place at two major championships this year and lost only to one guy: Scottie Scheffler. You don’t get a trophy for second place but the mark is a testament to the kind of golf English is playing as of late.

This season, English has one PGA Tour win and four top-10 finishes. He’s now ranked inside the top-10 in the OWGR.

“I’m playing some good golf. Just need to clean it up a little bit,” English said Sunday. “But one of my — my two goals this year were to make it to the Tour Championship and make that Ryder Cup team, and hopefully I’ve moved myself a little bit closer to that, and hopefully I can get in that top six to lock up a spot.”

English’s finish at Portrush does get him into that coveted sixth spot for an automatic qualifier, but even if he slips below the sixth spot, it’s safe to say English is nearly a lock to be a part of Keegan Bradley’s team come September at Bethpage.

Most disappointing at The Open?

Schlabach: Not to pick on the LIV Golf League, but three of its most recognizable stars — Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith — were three of the worst flops at Royal Portrush.

Koepka gave us a glimmer of hope when he was in the mix and tied for 12th in the U.S. Open. But the five-time major champion missed the cut in the Masters, PGA Championship and The Open. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 in one of the big four since winning the 2023 PGA Championship.

Smith captured the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland in 2022, but other than winning three times in the LIV Golf League and once in his native Australia, he hasn’t done much of anything. He is the only golfer who missed the cut in all four majors this season.

After Reed was solo third at the Masters and tied for 23rd at the U.S. Open, there was talk that he might sneak his way back onto the U.S. Ryder Cup team. There’s zero chance of that happening now after he missed the cut at Royal Portrush. And, to be honest, given Reed’s controversial history in the Ryder Cup, Greg Norman probably had a better chance at hitting the ceremonial opening tee shot at Bethpage Black.

Uggetti: Patrick Cantlay‘s major record was already lacking much substance in the way of top-10s, let alone wins, but after missing the cut at Portrush, he has now missed three straight major championship cuts this year and has only finished inside the top 20 at a major once in the last two years. Expectations seem to dwindling for Cantlay, who might be one of the better players to not win a major in his career, and it appears that he has fallen off even just his customary form on the PGA Tour — he hasn’t won a tour event since 2022. The majors have simply been further proof of that.

Who is one player you’ll be watching the closest over the next few weeks?

Schlabach: U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has to be happy about Xander Schauffele‘s form in recent weeks. The two-time major champion missed about six weeks with a painful rib injury at the start of the season, and he’s been trying to find his putting stroke ever since.

Schauffele tied for eighth at the Scottish Open and for seventh at The Open. It’s not like Schauffele hasn’t performed well in the tournaments that mattered most this season: he tied for eighth in the Masters, 28th in the PGA Championship and 12th in the U.S. Open. There are dozens of golfers who would happily take those results.

Uggetti: Chris Gotterup is the X factor the U.S. Ryder Cup team has been waiting for. Think Ludvig Åberg ahead of Rome. Or Scottie Scheffler ahead of Whistling Straits. OK, maybe not quite to that level. But Gotterup has burst onto the scene with a win over Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open and a third-place finish at The Open this past week — only his fourth major championship start.

Chris Gotterup finished in third place at the Open Championship. David Cannon/Getty Images”I expected to play well, but I don’t think I expected quite this well,” Gotterup said. “I don’t know what’s going on over here, but maybe my European blood in me a little bit has come to life.”Gotterup hasn’t quite come out of nowhere — he had three top-30 finishes before this run and besides one missed cut, his worst finish since April is T-28 — but this is still a bit of a surprise. He has now leaped into the top 40 of the world rankings and jumped 19 spots in the Ryder Cup rankings.”I haven’t thought about it at all. I mean, it really wasn’t ever on my radar,” Gotterup, a New Jersey native, said of the Ryder Cup. “I obviously hoped to play well, and it would be a miracle. Now I mean, I have no idea. Northeast is my home, and we’ll see what happens.”Gotterup’s next month or so will be crucial to solidifying himself not just as a potential Ryder Cup team member but also a top player on Tour. Even though his best stuff has come across the pond on links courses, his game clearly has a high potential ceiling.Thoughts on the Ryder Cup coming out of The OpenKeegan Bradley is currently 10th in the standings for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Richard Heathcote/Getty ImagesSchlabach: Scheffler has already qualified for the U.S. team, and I’d guess that the next five golfers in the points standings — Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau and English — will probably end up making the squad.

The top six in the points standings after the BMW Championship on Aug. 17 will automatically qualify for the U.S. team, and then Bradley will make six captain’s choices. I think the aforementioned golfers have done enough to be selected, even if they’re not in the top six after the second FedEx Cup playoffs event.

Bradley told Sports Illustrated at The Open that DeChambeau has all but made the team: “Bryson is going to be a very important piece to us winning the Ryder Cup. He brings so much. He brings energy, passion, but most importantly, he’s one of the best players on the planet.”

As for Bradley’s captain’s choices, Justin Thomas and Morikawa rank seventh and eighth in points, respectively, and are Ryder Cup veterans. Ben Griffin, a two-time winner on tour this season, is ninth in points, followed by Bradley, Maverick McNealy and Brian Harman.

After winning the Travelers Championship in June, there’s a strong possibility that Bradley might be a playing captain. He tied for 30th at Royal Portrush, and a solid finish or two in the FedEx Cup playoffs might solidify his position. He would be the first player-captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

Andrew Novak (13th in points), Patrick Cantlay (14th), Sam Burns (15th), Wyndham Clark (16th), Lucas Glover (17th), Daniel Berger (18th), Gotterup (22nd) and others remain in the mix.

Uggetti: Though there’s still plenty to figure out with the U.S. team, it appears that the European team is crystallizing into something quite similar to what it had in Rome.

Though he began the year slowly, Matt Fitzpatrick has picked up his form, totaling four straight finishes inside the top 20, including three inside the top-10 and an impressive T-4 finish at The Open this past week.

“First time being in contention for The Open. It’s a big step forward,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve been in contention for two of the four majors this year, which is really nice. Last time I did that was 2022. A lot of good stuff to build on, knowing that my game is there to give it a go.”

If there was any slight doubt that Fitzpatrick would be on the team at Bethpage, he has now quieted it.

The same can likely be said for Robert MacIntyre who was a captain’s pick last Ryder Cup and has now had a second-place finish at the U.S. Open and a T-7 finish at the Open. Currently, MacIntyre would qualify on points as he stands comfortably in second place in the rankings.

Perhaps the only question mark remains with the Hojgaard twins, who both played exceptionally well at Portrush — Nicolai (who did not make the Ryder Cup team in Rome) finished in 14th place while Rasmus (who did make the team last time) finished 16th. Rasmus is seventh in the rankings, just one spot outside of the automatic qualifiers, while Nicolai (25th) probably has some more work to do if he wants to be considered.

“We couldn’t handle each other’s success when we were younger, but we can do that now and support each other and get motivated by each other,” Nicolai said this week. “When you get older, you get slightly more mature.”

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Lea’s Facility and School Record Headlines Impressive Bison Opener for Women’s Track & Field

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10 seconds ago

December 7, 2025

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LEWISBURG, Pa.- Alexandra Lea added another chapter to her already impressive career book by setting the Gerhard Fieldhouse and school record in the 300-meter dash during Saturday’s Bison Opener. The Bison speedster commenced her sophomore season racing 39.29, shattering the old mark of 39.55 held by Bucknell legend Meghan Quinn. Lea’s win was one of the Bison’s four victories and six additions to the record book and top ten lists.

Results

Lea’s time obliterated her old personal best of 40.88, which was fifth in school history, and reaffirmed to the track & field world that the second-year runner has gained additional speed. The time is Lea’s first facility record, her first indoor school record, and third overall school record.

Three of Lea’s teammates joined her in the 300-meter top ten list. Alison Cooke finished second logging 40.85, improving upon her sixth-best time in school history. Freshman Raygan Lust moved into seventh place after finishing third with a time of 41.22. Alexa Goll set a new personal record, running 41.41, for fourth in the event and eighth in Bucknell history.

Megan Baggetta began her junior campaign with a win in the triple jump. The Bison veteran jumped 38-2.75 for the comfortable win.

Anna Carruthers collected the decisive win in the 800-meter run. Her time of 2:16.34 easily paced the field.

Isabella Johns won the mile run with a time of 5:09.88. She broke her previous best time of 5:23.23 by nearly 14 seconds.

Two Bison freshmen made immediate impact in the 60-meter dash. Grace Camerlingo lit a roaring fire in the sprints corps by running 7.62 for a second-place finish. Her time ranks third in Bucknell history behind legends Meghan Quinn and Katie Salisbury. Piper Portacio also made an impressment, racing 7.76, for fifth place in the event and eighth in Bison history.

Madison Fowler collected two second place finishes in the weight throw and shot put. She posted a 43-0.25 mark in the shot put and threw 58-4 in the weight throw.

Noelani Sadler slotted third in the 60-meter hurdles, logging 8.92. She won the preliminaries with a time of 8.80.

Sara Bronson set a vastly improved personal record in the 3000-meter run. The Bison distancewoman ran 10:57.64 to finish third and shatter her old mark of 11:34.12.

The Bucknell “B” Team of Madeline Sipe, Ava Lomberto, Abigail Michaelson, and Juliette Reed finished third in the 4×400-meter relay combining for a time of 4:10.18.

Liliana Wakenshaw placed third in the high jump, clearing 5-3, in her return to competition after injury hobbled her last season.

Jordan Muraglia started her collegiate career by placing third in the long jump. The freshman jumped 18-2.50.

Elizabeth Bryant cleared 12-1.50 for third place in the pole vault.

Ella Boback finished sixth in the 200-meter dash, running 25.99.

Bucknell will return to action in 2026 at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 17.

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ISU Falls at Minnesota in the Second Round

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2 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – No. 23 Iowa State (23-8, 12-6 Big 12) ended its season at No. 17 Minnesota (24-9, 12-8 Big Ten) in the NCAA Championship Second Round Saturday night. Iowa State fell in straight sets by scores of 22-25, 21-25, 14-25.

Nayeli Ti’a went out to a double-double with an errorless 12 kills at a .500 clip and 11 digs ending her season with seven double-doubles. Ti’a led the Cyclones in both categories.

SET ONE

Ava Martin served up an ace to make it 4-3 with Minnesota ahead, and the home team was the first to 10 with the Cyclones close behind at 7. Minnesota’s Julia Hanson followed slamming down kill No. 7 on 11 attempts, putting the Gophers up 14-9 to cause an ISU timeout. The Cyclones pulled within four after Goolsby’s third kill (18-14), and the freshman put down another soon after to make it 19-15. With Minnesota at set point 24-19, ISU fought back with three-straight kills as the Gophers called their second timeout, but Minnesota took the opener on the next play with a block. Minnesota hit at .425 while ISU hit .293.

SET TWO

ISU went up two (6-4) after two straight Minnesota errors while the Gophers took a run of three to get the lead back at 7-6. After a tie at 8s, Minnesota scored five straight forcing a Cyclone timeout. ISU answered with a run of its own, taking four in a row to make it a one-point set (14-13) and cause a timeout by the host. Ti’a slammed down a kill to tie it out of the timeout, while Van Gorp had her second ace of the run to take the lead at 15-14. ISU held onto the lead before Minnesota flipped it at 21-20, and after another Hanson kill Iowa State took a timeout. Minnesota remained with the advantage, winning the second 25-21 on Hanson’s 20th kill.

SET THREE

Minnesota again hit 10 first with ISU holding six. Out of an Iowa State timeout, Amiree Hendricks-Walker and Goolsby put up a block to stop a Gopher run. Minnesota continued to control the set running ahead 19-12 hitting at .450 in the frame as ISU took its final timeout. The Gophers went on to seal the sweep on a 6-0 run at 25-14.

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Track & Field Teams Claim 19 Top-10 Finishes

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19 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

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Men’s Track & Field | 12/6/2025 7:48:00 PM

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

>> The Saint Francis track & field teams opened its indoor season at the Bison Opener.
>> Saint Francis compiled 19 top 10 finishes.
>> The Red Flash faced the following colleges: Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Lincoln (Pa.), West Chester, Millersville, Mount St. Mary’s, Penn State, Bloomsburg, and Indiana (Pa.)

FLASH WOMEN NUGGETS

The women’s team accumulated seven top 10 performances.

Olivia Renk finished second in the 200-meter and fourth in the 60-meter on the women’s side. The sophomore clocked in a time of 25.46 in the 200-meter and a 7.72 time in the 60-meter.

In the women’s long jump, Taylor Foster finished in fifth place in the event with a jump of 5.29m. Foster also claimed eighth place in the women’s triple jump with 10.63m.

Aubrie Wells and Karsyn Ford both finished with 3.25m to tie for eighth place.

Rounding out the top 10 finishes was Rylee Nicklas taking 10th in the women’s weight throw with a toss of 14.22m.

FLASH MEN NUGGETS

The men’s team registered 12 top 10 finishes on the day.

1-weight throw,

Jayden Foster took eighth place in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 22.81. Meanwhile, Tyler Craft claimed the ninth spot with a time of 37.08 in the 300-meter. Craft jumped his way into second place in the long jump with 6.94m.

Staying in the meter dashes, James Parmelee (1:10.38) took third and Holden Schreier finished seventh (1:12.90) in the men’s 500-meter.

Two more Red Flash placed top 10 in the high jump, Ayden Martinage (8th, 1.85m) and Braydon Beach (10th, 1.80m).

Running over to the pole vault, Dylan Andrews finished with a jump of 4.25 to give himself seventh place.

Clark Gulycz took fourth in the men’s shot put with a mark of 17.07m.

Saint Francis took another two top 10 finishes, this time in the men’s triple jump. Nehemyah Williams gained third place with a leap of 14.35m. Ian Conway was not far behind him in seventh with 12.54m.

Vincent Franco finished out the Red Flash in sixth place with a time of 15.94m.

NEXT UP FOR FLASH

Track & field will next compete at the Wagner College Seahawk Shootout hosted by Wagner College on Friday the 12.

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No. 3 Aggies Sweep Campbell to Advance to NCAA Tournament Second Round – Texas A&M Athletics

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20 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

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BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The No. 3 seed Texas A&M volleyball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after sweeping Campbell behind an efficient offensive outing Friday evening at Reed Arena, 3-0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13).

The Aggies (24-4) put on an offensive masterclass to book their ticket in the second round, as the group hit .417 percent which broke the postseason record for hitting percentage in a three-set match during the rally-scoring era. Two individuals also made postseason history, as Logan Lednicky with 18 kills at .654 percent and Emily Hellmuth with 10 kills at .667 percent downed the record for hitting percentage in a three-set postseason match previously set at .650.

Back-and-forth scoring opened the contest (7-7), before the Maroon & White forged separation behind a 6-1 run as Campbell (23-7) called their first timeout, 13-8. The onslaught continued, as the gap extended to double digits on Lednicky’s sixth kill of the frame (22-12). The Camels battled cut the deficit to three late (23-20), but the Aggies closed the opener courtesy of a block from Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Lednicky, 25-20.

Texas A&M carried the momentum into the second frame, ripping off a 9-4 streak forcing Campbell to huddle up. The break didn’t slow the Maroon & White down, as they tacked on to the lead, doubling the Camels point total as they called their second timeout, 18-9. The Aggies’ foot stayed on the gas, closing the frame on a 10-1 run (25-10).

It remained all Texas A&M in the third, jumping out to an early lead as Campbell tried to slow the bleeding with a break (9-3). The Maroon & White extended the gap to 10 at the midway point in the frame (16-6) and didn’t look back, holding the advantage late, 23-13. The deal was sealed by Taylor Humphrey at the service line, recording back-to-back aces to secure the set (25-13) and match, 3-0.

STAT LEADERS
Kills – Logan Lednicky – 18
Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Emily Hellmuth – .667
Assists – Maddie Waak – 29
Aces – Taylor Humphrey – 2
Digs – Ava Underwood – 9
Blocks – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 6

GAME NOTES

Logan Lednicky climbed to No. 4 on Texas A&M’s kill list after recording her 1,587^th of her career.

Ifenna Cos-Okpalla recorded her 165^th block of the year which is the most in a single season since 1999.

Emily Hellmuth broke the program record for hitting percentage in a postseason three-set match (minimum 10 kills) at .667 percent on the day.

The Aggies broke the postseason program record for team hitting percentage in a three-set match during the rally-scoring era with a .417 clip.

The aggies broke their postseason attendance record with 5,830 fans in the stands.

COACH’S QUOTES
Head coach Jamie Morrison on today’s match…
“We talk a lot of being effortlessly ourselves, and I thought we were that tonight in the NCAA
tournament, which is hard to do. I noticed it when we were in the SEC tournament, under the most extreme pressure that we enjoy being ourselves in the big moments and that’s what it takes to win this tournament. The fact that we were effortlessly ourselves and we played really smooth volleyball in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it’s a good sign for things to come.”

PLAYER’S QUOTES
Senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky on the team’s offensive efficiency…
“Right off the bat, Maddie [Waak] was putting up great balls for all of us tonight. I think balanced offense is the best thing you can do for a volleyball team. A one-woman show won’t get you very far. By having us so balanced, it’s going to take us very far and it’s nice like he [Jamie Morrison] said to start right off the bat in the beginning of the tournament.”

Senior Outside Hitter Emily Hellmuth on her double-digit showing…
“That feels great to just be able to get off on the right note, and again, we talk so much about having a
balanced team. I saw a lot of space tonight and I had a lot of splits and that would not be the case if we didn’t have a great setter and great middles and a great side of the court on that opposite pin. I’m just grateful to be on the team that we’re on because I think it makes it fun for all of us.”

UP NEXT

The Maroon & White return to Reed Arena tomorrow for the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they host No. 6 seed TCU with first serve set for 7 p.m.

FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.

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Mustang Newcomers Add Names to SMU Track and Field History in Season Opener

Published

36 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

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Results: Texas A&M | Boston | Notre Dame

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (SMU) — Two Newcomer Mustangs have added their names to SMU in their first meet representing the program. Graduate Student-Athlete Cleo Martin-Evans placed second in today’s competition at Texas A&M with a jump of 6.23, placing her at third all time for SMU. Freshman Lotta Edzards etched her name alongside her teammate’s with a personal best jump of 5.87 — seventh in SMU history.

In the 60 meter dash, Martin-Evans placed 16th with a time of 7.81. It was Mustangs in places 21st through 24th with a personal best by Freshman Lily Muzzy with 7.99 in 23rd.

The Mustangs had personal best performances across the board in all three meets in their first weekend of the 2025-26 season.

In Boston, Isabel Breaux ran a personal best time of 5:00.84 in the mile. In the 3,000, Senior Macey Hilton had a PR in her first indoor race of the season with a time of 9:21.07.

At Notre Dame, Elizabeth Smits accomplished a PR time of 9:50.39 in the 3,000.

The Mustangs will continue their season the weekend of January 16th at Texas Tech.

FULL MUSTANG RESULTS

Boston University

Mile

19 Isabel Breaux 5:00.84 (PR)

3,000

16 Macey Hilton 9:21.07 (PR)

41 Sophia Keditukei 9:42.08

5,000

162 Ellie Grammas 17:19.57

169 Ruby Little 17:30.39

Notre Dame

3,000

7 Elizabeth Smits 9:50.39 (PR)

Texas A&M

16 Cleo Martin-Evans 7.81

21 Ariana Sutton 7.96

22 Magnolia Crissup 7.98

23 Lily Muzzy 7.99 (PR)

24 Lotta Edzards 8.04

60mH

3 Kirin Chacchia 8.72

300

9 Kirin Chacchia 39.16

15 Magnolia Crissup 40.76

16 Ariana Sutton 40.85

Long Jump

2 Cleo Martin-Evans 6.23m

5 Lotta Edzards 5.87m (PR)

12 Hedda Kvalvag 5.48m

13 Lily Muzzy 5.32m

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Volleyball’s Season Ends in Second Round Loss at Arizona State

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37 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

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TEMPE, Arizona – Utah State volleyball fought tough to extend their season but ultimately fell short against No. 2-seeded Arizona State, 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15), in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night at Desert Financial Arena.

The Aggies end the season with a 24-8 record, tied alongside the 2023 and 2010 seasons for the most wins by the program since 1982.

Set One

The Aggies began the match with back-to-back kills courtesy of sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic and sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen. The Sun Devils took their first lead with a 4-0 run and eventually forced a USU timeout after building a 14-9 lead. Utah State battled back, cutting the deficit to one with four-straight points out of the timeout including an ace by junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson and a block by Helgesen and senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow. The second-seeded Sun Devils took over, however, scoring on 11 of the final 13 rallies of the set to take a 1-0 lead for the match.

Set Two

Arizona State continued to play to the level expected of AVCA’s No. 8-ranked team, opening up the second set with three-straight points. The Aggies responded with Štiglic supplying three kills for USU’s first three points. ASU maintained pressure with a 5-1 stretch to go up 9-4 early in the frame. Utah State was able to then alternate the ensuing 12 rallies with the Sun Devils but were unable to build a run to cut into the lead before ASU again extended their advantage with another 5-1 burst, ultimately taking the second set, 25-18.

Set Three

Down to their final set, the Aggies came out with a spirited effort in the third set. After trading points with the Sun Devils, USU built a lead with a 5-1 stretch kickstarted by a Barlow ace and a block by sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe and redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Larkin. Štiglic then recorded back-to-back kills to give the Aggies a three-point lead. Despite Arizona State tying the set with three unanswered points, Utah State didn’t flinch and score three-straight of their own. ASU again returned serve, this time scoring four-straight to take a one-point lead. Still, USU refused to go away, battling point-by-point with the Sun Devils until using a 5-1 burst to win the set, 25-22. Barlow posted two kills while Štiglic and Helgesen each also added a kill before a bad set from ASU secured the set for Utah State and sent the match to a fourth frame.

Set Four

The fight continued in the fourth frame as Utah State trimmed an Arizona State lead to a single point following a kill by Štiglic and an ace from Kofe. The Sun Devils, however, responded with a 9-1 stretch to grab firm control of the set. The Aggies were unable to mount a comeback as ASU eventually took the set, 25-15, to end the match.

Quick Notes

Utah State hit .227 for the match, ending the season with a mark of .274, setting a new program record and breaking the previous mark of .238 set in 2016.

Helgesen led USU with 19 kills, hitting .429 on 35 total attempts and adding three digs and a block.

Štiglic added 17 kills on a .343 hitting percentage, also posting four digs.

Barlow and Kofe tied for the team lead with two blocks apiece. Barlow also added six kills, an ace and a dig while Kofe finished with 41 assists, one ace and nine digs.

Sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski led the Aggies with two aces, also adding eight kills, nine digs and two assists.

Thompson posted a team-high 12 digs, also finishing with five assists and an ace.

Kofe finished the season with 1,330 total assists, ranking fifth-most all-time for a single season at USU and the most since 2010. Kofe already ranks eighth all-time for career assists at Utah State with 2,290.

Barlow finished the season with a program-record-breaking .444 hitting percentage, shattering the previous mark of .375 (min. 5 attempts per set) held by Denae Mohlman and set in 1997. Barlow is also now the career record holder for hitting percentage, now 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).

Helgesen also finished the season inside the top 10 all-time for hitting percent, ranking ninth all-time at USU with a .295 hitting percentage.

Both Simovski and Thompson finished the season in top-10 all-time for service aces, ranking in ties for sixth and ninth all-time at USU with 42 and 41 aces on the year, respectively.

Utah State is now 3-7 in the NCAA Tournament all-time and recorded their first win in the Tournament this year since defeating BYU in Salt Lake City in 2001. USU also defeated Missouri the year prior in Provo, Utah.

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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