Sports

Shockers Picked Third in American Preseason Poll

Published

4 months ago

August 19, 2025

WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State was picked third in the American Conference preseason poll announced Tuesday. Redshirt senior right side/outside hitter Brooklyn Leggett was named to the preseason all-conference team.

Rice snagged the top spot on the preseason poll, garnering nine first place votes and 141 total points. South Florida was picked second with four first place votes and 136 points, while the Shockers finished third with 120 points.

Leggett earned preseason all-conference honors after a breakout season in 2024 splitting time both on the left and right side for the Shockers. She played in 30 matches and finished third on the team with 266 kills and second with 2.44 kills per set. She posted 10 matches with double-digit kills and had a career-high 22 kills against Tulsa on November 3. She starred in Wichita State’s American Conference Championship win against Florida Atlantic on November 24 racking up a match-high 13 kills.

South Florida senior outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade was named the American Preseason Player of the Year.

Wichita State is coming off an 18-14 season in 2024, including a 10-6 mark in conference play. The Shockers swept through the American Championship last season and secured the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. WSU opens the 2025 regular season at home against Kennesaw State and Arkansas in the Shocker Volleyball Classic, Aug. 29-31, at Charles Koch Arena. Fans can get a look at the 2025 team on Sat., Aug. 23 at the Black and Yellow Scrimmage at 3 p.m. at Charles Koch Arena. It is free to attend.

Season tickets and single match tickets are available by calling the Shocker Ticket Office at (316) 978-FANS or by going online at GoShockers.com/tickets.

American Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Rice (9) 141

South Florida (4) 136

Wichita State 120

East Carolina 106

Florida Atlantic 100

Tulsa 91

UAB 63

Tulane 62

UTSA 46

Temple 43

Charlotte 39

North Texas 39

Memphis 28

(#) denotes first place votes

Preseason Player of the Year

Maria Clara Andrade, Sr., OH, South Florida

Preseason All-Conference Team

Jorda Crook, Jr., OPP, UAB*

Kristen Birmingham, Gr., OH, Charlotte

Kai Bailey, Jr., MB, East Carolina

Taryn Gilreath, So., S, East Carolina

Ellie Pate, Jr., OH, East Carolina

Victoria Hensley, Sr., S, Florida Atlantic

Ryann Vik, So., MB, North Texas

Lademi Ogunlana, Sr., MB, Rice

Taylor Preston, Sr., OH, Rice

Savannah Skopal, So., S, Rice

Cindy Tchouangwa, Jr., OH, Rice

Ally Cavanaugh, R-So., OH, South Florida

Maria Clara Andrade, Sr., OH, South Florida*

Avery Burks, Jr., OH, Tulane

Brayden Hipp, Sr., S, Tulsa

Brooklyn Leggett, R-Sr., RS/OH, Wichita State

*denotes unanimous selection

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Mizzou volleyball roundtable: Discussing the 2025 season and what lays ahead

Published

8 minutes ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Earlier this month I sat down with fellow Rock M volleyball enthusiasts Colin Simmons and Matthew Gustafson along with KCOU Service to Seven host Jeffrey Calhoun to discuss the 2025 Mizzou volleyball season. The team fell just short of the NCAA Tournament due to several key losses in the final month of the season. With the transfer portal in full swing and a Dawn Sullivan extension announced, there was much to discuss. This was originally produced in podcast form, but has been transcribed and abbreviated for the main site:

What felt different about this year’s Dawn Sullivan-led team?

Jeffrey Calhoun: I mean there were a lot of things that just didn’t feel like they were in full swing. It felt like most of the season the team was just running at about 80% speed. Janet deMarrais was injured all throughout the year. Tyrah Arial, obviously playing with a brace the entire year. Regan Haith going in and out with a lot of injuries. Sickness plagued the locker room a few times. So at some points you did see that.

But at the other end of things, some of the the the life, the electricity, the swagger that this team has had in the past with the likes of Colleen Finney, with Jordan Iliff, with Michael Vernon, while they were replaced and reloaded. From a purely positional standpoint it didn’t feel at times they were the same. You look at some of these games, it felt like at times [they] went a little bit one dimensional. Last year with that 1-2 punch of Finney and Haith, you saw the middles run the offense quite a bit. Obviously, you have one of the best opposite hitters in the conference, with Jordan Iliff. But this year, it just didn’t feel like it was there. It took some time to figure out who that opposite hitter was going to be. About halfway through the year it ended up being sealed as Maca Lobaglio, which I think is the right pick. But anytime you have a true freshman come into a role like that, it’s difficult. It didn’t feel like the the middles were utilized as much. You boil it down to skill level, I think it was pretty even, and the offense just wasn’t run through them. It felt like it was just a simple run through Calen Alexander most of the time. And when it worked, it worked, but when it didn’t, it didn’t. Teams were able to read that really, really well. They got read 11 times, and that’s why they missed the tournament.

Matthew Gustafson: This was a team that fell far short of its potential. You look at the talent they had entering this year, this was arguably the most talented team and the deepest team of the Dawn Sullivan era. You look at it, you were returning Maya Sands who I believe is going to win national Libero of the year (she did not, which was somewhat of a surprise). You return an All-SEC setter in Marina Crownover. You brought in Tyrah Arial from USC. You brought in an honorable mention All-American, and last year’s national leader and kills, Caylen Alexander. The talent was absolutely there, but you didn’t see it enough. You didn’t see it very often put together on the floor for Mizzou. Obviously, you had those several upsets that were just killer for their tournament hopes down the stretch. I think that overall the SEC was probably undervalued by the committee this year, given that it had two teams in the Final Four, had three teams in the Elite Eight, considering that the SEC had only five teams in the entire NCAA Tournament. So I think that the conference’s strength was undervalued, and other conferences may be a little bit overvalued. That being said, the number of bad losses the team had made it a very, difficult task to get into the NCAA tournament. And again, it was a matter of not living up to that team’s potential too many times in order to make it.

With the departures of assistant coaches Jhenna Gabriel and Cullen Irons and Marina Crownover in the transfer portal, what should we expect heading into 2026?

JC: I think my biggest question is, who is going to step up as that lead vocal leader? Because at the beginning of the Dawn Sullivan era it very much felt like Jordan Iliff was that number one option. And then last year, you really saw Colleen Finney coming to her own. Then last year really was Maya sands and Janet deMarrais. Matthew, Aaron [Segal] and I talked about this on Service to Seven five minutes before Marina Crownover announced her transferring. It felt like the only one of those kind of leader core players left was Crownover, and now she’s gone.

You look at you look at who is currently listed on the roster. The only seniors are Kimani Johnson and Kaylen Rush. Neither of those players have gotten a lot of substantial playing time. Sierra Dudley is a redshirt junior but as fantastic of a leader as she has been…she hasn’t played in a year and a half. Even if they bring in a serious leader in the portal, becoming the voice of that locker room in year one with a team is incredibly difficult, and you don’t see that all that all that often in any sport. This team right now from a number standpoint is small. You graduate five seniors, you got four players hop in the portal. There’s four new players and so now you’re at 14 players, and there’s a lot of holes that need to be filled. Dawn Sullivan has done fantastic things on the portal, so I can almost guarantee that there’s going to be more players. You’re gonna need more than two substantial transfers to really help this team next year.

MG: You have multiple areas that you’re going to need to take from the transfer portal. I think that you’re likely good at setter. Obviously Crownover is a big loss, she was one of the best setters in the SEC. That being said, you brought in a player last year with international experience, Nina Mandovic, who got playing time this year. You also have Sierra Dudley, who, though she hasn’t started the last two years with a starter on a tournament team back in 2023 and was part of the SEC All-Freshman team. So I would be a little bit surprised to see them bring in a setter, especially considering that you’re adding one in the incoming freshman class.

What you’re going to need is at least one middle because you have your two starters graduating, Trinity Luckett, who I think a lot of us expected to take that next step into that starting role next year, is also transferring out. So the majority of your middles right now are either sophomores or juniors who have not had much playing time at the position. Kamani Johnson is an option, though she’s mainly played right side during her collegiate career, and you have two true freshmen middle blockers who are going to come in. You don’t have anybody who you know for sure can start at an SEC level. [On the] right side you’re good. You have Maca Lobaglio returning. You’re going to need at least one hitter. There are a lot of talented hitters on this team, but they’re also very young, very inexperienced, and haven’t had success in the SEC yet. I think that if you’re looking to get back to the NCAA tournament, you probably don’t want to have more than one hitter spot filled by somebody who has not had starting experience.

Who do you think is someone from the 2025 roster that can take that next step and jump into a bigger role?

JC: I’m really excited to see Sierra Dudley this year. I think that we’re going to see a much bigger role from her, because, you know, Dawn Sullivan herself admitted in a number of interviews that the reason that she would bring in Mandovic was to slow down the pace of the game, which was necessary at certain points. I think that while Sierra Dudley and Marina Crownover play very different, I think that they are used for similar situations. I think that Sierra Dudley helps with that faster pace. I think that Sierra Dudley will be slotted into where Marina Crownover was these last couple years, and we know how good Sierra Dudley has been. She’s fantastic, and I really think she’ll jump back in.

I’m really excited to see what Kaylen Rush does. I honestly think Kaylen Rush is a dog. She’s the daughter of Kareem Rush. Genetics already proves how talented she is. The problem, and this is a good problem to have of Missouri fans, is that libero room has been absolutely loaded. I mean, you had Maya sands, walked into the conference and steal pretty much every award she could. So that’s just pushed Kalen Rush further down the depths chart, but she came in at a few points this year and played solid. I think that Rush is really going to step up.

MG: Jeffrey touched on it with Sierra Dudley. She is an SEC starting level setter, we’ve seen that before. She was a starting level setter as a freshman, and so you would have to imagine with multiple years of development, that she has only improved since that point.

I’m going to point out two different people, hitters who impressed me, who stood out to me, for their arms. They have cannons for arms at the outside and right side hitter positions respectively. Maca Lobaglio obviously already locked down that starting role this year at right side. Somebody who came in with international experience from Argentina, played on the national team there, and really her main asset this year was defense. I think that she added a lot to the teams blocking up front and was relatively efficient on offense. Is the year went on, but didn’t really have a soaring role. I’d expect to see her role in the offense increase next year, and on the other side, you saw more of Paige Felder this year with the players currently on the roster. I would be pretty surprised if Paige Felder is not a starter for that team next season.

What do you think is the expectation, both inside and outside the team for Mizzou heading into this this 2026 season?

JC: That’s really hard to answer in my opinion, because I think there’s a lot of unanswered questions. It’s still going to be nearly a year before that season starts, but there’s a lot of variety in the needs and the holes for this team. For me, it’s about the same as it ended this year. I think that next year, this team is going to be a bubble team, I hate to say it, especially with how high expectations were for this team. If I’m going to be honest, I think that this is a team that come Selection Sunday next year, they’re going to be holding their breath.

MG: This is likely to be a transition year. I think that we haven’t really seen under Dawn Sullivan the transition from a lot of coaches from the first couple years, where you have a lot of transfers starting to your homegrown talent, the players that you brought in as recruits forming the core of your roster. So next year you’re likely to see at least three sophomores starting for this team. And with that there come more question marks, because you’re not going to have as many players who have SEC starting experience. I think that you don’t want to take a step back from this year. Ideally, you take a step forward if you’re the program. But really the key for next year is going to be making that transition where you have the core of your roster, your best players be players that you brought in during high school, recruiting and so individual development, developing those homegrown players is going to be the most important thing this offseason and next year for Mizzou.

While he was unable to join us for the podcast, Colin graciously sent in a video to share his thoughts on the season and what is next for Mizzou volleyball, which has been added here:

Colin Simmons: Obviously, this season didn’t meet expectations, but I wouldn’t call it a failure. The reality is that this team didn’t have the same offensive firepower as it did compared to last season. It’s really hard to compare this, to not compare this team and the players to last season squad, because we saw how they were able to make a deep run. Caitlin Alexander was a perfect replacement for Michael Vernon’s production, but there wasn’t an adequate replacement for Jordan Iliff, and that proved to be the difference.

Once again Sullivan and the coaching staff will have to replace that outside hitting production, most likely by hitting the portal or relying on internal development. I think rising sophomores like Paige Felder and Maca Lobaglio should come back even stronger next season, but you’re definitely going to need to have a couple of big time commitments in the portal for this team to reach where it wants to be, back in the tournament, and I think even somewhere like rising junior Claire Morrissey could play a factor. This will be the biggest test of Sullivan’s tenure with Mizzou. She’s trying to replace so much roster talent, and has to replace talent and her coaching staff as well, and so it’s clearly going to be an uphill battle, but gaining a few big time names in the portal and having that young depth step up could put this team back on the map in 2026.

You can follow all the news surrounding Mizzou volleyball on Rock M Nation. We will be posting a transfer tracker within the next week, keep an eye out for all the updated news.

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Bobcat Volleyball Standouts Named to Academic All-District Squad

Published

23 minutes ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Montana State volleyball standouts Lauren Lindseth, Madilyn Siebler and Karli Heidemann were selected to the 2025-26 Academic All-District® Women’s Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizing the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom.

The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.

Lindseth, a Great Falls native, earned Second Team All-Big Sky Conference honors after guiding the Bobcats to their eighth straight Big Sky Conference Tournament appearance. Lindseth led in the Big Sky in overall and league matches, averaging 4.68 and 4.78 digs, respectively. She was also a four-time Big Sky Player of the Week honoree this past season.

Lindseth finished her career at MSU second in all-time digs with 1,987 saves. That total ranks fifth in Big Sky Conference history. The 5-9 libero also completed her career ranked ninth on MSU’s all-time ace chart with 124. She is a majoring in kinesiology/exercise science.

Siebler, a 5-10 outside hitter from Omaha, Neb., is a microbiology/pre-med major at Montana State. This past fall, she averaged 2.04 kills and 1.55 digs per set. She recorded a season-high 21 kills in Montana State’s 3-2 win over Montana in Missoula and notched a season-best 17 digs at Idaho State.

Heidemann, a 6-1 sophomore outside hitter from Diller, Neb., played and started in all 28 matches for MSU this fall. She finished the season with a team-best 323 kills, averaging 3.02 per set. In addition, she recorded 239 digs, averaging 2.23 per contest. Heidemann had a season-high 21 kills in MSU’s win over Northern Arizona and 18 digs at Portland State. She is a kinesiology/exercise science major.

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Top 10 Moments of 2025

Published

38 minutes ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HICKORY, N.C. – It was another great year for the Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics program. Lenoir-Rhyne students and faculty accomplished so much during the calendar year. Below are the top 10 stories of 2025.

#10 – Volleyball earns third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance

Head coach Nicole Barringer has the Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball team rolling. Under Barringer’s leadership the Bears advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season, a program first. They took down Lander 3-1 to advance to the third round for just the third time in Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball history. They posted an intense reverse sweep of Anderson to advance to their second consecutive SAC Championship.

Individually, Emmaleigh Allen was named the South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year, a Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball first. Five Bear were named to the All-SAC Team while Averie Dale, Kaylie Cleaver, and Hadley Prince were AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans.

#9 – Track and Field success

Lenoir-Rhyne Track & Field saw continued success this season, highlighted by the incredible performance of Alexis Brown. Brown set the NCAA DII records in the 100m (10.93), outdoor 200m (22.35), and indoor 200m (22.88). She won national titles in all those events, bringing her career total to eight national titles. Due to her accomplishments she was named the SAC Female Athlete of the Year, USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year, and CWSA Honda DII Female Athlete of the Year.

As a team the Bears were runner-ups on both the men’s and women’s side at both the indoor and outdoor championships. Oliver Thatcher and Miranda Marr were each named to the All-America Second Team in their respective multi events at the national championships, while the 4x100m team finished seventh at nationals, earning All-America First Team status. Joining them at the national championships was the women’s 4x400m team and Havyn Spain in the 400m. Both Spain and the 4x400m team set school records throughout the year.

#8 – Tye Roberson becomes first AFCA All-America First Team honoree since 2015

Tye Roberson was named to the AFCA, AP, and Don Hansen All-America First Team due to his excellence in the return game. The Laurens, South Carolina, native set a new program record with an average of 41.9 yards per kick return this season. That average led NCAA DII and was second amongst all NCAA division. He was one of just two NCAA DII athletes with three kick return touchdowns, returning one for 98 yards against Anderson, 87 yards against Mars Hill, and 95 yards vs. Catawba. He is the first AFCA First Team All-America honoree since offensive Joe Ray in 2015.

#7 – Softball wins back-to-back SAC Tournament Championships

For the 10th time in program history and the second consecutive year, the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship. This was their first back-to-back title since they won four straight from 2010-13. Madison Wilson was named SAC Tournament MVP due to her incredible performances both on the mound and at the plate. Madison Primm and Lani Warren joined a prestigious group as they were named both NFCA All-Americans and CSC Academic All-Americans. During a win over Emory & Henry head coach Shena Hollar picked up her 1000th win at Lenoir-Rhyne, and her 1,063 career victories places her third among active NCAA DII coaches.

This season the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team played their games in the brand new McCrorie Family Stadium. This stadium sits in the upper echelon of NCAA DII, featuring stadium-style seating, extended dugouts, concession stand, two VIP viewing areas, and a brand new press box with included soundproof broadcast booth. The stadium is named in honor of Hank McCrorie ’60, and his wife, Bernice McRCrorie, who made the lead gift in support of the project.

#6 – Women’s Soccer claims third NCAA Regional Title in five years

Despite both roster and coaching turnover, the Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team continues to win. Head coach Justin Maullin and his squad finished with a record of 13-5-3 and won their third regional title in five years, taking down Columbus State (1-0), North Georgia (1-0), and Lander (1-0) en route to the championship. They would eventually fall 2-1 in the national quarterfinals to eventual national champion Florida Tech. Lenoir-Rhyne remains the only SAC school since 2017 to win a women’s soccer regional.

Seven Bears were named to the SAC All-Conference team, two on the first team, one on the second, and three on the third. This year was the program’s 17th full season (9-1-1 in shortened Covid year) that they finished with double-digit wins, a streak that dates back to 2008. Their NCAA tournament appearance was the program’s 12th, and sixth consecutive. Due to their on field accomplishments Lenoir-Rhyne finished the season ranked eighth in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.

#5 – Lenoir-Rhyne Administration leadership transition

2025 was a year for new leadership at Lenoir-Rhyne University, with Daron Montgomery ’95 completing his first year as Vice President for Athletics. Montgomery has provided stability and a renewed vision for LR’s Division II athletic programs. This milestone coincides with the inauguration of President Summer McGee and her first six months of leadership, during which Dr. McGee has set a clear strategic direction and energized the campus community. Together, their early tenures signal a promising future for collaboration and continued growth at Lenoir-Rhyne.

#4 – Women’s Triathlon wins third national title in four years

Head coach Harley Mason has built a dynasty in Hickory. Her Bears squad won their third DII Women’s Triathlon title in four years, avenging last year’s loss to Wingate with a four-point victory. Zoila Sicilia joined teammate Sabrina Fleig as the only women’s triathletes to win a national title, taking home the individual crown with a time of 1:03:59. Fleig finished runner-up behind Sicilia and Claudia Teran-Romagosa was fourth. All three were named CTCA First Team All-Americans, while Isis Gaskin was a Second Team honoree and Alex Linden an Honorable Mention. Coach Mason picked up her fourth consecutive National Coach of the Year award and has now taken home that honor every year she has coached the Bears.

#3 – Beyond the Bricks

Lenoir-Rhyne athletes excelled in the classroom, posting a 3.44 average GPA for the 2025 calendar year. 262 athletes posted 4.00 GPAs and 789 finished with at least a 3.50 in either the spring or fall semester. Every varsity team on campus had above a 3.00 team GPA. 21 teams posted at least a 3.50 in either the spring or fall semester. Additionally, LR won the South Atlantic Conference’s league-wide challenge for Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), an award based on participation in Play4Kay, Make-A-Wish, Team Impact, Community Service, and overall sports GPA.

#2 – Men’s Basketball’s run to the Elite Eight

Head coach Brent Owen and staff led the Bears to arguably their best season in program history in 2024-25, setting a program record for wins (29) and advancing to the NCAA DII Elite Eight for the first time in program history. Lenoir-Rhyne brought home their first SAC Tournament Championship since 2003 with an 82-78 comeback victory over Lincoln Memorial in the championship. The run continued a week later when the Bears won their first NCAA Southeast Regional championship thanks to a 76-73 overtime victory over UNC Pembroke.

For his efforts coach Owen was named South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year and NABC Southeast District Co-Coach of the Year. Ziare Wells, Hantz Louis-Jeune, and Conrad Luczynski were named to the All-SAC Team, with Wells being named SAC Newcomer of the Year and SAC Tournament MVP. Luczynski scored 60 points over three games in the Southeast Regional and was named Tournament MVP.

#1 – Baseball’s magical run to national semi-finals

Under the guidance of first-year head coach Adam Skonieczki, the Lenoir-Rhyne baseball team put together a magical season that saw them advance all the way to the national semi-finals. The Bears finished runners-up to Catawba in both the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships. After breezing through the NCAA Southeast Regional at Belmont Abbey, Lenoir-Rhyne won their final two games in a best-of-three series at Catawba to claim the first NCAA Southeast Regional Championship in program history. Lenoir-Rhyne went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships, coming within one game of the championship series. They finished the year with a No. 4 ranking by the NCBWA.

This offense was quite possibly the most potent in NCAA DII history, as they finished the season ranked first in DII history in home runs (137), third in total bases (1,365), eighth in RBI’s (570), and 20th in slugging percentage (.617). Mackenzie Wainwright set new NCAA DII records for hits (121) and total bases (234), and is third all time in runs (102). Wainwright, Sal Carricato, and Cole Stanford were all named All-Americans and Stanford became the first Bear to ever be honored with Academic All-American status. Wainwright was named the Southeast Regional Player of the Year by the D2CCA, NCBWA, and ABCA and Adam Skonieczki was the ABCA Region Coach of the Year and Perfect Game National Coach of the Year.

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i-Listen with Kara David: Lara Liwanag on strength, purpose, and fighting for Filipino athletes

Published

1 hour ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LARA LIWANAG ON I-LISTEN: STRENGTH, PURPOSE, AND FIGHTING FOR FILIPINO ATHLETES

Episode dropping this Wednesday December 31, 2025 5PM on GMA Public Affairs Youtube Channel, Spotify and Apple Podcast

The upcoming episode of I-Listen spotlights Lara Liwanag—elite CrossFit athlete, coach, and advocate for inclusive sports—whose journey proves that strength goes far beyond physical power.

Known as the “clutch queen” after her standout performance on Physical: Asia, Lara represented the Philippines on an international stage, competing against some of the strongest athletes in the region. Despite being underdogs with no combat sports background, Lara and her teammate pushed through fear, injury, and pressure to give an all-out performance for the country. “Manalo man o matalo,” Lara says, “we did it for the Philippines.”

Beyond competition, Lara opens up about her long road as an athlete—from childhood dreams of representing the country, to becoming a national CrossFit champion, to facing injuries, setbacks, and online criticism. A registered nurse by profession, Lara chose to follow her true calling in fitness, even when others questioned her path. “Everything happens for a reason,” she shares. “Nandito ako ngayon dahil may purpose.”

Today, Lara is not only an athlete but a mentor. Through her gym and grassroots training initiatives with Olympian Hidilyn Diaz, she coaches children—many from underprivileged backgrounds—free of charge, helping them discover their potential through sports. Her advocacy highlights a pressing issue: the lack of support and funding for Filipino athletes, despite the abundance of raw talent across the country.

In her I-Listen interview, Lara delivers a powerful message to young women and aspiring athletes: strength is beautiful, fitness is for everyone, and confidence is built by simply starting. “Kung kaya ko, kaya niyo rin,” she says.

Dropping this Wednesday, December 31, 2025, this episode of i-Listen is a story of grit, faith, and purpose—reminding us that real strength lies in perseverance, service, and lifting others as you rise.

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Joshua Knapp – Head Men’s Volleyball Coach – Men’s Volleyball Coaches

Published

2 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The University of Lynchburg announced Joshua Knapp as the head coach of the Hornets’ Men’s Volleyball Program in December 2025. He arrived in the Hill City with experience as a coach, student-athlete, and official, bringing a versatile background that will support the continued growth of the Hornets’ emerging men’s volleyball operation.

Knapp most recently served as the head coach for the Liberty University men’s club volleyball program, where he led the team since January 2023. In that role, he managed all aspects of the program, including training direction, recruitment efforts, and the coordination of support staff. Prior to taking over as head coach, he worked with the Flames as an assistant coach from August 2022 to January 2023, helping integrate skills development, training plans, and travel logistics for the team.

In addition to his coaching experience, Knapp is also a certified volleyball official with the Virginia High School League and the NCAA, a role he began in August 2025. His work as an official allowed him to use working knowledge of volleyball rules, regulations, and procedures while exhibiting professionalism through all interactions.

A former two-sport student-athlete at Liberty University, Knapp competed for four years in a high-level collegiate setting and served as a team captain for the men’s volleyball team from 2020 through 2022. Knapp earned his B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University in 2022, completing academic specializations in business, sports management, and carpentry.

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TSWA Class A All-State Volleyball

Published

2 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

TSWA Class A All-State Volleyball

Published 10:03 am Wednesday, December 31, 2025

LONGVIEW – State champion Blum dominated voting for the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class A All-State Volleyball Team for the 2025 season.

Blum’s Kinsley McPherson earned Player of the Year honors, and Blum head coach Lauren McPherson was named Coach of the Year.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Lauren McPherson, Blum

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kinsley McPherson, Blum

FIRST TEAM

Middle blockers: Landree Bennett, Blum; Rylee Sears, Water Valley; Addison Spaith, Neches

Outside hitters: Kinsley McPherson, Blum; McCaylen Woods, Water Valley; Haley Scott, Blum

Setter: Tallie Rufino, Blum

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Addie Koetting, Blum

SECOND TEAM

Middle blockers: Emerson Fite, Sulphur Bluff; Janaye Coston, Water Valley; Jessica Rohde, Round Top-Carmine

Outside hitters: Bree Dooley, Round Top-Carmine; Zaylee Peyton, Sulphur Bluff; Marae Pounds, Chester

Setter: Madi Collett, Sulphur Bluff

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Audrey Gatlin, Medina

THIRD TEAM

Middle blockers: Callie Weddle, Perrin Whitt; Caitlyn Battreal, Oglesby; Braylee Clark, Woodson

Outside hitters: Brenna Briles, Forestburg; Emilee Silva, Aspermont; Crista Zirkel, Medina

Setter: Madison Markwardt, Round Top-Carmine

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ana Servin, Sulphur Bluff

HONORABLE MENTION

Middle blockers: Zarah Wisehart, Oglesby; Kannan Collier, Perrin White; Ally Thorman, Jonesboro; Lily Payne, Chester

Outside hitters: Autumn Meyers, Oglesby; Lucchese Reilly, Perrin Whitt; Brylee Stevens, Oglesby; Alyssa Perez, Woodson; Landri McFarlin, Jonesboro; Lauren Citrano, Chester; McKieran Murphy, Perrin Whitt

Setter: Autumn Fitzpatrick, Water Valley; Nilah Stewart-Ayala, Trinidad; Ella Gustin, Jonesboro; Scarlet Aaron, Oglesby; Mailea Wimberly, Woodson

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Matti Polk, Aspermont; Natalie Carrell, Sulphur Bluff

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