Sports

Skyler Varga’s impact at The Beach – Long Beach Current

Redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga smiles and celebrates after one of many LBSU points as UCI beat LBSU 3-0. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko Watch a Long Beach State men’s volleyball game for five minutes and you will notice that Canadian redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga is always the most animated presence after each […]

Published

2 months ago

April 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga smiles and celebrates after one of many LBSU points as UCI beat LBSU 3-0. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko

Watch a Long Beach State men’s volleyball game for five minutes and you will notice that Canadian redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga is always the most animated presence after each point the team scores; he is the first to initiate a quick team huddle, rallying his teammates with shouts, chants and a vibrantly contagious energy.

Elevating team morale with intensity defines the Canadian who now anchors the top-ranked team in the nation.

Varga grew up in Muenster, Canada, a village of about 450 people. He played almost every sport just so their town would have enough people to create teams and conduct games.

In 2022, Varga transferred to The Beach from the University of Saskatchewan and quickly rose as a preeminent player across the board.

“Before coming to America, I didn’t even know anything about NCAA volleyball. I didn’t know Long Beach existed, I didn’t know all these teams existed, and how big of a stage it could actually get to,” Varga said. “I’m grateful that I can be given this opportunity, especially coming from such a small town.”

Though he played many sports growing up, Varga committed to volleyball during the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing he would need to travel to pursue volleyball at a high level.

Redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga dives to the ball after a UC Santa Barbara kill on April 4 at the Walter Pyramid. Varga’s four kills helped Long Beach State beat UCSB 3-0. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko

That decision led to a gold medal with Team Saskatchewan at the 2022 Canada Games and a silver medal with Team Canada at the U23 Bicentennial Independence Cup in Rio.

Playing for his national team and in matches across the globe not only sharpened his ability to handle higher competition, but it also invigorated his passion for the sport.

“He’s been out in the world of volleyball and seen something bigger than college volleyball, so he really knows where he wants to be,” LBSU head coach Alan Knipe said. “It’s not going to shock me at all when you see Sky representing Canada in the Olympics.”

Varga’s first year at The Beach was cut short by a knee surgery, but he returned the following season to be the team leader in aces per set and earn Honorable Mention All-America and All-Conference honors.

Amid LBSU’s historic season this year, Varga has already achieved the most kills of his career with 235 and sits 14th in the nation in attack percentage at .387.

Varga is, as described by Knipe, a “five-tool volleyball player” whose versatile abilities on the court make him a threat at every position he is in.

“There’s nothing on the court that Sky doesn’t do to help us score points, so as a coach, you’re very fortunate,” Knipe said. “Those are rare to get.”

Despite his standout statistics, Varga puts the team’s success above all else.

Redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga goes up for a kill against two UC Irvine defenders at the Walter Pyramid on March 28. Although Varga scored a game-high 13 kills, UCI beat Long Beach State 3-0 as and LBSU lost its first game of the season. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko

This season, he admitted he has not been tracking his own numbers; instead, he is fully locked in on the flow of each game and what the team needs in each moment.

“If I go and kill 20 balls versus two balls, it doesn’t really matter as long as I help the team get the win,” Varga said. “That’s all that matters for me.”

Varga’s impact as an athlete goes beyond his on-court performance– competing alongside elite players showed him how much his attitude influences those around him.

That awareness, shaped by the contrast between playing casually in Muenster and professionally with Team Canada, now fuels the dynamic spark he brings to every LBSU game.

“I just immediately sprung into the role of like, I’m gonna get fired up, and I’m happy that I get to play with people who are just as skilled as me,” Varga said. “It brought me a lot of energy and I think that’s carried over throughout the years.”

With deep reverence for both volleyball and his team, the LBSU team captain represents what it means to be an inspiring athlete.

Varga leads by example, Knipe said, showing his teammates the ways a top competitor must take care of his own health, training and education through his own daily practices.

“He’s incredible, he’s our captain– he’s, in a lot of ways, our leader,” Knipe said. “As good of a volleyball player he is, he’s an even better human and teammate.”

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Sports

Pair of Jackson Runners to Compete at the College Level

Not one but two Jackson distance runners will be headed to the East Coast to compete at the college level, as Jack Overbay will be attending Bates College in Maine, and Boomer Weisman will be going to Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Both of these young men competed in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track in […]

Published

11 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Overbay was 11th at the 2024 4A State Cross Country Meet in Cheyenne in 16.56.70, and he displayed marked improvement from his junior year when he finished 39th. At the State Outdoor Track Championships, Overbay took 3rd in the 4A 800 meters in 1.56.58 and was 5th in the 1600 in 4.26.95. He took 6th place in the 4A 800 meters at the State Indoor Track Championships in 2.01.29 and was 16th in the 1600.

Weisman competed at the 4A State Cross Country Meet and took 30th in 2024 and 21st in his junior season. At the Outdoor Championships in May, Weisman was 10th in the 4A 3200 meters in 9.50.24 and 13th in the 1600 with a clocking of 4.33.17. On the indoor track circuit, Weisman placed 10th in the 4A 1600 and 15th in the 3200.

Both Overbay and Weisman ran in the Nike Cross Country Nationals in Boise, and both will be competing at the next level in the New England Small College Conference, which is in Division III.

Boys State Cross Country Meet Recap

Gallery Credit: Frank Gambino

Wyoming High School Cross Country/ Track and Field

Photo Courtesy: Jackson Hole High School

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Wolverines Strong at USATF U20 Championships

EUGENE, Ore. — Six members of the University of Michigan track and field team represented the Maize and Blue at the USATF U20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 19-20, with three bringing home medals. Abigail Russell earned a pair of medals, winning the shot put with a mark of 16.07m (52-8.75) […]

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31 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Ore. — Six members of the University of Michigan track and field team represented the Maize and Blue at the USATF U20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 19-20, with three bringing home medals.

Abigail Russell earned a pair of medals, winning the shot put with a mark of 16.07m (52-8.75) and finishing third in the discus throw at 52.92m (173-7). Her discus mark came just 0.22m shy of her personal best.

In the 1,500-meter run, Brendan Herger captured gold with a time of 3:48.77. The rising sophomore sat in third after the first lap before falling to fourth at the halfway point. Herger surged ahead three places to take the lead entering the final lap, holding his position and finishing nearly two seconds ahead of the runner-up.

The final Wolverine to earn hardware was Coraline Haggarty, who finished third in the 800-meter run with a personal-best time of 2:08.06. Payton Smith narrowly missed a top-three finish in the 400-meter dash final, placing fourth at 53.17, just 0.01 seconds behind the third-place finisher.

Neil Howard finished sixth in the 400-meter hurdle final (52.42), while Kourtney Rathke placed 11th in the pole vault at 3.85m (12-7.5).

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Eight Student-Athletes Named To NEWMAC All-Sportsmanship Teams

Story Links Springfield, Mass. – June 23, 2025 – Eight Springfield College student-athletes were recognized by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), as they were named to the conference’s All-Sportsmanship Team. The All-Sportsmanship award is intended to recognize one student-athlete from each team, in every sport that best demonstrates the ideals of […]

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31 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Springfield, Mass. – June 23, 2025 – Eight Springfield College student-athletes were recognized by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), as they were named to the conference’s All-Sportsmanship Team.

The All-Sportsmanship award is intended to recognize one student-athlete from each team, in every sport that best demonstrates the ideals of the NEWMAC and its Code of Conduct, regardless of his/her overall performance or statistics for the season.

Below are the recipients from each program:

For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to tune into all Springfield College Athletic events by subscribing to FloSports.

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Young named Summit League Men’s Field Athlete of the Year

Story Links SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After claiming a Summit League title and making the NCAA Championships in his final season as a Coyote, Tre Young was named the Summit League Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, announced by the conference office Monday afternoon. Young, a senior from Toledo, […]

Published

49 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After claiming a Summit League title and making the NCAA Championships in his final season as a Coyote, Tre Young was named the Summit League Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, announced by the conference office Monday afternoon.

Young, a senior from Toledo, Ohio, finished his season, and career, strong by winning the Summit League pole vault crown with a personal best 18-0 ½ (5.50m) and making the NCAA Championships to earn honorable mention all-America honors.

At the NCAA West First Round in College Station, Texas, Young went over 17-5 ½ (5.32m) to advance to the NCAA Championships, where he cleared 17-5 ¾ (5.33m) to place 18^th. It was Young’s fourth trip to the NCAA West First Round and his first trip to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.

As the season went along, Young continued to improve his season and personal best. He won the Mt. SAC Relays in California with a best of 17-9 (5.41m), only to beat that mark with a clearance of 17-10 ½ (5.45m) at the USD Tune Up to claim that title as well. He was the Summit League Peak Performer of the Week following his title at the Mt. SAC Relays. He cleared 17-0 in all but one meet once the calendar turned to April, including clearing 17-5 or better six times.

Young joins fellow pole vaulters Chris Nilsen (2017, 2018, 2019), Eerik Haamer (2022), and Marshall Faurot (2024) and thrower Cody Snyder (2015) in winning the Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year as a Coyote. USD has won the honor seven times in the last 10 seasons (no award in 2020 due to COVID-19).

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Boston Selected as Newest Host of USA Volleyball Junior National Qualifier

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 23, 2025) – USA Volleyball, in partnership with the New England Region Volleyball Association (NERVA), is proud to announce the elevation of the Boston Volleyball Festival to official USA Volleyball Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) status beginning in the 2025-26 season. This designation marks a major milestone for volleyball in the Northeast […]

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50 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 23, 2025) – USA Volleyball, in partnership with the New England Region Volleyball Association (NERVA), is proud to announce the elevation of the Boston Volleyball Festival to official USA Volleyball Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) status beginning in the 2025-26 season.

This designation marks a major milestone for volleyball in the Northeast and will position Boston as a premier destination for national-level competition. For the first time, the Boston Volleyball Festival will offer national bid opportunities for both boys and girls across all age divisions, further expanding access to USA Volleyball’s championship pathway.

“Boston has long been a stronghold for junior volleyball, and we’re excited to formally recognize the Boston Volleyball Festival as an official Junior National Qualifier,” said Steve Bishop, USA Volleyball’s chief operating officer. “This upgrade is a testament to NERVA’s outstanding event operations and the growing demand for high-level competition in the Northeast. Together, we’re expanding access to national bid pathways and reinforcing our commitment to supporting athletes across the country.”

The 2026 NIKE Boston National Qualifier series will take place over three weekends at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

February 27-March 1, 2026 – NIKE Boston National Qualifier #1
March 6-8, 2026 – NIKE Boston National Qualifier #2
April 3-5, 2026 – NIKE Boston National Qualifier #3

The event will be co-branded with USA Volleyball and integrated into USAV’s official event calendar, registration systems, and rankings infrastructure. Teams competing in bid divisions will have the opportunity to earn invitations to USA Volleyball’s prestigious national championship events.

“NERVA is honored to partner with USA Volleyball in this exciting next chapter for the Boston Volleyball Festival,” said Dave Peixoto, NERVA commissioner. “Our teams, families and coaches have helped grow this event into one of the largest in the country, and this designation further elevates the experience for everyone involved. We look forward to welcoming teams from across the nation to Boston for a world-class competition.”

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Coach Carrasco Announces 2025 Men’s Water Polo Schedule

Story Links LOS ANGELES – The 2025 LMU Men’s Water Polo schedule is set for first-year head coach David Carasco’s Lions. The season will begin with two games in Irvine on Aug. 29, as LMU will take on UCI in the morning and stay to face Cal State Fullerton in […]

Published

59 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LOS ANGELES – The 2025 LMU Men’s Water Polo schedule is set for first-year head coach David Carasco’s Lions.

The season will begin with two games in Irvine on Aug. 29, as LMU will take on UCI in the morning and stay to face Cal State Fullerton in the afternoon.

The home opener will be played on Aug. 30 as LMU hosts Stanford, semi-finalists in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

On Sept. 13, both Brown and UCSB will travel to Burns Aquatics Center to play two games apiece.

Following a weekend trip to the MPSF Tournament and an away contest at UCSD, the Lions will return home to face defending National Champions, UCLA, to close out September.

West Coast Conference play begins on the road against San Jose State on Oct. 3. LMU will remain in San Jose the following day to play games against both UCSB and UC Davis.

The Lions will then play home conference games against Air Force on Oct. 17 and Pacific on Oct. 19.

The following week, LMU will travel to Santa Clara to play a WCC contest against the Broncos before participating in the Julian Fraser Tournament.

Four of LMU’s final six games will be played in their home pool. The Lions will play CBU in the final conference home game on Oct. 30 and host Concordia two days later to open November.

Following the WCC finale in Malibu against Pepperdine, the Lions will host UC San Diego for a rematch against the Tritons from earlier in the season.

The final weekend of the regular season will feature a night game against Long Beach State played at Long Beach Community College, before hosting UC Irvine in the final home game on Nov. 15.

The 2025 WCC Championship will be hosted by Air Force. The three games in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be played from Nov. 22-23, 2025.

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