MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State senior outside hitter Patrick Rogers has been selected to join the 14-man roster of young prospects on the 2025 Beach Collegiate/U26 National Team, as announced by USA Volleyball. Rogers and the BCNT will participate in a 10-day training period (June 9-19) in Hermosa Beach, California.

The group will train with USA Volleyball’s Beach A2 National Team throughout the sessions, culminated by the NORCECA Playoffs (June 18-19) where athletes from both squads will strive for the opportunity to play for the United States at future NORCECA international competitions.

Rogers, a 2025 honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and first team All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association selection, returns for the second-consecutive year after competing for the BCNT in 2024. Adding to his eventful summer, Rogers will also play for the 2025 Men’s U23 National Team as part of the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, taking place July 27 – Aug. 4 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

 

Women’s Outdoor Track and Field | 6/11/2025 9:59:16 AM

Rebecca Heuler of the SUNY Brockport women’s track and field team was named the 2024-25 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, based on a vote by the conference Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs). The award honors one female student-athlete who best exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated scholar and athlete over the course of their collegiate careers.
 
Heuler wrapped up a tremendous collegiate career by earning First Team NCAA All-American honors in the javelin throw at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, placing sixth overall. In 2024, Heuler won the national championship in the javelin with a career-best throw of 47.34 meters (155’ 4”) to be become SUNY Brockport’s fourth female outdoor national champion in any event. Heuler was a two-time SUNYAC Champion in the javelin and also competed in the event at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, held at St. John Fisher University.
 
Heuler enjoyed a banner debut season in the Empire 8, recording career-bests in the both the shot put and weight throw at the 2025 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship in February. She won the E8 title in the javelin at the outdoor championships in Brockport on May 2. She was also honored as the 2025 Empire 8 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Torchbearer Award for academic excellence.
 
“Rebecca embodies everything you want in a student-athlete — relentless work ethic, quiet confidence, and an unshakable drive to lead by example,” said Brockport Head Coach Ed Jaskulski. “Her journey to a national title wasn’t easy, but through every setback and challenge, she showed the kind of perseverance that inspires an entire program.”

A native of Piermont, N.Y., Heuler recently earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from SUNY Brockport, while carrying a tremendous 4.0 grade-point average. She was named the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year in 2024.

 

A three-time USTFCCCA Academic All-American, Heuler was named to the SUNY Brockport President’s List and SUNYAC Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, while also winning the SUNYAC Elite 20 Award for Academic Excellence in 2024.

 

Most recently, Heuler was named SUNY Brockport’s SHAPE America Major of the Year and the KSSPE Departmental Scholar for Physical Education Teacher Education. She was also nominated for the Jay B. Nash Major of the Year Award at the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

 

“Rebecca’s accomplishments in the classroom and community in addition to her accolades as a national champion track and field athlete are remarkable,” said Joe Venniro, Empire 8 Senior Associate Commissioner. “She is epitome of an ideal student-athlete and has a bright future ahead of her.”

Outside of the field and classroom, Heuler excelled in community engagement, volunteering at several events at Brockport, including the Empire State Games for the physically challenged, Westside Challenger Tennis, Rochester Rookies, Brockport Egg-A-Palooza and the SUNY Brockport swim and gym.

Rebecca is an exceptional young woman who is unmatched in everything she does,” said Dr. Lauren Bean, Assistant Professor of Physical Education at SUNY Brockport. Her accomplishments in academics, athletics, and service speak for themselves. What truly sets Rebecca apart is her desire to serve her surrounding community. She also has worked extensively in community programs that host youth with disabilities and is compassionate, dedicated, and encouraging to the youth and students she worked with.”

2024-25 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalists

Abigail Gatza, Alfred University – Softball

Rebecca Heuler, SUNY Brockport – Track and Field

Hailey Roethel, SUNY Geneseo – Field Hockey

Kristen Vacarelli, Hartwick College – Lacrosse

Deborah Cross, Houghton University – Field Hockey

Annika Monfort, Nazareth University – Soccer

Aliva Turk, SUNY Poly – Basketball/Softball

Leah Madore, Russell Sage College – Softball

Sydney Carpenter, St. John Fisher University – Lacrosse

 

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE

The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.

 

EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

 

Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 10, 2025) – USA Volleyball announces the 12 athletes who have been selected to compete at the 2025 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship, set to take place from July 2-13 in Osijek, Croatia, and Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia. The U.S. will compete in Pool C alongside teams from Türkiye, Bulgaria, Poland, Peru and Spain.

The 12 athletes were chosen from a group of 19 who trained June 1-7 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. They will have a second phase of preparation in the Netherlands from June 26-30, 2025.

The roster includes several returners from the 2024 U19 National Team that won gold at the 2024 NORECA Continental Championship: Henley Anderson, Suli Davis, Genevieve Harris, Isabelle Hoppe, Kelly Kinney and and Devyn Wiest. Cari Spears was on the 2022 and 2023 U19 National Teams.

The U.S. Girls U19 National Team is the reigning world champion, having won the event in 2023.

2025 U19 National Team Roster for World Championship

(Name, Pos., Birth Year, Height, Hometown, School, Region)
3 Jordan Taylor (MB, 6-5, 2007, Houston, Texas, University of Minnesota, Lone Star)
5 Lily Hayes (L, 5-9, 2007, Tampa, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
6 Suli Davis (OH, 6-1, 2007, Euless, Texas, Brigham Young University, North Texas)
8 Abbey Emch (MB, 6-3, 2007, New Waterford, Ohio, University of Pittsburgh, Ohio Valley)
10 Isabelle Hoppe (S, 5-8, 2008, Gibsonia, Pa., Pine Richland HS, Ohio Valley)
11 Kelly Kinney (OH/OPP, 6-2, 2007, West Palm Beach, Fla., The Kings Academy, Florida)
12 Genevieve Harris (S, 5-11, 2007, Raleigh, N.C, Cardinal Gibbons HS, Carolina)
13 Gabrielle Nichols (MB, 6-3, 2007, Winston Salem, N.C., Penn State University, Carolina)
16 Cari Spears (OH, 6-3, 2007, Dallas, Texas, University of Texas, North Texas)
17 Lameen Mambu (OH, 6-0, 2007, Chantilly, Va., Georgia Tech, Chesapeake)
19 Henley Anderson (OPP/OH, 6-3, 2007, Dripping Springs, Texas, Dripping Springs HS, Lone Star)
20 Devyn Wiest (OH, 6-3, 2007, Peoria, Ariz., University of Utah, Arizona)

Alternates
1 Izzy Mogridge (S, 5-11, 2007, Lutz, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
2 Charlotte Vinson (OPP, 6-2, 2007, Muncie, Ind., Yorktown HS, Hoosier)
4 Kalyssa Blackshear (MB/OPP, 6-4, 2007, Torrance, Calif., University of Louisville, Southern California)
7 Ayanna Watson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Henderson, Nev., Bishop Gorman HS, Southern California)
9 Natalie Wardlow (MB/OPP, 6-5, 2007, Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln Southeast HS, Great Plains)
15 Logan Bell (L, 5-11, 2007, Beech Grove, Ind., Roncalli HS, Hoosier)
18 Aniya Warren (L, 5-8, 2007, Lockport, Ill., Benet Academy, Great Lakes)

Coaches
Head Coach: Keegan Cook (Minnesota)
Assistant Coach: Alyssa D’Errico (Utah)
Assistant Coach: April Sanchez (New Mexico)
Performance Analyst: Jon Wong (Florida State)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Courtney Smith (NTDP)

It looks like new Marquette volleyball head coach Tom Mendoza has made one more adjustment to his coaching staff heading into his first season on the job. On Tuesday, Mendoza announced the hiring of Riley Whitesides as an assistant coach.

Let’s go to the Marquette press release to run down Whitesides’ history as a player:

Whitesides played five seasons for Mendoza at the University of South Carolina and was a First Team All-Southeastern Conference and AVCA All-Region selection as a graduate student in the fall of 2024. The native of Greenville, South Carolina averaged 4.47 kills per set as a grad student to rank among the top-20 nationally while hitting .241.

Whitesides ended her indoor career fifth in program history in kills (1,452), second in service aces (100), ninth in digs (920) and fourth in points scored (1,645.0).

Most recently, Whitesides completed her third season playing beach volleyball in Columbia with an 18-13 record this spring after a 20-15 mark during 2024. Overall, she boasts a career 38-27 record in dual action on the sand.

If you can do math there, then you’ve figured out that Whitesides was a part of Mendoza’s last team at South Carolina and just finished up her playing career for the Gamecocks as a beach volleyball player. She finished her degree in psychology last spring and tacked on an MBA this year thanks to the extra year of eligibility since she arrived in Columbia in the fall of 2020.

That makes this Whitesides’ first coaching job and her first post-college job at the same time. I suspect that part of her job will be helping to bridge the gap between coaching staff and players since she spent the last five years playing for Mendoza and assistant coach Ethan Pheister. She’s got the experience of being a player for these coaches and can help MU’s current players figure out exactly what Mendoza is asking of them and provide some insight as to what his tactics are as well.

Speaking of Mendoza, here’s his comments on his new employee, who replaces LJ Marx on the coaching staff:

“I’ve known Riley for a long time and we could not be adding a better person to the program and mentor for our student-athletes.” Mendoza said. “She’s successful because of the work she puts in and the relationships she builds. I am excited to work with her and the impact she will have on Marquette Volleyball.”

Oh, one last thing: As I was checking to confirm that this meant that LJ Marx was no longer with the program, I discovered that Marquette has officially flipped the roster page over to 2025. That changeover means we can confirm that freshmen Avery Helms, Emma Parks, and Annika Kowalski along with transfer Elena Radeff are still on the roster for this fall after they committed to play while Ryan Theis was still the head coach before leaving to take the Florida job. It also means that Marquette’s roster stands at 17 women, one under the new NCAA roster limit of 18 following the completion and approval of the House settlement.

Marquette is set to start the 2025 season on the road against Hawaii in their first match at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu. That’s scheduled for Friday, August 29th, following an exhibition match at Northwestern on August 22nd.

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Eugene, ORE. – La Salle women’s track runner Gwenno Goode will race in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Thursday evening, competing in the 3k steeplechase semifinals. The meet will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN and ESPN+.
 
Follow @LaSalle_XCTF on X and @lasalle_tfxc on Instagram for updates and content surrounding the team.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORER:

• Goode qualified for the NCAA Championships by placing 11^th overall in the 3k steeplechase at the NCAA East Regional meet.
• She placed fourth in her heat, finishing the event in a time of 10:01.65.
• The 3k steeplechase is scheduled to start at 7:38 p.m. EST.
• Goode will race in the first of two heats. The top five in each heat, plus the next two fastest times, will advance to the 3k steeplechase finals, which is scheduled for Saturday at 9:25 p.m. EST.