WRIGHT TWP. — It was 2016 when Crestwood was in the PIAA Class 2A boys’ volleyball state bracket.

Under the direction of then coach Mike Williams, the Comets ventured into District 3 land and lost to eventual state champ, Northeastern, in three sets.

Yet, in the past few years, Crestwood has fallen onto some hard times. Losing the COVID season hurt, and numbers just haven’t been what they once were.

This season, that changed.

With a core group of players that have been playing the sport together since junior high, the Comets are back. Reaching 12 wins for the first time in almost a decade, Crestwood is back near the top of the Wyoming Valley Conference standings, and will enter Tuesday’s District 2 Class 2A bracket as the No. 2 seed.

The Comets will start the postseason at home against No. 7 Valley View. It’s a rematch from a May 3 nonleague game where Crestwood won 3-2 in a match that was decided by a combined 12 points.

“The guys put a lot of work in, and deserve it,” said first-year coach Jeff Stec, who previously served as the JV coach and varsity assistant the previous two years. “It’s great for the program in general, and hopefully, it will charge up some of the young guys to come out and try volleyball and see how fun it is. I want to change that culture, and let people know that boys’ volleyball is competitive, fun and a sport that we can be successful at here at Crestwood.”

Stec knows Williams after coaching with him at the elementary level after Stec asked the former coach if he would volunteer because of the high numbers.

They’ve talked about the past successes at Crestwood

They’ve tried to instill the fundamentals of the sport at the younger level, which in turn, should pay dividends once they reach varsity.

“Talking with him, he’s just as happy as I am. It’s cool to see the winning ways of Crestwood starting to come back,” Stec said. “It was hard to find people who wanted to play volleyball after COVID. The year after that missed season, I think we only had two wins.

“Luckily, our core group of players started to play in junior high. Our success is really based on that core group starting early, and improving themselves all year. Most of our guys play all year round, so they are really good volleyball people. They take this seriously. Most of our guys, volleyball is the main sport. Their drive and dedication is really pushing the program forward.”

It’s a talented core group.

Libero Luke Joseph is the reigning WVC Defensive Player of the Year.

Junior JJ Stec and senior middle Tommy McLaughlin have formed a good attacking combination. Junior setter Zach Koons has also done a stellar job of running the offense.

Counting nonleague matches, JJ Stec has a total of 323 kills, which ranks him No. 2 in the state, according to MaxPreps. The only person with more kills in the state is Holy Redeemer’s Josh Rocha, who has 772 in 75 sets played.

McLaughlin has 222 kills in 60 sets, and added 101 blocks.

In league play, Crestwood ended with three losses – falling to Wilkes-Barre Area, Delaware Valley and Holy Redeemer. But it was in that WBA match where Jeff Stec saw what kind of team he had. The Comets lost their libero early in the match, but still, fought back to force a fifth set in the 3-2 setback.

“When I saw how much fight we had, and how much we battled when we didn’t have somebody that we rely on, that was the biggest turning point for me. I knew we could do something because we didn’t lay down or give up. Once I saw that, I knew we would get better from there,” Jeff Stec said.

It also allowed the Comets to pick up some good wins throughout the year, including a 3-0 win over Abington Heights to end the season.

“In past seasons, if we were down a set or down a few points, it was almost like the mindset was like, ‘we aren’t going to win this one.’ This year, it’s different. The mentality and drive is different. It doesn’t matter what the score is, or if we are down a few points, they are fighting back and winning games. We really noticed it against Holy Redeemer, which is a really good team. We ended up losing it, but the fight was good for us. You know we aren’t giving up. We are going to fight to the end.”

Holy Redeemer will enter the Class 2A playoffs as the overwhelming favorite to capture the title. The Royals, ranked No. 5 in the latest Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association state rankings, rolled through league play and has Rocha, one of the top players in the state, regardless of classification.

The top two teams from District 2 advance to the state bracket in Class 2A.

Originally Published: May 20, 2025 at 12:00 AM EDT

Pictured, from left to right, are Lucy Ulsh, Tatum Bensink, Alice Scarpine, Kortlyn Fairbank, Kara Feldt, Kinslee Motter, Macy Ulsh and Makennah Ryberg.
Submitted photo

Two teams of Chautauqua Lake students competed in a 4’s beach volleyball tournament at Presque Isle on Sunday. Both teams finished first in their pools and, after three wins in the elimination round, met in the finals. The 4 Amigos (pink jerseys) finished first and the Gold Diggers (black jerseys) finished second out of the 38 teams competing. They were awarded with beach towels and gift certificates.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Four Baldwin Wallace University track and field student-athletes have earned the right to continue their season at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The outdoor track and field teams will be represented by junior All-American jumper Kaedan Faggs (Marion / Harding), senior All-American distance runner Hope Murphy (Mogadore), sophomore thrower Kitar Olsen (Whitefish, Mont.), and senior All-American jumper Christian Pfeiffer (Amherst).

Faggs qualifies for his first appearance in the outdoor championships. He qualifies for the long jump with his mark of 7.49 meters at the NCAA Division III All-Ohio Outdoor Championships. He was a key contributor to BW winning the championship title that weekend. His mark currently places him fourth in the nation. This season, Faggs earned his fourth career All-Ohio Athletic Conference honor after winning the long jump at the OAC Outdoor Championships. During the indoor season, he earned his first career All-American honor after placing fifth in the long jump at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships (his first indoor and overall appearance). Additionally, he was awarded the OAC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week on April 14 for his third career weekly accolade. This year, Faggs was also named a United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Great Lakes region indoor honoree for the long jump.

Murphy makes her fifth appearance to the outdoor championships. She qualifies for the 800-meter run with her record-breaking time of 2:07.77 at the Harrison Dillard Twilight, hosted by BW. With her time, which currently places her ninth in the country, she broke her own outdoor record (originally set at 2:09.03 in 2023). Murphy has qualified for every outdoor national meet throughout her illustrious career. Overall, this is her eighth appearance at the national meet (indoor and outdoor). Her last outdoor championship appearance, she earned her fourth career All-American honor after placing eighth in the 1500-meter run. At the OAC Outdoor Championships, she was crowned the OAC Champion in the 1500-meter run. Additionally, she earned All-OAC honors in the 800-meter run and 4×400-meter relay after finishing second and third, respectively. Murphy’s phenomenal season led her to being named the Most Outstanding Distance Runner at the OAC Outdoor Championships. Throughout her career, she has racked up 18 All-OAC honors. This season, she was also named a USTFCCCA All-Great Lakes region indoor honoree for the 800-meter run.

Olsen qualifies for his first appearance to the outdoor championships. He qualifies for the hammer throw with his qualifying mark of 58.62 meters at the Midwest Twilight Final Qualifier, hosted by Augustana (Ill.) College. His mark currently places him 19th in the nation. Olsen is the first BW thrower (either gender) in two years to qualify for an appearance at the national meet.

Pfeiffer makes his third appearance to the outdoor championships. He qualifies for the high jump with his qualifying height of 2.10 meters at the OAC Outdoor Championships, where he won the high jump for the third consecutive year. His mark currently ties him for fourth in the country. During the indoor season, Pfeiffer earned his third career All-American honor with his record-breaking high jump of 2.11 meters after placing third at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships (his third indoor and fifth overall appearance). He broke his own record of 2.10 meters (set in 2024) with his phenomenal jump. This year, Pfeiffer was also named a USTFCCA All-Great Lakes region indoor honoree for the high jump.

The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be co-hosted by the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and SPIRE Institute from May 22-24 in Geneva, Ohio.

Four Saint John’s University individual athletes and one relay team will compete in this week’s NCAA Division III outdoor national track and field championships in Geneva, Ohio.

The qualifiers for the national field were announced Friday night. The top 22 marks/times in individual events, and the top 16 times in the relays, made the cut.

The national meet begins Thursday and concludes Saturday at the SPIRE Institute track and field complex.

Senior Kevin Arthur will compete in the men’s 100 and 200-meter dash, as well as being part of SJU’s 4×100 relay team. Freshman Matt Reis will also be part of the 4×100, as well as competing in the 100 and long jump.

Senior Max Lelwica will compete in the decathlon and classmate Jackson McDowell will compete in the high jump.

Arthur – who has won MIAC titles in both the 100 and 200 the past four seasons – enters the meet ranked second nationally in the 100 and third in the 200. Reis is ranked 14th nationally in the long jump and 21st in the 100. The 4×100 entered the meet ranked No. 8 nationally.

Lelwica is ranked fourth nationally in the decathlon and McDowell is ranked eighth nationally in the high jump.

The top eight finishers in each event earn first team All-American honors.

Check out full coverage on gojohnnies.com.

Tufts student-athletes are on a roll, as teams and individuals advance in post-season (and in some cases, post-graduation) competition.

Men’s Lacrosse

The top-ranked Jumbos played one of their best games of the season on May 18 in the NCAA Division III men’s lacrosse semifinals, exploding for 26 goals to knock off No. 5 Bowdoin College on Bello Field, and now head to the national title game for the third consecutive season. 

Tufts (21-0) will take on No. 17 Dickinson College (17-5) in the NCAA championship game on May 25 at 7 p.m. at Gillette Stadium, the first time Tufts has played a title game in Foxborough. It is the first meeting of the two teams. 

In the quarterfinals Tufts beat No. 7 Gettysburg College 17-8 on May 17, also on Bello Field. 

Women’s Lacrosse

The women’s lacrosse team narrowly edged No. 7 Salisbury, 8-7, after initially taking an 8-5 lead early in the fourth quarter of the NCAA women’s lacrosse quarterfinals at Bello Field on May 18. 

With the victory, the No. 1 ranked Tufts (20-1) returns to the NCAA Final Four for the third time in program history and the first since 2022. They will take on No. 6 Gettysburg College on May 23 at 7 p.m. at Kerr Stadium on the campus of Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. 

Tuftsand Gettysburg have played just once before, when the Jumbos defeated the Bullets 16-9 in Gettysburg on May 23, 2022.

Men’s Tennis

The Jumbos picked up a resounding 4-1 win against RPI on May 11 to advance to the NCAA Division III men’s tennis championship quarterfinals in Claremont, California against No. 6 Emory. It is their fourth straight season at the NCAA finals site, and their third straight match against a ranked opponent.

The Jumbos enter the quarterfinal round with a 22-2 record and were ranked No. 3 in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll. Both Vuk Vuksanovic and Javier Gonzalez will compete later in May in the NCAA individual championships in singles and doubles.

Women’s Track and Field

The women’s track and field squad has eight entries in the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships on May 22-24 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. 

Arielle Chechile (400-meter hurdles), Makayla Moriarty (400-meter dash), Harper Meek (high jump), Elysse Cumberland (long jump, triple jump), Jordan Andrew (long jump, triple jump), and Jackie Wells (javelin) will compete on behalf of Tufts. 

Men’s Track and Field

The Jumbos picked up a trio of entries in the NCAA outdoor men’s track and field championships on May 22-24 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. 

Amokrane Aouchiche will compete in the 10,000-meter run; Josh Wilkie will take on the 400-meter hurdles; and Sahr Matturi will be in the long jump competition. 

Women’s Rowing 

The Jumbos received an automatic berth into the NCAA DIII women’s rowing championships after winning the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship race on May 11 for the second straight year.

The NCAA championships will be held May 30-31 at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, New Jersey. Eight teams were selected for the 2025 DIII rowing championships, with each team consisting of two boats (first varsity and second varsity). Tufts is the defending NCAA champion, winning its first national title last year in Bethel, Ohio. This is Tufts’ seventh berth into NCAAs overall, and second straight as an automatic qualifier.

Men’s Rowing

For the fourth year in a row, the men’s rowing team has earned an at-large berth into the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Division III national championship regatta coming up May 30-31 on Cooper River in Camden, New Jersey.

The IRA national championship first included a DIII championship in 2022. Tufts has qualified for all four subsequent IRA DIII championships. The Jumbos were one of seven teams that earned the inaugural DIII berths in 2022 and finished as the national runner-up, with only the first varsity competing. At the last two IRA championships, both first and second varsity eights have raced. The Jumbos placed fifth in 2023 and tied for second in 2024.

Women’s Sailing

The women’s sailing team earned an at-large berth into the 2025 Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Fleet Race national championship, which will be hosted by St. Mary’s College (Maryland) May 20-23.

Thirty-six teams will compete at the event, first in a pair of 18-team semifinal regattas. The top nine teams from each semifinal will advance to a two-day final.

Coed Sailing

The Jumbos received an at-large selection into the 2025 Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Fleet Race national championship. The ICSA Open championship will be hosted by St. Mary’s College (Maryland) May 24-27.

Thirty-six teams will compete at the national championship regatta, first in a pair of 18-team semifinal events. The top nine teams from each semifinal will advance to a two-day final. 

Tufts will be one of 13 schools representing the strong New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association at the national championship. The Jumbos had a 10th-place finish at the 2025 New England Fleet Race championship April 19-20 in Rhode Island.