Sports
Sports Beat | Gig Harbor’s Hammer third at U.S. Nationals – Gig Harbor Now
Community Sports
Aiden Hammer of Gig Harbor finished third in the 1,500-meter freestyle race at the U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 3.
Hammer, a four-time state champion for the Tides, dropped 10 seconds off his previous best time to finish the race in 15:05.13. This wasn’t the youth nationals — the 17-year-old Hammer competed against grown men.
“Crazy to think the only people I’m slower than now are the two guys that made the Olympics in the event last year and one of them (Bobby Finke, two-time Olympic gold medalist in the event) is the current world record holder,” Hammer said.
Former Tide Aiden Hammer takes a breath before finishing third at the U.S. swimming national championships. Photo courtesy U.S. swimming.
Hammer’s showing at nationals put him squarely in the conversation for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, especially as his body continues to mature and his technique refines.
The top two swimmers in the event will represent the U.S. at the Olympics and Finke is a lock as a returning gold medalist. Another top contender is David Johnston, who finished second at nationals.
“I’ve got to just keep putting my head down and working towards bigger things in the future,” Hammer said.
It was not that long ago that Hammer finished so far ahead of Peninsula swimmers in a duel event that he had to patiently wait by the wall for the other competitors to finish. It was apparent that Hammer needed competition that would push him to greater heights.
To that end, Hammer reclassified from the high school class of 2026 to 2025. He graduated this spring and will attend the University of Texas this fall.
In Austin, he will swim for legendary coach Bob Bowman. Bowman is the dean of college coaches and was the personal coach of Michael Phelps.
GH water polo fifth in D-I
The Gig Harbor girls water polo team (12-7) placed fifth at the Division I state tournament in Tacoma in early June following a 7-5 win over the Bellevue Wolverines.
The Tides shook off the loss of several seniors from last year’s team, which finished third in the state, and created their own success while playing team water polo that emphasized sharing the ball on offense and playing physical defense.
Gig Harbor relied on outstanding senior goalie Kiah Sawyer. Sawyer has been a steady influence as a leader and a tremendous goalie in the cage. She is widely considered one of the best goalies in the state and was honorable mention all-state.
The Tides’ offense was led by Jenna Nelson and Zoey Nichols, both honorable mention all-state selections, as well as Eva Dahlin and Delaney Moyer.
The Gig Harbor water polo team. Photo courtesy of Mike Kelly
Peninsula water polo fourth in D-II
The Peninsula girls water polo team finished fourth in the Division II state tournament under new head coach Hannah Walker, who was voted the Division II coach of the year.
Walker played at Gig Harbor under longtime coach Mike Kelly and was a four year starter at Fresno Pacific University.
Peninsula lost its first-round game by a lopsided score to Rogers, then knocked off Stadium, 13-10, before losing to West Seattle, 13-5.
Reis Every, Jewel Gullum and Kate Henkel were first-team all-league selections for Peninsula.
Peninsula grad Kimball joins defending champs
Former Peninsula fastpitch state champion Alli Kimball is transferring from Western Washington University to the University of Texas at Tyler. The Patriots have won the last two NCAA Division II national championships.
In both of those years, Tyler ended WWU’s season in the Division II World Series — including in the finals in 2024.
Kimball said it was “time for a change … I really wanted to find a place that was a better fit for me as a person and as a player.”
Former Peninsula pitching star Alli Kimball tries on four national title rings from the University of Texas at Tyler during a recent visit. Photo courtesy of Alli Kimball
Kimball was instrumental in Western’s run to the championship series as a freshman in 2024, when she had a 24-4 record with a 1.41 earned run average. Her 24 wins were the third-most ever by a Vikings pitcher.
Western went 47-13 in 2025. Kimball compiled a 16-4 record and a 2.10 earned run average that was second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Kimball got a big win with a four-inning performance against Central Oklahoma in the D-II World Series on May 24. She didn’t see action the next day, when UT Tyler eliminated the Vikings.
But Tyler coach Mike Reed knew of Kimball’s talent and lunged for his phone as fast as a Texas rattlesnake when Kimball’s name pop up in the transfer portal.
Kimball had a stellar prep pitching career for the Seahawks, winning a Class 3A state title and a state MVP award.
“I knew right away after visiting Tyler that it was a place I could call home, it was so nice. Southern hospitality is a real thing and I’m beyond excited to try and win the natty,” Kimball said.
EWU hires Maxwell as assistant coach
Former Gig Harbor basketball star Brynna Maxwell accepted a job as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington, an NCAA Division I school that competes in the Big Sky Conference.
Maxwell led the Tides to a state championship in 2017 and was MVP of the Class 3A state tournament. She played two years at Utah and two at Gonzaga, earning all-league honors all four years in college.
Maxwell averaged 14.2 points a game as a senior and shot 42.7 percent from 3-point range to help the Zags to two straight NCAA tournament appearances.
The Chicago Sky selected Maxwell in the second round of the 2024 WNBA draft, but cut her due to a knee injury. She played last season in Vigo, Spain, for the professional team Celta Zorka Recalvi.
Gig Harbor resident to hoop at ISU
Martin Kaupanger, a Gig Harbor resident who led Annie Wright of Tacoma to a Class 1A state championship in March, signed a letter of intent to play college basketball at Indiana State University, Larry Bird’s alma mater.
The 6-foot-5 guard transferred to Wright as a ninth-grader, breaking the hearts of hoop fans who dreamed of him playing for the Tides. Kaupanger cited the strong academic reputation of Annie Wright as the major reason for his transfer. He graduated with a 3.7 GPA.
First-year Indiana State coach Matthew Graves recruited Kaupanger after seeing him play on the Puma circuit at AAU summer events. Now Kaupanger will get to test his skills against the country’s best players. That includes a chance to play a Final Four team from last season — Indiana State plays Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a 2025 nonconference game.
Gig Harbor resident Martin Kaupanger has signed to play for Indiana State University. Photo courtesy of Martin Kaupanger
Sports
MSU Denver women’s volleyball captures first NCAA DII National Championship

The Auraria Campus as the fall semester begins. Aug. 24, 2022.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
The Metropolitan State University of Denver women’s volleyball team capped a historic season by winning its first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship with a 3-1 victory over Concordia Saint Paul over the weekend.
It was a marquee moment for the college, which has a total enrollment over 18,000 students in downtown Denver.
“It’s huge, I think it puts us on the map in a lot of ways. So it’s just great to see the support we have out here and the way that people are coming behind us,” head coach Jenny Glenn said after the game. “MSU Denver’s a great place, and we love our volleyball. So it’s great to have a national championship to go along with all that.”
The Roadrunners finished the season with a 32-3 record, the most wins in program history. They’re the first team from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to win a volleyball national title. The team gave the school its first national title since the women’s soccer team won in 2006.
MSU Denver won the final match by taking three of four sets at 25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21. But they had to overcome a slow start during the first set to get rolling at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.,
MSU Denver trailed 19-15 late in the first set. But, the team was able to get back on track with a series of defensive stops, keeping them alive and closing out the set with a 10-3 run.
Glenn said her team displayed fearlessness throughout the last three matches of the season. But after dropping the third set to the Golden Bears, she wanted to finish the job.
“I thought it was a really fun battle of two high-powered offenses and gritty defense at different times. And that fourth set got a little tight,” Glenn said after the match. “I was thinking, we need to get this thing done now. I saw the look in my athletes’ eyes at one of those last timeouts, and I was like, we’re in. We’re going to get this thing done.”
After All-American Annika Helf went down with an injury, Megan Hagar turned in a clutch performance with her first career double-double with 18 kills and digs. The junior outside hitter from Casper, Wy., led the team in kills in both the semifinal and national championship matches.
“Megan has been grinding this entire season. I have nothing but great things to say about that girl on and off the court and off the court,” said Skyler Michael, junior outside hitter from Loveland. “She is there for every single person, no matter how she feels. Her identity is literally, she brings value to the team and she brings value to each one of us, and she brings out our value as well.”
Hagar earned Tournament MVP honors, totaling 39 kills and averaging 3.25 kills per set, while adding 39 digs and four block assists over the final three matches of the tournament. Alyssa Boyte, Brooke Gennerman, and Karyna Werley joined Hagar on NCAA Division II All-Tournament Team.
Sports
Four Tigers Honored to CSC Volleyball Academic All-District Team – LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU placed a program-record four student-athletes on the 2025 CSC Volleyball Academic All-District Team, as announced Tuesday by College Sports Communicators.
Setter Lauren Brooker (mass communication), middle blocker Jessica Jones (mechanical engineering), libero Aly Kirkhoff (management) and middle blocker Angelina Lee (industrial engineering) earned recognition, marking the fourth consecutive season LSU has had multiple players selected to the Academic All-District Team.
Lee became a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection and is the third Tiger in program history to earn multiple academic honors, joining Lauren DeGirolamo and Anna Zwiebel. She started 24 of the 26 matches she appeared in this season and ranked second on the team with 0.83 blocks per set and 78 total blocks, including a team-high 11 solo blocks. Lee also hit .286 with 128 kills.
Brooker directed the LSU offense with 6.27 assists per set (640 total) and added 29 kills, 31 blocks, 11 aces and 142 digs. The California native recorded three double-doubles and posted a career-high 56 assists against Ole Miss on Nov. 12.
Jones was one of two players to appear in all 104 sets this season and led LSU with 1.03 blocks per set, 107 total blocks and a .313 hitting percentage. She recorded nine matches with at least five blocks, highlighted by a season-high nine blocks at Arkansas on Sept. 28. Jones also hit a career-best .688 with 11 kills on 16 errorless swings against No. 19 USC on Sept. 18.
Kirkhoff led the Tigers with 2.19 digs per set (199 total) and recorded 10 matches with double-digit digs, including five in the final six matches of the season. She posted the first double-double of her career with a career-high 11 assists and 15 digs against Auburn on Nov. 14.
For the latest news and information on Tiger volleyball, visit www.lsusports.net/volleyball. Fans can follow the team on its social media outlets, such as www.facebook.com/lsuvolleyball and @lsuvolleyball, as well as on Instagram and X.
Sports
The top NCAA volleyball players in transfer portal
Dec. 17, 2025, 8:46 a.m. ET
The 2025 NCAA women’s college volleyball tournament is down to the Final Four with Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Texas A&M advancing to the semifinals, but it’s never too early to look ahead to next season.
As the NCAA crowns a national champion this weekend, some of the biggest names in the sport have entered the transfer portal in search of a new home for the 2026 season. Penn State setter Izzy Starck is among the hundreds of players entering the portal after the defending champion Nittany Lions were ousted in the second round of the tournament.
Here are the best players available in the transfer portal, as of Wednesday:
NCAA women’s volleyball transfer portal
Izzy Starck, Penn State, So.: The 2024 AVCA National Freshman of the Year and second-team All-American appeared in four games for Penn State before stepping away for the season to prioritize her mental health. The 6-foot-1 setter said her hiatus wasn’t a “goodbye forever,” but her time at Penn State has officially come to an end. Starck averaged 10.89 assists per set her freshman season.
Ayden Ames, Texas, So.: The 6-4 middle blocker averaged 1.52 kills and 1.11 blocks per set with a .368 hitting percentage. She recorded a career-best eight total blocks in the first round of the NCAA tournament vs. Florida A&M on Dec. 5 before Texas was upset by Wisconsin in the Elite Eight.
Jovana Zelenovic, Kansas, Fr.: The 6-7 hitter from Serbia was named to the All-Big 12 first team after leading the Jayhawks in kills (375) and service aces (46) with a .276 hitting percentage. Zelenovic was named the AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year and was unanimously voted to the Big 12’s All-Rookie Team.
Natalie Ring, Marquette, Sr.: The 6-1 outside hitter set career highs in kills (497) and kills per set (4.60), ranked 17th nationally, while hitting .274. She was unanimously named to the All-Big East first team and selected for the 2025 AVCA third team.
Jaela Auguste, Florida, So.: The 6-2 middle blocker was named to the All-SEC first team after averaging 2.69 kills per set and 106 total blocks. The 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year hit .344 her sophomore season and was named to the 2025 AVCA third team.
Alex Bower, BYU, So.: The 5-11 setter was named to the All-Big 12 first team after recording a team-high 10.63 assists per set and 1,265 total assists this season, which ranks 10th in the nation. Bower isn’t the only Cougar to hit the transfer portal: Big 12 Freshman of the Year Suli Davis has committed to SMU.
Kaia Castle, Ohio State, Fr.: The 6-4 middle blocker led the team with 91 blocks and 0.88 per set. She broke the Buckeye’s single-match block record with 15 blocks vs. Troy on Sept. 21.
Katie Dalton, Kansas, Sr.: The 6-1 setter led the Jayhawks with 780 assists and 8.76 assists per set. She recorded 55 assists vs. Iowa State on Oct. 10. She was named to the All-Big 12 second team.
Zoe Humphrey, Tennessee, Fr.: The 6-2 middle blocker was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after recording 75 kills on .381 hitting and 68 blocks. She had a career-high eight blocks against South Carolina on Sept. 26.
Gabi Placide, Ole Miss, Jr.: The 6-0 outside hitter averaged 4.48 kills per set for Ole Miss this season, which ranks 23rd in the nation. She started her collegiate career at Northern Colorado before transferring to Ole Miss.
Marina Crownover, Missouri, Jr: The 5-11 setter led the Tigers in assists (965) and assists per set (9.37) this season, adding 231 digs and 31 service aces. She recorded a season-high 54 assists vs. Auburn on Oct. 12.
NCAA women’s volleyball transfer portal: Players on the move
There’s already movement in the transfer portal. Here’s some players who have committed to a new team, as of Wednesday Dec. 17:
- BYU freshman outside hitter Suli Davis is transferring to SMU after leading all rookies nationally in total kills (541) and kills per set (4.55). She recorded a career-high 28 kills against both Utah on Nov. 14 Arizona on Nov. 19.
- Florida redshirt junior setter Alexis Stucky is transferring to Penn State after racking up 1,062 assists and 10.31 assists per set this season.
- Tennessee sophomore outside hitter Paityn Chapman is transferring to Illinois after averaging 165 kills and 2.46 kills per set with a .297 hitting percentage with the Lady Vols.
- Arizona sophomore setter Avery Scoggins is transferring to Vanderbilt after recording 1,190 assists and 10.62 assists per set this season, which both rank in the top 20 in the nation.
- Marquette freshman setter Isabela Haggard is transferring to Baylor after recording 997 assists and 257 digs in her rookie campaign. She was named the co-Big East Freshman of the Year
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Sports
Kentucky vs. Wisconsin volleyball: Time, TV channel, preview for the NCAA semifinal
7:06 pm, December 16, 2025
Before the Wildcats and Badgers take the court at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, let’s take a look at how the two teams compare statistically.
| Kentucky | Statistic | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 29-2 (15-0 SEC) | Record | 28-4 (17-3 Big Ten) |
| No. 1 | NCAA seed | No. 3 |
| .295 | Hitting % | .325 |
| 13.93 | Assists per set | 14.26 |
| 2.47 | Blocks per set | 2.43 |
| .180 | Opp hitting % | .184 |
| 137/225 | Service aces/errors | 85/235 |
6:58 pm, December 16, 2025
Kentucky and Wisconsin won four matches to get to the national semifinals in Kansas City, with UK advancing with a dominant home tournament stretch, losing only one set so far. Wisconsin had slightly more drama, winning at top-seeded Texas in the regional finals.
| No. 1 Kentucky | Round | No. 3 Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Def. Wofford, 3-0 | First | Def. Eastern Illinois, 3-0 |
| Def. No. 8 UCLA, 3-1 | Second | Def. North Carolina, 3-0 |
| Def. Cal Poly, 3-0 | Regional semifinals | Def. No. 2 Stanford, 3-1 |
| Def. No. 3 Creighton, 3-0 | Regional finals | Def. No. 1 Texas, 3-1 |
Sports
Pitt vs. Texas A&M volleyball: Time, TV channel, preview for the NCAA semifinal
Reaching the national semifinals in women’s volleyball is no small task. Since Dec. 4, teams have battled through a demanding NCAA tournament, with every match bringing them one step closer to a national title. Let’s take a look at how Texas A&M and Pitt powered their way into the Final Four.
| NO. 2 PITT | ROUND | NO. 3 TEXAS A&M |
|---|---|---|
| Def. UMBC, 3-0 | First | Def. Campbell, 3-0 |
| Def. Michigan, 3-0 | Second | Def. No. 6 TCU, 3-0 |
| Def. No. 4 Minnesota, 3-0 | Regional semifinals | Def. No. 2 Louisville, 3-2 |
| Def. No. 3 Purdue, 3-1 | Regional finals | Def. No. 1 Nebraska, 3-2 |
👉 Check out the full schedule, scores from the 2025 women’s volleyball tournament
Texas A&M (27-4)
No. 3 Texas A&M punched its ticket to the semis with a stunning 5-set upset of unbeaten Nebraska. The 3-2 victory not only marked the Aggies’ first Final Four appearance in program history, but it also etched them into the record books, becoming the first team since 2015 to eliminate a No.1 overall seed before the national semifinals.
MUST-SEE: Texas A&M upsets unbeaten Nebraska in regional final
Pitt (30-4)
No. 1 Pitt continued its dominant postseason run with a 3-1 win over No. 3 Purdue at home, earning a spot in the Final Four and its fifth straight national semifinal appearance. Despite their sustained success, Pitt is still chasing their first national title. The Panthers reached the semis in 2024, ultimately losing to Louisville in four sets. Now, with another shot at reaching the championship, Pitt is determined to flip last year’s narrative.
Neither program has taken home the trophy, and now only one question remains: Who wants it more? We will find out on Thursday, Dec. 18. Follow along here for live updates throughout the exciting match and live stats.
Sports
Hood Jr., Andrews, Garnett honored as MVC Track and Field Athletes of the Week
ST. LOUIS – Indiana State track and field earned three of the four Missouri Valley Conference Athlete of the Week honors following a strong start to the Sycamores’ season at the John Gartland Invitational. Casey Hood Jr., Reneisha Andrews and Aliseonna Garnett all earned conference accolades Wednesday morning for their performances in the season opener.
Hood Jr. was tabbed the MVC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, Andrews earned MVC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week and Garnett was named MVC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. Andrews and Hood Jr. both rank in the top 10 nationally in the 60m, Hood Jr. also owns a top-15 national ranking in the 200m and Garnett owns top-25 national rankings in both throws events.
Hood Jr. started his 2025-26 season with a bang, claiming first-place finishes in both the 60m and 200m with meet record times at the John Gartland Invitational. The 2025 Second Team All-American clocked times of 6.71 in prelims and 6.63 in finals to win the 60m, breaking meet and facility records in the process, and he closed out his season debut with a 21.87 in the 200m, breaking the meet record by more than three-tenths of a second. Hood Jr.’s 60m time ranks third in the nation this season and is also the fastest in both the MVC and Great Lakes Region, while his conference-leading 200m time is also second in the Great Lakes Region and 13th nationally.
Andrews made an instant impression in her Indiana State debut, breaking meet and facility records in the 60m at the John Gartland Invitational. The Trinidad and Tobago native ran a 60m time of 7.51 in prelims and followed that with a 7.40 in finals, both of which broke the meet and facility records in the event. Andrews’ 60m time ranks ninth in the nation this season while also leading both the MVC and Great Lakes Region in the event.
Garnett recorded a pair of commanding first-place finishes in the throws events at the John Gartland Invitational, posting conference leading and top-25 national marks in both the shot put and weight throw. Her weight throw mark of 18.77m (61-7) was a career best in the event, while her throw of 15.48m (50-9.5) was the second-best mark of her career in the event. Garnett leads the MVC and ranks in the top three of the Great Lakes region in both throws events this season, with her shot put mark sitting 13th in the nation and her weight throw mark ranked 22nd in the nation.
The weekly honor is the seventh of Hood Jr.’s career, having earned MVC Track Athlete of the Week honors twice during the 2025 outdoor season and four times during the 2025 indoor season. Andrews and Garnett both earned their first career MVC weekly honor.
Indiana State returns to action after the calendar flips to 2026, as the Sycamores play host to longtime rival Illinois State for the Coughlan-Malloy Cup January 17 inside the Indoor Track and Field Facility.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
– #MarchOn –
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