Sports

Taylor Swift on 'New Heights' podcast

Published

4 months ago

August 14, 2025

One of the most anticipated podcast episodes of 2025 – and maybe of all time – is here.

The “New Heights” podcast featuring brothers Jason and Travis Kelce had one of its highest-profile guests in its history today: Grammy Award-winning artist Taylor Swift.

Swift and Travis Kelce have been a couple since September 2023. He attended one of Swift’s shows at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – home of his Kansas City Chiefs – that summer and the two started dating shortly afterward.

The Kelce brothers started the “New Heights” podcast in September 2022 and it’s grown into one of the most popular podcasts on streaming platforms. Amazon’s streaming platform Wondery bought the distribution and ad sales rights to the show for $100 million in August 2024.

The podcast teased her appearance earlier this week with multiple clips. One in particular is of key interest for Swifties: her announcement of the release of her new album “The Life of a Showgirl.”The podcast was live on YouTube and other streaming platforms. USA Today Sports provided updates of Swift’s first appearance on “New Heights”:’I’ve seen Taylor do the exact same’: Travis Kelce reveals how Taylor Swift is like his mom Donna Kelce

How to listen to the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift

The podcast is available on all streaming platforms. It’s currently the top show on Apple Music and can also be streamed on Spotify. The premiere will also be available on the show’s YouTube channel at 7 p.m. ET.

Where to watch the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift

You can catch the “New Heights” in video format on YouTube only.

Taylor Swift’s ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment

Jason Kelce asked what Swift’s “welcome to the NFL” moment was, and she mentioned the 2024 AFC championship game, the Chiefs won over the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. That was the first time she stepped onto the field.

“We’re in the suite and he’s just won the AFC championship, we’re freaking out, everybody’s screaming,” she recalled. “And his mom goes, ‘all right, let’s go down to the field.’ And I was like, ‘what are we doing, what do you mean? We’re going where?'”

She asked Travis’ mother, Donna, if he was okay with that.

“We hadn’t talked about this,” Swift said. “He doesn’t jinx anything which I respect… but we hadn’t had a conversation about it.”

“Mama knows best,” Travis said. “She knew I wanted you down there.”

When she got down to the field, she was shocked by the environment Travis went through during the game.

“It’s just like, oh my god,” she said. “There’s so many lights. I’ve never seen this many cameras, I’ve never seen this much media in my life and I’ve seen a lot of media.”

Swift says she and Travis Kelce have ‘very similar’ jobs

“On paper, we actually kind of have a very similar job,” Swift said. “Our job is to entertain people for three-plus hours in NFL stadiums. When I’m there it’s called a dressing room, when Travis is there it’s called a locker room.”

Swift, Travis Kelce see the impact they have on new NFL fans

Much has been made about the increase in viewership of NFL games involving the Chiefs since Travis and Swift started dating. The two have seen that impact anecdotally as well.

“It definitely feels like a lot of people say that to us which is really kind because there was never a thought in either of our heads that that was going to be a by-product,” Swift said.

“That was a pleasant surprise, seeing all the little girls in the stands at games and you can see a proud father right there standing next to them,” Travis agreed. “It’s definitely been fun to see that surprise.”

Swift says her dad is friends with Chiefs coach Andy Reid

Swift said her father, Scott, is friends with the Super Bowl-winning head coach after Reid had come to some of her shows. But she admits she didn’t fully know what Reid was doing.

“I knew that was my dad’s friend Andy Reid,” she said. “I now know that he is literally the most iconic, legendary coach of all time… his leadership style, I respect it so much because I feel like it’s done without aggression or raising your voice or losing your composure.”

Reid even vouched for Travis with Scott.

“Basically everyone who likes [Travis], which is a lot of people, started reaching out to everyone who knows me,” Swift recalled. “I think it was like Andy was vouching for you, my relatives, my cousins.”

Swift compares pressure in football to performing

“I love this new world that Travis has shown me,” Swift said. “It’s so fun, it’s so exciting. There’s so much pressure on these players… I’ve only ever been in music and been like, you know, seeing that. The pressure on sports is just such a different type that I have such a respect for everyone. Everyone I meet on his team, everyone I see doing this, I’m just like ‘you’ve been focused on this since you were a kid.’ And it shows.”

What is Wondery?

Wondery is a podcast network owned by Amazon. The platform signed a deal in 2024 for $100 million to hold the distribution and ad sales rights for the “New Heights” podcast for three years.

Swift, Jason Kelce agree on her improved football knowledge

Swift said she’s fallen in love with football and become obsessed with it, including the NFL Draft.

“I became a person who was running through the halls of my house screaming, ‘We drafted Xavier Worthy,'” she said, referring to the Chiefs’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. “My friends were like, ‘What? Who body snatched you? What do you mean?”

Travis said she was the first person to tell him Kansas City drafted him.

She is also learning about the side of the ball that game plans to stop Travis.

“We’re talking about Cover 2, Cover 4, Cover 0, man coverage,” she said. “I continue to learn… I’m not ready to be an analyst right now but give me 16 months.”

“You had asked some of the best questions when we’re up in the booth,” Jason said. “Your desire to learn more but your genuine excitement around it as well as your competitiveness.”

Swift recounts Travis explaining football to her on first date

Swift explained that on their first date she asked Travis what it was like to face his brother, Jason, in Super Bowl 57. Specifically, she asked what it was like to line up against him on the field, something they didn’t do during the game because both Kelce brothers played on offense in that Super Bowl.

“He didn’t even look at me,” Swift said. “I now know what an insane question that was. He was like, ‘actually, I’m on the offense and my brother’s on the offense and I’m only on the field at the same time as the defense.’ I thought everyone was on there at the same time.”

What are 92 percenters?

Jason and Travis Kelce refer to fans of the “New Heights” podcast as “92%ers” in reference to the success rate of a quarterback sneak. Jason, a longtime center for the Philadelphia Eagles, stated that the team’s success rate in running a quarterback sneak was 92%. The Eagles popularized a version of the quarterback sneak commonly called the “Tush Push.”

Will Taylor Swift announce her new album on the podcast?

Yes. A clip from the episode shows Swift revealing her new album. “The Life of a Showgirl” is the award-winning artist’s 12th studio album following “The Tortured Poets Department” released last year.

Has Taylor Swift been on Travis Kelce’s podcast before?

This is the first time Swift is appearing on the “New Heights” podcast but she’s been mentioned by name before.

Travis first talked about going to one of her concerts on an episode in July 2023.

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings so I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made her,” Travis said. “If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I had received a bunch of them, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.”

Two months later, the two were officially dating.

What is the New Heights podcast?

The show premiered on Sept. 7, 2022 when both brothers were active players in the NFL. Jason was entering his 12th and penultimate season with the Philadelphia Eagles as their starting center. He retired following the 2023 NFL season after earning his sixth career first-team All-Pro honor.

Jason’s career with the Eagles and Travis’ with the Chiefs means prominent people from both franchises have appeared on the show. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, general manager Howie Roseman, coach Nick Sirianni and running back Saquon Barkley have all appeared at least once on the podcast. Same goes for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defensive tackle Chris Jones and coach Andy Reid.

The podcast grew in popularity enough over the following two years that Wondery, Amazon’s podcast platform, paid more than $100 million for the ad sales and distribution rights for the show.

New Heights guests history

Swift is one of the highest-profile guests the brothers have had on the show but she’s not alone. Here are some of the more notable non-football guests to appear on “New Heights”:

When is the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift?

The “New Heights” podcast episode featuring Taylor Swift is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

What time is the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift?

The latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast will premiere at 7 p.m. ET.

Related Topics:center coach football history live media music new NFL podcast podcasts pro season show sports studio team usa video watch YouTube

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Elite Eight scores and highlights

Published

10 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Updated Dec. 13, 2025, 7:14 p.m. ET

This is it. The final frontier before the NCAA women’s volleyball Final Four.

All four No. 1 and No. 3 seeds advanced through the Round of 16 and will play Saturday and Sunday for a right to advance to Final Four at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

No. 1 Kentucky beat No. 3 seed Creighton to punch its ticket in the early match Saturday. They will face the winner of No. 3 Purdue against No. 1 Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m., ESPN2).

Pitt’s had sweeps against UMBC, Michigan and Minnesota to advance. But many of the sets were too close for comfort.

“I think we’re really battle-tested,” said Pitt’s Olivia Babcock, the reigning Player of the Year. “In no way does it feel like we’ve swept our way through. All these teams are playing their hardest, and if you look at the scores, it’s not like we’re blowing teams out. It’s like 25-23, a set that could really go either way.

“I feel like it’s testing us with how we can play at the end (of sets). That’s something that’s going to be really important moving into these next three rounds.”

Purdue arrives in a snowstorm

FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 3, Creighton 0

Set 3 final: Kentucky 25, Creighton 18

Kentucky advances to its second Final Four. Brooklyn Deleye finished with 18 kills, Eva Hudson 13 kills and Asia Thigpen eight kills. Kassie O’Brien had 40 assists and eight digs. The Wildcats hit .263 for the match.

Set 3: Kentucky closing in on second Final Four

Brooklyn Deleye has 16 kills and is hitting .316. Eva Hudson has 12 kills and is hitting .320. Kassie O’Brien has 38 assists.

Set 2 final: Kentucky 25, Creighton 13

The Wildcats handed the Bluejays their worst set defeat of the season. Kentucky improved its hitting percentage to .289 and had 11 kills from Brooklyn Deleye. Crieghton had eight kills and eight errors for a .000 hitting percentage.

Kentucky is one set away from Kansas City and the Final Four.

Set 2: Kentucky again first team to 15

Kentucky has nine kills and is hitting .282. The Bluejays have a negative hitting percentage in the second set at -0.0.37.

Set 1 final score: Kentucky 25, Creighton 19

Brooklyn Deleye and Eva Hudson had six kills each to lead Kentucky. The Wildcats are hitting .292 as a team compared to .091 for the Bluejays. Kentucky had 17 kills in the first set and Creighton nine.

Set 1: Kentucky first to 15

Brooklyn Deleye and Eva Hudson have five kills each in the early going to help the Wildcats get to a slim 15-14 lead.

Kentucky starting volleyball lineup

Creighton starting volleyball lineup

Kentucky ready to protect its house

When is NCAA women’s volleyball regional final?

Date: Dec. 13 and Dec. 14
Time: Two matches each day. Match-by-match times below.

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. Games can be streamed ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

NCAA volleyball regional final: Times, TV

All times Eastern

Saturday, Dec. 13

No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 1 Kentucky, 5 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 3 Purdue, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Sunday, Dec. 14

No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Texas, TBD | ESPN2
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Nebraska, TBD | ESPN2

When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?

Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21
The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be broadcast on ESPN. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21 on ABC.

Round of 16 volleyball results

Thursday, Dec. 11

No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 2 Arizona State 1
No. 1 Kentucky 3, Cal Poly 0
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 4 Minnesota 0
No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 2 SMU 1

Friday, Dec. 12

No. 1 Texas 3, No. 4 Indiana 0
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, No. 2 Stanford 1
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 2 Louisville 2
No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 4 Kansas 0

NCAA volleyball second-round results

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 8 UCLA 1 (30-28, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17)
No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 Northern Iowa 1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15)
Cal Poly 3, No. 4 USC 2 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)

Austin bracket

No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0 (25-14, 25-21, 27-25)
No. 1 Texas 1, No. 8 Penn State 0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19)
No. 2 Stanford 3, Arizona 1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20)

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Michigan 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18)
No. 2 SMU 3, Florida 0 (25-11, 25-21, 26-24)
No. 4 Minnesota 3, No. 5 Iowa State 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-14)

Lincoln bracket

No. 4 Kansas 3, No. 5 Miami 1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Marquette 2 (21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12)
No. 1 Nebraska 3, Kansas State 0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-16)
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 6 TCU 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 29-27)

NCAA volleyball first-round results

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-12)
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2 (25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10)
No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0, (25-19, 25-12, 25-13)
No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2 (12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15)
No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-12)

Austin bracket

No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0 (25-11, 25- 8, 25-14)
No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1 (25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19)
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15)
No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14)

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 1 Pitt 3, UMBC 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13)
Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-23)
No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8)
No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0 (25-12, 25-7, 25-13)
No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-19)
No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13)

Lincoln bracket

No. 1 Nebraska 3, Long Island 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-17)
Kansas State 3, San Diego 2 (21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12)
No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18)
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13)
No. 6 TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0 (25-8, 26-24, 25-20)
Marquette 3, Western Kentucky 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola (Illinois) 0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-12)

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Creighton volleyball falls in Elite Eight match, finishes season 28-6

Published

26 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Creighton volleyball fell Saturday in three sets against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Volleyball tournament.

The Wildcats owned all three sets, winning with scores of 25-19, 25-13 and 25-18.

Kentucky’s ruthless offense kept the Bluejays on the defense as the game churned into the third set. Following the second set, Kentucky’s coach Craig Skinner told the ESPN2 crew that he was relying on his team’s “big dogs to get it done.”

“Serving pressure was a big factor,” Skinner said heading into the locker room. “Reinhardt hasn’t been able to get involved as much. To keep them away from the net, to limit the number of options is huge.”

Creighton coach Brian Rosen, who’s leading the Creighton team through the NCAA tournament for his first time, said he told his team they needed to change their mindset heading into the third set.

“We’ve got to clean some things up,” Rosen told the ESPN2 crew. “We’re not putting any points on our serves right now, so we got to push it.”

Several long rallies in the third set felt like a comeback for the Bluejays, but the team came up just short. Creighton was attempting to make program history by punching its the ticket to the Final Four but fell just short against Kentucky.

The season-ending loss capped another impressive season for the Bluejays, which included the program’s sixth-straight Big East title.

Senior players, Ava Martin and Kiara Reinhardt, will continue their volleyball careers when they trade their college jerseys for professional ones in the Major League Volleyball. In November. Martin was drafted second-overall to the Atlanta Vibe. Reinhardt was eighth-overall pick by the Omaha Supernovas. The two first-round picks made league history. Creighton was the first school to have two selections in the first round of the same draft.

The Bluejays finished the season 28-6.

The Nebraska volleyball team will look to continue its undefeated season Sunday against Texas A&M. The match will be broadcast at 2 p.m. CT on ABC. If the Huskers move on, they’ll play Thursday.

The NCAA Championship will be Sunday, Dec. 21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

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Creighton vs. Kentucky volleyball: Elite Eight scores, highlights

Published

2 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Updated Dec. 13, 2025, 6:02 p.m. ET

The No. 1 seeded Kentucky women’s volleyball team will face No. 3 Creighton for the right to advance to the Final Four on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Kentucky (28-2) has been to the Final Four once, in 2021, and came away with a title. Creighton (28-5) is looking to punch its ticket to its first Final Four.

The Wildcats have a 25-match win streak vs. the Bluejays’ 24-game win streak.

Outside hitters Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson, who transferred from Purdue, and freshman setter Kassie O’Brien lead Kentucky.

“Looking forward to playing Creighton,” Skinner said. “Obviously, a team that’s had a lot of success this year and presents lots of challenges with their offense and the way they play.”

Outside hitter Ava Martin, middle blocker Kiara Reinhardt and setter Annalea Maeder lead the Bluejays.

What time is Creighton vs Kentucky volleyball?

The Creighton Bluejays play the Kentucky Wildcats in the Elite Eight of the NCAA volleyball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 5:00 p.m. ET at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

Creighton vs Kentucky volleyball TV channel, streaming

Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT)
Location: Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, Kentucky)
TV: ESPN2
Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

Stream live sports with Fubo

SCORE: Kentucky 2, Creighton 0

Set 2 final: Kentucky 25, Creighton 13

The Wildcats handed the Bluejays their worst set defeat of the season.

Set 2: Kentucky again first team to 15

Kentucky has nine kills and is hitting .282. The Bluejays have a negative hitting percentage in the second set at -0.0.37.

Set 1 final score: Kentucky 25, Creighton 19

Set 1: Kentucky first to 15

Brooklyn Deleye and Eva Hudson have five kills each in the early going to help the Wildcats get to a slim 15-14 lead.

Kentucky starting volleyball lineup

Creighton starting volleyball lineup

Kentucky ready to protect its house

Kentucky volleyball roster

1	Trinity Ward	DS/Libero	5-7	Freshman	Louisville, Ky.	Holy Cross HS
2	Ava Sarafa	Setter	6-0	Redshirt Sophomore	Bloomfield Hills, Mich.	Marian HS
5	Jordyn Dailey	Middle Blocker / Right Side	6-2	Redshirt Sophomore	Franklinton, North Carolina	NC Academy for Learning and Enrichment
6	Kassie O’Brien	Setter	6-1	Freshman	Katy, Texas	Cinco Rancho HS
7	Eva Hudson	Outside Hitter	6-1	Senior	Ft. Wayne, Ind.	Purdue
8	Brooke Bultema	Middle Blocker	6-3	Redshirt Sophomore	Cincinnati, Ohio	Ursuline Academy
9	Georgia Watson	Outside Hitter	6-3	Freshman	Huntley, Ill.	Huntley HS
10	Kennedy Washington	Middle Blocker	6-0	Sophomore	Glenn Heights, Texas	Prestonwood
11	Molly Berezowitz	DS/Libero	5-5	Junior	Burlington, Wisc.	Burlington HS	Marquette
12	Molly Tuozzo	Libero	5-7	Junior	The Woodlands, Texas	The Woodlands HS
13	Hannah Benjamin	Outside Hitter	6-1	Redshirt Freshman	Atlanta, Ga.	Fideles Christian
15	Lizzie Carr	Middle Blocker / Right Side	6-6	Redshirt Junior	West Chester, Pa.	Purdue
17	Brooklyn DeLeye	Outside Hitter	6-2	Junior	Topeka, Kansas	Washburn Rural HS
20	Asia Thigpen	Outside Hitter	5-11	Sophomore	Pittsboro, N.C.	Northwood

Creighton volleyball roster

#	Name	Pos	Ht	Year	Hometown	High School	Previous School
1	Alivia Hausmann	DS	5′ 5”	So.	Roca, Neb.	Norris
2	Abbey Hayes	OH	6′ 1”	Fr.	Eldridge, Iowa	North Scott
3	Sky McCune	DS	5′ 7”	Sr.	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna
5	Kiara Reinhardt	MB	6′ 3”	Sr.	Cedarburg, Wis.	Cedarburg
6	Jaya Johnson	RS / MB	6′ 2”	So.	Olathe, Kan.	Olathe South
7	Ivy Leuck	S	5′ 6”	Jr.	Omaha, Neb.	Skutt Catholic	Omaha
8	Ava Martin	OH	6′ 1”	Sr.	Overland Park, Kan.	St. Thomas Aquinas
9	Sophia Wendlick	RS / OH	6′ 0”	So.	Milwaukee, Wis.	Divine Savior Holy Angels
10	Eloise Brandewie	MB	6′ 3”	Jr.	Columbus, Ohio	Bishop Hartley	Ohio State
11	Emersen Strain	S	5′ 11”	So.	Thornton, Colo.	Horizon
12	Ava TeStrake	RS / OH	6′ 4”	Jr.	Olathe, Kan.	Olathe West
13	Saige Damrow	DS	5′ 8”	So.	Howards Grove, Wis.	Howards Grove	Wisconsin
17	Annalea Maeder	S	6′ 1”	Sr.	Ried, Switzerland	Gymnasium Baumlihof	California
18	Destiny Ndam-Simpson	OH	6′ 0”	Jr.	Omaha, Neb.	Westside
19	Nora Wurtz	MB	6′ 4”	R-Fr.	Valley, Neb.	Douglas County West
22	Ashlyn Paymal	RS	6′ 1”	Fr.	Omaha, Neb.	Westside
24	Sydney Breissinger	DS	5′ 7”	Jr.	Cincinnati, Ohio	Ursuline Academy

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A reverse-sweep comeback over Louisville pushes Texas A&M volleyball to third-ever Elite Eight

Published

2 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

(KBTX) – In the middle of the third set of Friday’s NCAA Tournament region semifinal volleyball match, Texas A&M opposite hitter Logan Lednicky glanced at a random piece of paper in the middle of the score’s table.

After being the first team to 15 points in both of the first two sets, the third-seeded Aggies’ allowed No. 2 seed Louisville to rally and set up a three-game sweep. The Aggies needed a rare reverse sweep to keep their season alive. They were looking for an answer to the situation they found themselves in.

Sometimes the sign is literally a sign.

“Something great is about to happen,” the piece of paper read.

Three sets later, the Aggies were celebrating on the court of the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Nebraska, having rallied to beat Louisville 3-2 in a five set thriller. It was A&M’s first reverse sweep since September 29 of last year, when the Aggies’ came from behind to beat Missouri in Reed Arena.

“I’m like floating on air,” Lednicky said after the match. “That was the most insane experience I have ever been a part of.”

From the start, A&M appeared to be in control of the match, jumping out to a 17-12 lead. However, after A&M reached 15 points, Louisville did not commit another error in the set. The Cardinals closed out the set on a 6-3 run to take the first game.

History repeated itself in the second set. A&M pulled out to a 21-16 lead, but allowed a 5-0 Cardinal run to tie the game. An 8-0 run ultimately sealed the 2-0 start for Louisville and put the Aggies’ season in jeopardy.

It wasn’t unfamiliar territory for the Aggies. Not only did A&M travel to Nebraska last season for the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament, they fell behind 2-1 to Wisconsin and needed to push the game to a fifth set to try to advance. That effort fell short in the final game, 15-13, ending the Aggies season.

The story of this season wouldn’t end the same way.

“I think we spent a lot of time under tension,” Aggie middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla said. “I think that was something we all said when we were in that fifth set, just knowing that we had been here before. We played here before. We’ve been in this exact situation before and it’s really just on us to turn it around and capitalize.”

The Aggie block leader was key at the net in the match turn-around. A&M finished the match with 17 blocks, 12 of which came from Cos-Okpalla. The Aggies had nine blocks in the fourth set, seven off the hands of Cos-Okpalla.

The senior finished with nine kills, to go along with her blocking effort and a .316 hit percentage.

“Even when I wasn’t getting blocked or good touches, I think I was in a good enough spot to like funnel out space for the defense to work behind me,” Cos-Okpalla said. “We can just run our offense from there. So yeah, it takes everybody on the team honestly, but, yeah, I’m just so proud.”

The fifth set saw nine ties and three lead changes in a back-and-forth struggle for the next line of the bracket. The Aggies needed a 3-0 run through the middle of the set to take a 10-9 lead, thanks to two Louisville errors and a block by Cos-Okpalla and Lednicky. Then, the Aggies closed the match out on a 5-2 run with outside hitter Kyndal Stowers recording the final kill.

Lednicky paced the Aggies with 20 kills and added 12 digs and seven blocks. Stowers had 17 kills and 11 digs.

Louisville’s Chloe Chicoine led all attackers with 26 kills.

A&M hit at a .277 clip, slightly better than Louisville’s .229.

The Aggies advance to the program’s third-ever regional final and will face the No. 1 overall seed Nebraska on its home court Sunday at 2 p.m. The Cornhuskers took down No. 4 seed Kansas 3-0 in a match directly following A&M’s win.

In the meantime, A&M can take a moment to relish in the program they’ve builtin the three years of the Morrison era.

“My No. 1 thing that I said when I first got here was to get it back to where its was and take it further and we have it back to where it was… Now, it’s time, in two days, to take it further,” Morrison said.

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Gonzaga Volleyball signs Lydia Fisher

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3 hours ago

December 13, 2025

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SPOKANE, Wash- Gonzaga Volleyball continues to build for the future with the addition of another signee for next season, as head coach JT Wenger announced the signing of Lydia Fisher on Thursday night.

Coming to Spokane after completing her high school career her hometown of Dallas, Lydia has starred for Highland Park High School as middle blocker and right side hitter. She was named to the First Team All-District while representing the Scots. Fisher helped the team to a capture a state championship last month, as Highland Park won the 5A State Championship. A 6’5″ blocker, Fisher will help further establish the net front presence for the Zags when she comes to campus next season.

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Badgers news: Wisconsin back in Elite 8 with big win over Stanford

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3 hours ago

December 13, 2025

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The Wisconsin Badgers are back in the Elite 8. The Badgers faced off against the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal on Friday afternoon, winning 3-1 to face the No. 1-seeded Texas Longhorns in the Elite Eight on Sunday.

Mimi Colyer had one of her best games as a Badger, recording 27 kills on 51 attempts with just eight errors. Carter Booth had 14 kills of her own with zero errors, while Una Vagajic had 13 kills as well. The Badgers had 70 kills as a whole, while Charlie Fuerbringer had 61 assists.

Wisconsin started off the first set well, getting off to an early 7-3 lead as Colyer and Booth each recorded a pair of kills. Things got tight, with Stanford cutting the lead to 10-9, but Wisconsin went on a 5-0 run to separate itself, with Colyer recording two more kills in the stretch.

From there, Wisconsin comfortably led the rest of the way, ultimately taking the first set 25-17. From there, though, things got tight.

The second set was back-and-forth to start, as neither side had more than a two-point lead through the midway point in the set. Stanford began to pull away, though, going on a 4-1 run when leading 15-14 to get a four-point lead late in the set. That proved to be the difference, as the Cardinal extended that lead to 22-16 before ultimately taking the set 25-21.

Tied at 1-1, the Badgers had a great response coming into the third set, starting off with a 5-2 lead. Stanford hit Wisconsin back, though, tying things up at seven apiece, and the back-and-forth action continued from there. Once again, neither side had more than a two-point advantage until Stanford took a 17-14 lead off back-to-back kills from Ella Rubin.

It seemed like the momentum might be turning in Stanford’s favor, but Wisconsin stormed back with a four-point run to take an 18-17 lead as Natalie Wardlow had three consecutive service aces. Both sides traded points over the next few rallies, tying things up back again at 21 apiece.

The two biggest points of the set came next. Kristen Simon had a service ace of her own before Mimi Colyer got a kill to put Wisconsin up 23-21. Jordyn Harvey got a kill for Stanford, which Carter Booth responded to with a kill of her own. 24-22. Grace Egan had an attack error to cut the lead to one, but rebounded with the set-clinching kill and Wisconsin took the third set 25-23 for a 2-1 lead in the match.

Once again, Wisconsin started the fourth set well, getting out to a 7-3 lead thanks to a flurry of Stanford mistakes. The Cardinal had two service errors and three attack errors in the first ten points, and the Badgers capitalized. But, Stanford slowly chipped back at the lead and flipped the script, taking a 13-12 lead midway through the set.

After both sides traded a point, Wisconsin went on a three-point run to take a 16-14 lead. That stretch proved to be the difference-maker as the Badgers never trailed from that point on. Stanford did tie things up at 19 apiece, but the Badgers had another three-point run. Then, after the Cardinal brought it back within one at 23-22, Mimi Colyer and Grace Egan delivered the final blows to send Wisconsin to the Elite Eight.

With the 3-1 win, the Badgers are facing the No. 1-seeded Texas Longhorns, who swept the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers on Friday. That game will be played in Austin on Sunday.

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