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Ten decorated Ferris State student-athletes named to Athletics Hall Of Fame

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Ferris State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Ferris State Athletics has announced the induction of 10 members into the Bulldog
Athletics Hall of Fame for the Class of 2025.

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — 

Ten Ferris State University alumni representing nine sports programs have been chosen
for selection as the Ferris State University Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame Class
of 2025, which will be enshrined on campus this fall.

The 2025 class includes: Chad Billins (Hockey, 2008-12), Karla (Fairbanks) Griffin
(Volleyball, 2001-04), Rachel (Folcik) McClure (Women’s Basketball, 2004-08), Dan
Hutcheson (Wrestling, 1989-93), Justin Keenan (Men’s Basketball, 2007-11), Alan Morin
(Men’s Golf, 1989-91), Tina Muir (Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country, 2008-12),
Jeff Pierce (Football Athlete & Coach, 1974-2011), Rex Schuberg (Men’s Track & Field,
1974-78) and Justin Zimmer (Football, 2011-15).

The event is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Jim Wink Arena on the Ferris State
campus inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex.

The class includes seven people who earned All-America honors at Ferris State, including
a group of the school’s all-time greats in their respective sports in Billins, Fairbanks,
Folcik, Hutcheson, Keenan, Muir and Zimmer.

It also features longtime football coach Jeff Pierce in addition to local benefactor,
supporter and former athlete Rex Schuberg as well as Alan Morin, who has went on to
achieve incredible success in the golf world.

A 10-member committee comprised of faculty, staff, alumni and community members selected
the 2025 inductees from a large group of initial nominees.

“We’re extremely thrilled to announce this year’s class of inductees, which is a truly
exceptional group,” Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank said. “This class includes
many of the school’s all-time greats and is an outstanding group that has achieved
at the highest level. They are very deserving of the recognition and we look forward
to honoring these talented individuals this fall.”

This year’s Hall of Fame event will take place the night prior to the Bulldogs’ 2025
football home opener against Pittsburg State, which is planned for Thursday, Aug.
28, at Top Taggart Field.

The Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame, which inducted its Charter Class in 2000, was
established to honor those student-athletes and coaches who have distinguished themselves
in their sport or honorary members who made truly exceptional contributions to athletics.

Those who are inducted must first meet the following nomination criteria – nominees
must be departed from Ferris State University for at least 10 years; nominees must
have earned at least one varsity letter and must have distinguished themselves by
exemplary performance in the field of athletics; Secondary consideration is given
for the performance of meritorious service in behalf of Ferris State Athletics after
leaving Ferris State or a singular contribution to the Athletics program, and nominees
must have demonstrated good citizenship and conducted exemplary professional/occupational
careers which reflect credit on the individual and Ferris State University.

The 2025 Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame inductees are:

Chad Billins (Hockey, 2008-12) – Billins played a lead role in the Bulldogs’ historic
first-ever trip to the NCAA Division I Frozen Four and the national championship game
as a senior in 2011-12. He served as a team captain as the Bulldogs captured the school’s
second CCHA Championship and eventually reached the title game. Billins earned All-CCHA
First Team accolades as a senior and was a AHCA All-American while also being tabbed
to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.

The Bulldog standout finished his senior campaign with 29 points on seven goals and
22 assists as one of the nation’s top blueliners. He played in 149 games over his
four-year career, totaling 67 points on 17 goals and 50 assists. Billins also received
the CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the ear Award for his work in the classroom as one of
the country’s top all-around student-athletes. Following graduation, he inked a AHL
contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins and was chosen to play in the 2013 AHL All-Star
Game while helping Grand Rapids claim the Calder Cup Championship.

He earned an NHL contract with the Calgary Flames and appeared in 10 NHL games. Overall,
he spent 12 seasons playing professionally in the AHL, NHL and overseas in Russia,
Denmark and Sweeden. Billins was also a member of the United States Olympic Team in
2018.

Karla (Fairbanks) Griffin (Volleyball, 2001-04) – Fairbanks was a two-time All-American
in volleyball for Ferris State in 2003 and 2004. The two-time All-GLIAC First Team
choice also earned GLIAC All-Tournament Team accolades during her memorable career
with the Bulldogs. She earned team Most Valuable Player honors and concluded her career
ranked third on the school’s all-time leaders list with 1,649 career kills.

She also ranked fourth in aces with 185 and owned three of the school’s top eight
single-match kills performances upon the conclusion of her collegiate career. She
helped lead the Bulldogs to two NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances and
was chosen as the school’s female Dean Davenport Bulldog of the Year Award recipient
as the top student-athlete in her senior campaign.

Rachel (Folcik) McClure (Women’s Basketball, 2004-08) – A 2007-08 ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-America First Team recipient, Folcik twice picked up All-America Honorable
Mention honors on the hardwood for the Bulldogs and was named to both the NCAA Division
II State Farm Coaches’ and Women’s Division II Basketball Bulletin Honorable Mention
All-America Teams following her final season. She was also both a Daktronics All-Great
Lakes Region First Team selection along with being named to the Women’s Basketball
Coaches Association (WBCA) Region 4 First Team. Folcik was honored as an All-GLIAC
North Division First Team pick and a GLIAC North Division All-Defensive Team selection
for the second-straight year in her final campaign.

She concluded her FSU career listed second in school history with 1,705 career points
and was only 16 shy of tying Lucy DeMartin’s school-record total of 1,721 points at
FSU. The 6-1 Folcik posted a school-record 677 career made field goals and is listed
second with 793 rebounds all-time at Ferris State. In 2007-08, Folcik was the squad’s
leading scorer (19.5 ppg) and rebounder (8.3 rpg). She reached double-figure scoring
in 25 of her 27 contests while posting 12 double-double (points & rebounds) efforts.
The 2006-07 NCAA Division II Kodak/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Honorable
Mention All-American was named to the All-Great Lakes Region First Team in both of
her final two collegiate campaigns. Folcik finished her final season ranked second
in the GLIAC in scoring (19.5 ppg.) along with tied for second in free throw percentage
(.833) and third in rebounding (8.3 rpg.).

She totaled 81 double-figure scoring games in 113 career contests as a Bulldog player.
Also, Folcik scored 20 points or more 12 times in 2007-08 with three games of 30 points
or more. As a junior in 2006-07, Folcik led the Bulldogs to a school-record 23 wins
(23-9) and the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen.
Folcik’s 241 made field goals and 602 total points that season were both school single-season
marks while her 261 rebounds was the second-highest seasonal figure in FSU history.
The two-time team captain, who averaged a team-best 18.8 points per game in 2006-07,
scored in double-figures 27 times as a junior and notched 13 double-double (points
& rebounds) performances.

She finished the year listed second overall in scoring and fifth in rebounds among
the GLIAC’s overall leaders while ranking second in both field goal (.555) and free
throw (.860) percentage.

Dan Hutcheson (Wrestling, 1989-93) – He was a three-time wrestling All-American for
the Bulldogs and also a two-time Academic All-American. He claimed the school’s Bulldog
of the Year honor in 1990-91 before later serving as an assistant wrestling coach
for the Bulldogs. He went on to work for the MHSAA after a long and distinguished
career as a prep coach and administrator where he was tabbed as the region’s athletic
director of the year while at Howell High School.

As a collegiate senior in the 1992-93 campaign, Hutcheson posted a 32-5 overall record
and led FSU to a seventh-place team finish at the D2 National Championships while
being chosen as the school’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. He finished as the national
runner-up at 167 pounds and was a two-time regional titlist and three-time GLIAC Champion
on the mat.

He also claimed GLIAC All-Academic Team recognition and was a four-year letterwinner
for the Bulldogs under head coach Jim Miller. In his junior season in 1991-92, Hutcheson
led the Bulldogs with a 37-7 overall mark and posted eight pins. He took fifth place
at nationals as a junior and also beat the nation’s top-ranked Division I wrestler
from Iowa at the Las Vegas Invitational in his junior campaign.

Justin Keenan (Men’s Basketball, 2007-11) – Keenan finished his collegiate career
as the GLIAC’s all-time scoring leader and earned NCAA Division II National Player
of the Year honors in 2010-11 after leading Ferris State to the NCAA D2 Sweet Sixteen
and the GLIAC Championship. He led the GLIAC in scoring three consecutive seasons
and was the only player in Division II to rank among the nation’s top 20 players in
both scoring and rebounding his final campaign. Keenan became only the third player
in league annals to win the coveted GLIAC Player of the Year honor twice. Twice, he
earned All-America accolades, becoming the first Bulldog player in 36 years to claim
the nod and FSU’s first-ever All-America pick at the D2 level as a junior in 2009-10.

He was chosen to participate in the 2011 Reese’s Division II All-Star Game and was
a consensus All-America choice from multiple organizations as a senior. He was also
a three-time All-GLIAC and two-time all-region selection. He concluded his career
by scoring 2,259 career points, ranking second all-time in school history. He also
finished as FSU’s all-time leader with 797 made free throws while ranking third in
rebounding (901), and seventh in field goal percentage (.548) on the all-time chart.
Keenan has since went on to enjoy a lengthy professional career overseas in some of
the world’s top leagues since the completion of his collegiate career.

Alan Morin (Men’s Golf, 1989-91) – A 1992 FSU graduate, Morin was a three-year letterwinner
for the Bulldogs and was the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1989. He claimed individual
champion honors at the 1989 GLIAC Championship and was a two-time all-conference honoree.
A Professional Golf Management alum, Morin was honored as the 2022 Ferris State Distinguished
Alumni Award recipient and has enjoyed a stellar professional career, including being
the 2024 champion of the National PGA Senior Club Professional Championship. He twice
has been on the United States of America PGA Cup Team and is a 21-time qualifier for
the National PGA Club Professional Championship.

Morin has also qualified 14 times for the National PGA Assistant Professional Championship
and is a five-time qualifier for the National PGA Senior Club Professional Championship.
Among his many accomplishments, Morin has qualified for two US Open’s (1998 and 2003)
along with six PGA Championships and five Senior PGA Championships. He’s also qualified
for the PGA Tour Honda Classic 12 times and made the cut on three occasions.

He’s made the PGA Tour Ford Championship at Doral four times and the PGA Tour Puerto
Rico Open four times. In South Florida, he was selected to the section’s PGA Hall
of Fame in 2021 and has been the South Florida PGA Player of the Year 11 times along
with four times as the Senior Player of the Year. He’s also won the South Florida
PGA Section Championship five times among his many other professional accomplishments.

Tina Muir (Track & Field/Cross Country, 2008-12) – One of the most decorated student-athletes
in Bulldog history, Muir was an 11-time All-American for the Bulldogs during her track
and field/cross country career. She earned runner-up honors in the 5,000 meters at
the 2012 NCAA D2 Outdoor Championships when she also placed fourth in the 10K. Muir
finished a personal-best seventh overall and sixth in scoring position at the 2011
NCAA D2 National Cross Country Championships to earn All-America honors for the fourth
consecutive campaign.

She is the only four-time All-America choice in FSU women’s cross country history
and her performance represented the highest individual finish ever for the Bulldogs,
who tied for the best team finish in school history with an eighth place showing in
2011. Muir earned GLIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year recognition and twice won
the league’s individual cross country crown.

She helped FSU to a number three national ranking. Muir also claimed All-GLIAC and
GLIAC All- Academic honors four-straight years and was a three-time recipient of the
GLIAC Commissioner’s Award in addition to claiming COSIDA Academic All-America honors
and being a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Muir went on to compete
in the British Olympic Trials and had a lengthy professional elite racing career.

Jeff Pierce (Football, 1974-2011) – A Bulldog football alum, Pierce was a mainstay
in the Bulldog program, first as a player and later as a coach. After playing at Ferris
State from 1974-77 and graduating from FSU, he joined the Bulldog staff in 1983 under
then head coach Nick Coso. He later served as a defensive coordinator for seven years,
helping construct one of the country’s top units in the early to mid-1990’s for coach
Keith Otterbein. His 1992 FSU defense led NCAA Division II in points allowed per game
while his 1994 unit was tops in the MIFC. Pierce then went on to serve as the head
coach at Ferris State for 17 seasons, becoming the program’s all-time winningest head
coach at the time with 102 career victories.

He guided the Bulldogs to three GLIAC Championships, two NCAA Division II Playoff
bids and an appearance in the national semifinals in 1995, which at the time represented
the highest finish in program history. Pierce received the MIFC Coach of the Year
honor in 1995 and was a longtime ambassador for Bulldog Athletics and FSU Football
in the Big Rapids community and across the state. After departing from Ferris State,
he later served as an assistant coach in the GLIAC at then fellow conference member
Northwood University.

Rex Schuberg (Track and Field, 1974-78, Benefactor) – A longtime benefactor of Ferris
State University, Schuberg competed for the Bulldogs in track and field in the 1970s.
He graduated from Ferris State in 1978 and served eight years on the FSU Alumni Board,
including a term as president from 1998-2000. He received the Distinguished Alumni
Award from the institution in 1994 and has actively supported Bulldog Athletics and
the university in the local community. Schuberg has been a member of the Ferris’ President’s
Society and a former chair of the Gridiron Club. He and his son, Tyler, who is a Bulldog
Football alum, were honored as grand marshals of the 2015 homecoming celebration.
His other son, Kyle, also competed in track and field at Ferris State University.

The Big Rapids native was one of the Bulldogs’ top performers during his collegiate
career on the track. Schuberg is also a member of the Mecosta County Sports Hall of
Fame and has been a prominent businessman in the Big Rapids community.

Justin Zimmer (Football (2011-15) – A standout defensive tackle, Zimmer helped lead
the Bulldogs to back-to-back GLIAC Championships in 2014 and 2015 as one of the nation’s
top linemen on the defensive front. He finished his career as a three-time All-GLIAC
First Team selection for the Bulldogs and was also chosen to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic
All-America First Team squad, making him a three-time Academic All-American and two-time
first-team recipient. Statistically, Zimmer led the Bulldogs in tackles (81), quarterback
sacks (13), tackles for loss (26) and forced fumbles (4) as a senior standout.

He helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons and the first
two NCAA D2 Playoff appearances under head coach Tony Annese. Zimmer went on to enjoy
a professional career in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, New
Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins along with spending
time in the Canadian Football League. He finished his Ferris State career with 216
tackles, 26 sacks, 48.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a touchdown, 14 pass deflections,
nine forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three blocked kicks. Zimmer was also
a two-time All-America choice on the field for the Bulldogs as FSU began a nation-leading
playoff streak that continues to this day.





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Learning Fast, Leading Early: Haneline’s Front Row Growth – University of South Carolina

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Earning it, not expecting it

Opportunity, however, was never confused with entitlement.

Haneline arrived on campus knowing nothing would be handed to her. Preseason practices were six-hour days, constant competition and physical and mental fatigue that tests even veteran players.

“I told myself it was okay if I didn’t play,” she said. “But my mindset was that I was going to do everything I possibly could to earn it.”

That meant winning positional battles, taking care of her body, eating right, lifting, getting sleep and showing up every day with purpose. Slowly, confidence replaced doubt.

“I think it was early in non-conference play when I realized, ‘Okay, I can do this,’” she said. “Once we started seeing how the lineup was shaping up, I felt it.”

A big reason for that confidence stood right next to her.

Learning from the best

As a freshman middle blocker, Haneline spent countless hours alongside senior standout Ady O’Grady, soaking in advice and modeling her approach.

“I stuck by her side a lot,” Haneline said. “I wanted to learn everything I could from her. Watching her, asking questions, trying to be like her.”

The mentorship left a lasting imprint.

“I told my coaches I want to be the next Ady,” she said. “I want freshmen coming in to look up to me the way I looked up to her.”

That leadership mindset has already shown itself, especially during moments when USC Upstate leaned heavily on its freshman class.

A freshman trio making history

There were nights this season when the Spartans featured three freshmen across the front row, with another freshman anchoring the back line at libero.

“One game, we were all up there, and I said in the huddle, ‘Okay, freshmen, we got this,’” Haneline said, laughing. “We’d say little things to each other on the net, just funny freshman comments.”

That trust paid off. USC Upstate finished 14-14 and saw three freshmen make program history. Outside hitter Summer Kohler earned Second Team All-Big South honors. Haneline and libero Sophia Overholt both collected Honorable Mention All-Big South nods. All three landed on the league’s All-Freshman Team, the most in a single season in program history.

For Haneline, the numbers backed up the accolades. She appeared in all 27 matches and 105 sets, ranking third on the team with 260 kills and second with a .245 hitting efficiency. She added 80 total blocks, including 10 solo stops, and recorded double-digit kills in 11 matches.

Her freshman résumé continues a trend of excellence that began long before she arrived in Spartanburg.

Built before she arrived

At Crest High School in Shelby, Haneline helped the Chargers to 63 wins and four playoff appearances. Over her prep career, she totaled 1,259 kills, 554 digs, 214 blocks and 167 service aces while posting a .306 hitting percentage. She was a three-time All-Conference selection, a two-time All-Region honoree and an AVCA Watchlist athlete.

Club volleyball further sharpened her edge, including a third-place finish in the Premier Division at AAU Nationals.

Still, college volleyball required growth. Injuries forced Haneline to spend time at right side, giving her a new perspective on efficiency and shot selection.

“It helped me realize the difference between being a middle and being on the pin,” she said. “As a middle, it’s quick and done. On the right side, you’re not getting a kill every swing. You have to be smart.”

That adaptability is shaping her focus heading into spring and beyond. Blocking. Efficiency. Finding every possible way to help the team.



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First Road Trip of 2026

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt track and field continues its indoor season at Kentucky’s Rod McCravy Memorial Track & Field Meet at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The last time out
• Before the winter break, the Vandy hosted the Winter Commodore Challenge where student-athletes recorded 10 marks ranking in the program’s all-time top 10
• In her first-ever collegiate meet, Cali Bryant won the high jump, clearing 1.74 meters. The mark is tied for sixth in Vanderbilt history
• In the 60-meter hurdles final, all three Commodores, Devyn Parham, Santana Spearman and Taylor McKinnon, registered personal-best marks and improved their standings in the Vandy record books
• The Dores also found success in the triple jump as all three student-athletes, Pryncess Jackson, Anaya Webster and Anya Carey, PRed with marks ranking top 10 in school history

Dores in the rankings
• Seven Commodores are currently ranked top 25 in the NCAA in their respective events
• All seven student-athletes are also top 10 in the SEC
• Parham, Spearman and McKinnon are No. 5, 6 and 8, respectively, in the NCAA in the 60-meter hurdles
• Bryant’s 1.74-meter high jump mark is ranked fourth in the conference

Record watch
• Active student-athletes hold school records in two individual events and own 29 marks ranking in the program’s all-time top 10
• At the 2025 SEC Indoor Championships, the distance medley relay team of Audrey Allman, Allyria McBride, Ellie Wolski and Julia Rosenberg broke the school record and scored in the event at the conference championship for the second consecutive year
• McBride is ranked second in program history in the 300 and 600 meters, while Bria Bennis and Marta Sivina are the No. 2-ranked Dores in their respective events, the 5,000 meters and pentathlon

Keeping up with the Commodores
Action at the Rod McCravy Memorial Track & Field Meet will get underway Friday at 11 a.m. CT. Live results will be available online.

Fans can follow Vanderbilt track and field on Facebook, Instagram and X at @VandyXCTrack.





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Bears Sign Transfer Rania Chimonides

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Bears Sign Transfer Rania Chimonides

Rania Chimonides is one of three newcomers joining Cal volleyball in the spring.


Middle Blocker From UNC Wilmington Played On Cyprus’ National Team

The California volleyball team announced the addition of 6-foot-3 middle blocker transfer Rania Chimonides to its 2026 squad on Thursday. Chimonides, a native of Nicosia, Cyprus, who spent her freshman season at UNC Wilmington, posted six blocks in the Seahawks’ 2025 opener against Lindenwood. She was a member of Cyprus’ national team in 2025 after three seasons on the national U18 squad, competing in the 2024 European Championship tournament.
 
Chimonides helped her squad to a silver medal at the 2025 Olympics of European Small States, two years after she was named Best Blocker at the 2023 European Nations U18 tournament. Prior to joining UNC Wilmington, she played club ball for Anorthosis Famagusta.
 
“We are excited to welcome Rania to our team,” head coach Jen Malcom said. “She brings great international experience where she is one of the top blockers. I am looking forward to seeing Rania and (assistant coach) Alyssa (Andreno) work together and develop her skillset even more over the next three years. We were looking for a middle that had a few years of eligibility to spread out our depth and prepare for the next wave of middles to come. Rania will be a great role model and leader with the next group – she is super passionate about the game of volleyball and wants to play at the next level.”
 
Upon her arrival at Cal in the spring, Chimonides will join a middle blocker unit that also includes rising seniors Sawyer Thomsen and Ashleigh Woodruff. She will major in political economy at Cal.
 
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal volleyball, please follow the Bears on X (@CalVolleyball), Instagram (@calvolleyball), Facebook (Cal Volleyball) and TikTok (@calbearsvb).
 





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Track and Field Preview | Leonard Hilton Memorial

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Meet: Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational

Location: Yoeman Fieldhouse | Houston, Texas

Watch | Stats

The competition: Houston (Host), Huston-Tillotson, Jacksonville College, Lamar, Prairie View A&M, Rice (Men), Sam Houston, St. Thomas (TX), Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Texas A&M Kingsville, Texas Southern, UTRGV

Burnt Orange in Houston: Texas newcomers Iana Ahetz-Etcheber, Caroline Peterson, Jonathan Hertwig-Odegaard, Brandon Gorski, Mia Perez, Ava Gilley, Isabel Conde de Frankenberg will all make their track and field debuts for the horns. Internationals Ahetz-Etcheber and Herwtig-Odegaard will look to follow recent success at Texas as the newest multis on campus.

Osawese Agbonkonkon, Sam Abati, Bella Coscetti, Sophia Kowalski, Grace Kowalski and Gia Kurp will return to competition for the Horns.

Returners: Texas returns six men and three women who were named to USTFCCCA First Team All-Americans. Kody Blackwood, Xavier Butler and John Rutledge are two-time First Team honorees from last season who will lead the Longhorns in their senior seasons. Kendrick Smallwood also returns as one of the top short sprinters in the NCAA. On the women’s side, the Longhorns return sprinters Carleta Bernard, Holly Okuku and Ramiah Elliott as the long All-Americans.

How to follow:

  • Fans can also follow @TexasTFXC for live updates of the meet on Twitter/X
  • The meet will be streamed on the Houston Athletics YouTube page.



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Mountaineers Add Belgian Outside Hitter Bertels for 2026

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University volleyball coach Jen Greeny has announced the addition of Saar Bertels, an outside hitter from Eppegem, Belgium, to join the team in the fall of 2026.
 
“Saar will give us an immediate all-around presence that will continue to make West Virginia volleyball better. She can attack well from multiple positions, giving us flexibility in our offense that we always train in our gym and look for when evaluating players, “Greeny said. “Saar is experienced with high level volleyball in Europe. To earn the achievements she did in the European Championships is no small feat. It was also very significant to us that she helped lead Belgium to a finish never attained before in the history of Belgium volleyball – a third-place finish behind European and world volleyball powers Turkey and Italy.”
 
“Saar naturally embodies our five values,” Greeny continued. “We could tell that right away. She will fit well into our team culture. She chose us over three Top 25 teams, four NCAA Tournament teams, and three B1G Ten teams. Saar will continue to move this program forward and we are so excited she is one of us.”
 
Bertels competes for Asterix AVO Beveren under coach Kris Vansnick, one of the top professional programs in the Belgian Liga A. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter has been a member of the Belgian National Team system for five years, representing her country at every youth age group since U16.
 
Internationally, she competed with the Belgian Senior National Team in the Volleyball Nations League, one of the highest-level international competitions in the sport. Bertels helped lead Belgium to a third-place finish at the 2024 CEV U20 European Championships, marking the nation’s first top-three result at a junior continental event. She was named the tournament’s Best Scorer and Best Spiker after totaling 287 points and averaging 3.99 points per set.
 
At the professional level, Bertels has appeared in the CEV Champions League twice, gaining experience against elite European clubs. Her club career includes multiple domestic titles, including the Belgian SuperCup, Belgian Cup, BeNe Cup, and the Belgian Liga A championship. She has competed in the CEV Cup and BeNe League, contributing to Asterix’s consistent presence in European competition.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 



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Jolana Smidlova signs pro contract in Czech Republic

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FRÝDEK-MÍSTEK, Czech Republic (January 8, 2025) – North Alabama Volleyball’s Jolana Smidlova is continuing her career in the sport after signing a professional contract with Czech club TJ Sokol Frýdek-Místek.

Smidlova returns home to join the club, which is in the midst of the season in Czech Republic’s Women’s Volleyball Extraliga. TJ Sokol Frýdek-Místek was founded in 1978 and based in the city of Frýdek-Místek.

Since the Extraliga’s inception in 1992, the club has seen success during the 2003-04 and 2014-15 seasons with third-place finishes. The team is currently ninth in the Extraliga standings as of Jan. 8, 2026.

The Letovice native spent three season at Tulsa before playing her senior season with the Lions in 2025. Smidlova appeared in eight matches and tallied season totals of 20 kills, 12 blocks and seven digs. In 69 career collegiate matches, her totals include 205 kills, 70 blocks, 56 digs and one service ace.

“I’ve traveled the world for this game, but nothing beats the feeling of returning to your home country,” said Smidlova. “I’m beyond excited to pick up where I left off and play for the people who have been in my corner since day one.”

This marks the second time under UNA head coach Tristan Johnson that a player has gone to the professional ranks. Former standout Anna Katherine Griggs became the first under Johnson to sign a professional contract, joining French club Racing Club de Cannes for the 2024-25 season.

“We are very excited for Jolana and this opportunity for her to continue her career professionally, said Johnson. “Jolana is a highly competitive person and has a very high level of commitment to the game and performing at her best. This is also a great day for our program as we have another former student-athlete pursue their passion of being a professional athlete.  We are so proud of Jolana and excited to follow her career moving forward.”

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.





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