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Texas Athletics claims 2024-25 Division I LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup

Story Links AUSTIN, Texas — On the strength of two National Championships and seven NCAA top-three finishes, The University of Texas has won the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup for the second-straight year and the fourth time in the last five years, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced Thursday morning. During the […]

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AUSTIN, Texas — On the strength of two National Championships and seven NCAA top-three finishes, The University of Texas has won the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup for the second-straight year and the fourth time in the last five years, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced Thursday morning. During the current 2024-25 season, the Longhorns amassed 1,255.25 points, while USC placed second with 1,253.75 points and Stanford took third with 1,251.0 points.

UT snapped Stanford’s 25-year stronghold on the Directors’ Cup during the 2020-21 season by scoring 1,252 points, while the Cardinal posted 1,195.75 points. That victory ended an impressive run by Stanford that began in 1994-95 and went through 2018-19 (no Cup was awarded in 2019-20 due to COVID-19). North Carolina won the first Cup in 1993-94. The Longhorns finished second in the standings three times during the Cardinal’s 25-year run, earning runner-up honors in 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05.

During the 2021-22 season, the Longhorns amassed 1,449.50 points to claim the Cup again, while Stanford placed second with 1,352.25 points. UT joined the Cardinal as the nation’s only programs to win it in back-to-back years. The Longhorn have won consecutive Cups twice now and only a runner-up finish in 2022-23 separated Texas from a run of five-straight titles.

Texas finished runner-up in the Cup standings to Stanford during the 2022-23 season. The Cardinal won the Cup with 1,412.00 points, while the Longhorns posted 1,370.50 points. The Longhorns reclaimed the Cup during the 2023-24 season, as UT amassed 1,377.00 points while Stanford placed second with 1,312.75 points.

During the 2024-25 season, Texas registered NCAA team titles in Men’s Swimming Diving and its first-ever national championship in Softball, which marks the fifth-straight year the Longhorns have won multiple national titles in the same academic season. Excluding the COVID-shortened year of 2019-20, Texas has won at least one NCAA team title in 10-straight seasons.

Over the last five years, the Longhorns have won 13 NCAA team championships by eight different programs, while seven additional programs have either made the Final Four or finished in the top three at the NCAA Championships. Texas sponsors 21 intercollegiate sport programs, and with Softball earning its first NCAA title, 15 of those 21 programs have now claimed a National Championship. The Longhorns have captured 68 all-time National Championships (64 NCAA titles).

Texas produced 10 top-five and 13 top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships during the recent academic year. The 10 top-five performances marked a tie for the second-most in school history, trailing only the 12 recorded in 2021-22. The 13 top-10 efforts also tied for the second-most in school history, just one shy of the record 14 in 2021-22. The Longhorns have registered a total of 49 top-five NCAA team finishes and 65 top-10 NCAA team finishes during the last five years.

In addition to the pair of National Championship performances, the Longhorns recorded NCAA top-five team showings in Women’s Swimming and Diving (third), Rowing (third), Football (tied for third in the College Football Playoff, advancing to semifinals), Women’s Basketball (tied for third/NCAA Final Four), Men’s Tennis (tied for third/NCAA Semifinals), Beach Volleyball (tied for fifth/NCAA Quarterfinals), Women’s Golf (tied for fifth/NCAA Quarterfinals) and Men’s Golf (tied for fifth/NCAA Quarterfinals). Texas added NCAA top-10 finishes in Volleyball (tied for ninth/NCAA Round of 16), Women’s Tennis (tied for ninth/NCAA Round of 16) and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field (tied for 10th).

The Longhorns qualified 20 of their 21 NCAA eligible sports for their respective NCAA Championship events. Texas was the ONLY school in NCAA Division I to have its Football, either Men’s or Women’s Basketball, and either Baseball or Softball programs reach the Final Four of their NCAA Tournaments this season. Additionally, Texas Men’s and Women’s Golf were one of only two schools that saw both of its programs advance to the match play round of the NCAA Championships.

In addition to its success on the national level, UT earned a league-best eight Southeastern Conference titles during the 2024-25 season: Soccer (tournament), Men’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Basketball (regular season), Men’s Tennis (regular season and tournament), Rowing and Baseball (regular season). Of note, the eight championships doubled the next closest member institution, as South Carolina had four. With Beach Volleyball also winning the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) tournament title, the Longhorns won a total of nine conference championships in 2024-25 and have now claimed 663 all-time league titles in school history.

Since UT Vice President and Lois and Richard Folger Athletics Director Chris Del Conte arrived on the Forty Acres in December 2017, the Longhorns have claimed a total of 15 National Championships, 30 NCAA top-two finishes, 59 NCAA top-five finishes, 85 NCAA top-10 finishes and 82 total conference championships. Texas also has reached two CFP Semifinals, claimed four LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup crowns and posted six top-five Directors’ Cup finishes.

The LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. A revised scoring system was implemented for the 2024-25 season. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. Division I schools can score points in a maximum of 19 sports, five of which must be baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

Texas recorded its seventh-straight top-five Director’s Cup finish after a fifth-place showing in 2017-18 and a fourth-place effort in 2018-19. There was no award in 2019-20 due to COVID-19. UT also was the top-ranked institution in the Southeastern Conference in the Directors’ Cup standings and has been the top-ranked school in its respective league (SEC, Big 12 or Southwest Conference) for 11 consecutive years and 24 times in the 32-year history of the Directors’ Cup.

Texas has now recorded a top-10 finish a total of 25 times in the 32-year history of the Directors’ Cup: 1st (2020-21, 2021-22, 2023-24 and 2024-25), 2nd (2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05 and 2022-23), 3rd (2005-06), 4th (1995-96 and 2018-19), 5th (2007-08 and 2017-18), 6th (2008-09, 2011-12 and 2013-14), 7th (1993-94, 1996-97 and 2016-17), 8th (2006-07), 9th (1999-2000, 2014-15 and 2015-16) and 10th (1994-95 and 2003-04).

2024-25 Division I LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Final Standings (Top 3 schools)







Rank

School

Total Points

1.

TEXAS

1,255.25

2.

USC

1,253.75

3.

Stanford

1,251.00

Texas in the Division I LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Final Standings




































Year

Finish

2024-25

1st

2023-24

1st

2022-23

2nd

2021-22

1st

2020-21

1st

2019-20

n/a (no standings due to COVID-19)

2018-19

4th

2017-18

5th

2016-17

7th

2015-16

9th

2014-15

9th

2013-14

6th

2012-13

13th

2011-12

6th

2010-11

12th

2009-10

15th

2008-09

6th

2007-08

5th

2006-07

8th

2005-06

3rd

2004-05

2nd

2003-04

10th

2002-03

2nd

2001-02

2nd

2000-01

19th

1999-2000

9th

1998-99

11th

1997-98

Tie 15th

1996-97

7th

1995-96

4th

1994-95

10th

1993-94

7th



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Shelton Named to AVCA Player of the Year Watch List

NORMAN – Senior Alexis Shelton was named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Division I Player of the Year Award, presented by Nike Volleyball, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced Tuesday. The list includes 30 players from 20 different schools, featuring some of the best talent in the nation. The names will be […]

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NORMAN – Senior Alexis Shelton was named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Division I Player of the Year Award, presented by Nike Volleyball, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced Tuesday.

The list includes 30 players from 20 different schools, featuring some of the best talent in the nation. The names will be revealed in groups of 10 over three days, from June 22-24. 

A 2024 third-team All-American, Shelton had a breakout junior season as she led the team with 455 kills and 4.38 kills/set. She ranked second on the team in digs with 204 and in blocks with 93.

The junior tallied double-digit kills in every meet of the season, including a season-best 27 against Texas. She recorded 20-plus kills on nine occasions and notched eight double-doubles on the year.

Shelton reached the 1,000-kill mark in 2024, the 15th Sooner to achieve the feat. Her 1,118 career kills are good for 14th all-time. Her 455 kills in 2024 place her second all-time for kills in a single season.

The list will be narrowed down to semifinalists in November, after a midseason addition in October. The names of the finalists will be released in December, with the AVCA Player of the Year announcement occurring on Dec. 19 at the AVCA Awards Banquet in Kansas City.

FOLLOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS

For updates, follow @OU_Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram, or like Oklahoma Volleyball on Facebook.

 





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Georgetown Volleyball Earns AVCA Team Academic Award

Story Links WASHINGTON – Georgetown University’s volleyball team was recognized with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT, as announced by the governing body this week. “I’m incredibly proud of our team’s accomplishments in the classroom this past year.” said Head Coach AJ Bonetti. “Earning the […]

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WASHINGTON – Georgetown University’s volleyball team was recognized with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT, as announced by the governing body this week.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team’s accomplishments in the classroom this past year.” said Head Coach AJ Bonetti. “Earning the AVCA Team Academic Award is something we pursue every year because it reflects the kind of program we are building, one that values excellence on the court and in the classroom.”

The Hoyas have won 13 AVCA Team Academic Awards in program history, including five times in the past seven seasons. This year, ten of the 11 BIG EAST programs were recognized this season.

To earn the accolade, a program must have maintained a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the award for their classroom excellence during the recently completed academic year.



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Gavin Conant leads North Irvine to gold at USA Water Polo’s Junior Olympics – Orange County Register

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now IRVINE — The warm feelings of friendship and redemption embraced Gavin Conant on a sunny, mid-summer afternoon and drove away a cold and somber fall once and for all. Conant and North Irvine’s “Beast Boys” lived up to their nickname by defeating two-time […]

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IRVINE — The warm feelings of friendship and redemption embraced Gavin Conant on a sunny, mid-summer afternoon and drove away a cold and somber fall once and for all.

Conant and North Irvine’s “Beast Boys” lived up to their nickname by defeating two-time defending champion Newport Beach 9-5 in the 18-and-under boys final at the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics on Tuesday.

Before a packed crowd at Woollett Aquatics Center, Conant earned MVP honors with a match-high four goals, two field blocks and two steals.

The USC-bound attacker delivered the performance after missing his senior season at JSerra in the fall because of a back injury.

“This is fate, so it was fun,” Conant said after leading North Irvine’s to its first 18s title. “I was out for about six, seven months and that was really hard. But I got back in January and started training … (and) bounced back.”

Conant said he suffered a stress fracture in his back at the 18-and-under World Championships last summer in Argentina from “over training.”

The injury didn’t require surgery but he missed JSerra’s runner-up finish in the CIF-SS Open Division and title in the SoCal regional.

Conant made up for lost time Tuesday by uniting with an all-star cast of friends to avenge a 12-9 loss to Newport Beach on Monday.

“A lot of these guys (on North Irvine) are national team buddies,” explained Conant, who played at JSerra for two years after transferring from Cathedral Catholic. “We’re all best friends from different clubs and we came together.”

North Irvine’s inspiration, Conant explained, was the Cozy Boys, another “super team” that won the boys 18-and-under crown in 2018.

“I always looked up to the Cozy Boys,” Conant said. “Beast Boys was kind of our thing. It was pretty special. We made the (swim) suits and got the Instagram. It was really fun.”

Beast Boys’ chemistry showed as the No. 5 seed converted all three of its chances on the man-advantage in the first period.

Former JSerra center Colt Bradley (USC) drew two of the exclusions while former Mater Dei left-hander Kyson Becker (UC San Diego) had a goal and assist.

North Irvine finished 5 for 7 with the extra attacker.

“The team came together with some (North Irvine) alumni who just wanted to run in with their friends, and their friends all happened to be really, really good,” North Irvine coach Ed Carrera said.

Former Newport Harbor All-County goalie Luke Harris (USC) made 12 saves to help anchor North Irvine’s defense. Harris and his field blockers held Newport Beach to a 2 for 10 effort on the extra man.

“The game plan (Monday) was just play them straight up and see what they got,” said North Irvine coach Steve Carrera, whose son Jacob (Archie Williams/UC Davis) scored a goal.

“(Newport Beach) played a good game. We just had a little more hustle in us today.”

North Irvine also received two goals from Milan Sumich (Cal) and one from Camden Kocur (Oaks Christian/USC).

Sean Anderson paced Newport Beach with two goals while goalie Connor Clougherty added six saves.

The squad lost Tyler Anderson, an All-County center at JSerra last season, to a game misconduct in the second period.



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WNBA All-Star ratings down 36 percent, still 2nd-most watched – Field Level Media – Professional sports content solutions

The ratings for Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game on ABC were down 36 percent from the previous year but still drew the second-most viewers in the showcase’s history. The contest in Indianapolis drew 2.19 million viewers according to Front Office Sports, down from a record 3.44 million last year. It still was the most-watched program of […]

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The ratings for Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game on ABC were down 36 percent from the previous year but still drew the second-most viewers in the showcase’s history.

The contest in Indianapolis drew 2.19 million viewers according to Front Office Sports, down from a record 3.44 million last year. It still was the most-watched program of the night across the television landscape, per ESPN.

One glaring reason for the discrepancy is that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was on the court for the 2024 All-Star Game and on the bench with a groin injury this year.

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier scored a record 36 points Saturday to lead her Team Collier to a 151-131 victory over Team Clark.

This is the third straight year ABC aired the All-Star Game in primetime on Saturday. The 2023 game drew 850,000 viewers.

All-Star weekend’s other events were a hit. Friday’s WNBA Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest drew an average of 1.3 million viewers on ESPN, up a whopping 89 percent over last year.

–Field Level Media



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Volleyball Claims 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award

Story Links Lexington, KY — The WPI volleyball squad received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Awards as announced on Monday. WPI joined a record-breaking 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams that maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale to earn the […]

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Lexington, KY The WPI volleyball squad received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Awards as announced on Monday.

WPI joined a record-breaking 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams that maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale to earn the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award.

The Crimson and Gray now have claimed the award for the seventh time in program history and the fifth time in the past eight seasons as the Engineers computed a 3.66 team grade-point average.

WPI finished 7-19 in 2024 and look to open the 2025 campaign on Friday, August 29th, versus Wentworth at the Brandeis Invitational.

2025 AVCA Team Academic Award Sponsored By INTENT



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Iowa volleyball looks to carry momentum through 2025-26 campaign

Jim Barnes has long had a knack for elevating programs to powerhouse status, and for the fourth-year head coach of Iowa volleyball, the Hawkeyes carry that same potential. Iowa’s 2023-24 campaign, Barnes’ second with the team, saw the Hawkeyes finish 0-20 in Big Ten contests, but this past season saw Iowa improve to four conference […]

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Jim Barnes has long had a knack for elevating programs to powerhouse status, and for the fourth-year head coach of Iowa volleyball, the Hawkeyes carry that same potential.

Iowa’s 2023-24 campaign, Barnes’ second with the team, saw the Hawkeyes finish 0-20 in Big Ten contests, but this past season saw Iowa improve to four conference wins, besting Rutgers twice and knocking off Maryland and Indiana along the way.

Barnes, whose past coaching tenures include a Sweet 16 run with Baylor, noted the great potential of last season’s roster and the challenges that came with early injuries, like third-year setter Claire Ammeraal.

“I believe last year we had the team to create a winning record had we not run into some injuries early,” Barnes said in an interview with The Daily Iowan. “I think we had the potential to have a winning season and really get going, but didn’t overcome some of those challenges.”

The McNeese State alum also noted the high quality of both teams from this current and the previous season.
“We had the team to do it, and now we’ve doubled that,” Barnes said. “We’ve doubled the talent, we’ve doubled the depth, and we have more than enough on our roster to create a really strong, winning season.”

A key part of any good program is its setters, which the Hawkeyes maximized last season.

Ammeraal tallied 378 assists, averaging 6.41 assists per set, despite an injury that confined the Central Michigan transfer to only 18 matches on the season.

When Ammeraal was sidelined, first-year Jenna Meitzler stepped up to close the gap, posting 709 assists, 143 digs, 55 blocks, and 37 kills.

Ammeraal credits the team’s focus as a key part of winning games last season, despite both individual and program obstacles.

“It seemed like they were a lot more driven,” Ammeraal said in an interview. “They had a lot more common goals, which I really liked. We lost a couple of people from last season, but I think now, we’re even more focused on one thing. We all want the same things.”

The Madison, Wisconsin, native also praised Barnes’ leadership as a coach who keeps the team moving in the same direction.

“He has a positive attitude that brings everybody up,” Ammeraal said. “With his recruiting process, especially, he’s looking for players with good culture who are going to bring good vibes. That’s huge because having one bad attitude on the team can bring a couple other people down with it, and then you have a divide on your team. That’s what leads to losing records, losing games, having a bad time.”

In addition to retaining key players from last season like Ammeraal, who eclipsed 2,000 career assists in just the second game of the season, the Hawkeyes added some new talent to the program this season, such as fourth-year Milana Moisio, a transfer libero from Miami who appeared in two matches of last season’s NCAA tournament.

Moisio described Barnes and his program as placing a major emphasis on culture, which was a key factor in her move to Iowa City.

“My first phone call with him was very detailed,” Moisio said in an interview. “It felt very wholesome. Their values and the culture that they were building, that they were describing, really fit with what I wanted.”
The Waukegan, Illinois native also noted the contributions she hopes to bring to Iowa, citing a positive attitude and good team morale.

“I really want to focus on having my teammates lean on me, especially when times get challenging,” Moisio said. “It’s so easy to play [well] when things are smooth and everyone’s on the same page, but when things are [chaotic], I really want my teammates to know that they can lean on me.”

Barnes ultimately emphasized the positive attitude this year’s team continues to carry into games, praising their resilience as well as both new and returning talent.

“Things have to go your way, you’ve got to stay healthy, but we’re really optimistic about what we can do this year,” Barnes said. “We’ve got some players that can really play and have some good experiences. [We’re] expecting big things.”



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