Sports

The 2025 Your Prep Sports Area Volleyball Team

Published

1 day ago

January 1, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The 2025 volleyball season was another memorable season in the Your Prep Sports area.

West High, Clear Creek Amana and Regina all qualified for the state tournament with Clear Creek Amana advancing to the Class 4A semifinals.

Liberty High won 24 matches and advanced to a 5A regional title game and Solon won 29 matches and advanced to a Class 3A regional final.

The annual Your Prep Sports area volleyball team is a way to honor some of the players responsible for that team success this fall.

The 2025 Your Prep Sports all-area team features all-state and all-conference players, conference players of the year, state tournament participants, school record holders and college recruits.

This year’s 16-member team features players from all seven area schools including four nine players from state qualifiers Clear Creek Amana, West High and Regina.

Regina senior Reese Naeve is the captain of the 2025 Your Prep Sports all-area team after leading the state in kills for the second consecutive season.

An Iowa State signee, Naeve had 730 kills and 505 digs while leading Regina to the first back-to-back state tournament appearances in program history.

Naeve is the Your Prep Sports all-area team captain for the second consecutive season and is a four-time member of the team.

She is one of eight repeat selections on this year’s team joining three-time all-area team members Hadley and Edie Miller from Liberty High and Clear Creek Amana senior Averie Lower.

West High junior Sophia Austen, Clear Creek Amana senior Emily Henderson, Regina junior Addison Bollier and City High junior Hattie Galloway are all making their second appearance on the Your Prep Sports all-area team.

Reese Naeve (Captain)

Senior, Regina

The most productive hitter in the state the past two seasons Naeve capped a brilliant prep career by leading Regina to the first back-to-back state tournament appearances in program history.

Naeve hammered a state-best 730 kills on a career-best hitting percentage of .334 while leading Regina to a 30-14 record and a spot in the Class 2A state tournament.

An Iowa State signee, Naeve led the state in kills for the second consecutive season and her 730 kills were 192 more kills than any other player in the state.

Naeve was named to the Elite all-state team and was the River Valley Conference South Division player of the year after helping Regina to its highest win total in at least 17 seasons.

The 5-foot-9 Naeve did more than just hit during her impressive season.

She had 40 blocks and 36 ace serves and ranked 16^th in the state and sixth in Class 2A with 505 digs.

A four-year starter Naeve had at least 440 kills in each of the last four seasons closing her career with a program-record 2,525 kills.

Naeve also had 1,498 digs career digs, 146 career ace serves and 100 career blocks while helping Regina to 99 wins over the past four seasons.

Averie Lower

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

Among the top players in the state over the past several seasons Lower concluded a brilliant career by helping Clear Creek Amana to a fourth consecutive state tournament appearance.

Lower led the Clippers in kills for the second consecutive season, posting a fourth straight season with at least 220 kills as Clear Creek Amana went 42-4 and advanced to the Class 4A semifinals.

The 6-foot Lower had a team-high 344 kills on .285 hitting on her way to being named the WAMAC West Division player of the year and a first-team Class 4A all-state selection.

An Arizona State basketball recruit, Lower ranked seventh in Class 4A with 344 kills and added 296 digs, 50 blocks and 28 ace serves.

A four-year starter, Lower finished her career with 1,258 kills and 1,279 digs after posting back-to-back seasons with at least 340 kills and 290 digs.

Sophia Austen

Junior, West High

West High enjoyed a breakthrough season this fall posting its highest win total in a decade and making its first state tournament appearance since 2016 and Austen was a big part of the success for the Trojans.

Austen earned Class 5A first-team all-state honors and was a unanimous Mississippi Valley Conference first-team all-Mississippi Division selection following a stellar season in which she ranked 12^th in 5A with 285 kills.

An Iowa State recruit, Austen ranked second on the team with 285 kills on .217 hitting and added 318 digs, 36 blocks and 34 ace serves while helping West High to a 27-6 record.

A three-year starter, Austen has already amassed 760 career kills and 763 career digs.

Emily Henderson

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

One of the best and most productive setters in the state Henderson put the finishing touches on a stellar prep career with her best season.

Henderson ranked second in Class 4A and fourth in the state with a career-high 1,012 assists leading Clear Creek Amana to a 42-4 record and a fourth consecutive state tournament appearance.

A four-year starter, Henderson led Clear Creek Amana to a 159-24 record, three state semifinal appearances and a state title game trip in her time leading the Clipper attack.

Henderson was at her best this season adding 92 kills on .433 hitting, 249 digs and 26 blocks on her way to being a unanimous first-team all-WAMAC West Division pick and first-team Class 4A all-state selection.

In her four-year career Henderson racked up 2,988 assists, 992 digs and 301 kills.

Edie Miller

Junior, Liberty High

One of the top backrow players in the state Miller continued her impressive prep career with another stellar season.

Miller earned Class 5A second-team all-state honors after ranking second in 5A with 5.2 digs per set to help Liberty High to a 24-11 record and a spot in a 5A regional title game.

A Dayton recruit, Miller was a unanimous Mississippi Valley Conference first-team all-Mississippi Division pick after ranking third in 5A with 480 total digs.

Miller added a career-high 34 ace serves this season as Liberty High advanced to a regional title for the seventh consecutive season.

In three seasons Miller has amassed 1,622 career digs and 88 ace serves.

Hattie Galloway

Junior, City High

Galloway continued her steady ascent into one of the state’s top players this season posting career-highs in kills, digs and blocks on her way to earning all-state honors.

A three-year starter, Galloway has increased her production each of the past two seasons compiling her best season to date this fall.

Galloway earned Class 5A second team all-state honors after a junior season in which she was one of only two players in 5A with 270 kills, a hitting percentage over .300 and 70 blocks.

The 6-foot-1 Galloway led City High with 270 kills, a .321 hitting efficiency and 73 blocks on her way to being a unanimous Mississippi Valley Conference first-team all-Valley Division selection.

Galloway also had a career-high 107 digs and 19 ace serves this season helping City High to a 9-19 record.

Kiley Devery

Senior, Solon

Devery capped an excellent career with a breakthrough senior season in which she established herself as one of the top hitters in Class 4A.

The 6-foot-2 Devery posted career-highs in both kills and digs while leading Solon to a 29-10 record and a spot in a Class 4A regional title game.

Devery earned Class 4A third-team all-state honors and was a unanimous first team all-WAMAC East Division selection after leading Solon with 338 kills on .272 hitting.

A Fresno State recruit, Devery added 56 blocks, 104 digs and 27 ace serves while helping Solon to its highest win total in 10 years.

A four-year starter, Devery finished her high school career with 1,027 kills including 524 over the past two seasons.

Addison Bollier

Junior, Regina

Bollier continued to build her resume as one of the top backrow players in the state with an impressive junior season in which she led the state in digs while helping Regina return to the Class 2A state tournament.

A Samford recruit, Bollier collected a state-beset 794 digs this season, averaging 6.8 digs per set while helping the Regals to a 30-14 record and a second consecutive appearance at the Class 2A state tournament.

Bollier has quickly emerged as one of the state’s best backrow players increasing her dig total in each of the past two seasons.

After collecting 380 digs as a freshman Bollier has led the Regals in digs each of the past two season while collecting 1,477 digs during that span.

Bollier was a third-team Class 2A all-state pick and earned River Valley Conference South Division first team honors last season when she added 25 ace serves.

In her career Bollier has 1,857 digs.

Bailey Simpson

Junior, Clear Creek Amana

The emergence of Simpson has a dominant force on both sides of the net was a huge reason for the success of Clear Creek Amana this season as the Clippers won 42 matches and advanced to the 4A state semifinals.

Last season as a sophomore Simpson established herself as a solid option for the Clippers posting 216 kills on .242 hitting.

This season Simpson took her game to another level earning Class 4A second-team all-state and unanimous first-team WAMAC West Division honors after ranking second on the team in kills and leading the Clippers in blocks.

Simpson hammered a career-high 298 kills and ranked third in Class 4A with a hitting efficiency of .379.

The 6-foot-2 Simpson was equally efficient defensively as she led Clear Creek Amana and ranked fourth in Class 4A with 101 blocks to go with 88 digs.

Lila Eastvold

Junior, West High

Eastvold took a huge step forward in her second season leading the West High attack helping the Trojans to their best season in nearly a decade.

The 5-foot-10 Eastvold ranked third in Class 5A with 895 assists to help West High to a 27-6 record and its first state tournament appearance since 2016.

Eastvold earned Class 5A third-team all-state honors and was a unanimous Mississippi Valley Conference first-team all-Mississippi Division selection following her breakthrough junior season.

In her second season as the full-time starter at setter, Eastvold had career-highs in kills, hitting efficiency, digs and blocks along with her 895 assists.

Eastvold had 62 kills on .306 hitting and added 178 digs, 22 blocks and 32 ace serves.

Cyan Blommer

Freshman, West High

Blommer burst onto the scene this season wasting no time establishing herself as one of the top young hitters in the state.

In her varsity debut season Blommer led West High and ranked 11^th in Class 5A with 287 kills while helping the Trojans to a 27-6 record and their first state tournament appearance since 2016.

The 287 kills for Blommer were the most for a freshman in Class 5A and the sixth most for any freshman in the state this season.

A first-team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division selection, Blommer hit .217 in her debut season and did a lot more than just hit.

Blommer ranked second on the team with 320 digs and added 14 ace serves and 17 blocks as West High posted its highest win total since 2015.

Amelia Guinn

Freshman, Solon

Among the top freshman in the state Guinn posted a stellar debut season ranking second on the team in kills while helping Solon reach a Class 4A regional title game.

In her first varsity season Guinn acclimated quickly hammering 237 kills on .220 hitting on her way to earning second-team all-WAMAC East Division honors.

The 6-foot-1 Guinn added 30 blocks and 67 digs during an impressive debut season that concluded with a 20-kill effort in a regional final loss to Marion.

Guinn ranked 15^th in the state among freshman for total kills and her 237 kills were the fifth most for freshmen in Class 4A and 5A this season.

Hadley Miller

Junior, Liberty High

Among the most versatile players in the state Miller continued to do it all for the Lightning while helping Liberty High to a 24-11 record and a spot in a 5A regional title game.

Miller was a Mississippi Valley Conference second-team all-Mississippi Division pick after ranking fifth in Class 5A with 758 assists.

A three-year starter, Miller had her best season to date this fall posting career highs in assists, kills, hitting percentage, digs, blocks and ace serves.

In addition to leading the Lightning in assists, Miller ranked fourth on the team with 133 kills on .262 hitting which ranked second on the team.

The 5-foot-5 Miller ranked second on the team with 306 digs and had 25 blocks and 37 ace serves.

Briley Kaalberg

Senior, West Branch

Kaalberg followed up a strong junior season with an exceptional senior season in which she led the Bears in kills, hitting efficiency and blocks.

The 6-foot Kaalberg earned all-River Valley Conference South Division second-team honors after hammering 228 kills on .337 hitting.

Kaalberg was efficient on offense but was perhaps even better defensively as she ranked fifth in Class 2A with 115 blocks and was third in 2A with 1.2 blocks per set.

The senior standout also had 45 digs and 22 ace serves while helping West Branch to an 18-18 record.

Over the past two seasons Kaalberg had 361 kills and 181 blocks.

Julia Schlarbaum

Sophomore, Clear Creek Amana

After posting 94 kills in a complimentary role last season as a freshman Schlarbaum emerged as one of the top young hitters in the state this season with a breakthrough sophomore season.

Schlarbaum ranked third on the team in both kills and hitting efficiency while helping Clear Creek Amana to a 42-4 record and a spot in the Class 4A state semifinals.

The 6-foot Schlarbaum had 264 kills on .288 hitting on her way to earning second-team all-WAMAC West Division and third-team Class 3A all-state honors.

Schlarbaum led Class 4A with 72 ace serves and added 26 blocks while helping Clear Creek Amana to a fourth consecutive state tournament appearance.

Kennedey Whitford

Senior, Solon

A backrow stalwart for the Spartans the past four seasons Whitford capped a stellar prep career with her best season this fall.

Whitford led Solon in digs for the fourth consecutive season on her way to earning Class 4A third-team all-state honors and unanimous WAMAC East Division first-team honors.

A South Dakota State recruit, Whitford had a career-high 446 digs and led the Spartans with 51 ace serves while helping Solon to a 29-10 record and a spot in a Class 4A regional title game.

Whitford ranked fourth in Class 4A in total digs and seventh in 4A with 4.4 digs per set and also added 116 assists in a strong senior season.

A four-year starter, Whitford closed her career with three consecutive seasons with at least 400 digs finishing with 1,545 digs and 119 ace serves.

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Sports

Hawaii men’s volleyball preview: Middle Blocker Trevell Jordan

Published

7 minutes ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Trevell Jordan couldn’t have been happier with where he was.

The Mesa, Ariz., native was a roughly 30-minute drive from home at nearby Grand Canyon University, playing volleyball as a freshman for a school that was coming off an appearance in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.

Jordan started 21 matches before missing the last four with an injury and was named to the All-MPSF Freshman Team. The Lopes were eliminated in the semifinals of the MPSF Tournament, but despite an 18-10 season, the plan was to run it back.

“We were a really young team, so we were pumped for the upcoming season,” Jordan said. “We had already made a bunch of plans of all the things we were going to do together to get ready.”

One meeting that came on a couple of hours’ notice and lasted all of five minutes changed everything.

“It came out of the blue, on one Sunday morning, where our coach texted our group chat and (wrote) the (athletics director) wants to meet with you guys,” Jordan recalled. “This was over the summer and half our team already left for home and we got to the meeting thinking it was going to be about what it was going to be like next year with the coaches. The AD walked in, said we are cutting your program, and we got two questions off before she booked it out of the room. It was quick.”

Suddenly, Jordan had to find somewhere else to play volleyball. He had chosen Grand Canyon because it was so close to home.

Never did he ever think his next journey would take him to an island six hours away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

“It was a big move to come across the ocean over here,” Jordan said.

Ultimately it was his connections to a bunch of players on the team that led to the 6-foot-10 sophomore middle blocker joining the Rainbow Warriors in the fall.

He knew sophomore hitter Finn Kearney, who grew up in nearby Phoenix, and also played with setter Tread Rosenthal, Justin Todd and opposite Kainoa Wade with Team USA.

Jordan was on the United States U21 team that won a bronze medal for the first time ever at the FIVB World Championships in China in August with Wade and Rosenthal.

“It was a really cool experience and achievement, especially for me. I didn’t make the first two USA teams. I was on the alternate roster, sadly, but I think that lit a fire underneath me for this last one,” Jordan said. “It really brought a better version out of me getting cut from those other two tryouts, and when I went in there, I went in with the mentality of, ‘I want to play.’”

That’s the same mentality Jordan is bringing into the practice gym at UH as he tries to crack the starting lineup on a loaded Hawaii team ranked No. 2 in the country in the preseason AVCA rankings entering today’s home opener against New Jersey Institute of Technology at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawaii lost Kurt Nusterer — who had one year left of eligibility but left to pursue a major career opportunity — in the middle but returns sophomore Ofeck Hazan. UH also landed a 7-foot freshman in Roman Payne and has Justin Todd, another Team USA alum who can play both on the outside and in the middle.

Jordan landed in Hawaii for the first time in August when he came to start school.

Off the court, the biggest difference was getting used to the palm trees and the tropical climate after spending his whole life growing up in the desert.

On the court, Jordan is used to playing with some of the best players in the country in his experiences with the USA team.

Compared to his one year at Grand Canyon, the major difference is the daily grind that comes in the practice gym.

“We’re all talented and there is for sure a standard that has been set to the highest bar that we have,” Jordan said. “And that’s why you have to come into the gym every day to compete. There’s always going to be someone better than you, so that’s why you want to play to the best of your ability every day in the gym and get as much out of each other as you can.”

TREVELL JORDAN

6-10, Soph., Middle Blocker

All-MPSF Freshman Team (at Grand Canyon)

Hit .889 for Team USA to win bronze at FIVB World Championships

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Sports

Meet the 2025 Volleyball Team

Published

23 minutes ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jan. 2, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET

DeLand won its sixth consecutive district title and made the furthest postseason run in the Volusia-Flagler area in 2025.

The Bulldogs advanced to the Region 1-7A semifinals but had to play Winter Park, the No. 1 team in Florida. DeLand’s season came to an end there, but it was still a successful campaign for one of the area’s perennial powers.

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Sports

Iola outside hitter takes top honor on Texas 2A all-state volleyball team | Associated Press

Published

1 hour ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

LONGVIEW, Texas (AP) — Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 2A all-state volleyball team, distributed by The Associated Press:

FIRST TEAM

Middle Blockers: Kellen Weaver, Beckville, sr.; Camryn Powers, Crawford, jr.; Kennedy Slay, Tioga, jr.

Outside Hitters: Shaylee McKown, Iola, jr.; Keegan Kleiber, Mumford; Rayna Sadler, Leon, jr.

Setter: Rylee Goodney, Iola, sr.

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Averi Bolgiano, Crawford, jr.

Player of the year: McKown, Iola

Coach of the year: Jamie McDougald, Iola

SECOND TEAM

Middle Blockers: Jacie Boles, North Hopkins, jr.; Sy Parker, Nocona; Channing Horne, Leon, jr.

Outside Hitters: Macey Hoelscher, North Hopkins, jr.; Cami Hoyle, Iola, jr.; Ava Johnson, Nocona, sr.

Setter: Landry Zapalac, Schulenburg, sr.

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Jenna Guentert, Schulenburg, soph.

THIRD TEAM

Middle Blockers: Katherine Lindemann, Garrison, jr.; Tatum Miller, Crawford; Camdyn Owen, Italy, sr.

Outside Hitters: Aubrie Kabisch, Nocona, sr.; Katelin Sullivan, Flatonia; Haylee Vacek, Schulenburg, jr.

Setter: Ainsley Anderson, Crawford, soph.

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ava Bessette, Iola, sr.

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Sports

Who were the top high school girls volleyball players in Marion County in 2025?

Published

1 hour ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jan. 2, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET

The 2025 Marion County girls volleyball season was one to remember. We saw breakout performances from outside hitters all over the Ocala area. The Trinity Catholic Celtics went undefeated in the county while fielding one of the program’s most talented rosters. Forest made history with its ninth county title in a row under head coach Jim Collins.

The season was much more than those leading lines. We saw scores of volleyball players give their all in hopes of having the best season of their careers. Now that the ball is no longer in play, the Star-Banner is ready to unveil the latest edition of all-Marion County volleyball players.

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Former Grand Canyon star finds new home with Rainbow Warriors

Published

3 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – It’s not uncommon for athletes to transfer schools in this era of collegiate sports.

However, for new University of Hawaii middle blocker Trevell Jordan, it wasn’t a move he was expecting to make.

Jordan — who has U.S. National team experience — had a stellar freshman season at Grand Canyon University, playing in all 21 of the Lopes’ matches as a freshman, amassing 111 kills and 67 blocks.

In April, the GCU team was blindsided when the school announced that it would no longer sponsor the sport.

“None of us saw it coming, like it was out of the blue,” Jordan said. “Went into this meeting thinking it was just gonna be how like next year was gonna go, and then that’s what they dropped the bomb, and like the meeting was like five minutes before they left.”

It was reclassified as a club sport with GCU putting out a release saying that the move was to stay competitive with other NCAA Division I programs.

Grand Canyon just joined the Mountain West Conference, a league that does not carry men’s volleyball.

With the abrupt shutdown, it left the entire Lopes roster looking for a new home, with many players catching the eyes of coaches around the country.

Jordan found his way to Manoa.

“He had offers to go to every top program in the country and ironically they were pushing him to make a fast decision,” UH head coach Charlie Wade said. “They pushed him towards us because I was the one saying, ‘hey, I’m in for the long haul, I want you here, take your time to figure it out.’”

Jordan is now getting accustomed to volleyball in the islands as he joins a squad with big aspirations in 2026.

UH ended last season one game shy of the National Championship.

“The difference in commitment here with the fans, the program, the school, as at GCU, we didn’t get as much love as we did like any other sport,” Jordan said. “It’s been really cool, the team and squad has been really inviting, so they’ve been working with me to get more like accommodated to here.”

Jordan and the ‘Bows open the 2026 season on Friday, the first of two home matches against the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

First serve is set for 7 p.m. Hawaii time.

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Sports

‘Truly humbling’: inside the centre where UK medics are helping Ukrainian amputees | Ukraine

Published

3 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

At a specialist treatment centre in Ukraine, as other amputees play volleyball nearby, Vladislav shows a video on his phone of how he lost his left leg. He found the footage – of a drone closing in rapidly on a buggy, Vladislav standing exposed at its rear – on a Russian military social media channel.

The 31-year-old, an arbitration lawyer before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, makes a double whistling noise to describe the drone’s ominous progress. “That’s me,” he says, pointing at the video, filmed from a fibre optic drone, chasing him down with terrifying ease as the vehicle slows for a corner. Then the screen goes blank.

Vladislav was driving between positions somewhere near Lyman, in the north-east of Ukraine, on 21 August when his life changed for ever. An explosion “bam on the left ear” threw him and the driver to the ground. Still conscious, he could see the injury to his left leg was obviously very serious. But this was not his immediate priority.

“To be honest, I checked my crotch, if everything’s in the right place,” he says, grinning. The check was affirmative and so in that moment, the stricken soldier says, he reasoned life was worth still living. “Only after that, I turned my tourniquet.” That choked off the blood supply to his left leg, giving himself a chance of survival.

Video purports to show moment Vladislav was struck by Russian drone – video

The respite was short. Once rescued, Vladislav was soon losing consciousness. “I don’t know if it’s real or a common trope, but pictured in my memory I saw a white tunnel with a light at the end.” But it was not the end. “My comrade fell on me with his elbow on my wounded leg and I opened my eyes with every curse I knew.”

Dozens of seriously wounded Ukrainians such as Vladislav, who have had or need to have amputations, come to this specialist treatment centre every month. No one will say exactly how many are being treated here, but across Ukraine crude estimates suggest the total number of amputees runs well into the tens of thousands.

Providing help, support and advice to Ukrainian staff at the centre are a small number of British military personnel – doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists from the UK’s defence medical services, part of Project Renovator. The Guardian observed some of their work during a day visit, including sessions where British practitioners discussed their use of temporary prosthetics with Ukrainian counterparts.

“The numbers here are truly humbling,” says Mike, a British rehab consultant and an army lieutenant colonel, who is part of the UK team helping out. Mike worked in Afghanistan, where the British military was present until 2014, and says professionals like himself can contribute “an understanding of complex amputee rehabilitation” and “can help move their patients on to new legs quicker”.

Vladislav was an arbitration lawyer before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Photograph: Julia Kochetova/The Guardian

He is keen to emphasise that the British presence works both ways, in that there are opportunities for him and his colleagues to learn. Thanks to a combination of innovative surgery, electrical stimulation and rehab, the Ukrainians “are managing to fix nerve injuries faster than I’ve previously seen”, he says.

Britain has only minimally acknowledged a wider military presence in Ukraine, beyond its staffing at the embassy in Kyiv. Security measures around the medical crew remain tight, with only Mike able to be identified.

“I’m proud that the UK is stepping up to ensure wounded Ukrainian soldiers get the best possible treatment,” said John Healey, the defence secretary, praising their work. He said their goal was to work alongside Ukrainian teams “to deliver care and rehabilitation”, an effort that will have to continue long after the war finally ends.

Mike, a British rehab consultant helping at the centre, says he and his colleagues can ‘help move their patients on to new legs quicker’. Photograph: Julia Kochetova/The Guardian

There are a wide range of classes, and family and friends are able to visit unless the staff believe it would be unhelpful to an individual’s recovery. Part of the approach is to have “psychologically aware clinicians”, according to Mike, who can identify when patients run into mental problems. But a key part, as the volleyball shows, is being part of a group so the wounded can motivate each other.

Vladislav’s case is one of the simpler. He hopes to have a final prosthetic leg ready soon and to be discharged earlythis year. He says his mental state is strong, though at some point after two or four weeks, when he was on his own, he admits, “I cried a lot”. It was “like a divorce” until he eventually thought: “Let it be.”

What helped, the former lawyer says, was having his family nearby, including baby son Adam. However, he says: “I did not tell my wife about my injury for around a month and a half because she was pregnant.” Two weeks after Adam’s birth he told her what had happened, though by then she had “suspected something”, he admits.

Injured veterans playing volleyball at the rehabilitation centre in Kyiv region. Photograph: Julia Kochetova/The Guardian

Oleksandr, 48, is a former fitness teacher and swimming instructor who had both his legs amputated below the knee after an artillery shell landed close to him on 18 October 2024. After he arrived at the treatment centre, a succession of further surgeries proved necessary. One was to stabilise his wound, which had become infected; later, a metal brace was attached to the bone so the prosthetics would fit.

It has been a long, gruelling treatment, including a month in intensive care, and at one point Oleksandr wells up in tears at the thought of it. “In the beginning it was hard for me just to sit in the wheelchair. I was sweating immediately,” he says. But gradually, going to the gym with rehabilitation experts helped, and at some point as his exercising gradually improved, “I knew then I would get through,” he says.

There is a brightness and purpose in his eyes now but the future is uncertain. He wants to leave this year, when his legs are ready. “I hope I will be able to get back to my job as a fitness trainer,” he says. “But I just don’t know. I just need to understand what my abilities will be on the prostheses, how long I can walk. When I will learn walking, I will understand what my abilities are.”

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