Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown announced today, Monday, May 19, the selection of Kyle Pifer to serve as the director of athletics following approval of his contract by the university’s Board of Trustees during a special-called meeting earlier in the day.
 
Pifer (pronounced PIE-furr) has served as the deputy athletics director and chief operating officer for WCU Athletics since November 2020 and, most recently, as the interim director of athletics following the departure of Alex Gary.
 
The appointment, effective immediately, follows a national search conducted by a 13-member committee, chaired by WCU Provost Richard Starnes. The North Carolina-based executive search consulting firm CSA assisted the search committee.
 
A formal introduction and campus reception is set for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, in the Hospitality Room of the Ramsey Regional Activity Center. The press conference will be streamed live through both WCU’s and the Catamount Athletics YouTube channels.
 

Pifer has served as a WCU Athletics senior staff member and second in command within the department for the past four years, managing all internal functions for the Catamounts, including budget and finance, capital projects, sport administration, event and facility operations, and human resources.
 
A skilled administrator, Pifer has spent the past 23 years of his professional career working in higher education and intercollegiate athletics. He served previously as the senior associate athletics director for compliance at Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon, from 2013 until 2020, when he came to Cullowhee. He also held an associate athletic director position at the University of Washington in Seattle from 2009 until 2013 and worked in NCAA compliance positions at Oregon State and Gonzaga.
 
Pifer’s professional experience in major collegiate athletic conferences, such as the Pac-12, combined with his strong relationships on campus, in the community, with regional leaders, and within the Southern Conference, make him a good fit to lead the Catamount athletics program.
 
“After a comprehensive national search for WCU’s next Director of Athletics, I’m incredibly pleased that the best candidate was already a member of our Catamount family. Mr. Kyle Pifer is an outstanding choice to lead Catamount Nation into its next era,” said Brown. “In the short amount of time that Kyle has served as interim AD, he has distinguished himself as a collaborative and strategic university leader with a commanding grasp of the landscape of intercollegiate athletics. Catamount Athletics is in good hands with Kyle at the helm, and I am confident and excited about the future for our amazing student-athletes.”
 
Over the last four years in Cullowhee, Pifer has spearheaded the formation of the sport administrator committee and the student-athlete well-being committee, both aimed at the better management of the teams and to evaluate the student-athlete experience at Western Carolina. He has also served on numerous campus committees, including the institutional planning, well-being, health and safety, and emergency crisis management teams.
 
Pifer began his professional career as an NCAA compliance officer in 2003 at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. In 2007, Pifer departed for the first of his two stints at Oregon State, beginning as an assistant director of compliance. He then took on the role of the director of compliance at the University of Washington in Seattle, advancing rapidly and earning four promotions in under five years, working his way to an associate athletics director position. He was a member of the UW Athletics department senior staff. 
 
As the senior associate athletics director for compliance at Oregon State, Pifer has experience within on-campus and department operations, including a wealth of knowledge on NCAA compliance within the changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics. As a part of the OSU athletics executive staff, he was the sport supervisor for the Beavers’ men’s golf and the women’s cross country/track and field teams. He was also particularly influential in the development of the Oregon State track and field program, rekindling the program after a nearly 20-year hiatus from the sport sponsorship.

During his eight-plus years at OSU, concluding as the senior compliance administrator, Pifer served on a variety of campus committees, including the Enrollment Management Leadership Team, the High Incident and Event Group, and the Criminal History Attendance and Participation Committee.

 

A native of Frankfort, Indiana, Pifer is a former intercollegiate student-athlete at Francis Marion University, where he was a four-year track and field letter winner and earned academic all-district honors. He possesses a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Francis Marion where he was a member of the Francis Marion Honor Society and graduated summa cum laude in 1999. He earned his master’s degree in sport and athletic administration from Gonzaga in 2021.

 

Pifer and his wife, Sydney, have three daughters: Reese, Delaney, and Ellis.

 

Pifer was selected from an exceptionally competitive and well-qualified pool of candidates. The search committee identified three finalists who participated in on-campus interviews in Cullowhee. 

 

“Kyle Pifer has the experience, vision, and energy to build on the great momentum Catamount athletics has experienced in recent years to take us to the next level,” Starnes said. “He is deeply committed to the success of our student-athletes in competition, in the classroom, and their lives after graduation.”

 

Brown appointed the search committee in March and set an ambitious and accelerated timetable to find a permanent successor for Gary, who served as WCU’s athletics director from February 2020 until March 2025.

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois volleyball’s head coach Chris Tamas announced the addition of Devin Dzienny (Da-zin-ee) to the 2025 roster on Monday.

 

Devin Dzienny // Toledo, Ohio // Florida // Legacy Volleyball // DS/L // 5-8

Notes: Started her collegiate campaign at Florida in the spring of 2025… 2024 First Team All-District… 2024 OHSAA Final Four… 2024 First Team All-Conference Catholic High School League… 2023 OHSAA Final Four… 2023 First Team All-Conference Catholic High School League… 2023 OHSAA All District… 2024 Prep Volleyball.com Second Team All-American… 2024-Sunshine Qualifier All-Tournament Team… 2024-Salt Lake City Qualifier All-Tournament Team… 2024 Central Zone All-Tournament Team… 2024 Triple Crown NIT Show Stopper… 2024 Triple Crown All-Tournament Team… 2024 Summerfest All-Tournament Team… 2023 Central Zone Prep Volleyball.com Honorable Mention… 2023 Central Zone Prep Dig Libero Watch… 2023 Summerfest All-Tournament Team… 2023 Prep Volleyball.com #14 class of 2025… 2022 AAU 15u OPEN National Champion… 2022 Prep Volleyball.com #16 class of 2025… 2022 AVCA PHENOM Selection class of 2025… 2022 Prep Dig Defensive Dandies JVA Rock & Rumble… 2022 Under Armour Vball Recruiter Standout Libero… 2022 JVA Watchlist 2025… 2021 AVCA PHENOM Selection class of 2025… 2021 Prep Volleyball.com TOP 150 class of 2025… 2024 USA Volleyball NTDP Training Program Series… 2023 USA Volleyball NTDP Training Program Series… 2022 USA Volleyball NTDP Training Program Series… 2021 USA Volleyball NTDP Training Program Series… 2020 USA Volleyball HP High Performance training selection… 2019 USA Volleyball HP High Performance training selection

Coach Tamas on Dzienny: “Devin comes from top high school and club programs. She’s a winner and has helped her teams win several championships throughout her career. Her work ethic and attitude towards the game aligns with our program and she will be a great fit for our team.”

Why Illinois? “I chose Illinois because of its welcoming atmosphere. Illinois offers excellent academic programs, making it an ideal place for me to grow as a student athlete. From my first interaction, the coaches made me feel valued. The coaches’ commitment to developing players both on and off the court stood out to me.”

LOS ANGELES – Following the LMU Beach Volleyball program’s run to the national championship game and the best final ranking in program history, Head Coach John Mayer has named Jacinda Ramirez his next assistant coach.
 
Ramirez has been with the program for the since arriving to LMU as a player in 2021. Over her four seasons playing for the Lions, Ramirez earned three all-conference recognitions, two NCAA All-Tournament honors, was a Top Flight winner, and won 97 matches. Additionally, Ramirez was named CSC Academic All-District in 2023 and was a two-time member of the WCC All-Academic First Team and one-time WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention recipient.
 
In her transition in 2024 to Student Assistant Coach, the Lions broke the program record with 38 wins, defeated 12 opponents ranked in the top-25, including multiple wins over #1 ranked opponents, and helped lead the Lions to the best finish in school history with a national title game appearance.
 
“I’m incredibly excited and grateful to continue my journey with the LMU Beach Volleyball team,” said Ramirez. “I never could have imagined when I joined this program five years ago as a player that it would lead me to this opportunity. I want to thank all the coaches and athletic administrators who have supported me throughout my career at LMU, and especially John (Mayer) and Ashley (Armstrong) for believing in me and trusting me with this role. LMU has always felt like home, and I can’t wait to help this program continue to grow and succeed.”
 
Ramirez begins her new position immediately.
 
Donate Today:
Fans interested in making a contribution to the Lions Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will help provide a transformational student-athlete experience athletically, academically, and culturally for every LMU student-athlete. We appreciate your continued support of LMU Athletics. 
 
Follow Along With The Action:
For complete coverage of Loyola Marymount University athletics, visit LMULions.com. We encourage you to follow along with all the action on social media as well. Follow along by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram.
 
 

COMPLETE QUALIFIER LIST / LIVE RESULTS

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INDIANAPOLIS | The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the qualifying list for the 2025 Division III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship, and Farmingdale State College sophomore Adonias Mercado (Hillsdale, N.Y.) has been selected to compete in the shot put.

The Championship will take place at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, from May 22-24, with the men’s shot put scheduled for Friday, May 23 at 11:30 a.m.

Mercado enters the Championship meet ranked 21st in the country in the shot put. He posted a career-best mark of 16.54m (54′ 3.25) at the Skyline Conference Championship on April 27th. His toss was the second-longest throw in program history. The school record of 16.65m (54′ 7.5″) was set by Karl Johnson in 1974.

Mercado becomes the first student-athlete to reach the NCAA Championship since Jyaire Ewa competed in the hammer throw in 2018. The top-eight finishers at the NCAA Championship will receive All-America honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Baylor volleyball alumna Lauren Briseño has been selected to the 2025 Women’s U23 National Team for the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, announced by the organization on Monday.
 
Briseño and 17 other athletes will train at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif., from July 18-25. From that pool, 12 athletes will be chosen to represent the United States in Leon, Mexico, for the Pan American Cup from July 25-August 2.
 
This selection comes after she was chosen for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) wide roster by USAVB. She has been training in Anaheim with USAVB since that announcement on May 8.
 
“The U23 team is unique because it’s the first time [USA Volleyball] is sending that team to compete,” said BU associate head coach and USAVB coach Joshua Walker. “That’s typically only been the Collegiate National Team, which Briseño went to last summer for a week of training.”
 
This will be Briseño’s chance to earn a second gold medal with the U.S. after earning gold in 2023 at the Women’s U21 Pan American Cup with Walker as her coach. She was named Best Receiver in the tournament as well.
 
The full roster of 18 and release from USAVB can be found here.
 
To keep up with Baylor volleyball all year round, follow the team on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook: @BaylorVball.
 

 

– BaylorBears.com –

 

 
 

Champions League (Quarterfinal Round, Day 6) May 14

Savona 10, Barceloneta 17

Team USA attacker Marko Vavic scored four goals and recorded two blocks for Savona in its final Champions League action of the season.

 

Serie A1 (Playoffs) Continue May 16

Championship (Game 2)

Pro Recco 13, Brescia 10

Bronze Medal (Game 2)

Savona 11, Trieste 7

5th Place (Game 2)

Bologna De Akker 11, Posillipo 12

7th Place (Game 2)

Roma Vis Nova 6, Ortigia 9

Team USA captain Ben Hallock scored one for Pro Recco in its Game 2 victory over Brescia as Max Irving scored one for Brescia in defeat. Hallock and Irving will square off in a decisive Game 3 of the series for the Italian Championship. Marko Vavic and Savona defeated Trieste 11-7 to claim third place in Serie A1. Tyler Abramson and Bologna De Akker fell to Posillipo 11-12 and finish in sixth place. Quinn Woodhead and Roma Vis Nova lost to Ortigia and are now tied 1-1 in the series for seventh place.

 

A1 Ethniki (Final Round, First Game) May 18

Vouliagmeni 6, Olympiacos 9

Dylan Woodhead and Vouliagmeni went down 0-1 to Olympiacos in the A1 Ethniki championship round.

 

División De Honor (Final Round, Second Game) May 18

Sabadell 7, Barceloneta 12

Alex Bowen’s Sabadell squad went down 7-12 in the second game of the Spanish Final and finish the season in second place.

 

Women’s División De Honor (Final Round) May 18

Sabadell 12, Sant Andreu 13

Maggie Steffens and Tara Prentice’s Sabadell squad lost the first game of the Women’s Division de Honor Final against Sant Andreu, 12-13.

 

Women’s A1 Ethniki (Semifinal Round) May 13, 16, 18

Glyfada 9, Vouliagmeni 14

Glyfada 4, Vouliagmeni 6

Fifth Place

Panionios 10, Ethnikos 13

Panionios 14, Ethnikos 13

Panionios 8, Ethnikos 10

Isabel Williams and Glyfada lost the Women’s A1 Ethniki semifinal round series to Vouliagmeni after a pair of losses. Malia Allen and Panionios placed sixth after losing the fifth place series to Ethnikos.

 

Here’s a look ahead at some important matches featuring Team USA athletes:

Euro Cup (Final Round, Second Leg) May 24

Radnicki (SRB) at Pro Recco (ITA)

 

Serie A1 (Playoffs) May 20

Championship

Brescia vs Pro Recco

7th Place

Roma Vis Nova vs Ortigia

 

A1 Ethniki (Final Round, Second Game) May 21

Vouliagmeni vs Olympiacos

 

Women’s División De Honor (Final Round) May 25, 28*

Sabadell vs Sant Andreu

 

Women’s A1 Ethniki (Third Place) May 21, 24

Glyfada vs Alimos