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The most unforgettable fashion at WNBA All

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The most unforgettable fashion at WNBA All

INDIANAPOLIS — The narrative arc of the WNBA’s explosive growth can be traced in many ways: a positive slope of rising ticket sales and prices, merchandise booms, brand partnerships, sportsbook markets, salary conversations and expansion teams.

The league’s cultural impact, though, can be felt perhaps nowhere more tangibly than along the seam where fashion and sports fuse. WNBA players are style icons in their own right, with rising stars like Angel Reese gracing the covers of fashion magazines and inking million-dollar partnership deals with brands like Nike, Puma, Adidas, New Balance, Fenty or Coach.

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“In a tunnel walk, even though we’re going to a game, it is work,” Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington told The Athletic at AT&T All-Star Access, one of her brand events. “When you have your meeting with your CEO and your bosses, you want to look your best. And that’s how I feel every game day is: These are the CEOs, the bosses. This might be the only thing that somebody sees from you is you walking in through the tunnel, and that might be the way that you get on their radar for a deal.”

Last year in particular, the fashion world sat up and took notice of the W, acknowledging that some of the most culturally consequential styles were arriving on the nontraditional runways of tunnel walks and WNBA-inspired shoes and streetwear. Reese, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu aren’t just WNBA All-Stars this year; they’re style icons. These stars aren’t just dressing to play; they’re dressing to build their brands, extend their influence, connect with fans and raise the profile of their league.

And there’s perhaps no bigger moment this year to experience the tidal wave of style in the league than WNBA All-Star Weekend, where the league’s “Orange Carpet” on Thursday night and the tunnel walk on Saturday before the big game flowed with couture, confidence and — there’s no clearer way to say it — cool.

Here are our most unforgettable looks from Thursday’s carpet and Saturday’s tunnel.

Angel Reese: ‘Fashion is something I do’


Angel Reese called this look “old money-new money.” (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

Reese is perhaps the first name on people’s lips when it comes to the WNBA and fashion, and she has adroitly leveraged her taste into treasure. Reese is partnered with Reebok, McDonald’s and Reese’s. (At the tunnel walk, sponsored by Nike, Reese positioned herself to hide the giant swoosh behind her.)

On the orange carpet, the former Vogue cover star cast a gravitational pull as cameras leaned in to get a shot of her ankle-length leopard-print coat-dress and Gianvito Rossi strappy heels in a look that she said was inspired by “old money-new money” blends and Hollywood.

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“It’s not what you wear; it’s how you wear it. My confidence is through the roof,” Reese said. “That’s what I want to encourage for young women, especially tall women. It’s not easy being a tall woman. It took a long time when I was younger to be myself, but I’m her.”

Her style icons? Rihanna and Teyana Taylor.

A’ja Wilson: Body tea


A’ja Wilson’s tunnel walk was a motorsports-inspired look. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

The three-time WNBA MVP and Las Vegas Aces star debuted a signature shoe with Nike earlier this year that sold out in less than five minutes. The superstar has had partnerships with brands like LEGO, Gatorade and AT&T.

She was channeling Greek goddess-core drama on the orange carpet with a draped Di Petsa-designed maroon sleeveless gown and gold Saint Laurent earrings styled by Casey Billingsley. The dress was cut to reveal her leg up to the hip — for a very specific reason.

“I see a lot of people may see my leg in a sleeve,” Wilson told The Athletic. “So now I started to switch it up this year and take my leg out of the sleeve.”

She switched it up for her tunnel walk, wearing a motorsports-inspired fit, with a loose jersey top and black, white and red knee-high heeled leather boots. But the look was still giving … leg.

Sabrina Ionescu: Just do it (wear a swoosh)


Sabrina Ionescu’s branding was obvious. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

Ionescu stepped out on the orange carpet in a custom Nike dress and tights the night before clinching the 3-point contest. Ionescu and Paige Bueckers were styled by celebrity designer Brittany Hampton. Sabrina’s shoes and handbag were Jimmy Choo. Her tunnel fit was also Nike, in a tenniscore monochrome ensemble emblazoned with another sparkling swoosh.

Paige Bueckers: Not a fashion rookie


The Wings star has made waves with her play and fashion this season. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

Bueckers is a massive favorite in the betting markets to win rookie of the year, but hitting fashion buckets is not new territory for the Dallas Wings star. The rookie was named the NIL Store’s top-earning female athlete in 2024 and has partnered with brands like Nike, Verizon, Bose, CeraVe and Gatorade.

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Bueckers hit the orange carpet in a Marni sleeveless sweater top and pants with big, grabby graphics and colors. Her stylist, Hampton, paired the set with Prada shoes and VAVA sunglasses.

On Saturday’s tunnel walk, Bueckers wore a check-print oversized corduroy-style button-down jacket and pants set with black loafers.

Breanna Stewart: Power (nap) suit


Breanna Stewart pairs comfort with style on the orange carpet. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

The New York Liberty star is no stranger to brand partnerships, having signed a signature shoe deal with Puma and serving as a brand ambassador for the Unrivaled league, which she co-founded with Napheesa Collier. “Stewie” wore a silky, oversized double-breasted black Simkhai suit on the orange carpet that looked as comfy as a set of pajamas. She paired it with Prada eyewear and Marc Nolan shoes.

“I just want to be comfortable but look great,” Stewart said.

Napheesa Collier: MVP


Collier has been a star on the court and on the orange carpet. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

Napheesa Collier is one of the league’s most influential figures right now. She is the co-founder of Unrivaled, a key voice on players’ current contract negotiations as a member of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association executive committee — oh, and she’s a huge favorite to win league MVP this year. So you could say she’s good at the game.

Collier clearly understood the leadership assignment in fashion this week, too. On the orange carpet, she stepped out in a jaw-dropping ensemble of sheer black lace that showed off her physique with long sheer pants under a cropped top. Then, for Saturday’s look, in an elite show of “slideshow dressing,” where ensembles coordinate over various events, she wore a sheer black top over a black bra, menswear-inspired shorts and heels.

Skylar Diggins: Multifaceted mom


Skylar Diggins, shown in her tunnel walk, is considered a fashion inspiration among her peers. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

The Athletic asked players on the carpet to name their WNBA style icon. The most frequent responses were Skylar Diggins and Sydney Colson.

On the orange carpet, Diggins wore a Cucculelli Shaheen jet-black jacket with intricate beaded embroidery and a long lace train with Nickho Rey jewelry. She followed it up in Saturday’s tunnel with another monochrome workwear-inspired ensemble in the tunnel. (For the uninitiated, monochrome is one of the best ways in fashion to make sure you stand out in a crowd.) The light-colored trench coat and slacks were embellished with dripping pearls. Underneath, the most traditional workwear staple: a button-down.

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“If I had to describe my style in three words, it’d be: What I like,” Diggins said. “I got two little ones, so I’m always moving around. I love silhouettes, textures, layering. And then I wanted to be shiny. It’s like levels to it, you know?”

Nneka Ogwumike: Madam President


Nneka Ogwumike showcases her confidence in her tunnel style. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

The Seattle Storm forward and president of the WNBPA wears her confident leadership in the way she styles herself, too.

“My style is like my music, it’s like my food,” Ogwumike said. “I choose based off of what I feel like eating, what I feel like listening to, what I feel like consuming when it comes to shows, movies, reading books and podcasts. That’s how I feel with my style. I’m very comfortable in my body. I love my body, and I just try my best to be versatile in how I wear my things.”

She wore a bright print dress on the orange carpet that mirrored many traditional Nigerian styles and then mixed it up two days later with animal-print patterns in the tunnel.

Rae Burrell: Thrift queen!


Rae Burrell showcased a throwback Hollywood look. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Sparks’ Burrell brought a serrated take on Hollywood glam in a shiny maroon trench with a faux fur collar and cuffs. A perfectly matching leather imitation bralette and woven print slacks completed the look with white heels.

The real scene-stealer? Thrifting.

“I actually thrifted these pants a few years ago,” Burrell said. “I put it on with the coat, and I was like, ‘Oh, perfect.’”

Sydney Colson: Standup style


Sydney Colson provides comedy and fashion for the W. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

Colson is a style icon to her peers and a comedy icon on the internet. “The Syd + TP Show” with Colson and Theresa Plaisance is a buddy comedy with hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. Colson performed a standup comedy act during the WNBA All-Star events. She was also one of the most-mentioned style icons by her peers on the orange carpet.

Colson wore a leather ensemble over a green snakeskin zip-up and white collared shirt, and she kept everyone on the orange carpet laughing through a long night.

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Rhyne Howard: Fire suit


Rhyne Howard wore a “straight off the runway” look on the orange carpet. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

The Atlanta Dream guard wore a loose leather black suit with an outline of scarlet flames curling up the sides. It was somewhat reminiscent of a race car driver’s fire suit, just oversized. Howard is an outspoken LEGO fan and has TikToks of unboxing LEGO Speed Champions series cars. WNBA celebrity stylist Golden put the look together.

“The piece is one-of-one,” Howard said, “straight off the runway. It’s really comfortable, and you’re not gonna see this from anybody else, I can comfortably say.”

Alyssa Thomas: Trash-talk, smooth walk


Alyssa Thomas’ orange-lensed frames were fitting for the WNBA events. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

Thomas isn’t just a forward for the Phoenix Mercury; she was also voted the league’s best trash-talker in The Athletic’s anonymous player poll. But when it comes to fashion? Smooth is the name of the game.

“I like smooth,” Thomas said. “Old-school smooth.” She wore a gray wool menswear suit with matching sneakers, her hair pulled back and a set of orange-lensed frames.

The Athletic’s Bre’ana Singleton contributed to this story.

(Top photo of Angel Reese: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

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Who made 2025 Journal & Courier Big Schools All-Area Volleyball team?

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December 11, 2025

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Dec. 11, 2025, 4:02 a.m. ET

LAFAYETTE ― The Journal & Courier recognizes the 14 best volleyball players 4A and 3A to be voted onto the All-Area Big Schools team.

Here are the top players and members who were selected to the 2025 Journal & Courier All-Area team, as voted on by coaches.



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Matchups, starters, players to watch

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December 11, 2025

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Dec. 11, 2025, 5:10 a.m. ET



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Four new players make up Wisconsin volleyball class of 2026 roster

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The Wisconsin volleyball team earned a No. 2 recruiting ranking for the four new names they added to the team’s class of 2026. 

The four young stars, Audrey Flanagan, Kymore Scott, Lynney Tarnow and Halle Thompson, have a long list of accolades, including experiences with state and national championships and the USA Junior National Team. 

During the signing day press conference, head coach Kelly Sheffield said their recruiting focus was finding right athletes to fit the specific needs of Wisconsin. 

“There was just a very very small number that we thought would be a great fit for what we were needing,” he said.

Audrey Flanagan, outside hitter

Flanagan, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter from California, comes to Wisconsin with two national team runs, including a gold win with the US Under-19 team in the Continental Championship. 

Flanagan’s honors also include an AVCA First Team All-American, the 2024 Bay League Most Outstanding Player and the 2023 All-Bay League First Team. 

While she was injured last year, Flanagan is now back to full strength and ready to go for Wisconsin. 

“We’re getting a healthy player and one that’s going to have a huge impact for us,” Sheffield said. 

Kymora Scott, middle blocker/right side

Scott’s ability to hit off of one foot appealed to Sheffield when he first saw her play. He compared her skill to the talents of former Badgers Megan Campbell and Devyn Robinson. 

The middle blocker from Illinois was a bit out of the spotlight, Sheffield said, although her accomplishments speak for themselves. 

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Scott is a two-time SWSC All-Conference player and ranked No. 4 in her high school’s history for overall kills (714) and most kills in a single season (288). 

“We see her as someone who can be an elite slide attacker,” Sheffield said. “She is smooth with her attack and has the ability to be a very good blocker with how fast she can get off the floor.”

Lynney Tarnow, middle blocker 

Tarnow has been coming to Badger volleyball camps since she was nine, so Sheffield said it just feels right for her to finally be signed at Wisconsin. 

The 6-foot-5 middle blocker is also from Illinois and Sheffield highlights her physicality around the court.

“Lynney has the potential to be a very physical net presence,” Sheffield said. “She can hit well off of one or two feet with power and can take up a lot of space with her block.”

Tarnow will come to the Wisconsin team as an AVCA All-Region Player of the Year and the No. 1 rank in her position. The Illinois native has also been a part of the 2025 Under-19 National Team. 

Halle Thompson, outside hitter

With the addition of Thompson, another outside hitter, Wisconsin is adding an elite back row attacker, Sheffield said. 

Thompson is also ranked high for her region. Across the board, Thompson is No. 2 in regional rankings and position rank. From Texas, Thompson is a two-time Texas Division I Volleyball State MVP and Volleyball State Champion. She also has two seasons with the National Team under her belt. 

“Halle is a fierce competitor,” Sheffield said. “She is very good for her age at the serve and pass portion of the game and plays the game fearlessly.”

While it took some extra effort in recruiting to get Thompson from Texas to Wisconsin, Sheffield said he’s very satisfied with the result of signing Thompson. 

“No matter how much depth we have or how much experience, we’re going after people that have big dreams and big goals,” Sheffield said. 

In previous years, Wisconsin signed more players, but Sheffield said the landscape of the transfer portal is decreasing the need to collect younger athletes. In 2024, the Badgers signed on six new players. In 2025, that number dropped to four. 

“There’s that element of bringing in some young players and mixing them with some elite college-ready transfers,” Sheffield said. “And hopefully you can stay in the ball game every year.”

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Track and Field Competes in Opening Meet, Swimming Takes on Rowan

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December 11, 2025

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Track and Field:

On Friday, Dec 10., Swarthmore track and field traveled to Lancaster, PA, to compete in the Diplomat Open hosted by Franklin & Marshall College. The Garnet were one of fifteen colleges represented in the indoor meet, the first of their indoor season.

Men’s Results

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James Saunders ’29 ran a time of 8.81 in the 60-meter hurdles finals in a fourth place finish, just a hundredth of a second away from breaking the 8.77 program record time set in 2019. In the long jump, Rishi Tella ’26 finished in fourth place with a 6.46 meter mark. In the 3,000-meter race, Leo Sun ’26 ran a time of 9:39.13 to capture a sixth place finish. Matthew Fleming ’27 raced the 5000-meter race with a 15:39.71 finish in fifth place. Noah St. George ’28 earned an eighth place finish in the high jump with a mark of 1.80 meters. Alan Nichols ’28 set a personal record with a 1.75 mark. Pole vaulter Jackson Mejia ’28 also set a personal record; he finished in eighth place with a mark of 3.85 meters. 

Women’s Results

Thrower Tate Garcia ’26 threw for 11.49 meters in the shot put to capture fourth place, as well as a fifth-place weight throw result with a 13.20 mark. Alyson Goldbacher ’28, who holds the program record in the long jump, secured a sixth-place finish and a 2.90-meter mark in the event. In the 200-meter race, Gabby Bredbenner ’29 ran a fifth-place finish with a time of 27.03. The 400-meter race saw a fourth place finish by Bredbenner (1:02.79) and an eight- place finish by Goldbacher (1:06.8). In the mile, Morgan McErlean ’26 crossed the finish line in eighth place with a time of 5:52.53. The high jumper Katharine Reiter ’29 had a mark of 1.42 meters to earn an eighth-place finish. 

Swimming:

On Friday, the Garnet competed at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. The women’s team beat the Rowan Profs 113-75 to notch their sixth consecutive win. Men’s swimming fell in a 84.5-101.5 loss. The Mixed 200-yard medley relay saw a strong Swarthmore first place win, swam by Maya Ambardekar ’28, Dylan Ling ’26, Cami Wilson ’26, and Elle Anthony ’26 for a 1:38.03 finish. The relay team composed of Genine Collins ’27, Damian René  27, Sam Packard ’27, and Danny Castle ’27 swam a 1:31.57 in the 200 freestyle relay for a close second place finish. 

Men’s Results

In the 200 free, Sam Peterson ’26 took third place with a time of 1:46.49. Jack Boerner ’29 followed closely in fourth with a time of 1:46.78. Levi Tipton ’28 dominated the 100 fly (51.90), more than a second faster than the second place finisher. In the 100 IM, Nolan Weygandt ’29 took third with a 54.80 finish. Andrew Hendrickson ’27 swam a 4:48.09 to come in third in the 500 free. In the 100 breast, Ling swam a 59.88 for a third place finish. In the 50 free, Wilson took home the win with a 21.07 finish, and Castle followed in second with a 21.46 finish. Dylan Herink ’27 won the 100 back with a time of 53.24, and Matvey Ivanov ’27 came in third place with a 54.70 finish. In the 100 free, Tipton swam a 47.58 for a second place tie.

Women’s Results

In the 200 free, Margaret Sawa ’29 swam a 1:58.40 to notch a second place finish, with Ava Craig ’27 tenths of a second away with a third place finish (1:58.92). Genine Collins ’27, the program record holder for the 100 fly, won the event with a time of 57.28. Marin Norlander ’28 placed third with a 1:00.91 time. Quinn Weygandt ’26 took home the win for the 100 IM with a 1:01.97 finish time, and Norah Rutkowski ’28 followed in third with a 1:02.56 finish. Craig won the 500 free (5:16.90), over three seconds faster than the second-place finisher. In the 100 breast, Annabelle Hoover ’28 (1:09.44) and Rutkowski (1:09.97) placed second and third, respectively. The Garnet swept the 50 free podium, set by Collins (23.61), Anthony (24.28), and Ainsley Jane Tambling ’26 (25.52). Collins and Anthony hold the first and second fastest times in program history for the 50 free. Ambardekar won the 100 back (59.03) with nearly two seconds of space between her and the next finisher. In the 100 free, Riley Bacinski ’29 (53.28) and Weygandt (54.22) clinched second- and third-place finishes, respectively.



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How Sweet It Is: No. 3 Badgers take on NCAA Regionals

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December 11, 2025

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MADISON, Wis. – The No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team will look to continue their NCAA Tournament run, as they are set to take on No. 2 Stanford in Austin, Texas, on Friday, Dec. 12 at Gregory Gymnasium. The match will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first regional semifinal between No. 4 Indiana and No. 1 Texas, slated to start at 11:00 a.m. CT. Both matches will be televised on ESPN. 

The Badgers (26-4) advanced to the NCAA Regionals behind a pair of stellar performances in back-to-back nights of action—defeating Eastern Illinois and North Carolina at the UW Field House to punch their ticket to the second weekend for the 13th consecutive season. 

The offense continued to be efficient in the pair of matches this past weekend, as UW enters the NCAA Regionals with the second-highest hitting percentage in the country at .322. If the mark holds, that swinging percentage would break a school record. 

Outside hitter Mimi Colyer was one of the multiple standouts from the weekend, recording 22 kills and 13 digs versus the Tar Heels for her eighth double-double of the year. The senior was recently named the Player of the Year in the AVCA All-North Region release. She was joined by four other Badgers on the First Team list in middle blocker Carter Booth, libero Kristen Simon, outside hitter Una Vajagic and right side Grace Egan. 

Simon, in being one-of-three freshmen garnering that honor, continued her quality play from the back row for UW. In both postseason matches, the Badgers held their opponents to a hitting percentage of .250 or lower. The freshman racked up a combined 31 digs in the process, leading the team in both matches. In doing so, Simon passed Kristen Roman for fifth-most digs by a freshman in program history. 

Wisconsin enters the Lone Star State in search of their first win over the Cardinal (29-4) in team history. The units have battled six times, with Stanford coming out on top in each match—including the 2019 National Championship match. 

The Cardinal defeated Utah Valley and Arizona en route to a berth to the NCAA Regionals, doing so in four sets in each match. They enter with a strong postseason pedigree, winning nine national championships while appearing in 23 Final Fours. 

The two teams last met in Milwaukee at the Fiserv Forum last season, as Stanford walked away with a four-set victory. Setter Charlie Fuerbringer, in her freshman season, posted a career-high five kills against the Cardinal in that match. Fuerbringer racked up four in each match this past weekend—continuing to be a spark on the offensive end. 

In head coach Kelly Sheffield‘s tenure at Wisconsin, the Badgers hold a record of 10-2 in NCAA Regional Semifinal matches. Last year, UW won a five-set thriller over Texas A&M to advance to the NCAA Regional Final. 

With a victory on Friday, the Badgers will play the winner of Indiana vs Texas on Sunday, Dec. 14. The start time for that match is still to be determined.

 



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#11 Volleyball Meets Media, Makes Final Prep For Sweet 16 Match

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Creighton Volleyball team got its first look inside Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday during its first full day in Lexington, Ky., for this weekend’s NCAA Tournament Regional.

Creighton head coach Brian Rosen, along with seniors Kiara Reinhardt, Ava Martin and Annalea Maeder met the media prior to the team’s 90-minute practice inside Memorial Coliseum, which will host the action.

First serve between Creighton and Arizona State is set for 12 p.m. Central. The contest will be nationally-televised on ESPN2.

 

NCAA Volleyball Lexington Regional

Historic Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.

Creighton-Arizona State Pre-Match News Conference

 

Creighton Head Coach Brian Rosen

Opening Statement …

“Obviously, just really happy to be here to still be playing, to be in the Sweet 16. We’ve had these goals for a long time now, especially two of the seniors have been here four or six years. They came here and chose Creighton for opportunities just like this. I am just really proud of them and our whole team to get to this point. I’ve actually never been to Lexington before, so this has been fun. I didn’t know that Creighton and Kentucky have a long history of playing, eight straight years of playing in those tournaments together. I was there for the last year of that, but it was at Creighton. That one didn’t go very well. So hopefully if we got a chance to play them, we didn’t be a little different. Arizona State’s a great team. Lots of firepower all over, really good block. We’ve gotten to watch them quite a bit on film and things like that, so it should be a great match. We have very similar resumes, similar RPIs, same best win, I feel like, in Kansas. So a lot of similarities, it should be a fun.”

 

On running offense against Arizona State’s defense…

“I think these are two of the strongest blocking teams in the country. Last week, we actually led the nation in blocks during the first rounds of the tournament, so it’s definitely a major strength on both sides. Ultimately, I think this match will come down to which team stays in system more consistently. Every team, no matter how good, has holes in their block when they’re out of system. So for us, it’s about getting them into one- and two-pass situations so we can set our block and take advantage of those opportunities. And the same is true for them—if they can get us into those situations, their block is extremely tough to overcome. At the highest level, that’s what volleyball becomes: creating holes in the block and preventing the other team from doing the same. Hopefully, our serving pressure and our ability to win first contact will be the difference.”

 

On Kiara Reinhardt setting the program record for NCAA tournament appearances and how that drives her…

“I’d like to start by saying that she absolutely earned this. She’s now the winningest Bluejay in our volleyball program’s history, and I love that all of these longevity records are going to belong to Kiara. I truly don’t think there’s anyone who embodies Creighton Volleyball the way she does. Her selflessness, her leadership, her consistency, she sets the standard for what our program is all about. Convincing her to come back for a sixth year definitely wasn’t easy, but I hope she knows how grateful we all are that she did. And honestly, who she is as a person will always matter so much more to us than any of the kills or blocks she’s put up, even though she’s had a ton of those too. I love that these records and awards are hers, and I’m not sure anyone will ever break them. unless maybe Ava decides to come back for one more year.”

 

Creighton Student-Athletes

#8 Ava Martin, OH

On not losing since September…

“I think one of our big things has just been respecting everyone this year. I mean all the Big East teams, they give us their all, and it’s always a battle with all those teams. We know coming into it, we respect every team and treat them like they’re a top-25 team, so I think that’s really important for us. Especially this year, we saw a ton of upsets within college volleyball, so just taking it one game at a time and treating everyone like it’s the most important game has been really big for us.”

 

#17 Annalea Maeder, S

On not losing since September…

“I mean, everything that Ava said is definitely true. I just want to add that we have not lost since September, but we’ve definitely found ourselves in situations where we had to fight back from being down, where we lost sets. Last week, we were down to one, and had to find a way to kind of recover and come back from this. Even though we haven’t lost, we definitely have been in very versatile situations that I think will help us with this weekend.”

 

On Arizona St. middles…

“Yes, as Brian mentioned, they’re a really good team. I also think we are just as good, and we present our own challenges. I think our coaching staff does a phenomenal job of scouting other teams, and giving me a game plan of who we start with, setting, and what we want to run. We for or than we expected.”

 

#5 Kiara Reinhardt, MB

On the last time she was in Lexington…

“Yeah that was fun. I wasn’t playing that year. That was my redshirt year. I just remember playing at Kentucky, they brought a great fan base, and they’ve had such a well established program here. I think the fans love it and really bring it, and want to support the program here. I’m just really excited. I think they’ll pull a great crowd here. It was a really fun tournament, from what I can remember. We also did get food poisoning that weekend, so I remember that, but we did win that tournament that weekend, which was really exciting. I remember walking away, we felt good about that, even though physically we didn’t.”

 

On setting the program record for tournament appearances…

“Yeah, I mean for me appearances that just means that I have spent more time playing volleyball with more of these amazing girls, and so I think that’s what definitely drives me. Just like not wanting to be done, and wanting to keep these moments continuing, and wanting to keep stepping out onto the court with them, wanting to keep hanging out in the hotel together, and all of those things. I’m really grateful for that. I’ve gotten to spend more time with all the teams that I’ve been on every year.”

 



 

Arizona State Head Coach JJ Van Niel

Opening Statement …

“We are excited to be here. I think our team has done a really nice job this year and been super resilient. We are ready to go.”

 

On the team’s blocking …

“Because we have a physical team, I think our plan was to try to invest a little more in the blocking side of things this year. It is nice to see the time we spent has paid off. We have some physical kids and have spent a little more time working on blocking this year than in past years. It has showed off. Having a physical team is fun.”

 

On the depth of his team …

“I think it has been huge because in any given match players are a little on or a little off. We have had several matches where maybe someone wasn’t quite at their normal standards and then other people have been able to pick up the slack really nicely. You always want a balanced team, it is nice to have some balance.”

 

On having similar opponents with Creighton …

“Yeah, it was quite a while ago. I think one of the challenges is that was at the beginning of the season. We will look at it, but I know for myself as we started scouting, you try not to look at what the other team did, just look at what they are doing and what I think we should do. We have our personnel, which is going to be different than every other team. So it is really about trying to think about what your strengths and weaknesses are and then what is your opponent going to try to do against you. Then what you are going to do to try to slow them down.”

 

On their team plans the rest of the day …

“We will do a little more prep and have a little game night tonight. I am always up for some card tricks. We will do a little team thing and play some games tonight.”

 

On signee Grace Martin and competing this weekend against her older sister …

“Recruiting her was kind of easy, she is an outside and really, really competitive. I remember watching her at JOs two or three years ago and I left going, ‘hey, we have got to talk to her, even if she is a little undersized.’ Just a really, really fiery and competitive kid, which I am sure she gets from her family or sister. We have a text thread going and it is pretty funny actually. I asked her what color she was wearing, but I told her she should wear her Creighton stuff and support her sister.”

 

On Creighton’s Ava Martin …

“She has experience. She has been here before. She is a really good all-around volleyball player. She has a heavy arm and can hit anywhere on the court. Those are the hardest people to defend for sure.”

 

On Brian Rosen‘s coaching job at Creighton …

“I think he has done a phenomenal job stepping in. Obviously, he was there and I am sure that was really helpful. When you are already there you are going to already know the players and have buy in quicker and easier. I have seen some stuff that they do a little bit differently than they have in the past. I think the ability to come in and really keep the momentum going, is great. Creighton has really been a nice program the last 10-plus years. It is always challenging when you step into a successful program. You are going to have people doubt that you can do it and he has been able to step in and keep it rolling. He is doing a great job. He lost some key pieces too. He has built a nice system around what he has.”

 

Arizona State Student-Athletes

#22 Bailey Miller, OH

On how Big 12 play has prepared ASU for the regional …

“I think we have a really strong conference. We had the most teams selected to the NCAA Tournament, so I think that helps a lot because we’ve had some really good competition to get us ready.”

 

On having the depth of hitters on her team …

“I have been able to have some really high-efficiency games because the middles are working so hard and the right sides are working super hard. We’re fortunate to have some of the best hitters in the country and so it makes it really easy.”

 

On her setting …

“She’s been so good, it’s amazing. All of our connection with her have been so good. She is the most understanding setter that I’ve ever met. She doesn’t care if you’re asking for it to be higher, lower, faster, whatever you need – she’s willing to do it. I think that helps a lot. Everybody is so comfortable talking to her, so I think that connection is really priceless in this game and it helps that she is able to set the gap and then skip over and set the go and that’s one of the best parts of our system. She has been so good all season.”

 

#15 Faith Frame, L

On how Big 12 play has prepared ASU for the regional …

“In the Big 12, any one could have won any of the games. Every game you had to be ready and prepared for anything. It really prepared us well.”

 

On having the depth of hitters on her team …

“They’re all great. Out of system is pretty easy because I’m not going to make a bad decision going either way.”

 

On her libero play this season …

“It’s been really fun. I’ve never had such a big block in front of me, so this season I’ve been getting more and more comfortable working around the block and trying not to stand behind it but work around it and being able to run things down that they touch being so physical.”

 



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