We’ve taken a look at how the first year and second year head coaches fared during the 2024-25 NCAA season, now it’s time to reflected on how the season went for the third-year head coaches.
Progress in the NCAA isn’t always linear and all of these teams faced changes in their postseason, either going to a new conference meet or having schools added to their familiar conference championships. Still, as opposed to the first and even second-year head coaches, by the times coaches have completed their third season at the helm of a program, patterns have begun to emerge, and we get a clearer sense of the direction that a head coach is leading a program.
Like we did with the second-year head coaches, we’ve kept this list to Power Four programs and teams that have recently made the NCAA Championships, allowing us to dive a little deeper on each program.
Neil Versfeld, Georgia Men
Asterisk denotes new conference structure
Year
Conference Standing
2022 (pre-Versfeld)
4th, 919 points
2023
5th, 828.5 points
2024
3rd, 1042 points
2025*
4th, 796.5 points
When legendary Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle retired, the Georgia swimming and diving programs split, with Neil Versfeld taking over the men’s program and Stefanie Williams Moreno the women’s. The 2024-25 season marked the men’s team’s most successful season at the NCAA level since 2021, as the team’s seventh place finish with 238.5 points in Federal Way marked the team’s highest finish and point total since that year.
Luca Urlando’s return has a lot to do with that; the Olympian won the team’s lone individual 2025 NCAA title with a 200 butterfly NCAA record. He was the team’s highest point scorer and a valuable asset to its relays. Senior Jake Magaheyclosed out his collegiate career as a consistent scorer for the Dawgs. He earned 42 points for the team highlighted by fourth place finishes in the 500 free and 400 IM, plus a seventh place outing in the 200 butterfly.
Magahey finishing out his NCAA eligibility will be something the team has to build back from, but Urlando declaring he will use his remaining two years of eligibility does give the Dawgs a boost. Still, there are signs of development from the swimmers Versfeld has brought in. Enticing Ruard van Renen to transfer continues to pay off for Georgia as the South African backstroke/sprint freestyler continues to improve in Athens and sophomore Tomas Koski continues to reach new heights in the mid-distance events.
The Georgia men managed to remain top five in the SEC standings even with Texas’ arrival, maintaining that streak in the Versfeld era. All the NCAA scorers were key to that effort and freshman Drew Hitchock played an important role too, sneaking into a pair of ‘A’ finals after touching 8th in prelims. As Georgia continues to graduate its biggest stars, developing underclassmen like Hitchcock will be key for the men to continue to find success under Versfeld without going into full rebuild mode.
Stefanie Williams Moreno, Georgia Women
Asterisk denotes new conference structure
Year
Conference Standing
2022 (pre-Williams Moreno)
4th, 986 points
2023
6th, 756 points
2024
5th, 822 points
2025*
4th, 689.5 points
Without a big superstar like Urlando or a consistent NCAA scorer like Magahey, it has been more up and down for the Georgia women since Bauerle’s departure. Zoie Hartman’s graduation at did not help either.
The Georgia distance freestyle crew made a name for itself a couple of seasons ago, peaking with Abby McCulloh’s 1650 freestyle NCAA title last season. But, despite some intriguing early season returns, the distance group and the team took a step back on the NCAA stage this season, falling from their 13th place finish in 2024 to 16th in 2025 with half as many points (58). McCulloh was the team’s highest scorer with 20 points and a fourth-place finish in the 1650 freestyle, followed by senior Rachel Stege’s 11 points and sophomore Helena Jones’ three.
The team had some positive early season returns from transfer Ieva Maluka that they will look to parlay into postseason success next season. The 2025-26 team also projects to get a boost from incoming freshman Kennedi Dobson, who is the women’s first SwimSwam ranked recruit since 2021. With four “Best of the Rest” recruits arriving next season and another ranked recruit in Virginia Hinds on campus in fall 2026, there are flashes of positives for the Georgia women to build on—especially at the conference level, where they held onto a top 5 finish—but it looks like ot will be a couple more seasons before they are back contending for a top 10 finish at the NCAA Championships.
Lea Maurer, USC
Asterisk denotes new conference
Women Conference Standing
Year
Men Conference Standing
3rd, 1373.5 points
2022 (pre Maurer)
4th, 449 points
2nd, 1267.5 points
2023
5th, 314.5 points
2nd, 1291 points
2024
5th, 394.5 points
5th, 835 points
2025*
4th, 878 points
It’s also been an up-and-down time for USC coming out of the pandemic. Things ended on a high note for the Trojans this season, as the men placed 15th at the NCAA Championships for the program’s highest finish since 2018. Diving was the driving force behind that placement for USC, but sophomore Krzysztof Chmielewski scored 17 points in the swimming pool and senior Chris O’Grady also got on the board, breaking his 200 breast record twice in one day (1:50.48) as he placed 11th.
That success built on a rocky but ultimately successful Big 10 Championship debut. The Trojans surprised by winning the 800 freestyle relay on day 1, then failed to put a swimmer into finals on Day 2. The team was able to refocus and finish 4th with 878 points and two titles. But in general, one thing that USC is still aiming for is postseason consistency.
The Trojan women finished 11th at their NCAA Championships, scoring 130 points. Sophomore Minna Abraham continues to shine for the team; she was their highest scorer and the 200 freestyle runner-up in a race that came down to the touch. Her sprint freestyle capabilities boost the relays as well, which will help the team in the post-Kaitlyn Doblerera, which begins next season. Dobler won the team’s first Big 10 championship title at the conference meet in Februray, leading them to a 5th place finish (835 points) in their Big 10 Championship debut.
Chase Kreitler, Pitt
Asterisk denotes new conference structure
Women Conference Standing
Year
Men Conference Standing
11th, 328 points
2022 (pre-Kreitler)
9th, 431 points
11th, 315 points
2023
7th, 660.5 points
10th, 407 points
2024
7th, 647.5 points
8th, 462 points
2025*
10th, 456.5 points
The Pitt women had a historic season during Chase Kreitler’s third year at the head of the program. At midseason, they qualified their first relay for the NCAA Championships in 19 years and just kept building. Despite the high-power additions of Stanford and Cal to the ACC, the Panthers climbed two spots in the conference to eighth, earning their highest finish at ACCs since 2015. They also qualified all five relays for NCAAs.
They sent 10 women to the NCAA Championships, where Sophie Yendell became the highest women’s NCAA finisher in program history courtesy of her fifth-place finish in the 50 freestyle. Claire Jansen then scored in the 100 backstroke, marking the first time since 1985 two Pitt women swimmers scored at NCAAs. Further, the 800 freestyle relay lowered their program record to finish 18th at NCAAs—their best relay finish at NCAAs in 38 years, a placement the 200 free relay matched.
At the end of the meet, seven more program records had fallen and the team finished tied for 27th, marking the highest NCAA team finish in 29 years.
The men finished 34th at their NCAA Championships. 2024 ACC Male Diver of the Year Cameron Cash earned all the team’s 13 points. Though he did not score, Max Matteazzi earned a career-high NCAA finish in the 200 breaststroke with his 31st place and set a program record in the 200 IM (1:42.87).
The Pitt men will have to rebuild on the national level after this season as two-time NCAA qualifiers Cash, Matteazzi, and Jackson Salisbury (three of the team’s five qualifiers this season) all closed out their collegiate careers in March.
Jonas Persson, Utah
Asterisk denotes new conference
Women Conference Standing
Year
Men Conference Standing
7th, 608 points
2022 (pre-Persson)
6th, 264 points
7th, 594 points
2023
6th, 300.5 points
6th, 628.5 points
2024
6th, 211.5 points
5th, 809.5 points
2025*
3rd, 1153.5 points
Jonas Persson arrived at Utah as an associate head coach; he served as interim head coach during the 2022 postseason and had the interim tag removed ahead of the 2022-23 season. Seven program records fell during Persson’s first two years in charge of the program, while Jaek Horner posted an 11th place finish in the 100 breaststroke at the 2024 Men’s NCAA Championships, the highest finish in program history in that event.
The records continued to fall this season as the team joined the Big 12 conference. Plenty of records went down in the pool, but it was the divers who shone most during the postseason. Jesco Helling won the platform title at the 2025 Big 12 Championships, the first Big 12 title for the team during its debut at the conference’s championships and Callie Eaglestone won women’s freshman Diver of the Meet.
Then, Elias Petersen scored 15 points at the Men’s NCAA Championships, powering the Utes to a 30th place finish. He finished fourth-place finish on the 1-meter board, the best diving finish in team history. He was the only men’s Big 12 diver to earn First-Team All-American honors, earning Persson’s fellow coach Richard Marschner Big 12 Men’s Diving Coach of the Year.
The bulk of Utah’s swimmers attended the CSCAA Championships in March, with breaststroker Erin Palmer earning Female Swimmer of the Meet honors.
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.”
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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
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.
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ava Bessette, Iola, sr.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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.
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.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
