Moments after the Big Ten Conference revealed the league volleyball schedule for this fall, Nebraska unveiled its full slate.

The Huskers have 20 Big Ten matches after 10 nonconference contests. Nebraska opens with the AVCA First Serve Showcast at Pinnacle Bank Arena against Pittsburgh and Stanford.

The only road non-con matches are in Nashville at Lipscomb (Aug. 29) and against Kentucky (Aug. 31, Broadway Block Party), as well as Sept. 16 at Creighton. The first away match in Big Ten play is at defending national champion Penn State on Oct. 3, with the Nittany Lions returning to Lincoln on Black Friday.

Other home matches for the Big Red in the non-conference include California, Utah, and Arizona. The regular-season finale is against Ohio State on Nov. 29.

Prior to the season, Nebraska will have its annual Red-White Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 9 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers will also hold an Alumni Match at the Devaney Center on Saturday, Aug. 16.

Nebraska is coming off of a 33-3 season in which the Huskers finished as co-Big Ten Champions. Just a few months ago, head coach John Cook retired and was promptly replaced by former Husker Dani Busboom Kelly.

The full schedule is below.

Nebraska Volleyball 2025 Schedule

Home matches are bolded.

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Palm Desert grad Ben Braun had spent two unceremonious years on the Ohio State volleyball team that were marked by injuries, illness and no clear path to playing time, so he decided to do what so many college athletes do nowadays and enter the transfer portal.

“I had this moment where I looked at the spot I was in and it didn’t really align with what I thought I was going to do to reach my goals, so I got in the portal and I wasn’t expecting a lot,” Braun said of his decision between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. “I figured I’d end up at some random school because with injuries and illness, I just wasn’t on the court a lot for anybody to see me.”

Then a funny thing happened. Turns out Braun was wrong about the interest level he would generate.

“Like four minutes into officially being in the portal, I got calls from schools like Hawaii and Long Beach State — these top volleyball schools that I was not expecting to be getting calls from,” Braun said. “It was not what I thought would happen. I was just, I don’t know, surprised.”

Braun took a visit to Long Beach State, loved the vibe, loved that it was close to his desert home and came away impressed by the winning culture there after talking to players and coaches. It was a match.

Good decision. Flash forward two years to May 12, 2025, and Braun is a national champion. Long Beach State swept UCLA in the national championship game in three sets 25-17, 25-23 and 25-21. And making it just a little bit sweeter for Braun, the NCAA Tournament this year was played at Ohio State University.

“So it was definitely an electric experience, and to have it happen at Ohio State where I was (that) made it kind of full-circle for me. It was just an awesome feeling,” Braun said. “I was just trying to be in the moment and absorb like, ‘Yeah, this is it. This is what I’ve been wanting for a while.’ So it was a really cool experience.”

The 6-foot-11 Braun was a backup player for Long Beach State this year and played in 22 of the team’s 33 matches. He said heading into the season he felt like he was a year away from being a more prominent part of the rotation, but injuries to some of the players ahead of him at the middle blocker position pressed him into duty more than he was expecting.

He had 11 kills in a win against UC Santa Barbara on April 3 in his best statistical game. In the postseason he had nine kills in an opening-round win over Fort Valley State and added two more kills in the semifinal win against Pepperdine. The championship match win over UCLA went so fast and the starting group was in such a groove that Braun’s number was not called in the final game.

“Yeah, I really wasn’t expecting to get a lot of playing time this year. I was just here to do my job and get better at volleyball,” Braun said. “And then, you know some guys unfortunately got injured and it worked out where I could see the court a lot earlier than I was expecting, and I got some cool chances to play against some pretty good teams.”

The national title — the fourth one in Long Beach State history to go with 1991, 2018 and 2019 — came with all the usual fun trappings for Braun. He’s got a piece of the net, a small individual version of the big trophy, and the team even had a little parade two days after they won.

Braun said that was a surreal experience.

“We weren’t expecting much, I mean it was at like noon on a Wednesday, but we got on these trucks and started going on this downtown street, and instead of taking their lunch breaks all these people were lining the street and out there celebrating you,” Braun said. “Again it was like one of those moments you look back on and you can’t believe it. Seeing all the people show out for us and show how much they care, it was really cool.”

Looking forward now, Braun is looking to heal up from nagging injuries and then get right back to work. He will be back on the team next year as a senior, perhaps with a bigger role, but only time will tell when it comes to that. He’s also working toward his master’s degree in marketing analytics.

But no matter what the future holds for Braun, one thing’s for sure, he’ll always be able to call himself a national champion.

“Yeah, that’s definitely always going to be a great conversation starter,” he said. “I’ll probably have to add that to the old LinkedIn profile.”

Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

Men’s Track and Field | 5/28/2025 10:48:00 AM

Geneva, Ohio – Denison sent three track and field athletes up north to the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, and all three brought home All-American honors. Andrew D’Asaro (javelin) and Chris Slater (hammer) came away with First-Team All-American honors, while Ari Skolnik (110H) received Second-Team All-American honors by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

 D’Asaro capped off his Denison career with a second All-American nod, where he was a Second-Team honoree last season. A senior, D’Asaro, was atop the field throughout the event, but his competitors would slowly start to pull ahead of him. On his last throw, he did not let the chance slip away, as he threw a 63.02 (206-9) to land himself in eighth place and secure First-Team All-American honors. D’Asaro has cemented himself in the Denison record books, as he also holds the school record with a throw of 64.07m (210-2). This is the first First-Team All-American honor in the javelin for Denison, both men’s and women’s.

Slater finishes his Big Red career with a First-Team All-American nod in the hammer throw. Slater, a senior, finished fifth in the field, with his first throw being the difference maker with a mark of 61.15m (200-7). That throw was .70m away from his career-best, and that career-best stands as a Denison school record of 61.85m (202-11). Slater’s four-year stint has been nothing short of dominant, as he has been a five-time All-NCAC nominee and the school record holder in the weight throw with a mark of 17.71m (58-1.25). This is the first First-Team All-American honor in the hammer throw for Denison, both men’s and women’s.

Skolnik rounds out the All-American honors by receiving a Second-Team nod in the 110m hurdles. A senior, Skolnik came just short of qualifying for the 110m hurdles but ran a 14.87 in heat two for sixth place in his heat and the 16th fastest time overall to sneak in Second-Team honors. He finishes his Big Red career as a three-time All-NCAC finisher, two-time NCAC Champion, and an All-Region honoree. This is Skolnik’s second consecutive All-American appearance, where last year he received Second-Team honors in the 60m hurdles.

At the NCAA Division III Men’s Track and Field Outdoor Championships, the three seniors tied for 42nd with eight other teams to close their season.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference office announced the 2025 volleyball schedule, in which the Boilermakers will open the season at home on Thursday, September 25 versus Washington.
 
The schedule is highlighted by a rivalry showdown between Purdue and Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday, October 16. Not only will the historic arena host the first-ever regular-season showing between a Purdue and Indiana team and mark the first volleyball match to be played there, the competition will culminate with the victor hoisting the Monon Spike rivalry trophy. The annual trophy, currently held by Purdue, was last played in West Lafayette in front of a sold-out Mackey Arena crowd that set the Big Ten attendance record (14,876).
 
“This is another reason why forward-thinking players choose Purdue – to be part of events and accomplishments that have never been done before,” said head coach Dave Shondell. “Our team will compete in the first volleyball match to ever be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and our amazing Boilermaker fans will have an opportunity to paint downtown Indy black and gold. Thanks to Indy Sports Corp for helping make this happen. Our team is looking forward to the excitement the 2025 season will bring.”
 
Volleyball joins women’s basketball as the only two sports to play a rivalry match at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with women’s basketball last playing against Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament in 2017 when the arena was formerly known as Bankers Life.
 
Purdue’s home Big Ten opponents include Washington (9/25), Illinois (9/28), Nebraska (10/12), Minnesota (10/26), Penn State (11/7), Iowa (11/8), Maryland (11/14), Oregon (11/15), Northwestern (11/23) and Indiana (11/29).
 
After opening up conference action at home, in Week 2 Purdue will travel west to UCLA (Thursday, October 2) and USC (Saturday, October 4). It will be the third-ever meeting between UCLA and Purdue, including the first for the Boilermakers at the Bruins homestead. Meanwhile, the showdown at USC will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams at USC, with the last coming in September 2006.
 
Purdue’s longest road stretch will come in October, when the Boilermakers will see seven of their nine matches on the road. Meanwhile, they will follow it with the longest homestand of the season in November, when the team is home for four consecutive matches beginning November 7 vs. Penn State through November 15 vs. Oregon. During the stretch, Purdue will also host Iowa and Maryland.
 
The season will wrap up with six of its last eight matches at home, including an away/home pairing in the final week of the season: Thanksgiving week. First, Purdue will face Minnesota on the road Wednesday, November 26 before hosting Indiana at home on Saturday, November 29, which will serve as a rivalry day in West Lafayette, as the Boilermakers and Hoosiers will also face off in football that day at Ross-Ade Stadium for the Old Oaken Bucket.
 
The conference schedule comes on the heels of the non-conference slate, which Purdue announced yesterday. The television schedule and ticket information will be released at a later date and match times are subject to change.
 
Coming off one of its best seasons in program history with a 27-7 (16-4 Big Ten) record and a fourth-place finish in the league standings, the Boilermakers return 2024 Second Team All-Big Ten honoree Taylor Anderson, who not only ranked No. 8 in the nation in assists per set (11.25), but guided Purdue to its third-highest hitting % in single-season history (.280%). In addition to returning rising stars, which include Kenna Wollard, Ryan McAleer and Grace Heaney, Shondell’s incoming freshmen and transfer class set Purdue up to tie the tallest team in over 22 years, with an average front court height of 6’2″.

Checking in at No. 8 in the nation in average attendance in 2024, Purdue’s season ticket holder renewals will begin June 3 and will close July 18. Fans looking to join the waiting list can do so by contacting the Hayes Family Ticket Office at 765-494-3194. The single-season ticket on-sale date will be released at a later time.

 

Home Opponents: Washington (9/25), Illinois (9/28), Nebraska (10/12), Minnesota (10/26), Penn State (11/7), Iowa (11/8), Maryland (11/14), Oregon (11/15), Northwestern (11/23), Indiana (11/29).

Away Opponents: UCLA (10/3), USC (10/4), Ohio State (10/9), Indiana (10/16), Rutgers (10/19), Illinois (10/24), Michigan State (10/31), Michigan (11/1), Wisconsin (11/19), Minnesota (11/26)

 

 

MOREHEAD, Ky. — Morehead State’s softball trio of Maddy Christopher, Rylie Burney and Ilencia Lightbody have all earned Academic All-District, as selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) organization.

Lightbody earned her second consecutive honor, while Christopher and Burney garnered their first. Christopher’s accolades warranted her in advancing to the national ballot for consideration for Academic All-America.

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) began the distinguished Academic All-America® program in 1952, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors. In 2022, CoSIDA re-branded itself as the College Sports Communicators.

Currently, CSC sponsors Academic All-America® programs for men’s soccer, women’s soccer, football, tennis, volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball, swimming and diving and men’s and women’s track and field/cross country. Many other sports are eligible through the At-Large program. In 2022, the guidelines were updated to include more representation on the All-District teams. Sports have limitations to the number of athletes that can be nominated and the minimum grade-point average was raised to 3.50.

Christopher is a sophomore outfielder from Marengo, Ill. She earned First-Team All-OVC this season. Christopher has earned a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average in criminology.

Burney, a right-handed pitcher, transferred in this season from Lake Land (Ill.). Also in criminology, the Kincaid, Ill., native has a 3.75 grade point average.

Lightbody, from Wentzville, Mo., spent most of her playing time as the Eagles’ catcher this year. The senior owns a 3.77 lifetime GPA in finance.

Hersey baseball coach Wally Brownley followed the path of his wife, Hersey girls water polo head coach Megan Brownley, when it came to the Mid Suburban League championship.
The girls water polo team won a thriller 9-8 over Fremd for the MSL championship Wednesday, May 7. Wally’s Hersey baseball team followed suit and won a thrilling 3-2 battle over Fremd for the MSL championship Friday, May 23 at Fremd High School in Palatine.
Hersey knew it would be a test to beat a team that entered the game 2…