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Top boys volleyball teams record big wins, hold on to spots in boys volleyball rankings

By: Michael Love Monday, April 28, 2025 | 10:35 AM Latrobe’s Eric Bisigani plays against Penn-Trafford on April 10, 2025 at Greater Latrobe High School. A pair of top-five boys volleyball matchups in Class 3A highlighted the WPIAL section slate last Thursday as North Allegheny topped Butler, 3-0, and Seneca Valley swept Pine-Richland. Those four […]

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Monday, April 28, 2025 | 10:35 AM


A pair of top-five boys volleyball matchups in Class 3A highlighted the WPIAL section slate last Thursday as North Allegheny topped Butler, 3-0, and Seneca Valley swept Pine-Richland.

Those four teams remained at the top in the latest Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association’s WPIAL boys top-10 rankings released Monday morning.

North Allegheny remained at No. 1, while Latrobe, which edged Hempfield, 3-2, in a Section 2 matchup last Wednesday, stayed at No. 2.

Seneca Valley is secure at No. 3, followed by Pine-Richland, Butler, Penn-Trafford, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Hempfield and Central Catholic.

Pine-Richland swept past Butler on April 22.

Shaler maintained its place at No. 1 in Class 2A, while Seton LaSalle and Ambridge held firm at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. North Catholic (fourth) and South Fayette (five) each moved up one spot. The rest of the top 10 featured Thomas Jefferson, Hopewell, Montour, Derry and Mars.

Shaler swept North Catholic last Thursday in a highlight clash in Section 2, while South Fayette topped Thomas Jefferson, 3-2, in a nonsection battle April 22.

Both Hopewell (No. 7) and Montour (No. 8) made their return to the Class 2A top-10 rankings.

Each week throughout the season, all 45 boys volleyball head coaches have the opportunity to cast a ballot for the top-10 rankings and also nominate players for each classification’s players of the week

Western PA Volleyball Coaches Association

WPIAL Top-10 Polls

Week 7

Class 3A

1. North Allegheny (last week: 1)

2. Latrobe (2)

3. Seneca Valley (3)

4. Pine-Richland (4)

5. Butler (5)

6. Penn-Trafford (8)

7. Canon-McMillan (9)

8. Mt. Lebanon (6)

9. Hempfield (7)

10. Central Catholic (10)

Class 3A Players of the Week

Matthew Dudash, senior, outside hitter, Seneca Valley

Max Grice, senior, libero, Plum

Nolan Rosing, senior, libero, Canon-McMillan

Gabe Watson, junior, libero, Latrobe

Class 2A

1. Shaler (last week: 1)

2. Seton LaSalle (2)

3. Ambridge (3)

4. North Catholic (5)

5. South Fayette (6)

6. Thomas Jefferson (4)

7. Hopewell (NR)

8. Montour (NR)

9. Derry (9)

10. Mars (8)

Out: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (7), Deer Lakes (10)

Class 2A Players of the Week

Tyshon Francis, senior, libero, McKeesport

Josh Snyder, senior, right side, North Catholic

Keenu Brooks, junior, right side, Seton LaSalle

Brayden Vlasich, junior, libero, Montour

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.





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Track-and-field final in spotlight for rule change after trans athlete’s success

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for a new participation and medaling policy for competitions that include transgender athletes. The California Interscholastic Federation will let an additional student compete and potentially offer an extra medal in three events in which a trans athlete […]

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for a new participation and medaling policy for competitions that include transgender athletes.

The California Interscholastic Federation will let an additional student compete and potentially offer an extra medal in three events in which a trans athlete is competing. The athlete, high school junior AB Hernandez, is the second seed in the triple jump and will also participate in the long jump and high jump.

It may be the first effort by a high school sports governing body to expand participation when trans athletes are participating, and it reflects efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.

“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.

State law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

President Donald Trump threatened this week to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the state federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law by allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports.

The meet, which is taking place at a high school near Fresno, will open up the girls triple jump, long jump and high jump to one additional athlete each who would have qualified had Hernandez not participated. Hernandez will compete in the preliminaries Friday for a chance to advance to the finals Saturday.

Under the pilot policy, if a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a “biological female” student from medaling, the federation said.

The federation said the rule would open the field to more “biological female” athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for “biological female” athletes but not for other trans athletes.

The federation did not specify how they define “biological female” or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.

Medical experts say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females.

The two-day meet is expected to draw attention from a coalition of protesting parents and students. Critics have objected Hernandez’s participation and heckled her in qualifying events earlier this month. Leaders from the conservative California Family Council joined Republican state lawmakers Thursday for a press conference blasting the policy change and saying Hernandez shouldn’t be allowed to compete.

“If they have to create special exceptions and backdoor rule changes to placate frustrated athletes, that’s not equality, that’s a confession,” Sophia Lorey, the council’s outreach director, said in a statement. “Girls’ sports should be for girls, full stop.”

CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti urged participants and bystanders to behave respectfully toward all student-athletes in a message shared in the championship program.

A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. Trump won Fresno County, where the meet will be held, in 2024.

Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn’t worry about critics.

“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.

She noted that she has lost some of her events, saying that disproved arguments that she can’t be beat.

Hernandez is expected to perform well, particularly in the triple jump, in which she has a personal best of over 41 feet (12.5 meters). That is more than 3 feet (1 meter) short of a national record set in 2019. She’s the fifth seed in the long jump but ranked much lower in the high jump.

California’s state championship stands out from that of other states because of the number of competitors athletes are up against to qualify.

More than 57,000 high schoolers participated in outdoor track and field in California during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. California had the second-largest number of high school outdoor track-and-field athletes, only behind Texas.

Of the 12 high school athletes who have set national records in the girls triple jump between 1984 and 2019, eight have been from California, according to the national sports governing body.

Davis Whitfield, the national federation’s chief operating officer, called a state championship “the pinnacle” for high school student-athletes.

“It’s certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience in some cases to participate in a state championship event,” he said.

___

Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna





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Ball State University – Official Athletics Site

MUNCIE, Ind. — Thirteen members of the Ball State Cardinals men’s volleyball team were honored when the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association announced its annual Academic All-MIVA list on Friday. The list honors all MIVA student-athletes that own a 3.30 cumulative GPA through the spring semester at their respective institutions. In 2025, there were 110 MIVA student-athletes […]

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MUNCIE, Ind. — Thirteen members of the Ball State Cardinals men’s volleyball team were honored when the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association announced its annual Academic All-MIVA list on Friday. The list honors all MIVA student-athletes that own a 3.30 cumulative GPA through the spring semester at their respective institutions.

In 2025, there were 110 MIVA student-athletes from its nine schools that qualified for Academic All-MIVA status. Ball State’s 13 honorees were eclipsed only by Lewis (17) and McKendree (15).

Ball State men’s volleyball players produced a collective 3.265 GPA last semester, contributing to the Cardinals’ program-record 3.46 GPA overall. Men’s volleyball was one of 19 Ball State sports teams to produce a term GPA of 3.0 or better. Ball State’s 13 MIVA All-Academic honorees:

Raje Alleyne

Vanis Buckholz

Marty Canavan

Mason Connor

Nathan Goh

Cameron Gray

Aaron Hernandez

Meteusz Karpow

Ryan Louis

Lucas Machado

William Patterson

Lukas Pytlak

Rodney Wallace

 



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Carpenter named ASUN’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year

Story Links FORT MYERS, Fla. – Jaci Carpenter, a cornerstone of the Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball program for the past four years, was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year at the ASUN Awards Ceremony on Thursday night. To be considered for one of the conference’s highest […]

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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Jaci Carpenter, a cornerstone of the Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball program for the past four years, was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year at the ASUN Awards Ceremony on Thursday night.

To be considered for one of the conference’s highest honors, a student-athlete must excel in academics, athletics and service. Carpenter’s résumé at FGCU and in the Southwest Florida community is unmatched.

“With the amount of amazing female athletes that our conference has, to be named the Female Student-Athlete of the Year for the ASUN is a tremendous honor,” FGCU head beach volleyball coach Chris Sweat said. “Jaci put in so much work all four years on the sand and in the classroom. She has been a part of so many extracurricular activities. It makes us very happy to see all of her hard work pay off.”

Academically, Carpenter was named the ASUN Beach Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She graduated summa cum laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA in communications. She capped her career with two of the highest honors bestowed on an FGCU student-athlete: the Kavanagh Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award and induction into the university’s 2025 Hall of Fame class.

In service, Carpenter was a dedicated volunteer with numerous nonprofit organizations, consistently giving back to FGCU and the local community. After Hurricane Ian struck in 2022, she contributed and coordinated more than 30 hours of volunteer work to assist local students and residents. She also led the bone marrow registration initiative within athletics and across campus and co-founded the “See Her Soar” initiative, which promotes professional development, mentorship and networking for female student-athletes. In 2024, she received the FGCU Athletics Community Service Award. Despite living with Type 1 diabetes, Carpenter consistently prioritized others, logging more than 120 service hours in her senior year and over 300 during her collegiate career.

“I’m so honored to have earned this award,” Carpenter said. “The ASUN Conference is so special and everyone in it provides the opportunities, resources and support for us to be well-rounded athletes and to be high achievers in the classroom, on the court and in the community.”

Carpenter’s impact extended beyond the court and classroom. She served as president of the FGCU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and chaired the ASUN’s advisory committee. She was also a mentor through Adaptive Services and represented student-athletes on the university’s Hazing and Prevention Team. She will pursue a master’s degree in recreation and sports management at the University of Tennessee, with aspirations of becoming an athletic director.

“Despite Jaci’s many exceptional accomplishments, I am particularly impressed with her humility and genuine concern for others,” said Dr. Thomas Roberts, FGCU’s faculty athletics representative. “Her overall academic, service, leadership and athletic achievements are profound. She is an engaged and caring leader. Her teammates, fellow students, coaches, professors and administrators revere her.”

On the court in 2025, Carpenter helped lead FGCU to a semifinal appearance in the ASUN Tournament and victories over four ranked opponents. The Eagles upset No. 14 FIU, No. 15 Georgia State and No. 15 Florida Atlantic twice. Carpenter played a key role in FGCU’s rise to a top-20 national ranking. The team finished the season 22-13, peaking at No. 18. Carpenter opened the season with a thrilling win over No. 8 LSU and competed primarily at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, finishing her senior year with a 21-13 record. She won more than 73 matches in her career—becoming just the fourth player in program history to surpass 70 wins.

“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without my FGCU family – the athletes I’m around who inspire me every day, my coach and administrators who give us the space to grow and my friends and family who support me when I need it the most,” said Carpenter.



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Trio of Utah State Women Compete on Second Day of NCAA West First Rounds

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Three women representing Utah State women’s track & field team competed at the 2025 NCAA West First Rounds in College Station, Texas, on Thursday.   The Aggies’ first competitor on Thursday was junior Krysthina Vlahovic, who clocked in at 14.32 in the 100-meter hurdles to finish 46th in the competition. Vlahovic, […]

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Three women representing Utah State women’s track & field team competed at the 2025 NCAA West First Rounds in College Station, Texas, on Thursday.
 
The Aggies’ first competitor on Thursday was junior Krysthina Vlahovic, who clocked in at 14.32 in the 100-meter hurdles to finish 46th in the competition. Vlahovic, who made her first career appearance at the NCAA West First Rounds, will now turn her attention to national competition as she qualified for the 2025 Canadian Track & Field Championships, to be held in Ottawa, Ontario, from July 30 through August 3.
 
Senior Emma Thornley and sophomore Brianne Smith raced in the 10,000 meters, where Thornley finished in 35:22.35 and Smith clocked in at 36:45.32 to place 30th and 40th, respectively. Thornley, competing in her second-straight NCAA West First Rounds, improved on her place (37th) and time (35:49.68) from a year ago. Smith, one of just two sophomore women to represent USU at this year’s NCAA West First Rounds, took part in her first career NCAA preliminary race. Thornley will race again on Saturday, competing alongside junior teammate Sarah Ellis in the 5,000 meters.
 
Friday’s competition will shift back to the men’s side, where 10 Utah State athletes will feature across five different events. Senior Nate Franz and sophomore Joseph Turner will begin the day’s action in the discus competition, to be followed by freshman Taite Priestley in the high jump. On the track, the 4×100-meter relay team will begin the evening’s races, to be followed by junior Logan Garnica and sophomore Garrett Woodhouse in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and sophomore Landon Bott in the quarterfinals of the 800 meters. Live coverage will continue from College Station on ESPN+.
 
Fans can follow the Utah State track and field programs on X at USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at USUTF_XC. Aggies fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on X at USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
2025 NCAA West First Rounds – Day 2
E.B. Cushing Stadium | College Station, Texas | May 29, 2025
 
USU Women’s Results:
 

 
-USU-





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Utah beach volleyball players upset with decision to shut down program

Colby Burleson walked into a meeting on the afternoon of April 29, expecting good news. Utah beach volleyball was coming off its best season in program history, finishing with a 21-14 record after losing to No. 10 Arizona State in the Big 12 semifinals. Burleson, formerly an assistant coach with the program, was hoping to […]

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Colby Burleson walked into a meeting on the afternoon of April 29, expecting good news.

Utah beach volleyball was coming off its best season in program history, finishing with a 21-14 record after losing to No. 10 Arizona State in the Big 12 semifinals.

Burleson, formerly an assistant coach with the program, was hoping to step up as the program’s next head coach following the retirement of Brenda Whicker at the end of the season. But, as he opened the door and strolled into the conference room, his optimism evaporated.

“I instantly had a pit in my stomach,” Burleson said.

At that meeting, Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan told Burleson and a group of returning volleyball players that the U. was discontinuing the program.

“It was pretty cut and dry,” Burleson said. “There wasn’t a lot of explanation at that point. We were all pretty blindsided.”

In a news release, Harlan cited “little evidence of the sport expanding at this time” among the reasons the Utes decided to cut the sport.

“With the sport’s growth stunted, and without the home facilities with amenities that allow us to host championship-level events, we are not providing the world-class experience that we seek to provide to our student-athletes,” Harlan said.

The Ute athletic director noted that there are only three other teams in the Big 12, short of the six teams required for an automatic qualifier in the NCAA championship.

The program also lost money — about $157,000 in the 2024 fiscal year, according to the U.’s latest financial reports.

Harlan and the U. have promised to help the beach volleyball athletes find new teams if they don’t want to remain at Utah simply as students.

Still, multiple athletes who spoke to The Salt Lake Tribune said they were frustrated with the way Utah officials handled the matter, saying they were disheartened by the decision and felt disrespected in a follow-up meeting with Utah administrators.

“I think the main thing we’re really just upset about is the disrespect that [Harlan and Green] have shown us,” Utah senior Sonja Wessel said. “Obviously, there’s no easy way or easy time to cut a program.

“I think it was very disrespectful the way they handled it. They didn’t talk to us. They didn’t keep any of us in the loop.”

But the members of Utah’s now-defunct beach volleyball program said they are still fighting to save their team with the help of a prominent alum.

‘It was handled terribly’

Several days after the initial meeting with Harlan, the 18-member volleyball team requested a meeting with Harlan and Green to address the athletes’ concerns.

Some were frustrated they weren’t part of the initial meeting. Before the meeting, they prepared talking points and passed out papers with analytics. But at least four of the volleyball athletes who attended the meeting described the tone of U. officials as “defensive” and “disrespectful.”

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Lassonde Beach Volleyball Courts at the University of Utah, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

“We wanted to go in prepared, and we wanted to genuinely ask questions about the decision,” said Bella Vezzani, a senior starter on the team last season. “That respect was not reciprocated at all.”

Associate athletic director Charmelle Green “came in and said, ‘That’s my seat, and that’s my athletic director’s seat, so you guys can move down there,’” said Ellyn Collins, a graduate on the team.

Vezzani said it felt like “they were bossing us around from the start.”

“I just think the whole situation was a mess,” Collins said of the meeting. “Charmelle Green interrupted us several times, and we were interrupting them. It was ridiculous, and I thought it was handled terribly.”

U. officials said they “dispute the characterization” of the meeting.

“Athletics administration agreed to this second meeting, which lasted more than an hour, for three administrators to listen to concerns and answer questions,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. “We are very understanding of the disappointment and strong feelings associated with receiving and processing this decision, and in the meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to supporting the student-athletes and offering as many services as possible to assist them throughout this process.”

In the end, some players said the hour-long meeting left many of the players more frustrated, angry and confused. But they said they still hold out hope there’s a chance for a reversal of the decision.

“This group of women, we have always kind of been the underdogs in this, especially in Utah,” Wessel said. “We’re going to fight as hard as we can.”

Maeve Griffin, a senior on the team, added: “What’s next on the agenda for us, as seniors and as a members of the team, is to advocate for the program and to keep fighting for female sports.”

An effort to save the program

Utah beach volleyball alum Melissa Powell says she is still “so passionate about this program” years after her last match as a Ute.

Now a professional beach volleyball player, Powell has remained close to Whicker, the program’s former head coach, and has even practiced with the team during the offseason. That’s why Powell said she knew she had to do something when she learned about the program’s fate.

Powell is currently preparing to open the Beach Box Utah complex, an Olympic-level indoor beach volleyball training facility in Pleasant Grove — and she wants it to be the new home of the Utes.

Powell sent a letter to Harlan and the Ute athletic administration on May 3, offering Beach Box as a place to host practices and tournaments for free.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Keana Smalls reacts after scoring a point for Utah, in beach volleyball action between Utah and Colorado Mesa, in the first home tournament in history for the University of Utah, Saturday, April 13, 2019.

“It makes sense to me that — if I’m offering resources for free or getting the community to rally behind these girls — it would be a no-brainer to reinstate,” Powell said.

The Ute alum doubled down on her offer by including the services of Pompilio Mercadante, Brazil’s beach volleyball head coach in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as the program’s next head coach. She said she offered to pay his entire salary.

The university spokesperson confirmed they had received Powell’s proposal.

“We have had dialogue with Melissa Powell, and are appreciative of her concern and passion for the beach volleyball program. Conversations between Melissa and athletics administration will remain private,” a university spokesperson said.

The U. said it began reviewing the viability of the program in January.

“This was a very thorough and comprehensive process that resulted in a definitive decision shortly before the end of the season. We determined it would be best to inform the team immediately upon the conclusion of their season,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the U.’s latest financial report, beach volleyball brought in nearly $223,000 in revenue for the 2024 fiscal year but had $380,000 in expenses — a net loss of about $157,000.

Beach volleyball wasn’t, though, the only program to lose money. Utah’s baseball team recorded a $2.17 million loss in 2024, for example.

“I think it sends a horrible message,” she said. “I’m scared for women’s sports, because if they’re just looking at this [as a] revenue perspective … I’m worried we’re going to get rid of all women’s sports.”

The U. received a $14 million donation to support women’s sport initiatives this year.

A Utah spokesperson said the U. “remains confident” in its Title IX compliance following a comprehensive review. Scholarship funds previously allocated to beach volleyball will be moved to the U.’s other women’s athletics programs.

Powell followed up with Green via text on Tuesday, May 20, asking if she “ever got a chance to talk to Mark [Harlan]” about the offer.

Green replied: “Both Mark [Harlan], and I are aware of your desire to support in the areas of facility access, coaching and fundraising. Thank you.”

On May 27, Powell followed up with an email to Green, Harlan and other members of Utah’s athletic administration, asking for an answer regarding her proposal. In the email, Powell said, “I simply ask for clarity at this point so I can determine the best next steps moving forward.’

As of publication, Powell said she had not received a response from either Harlan or Green.

“I really hope that they consider it at least,” Powell said. “Hopefully, they give me the time of day to let me know that they’ve considered it and whether or not they’re denying or accepting it.”

‘All flipped right in front of us’

With Ellyn Collins’ Utah career likely over, she is trying to make decisions about what’s next for her future.

Collins said she was hoping to transfer to play indoor volleyball in her home state of Washington, while pursuing a teaching certificate. However, because the administration did not inform the team until April 29, she says she has missed application deadlines for schools there.

“The applications for these programs were due two months ago,” Collins said, “They said that they would help us and try and reach out to those programs. But it’s so much work at this point to make it all happen.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Students play on the Lassonde Beach Volleyball Court at the University of Utah, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

“My plan right now is, honestly, to just be done and go home and figure out my life for a year and go on from there.”

If any of the athletes want to stay at the U., the school will honor their scholarships until they complete their undergraduate degrees or through the projected completion of their athletics eligibility, whichever comes first.

“Utah will do all that it can to facilitate the process,” for those wanting to leave the program, Harlan said in a news release.

According to a statement from a university spokesperson, Utah’s athletic administration is working closely with beach volleyball athletes to help manage and resolve issues regarding signed apartment leases, including reimbursement for deposits lost due to terminating a lease.

As players and former members of the program continue to survey next steps, hope still remains for those wanting the beach volleyball program to be reinstated. In a petition organized by members of the program, they’ve amassed over 5,500 signatures in support of their cause.

But that hope dwindles as time passes.

“We were just so excited to come back,” Collins said. “Then, in a week, we literally all had to just change the trajectory of our lives.

“It was all flipped right in front of us.”

Note to readers • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.



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Men’s Basketball Adds Impact Scorer In Shaquil Bender

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and his staff announced the addition of a major Division I transfer, welcoming guard Shaquil Bender to the Beach after two seasons at Manhattan.   Shaquil Bender | Guard | 6-2, 185 | Philadelphia, Pa.   Hailing from Philadelphia where he was All-State as a senior, Bender got his […]

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and his staff announced the addition of a major Division I transfer, welcoming guard Shaquil Bender to the Beach after two seasons at Manhattan.

 

Shaquil Bender | Guard | 6-2, 185 | Philadelphia, Pa.

 

Hailing from Philadelphia where he was All-State as a senior, Bender got his collegiate career started in the junior college ranks in Southern California. As a true freshman, Bender averaged 19.0 points and 2.0 assists per game while earning First Team All-South Coast Conference honors. Transferring to Fullerton College as a sophomore, Bender led the Hornets to a CCCAA State Championship, going 32-1 while averaging 13.6 points and 1.3 assists per game, shooting 47.1 percent from three, and scoring 23 points in the state championship game.

 

Making the move to Division I, Bender led Manhattan in scoring at 13.8 points per game while shooting 34.1 percent from distance. Last season, he averaged 11.2 points per game and over two assists per game for the Jaspers, who made a 10-game improvement.

 

Acker on Bender:

“It was incredibly important for us to secure Shaq, simply because he’s a guy who knows how to win and I know he’s been coached extremely hard. He’s a very good scorer, but most importantly for us, he is an elite competitor. We needed to address toughness, grit, and scoring and he checks all of those boxes.”

 

Bender is Long Beach State’s second Division I addition via transfer this summer, joining Isaiah Lewis of Little Rock and becoming part of the growing group forming the 2025-26 roster.

 



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