Sports
Two Rams Competed in HBCU International Tournament in Botswana
Story Links WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Tierra Lindsey and Janai Tillman from the Winston-Salem State University volleyball team participated in the second annual Ditsala International Cup, a premier women’s volleyball tournament bringing together collegiate student-athletes from the United States and national teams from across Southern Africa. The competition took place May 29-June […]

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Tierra Lindsey and Janai Tillman from the Winston-Salem State University volleyball team participated in the second annual Ditsala International Cup, a premier women’s volleyball tournament bringing together collegiate student-athletes from the United States and national teams from across Southern Africa.
The competition took place May 29-June 1 in Gaborone, Botswana.
Head Coach Christa Brown was among the U.S. delegation coaching staff, alongside coaches from Alabama State, Bowie State, Morgan State, Norfolk State, and Virginia State.
The tournament provided a platform for elite-level competition while offering local student-athletes the opportunity to sharpen their skills and engage with international players and coaches. Beyond the matches, the event promotes cultural exchange and fosters the development
of volleyball in the region.
In addition to competing, the American student-athletes will visit the U.S. Embassy in Botswana to meet with diplomats, learn about embassy initiatives, and engage in discussions on sports diplomacy. This visit underscores how athletics serve as a bridge for international collaboration
and development.
The Rams were apart of Team HBCU Botswana and they were the Ditsala International Cup Winners.
About the Botswana Volleyball Federation
Founded in 1979, the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) has grown into a competitive force in Southern Africa, with 44 teams and more than 500 active players. Affiliated with international governing bodies, the BVF continues to elevate the sport through grassroots programs, annual
competitions, and player development initiatives.
About Bring It Promotions
Bring It Promotions (BIP) is a full-service volleyball travel agency with a global presence, specializing in international volleyball tours, events, and professional career development. Since 1996, BIP has organized volleyball experiences at all levels, leveraging an extensive
international network to serve athletes and coaches.
Sports
Alex Venardos Named Beach Volleyball Head Coach
BOISE, Idaho – Alex Venardos has been elevated to the head coach position of Boise State Beach Volleyball, Director of Athletics Jeramiah Dickey announced on Thursday. Venardos will succeed Allison Voigt, who decided to step down from the head coaching position earlier on Thursday. “After years of playing an important role on our coaching staff, […]

Venardos will succeed Allison Voigt, who decided to step down from the head coaching position earlier on Thursday.
“After years of playing an important role on our coaching staff, we are proud to announce Alex as the new head coach in the next era of Boise State beach volleyball,” Dickey said. “He has served as the primary recruiter over the past few seasons and has experience building up a team that won a conference title and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
“He has a great understanding of the game and shown an ability to strategize at an elite level. He has also built great working relationships with student-athletes as well as the volleyball community throughout the Treasure Valley. He is the right person for the job at this transformational time for our beach volleyball program. We look forward to him taking our program into What’s Next!”
Venardos has been a part of the program since 2016, when he joined as a practice player. He worked his way up into a volunteer assistant during the 2017 season and was promoted to a full-time assistant coaching role in 2019.
Since then, he has had his hand in nearly every aspect of the day-to-day operation as the assistant coach, partaking in running practices, managing travel, leading scouting sessions and running point on the program’s recruiting.
“I’m honored and humbled by the opportunity to take over this historic program,” Venardos said. “I want to thank Jeramiah [Dickey] for allowing me to have this opportunity. I’m extremely passionate about Boise State beach volleyball and can’t wait to continue leading this program to compete among the nation’s best.
“I also can’t thank Allison [Voigt] enough. She took a chance on me years ago and helped me understand what being a collegiate coach is all about. I wouldn’t be where I’m at without her guidance and I’m looking forward to continuing to lean on her well into the future.”
Venardos has been widely recognized throughout the collegiate beach volleyball community, having been named to the 2023 class of the American Volleyball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 honor.
Venardos has played a huge role in the program’s recent success, leading the squad to new heights in each season he has served as an assistant coach. Most recently, he helped guide the Broncos to their first NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship appearance after claiming the program’s first regular season and conference championship title.
Prior to this past season’s success, Venardos was a part of back-to-back Boise State teams that set the program record for most wins in a season. The Broncos finished as runners-up at the SLC Championship in both seasons.
Venardos is a native of Manhattan Beach, Calif., where he graduated from Vistamar High School in 2015. He graduated from Boise State in 2018 with a degree in philosophy and a minor in Chinese studies.
Sports
The Movie’ feels like Brad Pitt fanfiction that wrongs female characters and fans – The Prospector
“F1: The Movie” arrived in theaters after a year of anticipation, especially from Formula One (F1) fans who were ready to scrutinize every detail and eager to point out any inaccuracies to see if Hollywood had actually sensationalized the sport. But, the real letdown wasn’t the racing at all. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film stars […]

“F1: The Movie” arrived in theaters after a year of anticipation, especially from Formula One (F1) fans who were ready to scrutinize every detail and eager to point out any inaccuracies to see if Hollywood had actually sensationalized the sport. But, the real letdown wasn’t the racing at all.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a washed-up driver who has been retired from F1 for 30 years. The movie follows APXGP, a fictional team, featuring Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce, a talented but immature rookie, and Kerry Condon as Kate McKenna, the team’s technical director and the first and only woman to hold that title in the film’s F1 universe.
The movie was one of the most anticipated releases of the summer and had a strong opening weekend making $140 million globally and $55.6 million in the United States .
While the movie was met with mixed reactions, it got several things right, including the cinematography.
It is clear Kosinski went to great lengths to achieve as much realism as possible. Pitt and Idris trained in Formula Two (F2) cars which were modified to resemble F1 cars. Seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, served as a producer for the movie. Scenes were filmed during real races in the 2024 season, including Silverstone, the Las Vegas Strip Circuit and the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Several F1 drivers and team principals appeared as themselves, as did Sky Sports F1 commentators Martin Brundle and David Croft. Presenters Will Buxton and announcer Leigh Diffey were also involved in the film.
While there were technical inaccuracies, they likely stemmed from limited run-time. The setting itself only left nine races for the team to improve their performance. Some plot points would have led to major penalties and even disqualifications, but the movie prioritized pacing and character arcs over strict accuracy.
That said, small inaccuracies were not the film’s biggest problem.
The most disappointing aspect of the movie was its portrayal of the female characters. While the movie made it clear that they were aiming to showcase the growing role of women in motorsports by highlighting four female team members, those efforts were undermined almost immediately.
McKenna, the groundbreaking technical director, ends up romantically involved with Hayes despite repeatedly insisting she would never date someone on the team, especially someone as arrogant and difficult as him. Her reversal feels forced, reinforcing the trope that a woman in power can’t exist in a male-dominated field without being reduced to a love interest.
Then there’s Jodie played by Callie Cooke, the only female member of the pit crew whose primary arc involves a series of mistakes, including one during a pit stop that ruins Pearce’s race. The intended message seems to be about learning from failure and escaping self-doubt. But, in a sport where women are already hyper-criticized, having the only female mechanic repeatedly mess up only reinforces harmful perceptions, ones that are already used to exclude women from the sport.
A smaller but still frustrating moment occurs when a woman approaches Pearce at a nightclub to ask if he can introduce her to real-life F1 driver Carlos Sainz. It’s a joke that is intended for laughs but doesn’t land when you consider how often women are told they only like F1 because they find the drivers attractive. The scene feels like it’s playing into the stereotypes rather than challenging them.
F1 offers built-in drama with rivalries, jealousy and high-stakes competition; the movie even added unresolved family dynamics. Both Hayes and Pearce lost their fathers at age 13, hinting at an emotional storyline about chasing a shared dream that could’ve been explored more deeply. Instead, I feel like we got a romantic subplot and gendered mishaps that felt unnecessary.
By the end of the film, I felt entertained, but also like I had just watched a high-budget Brad Pitt fanfiction. Speaking of Pitt, his casting is arguably the biggest inaccuracy of all. A 61-year-old F1 driver simply wouldn’t be realistic given the sport’s physical demands.
If viewers are genuinely interested in learning about F1, this film could be a decent start. It is visually stunning and action-packed, but the best way to experience F1 is to watch the real thing. The sport itself already has all the intensity, emotion and excitement the big screen could ever hope to capture, without needing to fall back on old, tired tropes.
Ximena Cordero is the web and copy editor for The Prospector and may be reached at [email protected]
Sports
Men chasing quarterfinal berths in crossovers
Day 10 Schedule Classification 15-16 Match 31. 09:00. South Africa v Singapore Classification 13-14 Match 32. 10:35. Australia v China Classification 9-12 SemifinalsMatch 33. 12:10. Match 34. 13:45. Classification 1-8 QuarterfinalsMatch 35. 16:00. Match 36. 17:35. Match 37. 19:10. Match 38. 20:45. Match Reports Classification 13-15 Semifinals Match 26, SINGAPORE 8 CHINA 21 (1-6, 3-6, […]
Day 10 Schedule
Classification 15-16
Match 31. 09:00. South Africa v Singapore
Classification 13-14
Match 32. 10:35. Australia v China
Classification 9-12 Semifinals
Match 33. 12:10.
Match 34. 13:45.
Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
Match 35. 16:00.
Match 36. 17:35.
Match 37. 19:10.
Match 38. 20:45.
Match Reports
Classification 13-15 Semifinals
Match 26, SINGAPORE 8 CHINA 21 (1-6, 3-6, 1-5, 3-4)
China proved it was much better than this grouping and it should be a classic match against Australia for 13th on Sunday. China shot out to 6-1 at the quarter and doubled that score at halftime. Singapore played hard in the final quarter after being well covered in the third. Singapore converted a penalty in the first quarter but, to its credit, scored three action goals in the second quarter. China was sharper on ball movement and finishing and looked the far more polished team. Five different scorers were used in the first quarter with captain Chen Zhongxian scoring three in the second and two more scorers adding to the tally. Four different scorers made the sheet for Singapore with Shaunn Lok driving in and lobbing for 7-3 down and Wai Chun Fong scoring from two metres. Peng Jiahao netted his second off a centre-forward redirect to close the scoring at 0:38.
Early in the third period, China lost a challenge on penalty but stopped the shot anyway. Chen Zhongxian added two more to his tally and Chen Yimin sent in his second before Jayden See converted extra for Singapore. Wang shovelled in a loose ball at centre forward and Liu Zhilong scored from deep left at 0:43 for 17-5 in what was a quieter third period. In the fourth, Lok scored on counter and Ryan Yap turned outside the right side of the goal to score cross cage for 17-7. Chen Zongxian and a pair to Wen Zijun lifted China to 20-7 by 1:48. Wen Zhe Goh went on counter for Singapore for 20-8 and Liu finished the scoring for China at 21-8 to edge Singapore 4-3 in the last period.
Match Heroes
Chen Zongxian with six goals for China while six others scored two each. Goalkeepers Lee Lee made nine saves and Ken Chou four for Singapore and Lok was the double scorer.
Turning Point
The opening quarter set it up for China.
Stats Don’t Lie
China showed its dominance with 45 shots to 23; 12-3 on steals; three from three and one from two on penalty while converting four from six on extra to Singapore’s two from three.
Bottom Line
China was pressed hard by Singapore and will need to be much more assertive against Australia in the last match. Singapore earned kudos with the eight goals.
What They Said
Match 25, SOUTH AFRICA 4 AUSTRALIA 27 (1-5, 1-10, 2-9, 0-3)
The Aussie Sharks found themselves in uncharted territory when playing for the bottom four. It had not happened since the inaugural World Championships in 1973 when it finished 14th. Coming from such a tough group where it lost to Hungary, Spain and Japan, Australia had a point to prove and after a relatively sluggish start, shot away with the match with that 10-1 margin in the second quarter showing just how good this team can be.
Matthew Byrnes had two goals from the first quarter and scored another two in the second as he became the only player to score twice of the 10 goals. A total of 10 players had scored by halftime with Jacob Mercep joining captain Nathan Power as double scorers. South Africa’s Matthew Neser converted a penalty for 2-1 and captain Dylan Watts sent one down the line from top right for 6-2.
Tristan Glanznig became the 11th different scorer when he scored consecutive goals from the deep-left position to start the third period. Nearly two minutes later he scored from the top on extra for 18-2. Marcus Berehulak scored either side of Matthew Byrnes’ third goal for South Africa. Luka Krstic on penalty and Power from deep left pushed it out to 22-3 with Nathan Ward converting a penalty for the Africans; Power on extra and Nangle on counter finishing the period at 24-4. There was less intensity in the final quarter with some tired passes being intercepted at both ends. Glanznig put away a penalty for his fourth goal and Tim Putt scored from centre forward for his second. A South African timeout yielded a stolen ball and two minutes later Krstic made it three from three from the deep left, for the final score of 27-4.
Match Heroes
Laurence Barker made 10 saves for the Sharks with Power, Byrnes and Glanznig on four goals and Krstic and Berehulak three each. The South African goalkeepers, Matthew Smith (7) and Luka Rajak (4) reaped 11 saves between them.
Turning Point
From 2-1 to 19-2, the Sharks were just too good for this level of competition.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia was hard pressed on extra, gaining just three from eight with South Africa scoring one from two. Australia gained three and South Africa two penalty goals. The Aussies made 14 steals to six and shot 46 to 25.
Bottom Line
Australia is unlucky to be in the bottom group and shows the chasm between the top 12 and the bottom four.
What They Said
Enjoy this article? Why not share…
Sports
Hawai‘i braces for change in last year as football-only member of Mountain West
LAS VEGAS — In the middle of Thursday’s Mountain West media day, all 12 of the conference’s head football coaches posed with commissioner Gloria Nevarez for a photo that will never be replicated again. In the summer of 2026, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are all leaving the […]

LAS VEGAS — In the middle of Thursday’s Mountain West media day, all 12 of the conference’s head football coaches posed with commissioner Gloria Nevarez for a photo that will never be replicated again.
In the summer of 2026, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are all leaving the Mountain West for a retooled Pac-12 Conference that was reduced to just Oregon State and Washington State in 2024.
As the five schools were being poached away from the Mountain West in the fall of 2024, Nevarez did some retooling of her own, adding five new schools to the conference, including the University of Hawai‘i.

In 2012, Hawai‘i departed the Western Athletic Conference to become a member of the Big West Conference with a football-only affiliation in the Mountain West. Starting on July 1, 2026, the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine will be full-time members of the Mountain West, with men’s volleyball, swimming and diving, beach volleyball and water polo remaining with the Big West as affiliate members.
Joining UH as new Mountain West members next summer are UTEP, Northern Illinois and UC Davis. UTEP will be a full member, while Northern Illinois joins as a football-only member. UC Davis will join as a full member, with the exception of football. Meanwhile, Grand Canyon, which does not have a football team, is joining a year early and is set to compete in the MW in the fall.
“We’re really excited for all of our new members. We’ve really felt an excitement generating, both in philanthropy, investment, facilities, there’s just some real halo effect happening at those campuses since the announcement,” Nevarez told Aloha State Daily. “It’s very important to us to add schools that matched us in mission, purpose, core values. We already had a deep familiarity with Hawai‘i, [former] president [David] Lassner had been with our league and in our council room, and so it just seemed like a very natural step to invite Hawai‘i as a full member.”
The Mountain West and Pac-12 are currently in a legal dispute regarding poaching fees the Mountain West is seeking from the Pac-12. After failing to reach a settlement, the two conferences will meet again in court.
During her address to kick off media days on Wednesday, Nevarez said the Mountain West will pause adding schools for the time being as it negotiates its new media rights deal.
Regardless of who secures those new rights, change is coming Hawai‘i’s way.
Hawai‘i’s deal with Spectrum Sports, which has been the official television partner for UH sports since 2011, runs through July 31. Any extension of the deal will not go beyond 2026 as the timing aligns with UH joining the Mountain West as a full-time member.
New University of Hawai‘i athletics director Matt Elliott acknowledged to Aloha State Daily that negotiations between UH and Spectrum for a 2025-2026 deal are ongoing and he will comment further once it becomes official.
Spectrum airs at least 60 contests involving UH a year, covering a wide range of sports — the list has involved football, basketball, indoor and beach volleyball, soccer, tennis, baseball, softball and water polo.
The expectation is that when UH joins the Mountain West in 2026, the school’s TV rights will have a clean slate.
“Once you become a full member, the conference owns all the rights to the games,” Nevarez said. “We try to sell the national package, and then after several steps and selections, any remaining inventory then goes back to the campus. So, there is an expectation that they are part of the greater negotiation.
“Right now, all the sports are included. But as you know, the TV partners really value football number one, and then men’s basketball right behind that. And we do have partners interested in picking up other sports and championships in bulk.”
As one of the remaining members of the Mountain West, Hawai‘i football head coach Timmy Chang expressed optimism in the school’s standing in the conference.
“It’s pretty exciting that we get all the other sports in with the Mountain West. It’s pretty exciting to know that the rest of the sports are coming to an exciting brand of athletics,” Chang said. “The Mountain West has always been extremely, extremely competitive. And so I don’t think there’s any gonna be any change. It’s sad to see the other teams leave, but we get another year with them. And right now, I know all these guys are shooting for one goal, and that’s the Mountain West championship this year.”
Among the other contingencies in UH becoming a full-time member of the Mountain West is having a new stadium in place by the summer of 2032, though developers have set their sights on 2028.
“Certainly adding a little more paradise to any league is wonderful, and our staff is really excited to go visit and watch some games,” Nevarez said. “It’s really exciting, the commitment to getting the stadium built, rebuilt, refreshed, whatever the words are, so very excited about that. I get out there at least once a year, previously only for football. So, now I’m going to try to get out there for some other events.”
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
Sports
Vikings Women's Soccer Announces 2025 Schedule
Story Links PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State women’s soccer team has officially unveiled its 2025 schedule, featuring a 16-match regular season slate and two exhibition games to kick off the campaign. The Vikings will play eight of their regular-season contests at Hillsboro Stadium, with Big Sky Conference action getting underway in early October. Head […]


PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State women’s soccer team has officially unveiled its 2025 schedule, featuring a 16-match regular season slate and two exhibition games to kick off the campaign. The Vikings will play eight of their regular-season contests at Hillsboro Stadium, with Big Sky Conference action getting underway in early October.
Head Coach Maureen Whitney and the Vikings will tune up for the season with a pair of exhibition matches, opening at home against British Columbia on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 1:00 p.m., before heading north to take on Washington in Seattle on Saturday, Aug. 9.
Portland State opens the regular season with a challenging pair of road games in the Midwest, first facing Iowa State in Ames, Iowa on Aug. 14 (6:00 p.m. CT), then traveling to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Kansas State on Aug. 17 (11:00 a.m. CT). The Vikings return to Hillsboro for their official home opener against Western Oregon on Aug. 22.
The non-conference schedule continues with a three-match home stretch: Grand Canyon (Aug. 28, 1:00 p.m.), CSUN (Sept. 4, 6:00 p.m.), and crosstown rival Portland (Sept. 13, 6:00 p.m.). The Vikings then close non-conference play on the road with back-to-back matches against Utah Tech (Sept. 19) and Southern Utah (Sept. 21).
Big Sky play kicks off on the road at Weber State on Oct. 2, followed by Idaho State on Oct. 5. The Vikings then return home for a four-match stretch at Hillsboro Stadium, beginning with Northern Arizona (Oct. 9) and continuing with Eastern Washington (Oct. 16), Idaho (Oct. 19), and Montana (Oct. 23). PSU wraps up the regular season on the road at Sacramento State on Oct. 26.
The Vikings will aim for their fourth straight appearance in the Big Sky Championship Tournament. The top six teams in the conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season will advance to the single-elimination tournament, set for Nov. 5–9 in Missoula, Mont.
Sports
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
BOCA RATON, Fla. — With another record-breaking year in the books, Florida Atlantic Athletics released its annual report on Thursday that highlights the championship successes and achievements for the Owls in 2024-25. “The incredible success we achieved this season was only possible because of the championship-caliber student-athletes, coaches and staff that call Florida Atlantic home,” […]

“The incredible success we achieved this season was only possible because of the championship-caliber student-athletes, coaches and staff that call Florida Atlantic home,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White. “I am grateful for their dedication to the Owls, and thankful for the unwavering support from President Adam Hasner, Board Chair Piero Bussani, the university community, our fans, alumni and donors. As the Hometown Team, we are proud of the contributions athletics has made to the positive trajectory of the entire university and the very best “hometown” on the planet. The future is bright in Paradise!”
Headlined by a pair of conference championships for softball and beach volleyball, FAU maintained its Winning in Paradise spirit that also included four teams reaching postseason play – softball, beach volleyball, women’s tennis and men’s basketball. Both volleyball and men’s swimming & diving finished as the runner-up at the conference championships, women’s golf recorded a program-best third-place finish at the conference championship, while men’s golf had an individual qualify for the NCAA Regional for a second straight year.
The on-field successes were united by another record-breaking year for the Paradise Club with $26.4 million in philanthropic giving. The figure rose by 15% over last year’s record and is up a staggering 625% since 2020-21.
Winning on the field, combined with the department’s grassroots marketing efforts to brand FAU as the Hometown Team, allowed the Owls to boast a record overall total attendance with nearly a quarter of a million fans attending games in Paradise this season.
The branding, marketing and media efforts extend well beyond the tri-county as the department generated a record $3.3 billion in equivalent earned media and placed nearly 45,000 news stories about athletics. The Owls have totaled $8.38 billion in earned media over the last three years.
Florida Atlantic played in more nationally-televised games in 2024-25 than any single year in school history. The Owls’ national TV appearances have doubled over the last three years with millions viewing FAU on TV and streaming.
Academically, 112 student-athletes earned their FAU degrees in 2024-25, while the department produced a cumulative GPA of 3.286, including a single semester school record of 3.334 in the spring. For 20 consecutive semesters, Owl student-athletes have maintained a GPA above 3.0 – seven consecutive semesters above a 3.1.
Sixty-one Owls earned All-Conference honors in 2024-25, with Marketa Svozilova and Ashleigh Adams of beach volleyball and Autumn Courtney and Bella Foran of softball meriting All-America distinctions. Noah Kvifte (men’s soccer) and Svozilova garnered Academic All-America honors. Head Softball Coach Jordan Clark and Head Beach Volleyball Coach Steve Grotowski were honored as their respective conferences’ Coach of the Year.
To access the complete 2024-25 Athletics Annual Report, click here.
#WIP
-
Motorsports2 weeks ago
Why Cosmetics are Making Up for Lost Time in Women’s Sports
-
Motorsports2 weeks ago
Team Penske names new leadership
-
Youtube2 weeks ago
🚨 BREAKING: NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signs the RICHEST annual salary in league history
-
Sports1 week ago
New 'Bosch' spin
-
Sports1 day ago
Volleyball Releases 2025 Schedule – Niagara University Athletics
-
College Sports2 weeks ago
MSU Hockey News – The Only Colors
-
Sports2 weeks ago
E.l.f Cosmetics Builds Sports Marketing Game Plan Toward Bigger Goals
-
Fashion3 weeks ago
USA vs. Ireland FREE LIVE STREAM (6/29/25)
-
College Sports5 days ago
Buford DB Tyriq Green Commits to Georgia
-
College Sports3 weeks ago
IU basketball recruiting