Sports
Two Teams Ready for NORCECA Beach U23 Event in Grand Cayman
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 16, 2025) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce the athletes selected to represent the U.S. at the 2025 U23 NORCECA Continental Tour in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, June 20-22. The event will feature top U23 pairs from across the NORCECA zone in three days of international competition. Teams will begin […]
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 16, 2025) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce the athletes selected to represent the U.S. at the 2025 U23 NORCECA Continental Tour in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, June 20-22.
The event will feature top U23 pairs from across the NORCECA zone in three days of international competition. Teams will begin with pool play on June 20, followed by elimination rounds and medal matches on June 21-22.
Representing the U.S. are Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig on the women’s side, and Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes on the men’s side. All four athletes are current collegiate athletes—Durish and Koenig at Florida State University, and Keeter and Barnes at Webber University.
“Representing the U.S. is an incredible honor and a chance to carry on the proud legacy of American beach volleyball,” Durish said. “It reflects the culmination of my hard work, the unwavering support of those around me, and the resilience that’s shaped my journey. Every moment on the court is a tribute to the dedication and passion that brought me here.”
“Playing for my country is one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Keeter said. “Every time I step on the court, it’s bigger than just me. I’m representing my family, my teammates and everyone back home who’s supported me along the way. It’s an honor I don’t take for granted, and it pushes me to give everything I have, every single game.”
The women’s team will be coached by U.S. beach Olympian Nick Lucena, assistant coach at Florida State. University of Washington assistant coach Steven McFadden will lead the men’s side.
“It’s an honor to coach Team USA and work with these players,” Lucena said. “I’m humbled to have the chance to give back and help from the sidelines.”
“It’s an honor every time you get asked to compete on behalf of your country, and I think these guys are excellent representatives of USA Volleyball,” McFadden said. “They work hard, they’re creative with the game, and they play with joy.”
The U23 teams look to continue the momentum from the previous leg of the NORCECA Continental Tour in the Dominican Republic, where the U.S. women took gold and the men captured silver. Emma Donley and Portia Sherman topped the podium for the women, while Thomas Hurst and Gage Basey earned second place for the men.
Athletes
Alexis Durish (5-10, Venice, Fla., Florida State, Lone Star Region)
Audrey Koenig (6-3, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Florida State, Florida Region)
Carson Barnes (6-4, Ocean View, Del., Webber University, Chesapeake Region)
Ayden Keeter (6-1, Yorktown, Va., Webber University, Old Dominion Region)
Coaches
Women’s Head Coach: Nick Lucena (Florida State)
Men’s Head Coach: Steven McFadden (University of Washington)
Athletic Trainer: Arbhie Guce (Trif3ecta Athletic Training and Performance)
Team Leader: Megan Burgdorf (Beach Volleyball Consulting)
Sports
Lobo Athletics pushes for viral social media videos
In complementing the recent push for investment into certain capital projects and fan-forward programs, the University of New Mexico Athletics Department has also had a focus on creating more promotional and social media content. On Aug. 4, to announce that kids under 12 would now get free admission into football games with the purchase of […]
In complementing the recent push for investment into certain capital projects and fan-forward programs, the University of New Mexico Athletics Department has also had a focus on creating more promotional and social media content.
On Aug. 4, to announce that kids under 12 would now get free admission into football games with the purchase of an adult single game general ticket, the New Mexico Lobos released a video that went viral, with over half a million views on X alone.
The video parodies an episode from the television show “The Office”, named “Scott’s Tots,” with Head Football Coach Jason Eck experiencing a humorous miscommunication with Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo. As a result, Eck ends up promising free tuition to a classroom of elementary school students instead of free tickets to a football game.
Associate Athletics Director for Creative Services Chase Christiansen said he knew the video could go viral as soon as the idea was presented if it could be executed right.
“It was really rewarding to see all the hard work that went into it. All the acting, Coach Eck was great in it. He was fully on board with doing whatever we wanted him to do,” Christiansen said. “Fernando (Lovo) was fully on board. So just seeing everyone work together and accomplish what we set out to accomplish, and probably even exceed our expectations for what it would be, it was just really rewarding.”
This is not the only attention-grabbing video done by the UNM Athletics Department recently. To announce the new $4 value menu at home football games, the department posted a video to X on Aug. 7 which included references to the Netflix sketch comedy show “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.” The video garnered approximately 65,000 views on X.
The video ends with Lobo football tight end player Dorian Thomas ordering “fifty-five Lobodogs, fifty-five sodas, fifty-five waters and fifty-five popcorns.”
On June 10, Lobo Track and Field posted a video on X in preparation for the NCAA Track and Field National Championships that detailed the meaning behind the teams’ turquoise uniforms. The team has a tradition of only wearing turquoise at the national championships tournaments to honor New Mexico’s history and connection with the color. The post has approximately 35,000 views on X.
“There’s just been a lot of investment in our creative departments over the last eight to nine months, and we’re reaping the benefits of that now, seeing the exposure we’re getting by the investment that we’re putting in,” Christiansen said.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
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Sports
Natasha Phillips – Women’s Tennis
VIDEO: Meet Natasha Phillip 2012-13: Posted a 6-5 record for the season, including a four match winning streak, at the start of the season, over FGCU (2/09), Bethune-Cookman (2/15), St. John’s (3/01), and South Dakota (3/04)… saw action at the No. 5 and No.6 singles positions…tallied three wins in doubles action…8-7 at Bethune-Cookman (2/15), teamed […]
VIDEO: Meet Natasha Phillip
2012-13: Posted a 6-5 record for the season, including a four match winning streak, at the start of the season, over FGCU (2/09), Bethune-Cookman (2/15), St. John’s (3/01), and South Dakota (3/04)… saw action at the No. 5 and No.6 singles positions…tallied three wins in doubles action…8-7 at Bethune-Cookman (2/15), teamed with Catalina Ene at No.3 doubles…8-3 over South Dakota (3/04), teamed with Natalia Tomaszewicz at No.1 doubles…8-6 over Cleveland State (3/09), teamed with Natalia Tomaszewicz at No.3 doubles.
2011-12:Went 3-3 at the No. 6 singles position and helped lead team to consecutive double-digit win totals and winning campaigns…teamed with Catalina Ene to post six doubles victories…tallied seven triumphs in doubles action…picked up a straight-set win over in-state rival Florida Gulf Coast (2/4)…dropped only one game in a win over Towson (3/20)…defeated Sun Belt Conference rival FIU in singles action (3/21)…teamed with Ene to win both doubles matches at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, including an 8-5 win over nationally ranked North Texas (4/20).
2010-11:Ranked second on the team with 13 singles victories and anchored bottom portion of the singles lineup…helped lead team to first winning season since 2004 with a 13-12 record…posted 10 victories during the spring dual match season, including an 8-5 record at the No. 6 singles position…won seven of her final 10 singles matches to end the season…also saw time at No. 5 singles…posted nine doubles victories, including seven triumphs with partner Cassie Bergeson.
2009-10:Won her only three singles matches in her only three matches during the spring dual match season…tallied six total victories and she emerged in the lineup toward the end of the season…recorded straight-set victories over North Dakota (3/14), New Jersey Inst. of Tech. (3/16) and Wright State (3/24)…dropped only six games in three dual matches at the No. 6 singles position.
High School:Played number one singles at Olympic Heights High School . . . won state in the third division during junior year…earned All-District honors all four years…got to round 16 of the Orange Bowl under 12s.
Personal:Daughter of Peter and Maria Phillips…education major…played in tournaments in Florida, Georgia, Texas and London.
| FAU Career Statistics | ||||||
| Year | Singles | Doubles | ||||
| 2009-10 | 3-3 | 3-10 | ||||
| 2010-11 | 13-6 | 12-13 | ||||
| 2011-12 | 3-6 | 7-8 | ||||
| Total | 19-15 | 22-31 | ||||
Sports
Wisconsin vs Notre Dame volleyball exhibition match: Four takeaways
Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield talks about exhibition vs. Notre Dame Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield shared his thoughts after the Badgers’ 3-1 exhibition win over Notre Dame. Wisconsin volleyball defeated Notre Dame, 3-1, in an exhibition match that showcased the Badgers’ young talent and lineup flexibility. Ohio State transfer Grace Egan led the Badgers with […]
Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield talks about exhibition vs. Notre Dame
Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield shared his thoughts after the Badgers’ 3-1 exhibition win over Notre Dame.
- Wisconsin volleyball defeated Notre Dame, 3-1, in an exhibition match that showcased the Badgers’ young talent and lineup flexibility.
- Ohio State transfer Grace Egan led the Badgers with 13 kills, demonstrating her dynamic athleticism.
- Freshmen Kristen Simon, Aniya Warren, Madison Quest, Natalie Wardlow and Addy Horner impressed with their performances at various positions.
MADISON – Wisconsin volleyball had an opportunity to tinker with some lineups and test a young team in its Aug. 17 exhibition match against Notre Dame.
“All four sets, we were different,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “I think personnel in sets one and two were the same, but we flipped our middles and we flipped our outsides. … Some teams that you have, when you’re making those types of changes, when you’re just flipping them on the wheel … there becomes an uneasiness about it. These guys were no problems whatsoever. … That’s something I learned from this group today is that we can move the chess pieces around a little bit.”
The Badgers’ result, aside from being unfazed, was a 3-1 exhibition win over the Fighting Irish (25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20). Here are some takeaways from the Aug. 17 exhibition along with the Badgers’ intra-team scrimmage on Aug. 16:
Young talent on display with 2025 Wisconsin volleyball team
On a team with many young players who could contribute in 2025, Sheffield was “really happy” with what he saw from his young players in the exhibition win.
“I thought the story of the match was our young kids,” Sheffield said. “It’s kind of what we’ve been seeing in practice is there’s not much fear out of them.”
In a position battle at libero between freshmen Kristen Simon and Aniya Warren, each player started two sets and were, in Sheffield’s opinion, “really, really good.” Simon had three service aces and a team-high 17 digs; Warren had one service ace, one service error and 12 digs.
Madison Quest – one of the incoming freshmen competing for the Badgers’ starting right-side hitter spot – started three of the four sets and had six block assists, which were tied for the most on the team with Carter Booth.
“She’s learning to block a new side of the pin,” Sheffield said of Quest, “and defending the quick and the go set. I thought she did a really good job with that.”
Natalie Wardlow – also a freshman and a candidate at the right side – played the fourth set and had four kills. They were tough kills, too, in Sheffield’s opinion.
“A couple really, really nice out-of-system swings on both pins,” Sheffield said. “A couple balls that I’m not really sure how she was able to score off of them because they were really, really tough balls that she had to handle.”
Wardlow had some impressive stretches in the intra-team scrimmage as well, picking up five kills in the first set alone. She then had three kills in the second set and one kill in the third set and finished the afternoon hitting .333.
Grace Egan shines throughout weekend at UW Field House
Ohio State transfer Grace Egan made a strong first impression on Badger fans at the Field House over the weekend.
Her 13 kills led the Badgers in the four-set win over the Fighting Irish. Her sixth kill of the first set – as many as Mimi Colyer and Carter Booth had combined at that point – sealed the Badgers’ set win.
It was not her only impressive performance of the weekend. During the team’s scrimmage Aug. 16, Egan had a team-high 15 kills with three errors on 30 total attacks. That included seven kills with only one attack error in the first set.
“She’s such a dynamic player,” Sheffield said. “Her athleticism is just off the charts, and she’s a really, really exciting player obviously. … She’s going to be a big part of what we’re trying to do this year.”
Sheffield still sees room for improvement from Egan, though, after sitting in the third set and coming back in for the fourth set.
“She lost a little bit of concentration, I would say, there when she came back in and started the fourth set,” Sheffield said. “I think she’s kind of a rhythm player. I was really interested to see what that was going to look like after she kind of takes a set off. She’s got to get better in that, but she’s a handful. She’s constantly a handful.”
Notre Dame competes above its (lack of) preseason ranking
Notre Dame – a team that did not get any votes in the AVCA preseason coaches poll – was even more competitive with the eighth-ranked Badgers than the 3-1 outcome might suggest.
The first set was a narrow 25-23 win for UW with 12 ties and three lead changes. Notre Dame had 5-2, 7-4 and 20-17 leads in the second set before the Badgers eventually captured a lead with a 5-0 scoring run.
The Fighting Irish then took the third set as the Badgers hit a match-low .022. Even in the fourth set, there were five ties before the Badgers broke away for a match-clinching 25-20 win.
Notre Dame, Sheffield said, has “gotten a lot better than what they’ve been in a while.”
“That’s as physical of a team that Notre Dame has probably had since 1997,” Sheffield said. “They’ve got some arms. They put some pressure on us behind the service line. They didn’t get aced very much. Thought they did a great job covering.”
No Charlie Fuerbringer, but another setter fills in admirably
UW setter Charlie Fuerbringer, a 2024 third-team All-American, did not participate in the Aug. 16 scrimmage or Aug. 17 exhibition.
Sheffield was coy about details of the injury – “she was in sweats today, stayed on the sideline for the match and didn’t get in at all,” he said with a wink – but he is hopeful that she will return in time for the Aug. 29 season opener against No. 14 Kansas.
“There’s an urgency about how you’re playing and how you’re improving and how you’re competing,” Sheffield said. “There’s also an understanding that this is a long season as well. So I don’t think anybody’s going to be making decisions that doesn’t put us in the best position to be as good as what we can be at the end of the year.”
Addy Horner, a freshman, started in her place in each of the first four sets and “made some really good decisions and really nice plays.” She had 44 of the team’s 50 assists and three kills.
“You saw a setter tonight that doesn’t flinch,” Sheffield said. “There’s a lot of things to learn, but she did a really, really nice job today. So we’re well taken care of in that department.”
Sports
Fred Kerley Provisionally Suspended as Partner Issues Emotional Message Before Track & Field Worlds
The trouble in 2025 does not seem to end for Fred Kerley. If the legal problems that he had been facing since the year started, and then the struggles with his performance on the track were not enough, the athlete has been suspended for an alleged anti-doping whereabouts violation by the AIU. The World Anti-Doping […]
The trouble in 2025 does not seem to end for Fred Kerley. If the legal problems that he had been facing since the year started, and then the struggles with his performance on the track were not enough, the athlete has been suspended for an alleged anti-doping whereabouts violation by the AIU. The World Anti-Doping Code states an athlete cannot miss three anti-doping tests and/or filing failures within 12 months, though the Olympian declined the allegations.
Soon after the suspension, he took to his Instagram broadcast channel and said, “I want to be clear – I have never used performance-enhancing drugs, and I have always competed clean.” Now his girlfriend stands in his support, claiming that he has been a top guy from day one.
On a post made by RaesTake TV 2 days ago, the Olympian’s girlfriend commented, “Let’s be real the whole field been slippin’. People been tryna play FK, but he’s been that guy from day one. Even thru college, always been clean. Confident, elite, unstoppable, and metals every year — but the ones theyy keep be puppets and get away with whatever. It’s wild. Now everyone just seeing it because of this situation.” The athlete is in a relationship with Cleo Rahman, aka DJ Sky High Baby.
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Her comment would serve as a pillar in Kerley’s battle against the suspension. In a statement posted on X, external lawyers for Kerley said he intends to contest the allegation, “[Kerley] strongly believes that one or more of his alleged missed tests should be set aside either because he was not negligent or because the doping control officer did not do what was reasonable under the circumstances to locate him at his designated location,” it added.
The suspension is only going to limit Kerley’s days on the track; it’s good as early as it’s lifted. Rahman’s support will be vital here. One good thing for Kerley in this one whirlwind of a year is that his girlfriend has been standing by his side in every situation.
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Cleo Rahman Has Been Supporting Fred Kerley
Back in January, Fred Kerley found himself in a scuffle with the Miami Police. He was arrested late at night in Miami Beach after approaching officers, who were investigating near his parked car. Police said he became aggressive, refused to leave, and took a “fighting stance.” When he resisted arrest, they tackled and tased him before taking him into custody.
“He’s an athlete, please do not mess with him,” Rahman could be heard on the video before an officer said they would tase him. She was also arrested for allegedly resisting arrest. Rahman told NBC6 that she and Kerley were just trying to have a fun night and said she believes the officers went overboard with Kerley’s arrest. “There was no reason or no type of aggression the police officer should have given him for him to have to respond like he did,” she told the TV station. This was not the only instance.
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After some not so impressive performances in Grand Slam Track, Kerley clocked a time of 9.87 seconds in the semi-finals of Franson Last Chance. The DJ took to her X handle and tweeted, “9.87 (clapping emoji) Say No More.” On May 1, 2025, Kerley was arrested again in Dania Beach on a charge of battery (touch or strike) against his ex-girlfriend, Alaysha Johnson. This occurred just ahead of a Grand Slam Track event in Miami, for which he was slated to compete.
Speaking on that, his girlfriend tweeted, replying to a comment now deleted, “Thank you for your honest and unbiased account from eyewitnesses coz i was upstairs like u said and 2 people came up and privately told me she literally got hit by her boyfriend slow swinging self. SMH. Fred and the bf was the altercation.” What are your thoughts on the couple and Kerley’s suspension? Let us know in the comments.
Sports
Wisconsin volleyball battles Notre Dame in final exhibition match
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Sports
Roadrunners to take on UIW in exhibition match – UTSA Athletics
SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA Volleyball team is set to visit cross-town rival UIW for an exhibition match at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18, inside the McDermott Center in San Antonio, Texas. The ‘Runners are gearing up for their 2025 campaign after going 11-18 in the 2024 season. UTSA welcomes back eight players from last […]
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