The University of Southern California water polo coach tied to the “Varsity Blues” admissions scandal will get a new trial on a fraud charge but remains convicted on a bribery charge, a panel of First Circuit judges ruled.

It’s impossible to tell if the jury reached its guilty verdict on Jovan Vavic’s honest services wire fraud charge using a recently invalidated legal theory, the judges said in a Friday opinion. The theory that was shot down in a separate “Varsity Blues” appeal argued that payments to USC could be considered “actionable bribes.”

USC was the victim of the bribery scheme and therefore cannot be considered to have received bribes under honest services fraud, the First Circuit found in US v Abdelaziz.

However, the panel in the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found misstatements by prosecutors during closing arguments weren’t enough to prompt a new trial for a separate charge—Vavic’s federal programs bribery conspiracy charge.

Prosecutors didn’t contradict jury instructions, and their statements likely didn’t impact the trial’s outcome, the judges said.

As coach, Vavic was paid to help students pose as members of the water polo team and get admitted to USC, according to prosecutors. The scandal ensnared dozens of ultra-wealthy parents, Hollywood stars, and college coaches. Vavic was the only coach to go to trial.

He was convicted in 2022, but granted a new trial after a district court found some evidence from the government wasn’t reliable.

For example, some of the payments from private equity investor John B. Wilson allegedly to secure his son’s admission went to the school’s water polo program, not Vavic, said Judge Indira Talwani of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Separately, Wilson sued USC in Los Angeles state court in September after his fraud and bribery convictions were overturned, asking for his six-figure donation back.

Judge Julie Rikelman wrote the opinion, and Judges Gustavo A. Gelpí and O. Rogeriee Thompson joined.

The case is US v. Vavic, 1st Cir., No. 22-1787, 5/30/25.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Long Beach State women’s track and field team opened competition at the NCAA West First Round Thursday at E.B. Cushing Stadium.
 
ON THE TRACK
Rahni Turner overcame a slow start in her 100m hurdles heat to win the race in a new school record time of 13.15. Turner previously held the school record with Hailey Fune’ at 13.21. Her victory automatically advanced her to Saturday’s quarterfinals in the event. The quarters begin Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
 
Claudine Raud-Gumiel missed moving on by one spot in the 100m hurdles. Her 13.44 resulted in 25th in the field of 48. The top 24 compete again on Saturday.
 
Battling a leg injury, Trinity Barnett competed in the 100m and 200m. She ran 11.66 in the 100m, coming in 44th. Returning a little over an hour later, she put up a time of 24.29 in the 200m, finishing 45th out of 48.
 
Sofia Lavreshina missed advancing to the quarterfinals in the 400m hurdles. Her 58.78 was the 26th fastest time in the field of 48.  
 
IN THE FIELD
Giszelle Hrehor fouled on her three attempts in the hammer throw and did not record a place in the event.
 
Jonelle Scott failed to clear the opening height in the pole vault, 13-2 1/4, resulting in a non-placing finish.
 
UP NEXT
Tristyn Flores has advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals in the men’s 100m and men’s 200m. The 100m is scheduled to begin at 4:35 p.m. PDT. The 200m begins at 5:50 p.m. PDT. Friday’s Long Beach State field entries are listed below.
 
ALL TIMES PACIFIC

 
 

~#LongBeachBuilt~

 
  
 

All season long the Berkshire Badgers boys’ volleyball team has frustrated their opponents with their scrappy play. The shoe was on the other foot on Saturday afternoon as the Badgers fell to Nordonia in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II Region 7 championship by a 25-14, 25-18, 25-17 sweep at Berkshire High School.

“They have such a commanding offense,” Coach Tim Percic said. “Because of that it stretches out our defense. Our defense likes to go after balls that are in play and makes plays but when we are completely spread out over the full court, there a lot more holes and that was a tough test for our guys.”

A historic season in which Berkshire (16-7, 7-1) captured a share of the conference banner, set the record for most wins in a season and advanced to the regional final for the first time in school history ended just shy of capturing a berth in the OHSAA Division II Final Four.

Nordonia established control in the first set, racing ahead to a 6-4 advantage. The five-year coach noted Berkshire wanted to speed up its offense to catch the Knights off guard but it was the other way around. By using a full-court offense, Nordonia found all of the holes in the Badgers’ side of the court.

In addition to finding the sweet spots, senior outside hitter Jake Starr noted that the Knights set the tempo early, forcing Berkshire out of its usual system, evidenced by them going on a 6-1 run to hold a 15-8 advantage at the halfway point of the first set.

“I think they came out punching and were (not?) ready to go,” he added. “We honestly came out really slow and I think that was our kryptonite, in the first two sets we played like we did not care and in the third set it was closer. We woke up but at that point it does not matter, you have already dug yourself a deep hole.”

Nordonia went on a 10-6 run to claim a 25-14 victory in the first set and carried the momentum into the second set.

Starr acknowledged that the Knights were the relentless team in fighting for every loose ball, a strategy that had served Berkshire well throughout the season.

“We haven’t seen a team that scrappy,” he said. “They fought just as much and honestly, they fought more for every point than we did. I think that is why we lost, we did not want every point, we wanted every other one and they wanted everyone, so it showed.”

After taking a 9-5 advantage in the second set, the Knights kept rolling and were spurred by a 10-8 run, increasing their lead to 19-14. The Badgers continued allowing Nordonia to dictate the terms of the match as the Knights won the set 25-18.

Percic said that no matter how often the Badgers tried trimming into Nordonia’s lead, the Knights always had an answer.

“It is a big stage against a tough opponent, and you want to do something spectacular,” he said. “Hit the grand slam of volleyball if there was one but it is a game of patience. Sometimes, the moment got to us and we made silly mistakes.”

The Badgers demonstrated their resilience in the third set as they battled back from an early 7-4 deficit fueled by an 8-5 run to tie the score at 12-12.

The teams traded points and Nordonia appeared to be pulling away by being fueled by a 4-1 run, but Berkshire trimmed the lead to 16-15 with another rally

Ultimately, Nordonia maintained control at the end and senior setter Zac Fernandez closed the match out by delivering four aces in the final five points to end the third set with a 25-17 victory.

Although the Badgers’ season ended just one win shy of the Final Four, Starr spoke glowingly of the bond shared by the seven seniors that returned from last year’s team and raised the ceiling for the entire program.

“This is my favorite high school sport,” he said. “We all loved it and we are definitely going to miss it. I know a couple of us are going to stay around, but we will stay connected. I am hoping at some point so set up a little bit of a game between all of the seniors.”

As far as Percic was concerned, while the Badgers are graduating some valuable contributors, he looked forward to seeing what the next wave of players will show for next season as Berkshire’s depth kept several talented players on the bench this season behind the leadership of the senior class.

Jaci Carpenter concluded her remarkable journey with the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) beach volleyball team by receiving one of the ASUN’s highest honors: the Female Student Athlete of the Year award.

“It was honestly kind of hard to put into words how much it means to me,” said Carpenter.

This season, Carpenter achieved an impressive 21 victories in the sand, including a notable win against LSU. FGCU Beach Volleyball Head Coach Chris Sweat highlighted what made this season exceptional for Carpenter.

“She was so carefree. Hey, this is my last year, what do I have to lose? I’m going to go all out. It was by far the best volleyball she’s ever played,” said Sweat.

Carpenter managed her athletic career while living with type one diabetes, a condition she was diagnosed with at just seven years old.

“I honestly don’t remember my life before it. So it’s something I’ve taken as a way to, instead of it being a challenge, have it as something I can overcome and use it as a way to inspire others,” said Carpenter.

At FGCU, Carpenter truly was an inspiration. She volunteered after Hurricane Ian, started “See Her Soar” to support female student-athletes beyond sports, and served as president of the FGCU Student Athlete Advisory Committee. All this while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“I wanted to come to a program that was going to allow me to continue to be a leader. And then when I got to FGCU, I realized it was so much more than the beach volleyball team and there were so many cool opportunities for me to make an impact and really inspire others to continue leading as well,” said Carpenter.

Carpenter, an FGCU Hall of Famer, aspires for her legacy to be one of leading by example.

“It’s my biggest leadership philosophy is being the one to show up. Whether it’s getting to the court 20 minutes early, putting in the extra work on off days or taking the initiative to do a community service event and trying to bring others along with you,” said Carpenter.

Carpenter’s impact on FGCU is undeniable. She now heads to the University of Tennessee to work as a graduate assistant.