Sports
UCSB Women’s Water Polo Falls Short in Big West Quarterfinals to UC Irvine, 12-11 | Sports
The No. 6 seed UC Santa Barbara Women’s Water Polo team (16-13, 2-5 Big West) gave hosts and No. 3 seed UC Irvine (15-12, 5-2 Big West) everything the Anteaters could handle in Friday’s Big West Championship Quarterfinal, but the Gauchos’ late rally came up just a goal shy of sending things to overtime as […]

The No. 6 seed UC Santa Barbara Women’s Water Polo team (16-13, 2-5 Big West) gave hosts and No. 3 seed UC Irvine (15-12, 5-2 Big West) everything the Anteaters could handle in Friday’s Big West Championship Quarterfinal, but the Gauchos’ late rally came up just a goal shy of sending things to overtime as Santa Barbara fell, 12-11.
Christina Mullane recorded a hat-trick, while Juju Amaral tallied five assists and Ava Donleavy made 14 saves.
“We came in with a strong gameplan, we were really excited about our after-goal defense that we ran, and it worked pretty well for a good amount of the game,” UCSB interim head coach Emma Myall said. “In general, I’m so proud of the season this year. It was a very unexpected season for us, and the girls went through a lot of hardship and difficult times of change, and they started adjusting really well to me and to my staff, and we all realized we had each other’s backs and we wanted to win.”
“Our culture, that was the one thing I really wanted to focus on when I first came in as interim (head coach). I brought the girls together and we talked about love, and we talked about confidence and loyalty and accountability, and those things led us through the season. The number one of those was love, right? With love you have respect, you have all the things, and the celebration, the goals, the blocks, everything we’re doing, that’s all out of love for each other, and we’re a family at the end of the day.”
The Gauchos were all over the Anteaters early, with Mullane drawing and converting a penalty shot on Santa Barbara’s first possession. Amaral added her first of two goals on the day to double the Gauchos’ advantage to 2-0 inside two minutes.
Irvine responded and tied the game before the second quarter, but Bella Mady scored the first goal of the second to put Santa Barbara back on top.
The second quarter went back and forth, with Irvine next to score, then Amaral putting the Gauchos ahead again. The Anteaters answered, but again Santa Barbara re-took the lead, this time through Imani Clemons. The Gauchos held that lead, a 5-4 edge, at halftime.
Irvine took their first lead of the day with the first two goals of the third quarter, but Santa Barbara again grabbed their lead back with goals from Mullane and Molly Souza, going up, 7-6.
After another Anteater goal tied things, Annie Kuester gave the Gauchos the lead yet again, 8-7, heading into the fourth quarter.
For the first time all day, Irvine took a two-goal lead in the fourth, going in front by three, 11-8, with four and a half minutes left to play.
Mullane’s third goal of the day reduced the arrears to two, then Isabel Valaika scored less than 20 seconds later to bring Santa Barbara back into the game, with the score 11-10.
Irvine’s final goal of the day came just inside the three-minute mark, and Kuester kept the comeback dream alive with her second goal of the day, with a minute and 45 seconds left.
The Gauchos got a chance to tie the game in the final ticks of the clock, but could not convert.
Sports
Marx Punches Ticket to NCAA Championship in Javelin Throw
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Sophomore Riley Marx punched his ticket to the NCAA Championship competing in the men’s javelin throw on the first day of the NCAA West Preliminary on Wednesday (May 28) at E.B. Cushing Stadium. Marx finished in 4th place with a new personal best distance of 72.58m (238′ 1″), now holding […]

Marx finished in 4th place with a new personal best distance of 72.58m (238′ 1″), now holding the no. 2 best throw in K-State’s all-time top-10. This is Marx’s third throw over 70 meters this season, more than five feet further than his previous best.
Junior Gary Moore Jr., the 2025 Big 12 men’s hammer throw champion, competed in his first of two events where he finished 22nd in the hammer throw with a distance of 63.10m (207′ 0″). Moore Jr. will also compete in the men’s discus throw on Friday (May 30) at 1 p.m., CT.
In the men’s 400 meters first round, sophomore Tavon Underwood finished 21st in 46.29 seconds, placing fifth in his heat, just shy of qualifying for the quarterfinal race on Friday. Fellow sophomore Nen Matlock also competed in the race in 46.85 seconds finishing 37th.
On Thursday (May 29) five women will compete in the field events, senior Monique Hardy in the hammer throw at 10 a.m., senior Jessi Brummett in the javelin throw at 2:30 p.m., followed by senior Shalom Olotu in the long jump at 4:30 p.m., junior Claire Bybee in the pole vault at 5:30 p.m. and senior Jaycee Schroeder in the shot put at 6 p.m. The three remaining days of competition can be streamed on ESPN+ starting with the track events.
NCAA West Preliminary
E.B. Cushing Stadium
Bryan-College Station, Texas
Men’s Hammer Throw
22. Gary Moore Jr., 63.10m (207′ 0″)
Men’s Javelin Throw
4. Riley Marx, 72.58m (238′ 1″) (PR)*
Men’s 400 Meters (First Round)
21. Tavon Underwood, 46.29
37. Nen Matlock, 46.85
Men’s Pole Vault
Pierson Carlisle, NH
— k-statesports.com —
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Sports
University of Southern California – Official Athletics Site
LOS ANGELES – The USC women’s volleyball team unveiled its 2025 schedule on Wednesday (May 28). The Women of Troy—in their second season as members of the Big Ten—will play a 20-match conference schedule and has 10 non-league contests all in Southern California to open their sixth year under head coach Brad Keller. The Trojans open […]

The Trojans open the new season as host to Denver on a Friday night (Aug. 29) at Galen Center. USC then plays its first road contest at Loyola Marymount’s Gersten Pavilion on Aug. 31.
The Women of Troy host UC Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Creighton for a six-match tournament at Galen Center Sept. 5-7 and then return to Gersten Pavilion for a tournament hosted by LMU Sept. 11-12. There, the Trojans take on BYU and Western Michigan. USC closes non-conference play with a pair of matches against LSU at Galen Center (Sept. 18-19) and then wraps up the 10-match non-league slate with California—a former Pac-12 foe—on Sept. 21.
USC gets into the 20-match Big Ten schedule with a road trip to face defending NCAA champion Penn State (Sept. 26) and Ohio State (Sept. 27). In all, the Trojans will play 14 matches against teams that made appearances in the 2024 NCAA tournament.
USC faces crosstown rival UCLA, Oregon, and Washington twice each—once at home and once on the road—and matches up with each of the other 14 conference teams once.
Amond other road opponents, USC will visit Iowa (Oct. 17) and Wisconsin (Oct. 19) for a long midseason trip. The Trojans get a one-off road match at Minnesota (Nov. 1) and then close the season with a road trip to Michigan to take on the Spartans (Nov. 26) in East Lansing and the Wolverines (Nov. 28) in Ann Arbor during Thanksgiving week.
At home, USC hosts its first Big Ten opponents when Indiana (Oct. 3) and Purdue (Oct. 4) visit Galen Center. Maryland makes the cross-country trek to face the Trojans on Oct. 23 and then Northwestern visits on Nov. 6. Rutgers (Nov. 14) and Nebraska (Nov. 15) come to Galen Center in mid-November and then USC hosts Illinois (Nov. 22) for Senior Night.
Match times will be determined by television selections, which will be announced later. Any non-televised Big Ten matches and home non-conference contests will be carried live on Big Ten Plus.
Last season, the Women of Troy were awarded the sixth seed and made their 40th all-time appearance in the NCAA tournament. USC (22-10) defeated UT Arlington in a three-set sweep in the first round to advance to the second round for the 35th time. There, the Trojans were eliminated by third-seeded and 13th-ranked site host Texas in straight sets. USC reached 20 wins for the second time under Keller to earn its third consecutive berth in the tourney. Setter Mia Tuaniga set a new school record for career assists and was named to the AVCA All-America third team. She and outside hitter Ally Batenhorst were each AVCA All-Region choices and were taken with picks in the PVF Draft.
For more information on the USC women’s volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Sports
Fjällräven collaboration with AllGear Digital wins Digiday Award for Best Branded Content Site, B2C
May 28, 2025 LOUISVILLE, CO (May 28, 2025) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ — Fjällräven is honored to share that The Guide to Outside, a collaborative content program with AllGear Digital and its flagship publication GearJunkie, has been awarded Best Branded Content Site, B2C in the 2025 Digiday Content Marketing Awards. Created for Fjällräven’s Fall/Winter 2024 campaign, the […]

May 28, 2025

LOUISVILLE, CO (May 28, 2025) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ — Fjällräven is honored to share that The Guide to Outside, a collaborative content program with AllGear Digital and its flagship publication GearJunkie, has been awarded Best Branded Content Site, B2C in the 2025 Digiday Content Marketing Awards.
Created for Fjällräven’s Fall/Winter 2024 campaign, the Guide to Outside was designed to inspire a deeper connection to nature through thoughtful storytelling and practical guidance. Rooted in Fjällräven’s ethos of“ walking with nature,”the multi-part digital experience offered readers an entry into seasonal outdoor activities—from cold-weather trekking tips and gear repair tutorials to educational pieces on layering systems and sustainable materials.
“The Guide to Outside was a way for us to invite people into the outdoors with a sense of ease and purpose,” says Nathan Dopp, President of the Americas for Fjällräven. “Partnering with GearJunkie allowed us to extend that invitation through high-integrity journalism and trusted voices in the outdoor community. We’re proud to see that recognized by Digiday.”
Produced by AllGear Digital’s in-house content studio and editorial team, the guide prioritized immersive storytelling with interactive trail maps, social content, a video series, and a custom microsite with gear recommendations. The result was a blend of editorial insight and brand purpose.
“From the start, we set out to create something that felt both engaging and useful with content that inspired people to get into nature,” said MJ Smoot, Senior Integrated Marketing Manager for Fjällräven. “We wanted the content to resonate with everyone, f rom the new hiker to the thru-hiker. This recognition from Digiday reflects the care and collaboration that went into every piece of the project and I’m incredibly proud of what we built together with AllGear Digital.”
This award marks a meaningful milestone in Fjällräven’s ongoing mission to support more people in getting outside. As with all Fjällräven initiatives, The Guide to Outside reflects our belief in fostering a meaningful and sustainable connection with nature, encouraging people to spend time outdoors with intention and care.
For more about The Guide to Outside, visit: https://gearjunkie.com/fjallraven-guide-to-outside
To explore Fjällräven’s seasonal collections and content, visit: www.fjallraven.com
—
Media Contact:
Fjällräven North America
press@fjallraven.us
Sports
Florida Volleyball Adds Milica Vidacic to 2025 Roster
The opposite hitter from Zrenjanin, Serbia will join the Gators this fall. GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A standout opposite hitter from Serbia, Milica Vidačić will join Florida volleyball’s 2025 roster. “Excited and looking forward to having Milica on the team,” said Florida’s Head Coach Ryan Theis. “She has a high level of experience as an […]

The opposite hitter from Zrenjanin, Serbia will join the Gators this fall.
“Excited and looking forward to having Milica on the team,” said Florida’s Head Coach Ryan Theis. “She has a high level of experience as an opposite in international play and has contributed major points to her team.”
The 6’4″ incoming freshman has made significant impact on both the national and club levels, earning numerous MVP accolades. She was named the MVP of the 2024 Serbian Junior Championships after she led her team, TENT OBRENOVAC, to a 3-0 victory against CRVENA ZVEZDA.
She has represented her country at the national level as well, most recently at the U20 European Championships.
Why Vidačić chose the University of Florida
“I chose Florida because I think it’s the right place for me, for my progress and it will give me the opportunity to become the best version of myself. They have serious coaches, conditions for progress, have top players and they play great volleyball. I’m honored to be playing for Florida, it’s a top college. And it’s a great opportunity to show myself in the best light!”
Welcome to the Gator family, Milica
https://t.co/Xij817Ys2z#GoGators pic.twitter.com/0mEGpm1BEI
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) May 28, 2025
Milica Vidačić | Zrenjanin, Serbia | 6’4″ | Opposite Hitter
- Named the best and most promising young volleyball player in the country of Serbia
- Ranked top-ten best players in the Serbian League
- 2024 the youngest player at Japan’s VNL
- Best server of the Serbian League
- Voted the best scorer at the Balkan Championships
- Voted MVP of the tournament and best scorer at the Serbian National Championships
- One of two players to be named Vice-Champion of the State
Vidačić becomes the fifth addition to the Gators 2025 roster:
Name | Position | Height | Hometown | Class | High School/ Previous School |
Jordyn Byrd |
Outside Hitter | 6’4″ | Bradenton, Fla. | Redshirt Freshman | Texas |
Aniya Madkin | Outside Hitter | 6’2″ | Clinton, Miss. | Redshirt Freshman | Arkansas |
Dee McMillian | Middle Blocker | 6’2″ | Mansfield, Tex. | Freshman | Mansfield Lake Ridge |
Lily Hayes | Defensive Specialist | 5’9″ | Tampa, Fla. | Freshman | Berkeley Prep |
Milica Vidačić | Opposite Hitter | 6’4″ | Zrenjanin, Serbia | Freshman | Zrenjaninska Gimnazija |
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
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Sports
Stevenson Girls Water Polo Wins Second 3-Peat, 7th State Title Overall
Eventually some team is going to beat Stevenson girls water polo, and for a while Saturday, May 24 in Lincolnshire, it looked like it might be Lyons to do the job.The problem is, Stevenson (36-0) and head coach Jeff Wimer (839-174-3) know how to overcome nearly all situations or problems that may arise.Outscored 3-0 in […]

Eventually some team is going to beat Stevenson girls water polo, and for a while Saturday, May 24 in Lincolnshire, it looked like it might be Lyons to do the job.
The problem is, Stevenson (36-0) and head coach Jeff Wimer (839-174-3) know how to overcome nearly all situations or problems that may arise.
Outscored 3-0 in the middle quarter and trailing 4-2 entering the fourth quarter of the state championship game might have sunk a number of teams, but not Stevenson.
The Patriots stormed back to…
Sports
Bradford family: Giants in height and volleyball
When the Bradford family walks together on a beach, at an airport, in a restaurant, eyes turn. They aren’t just tall, they’re giants. They aren’t a basketball family — they play volleyball. On Memorial Day, mom, dad, daughter and son were at the beach looking for games. Lee Bradford was a 6-foot-7 middle blocker at […]

When the Bradford family walks together on a beach, at an airport, in a restaurant, eyes turn. They aren’t just tall, they’re giants. They aren’t a basketball family — they play volleyball. On Memorial Day, mom, dad, daughter and son were at the beach looking for games.
Lee Bradford was a 6-foot-7 middle blocker at Pepperdine in the 1990s. His wife, Sara, is 6-1 and played basketball at Fordham. Their oldest daughter, Carissa, was the 6-2 City Section volleyball player of the year at Granada Hills, played at Tennessee and South Alabama and is now head coach at Bates College.
Their son, Derek, is 6-8, won a CIF title with Royal and now trains with the USA beach volleyball team. Their son, Grayson, is a 6-11 senior at Mira Costa and plays for a state championship on Saturday in Fresno. He’s committed to UCLA.
Even the youngest in the family, 12-year-old daughter Brooke, is 5-10 and headed for volleyball stardom. Talk about good height genes — no giant shoes go unused in this family.

The Bradford volleyball family (left to right). Derek (6-foot-8), Lee (6-7), Sara (6-1), Brooke (5-10), Carissa (6-2), Grayson (6-11).
(Courtesy Bradford family.)
Dad gave his kids a choice growing up. “I love the sport and offered free private lessons,” he said.
They took him up and the rest is history. Lee has been a teacher at Granada Hills and used to be an assistant coach to Tom Harp. He eventually moved his family to Manhattan Beach after driving to the South Bay for years for club competition.
“We made a really good decision four years ago to go to a high level club program,” he said. “It’s been a great journey.”

At 6 feet 11, Grayson Bradford towers over everyone playing volleyball for Mira Costa. He’s headed to UCLA.
(Steve Galluzzo)
Grayson has been a key player for Mira Costa, which won the Southern Section Division 1 championship, then the Southern California regional championship and play San José Archbishop Mitty in the first state Division 1 boys title match on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Fresno City College.
It’s a weekend for championships. The Southern Section baseball will be held Friday and Saturday at Cal State Fullerton and Blair Field in Long Beach.
The Southern Section softball finals are Friday and Saturday in Irvine.
The state track and field championships will be Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis (temperatures will hit triple digits). The state tennis championships are Saturday in Fresno.
The City Section softball finals are Saturday at Cal State Northridge.
Tuesday’s Division 1 baseball semifinals produced a shocker. No. 1-seeded Corona, which started the year considered as high school baseball’s version of the Dodgers, was beaten by St. John Bosco 2-0. It was the first high school pitching defeat for Seth Hernandez, who came in 18-0.
St. John Bosco has unleashed a closer extraordinaire in junior Jack Champlin. Last week, in the bottom of the seventh inning with the score tied, Villa Park had the winning run on third and Champlin was brought in to get a strikeout. He threw 2 1/3 hitless relief before the Braves won 5-4 in nine innings.
He was inserted into the game with a 2-0 count, one runner on and one out in the seventh inning against Corona. He walked the first first batter, then got a strikeout and fly out to end the game.
He said of the situation, ““I love it,” he said. “There’s close to 1,000 people and it’s electric. I didn’t feel any pressure, didn’t feel nervous. It’s just fun to compete against all these Power 5 players.”

Jack Champlin of St. John Bosco picked up the save in 2-0 win over Corona.
(Nick Koza)
That kind of closer’s mentality and confidence should help St. John Bosco in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division final against Santa Margarita at Cal State Fullerton. Champlin will gladly take the ball whenever coach Andy Rojo offers it.
“I haven’t had a blown save,” he said.
That’s not the kiss of death. That’s a teenager who wants the ball with the game on the line.
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