NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Football Clark Lea is a finalist for the George Munger College Coach of the Year it was announced Monday by the Maxwell Football Club, making the Commodore head coach a candidate for multiple national honors. He is also up for the Walter Camp Football Bowl Subdivision and American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year Awards.

The winner of the George Munger Award—other finalists are Curt Cignetti of Indiana, Mike Elko of Texas A&M and Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire—will be revealed on Dec. 30, with the formal presentation of the award set for March 14, 2026, in Atlanta.

Lea has already been named the AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year, and he is also a candidate for the Paul “Bear” Bryant and Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Awards.

The recognition comes after Lea guided the Dores to their first-ever 10-win season and a 6-2 finish in SEC action, the most conference victories Vandy has posted in program history. The Commodores earned three victories over top-15 opposition, defeating four nationally-ranked schools in all, this fall and have been included in the Associated Press poll each of the last 12 weeks. That included helping the Dores to their first appearance in the AP top 10 since 1947.

With the Commodores set to play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31, Lea has guided Vandy to consecutive postseason bowl berths for just the second time ever.

The Panthers drew the curtains on their season after suffering a 3-0 loss against No. 2-ranked University of La Verne Leopards on Saturday, Nov. 8. The loss closed out a season that started with promise, but ultimately ended in a losing conference record.

In the sweep, the Panthers recorded an average hitting percentage of 0.135 with 33 total kills compared to the Leopards’ .284 percentage and 45 kills. Ultimately, La Verne proved to be the better team in this match, allowing them to clinch the regular season Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title. La Verne went on to make a run to the national championship of the NCAA DIII tournament, finishing runners-up.

The match was also senior night for the Panthers. Political science major Olivia Sampon, strategic and corporate communications major Emma Derksen, psychology major Olivia Harrison and public relations, advertising and entertainment marketing majors Brooke Leslie and Keira Sarni were honored during the ceremony.

“Being surrounded by my teammates, coaches, friends and a lot of family made the night really meaningful,” Sarni said. “There’s something powerful about looking around the gym and realizing how much support you’ve had over the years.”

Although the seniors closed out their collegiate careers with a loss, the Panthers fought for every point. The first set ended 25-17 with La Verne immediately dominating the court. During the second set, Chapman had its first and only lead of the match at 7-5 but eventually fell short 25-22. In the final set, the Panthers could not shut down La Verne’s offense or break through their defense, ultimately ending the set at 25-16. 

In preparation for the match, the team prioritized adjusting their defense and offense to match La Verne’s. The Panthers had 50 digs, and junior business finance major Lia Ono leading with 16 — the most of any player in the match. Chapman also had two blocks compared to the Leopards’ 10.

The Panthers finished with a 6-10 conference record, and missed the SCIAC playoffs for the third time in four seasons.  

The Panthers took the time to reflect on their journey this season to improve for the next. The seniors waved their goodbyes and looked back on how much the program has given them.

“Playing volleyball at Chapman has shaped me into the person I am today,” Sarni said. “I’ve grown so much, not just as an athlete, but as a leader, a teammate and a friend.”

Despite the emotional night, a new chapter is in the works for next season. With a talented group returning, they’ll look to follow in their seniors’ footsteps.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The 2025 ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Mix Six/2A volleyball state championships gathered schools from nearly every corner of the state under Dimond High School’s roof over the weekend, and a pair of familiar names emerged from the crowd.

At the 2A level, the Unalaska Raiders, led by UAA commit Dalyla Nettleton, capped off an undefeated season with a three-set sweep of Su-Valley, giving the Aleutian town its second straight crown.

“It feels great,” head coach Louisa Fernandez said. “These girls earned it, and from the very beginning of the season, we said everything is a privilege, you need to earn it, and that’s exactly what they did.”

On the Mix Six side, so named for the co-ed nature of its teams, the field whittled down to a Lynx-on-Lynx matchup between Port Alsworth’s Tanalian School and Golovin’s Martin L. Olson School. Two of the four sets, including the decider, went to tiebreakers, and Tanalian ultimately triumphed for its third trophy in four years.

“This was a great year,” head coach Glen Alsworth said of his squad’s accomplishment. “There’s been some years where you feel like you almost walk through the competition. There were no freebies this year.”

“This one feels really good,” said junior Erik McGee, who closed the match out with an ace. “I think it’s our best season yet and I think we can only get better. I’m just proud of the whole team, this is the best team we’ve ever had.”

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.

Lynchburg, Va. — The University of Lynchburg and Director of Athletics Jon Waters are thrilled to announce the hiring of Joshua Knapp as the new head coach of the men’s volleyball program. 

“Josh made a great impression on our staff with his student-focused leadership and desire to build a championship-level program,” said Waters. “His commitment to the well-rounded student experience was evident through his past experiences. We are excited to have him get in to motion with our group next month.”

“I want to thank the Director of Athletics, Jon Waters, and the staff at the University of Lynchburg for giving me this opportunity to lead this newly established Men’s Volleyball Program,” said Knapp. “The University of Lynchburg has a proven history of success within its athletic department, and my goal is to embody that culture and elevate Men’s Volleyball to become a top contender in both the ODAC and the NCAA. I look forward to the opportunity to challenge the narrative of what’s possible for a newly founded program and to be part of a growing volleyball environment for the student-athletes here at the University of Lynchburg.”

Knapp arrives in the Hill City with experience as a coach, student-athlete, and official, bringing a versatile background that will support the continued growth of the Hornets’ emerging men’s volleyball operation.

Knapp most recently served as the head coach for the Liberty University men’s club volleyball program, where he led the team since January 2023. In that role, he managed all aspects of the program, including training direction, recruitment efforts, and the coordination of support staff. Prior to taking over as head coach, he worked with the Flames as an assistant coach from August 2022 to January 2023, helping integrate skills development, training plans, and travel logistics for the team.

In addition to his coaching experience, Knapp is also a certified volleyball official with the Virginia High School League and the NCAA, a role he began in August 2025. His work as an official allowed him to use working knowledge of volleyball rules, regulations, and procedures while exhibiting professionalism through all interactions.

A former two-sport student-athlete at Liberty University, Knapp competed for four years in a high-level collegiate setting and served as a team captain for the men’s volleyball team from 2020 through 2022. Knapp earned his B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University in 2022, completing academic specializations in business, sports management, and carpentry.

The University of Lynchburg looks forward to the leadership, energy, and experience Knapp brings to the program as he begins his tenure with the Hornets men’s volleyball team.

Visit Lynchburg athletics’ home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network.

Sign up here to receive Lynchburg Sports news in your email inbox.

Give Lynchburg Athletics a like on Facebook, and follow Lynchburg Athletics on Instagram and X.

–LYN–

Point Loma Nazarene volleyball star Abigail Nua is the two-time defending PacWest Conference Player of the Year. She won this year’s award despite missing the last eight matches with a knee injury. Nua is nowhere near 100% healthy, but she told head coach Jonathan Scott there was no chance she was not going to let a chance to make history get away.

“Jon kind of sat me down and I was like, are you okay?” says Nua. “I just had to be like, I gotta suck it up. I gotta play for my girls. And so, I just said, well, you’re hurt. Deal with it and let’s play ball.”

On Saturday night, Nua did more than that. In the 4^th and final set of the Division II West Regional final against Fresno Pacific at Golden Gymnasium, Nua had nine kills, including the one that put the Sea Lions into the Elite 8 for the first time ever.

“They fought really hard. That’s something we talk about all the time, is let your actions show how hungry you are,” says Scott. “And it was really obvious tonight how hungry we were.”

Scott is in his 12^th year as the Sea Lions head coach. He’s built the program to the point that PLNU is now a consistent presence in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s pretty cool. Literally every day, I think about winning a national championship,” says Scott, who has a legitimate chance to make that happen this year.

The Sea Lions are the #3 national seed. They open against #6 Bentley on Thursday morning (the match starts at 9:00 a.m. San Diego time) and they just won a West Regional that was far and away the deepest and most talent-laden of the eight regional sites.

“I’m really excited,” says Nua. “I could say it 10,000 more times, I love this group of girls. I can’t wait to travel with them, I’m really grateful for it.”

As much fun as this trip is going not be, there is also business to be taken care of.

“I gave them an order at the end of the match to enjoy it tonight, to feel good, hug a lot of people, and then when the wake up in the morning no more smiles. It’s time to go and we are not satisfied,” says Scott.

This year’s Elite 8 is being played in Sioux Falls, SD. NBC 7 meteorologist Sheena Parveen says with wind chill, the high temperature there after the Sea Lions arrive is going to feel like 12 degrees. That’s about a 68-degree drop from the San Diego coast. How will they handle the extreme weather change? Like any good Californian, obviously.

“I’ll still be in my Rainbows (sandals),” says Scott.

Win a national title, and nobody will question any fashion choices.