GLASSBORO, NJ – Rowan’s field hockey team, the four-time conference champion, has been picked to finish first again as the NJAC released the 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll. The Profs received six of a possible seven first-place votes.

Rowan went 6-0 in the league last year and defeated TCNJ at home to capture its fourth straight NJAC title. It was the 11th conference championship in the history of the program and the fifth under head coach Michelle Andre.

The Profs reached the NCAA Championship for the fourth consecutive season. Rowan defeated #16 Ursinus in the first round, before falling to #3 Tufts in the second round, ending the year with a 15-8 record and the #22 ranking in the final NFHCA Poll.

Senior All-American Tess Herman, the 2024 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, is among the leading returnees for the Profs.

The Coaches’ Poll has TCNJ picked second, followed by Montclair State, Stockton (dark horse choice), Kean, Ramapo and William Paterson.

The Profs open the season at home on Friday, August 29 when they host Ursinus at 4 p.m. at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium.

FULL SEASON PREVIEW TO COME ON TUESDAY 8/26 on ROWANATHLETICS.COM

 

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IRVINE, Calif. – Before you know it, the first serve of a brand new women’s volleyball season will be upon us!

This week the PacWest Conference Preseason Polls are being announced for all the fall sports with women’s volleyball leading things off. Concordia University Irvine was voted third by the league’s volleyball coaches, coming off a tie for fourth place a yar ago in head coach Eryn Leja-Martin‘s first season at the helm.

The Golden Eagles welcome back a good portion of last year’s team including a pair of former All-PacWest honorees. First Team All-Conference selection Kayden Croy is now a junior and led CUI last fall with over 350 kills and 410 points. She also racked up 1.79 digs per set. 

CUI senior Caitlin Jarrell was a Second Team All-PacWest selection in 2023 as a sophomore, and hit .291 with 230 kills as a junior with 79 total blocks. Delaney Gregg returns as another key middle blocker entering her sophomore campaign. Gregg was first on the team a year ago with 20 solo blocks and averaged 0.90 blocks per set as well.

Redshirt sophomores Dominique VadeBoncoeur and Celia Dowell are also back for the 2025 campaign. Dowell is the leading returner with 259 digs last year (2.42 digs/set) and played a chunk of games in the libero jersey.  Meanwhile, sophomore setter Macy Scheer handed out 110 assists as a true freshman.

Twin sisters Mattie and Cassie Prior join Ally Scheidle as part of a strong senior class. Mattie Prior serves as the team representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and is also the SAAC President at Concordia as well as the PacWest SAAC President.

In addition to those nine talented returners, CUI added a crop of 11 new Golden Eagles. CLICK HERE for the Full Article on Coach Leja-Martin’s First Recruiting Class

The ladies are gearing up to host the Golden Eagle Classic and begin the regular season the first week of September. It is a three-day tournament from Thursday, Sept. 4 to Saturday, Sept. 6 with six games being played at Concordia.

The Golden Eagles will play their first two games on Friday, Sept 5 at 12:30 p.m. against Western Oregon and then at 7:00 p.m. that night against Cal State Dominguez Hills.

CLICK HERE for the full CUI women’s volleyball schedule

CLICK HERE for the full PacWest Preseason Poll for Women’s Volleyball

By DOUG FEINBERG

NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark is Nike’s newest signature athlete, expanding the athletic wear company’s partnership with the WNBA star.

Nike on Monday revealed a new logo of interlocking Cs to represent the Indiana Fever player. Clark’s first signature shoe and apparel collection will debut next year. Her logo collection will launch on Oct. 1, with a T-shirt in the Fever’s colors — yellow and navy blue — coming out a month earlier.

“Nike’s signature roster features all-time greats, and I am incredibly proud to join some of the best athletes in the world,” Clark said in a statement. “I’m excited to share a first look at what we’ve started to create together.”

Clark has missed 24 games during an injury-plagued second season, including the last 15 with a right groin strain. She has not played or practiced since July 15.

She did, however, participate in Indiana’s pregame shootaround Sunday at Minnesota. Last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 13 games.

Clark has had a huge impact in women’s basketball ratings and attendance over the last few years, dating from her time setting the NCAA all-time scoring record at Iowa.

In June, Nike released a pair of Kobe Bryant’s signature sneakers in the colors of the Fever. The shoes sold out nearly as soon as they were offered.

Clark becomes the third WNBA player to get a signature deal with Nike, following A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu. Wilson’s shoe and apparel are coming out this year.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

DALLAS, Texas (SMU) — Bridgette Owens is entering her second season with the SMU Track & Field program and her first year as Assistant Coach for Sprints and Hurdles. She continues to serve as the team’s Director of Operations, a role she held exclusively during the 2024–25 season.

“I’m thankful to Coach A’ Havahla Haynes for the opportunity to be part of this program and for trusting me with more responsibility,” Owens said. “I’m excited to step into this coaching role and help our student-athletes grow on and off the track.”

Owens served a vital role in bringing track and field back to Dallas in her first year as part of the program. SMU hosted its first track meet in 27 years during the 2024-25 season, and she held the role of Day Of Meet Director for the SMU Invitational.

Before joining SMU, Owens served as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois during the 2023–24 season. While in Champaign, she played a key role in guiding the Fighting Illini to the 2024 Big Ten Indoor Championship title. That same year, she coached the women’s 4×100-meter relay team to a school-record time of 43.50, breaking a 28-year-old program mark and advancing to the NCAA Final Round for the first time since 2016.

Prior to Illinois, Owens was an assistant coach at UTEP for the 2022–23 season. She helped the Miners sweep the 2023 Conference USA Track Athlete of the Year honors, mentoring women’s honoree Marissa Simpson to C-USA titles in the 60m and 100m hurdles, along with second-team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships.

Owens previously spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Western Michigan (2019–2022) and began her collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Cal State Northridge.

As an athlete, Owens was a seven-time NCAA All-American at Clemson University and the University of Florida. She graduated from UF as the school record holder in both the 60-meter hurdles and 100-meter hurdles. A Detroit native, she competed in the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and placed 10th at the 2019 USA Outdoor Championships under the coaching of Olympic coach Lawrence “Boogie” Johnson.

Owens holds a bachelor’s degree in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in business administration and human resources from DeVry University.

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — The Bridgewater State University volleyball team has been picked to finish in second place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) standings as the 2025 MASCAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll was released today by conference director of media relations, Emily Loux.

The defending MASCAC Tournament champion Bears received 60 points in the poll including four first-place votes. Westfield State University is the preseason favorite to capture the conference title as the defending regular season champion Owls recorded 61 points with five first-place votes. Framingham State University rounds out the top three teams in the poll with 47 points.

Under the guidance of head coach Tony daSilveira (7th Year), the Bridgewater State volleyball team will open the 2025 season on Tuesday, September 2nd as the Bears travel to Keene State College to take on the Owls at 6:00 PM.

The 2025 home opener is slated for Tuesday, September 9th at 6:00 PM against Curry College.

MASCAC play gets underway on Tuesday, September 23rd (6:00 PM) as the Bears welcome the Buccaneers of Massachusetts Maritime Academy to the Tinsley Center. 

Returning All-MASCAC selection Lily Welch (Jr., OH, Hanson, Mass.) will help lead the Bears in 2025.

Bridgewater State finished in second place in the 2024 MASCAC standings with a 6-1 conference mark (13-10 overall). The Bears knocked off Framingham State in the MASCAC Tournament semifinals before rallying for a 3-2 victory over top-seeded Westfield State in the conference title match to advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 11th time in program history and first since 2008.