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University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
“We are thrilled to welcome Samari to the Blazer family,” Norton said. “At 6-3, she brings size, athleticism, and a relentless motor to our frontcourt. Samari is a dominant rebounder, runs the floor with purpose, and gives us a strong defensive presence inside. Beyond her physical tools, she’s an incredible teammate and a winner. She fits our culture perfectly, and we’re excited for the impact she’ll make at UAB.”
The 6-3 forward spent two seasons at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. During her freshman season she saw action in 34 games and started in 14. Taylor averaged 3.1 points per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. She also recorded 3.3 rebounds per game.
Last season Taylor played in 32 games while making 16 starts. The Louisville, Kentucky native averaged 4.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Taylor had a 51.2 shooting percentage from the field as a sophomore.
For her JUCO career, Taylor averaged 3.9 points, 3.7 rebounds per game and shot 49.5 percent in field goal range. She played in 66 games and started in 30 while tallying 256 points and 246 rebounds.
Taylor joins Jordan Rosier, Monae Duffy and Britiya Curtis as the fourth portal signee for the 2025-26 class and joins freshmen signees Ashlyn Howard, Mari Miller, Sofia Munoz and Peyton Musial.
2025-26 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025-26 UAB women’s basketball season are available for $50 for general admission tickets. Reserved courtside seating is also available for $115. For more information about women’s basketball ticket packages, call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
YOUR SUPPORT FUELS SUCCESS!
With your help, Blazer Student-Athletes are given the resources, tools, and opportunities they need to achieve greatness. Every contribution you make directly supports our teams, ensuring they excel not only on the field but in the classroom as well. We invite you to renew your support to UAB Athletics today and for more information on ways to show your generosity through the Blazer Scholarship Fund, capital initiatives, and sport specific giving go to blazerboosters.com or call us at (205) 996-9969.
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For more information on the UAB women’s basketball team, be sure to follow @UAB_WBBALL on X and Instagram.
Coming out of high school, Morgan Creer’s first offer to play collegiate volleyball came from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS). She jumped at the chance to play for the Lions, and hasn’t looked back.
Creer, a 6-foot right side hitter, recently finished up her sophomore season with the Lions. For her first two seasons, she was third on the team in kills and second in blocks.
“Sometimes in volleyball, it’s not always about slamming the ball,” Creer said. “You’ve got to work on your shots, you’ve got to tool (hitting the ball off a blocker’s hands) and roll (a technique to get in better defensive position after a hard hit) and throw down the ball. So, I like playing mind games on other people.”
As a sophomore, Creer finished with 191 kills, and had seven matches where she had at least 10 kills, including 14 in a September match against Ouachita Baptist. She also had 14 blocks.
“I signed with UAFS, and that was my first offer,” Creer said. “I think I was at my sister’s volleyball game, and I got a phone call from (coach Jane Sargent). Right after she gave me the offer. I was like, I’m completely down (with accepting it). … And I’m grateful to be here.”
Playing at UAFS also checked a lot of boxes in other ways for Creer. It wasn’t too far from home, having played high school ball at Hooks, Texas, just outside of Texarkana. She likes the program and playing for Sargent, the Lions’ longtime coach.
Creer said the school has the degree – media communications and business – she’s pursuing. But she hasn’t ruled out possibly being a coach after college, as she has also coached youth volleyball on the side.
Volleyball has been a lifelong passion for Creer, whose mother coached the sport. Having spent time in the gym at a young age, Creer also used volleyball as a diversion from having to do her homework. What also drew Creer to volleyball was the sport’s mental aspect.
“It’s like a mental sport where you can have fun and then cancel all the noise in the outside world and all your problems,” she said. “And like if you’re upset, like take it out on a ball and then have fun at the same time. … And when you’re inside those lines in the volleyball court, your problems go away. That for me, that makes life so much easier.”
Creer recorded more than 1,000 kills in her high school career. While in high school, she also played AAU volleyball in Dallas, going there three times a week, even on school nights. Though Creer also played basketball in high school, it still didn’t compare to playing volleyball and the bonds she shared with her teammates in that sport.
“You just have fun and you make friends and like my AAU team, we still talk to this day,” she said. “Without volleyball, I would not be traveling the world or I would still be in Texarkana if I was not in volleyball. … I have had fun, like I have a great support system and everybody just wants to watch me be great and everybody knows that I’ve been playing this sport since I was five years old and nothing has changed my mind.”
In preparation for her third season, Creer wants to add another dimension to her game. Not to mention attaining a few goals.
“I’m really trying to train to be a six-rotation right side serving and passing; that’s a goal for me,” she said. “Then, I want to keep building team chemistry with each other. Be the leader on the court, be the vocalist on the court. Stars don’t yell all the time, but you need to back it up on the court so I would be that person.”
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Smith brings extensive experience working within the USA Volleyball pipeline and most recently served as an assistant coach at TCU in 2025, helping guide the Horned Frogs to a 21-11 record and a win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. TCU appeared in every AVCA poll during the season and finished the 2025 campaign ranked No. 9, marking the first top-10 ranking in program history. The Horned Frogs also recorded a program-best six victories over top-25 opponents.
“I’m excited to welcome Keith to Utah State as our new head volleyball coach,” said Walker. “He’s a proven recruiter with a strong track record of developing players. From the start of the hiring process, his professionalism and expertise were evident, and his attributes and vision aligned with those of our volleyball student-athletes, making him the ideal choice to advance Utah State volleyball. His background with USA Volleyball will be invaluable as the program works to reach the next level.”
Before the 2025 season, Smith served as an assistant coach for the women’s U21 national team at the 2025 NORCECA Pan American Cup, helping Team USA capture a gold medal in Costa Rica. The team swept all five matches en route to the championship.
“I am grateful to USU Vice President and Director of Athletics Cameron Walker and the search committee for trusting me with the opportunity to continue Utah State volleyball’s rich history,” said Smith. “My goal is not to rebuild the program, but to retool it for long-term, sustainable success that keeps it on an upward trajectory.”
At Auburn, Smith spent three seasons (2022–24) as an assistant coach. The Tigers posted back-to-back 20-win seasons, including a modern program-record 22 victories in 2022, and earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023 for the first time in school history. Auburn recorded six top-25 wins during his tenure, matching the program’s combined total from the previous 15 seasons. In 2023, the Tigers also made their first-ever appearance in the AVCA Poll.
Working primarily with the setters, Smith helped elevate Auburn’s offensive production. Jackie Barrett became the sixth setter in program history to reach 1,000 assists in a season, achieving the milestone in 2022 while earning SEC Setter of the Week honors twice. Barrett again surpassed 1,000 assists in 2023 and guided the Tigers to a .241 hitting percentage, the third-best in program history.
Smith also played a key role in planning and conducting daily practices, including skill development, game strategy, and preparing scouting reports.
“My philosophy and core values focus on putting people and connections first while maintaining the standards and discipline that lead to excellence,” Smith added. “Success begins with the daily decisions we make to build winning habits. I’m excited to bring a highly competitive staff to Logan and develop a roster that will chase championships in the new Pac-12 and wins in the NCAA Tournament.”
Before Auburn, Smith served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Grand Canyon, helping the men’s program emerge as a national contender. The Lopes recorded 19 wins over top-15 opponents, including a straight-set upset of No. 1 BYU in 2021, climbed as high as No. 6 in the AVCA Poll and produced five All-Americans.
An accomplished recruiter, Smith helped GCU secure the nation’s No. 8-ranked signing class in 2021, highlighted by 10 of the top 50 recruits nationally. His work earned national recognition as a 2021 AVCA 30 Under 30 award winner, honoring the top coaches in the country under the age of 30.
As an assistant coach at Providence in 2017, he helped the team earn its first winning season in 10 years and its most conference wins since it rejoined the Big East.
In seven years with USA Volleyball, Smith has worked with the National Team Development Program, including the women’s U21 national team in 2025 and as an assistant coach for the men’s national team at the 2021 NORCECA Championships, where Team USA finished fifth.
During his collegiate career, Smith was a setter at Grand Canyon, finishing with a school record 4,484 career assists. He totaled 1,294 assists in 2013, ranking 10th all-time in NCAA history during the 25-point scoring era.
After college, Smith played professionally with Orion TopVolley in the Netherlands, helping the team finish in the top four in the regular season, playoffs and national club tournament.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management and a master’s degree in business administration from Grand Canyon University.
Smith and his wife, Kierstin, have one son, Theodore.
PARKERSBURG – Wood County Christian and Ohio Valley University graduate Kayla Ward has been hired as the next head volleyball coach at Parkersburg Catholic.
Ward, who works for the IRS in human resources and is replacing Michelle Wiltse, most recently served as an assistant and junior varsity coach at Williamstown.
“We’re going to do that after Christmas break and try to get the kids excited,” replied Ward when asked if she had a chance to meet with the team yet. “Just try to get them excited and get other kids excited about going.
“My goal this year is definitely just to create some ways for Catholic volleyball and hopefully other people will want to join the program.”
A 2006 graduate at Wood County Christian, Ward was recruited to play volleyball at OVU for head coach Paul Jacoby where she earned her degree in elementary education and special education in 2010.
“I did not,” admitted Ward when asked if she played volleyball for the Fighting Scots. “I had a baby instead.”
During her time as a Wildcat, Ward competed in volleyball, basketball and track.
Along with serving as an assistant girls basketball coach at Belpre, Ward coached middle school track for three years and was an assistant for two years for cross country.
Ward, who also was an assistant track coach at Williamstown Middle School and an assistant cross country at the high school, led the WMS volleyball team to three state Wood County championships.
“I definitely jumped at the chance,” Ward said. “They had a need and I got asked if I was interested and I jumped on it.”
Parkersburg Catholic is in its final year as a member of the Little Kanawha Conference as they are set to be members of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference.
“I do know we’ll have more regional opponents that we’ll see,” Ward added. “We’ll still play some of the LKC rivalries, but still have those regional opponents as well.”
Ward won’t be in the building at PCHS, which she admitted “definitely helped” in the past.
“That’s a little bit of a challenge now. I was able to sub during the government shutdown,” she added. “We’re going to have some summer stuff and hopefully we can get some interest that way and get the conditioning started in the spring, summer and start rolling.
“I’m excited for the opportunity. Definitely a little nervous. My goal is to have fun, but I want them to be competitive. Ultimately my goal is to build a championship program. That’s the ultimate goal. We’re going to work hard, compete and have fun at the same time.”
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com
HONOLULU — Charlie Wade will take it every single time.
The No. 2 Hawaii men’s volleyball team proudly showcased its stacked roster in its season-opening sweep of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 25-11, 25-16, 25-14 on Friday night at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
UH, which reached last year’s national semifinals, dismissed the Highlanders with a 13.5-0 advantage in blocks and a 6-0 advantage in aces.
A crowd of 5,685 passed through the turnstiles (6,721 tickets issued) for the brisk show. Opposite Kristian Titriyski pounded 12 kills on 22 swings, Adrien Roure added eight and UH committed only four attack errors as it hit .517 to NJIT’s .045.
Junior setter Tread Rosenthal made good on the extra inch he grew since last season — he’s up to 6 feet 11 — with a career-high-tying eight blocks and three aces dealt. On a prolonged second match point, Rosenthal ended it himself with a dump shot.
With a roster stocked with national team-caliber players, one of Wade’s biggest challenges on the night was not the opponent — it was how to get everyone involved. But the massive talent was definitely not an unbearable weight for the 17th-year head coach as UH won its 13th straight season opener.
“It’s a lot better than not having any talent, you know what I’m saying?” Wade said. “I don’t think you can ever have too many good players.”
So stacked was the lineup that two experienced players who would start for a significant portion of the country, hitter Finn Kearney and middle Ofeck Hazan, were limited to serving-sub duty in the first two sets, then got some run in the third with the match well in hand.
Hazan, the native of Israel who was effective as a true freshman last year, was displaced from the starting lineup by Grand Canyon transfer Trevell Jordan, who registered four kills on six swings, four digs and six blocks.
“It was a lot of the fans, the community,” Jordan said post-match of what made UH his choice as he had to leave the GCU program that suddenly shut down at the NCAA Division I level in the spring. “Just what the program has built and become. And it just really invited me. I knew a lot of the guys too, and they helped me get here and made it so much easier for me.”
Wade quipped, “And the coaching?” Jordan smiled and nodded.
Among the other starters, Louis Sakanoko put down four kills on eight swings and Justin Todd was 3-for-3 in the middle. UH made do without sophomore opposite Kainoa Wade, the coach’s son who missed the match after taking some balls off the head in practice this week.
Wade said he felt the program is still ascendent with Rosenthal the centerpiece coming off a sweep loss to UCLA in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
UH broke through for national titles in 2021 and 2022, but has been a half-step behind old rivals UCLA and Long Beach State in the endgame in the last few years. Wade’s longtime associate head coach, Milan Zarkovic, left for UCLA in the offseason. To counter, Wade promoted alumnus Kupono Fey to be his new right-hand man and added former Ball State head coach Donan Cruz to his staff.
The 6-foot-10 Jordan ball-hawked above the net about a foot higher than the reach of anyone for NJIT. He was clearly Wade’s kind of competitor as UH looks to make up for the loss of vocal team leader Kurt Nusterer in the middle.
UH also didn’t appear to lose a step with libero Quintin Greenidge of Canada stepping into the starting lineup for ‘Eleu Choy, the fan favorite who completed a six-year college career in 2025. Greenidge was named a co-starter with UH veteran Kai Taylor, though Greenidge received the bulk of the playing time.
Hawaii libero Quintin Greenidge received a serve against NJIT in the 2026 season opener. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
“The best players want to go play with other good players,” Wade said. “If there’s a guy who doesn’t want to come, and we’ve had this — we clearly have missed some recruits that are like, ‘ehhh, I’m not going in that gym, because I’m years away from playing. It’s the wrong spot.’
“We want guys who are going to come in and battle and are confident enough, good enough players where they think, ‘look, I’m going to play. I’m a good player. Doesn’t matter, my first year, my fourth year.’ So, everybody here knows what they signed up for. This is the best of the best on a global level. These are the best players in the world at their age group, and that is not hyperbolic. That is a fact. So they all signed up for it, and here we go — let’s try to win as many matches (as) we can, let’s let them keep trying to improve and become professionals and Olympians and hopefully win a boatload of matches along the way.”
UH gets its next chance to add one to its ledger in a rematch with NJIT at 5 p.m. Sunday. Andre Aleixo led the Highlanders with 10 kills and 10 digs.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
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