Sports
USA Volleyball Announces 2025 Women’s VNL Roster
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 8, 2025) – A dynamic mix of athletes, including three Olympians, comprise the 30-player long-list roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team as it prepares for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the world’s premier annual international tournament.
The VNL brings together the world’s top 18 teams for three action-packed weeks of preliminary play, with each team competing in four matches per week. Only the top eight teams will earn a spot in the Final Round, where a VNL title will be on the line.
From the long list, U.S. coaches will select 14 athletes to compete at each of the three preliminary round stops: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 4-8), Belgrade, Serbia (June 18-22), and a highly anticipated home appearance in Arlington, Texas (July 9-13). The Final Round is set for July 23-27 in Łódź, Poland.
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“We’ve had an incredible group of athletes in the gym so far — they’re bringing great energy, a strong work ethic, and a real commitment to getting better every day,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Erik Sullivan said. “This roster brings together a lot of exciting skill sets, and it’s been fun to see how quickly they’re connecting and pushing each other. Our more experienced athletes have done a great job setting the tone and sharing their experience, which has been huge for our younger athletes. As we head into VNL, I’m looking forward to seeing this group grow and take on the challenge of international competition together.”
Three players return from the 2024 team that won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: setter Jordyn Poulter, who also won gold with the team in 2020; outside hitter Avery Skinner and middle blocker Dana Rettke.
Ten athletes on the roster have competed in previous VNLs including setter Jenna Gray, liberos Morgan Hentz and Zoe Jarvis (previously Zoe Fleck), outside hitters Ali Frantti, Roni Jones-Perry and Khalia Lanier, middles Brionne Butler and Asjia O’Neal, and opposites Danielle Cuttino and Madisen Skinner.
Several athletes have competed for the senior U.S. National Team in NORCECA events, including libero Lexi Rodriguez, opposites Olivia Babcock, Taylor Mims and Stephanie Samedy, setter Ella Powell, outside hitters Logan Eggleston and Sarah Franklin, and middle blockers Serena Gray, Amber Igiede, Molly McCage and Tia Jimerson.
Six athletes have yet to compete for the senior U.S. National Team: setters Rachel Fairbanks and Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres, middle blocker Anna Dodson, outside hitter McKenzie Adams, opposite Logan Lednicky and libero Lauren Briseño.
Sullivan, who is in his first year coaching the U.S. Women’s National Team, is assisted by Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Brandon Taliaferro and Mike Wall.
The U.S. Women are the reigning Olympic silver medalists and ranked No. 3 in the world. They have won the VNL three times (2018, ’19, ’21) since its inception in 2018. In 2024, they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Olympic champion Italy.
U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
5 Ali Frantti (OH, 6-1, Spring Grove, Ill., Penn State, Great Lakes)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
11 Taylor Mims (Opp, 6-3, Billings, Mont., Washington State, Evergreen)
10 Jenna Gray (S, 6-1, Shawnee, Kan., Stanford Univ., Heart of America)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Delta)
14 Anna Dodson (MB, 6-5, Fort Collins, Colo., UCLA, Rocky Mountain)
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
17 Zoe Jarvis (previously Fleck)(L, 5-6, Granada Hills, Calif., UCLA and Univ. of Texas, Southern California)
18 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
19 Khalia Lanier (OH, 6-2, Scottsdale, Ariz., Univ. of Southern California, Arizona)
20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue, Hoosier)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
23 Lauren Briseño (L, 5-7, San Antonio, Texas, Baylor, Lone Star)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
25 Tia Jimerson (MB, 6-3, Sugar Hill, Ga., Ohio University, Southern)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
30 McKenzie Adams (OH, Schertz, Texas, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (Opp, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Univ. of Minnesota, Florida)
43 Serena Gray (MB, 6-2, Temple City, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
Head Coach: Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors: William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham
U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV.
(All times PDT)
Week 1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 4 at 10 a.m. vs. Italy
June 5 at 5 p.m. vs. Brazil
June 6 at 5 p.m. vs. Czechia
June 8 at 1 p.m. vs. Korea
Week 2: Belgrade, Serbia
June 18 at 11 a.m. vs. Serbia
June 19 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Poland
June 21 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Netherlands
June 22 at 7:30 a.m. vs. France
Week 3: Arlington, Texas
July 9 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Thailand
July 10 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Dominican Republic vs. USA
July 12 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Canada vs. USA
July 13 at 5 p.m. vs. China
Updated Jan. 6, 2026, 6:00 p.m. CT
MADISON – In the wake of Wisconsin’s Final Four run and heartbreaking loss to Kentucky, Kelly Sheffield’s hope was to have a moment to embrace the season before addressing players’ futures upon the team’s return to Madison.
The 13-year Wisconsin volleyball coach, sitting in his Kellner Hall office, could envision in an ideal world “taking a deep breath, for the coaches to have a bourbon, for the kids that are 21 to probably share in one as well and our younger ones to have a Shirley Temple – whatever it is that they have, a Diet Coke – and just toast each other and say, ‘Damn, that was fun, that was unbelievable.’”
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech volleyball coach Cindy Pindral announced six incoming freshmen to the team for the 2026 season. Outside hitter Reagan Lesley from Clinton Township, Mich., middle blocker Laney Knaack from Waunakee, Wis., setter Ella Maxwell from North Aurora, Ill., outside hitter Kayla Heinonen from Delano, Minn., defensive specialist Natalie Leach from Burlington, Wis., and outside hitter Mia Hahn from Fairbanks, Alaska have all committed to continuing their education and playing careers at Tech in the fall.
“This is a very exciting and dynamic signing class that will bring a lot of energy and skill to our roster,” Pindral said. “Each of these student-athletes have earned high accolades during their prep careers, and I have no doubt that they will each leave a positive mark on our program.”
Reagan Lesley – Outside Hitter / Clinton Township, Mich.
Reagan is a 5-foot-10 outside hitter from Clinton Township, Michigan. She was a four-year starter on varsity and two-time captain for Chippewa Valley High School, where she led the Big Reds to three consecutive conference championships. She was the 2024 MVP/Player of the Year for her conference. Reagan was a three-year All-Conference First Team selection, two-time First Team All-County and four-year All-State Academic Student. In her Senior season, Reagan was named All-Region and broke Chippewa Valley’s 29-year-old kills record with over 1,400 kills and led her team to its first district championship since 2014. She played club for both Michigan Elite and Unified. Reagan will be pursuing a degree in business.
Laney Knaack – Middle Blocker / Waunakee, Wis.
Laney is a 6-0 middle blocker from Waunakee, Wisconsin. She has been the starting middle for Waunakee High School varsity, as well as for Sting United and Madtown 18-1s national club teams. During her senior season, Waunakee was ranked fourth in the state in Division 1, went 41-9-0 overall, and made it to the Wisconsin State semifinals. Waunakee also won its conference in her junior and senior years. In her senior season, Laney earned Honorable Mention All-State Badger-Large Conference, Second Team All-Conference, ranked second in the conference in hitting percentage, and fourth in blocks. Laney will be pursuing a degree in business.
Ella Maxwell – Setter / North Aurora, Ill.
Ella is a 5-8 left-handed setter from North Aurora, Illinois. She was a three-year starter for West Aurora High School and the captain of the team in her senior year. She received Upstate Eight Conference Player of the Year honors in 2025 and was a three-time All-Academic Varsity Scholar. Ella led her team to a Conference Championship in 2024 and a runner-up finish in 2025, which marked the first time the school advanced past the first round of regionals in 2019. Ella hit the 1,000-career assist mark in her senior season with 600 assists as her season total. She also played for Club Fusion Volleyball Club for six years and was a JVA-Watchlist member in her junior year. Additionally, Ella was a State Qualifier in track and field for the 4×400 relay in 2023 and 2024. She earned All-Conference and All-Academic honors in track and field in 2023 and 2024. Ella will be pursuing a degree in business at Tech.
Kayla Heinonen – Outside Hitter / Delano, Minn.
Kayla is a 5-8 outside hitter from Delano, Minnesota. She was a four-year varsity player for Delano High School and attended the Minnesota State Tournament in two of the four years. She was voted All-Conference and won the team’s Leadership Award in each of the last three seasons. In her Senior season, Heinonen held Delano’s highest hitting percentage and earned an All-Tournament team spot at the AAA Showcase Tournament. She plays for Crossfire Volleyball Club at the Elite level. Kayla also had three state appearances for Delano track and field. She will be pursuing a degree in either business or kinesiology/integrative physiology.
Natalie Leach – Defensive Specialist / Burlington, Wis.
Natalie is a 5-5 defensive specialist from Burlington, Wisconsin where she was a three-year letter winner for Burlington High School and played club for VC United. Natalie helped lead her team to Conference Championships in the 2023 and 2025 seasons and was a State Qualifier in WIAA Division 1 in her 2023 season. She was named team captain in her senior season and led the Demons with 4.2 digs per set, and earned First Team All-County and Honorable Mention All-State recognition. Natalie was named to the WVCA All-Academic Team in all three eligible seasons and named First Team Best and Brightest by AVCA for her senior season. She plans to major in engineering.
Mia Hahn – Outside Hitter / Fairbanks, Alaska
Mia is a 5-11 outside hitter from Fairbanks, Alaska, where she was a two-year letter winner for Lathrop High School. Mia was named MVP and First Team Middle Alaska Conference All-Conference while helping her team to a 4A State Tournament Quarterfinal appearance in the 2025 season. She led the conference in kills and earned multiple All-Tournament awards, including Best Attacker at the Whaler Invitation in Barrow, Alaska. Mia competes with Alaska Elevate Volleyball Club and was recently selected as one of the top 12 players in the state of Alaska to represent the Alaska U.S. Team at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon, where she will compete against Canadian provincial teams and international programs including Norway and Finland. Prior to Lathrop, Mia competed for Kaiserslautern High School (Germany) and earned All-Euros Tournament Team honors as a sophomore. She plans to major in business while at Tech.
Over his first two campaigns, Caleb Smith has produced successful efforts in the heptathlon and decathlon events. He broke the school record in the heptathlon, posting his best total of 4,952 points to win the Middlebury Winter Classic. A few weeks later, Smith paced the event at the Division III New England Championships to earn all-region accolades and qualify for the NCAA Championships. He translated that success to the decathlon, winning the title at the Carla Coffey Invitational and Williams’ Farley Interregional Extravaganza. He garnered All-NESCAC accolades with a third-place showing in the high jump and claimed all-region honors in the decathlon.
Sam McGarrahan returns after a superb season in the field events. He qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the high jump, clearing the bar with the 18th-best height at 1.95 meters. McGarrahan topped the podium in the event during the Division III New England Championships, soaring to a school-record effort of 2.05 meters. He also set the program mark in the long jump, leaping 6.81 meters at Middlebury’s New England Small College Invitational. McGarrahan became the NESCAC Champion in school-record fashion in the high jump (2.00 meters) and recorded a third-place leap in the long jump. His high jump efforts outdoors earned him all-region honors.
For the first time since the 2018-2019 season, all three schools advanced past the Area round of the playoffs. Archer City and Holliday both were Regional Semifinalists, while Windthorst was a State Semifinalist for the fourth-straight season. With that success comes state recognition Holliday senior Jordan Peters closed out her final season as a Lady Eagle with an All-State honor from the Texa…
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Sports
Cedar Rapids wrestler chases her dream, from a volleyball player to a young star in the sport
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – When Maggie Peters is home, she’s locked in.
She lifts weights at a gym in her hometown of Cedar Rapids. But it’s not just for strength – it’s for safety.
“One things goes wrong, and you’ve got people’s lives in your hands,” she said. “I mean, you don’t want to drop somebody on their head.”
But more often than not, Peters is on the road. Her sport is professional wrestling.
She’s performed performed in front of thousands in arenas and on television. Her fights may be scripted, but her dream of reaching WWE is real.
Peters has a background in volleyball, playing at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy. But her dream has always been in the wrestling ring.
“I wanted to do it right when I started watching I wanna say I was eight or nine I would just go wrestle on my trampoline,” Peters said.
She went from the volleyball court at Mount Mercy to a wrestling school in Davenport.
“We would have a show on a Thursday night, so I would leave class early,” said Peters. “But at that point, I will say, my senior year was my worst year of school. Once I got the wrestling training done, I was like, ‘ooh, this is what I want to do.’”
In professional wrestling, the winner and loser are predetermined, unlike traditional sports.
“Pro wrestling, I will say, is like a dance,” Peters said.
But there’s nothing fake about the pain wrestlers endure, what they call “bumps.”
“Any time you get put down on the mat, you’re taking a bump. You’re hitting the top of your back,” Peters said. “Higher on your neck, sometimes, (is) not good.”
Maggie wrestles in independent shows across the Midwest under the ring name Maggie Lee. She also performs in front of thousands in TNA Wrestling as the villainous character “M By Elegance.”
“Yeah, I do like being the bad guy,” Peters said. “I’ve worked a mix of both the bad guy and the good guy on the independents. But everybody was like, ‘you look more like you as the bad guy.’ I was like, ‘gee, thanks,” Peters said.
TNA – Total Nonstop Action – is high-level televised professional wrestling, one step below WWE.
“I actually really love the whole TV aspect. It’s very organized. Being able to see myself on TV is really cool,” Peters laughed.
Maggie hopes a full-time contract with WWE is next. She’s banking on it, writing a card to her mother labeled “open when I’m in the WWE.”
“And it was one of many letters. I made them for her birthday,” Peters said.
When asked about the letter’s contents, Peters said she doesn’t remember what she wrote as a girl.
“I don’t even remember what’s in it, so I’m kind of like scared,” she said. “When she does open it, I feel like it’s going to be a big deal and I might get embarrassed.”
Sometimes she’s flying high, sometimes she’s taking bumps.
Either way, she’s racing towards her dream.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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