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USA Volleyball Announces 2025 Women’s VNL Roster

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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.

GET TICKETS TO WATCH THE U.S. WOMEN COMPETE JULY 9-13 IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS!

“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



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Creighton volleyball wins 23rd straight match, advances to the Elite Eight back-to-back years

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Creighton volleyball has advanced to the Elite Eight for the second season in a row. No. 3 seed Creighton defeated No. 2 seed Arizona State, 3-1, on Thursday.

Creighton won with set scores of 26-24, 19-25, 25-13 and 25-18. Senior outside hitter Ava Martin led the team in scoring with 23 kills, followed by Kiara Reinhardt with 15 and Jaya Johnson with 12.

With the match tied at 1-1 and following a decisive set two loss, head coach Brian Rosen said his team fought back.

“They showed incredible poise,” Rosen said. “We’ve struggled at times this season to allow one point to be one point. And I thought all match tonight, they were able to move on quickly to the next one.”

ASU’s outside hitters were really good at hitting their fastball, he added.

“We were so good defensively on everything else,” Rosen said.

He added solid serving from Creighton kept the Sun Devils off balance.

The Catholic school in Omaha has rattled off 23 consecutive wins this season following its loss to undefeated, in-state rival Nebraska in mid-September. Now, Creighton is 28-5. Thursday’s match marked Arizona State’s first loss since Halloween. The Sun Devils finished the season 28-4, including a Big 12 conference title.

In Rosen’s first season leading the program, the Bluejays will make their third Elite Eight appearance ever. The school has never made the Final Four.

Rosen’s team will look to change that Saturday. Creighton will play No. 1 seed Kentucky, who toppled unseeded Cal Poly, 3-0, on Thursday afternoon. Kentucky is the host school for this regional.



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Penn State track and field earns pair of weekly honors | Penn State Track & Field News

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One week into the season and Penn State is already making a name for itself, earning two weekly honors.

Sophomore Tayissa Buchanan was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week, whereas Collin Burkhart was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week.

Buchanan ran the second-fastest 800 meter in school history at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, winning the race with a four-second personal best of 2:02.67.

Burkhart also won his respective event last weekend, earning the victory in the men’s weight throw at the Bison Opener, throwing 20.38 meters.

MORE TRACK AND FIELD COVERAGE


Penn State track and field's Ajani Dwyer, Maddie Pitts, named Big Ten athletes to watch

Penn State is back on the map ahead of the 2025-26 indoor track season.

 

If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.





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Kentucky volleyball NCAA Tournament bracket, Creighton vs UK game time

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Updated Dec. 11, 2025, 5:16 p.m. ET

LEXINGTON — After defeating Cal Poly 3-0 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Thursday, No. 1 Kentucky will take on No. 3 Creighton in the Elite Eight on Saturday night.

UK takes a 25-match win streak into the Elite 8, its fourth regional final under coach Craig Skinner.

Here’s everything you need to know to keep up with the match from home:

No. 1 seed Kentucky versus No. 3 Creighton will be broadcast live on ESPN2 Saturday from Historic Memorial Coliseum.

Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN2 via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.

Those without cable can access ESPN2 via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial.

Buy Kentucky volleyball tickets here

After defeating Cal Poly, UK will play Creighton OR Arizona State in the Lexington Regional Final this weekend. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule:

  • First and second rounds: Dec. 4-6
  • Regionals: Dec. 11-14
  • Semifinals: Dec. 18 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Championship: Dec. 21 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri



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University of Miami Student-Athletes Earn Degrees at Fall Commencement – University of Miami Athletics

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – During commencement exercises today at the University of Miami, 32 Hurricanes student-athletes are set to earn their undergraduate or graduate degrees.

“I am extremely proud to see this group of Hurricanes earns their degrees from the University of Miami,” Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said. “Graduation is a milestone moment for our student-athletes, and I am excited to see where their life’s journey takes them from here.”

Eleven of the University’s athletic programs were represented at today’s commencement, led by the football team with 15 graduates, including ACC Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Bain and ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner Francis Mauigoa. The list also includes two 2025 NCAA individual champions — Devoux Deysel, who won the men’s javelin title and Chiara Pellacani, who captured the 1-meter diving crown.

Three former baseball student-athletes earned degrees, including John Siegler, who lettered under legendary coach Ron Fraser from 1963-65.

Fall 2025 Student-Athlete Graduates

Men’s Basketball
Yussif Basa-Ama*

Women’s Basketball
Sophia Zulich*

Men’s Diving
Max Flory*

Football
Rueben Bain, Markel Bell, Wesley Bissainthe, David Blay, Charles Brantley, Andrew Cohen*, Anez Cooper, CJ Daniels*, Carter Davis, Francis Mauigoa, Matthew McCoy, Akheem Mesidor*, Ahmad Moten, Jack Nickel, Ryan Rodriguez*

Soccer
Tori Grambo*, Nanaka Inaba, Emma Pidding

Women’s Swimming & Diving
Chiara Pellacani

Men’s Tennis
Martin Katz

Men’s Track & Field
Devoux Deysel*, Solomon Strader*

Women’s Track & Field
Jemima Mills*, Deisiane Teixeira*

Volleyball
Paula Guersching, Dalia Wilson

Former Student-Athletes
Carson Fischer* (baseball), John Siegler (baseball), Greg Veliz (baseball)

*Denotes Master’s degree





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Where to stream Cal Poly Mustangs vs. Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Volleyball Tournament match today for free

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The Kentucky Wildcats look to take another step toward the NCAA Women’s Volleyball final four on Thursday afternoon, as they get set to host the upstart Cal Poly Mustangs.

The Wildcats came into the tournament as one of the favorites to win it all. They finished with the best record in the SEC during the regular season for the ninth year in a row, defeating Auburn, Tennessee and Texas to win the SEC Conference Tournament.

Kentucky has continued to be a strong team in the national tournament. After defeating Wofford in straight sets, the team outlasted UCLA in the second round, winning in four sets. The Wildcats are trying to get back to the regional final for the second year in a row, seeking their first final four appearance since winning it all four years ago.

Cal Poly is trying to write a Cinderella story. Unranked heading into the national tournament, the Mustangs knocked off fifth-seeded BYU in the opening round, before eliminating the No. 4 team in the region, USC, in a five-set thriller last weekend. The Mustangs are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007, and the seventh time in program history.

NCAA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

Third Round

Cal Poly Mustangs vs. Kentucky Wildcats

When: Thursday, December 11

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Historic Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, Ky.)

Channel: ESPN2



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St. John’s to Compete at Wagner Seahawk Shootout

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QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John’s track and field team will send 11 student-athletes to the Seahawk Shootout on Friday, Dec. 12.  Wagner will host the meet at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.

Friday’s competition marks the second trip to Ocean Breeze in the last seven days for the Red Storm. Last Saturday, the Johnnies enjoyed a plethora of success both on the track and in the field at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational.

Nora Haugen highlighted the competition for St. John’s, breaking both the program record and Norwegian national record in the 600 meters with a time of 1 minute, 26.93 seconds. The senior’s time currently sits atop the NCAA across all three divisions.

Along with Haugen, three other Johnnies won their individual events, and both relays crossed the finish line first.

Eleven student-athletes will return to the track and the ring for the second time this indoor season.

Jamora Alves returns to the shot put circle for a second straight weekend, as she is slated to compete in the event. The Guyana native had a second-place showing last weekend

with a toss of 14.40m (47 feet 3 inches). Her teammate, Desiree Pagan, will also return to the ring, competing in the weight throw.

On the track, Attoya Harvey will compete in the mile run. Last weekend, the junior ran a lifetime-best 3:00.41 in the 1,000-meter run to take fourth place and was part of the first-place 4×800 relay.

On the sprints side, Cassandra Lemus-Sodji and Karese Clivesha Kezia Lloyd are slated to make their season debuts in the 60-meter dash. Last indoor season, Lemus-Sodji placed second at the BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championship with a personal-best time of 7.50.

Director of Track and Field Aliann Pompey and her squad will break until late January, where they will compete at the Dr. Sander Scorcher at The Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory. 

 



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