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UT Martin Puts Up A Fight But Falls In OVC Championship Finals; Four Skyhawks Named To All-Tournament Team

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Both matches in the Ohio Valley Conference Beach Volleyball Championship tournament came down to third-set tiebreakers in the final pairing as the University of Tennessee at Martin came out on top in the semifinals against Lindenwood before falling in a heartbreaker in the finals to Chattanooga.
              
The Skyhawks advanced to the OVC championship match for the fourth time in the five-year history of the event but their bid for a third tournament title came up just short by the slimmest of margins. Three of the decisions in the finals against Chattanooga went into tiebreaking third sets while four of the results in the semifinal round against Lindenwood went into extended third sets.
              
UT Martin’s No. 3 pairing of Lauren Mariscal/Jenna Vallée and No. 4 duo of Sydney Eckhardt/Reagan McGee each went 2-0 on the day, earning a spot on the OVC Championship All-Tournament Team. Both Skyhawk tandems went 3-1 in the tournament at their respective slots in the lineup.
 

Gallery: (4-26-2025) Beach VB at OVC Championship (Day 3)

In a rematch of the 2024 OVC semifinals, UT Martin avenged last season’s setback against the Lions (15-14). After the Skyhawks’ No. 5 pair of Kristin Phillips/Kylie Surratt barely fell by a 19-21, 21-15, 15-9 margin to start the match, UT Martin got on the scoreboard via a 21-14, 17-21, 15-12 win from Eckhardt/McGee. Lindenwood was able to win at No. 2 as Bryant/O’Keefe fell 21-18, 21-14 but the Skyhawks nabbed the remaining two points. Riley Rushing/Dylan Sulcer came through for a 21-16, 16-21, 15-8 triumph at No. 1 before Mariscal/Vallée sent UT Martin into the finals with a dramatic 21-15, 17-21, 17-15 victory.
              
The top-seeded Mocs (26-5) took the first point as Phillips/Surratt were defeated 21-13, 21-13 at No. 5. Eckhardt/McGee delivered a big 23-21, 21-14, 15-8 win to even the match at 1-all after the first wave. Bryant/O’Keefe fell 21-19, 21-11 at No. 2 but Mariscal/Vallée generated a clutch 24-22, 21-15 victory to event the match at 2-all. Rushing/Sulcer opened their No. 1 matchup with a 24-22 win but ultimately Chattanooga’s OVC Pair of the Year Neva Clark and Corina Vale came out on top with 21-15 and 15-9 victories to complete the comeback.
              
The Skyhawks conclude the season with a 24-10 record, recording the second-most single-season victories in the history of the program. Six different UT Martin representatives combined for seven OVC postseason awards while the Skyhawks boasted the OVC Pair of the Week four separate times in 2025.
 



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Historic Season Comes to Close

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December 13, 2025

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AUSTIN, Texas. – The greatest season in program history came to an end on Friday (Dec. 12) afternoon at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin. Top-seeded Texas earned a tight sweep of the fourth-seeded Indiana volleyball team (25-20, 25-22, 25-22) to advance to the regional finals on Sunday. IU’s season comes to a close with a single-season program record 25 wins (in the NCAA era).
 
In one of the premier volleyball arenas in the country, the Hoosiers went blow-for-blow with the four-time national champions. IU lost by just a combined 11 points and reached the red zone (20+) in all three sets. Head coach Steve Aird‘s group recorded more kills (48-45) but couldn’t find a defensive answer for Texas’ All-American outside hitter Torrey Stafford.
 
Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles recorded 13 kills in her final game with the Hoosiers. It was the 74th time in her college tenure that she recorded a match with at least 10 kills. IU found great success in the middle with seven kills (.778) from senior middle blocker Madi Sell and eight kills (.700) from freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray.
 
Contributions from freshmen were felt from every part of the court. Freshman setter Teodora Krickovic dished out 38 assists while freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager contributed eight kills. Freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson had an ace and picked up her first career kill for the Hoosiers. Six of IU’s 10 players on the court were true freshmen on Friday.
 
In totality, IU’s 2025 team will go down as the greatest in program history. The Hoosiers broke single-season program records in the NCAA era for wins (25), regular season wins (23), Big Ten wins (14), road wins (9), ranked road wins (3). IU advanced to its second NCAA regional semifinal in school history.
 
How it Happened
• The defensive effort made the difference for Texas on Friday afternoon. The Longhorns racked up 10 more blocks than the Hoosiers (12.0-2.0). IU dug 38 balls but struggled to find points in transition. Texas had an answer for every IU swing in the match.
 
• Texas’ All-American outside hitter Torrey Stafford was virtually unstoppable on Friday. She picked up 19 kills on zero errors for a .679 hitting percentage. She dug eight balls and had a hand in four blocks as well. IU had more kills (48-46) but had 23 attacking errors.
 
 Top Hoosier Performers
#3 Alonso-Corcelles, Candela
13 kills, 10 digs
 
#10 Krickovic, Teodora
38 assists, 7 digs, 2 kills
 
#23 Gray, Victoria
8 kills, .700 hitting percentage
 
Notes to Know
• Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles played her final career game for the Hoosiers. She provided 13 kills in the match, the 74th time that she’s had double-digit kills in a contest. She ends her career eighth in program history in kills (1,386). She’s the first IU player since Jordan Haverly (2009, 2010) with consecutive seasons of 400+ kills.
 
• The Hoosiers ended the 2025 season hitting .281 as a team. That is a new single-season program record, obliterating the previous IU standard (.246) from 1989. All three of IU’s pin hitters and all three middle blockers that played regular time finished with a hitting efficiency of .240 or better on the year.
 
• For players with at least 300 attempts in a season, freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray finished the season hitting .378 with 152 kills. That mark puts her second in a single season in program history while smashing the previous single-season freshman hitting percentage record.
 
• Senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum finished her IU career with a collective hitting percentage of .273 with 936 kills on more than 2,000 swings. Among all pin hitters in program history, no IU player hit at a better efficiency (min. 1,000 attempts) than Tatum did in her three seasons in Bloomington.



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KU volleyball knocked out by unbeaten Nebraska in Sweet 16 sweep

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December 13, 2025

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Kansas Athletics


The Kansas volleyball team huddles during its match against Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb.



A promising season of Kansas volleyball under the guidance of first-year head coach Matt Ulmer came to a grim end on Friday night in Lincoln, Nebraska, as the Jayhawks found themselves on the receiving end of a dominant 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-11, 25-12) by the host Cornhuskers at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

KU was overmatched in all phases against No. 1 overall seed Nebraska (33-0), which has still lost just one set at home all season and hit .450 against a usually rock-solid defense. The Jayhawks did not record a block until they trailed 20-10 in the final set, while senior libero Ryan White was limited to five digs in her final collegiate match.

Middle blocker Reese Ptacek, outside hitter Rhian Swanson and opposite hitter Jovana Zelenović accounted for six kills apiece, but they came on 15, 30 and 22 attacks, respectively. Katie Dalton recorded 11 assists, and Cristin Cline had eight.

Meanwhile, Nebraska’s Rebekah Allick recorded a kill all nine times she swung. The Cornhuskers’ setter Bergen Reilly, the Big Ten’s player and setter of the year, finished with 30 assists. Middle blocker Andi Jackson equaled Allick with nine more kills.

At the service line, the Jayhawks committed six errors with one ace.

“You’re really having to nitpick to try to figure out what to do to make (Nebraska) uncomfortable and you have to just execute at a much higher level than what we were able to do,” KU coach Matt Ulmer told reporters after the match. “We tried to serve some different spots, they held out pretty good. We tried to serve aggressive, but then you can’t miss too much. I just thought we had to be much cleaner from the service line to even apply some pressure.”

The Huskers didn’t let any of the three sets remain close for long, but they certainly opened the match with a bang as they came out with a 10-1 run capped off by consecutive aces by Olivia Mauch on reception errors by Logan Bell. The Jayhawks were able to get Zelenović going a bit with three kills late in the set, but the margin never got close, thanks in large part to Allick’s performance.

KU looked briefly like it might hang around longer in the second set when a kill by Dalton cut its deficit to 9-7. But Nebraska proceeded to score the next four times, while the Jayhawks only got four points the rest of the set.

The Huskers weren’t going to slip up and lose a set at home for the first time since Sept. 12. Instead, they strung together another 7-1 run early, featuring a couple of kills by Teraya Sigler, and never looked back.

The result brought a decisive end to the Jayhawks’ season in the Sweet 16, with one of their primary goals still accomplished as they had managed to make it out of the first weekend for the first time since 2021. They concluded the campaign with a record of 24-11 and a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference.

“For us, as not good as right now feels, it’s been a great year for us and it’s been a great season and we’ve achieved so much, so I’m really proud of them,” Ulmer said. “I know it’s hard to feel that in the moment, but big picture, it was a great year for Kansas.”

The Jayhawks will have some holes to fill with six players having gone through senior day, including key contributors Dalton, Swanson and White. However, many of their top players were underclassmen, including a trio of international freshmen.

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Kansas pin hitter Grace Nelson makes a pass against Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb.






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Written By Henry Greenstein


Henry is the sports editor at the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com, and serves as the KU beat writer while managing day-to-day sports coverage. He previously worked as a sports reporter at The Bakersfield Californian and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (B.A., Linguistics) and Arizona State University (M.A., Sports Journalism). Though a native of Los Angeles, he has frequently been told he does not give off “California vibes,” whatever that means.









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No. 1 Nebraska volleyball powers past Kansas, sets regional final date with Texas A&M

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December 13, 2025

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No 1 Nebraska Volleyball Powers Past Kansas Sets Regional Final Date With Texas Am
Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The No. 1-ranked Nebraska volleyball team took care of business Friday night, sweeping Kansas in the regional semifinal of the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers won 25-12, 25-11, 25-12 at the Bob Devaney Center.

As a team, the Huskers boasted a .450% hitting percentage, compared to the Jayhawks’ .029%.

It was both middle blockers for Nebraska that paved the path to victory.

Rebekah Allick and Andi Jackson each had a team-high nine kills. Allick finished the match with a perfect 1.000% hitting percentage, and Jackson had a team-high five blocks.

Harper Murray followed close behind with seven kills and a .238% hitting percentage. She also tallied a team-high 10 digs.

Bergen Reilly led an efficient offense with 30 assists, and Olivia Mauch racked up three aces.

The Huskers will face off against Texas A&M on Sunday for a chance to go to the Final Four in Kansas City.

First serve is set for 2 p.m. on ABC.

Categories: Husker Sports, Sports
Tags: andi jackson, bergen reilly, bob devaney center, Harper Murray, Huskers, jayhawks, Kansas, NCAA tournament, Nebraska, Olivia Mauch, Rebekah Allick, regional semifinal, Volleyball





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Thirteen Student-Athletes Earn Degrees in Fall

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December 13, 2025

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – A total of 13 current K-State student-athletes earned their degrees from Kansas State University this fall and will participate in annual commencement exercises.

Highlighting the 13 who graduated this fall were eight members of the K-State football team, and one each from the baseball, volleyball, rowing, soccer and women’s track and field programs.

The group of graduates was also honored Friday at the department’s annual graduation reception.

K-State continues to rank among the league’s best in terms of academic success as all programs are currently well above the required NCAA APR standard in addition to ranking among the best in the Big 12 in graduation rates – including five teams that have Big 12-leading marks this year.

2025 Fall Graduates

Baseball

Cadyn Karl, Finance

Football

JB Bradley, Integrative Human Sciences

Jet Dineen, Communications

Sam Hecht, Construction Science and Management

Damian Ilalio, Athletic Training and Rehab Sciences

Jacob Knuth, Management

Isaac Koch, Finance

Sterling Lockett, Management

Brayden Loftin, Kinesiology

Rowing

Emma Johnson (Jaelley), Elementary Education

Volleyball

Ava LeGrand, Finance

Soccer

Paige Dickson, Life Sciences

Women’s Track and Field

Brooklyn Jones, Integrative Human Sciences

 

 



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When does Wisconsin volleyball play again? NCAA tournament next match

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4 hours ago

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December 13, 2025

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Dec. 12, 2025Updated Dec. 13, 2025, 12:33 a.m. CT



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UAA signs trio of Alaska prep stars

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December 13, 2025

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ANCHORAGE (Dec. 12) – Riding the momentum from an outstanding 2025 season, the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team has begun reloading for future success with the signing of Alaska prep stars Indy Kmet, Vaiula Leaoa and Sophie Tapley, head coach Stacie Meisner announced Friday.

The newest Seawolves hail from all over the state and represent three of the four classifications in Alaska high school volleyball – 2A, 3A and 4A.

“We are fortunate to live in a state with great coaching at the developmental and high school levels, which has been proven by the contributions of high-level Alaskans who have come through our program,” said Meisner, whose team went 23-6 and tied for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title this season. “We are thrilled that Indy, Ula and Sophie have decided to continue the tradition and welcome them to the Seawolf family.”

A 6-1 outside hitter, Kmet led South Anchorage to the Cook Inlet Conference regular-season title and an ASAA 4A State Tournament berth, along with earning MVP honors at the prestigious Dimond/Service tournament. She was also a key member of the 2024 South squad that finished state runner-up, making the ASAA All-Tournament Team as a junior.

Coach Meisner says…

“Indy is a strong athlete who we had the opportunity to work with at camp over the summer. She is incredibly coachable and a great all-around player with a lot of potential for continued improvement. She has impressive instincts on defense and puts up a big block in the front row. We are excited to see what she will bring to the table next fall to only increase the physicality of our roster.”

A 6-foot outside hitter, Leaoa finished a legendary career at Unalaska last month, leading the Raiders to a second consecutive 2A state title and a 39-match win streak to end her career. The Outstanding Hitter award-winner at this year’s state tournament, she ripped 19 kills in the title-match sweep of Su Valley.

Coach Meisner says…

 “Ula is a really special player out of Dutch Harbor; it’s not often we see a player of her caliber coming from rural Alaska, and we are thrilled that she wanted to join our program. She is already very athletic and physical, with a big jump and a heavy arm swing. She also came to camp in July, so we got to work directly with her, and I believe her ceiling is going to be incredibly high.”

A 5-8 rightside hitter, Tapley led Kenai Central to its third 3A state championship in four seasons this year, earning Outstanding Hitter and All-Tournament honors. Tapley, who only started playing volleyball in seventh grade, was also an all-tournament selection at the 2024 state tournament.

Coach Meisner says…

 “Sophie is a springy, left-handed attacker who sees the court well and plays an aggressive game. Her size is deceiving as she jumps incredibly well and has a very fast arm on her attack. We look forward to seeing how she will develop and continue to grow.”

The trio gives UAA five Alaskans on its 2026 roster, joining sophomore rightside hitter Emma Beck (Kenai) and sophomore libero/defensive specialist Eleasha Sapon (Anchorage/Dimond).

 



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