OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A 2-year-old girl waiting for a heart transplant after being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy got to meet her volleyball-playing namesake.

At Children’s Nebraska, Merritt Squire is being treated for her condition, which causes the heart’s main pump chamber to be enlarged and weakened.

Named after former Nebraska volleyball and current Omaha Supernovas player Merritt Beason, when she heard of little Merritt, big Merritt wanted to meet her.

“The visit became a moment of pure joy for the family. “These are the things that really ground you, and almost humble you in a way, to remember that little girls and kids are out here fighting for their lives every single day,” Beason said.

“To have a little girl sharing the same name as you, who is so strong and fighting every single day, is just something you can’t put into words,’” per the post on Children’s Nebraska’s website.

Merritt has received a Berlin Heart, a mechanical pump to help circulate blood, while she waits for a heart donor.

“We support not only the patient but also the family as best as we possibly can through that process,” said Dr. Jason Cole, medical director of the Advanced Pediatric Heart Failure & Transplant program. “Opportunities like these give our families a chance to take a step back, take a breath and to enjoy the moments while they’re here.”

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MILWAUKEE – On Monday, Susie Johnson announced the addition of transfer Kameron Stover to the roster for the upcoming volleyball season.
 
Stover will join the Panthers this spring after an impressive freshman campaign at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio.
 
“We are so excited to add Kami to our program this spring,” commented Johnson. “She has a ton of athleticism and competitiveness and has proved that she can compete day after day, which is what we have been looking to add to our program.” 
 
Stover was a force for the Cavaliers in 2025, finishing the season 16th among all Division II players in total kills with 452. That mark ranked third among all freshmen at the Division II level and also led all players from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
In addition to her kill total, Stover led the GMAC in kills per set (4.30) and total points (507), while also pacing the league in points per set (4.83). She finished 10th in the league in service aces (30), and 14th in digs (299). Stover also recorded 33 kills in a match, the most by any GMAC player since the 2022 campaign.
 
Following her freshman season with the Cavaliers, Stover was selected as the conference’s Freshman of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors. She was also named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Midwest Region Freshman of the Year and later added Division II Conference Commissioners Association Second Team All-Region accolades.
 
Stover played at Marengo Highland High School in Ohio from 2021-24, where she amassed 1,770 career kills, the ninth-most in recorded state history. As a junior, she tallied 636 kills, the seventh-most in state history, and followed that up with another 567 as a senior. Her 48 kills in a match against Plain City Jonathan Alder as a junior ranked third all-time for a single match in Ohio.
 
She was a two-time First Team All-State selection and earned Third Team honors as a sophomore. A three-time First Team All-District and All-Conference selection, Stover also earned All-Region accolades from this AVCA as a senior and is the program’s kills record holder for career, single-season, and single-match.
 
Stover joins incoming freshmen Olivia Doerre, Emma Dufft, Kayla Landerud, and Hope Wagner, who announced their commitments to Milwaukee in mid-November.
 

Opposite hitter Loryn Helgesen (Utah State), libero Sierra Grizzle (Texas Tech), and setter Izzy Mogridge (Tennessee) will join freshman outside hitter Suttyn Harris who signed in November.

“We are incredibly excited about adding Sierra, Loryn and Izzy to our team for the upcoming 2026 season,” said D’Errico. “These three add to the qualities our team embodies that make this place so special. They will help us compete at a championship level daily and are all in on our culture of authenticity, consistency and connection. We hit a home run with this class in so many ways and couldn’t be more excited to get them in the gym this spring to start training with our returning core.”

Loryn Helgesen | 6-2 | Opposite | Kaysville, Utah | Utah State (Davis High)
“Loryn is incredibly gifted as a physical volleyball player with a huge upside and determination to be great in her career at the highest level,” said D’Errico. “We absolutely love that we get to keep a local talent of her caliber HOME and representing Utah on and off the court. She brings an energetic and fun presence that will fit right into our special group of humans from the start.”

Helgesen has two more seasons that she will spend with the Utes after starting her collegiate career two hours north at Utah State.

 

During her time with the Aggies, Helgesen was named an AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention (West Region), and All-Conference First Team in the Mountain West. Helgesen also broke a school record for hitting percentage over 20+ attempts, ranks 10^th all-time in Utah State history in hitting percentage with at least five attempts per set, and seventh all-time in career hitting percentage.

 

Utah’s new opposite was a two-sport athlete before coming to college, excelling in track as well as volleyball and breaking records in junior high and high school.

 

The daughter of Lindzi and Jack, Helgesen has three siblings, Alyssa, Hadlee, and Jack. Mom, dad, and uncle, Kurt are all Utah alums. Hadlee, played soccer at Shoreline Washington College.

 

When not on the volleyball court, Helgesen enjoys painting, cooking, and hanging out with friends.

 

Sierra Grizzle | 5-7| Libero | Meridian, Idaho | Texas Tech (Mountain View HS)

“Sierra is an elite defender who led the Big12 in digs per set and was also one of the best servers in the conference in 2025,” said D’Errico. “She adds competitive energy, toughness, and a winning mindset to our program. She is the kind of competitor whose play will elevate those around her. We are excited for the impact she will have for us in her final collegiate season.”

Grizzle comes to the Utes after gaining experience as a freshman with the Wyoming Cowboys where she was a two-time Freshman of the Week and three-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week before transferring to Big 12 foe Texas Tech for her sophomore and junior years.

During her time with the Red Raiders, Grizzle was a two-time Defensive Player of the Week (Sep. 2 and 30 of 2025), ranked first in the Big 12 (20^th nationally) in digs per set (4.82) and fourth in aces per set (.39). Additionally, Grizzle will bring 1356 career digs and 115 career aces to Salt Lake City.

As a high school prospect, Grizzle was recognized by the AVCA on their Under Armour Phenom Top 300 list, and their All-American Watch List. Additionally, the right-handed libero was a three-time all-conference and all-state selection, the Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year, and was named to Mountain View High School’s Hall of Fame.

She is the daughter of Valerie and Randall Grizzle and has one younger brother, Troy. Mother played basketball at Boise State, father played football at Montana State, and brother currently plays football for Boise State.

Grizzle enjoys snowboarding, biking, fishing, camping and food outside of volleyball.

 

Izzy Mogridge | 5-11 | Setter | Lutz, FL | Tennessee (Berkeley Preparatory School)

“Izzy is an elite athlete with a huge upside at the setting position,” said D’Errico. “She is a great competitor and teammate who has shown she can compete at the highest levels of the game through USA NTDP experiences and the Under Armour All-American game. She brings such joy and passion to the court that we feel fits perfectly with our programs culture.”

With one season at Tennessee under her belt, Mogridge comes to the Utes as a sophomore after playing 17 matches for the Volunteers with one start. She also had a stint last summer with the U.S. U19 National Team.

The four-year letter winner was a three-time Player of the Year and was one of 26 prep standouts chosen to play in the Under Armour All-American Game last January. In high school Mogridge helped lead Berkeley Prep to a runner-up finish in the 3A Florida Championships.

She is the daughter of Jennifer and Allen Mogridge and has two sisters, Liv and Lola. Father is the offensive line coach at Georgia Tech and sister Liv played volleyball for the Yellow Jackets and will finish her career at Iowa this upcoming season.

Mogridge enjoys making jewelry, collecting vinyl records, and listening to music when she is not on the volleyball court.

FOLLOW THE UTES

For an inside look at the Utah Volleyball program, including tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @utahvolleyball).

 

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360

 

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – On Monday, December 22nd, 2025, University of Hartford Director of Athletics & Recreation Alicia Queally announced the hiring of Johan Dulfer as the 12th head coach of the Hartford volleyball program.

“We are excited to welcome Johan Dulfer as the next leader of the women’s volleyball program at the University of Hartford. Johan brings extensive head coaching and leadership experience with a proven track record of being able to build elite Division III volleyball programs that are successful both on and off the court. I’m excited to have him on board as we continue to build our championship culture here at Hartford.”

Dulfer brings more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience to Hartford, highlighted by success across multiple NCAA programs. Most recently, Dulfer served as head volleyball coach at Ithaca College from 2016- 2023, where he led the Bombers to eight consecutive NCAA Tournament selections. During his tenure, Ithaca would win back-to-back Liberty League championships in 2022 and 2023. Johan would also lead the Bombers into the sweet sixteen on three occasions in 2018, 2019, and 2023, an elite eight finish in 2018, and a final four appearance in 2017.

“I would like to thank the search committee and Director of Athletics Alicia Queally for the honor of becoming the next head coach at the University of Hartford. During my research and my visit to campus it became clear that I really could see myself as part of the UHart community. Coming back to coaching in the environment that I experienced when I visited, was a no-brainer decision. I was so impressed with everyone’s passion for their jobs and for the University, their care for the student-athlete experience, and the desire to be successful. I can’t wait to get started. Together we will take Hartford volleyball to the next level.”

Before his time at Ithaca, Dulfer spent ten seasons as head coach at Clarkson University (2006–2015), leading the Golden Knights to four consecutive NCAA Elite Eight appearances from 2012 through 2015 and posting a program-best 37-4 record in 2014.

Across 17 seasons as a head coach, Dulfer has compiled a career record of 431-173 (.714), earning seven Liberty League Coach of the Year honors and five American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Regional Coach of the Year awards.

Prior to joining Clarkson University, Dulfer was an assistant coach at Division I James Madison University, where he served as the first assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2003-2005. While with the Dukes, Johan helped JMU make two CAA Championship appearances in 2003 and 2005. In addition, he spent seven years with USA Volleyball as a program coordinator for the IREVA High Performance program, evaluating and coaching athletes at national championships.

Dulfer also served as a regional chair of the Divison III National Volleyball Committee from 2017-2022. 

Dulfer holds a master’s degree in Kinesiology/Sport Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in International Organizations from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

For the latest information on Hartford Athletics follow the Hawks on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

PROVO, Utah — BYU and Notre Dame today announced the two universities have agreed to a home-and-home football series that will bring the Fighting Irish to Provo in 2026 and take the Cougars to South Bend in 2027.

“We are excited to announce this home-and-home series between BYU and Notre Dame for the 2026 and 2027 seasons,” said BYU Director of Athletics Brian Santiago. “We have tremendous respect for Notre Dame, and appreciate Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua, who has been great to work with in arranging this series. These will be competitive football games, and will highlight Kalani Sitake and Marcus Freeman, two of the best leaders and coaches in college football. As private, faith-based institutions, BYU and Notre Dame share many common values, and this series provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase two world-class universities. It’s a matchup that will resonate strongly with Cougar fans and college football fans everywhere.”

Notre Dame will be making its third appearance in Provo next season when it faces BYU in LaVell Edwards Stadium for the first time since 2004. When BYU travels to face the Irish in 2027, it will mark the first meeting in South Bend since 2013 and the seventh matchup overall in Notre Dame Stadium dating back to the start of the series in 1992.

Notre Dame owns a 7-2 advantage in the previous nine games played after winning the last outing in the series in 2022 by a 28-20 tally at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. That game, played on Oct. 8, 2022, was part of the Notre Dame Shamrock Series neutral site home games. BYU’s two victories came by a 21-14 tally in South Bend in 1994 during BYU head coach Kalani Sitake’s freshman season and later in the last contest in Provo when the Cougars earned a 20-17 win to open the 2004 season.

BYU owns a 1-1 record against the Irish in LaVell Edwards Stadium, while Notre Dame boasts a 5-1 record against the Cougars in South Bend and a 1-0 mark in their neutral site Shamrock Series. The last time the two schools met in South Bend was a frigid, snow-flurry of a game in 2013 that the Fighting Irish won 23-13. BYU ran for 247 yards behind quarterback Taysom Hill in a one-score game heading into the fourth quarter but came up short in the end.

With the addition of the Notre Dame series, BYU has now finalized its scheduled opponents for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

BYU will play seven home games next season, hosting Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Cincinnati and Iowa State in Big 12 play along with nonconference matchups with Notre Dame and Utah Tech. The Cougars will travel to face Colorado State in nonconference and Kansas, TCU, UCF and Utah on their Big 12 slate.

In 2027, BYU hosts Big 12 games against Colorado, Kansas, Texas Tech and Utah along with Oregon State and Weber State in the nonconference, while traveling in league to Arizona State, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia as well as to South Bend to meet Notre Dame.  

Game dates and times and television plans for all 2026 and 2027 games will be announced at a later date.