NEW ORLEANS – Four Privateers were named to the Southland Cross Country All-Academic Team which was released by the conference office on Thursday.
 
Mason Appleton becomes the tenth men’s selection to the Southland All-Academic Team since 2016 and earns his first nod. The senior currently holds a 3.88 GPA as a Biological Sciences major. He competed in all four meets and set three personal bests in the fall.
 
Appleton also went to the NCAA Regionals for the second consecutive season. He also won the Azalea City Classic in the fall.
 
Three women also made the All-Academic Team in Anais Sulpice, Petra Imre and Michela Papalia.
 
Sulpice carries a perfect 4.0 GPA while currently obtaining her Master’s in Finance. A native of France, Sulpice had a top five finish in the Azalea City Classic and finished 21^st in the Southland Championships last fall.
 
Imre currently holds a 3.87 GPA as a Film and Theatre Arts major. The sophomore from Hungary also had a top five finish at the Azalea City Classic and finished 27^th at the Southland Championships.
 
Papalia also finished in the top five at the Azalea City Classic. The sophomore from Italy currently holds a 3.92 GPA as a Human Performance and Health Promotion major. Papalia finished 32^nd at the Southland Championships.
 
The trio of women boost the number of Southland All-Academic selections to 11 since 2019. The Privateers also had four members make the team in 2023, the most since joining the conference.
 
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown volleyball’s Jessie Golden and Ally Panzloff were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.

To be considered, a student-athlete must have participated in 90% of the team’s matches played or must start in at least 66% of the contests, have at least a 3.5 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale), and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.

Golden earned CSC All-District honors for the third time in her career and Panzloff earned the honor for the first time in her career.

Golden was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year for the third-straight year and First Team All-Ivy for the third-straight year. The senior was also named ECAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Panzloff was named Academic All-Ivy for the Bears this season and finished third on the team in both kills per set (2.46) and total kills (197).

Golden will be considered for CSC Academic All-America honors. The organization will announce the All-American honorees later in January.

 

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LOS ANGELES – USC men’s volleyball head coach Jeff Nygaard has had his contract extended through the 2028 season, USC Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics Jennifer Cohen announced on Thursday, Jan. 8.
 
Nygaard—a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time collegiate MVP while playing on a pair of NCAA championship teams—is in his 11th season (2026) as the head coach of the Trojans and holds a career record of 123-136. He also served the five prior seasons as an assistant coach at USC (2011-15). Nygaard led the Trojans to the MPSF championship match in 2025 and had five players recognized by the AVCA’s All-America committee including first-team choice Dillon Klein.
 
Last year, the Trojans went 21-7, finished second in the MPSF regular season (8-4), and were awarded the second seed into the conference tournament. There, USC finished as runner-up to Pepperdine, which hosted the championship in Malibu, Calif. USC opened the year with a nine-match win streak for its best start to a season since 1991 (28-0) and won 10 matches in a row (Feb. 26-April 3) for the program’s longest win streak since 2012 (18). It was Nygaard’s second 20-win season (20th in program history) and USC led the MPSF for many weeks in all statistical categories but aces. The Trojans finished the season as the NCAA leader in blocks (2.86 bps) with 16 matches in double-digits. USC set a new school record for hitting percentage in a match (.691 vs. Dominican, Feb. 8) and hit better than .300 19 times.
 
Fifth-ranked USC opens 2026 with a home match at Galen Center against St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday (Jan. 10) at 5 p.m. PT. The Trojans will play 16 home contests this spring and play only two regular-season contests outside of Southern California (at BYU, April 10-11). The MPSF tournament will also be held at BYU’s Smith Fieldhouse (April 22-25). The league champion receives the MPSF’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship set to be played May 9-11 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.
 
For more information on the USC men’s volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/MVB. Fans of the Trojans can follow @USCmensvolley on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
 

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University volleyball Head Coach Kevin Foeman announced the addition of four transfers to the 2026 roster Thursday, Jan. 8.
 
Azra Eriç (Istanbul, Turkey/Kadir Has Anadolu lisesi/Robert Morris), Julia Johnson (Champaign, Ill./St. Thomas More/High Point), Bianca Salvador (Caxias do Sul, Brazil/Campos Salles/Missouri State West Plains/Trinity Valley C.C.), and Mia Schaefer (Willoughby, Ohio/Lake Catholic/Niagara) will join the team.
 
“Our staff identified these players based on their proven track record of success and experience,” said Foeman. “We believe they will make an immediate impact as we continue to elevate our level of play and competitiveness,” he concluded.
 
Azra Eriç | MB | Sr. (Istanbul, Turkey/Kadir Has Anadolu lisesi/Robert Morris)

EMU: 2026-27: Joins the program as an incoming transfer after spending three seasons at Robert Morris University.

 

ROBERT MORRIS: 2025: Appeared in 27 matches, playing 103 sets…Had a career season offensively, landing 172 kills (1.67 per set) off a .172 hitting percentage…Posted a career-high 14 solo blocks, recording 77 total blocks on the season (0.75 per set)…Totaled a career-high 232.5 points (2.26 per set)…Had a career-high 15 kills off a .345 hitting percentage, and a career-best 17.5 points against IU Indy, on Oct. 11…Swatted a career-best 11 blocks versus Duquesne, on Sept. 6…Drilled six kills off a .500 attack percentage, with four blocks at Purdue Fort Wayne, on Sept. 26…Started the season with nine kills off a .227 clip against Saint Francis, on Aug. 30…Had nine games with at least four blocks and 13 games with seven kills or more. 

 

2024: Appeared and started in 29 matches while playing in 109 total sets…Finished first in the Horizon League in all block categories as she finished the year with 127 total blocks, 116 block assists, and 1.17 blocks per set…Closed the season with 71 kills, 65 digs, and 37 aces (second on team)…Had a career-high nine blocks along with two digs and an assist in a five-set win over USC Upstate…Put together one of her most complete performances of the season against Coppin State when she had eight blocks, four kills, three aces, and three digs…Registered eight blocks, four digs, three aces, and one kill against Youngstown State…Compiled seven blocks, five kills, three digs, and an ace against Cleveland State…Posted a season-high six kills along with six blocks, four digs, two aces, and two assists versus Niagara…Registered seven blocks, two kills, two aces, and a dig against Purdue Fort Wayne…Recorded at least one block in all 29 matches played, including five matches with eight or more blocks.

 

2023: Appeared and started in 29 matches while playing in 100 total sets…Finished fifth on the team with 85 kills, averaging 0.85 kills per set…Was second on the team with 58 blocks…Had a season-high 11 kills against Wright State while also chipping in four blocks and three digs…Recorded a season-best five blocks along with eight kills in a win over Oakland…Tallied seven digs and three blocks in a win against Cleveland State…Registered six digs, five kills, and a season-high three aces against Green Bay…Posted six kills, two digs, one ace, and one block against IUPUI…Had four kills, two aces, two digs, one block, and a season-high three assists in a win over Canisius…Tallied five kills on a season-high 21 total attacks along with five blocks, three digs in a win against Youngstown State.

 

HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Kadir Has Anadolu Lisesi in Turkey…Played four seasons for famous Turkey volleyball club, Galatasaray…Took third and fourth place, respectively, in nationals in consecutive seasons. 

PERSONAL: Full name: Azra Eriç…Born on Aug. 22, 2005…Daughter of Asli and Gurol Eriç…Has one sister, Irmak…Major: Statistics with the goal of starting a career as a sports statistician.

 

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Julia Johnson | S | RSo. (Champaign, Ill./St. Thomas More/High Point)

EMU: 2026-27: Joins the program as an incoming transfer from High Point University.

 

HIGH POINT: 2025: Appeared in seven matches and 10 sets…Helped HPU win its third consecutive Big South regular season and tournament titles…Collected four assists and one dig.

 

2024: Did not appear in any games.

 

HIGH SCHOOL: Played all four years of varsity volleyball at St. Thomas More…Was voted a two-time all-conference player, a two-time First Team All-Area News Gazette recipient and a two-time all-state player…During her senior season she was named an AVCA High School All-American…Helped guide her team to multiple championships including an IHSA State Championship (2021), three Regional Championships (2021-23), three Sectional Championships (2021-23), a Super Sectional Championship (2021), three Clinton Tournament Championships (2021-23), two Pana Tournament Championships (2021-22), a Morgan Buerkett Invitational Championship (2021), and two Illini Prairie Conference Championship Titles (2020-21)…As a two-year captain, she led the team in assists and hitting percentage…A four-year high honor roll student…Awarded the IHSA Scholastic Achievement award at the end of her senior year…Three-time Academic All-State recipient…Played club for two different teams, playing for Illini Elite VBC from 2017-21, and also in 2023. She later played for Boiler Juniors Volleyball in 2022 and in 2024.

 

PERSONAL: Full name: Julia Lauren Johnson…Born on Jan. 9, 2006…Daughter of Jennifer and Lars Johnson…Major: Exercise Science/Pre-Nursing with the goal of starting a career as a pediatric nurse. 

 

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Bianca Salvador | OH | Jr. | (Caxias do Sul, Brazil/Campos Salles/Missouri State West Plains/Trinity Valley C.C.)

EMU: 2026-27: Joins the program as an incoming transfer from Trinity Valley Community College.

 

JUNIOR COLLEGE: Played two seasons of NJCAA volleyball, starting her career at Missouri State West Plains in 2024, before transferring to Trinity Valley Community College for the 2025 season.

 

TRINITY VALLEY C.C.: 2025: Named First Team All-America…Named Region 14 Player of the Year and All-Tournament Team at the NJCAA National Championships…Led her team to a Region 14 championship and Mid-South District Championship…Earned Battle at the Beach All-Tournament Honors…Started 37 matches and played 123 sets…Landed 405 kills, averaging 3.29 kills per set while hitting .289…Recorded 48 service aces (0.39 per set)…Grabbed 299 digs defensively (2.43 per set) while notching 56 total blocks (0.46 per set)…Totaled 486 points, average an even 4.0 per set. 

 

MISSOURI ST. WEST PLAINS: 2024: Named First Team All-America…Named Region 16 Player of the Year and All-Tournament Team at the NJCAA National Championships…Led her team to a Region 16 championship and Midwest District A Championship…Earned Battle at the Beach All-Tournament Honors…Played 127 sets while starting all 40 matches…landed 435 kills (3.43 per set) off a .258 hitting percentage…Totaled 63 service aces, averaging 0.59 per set…Defensively, handled 96.0% of her receptions (754-of-778), while grabbing 388 digs (3.06 per set)…Posted 51 total blocks (12 solo, 39 assist), averaging 0.40 blocks per set…In total, produced 529.5 points (4.2 per set). 

 

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Attended Campos salles and played 13 seasons of club ball for Cia do Volei, Apaavolei and Bradesco, training as an outside hitter under Head Coaches Ivanete Salvador, Fernando Lemos and Flavio Aniceto.

 

PERSONAL: Full Name: Bianca Salvador Cargnino…Born on Feb. 1, 2005…Daughter of Dimar Cargnino and Silvana Maria Salvador…Has one brother, Guilherme…Major: Individualized Studies Program with the goal of starting a career as a dietitian. 

 

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Mia Schaefer | L/DS | Jr. | (Willoughby, Ohio/Lake Catholic/Niagara)

 

EMU: 2026-27: Joins the program as an incoming transfer from Niagara University.

 

NIAGARA: 2025: Named MAAC Libero of the Year…Named to All-MAAC Second Team…Earned MAAC All-Academic Team honors…Appeared in 104 sets…Recorded career-high and team-leading 566 digs, the sixth-most among all NCAA players and the sixth-most in a single season by a Purple Eagle.…Averaged 5.44 digs per set during the 2025 regular season, leading the MAAC and ranking third nationally…Tallied 124 assists and 24 service aces…Tallied 32 digs against Quinnipiac, on Nov. 15…Registered career-high 33 digs against Merrimack, on Nov. 15.

 

2024: Played in 85 sets as a defensive specialist…Recorded 124 digs (1.46 per set)…Served 12 aces with only six service errors for a .974 service percentage…Posted seven kills on the season…Tallied a season-high 11 digs at Fairfield, on Oct. 12…Collected nine digs at both Rider, on Oct. 6, and Bucknell, on Sept. 14…Served two aces in multiple matches, including against Mercyhurst, on Sept. 19, and Saint Peter’s, on Oct. 5…Maintained a .940 reception percentage on 248 total receptions.

 

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letterwinner at Lake Catholic…Named team captain senior year…Crown Conference Second Team member…All-District honorable mention…AVCA All-American watch list…Won two state championships and three conference championships (2022-24)…Recorded 352 digs, 48 aces and 196 kills.

 

PERSONAL: Full Name: Mia Schaefer…Daughter of Missy and James Schaefer…Has three siblings, including two brothers, Logan and Chase, and one sister, Chloe…Major: Psychology.   

 

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