EAST LANSING — It’s been exactly a year since Kristen Kelsay received the call — on Dec. 16, 2024 — asking if she had interest in becoming Michigan State’s volleyball coach.

She can still recite her initial conversation with the nine players who stayed through a coaching change. She was nervous. They were nervous. Perhaps those shared feelings helped her meet them exactly where they were. From a PowerPoint that simply read, “My name is Kristen,” she began to talk about how hard transitions are and all the different ways they might be feeling. 

Week 2 – December 16, 2025

NE10 Track Athlete of the Week

Romel Plummer, American Int’l

Grad I Kingston, Jamaica

The Angelo State transfer posted the sixth-best 60M time in the East Region this season, racing in 7.01 this past weekend.  AIC has three of the top eight 60 M times in the East Region so far this winter.  

NE10 Field Athlete & Rookie of the Week

Harvey Lys, American Int’l

Sophomore I Andover, Mass.

Lys became just the third high jumper on the season in the NE10 and East Region to clear 2.00 meters, allowing him to take fourth place in the Seahawk Shootout hosted by Wagner College at Ocean Breeze on Staten Island. His result beat six Division I athletes. ?

Season Awards History

Track Athlete of the Week

Week 1: David Williams, Adelphi

Week 2: Romel Plummer, AIC

Field Athlete of the Week

Week 1: Carson Thomas, Franklin Pierce

Week 2: Harvey Lys, AIC

Rookie of the Week

Week 1: Sean Horrigan, Southern Connecticut

Week 2: Harvey Lys, AIC

ABOUT THE NE10

The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.

Four members of the Central Connecticut volleyball team were recognized for their scholastic achievement with inclusion on the Academic All-District Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators. The Blue Devils student-athletes were recognized for a combination of athletic prowess while earning at least a 3.50 GPA.

The 2025 Academic All-District® Women’s Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

COMPLETE RELEASE

Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America selections are chosen from among 2,500+ nominations. For more information about CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.

Central Connecticut honorees included:

Weronika Poczynek, Sr., OH – Computer Science
28 Matches, 3.16 K/Set, 1.14 Digs/Set, 0.36 Block/Set

Breanna Ginley, Jr., MB – Political Science
28 Matches, 1.39 K/Set, .269 Hit %, 0.89 Block/Set

Anja Milosevic, Jr., S – Undeclared
28 Matches, 9.49 A/Set, 2.40 Digs/Set, 0.63 K/Set

Olivia Keckler, So., OPP – Political Science
28 Matches, 3.14 K/Set, 1.56 Digs/Set, 0.44 Block/Set

Ironman Participation among athletes under 30 grew 35% this year, while the 30–34 age group remained the largest category for the second consecutive season

Ironman’s name hasn’t changed, but its athlete base sure has.

As the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 season wraps with more than 250,000 global race registrations, participation data reveals a sport in transition, offering new insight into who is now showing up at the starting line of its triathlon events.

First-time participation across Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events rose 10% year over year in 2025, spanning a calendar that included 148 races worldwide.

But the more telling story is who those first-timers are.

The Youth Movement

Participation among athletes under 30 grew 35% this year, while the 30–34 age group remained the largest category for the second consecutive season. First-time participants under 30 have more than doubled since 2019, and full-distance Ironman races alone saw a 46% year-over-year increase in athletes under 30.

At the elite level, 28-year-old Casper Stornes of Norway captured the men’s Ironman World Championship title, while 26-year-old Solveig Løvseth of Norway won on the women’s side.

Women Gain Ground

Women are accounting for a growing share of Ironman participation. Nearly 49,500 women registered for an Ironman or Ironman 70.3 race in 2025, representing 22.5% of the global athlete community and marking a 7% year-over-year increase. It was the second-highest year for female participation on record, following a strong showing in 2019.

Female participation now accounts for 17% of Ironman athletes, up 10% year over year and 25% of Ironman 70.3 participants, up 5.4%. Early registration data for 2026 suggests that more than a quarter of Ironman 70.3 athletes will be women.

Younger women are also leading the charge. Registrations among women under 30 grew 36% this year, with women ages 25–29 alone growing nearly 44% year over year. For the first time, the average age of female Ironman athletes dipped below 40.

Europe Leads the Surge

Geographically, the growth story is just as pronounced and playing out across key regions.

Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, participation reached record levels in 2025, led by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. France emerged as a standout, overtaking Germany as Europe’s second-largest triathlon market after a 25% increase in athlete registrations and a 31% rise in international participants.

Demand is already spilling into future seasons. Thirty-two Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races are already sold out for 2026, including 11 of the 14 early-season EMEA Ironman 70.3 events scheduled between February and June.

To meet growing demand, new races have been introduced in France, Spain and Italy, including the return of Ironman Vichy and the debut of Ironman 70.3 Alghero in Sardinia. The coming year will also see the debut of the first full-distance triathlon in the Middle East, with Experience Oman Ironman Oman set to take place in December.

North America is seeing a similar pattern. New races debuted in 2025 in Rockford, Illinois, Boise, Idaho and Ottawa, Canada, with additional events planned for 2026 in Ruidoso, New Mexico, Omaha, Nebraska, Dallas, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida.

Growth is accelerating across Latin America and Asia as well. Mexico remains the region’s most represented country, accounting for nearly a quarter of Latin American athletes, while new events drove year-over-year increases of 24% in Colombia and 50% in Costa Rica.

Asia expanded its footprint with races across Malaysia, India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and Korea, with Vietnam set to host its first full-distance Ironman next year.

Participation, Explained

The brand, of course, has long had its devotees, some of whom mark the achievement permanently with Ironman tattoos. But the participation rates are also being shaped by other shifts beyond Ironman’s challenging courses.

Part of the draw may be that participatory events like Ironman offer structure and purpose, giving athletes a clear goal to train toward and a shared experience with a greater community, rather than solitary workouts in the gym.

In an interview last fall with ATN, Ironman CEO Scott DeRue pointed to several macro trends that he says are boosting overall participation in endurance events, including the desire for experiences over products and sports-related travel. 

“That’s true for spectator sports, but it’s also true for participation,” he said. “The third trend is from a health and fitness perspective – the degree to which people are investing in their own health, fitness and wellness, broadly defined, is growing exponentially. … So it’s no surprise that we’re seeing demand for participation sports grow globally.”

Looking to the year ahead, Ironman says it is prioritizing partnerships with younger athletes, emerging markets and global federations to strengthen participation pipelines and support long-term growth.

TROY, Ala. – Troy volleyball rounded out its 2026 roster with the addition of Sophie Ocampo on Tuesday, head coach Josh Lauer announced. 

An outside hitter, Ocampo spent the last three seasons at UT Arlington where she appeared in 74 matches and started in 47. She made 24 appearances in 2024, a season in which UTA went 29-3 and made an NCAA Tournament appearance. 

“We are excited to bring Sophie into our Troy volleyball family,” Lauer said. “Sophie is a wonderful communicator and brings championship experience and competitiveness to our team. She was eager to join a program that felt like family, offers a top-notch business degree and competes at a high level. Troy checked all the boxes and our staff and her Troy teammates are eager to welcome her as our newest Trojan!” 

Ocampo is coming off a 2025 season in which she tallied 186 kills, good for third on the Mavericks roster. She added 31.0 blocks and 49 digs. 

Ocampo set a career high with 17 kills (17-6-42) on Aug. 30 against Western Illinois. 

During the 2024 season, the Humble, Texas native hit at a .300 clip on 207 attempts, totaling 82 kills.  

As a freshman in 2023, Ocampo started in nine games and saw action in 24 matches, finishing with 112 kills. 

Ocampo joins four incoming freshmen – Kenzly Foote, Emmi Merhi, Haley Nash, and Isabella Ruether – as additions to the 2026 roster.  

TYLER, TEXAS – Four members of UT Tyler volleyball, including Kailey Manes, Autumn Perry, Saige Rivera, and Emma Vazquez have been selected as CSC Academic All-District honorees as announced Tuesday.
 
The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Women’s Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes women’s volleyball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
 
This is the second straight honor for both Perry and Rivera, and the first for Vazquez and Manes.
 
Perry was an All-LSC First Team selection after leading the Patriots with 339 kills on a .198 percentage. She played all 29 matches and played in 97 sets for the year while posting 45 blocks and 174 digs.
 
Rivera was named All-LSC Second Team for the second straight year while also being a member of the LSC All-Academic Team. Rivera had 732 total assists while chipping in 26 aces and 228 digs while playing in all 29 matches and 99 total sets for the year.
 
Vazquez also played in all 29 matches this year and in 96 total sets while adding a team-high 29 aces. She also recorded 235 total digs for a 2.45 digs per set mark on the season.
 
Manes played in 25 matches and made 21 starts while posting 73 sets played. She recorded 145 kills on a .300 percentage while adding a team-high 60 total blocks.