Volleyball Today AVP NCAA NAIA: Current Trends and Updates

The AVP has introduced its new league, featuring Paris Olympians set to compete in cities like Austin, Dallas, New York, Palm Beach, and San Diego. This development brings fresh excitement to the volleyball community, showcasing international talent across the United States.

In the NCAA Division I volleyball realm, the season’s second week saw 47 matches scheduled for Thursday.

This wide array of games included notable victories such as No. 5 Stanford’s sweep at No. 24 Marquette, and No. 13 Kansas handling Wichita State with a sweep.

Amid these contests, Texas State rallied impressively to take down UTSA in four sets, overcoming a significant first-set deficit of 24-16.

As the preseason wraps up, coaches like Indiana’s Steve Aird continue to experiment with new strategies, looking ahead to more competitive clashes.

AVP Announces Teams for New Beach League

The AVP is shaking up the beach volleyball scene with a fresh league format this year. The inaugural matches are set for September 14-15 at the UCLA Tennis Center.

After the opening weekend, the league will travel to seven other destinations, wrapping up with the championship on November 9-10 in Los Angeles.

Below are the eight teams set to compete in this new league:

San Diego Smash

• Players: Chase Budinger & Miles Evans, Geena Urango & Toni Rodriguez.

Brooklyn Blaze

• Players: Cody Caldwell & Seain Cook, Megan Kraft & Terese Cannon.

LA Launch

• Players: Tim Bomgren & Troy Field, Betsi Flint & Julia Scoles.

New York Nitro

• Players: Taylor Crabb & Taylor Sander, Kelly Cheng & Sara Hughes.

These four teams will face off in the initial week at UCLA.

For the second week, the competition moves to the Hard Rock Tennis Center in Miami, featuring:

Palm Beach Passion

• Players: Phil Dalhausser & Avery Drost, Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson.

Miami Mayhem

• Players: Trevor Crabb & Theo Brunner, April Ross & Alix Klineman.

Austin Aces

• Players: Paul Lotman & Billy Allen, Taryn Kloth & Kristen Nuss.

Dallas Dream

• Players: Miles Partain & Andy Benesh, Kylie Deberg & Hailey Harward.

Each location promises thrilling matches as these teams showcase their skills across the country. For a detailed schedule and more information, fans can visit the AVP’s official website.

NCAA women’s volleyball

Thursday’s schedule

Thursday features a few notable matchups between undefeated teams. California squares off against No. 8 Purdue of the Big Ten at Utah. Both teams hold a 3-0 record.

California also has a game against Utah, another team that stands unbeaten at 3-0.

In another Big Ten matchup, No. 20 USC (2-0) will be playing against Creighton from the Big East, who have a similar 3-0 record.

Additional Big Ten action includes No. 2 Nebraska hosting The Citadel, No. 25 UCLA clashing with No. 17 Tennessee, and Rutgers facing No. 21 Arkansas. Indiana will be playing against No. 1 Texas, while Northwestern heads to Long Beach State.

SMU looks to continue their momentum from an upset victory over Nebraska as they host Milwaukee.

Arizona, sitting at a 3-0 record, will go against Alabama State. Lipscomb travels to No. 14 BYU, and Auburn, which has received votes in the polls, hosts Cal Poly, the predicted winners of the Big West.

Wednesday’s results and top performances

Stanford extended their unbeaten streak to 4-0 after defeating Marquette 25-18, 25-17, 25-22. The game capped off an impressive week in Milwaukee where Stanford also notched wins against Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Elia Rubin stood out with 12 kills and one error in 25 attacks, while also contributing an assist, an ace, and 10 digs. Ipar Kurt led the team with 14 kills, alongside two aces and a dig.

Jordyn Harvey added 11 kills and one error in 22 swings, along with an assist, a block, and five digs. Elena Oglivie and Kami Miner were essential to the Cardinals’ success.

Oglivie recorded 10 digs, an ace, and eight assists, while Miner achieved 31 assists, 11 digs, and two kills in three error-free attempts. The team hit an impressive .373 overall.

Kansas brought their record to 4-0 after a 25-17, 25-21, 25-19 victory over Wichita State. Playing before a sold-out crowd of 1,742 at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, Ayah Elnady led with 14 kills, two aces, two blocks, and three digs.

Texas State secured a 26-24, 19-25, 25-23, 25-16 win at UTSA.

Setter Ryann Torres, who was crucial during the first set, had four kills in eight error-free attempts, 40 assists, an ace, eight digs, and two blocks. The match drew 1,246 fans, the highest attendance for UTSA since 2017.

Furman claimed victory in a five-set match against USC Upstate with scores of 18-25, 19-25, 25-16, 25-16, 15-9. Kennedy Seekford recorded 21 digs and five assists.

Michigan also improved their record to 4-0 by sweeping Eastern Michigan. The Wolverines hit .384 in the match, with Allison Jacobs leading the team with 12 kills, hitting .455, along with an assist, two aces, seven digs, and a block.

American University swept Coppin State, with Adelina Berisha contributing 12 kills, seven digs, and a block. Mercer remains unbeaten at 4-0 after sweeping UMES.

Florida A&M emerged victorious in a five-set match against North Florida. Despite the loss, UNF’s Amy Burkhardt had an outstanding performance with 20 kills, three assists, an ace, 16 digs, and two blocks.

Bryant hit an impressive .474 in their sweep of Stonehill. Arianna Ugolini led with 15 kills, hitting .565, complemented by three digs and three blocks. IU Indianapolis defeated Butler in four sets, while Villanova won a five-set match against Binghamton, with Abby Harrell making significant contributions with 19 kills, a .350 hitting percentage, two assists, and 15 digs.

More Big College Volleyball TV Ratings

State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase saw impressive TV ratings this weekend.

Texas vs. Wisconsin drew 584,000 viewers on FOX, while Stanford’s matchup against Wisconsin attracted 487,000 viewers. These high numbers highlight the growing popularity of NCAA women’s volleyball. The AVCA poll, which includes first-place votes and total points, shows keen interest across the board.

Aird Makes Indiana’s Challenges Matter

Indiana, led by head coach Steve Aird, has kicked off the season with three victories, defeating Kennesaw State, Wichita State, and UC Davis.

But beyond the wins, Aird has made a significant impact by using match challenges to support the local community and the university’s student section.

Every challenge that Aird and his team win results in a $25 donation to the Community Kitchen of Monroe County and the Indiana University student section.

Aird’s wife, Brandy, serves on the board of the Community Kitchen, which helps feed the homeless and provide weekend meals for children in need. These efforts include filling backpacks with food for kids to take home, ensuring they have something to eat over the weekends. Brandy’s involvement as a volunteer chef further highlights the family’s dedication to the cause.

In addition to supporting the local community, Aird has also incentivized the student section.

At the end of the season, he plans to throw a party for the students at a local Bloomington establishment, encouraging them to be more involved and engaged during matches. The students eagerly anticipate challenge reviews, knowing that each successful challenge brings more funding for their section.

Notably, this philanthropic approach is not unique to Aird.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the coach at Penn State and Aird’s college classmate, has implemented a similar initiative at her school. Adding to the community spirit, Darren Tipton from Volleyball Adrenaline pledged to match Aird’s donations, amplifying the impact.

NAIA

In the latest rankings, Northwestern Iowa stands at the top with a perfect 10-0 record.

Eastern Oregon follows closely at 8-0.

Notable mentions include Concordia at third, Jamestown fourth, and Southern Oregon rounding out the top five.

Indiana Wesleyan maintains a strong presence in the league.