Penn State volleyball set for Pentagon Aug. 25
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — NCAA 2024 Division I volleyball champion Penn State will play Kansas on Aug. 25 at the Sanford Pentagon as part of the 2025 AVCA First Serve matches.
First Serve Showcase will bring in some of the best volleyball players in the country
The other match features Minnesota against Texas A&M. First Serve starts Aug. 22 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Teams to compete in Lincoln include Nebraska, Creighton, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.
Ticket pre-sales for the matches in Sioux Fall start on March 6. The general public sales will begin on March 14. All tickets will be available to purchase through Ticketmaster.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville North's Lucy Fitzgerald wears No. 11, like her sisters did. She nearly wins it all, which Nora did.
Naperville North's Lucy Fitzgerald had to wait a long time to get regular playing time. Fitzgerald didn't make the varsity team until her junior year and only earned a starting spot about two months ago. But the senior defender never came off the field during her final game — the Class 3A state championship game, which went to double overtime Saturday night. 'It really meant so much to me because at the beginning of the year I didn't start,' she said. 'Throughout the year, I've just been working my hardest, and to be able to play all 100 minutes on the field feels really good.' There were tears in Fitzgerald's eyes, of course, because O'Fallon halted Naperville North's stirring playoff run. The Huskies' 1-0 loss at North Central College in Naperville also ended an era. Fitzgerald is the last of three sisters to play for the Huskies (17-6-3), whose underdog run to the final was reminiscent of the 2019 state championship team that included her oldest sister, Nora. Both wore No. 11. Their sister Maggie Fitzgerald, who graduated from Naperville North in 2023 and flew into town to attend the game, wore No. 11 and No. 19 during her time. 'To have Maggie come back and surprise her sister at the state championship game, that's just what makes this program special,' Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. 'Families like the Fitzgeralds, the DeCooks, the Polaviejas, the Bueschers, there's a reason these girls were where they were. 'Nobody thought that this team would be in the state championship tonight outside of our group.' The Huskies had no Division I recruits except Tennessee-bound junior forward Claire DeCook, who played her last game because she will graduate early, and Minnesota-bound senior defender Emily Buescher. But Lucy Fitzgerald was respected for her grit and perseverance. 'Something that's incredibly special about Lucy is just her willingness to work all the time, and she never lets that negative feeling overcome her,' Buescher said. 'Every time she's given a chance, she proves that she deserves it. 'We do an awards banquet before the year ends, and her thing was most improved player because there were days when she would stay 40 to 50 minutes after practice. She would ask for me to stay or for other people to stay to help her with certain things.' Buescher, whose sister Katelynn captained the Huskies to third place in 2018 before playing at Illinois and Illinois State, added that Fitzgerald's work rate pushes teammates too. 'It makes it so easy to work hard when you're next to Lucy because you know how hard she's working,' Buescher said. 'Our last game, she absolutely saved us, so it's so easy to cheer her on because she's such a special person and a special player.' Goletz said Fitzgerald showed that Saturday, helping the Huskies hold the Panthers (23-1-1) scoreless for almost 90 minutes until Allie Tredway scored on a 22-yard rocket with 5.7 seconds left in the first overtime. 'Lucy's an incredible kid, a kid that ran the process of being in this program,' Goletz said. 'The reason you play state championship games is because you have kids who care more about the program than they do themselves. 'Lucy was such a rock back there. She was a great target on restarts, and tonight she's put on an island at times 1v1, moves her feet well.' Like most of her teammates, Fitzgerald will not play in college. But she cemented her family's legacy and set a great example. 'It's a tough thing for a high school kid to check your own ego at the door and continue to fight for your teammates,' Goletz said. 'Lucy did that day in and day out for four years, and for her to step in at the moment she had the opportunity this year and seize that spot in the back made us better.' Although her sisters' varsity careers were longer than hers, the 6-foot Fitzgerald is the tallest and strongest. But like them, she walked off the field in a Naperville North uniform for the final time having given her all and leaving behind no regrets before she heads to Tennessee, where she can cheer on DeCook. 'I feel like it was a good ending, a happy ending,' Fitzgerald said. 'Even though it's sad that it's over, I'm really happy I got to do it with this team with every single one of the girls.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Trent McDuffie.
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Trent McDuffie. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Kansas City Chiefs were in the middle of the road this past season in terms of passing yards allowed, but their secondary still has some very bright spots. Advertisement In a recent article by PFF's John Kosko, he ranks who he believes are the top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. At No. 3, he has Chiefs young star Trent McDuffie. "McDuffie, the highest-graded cornerback in PFF's advanced metrics in 2024, has been highly underrated to start his career," Kosko wrote. "His PFF advanced coverage grade ranks second across the past three years — and first across the past two years... The Chiefs don't ask McDuffie to shadow opposing receivers, but his ability to stay tight in coverage is elite." Some look at the fact that McDuffie didn't have an interception in his first two seasons and write him off, but he does so much more than that. In three seasons in the NFL, the 24-year-old cornerback has racked up an impressive 183 total tackles, and he has been able to show his versatility with 4.5 sacks. Where he shines is his ability to effectively lock up wide receivers, as he finished 2024 with a very solid 13 passes defended. Advertisement The Chiefs lost in the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles this past season, so McDuffie and the rest of the team's defense will be looking to help lead the team back to the playoffs to redeem themselves. Related: Chiefs' 'Biggest Priority' Key To Patrick Mahomes MVP Success Related: Chiefs Predicted To Continue AFC West Dominance With One Key Fix This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Young QB Draws Josh Allen Comparison From Former Buffalo Bill
Young QB Draws Josh Allen Comparison From Former Buffalo Bill originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Buffalo Bills' first two selections in the 2018 NFL Draft were quarterback Josh Allen, taken with the No. 7 overall pick, and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, taken with the No. 96 overall selection. Advertisement Phillips and Allen spent four years together as teammates on the Bills before Phillips signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, where he has remained since. Phillips watched Allen grow from a rookie who threw more interceptions than touchdowns, to a budding star and Pro Bowler who developed into a leader. Phillips is getting deja vu with his new young quarterback, J.J. McCarthy. "I've commented before about (how) he came to me the week after his injury to try to learn more about the defense," the Vikings defensive tackle said on Monday, via "Asking those great questions. He's really stepped up in the personal power role (this year). In the locker room, I'm constantly seeing him go up to new guys, to new players, dapping each other up, sitting on the couches and just having conversation. Where last year it was off to rehab, off to meetings. He understands that we have to build a family here and that you can't have unique results without unique relationships." McCarthy was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but missed his would-be rookie season due to a torn meniscus discovered in the preseason. McCarthy became the first quarterback in NFL history to miss his entire rookie season due to injury after being a first-round selection. Advertisement The injury has not deterred the former Michigan standout, who won a National Championship in 2023. According to Phillips, his blossoming leadership is reminiscent of Allen. "And then, man, he's got some confidence. And he reminds me of Josh Allen when I was with him in Buffalo, coming into his own and understanding the power that he has to lead this organization, and he's doing a fantastic job doing that." McCarthy was a highly-touted prospect in the draft. He threw 22 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, throwing just nine interceptions between his two final collegiate years. McCarthy led the Big Ten with a 72.3 percent completion rate in 2023. Related: Bills Signing Can Be More Than Just Emotional Reunion Related: Bills New Receiver Turning Heads in Josh Allen Offense This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
