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Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
VOTE: IndyStar 2025 Girls Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year poll
IndyStar will once again be recognizing the top players in Indiana with our Volleyball Athlete of the Week poll. And with that season-long staple nearing its return, we thought what better way to kick things off than with a preseason Player of the Year poll! Scroll to the bottom of the article to vote. Voting is open until noon EST Monday. To nominate a player for our Player of the Week poll, submit the individual's name, school and notable stats via email or Twitter (@Brian_Haenchen) by Sunday afternoon each week. Indiana girls volleyball preview: What to know about 2025 IHSAA season Here are our preseason Player of the Year nominees. Listed as a defensive specialist and outside hitter, the junior Dayton commit recorded 428 digs and 110 kills over 95 sets last season. Breitwieser also set career-highs with her 57 aces and 69 assists. She has 667 digs through two varsity seasons. The Miami (Ohio)-bound senior notched 1,075 assists as a sophomore, then nearly matched that total with 980 (8.4 per set) last fall. She reached that total with just 10 ball-handling errors on 2,362 attempts. Brown — who also notched 86 kills, 50 aces, 33 blocks and 191 digs — has 2,870 career assists. A senior Bellarmine commit, Carnes contributes as both a setter and a hitter, bringing 1,879 assists and 843 kills (.347 hit%) entering her senior season. She accounted for 221 kills (.405 hit%) and a career-best 669 assists in 2024, rounding out her line with 65 aces (185 career), 23 blocks and 271 digs (908 career). Comer committed to Louisville following a sophomore campaign which saw her total 103 blocks (79 solo) and reset her career-high with 293 kills on .445 hitting in the middle. She also tallied 41 aces and 124 digs over 110 sets. The Loyola Chicago-bound senior attacker furthered her development following a strong sophomore campaign, racking up 485 kills on .307 hitting. She cleared 20 kills in four matches (reached 26 twice) and rounded out her 2024 line with 39 aces, 33 blocks and 270 digs. The 2026 Butler commit is coming off her most well-balanced season to date, having logged 325 kills, 102 digs and 97 total blocks for the Bull Dogs. She has 362 blocks and 778 kills for her career. Foster, a senior attacker, hit .370 and racked up 343 kills over just 89 sets for the sectional runner-up Bison. The Western Kentucky commit posted double-digit kills in all but 13 matches, averaging 3.9 per set. She rounded out her season line with 60 aces, 33 blocks (25 solo) and 232 digs, and enters her senior season with 1,050 kills through three varsity seasons. A senior Xavier commit, Haberthy quarterbacked a state champion Royals offense that hit .303 as a team and racked up over 1,300 kills. She averaged nearly nine assists per set, totaling 937 with only nine errors in 2,041 attempts. Haberthy, who's closing in on 2,000 career assists, rounded out her season line with 96 kills, 53 aces, 46 blocks and 206 digs. Widely regarded among the state's top 2028 prospects, Haffner racked up 453 digs and 60 aces across 108 sets in her debut campaign. She was charged with just 22 errors on 471 receptions and was one of 12 players selected to Team USA's U19 roster for the Pan American Cup over the summer. The 2026 Illinois commit led the Hornets to the Class 3A state final last season, averaging 5.6 kills over 121 sets (676 total, .373 hit%). Among her top performances were a 37-kill performance vs. NorthWood (.395 hit%) and a 36-spot (.414 hit%) vs. 4A Homestead. The 6-foot Harris — who has 1,164 career kills — also logged 127 aces, 53 total blocks and 265 digs. The senior IU commit made contributions both defensively (611 digs; 1,452 for her career) and offensively (106 assists; 337 career) for last season's sectional champs. Hepler also served up 55 aces and scored 55 points, and picked up the third assist of her career. Her 33 reception errors were a career-low. The 5-11 Alabama commit scored 425 kills in her third varsity season, putting her within reach of the 1,000-kill plateau entering the fall. Imes, a versatile hitter, also recorded 47 aces, 20 total blocks, 323 digs and five assists. Lemming accumulated 547 kills on .494 hitting over 81 sets last season (6.8 per set), leaving her with 1,289 entering her final varsity season. The Butler commit, who set a season-high with 51 kills on .610 hitting in a four-set win over Rensselaer Central, also notched 55 aces (112 points), 18 blocks and 332 digs. A 6-1 opposite side hitter, Lewis was the Irish's primary attacker, totaling 204 kills (428 career), 77 total blocks (37 solo), 38 aces and 62 digs over 88 sets. The Georgetown commit had 12 kills on .556 hitting in a two-set sweep of Center Grove and six total blocks in a four-set loss to Roncalli. Miles, a 6-1 Illinois commit, dazzled as one of HSE's primary attackers, racking up 411 kills on .402 hitting with 28 blocks, 11 aces and 80 digs over 104 sets. She had 15-plus kills in five matches, including a season-high 21 on .410 hitting in the semistate final vs. FW Carroll. A Florida Atlantic commit, Morgan marked her first full varsity season with 80 total blocks (15 solo) and 135 kills on .304 hitting. She posted six blocks against Floyd Central and Avon, and cleared on five other occasions. A 6-foot Kansas State commit, Resmer missed last season due to injury. She posted 82 blocks and 257 kills (.453 hit%) as a sophomore in 2023, and has 138 blocks and 450 kills (.356 hit%) entering her senior year. The 2027 Kentucky commit improved her efficiency (hit% increased from .306 to .377) as she cleared 300 kills for a second consecutive season (340; 721 career). She served 36 aces and 134 points, and rounded out her season line with 20 solo blocks (30 total), 251 digs and 59 assists for the regional champion Knights. The 5-11 Purdue commit is ranked tops at her position by Prep Dig Indiana and is coming off a career year for the regional champion Bulldogs. Schara scored 577 kills on .322 hitting (1,480 career), 57 aces, 27 blocks and 359 digs (1,012 career). She's the centerpiece of a very talented returning nucleus for Crown Point. Schembra maintained momentum from a strong freshman campaign, totaling 1,098 assists across 122 sets for the semistate runner-up Trojans. She rounded out her season line with 81 kills, 63 aces, 68 total blocks and 326 digs, and enters her junior year with 1,874 career assists. Another future Purdue Boilermaker, the 5-10 senior reset her career-high with 517 kills on .355 hitting. She tacked on 47 aces, 43 solo blocks (50 total), 358 digs and 25 aces to her season line and enters the fall with 1,174 kills, 104 blocks and 741 digs for her career. Shondell accumulated 750 assists while running a Mavericks offense that averaged around 10 kills per set. The senior Appalachian State commit also set career-highs with her 100 kills, 53 blocks, 39 aces and 181 digs. Shondell has 1,687 career assists through two-plus varsity seasons. The West Virginia-bound Smith reached 450 kills — her second consecutive season with at least that many — on .271 hitting. She also recorded 244 digs, 36 total blocks (22 solo) and 49 aces over 87 sets. Smith has over 1,200 career kills and is closing in on 1,000 career digs. Ranked No. 1 in her class by PrepDig Indiana, the senior Louisville commit was brilliant last fall, setting career-highs across the board with 76 blocks (37 solo), 329 kills on .454 hitting, 23 aces and 53 digs. The senior West Virginia commit was charged with just 19 errors on 317 receptions and dug out a career-high 311 shots (nearly matched her total from the previous two seasons combined). She also served up 37 aces and 216 points, and put down three kills.
NDTV
5 days ago
- NDTV
Drunk EasyJet Pilot Roams Naked In African Hotel's Reception, Gym, Spa
An EasyJet pilot was suspended after he was allegedly found drunk and naked at a luxury hotel in Cape Verde, West Africa. The pilot, scheduled to operate a flight from Cape Verde back to the UK the next day, was found in an inebriated state in the early hours. The pilot reached the five-star Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa on August 4 and was reportedly seen drinking at a bar, The Independent reported. At around 2.30 am, he was reportedly observed removing his clothes. After undressing, he walked through the hotel's reception area and then entered the gym and spa facilities. He was later recognised by one of the passengers of EasyJet, who reported the incident to the airline company. Around 36 hours later, on the afternoon of August 6, he was scheduled to fly back to Gatwick, but EasyJet replaced him. The airline stated, "As soon as we were made aware, the pilot was immediately stood down from duty, in line with our procedures, pending an investigation. The safety of our passengers and crew is EasyJet's highest priority." The distance between Gatwick and Cape Verde is about 2,332 nautical miles, one of the longest routes for any EasyJet flight in Europe. It usually takes around six hours to complete. A spokesperson for EasyJet told the BBC that the safety of the passengers and crew was the airline's "highest priority" and that the pilot was currently under investigation. Earlier this year, a Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested after he showed up to fly a Chicago-bound flight in a heavily intoxicated state. The passengers were accommodated on other planes, and the flight headed for Georgia operated about four hours after the scheduled takeoff.
Indianapolis Star
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
IHSAA volleyball preview: Indiana's top outside and opposite hitters to watch in 2025
The 2025 high school volleyball season is nearly upon us! Our Insider Brian Haenchen will be getting you prepared for the upcoming campaign with a week's worth of content, all leading up to the unveiling of our preseason Super Team on Aug. 13 and Central Indiana preseason Fab 15 on Aug. 14. Be sure to subscribe to IndyStar and follow Brian on Twitter for Indiana high school volleyball updates and coverage throughout the season. Today, we're looking at the state's top outside and opposite side hitters. A junior Michigan commit, Bombacino tallied 325 kills on .254 hitting for the sectional champions, who return their top two attackers and both starting setters. Bombacino also racked up 203 digs, 43 blocks and 72 aces over her 103 sets played. The Loyola Chicago-bound senior furthered her development following a strong sophomore campaign, racking up 485 kills on .307 hitting. She cleared 20 kills in four matches (reached 26 twice) and rounded out her 2024 line with 39 aces, 33 blocks and 270 digs. Volleyball state finals return to Indy: It felt inevitable. Reaction is nearly all positive The reigning Journal & Courier Small Schools Player of the Year, Foster hit .370 and racked up 343 kills over just 89 sets for the sectional runner-up Bison. The Western Kentucky commit posted double-digit kills in all but 13 matches, averaging 3.9 per set and setting her season-high with 20 in a four-set win over Evansville Memorial. She rounded out her season line with 60 aces, 33 blocks (25 solo) and 232 digs, and enters her senior season with 1,050 kills through three varsity seasons. The 5-9 senior hit .330 and tallied 287 kills across 99 sets. She notched a career-high 47 aces, 41 blocks (35 solo), a career-high 265 digs and 18 assists. Gumbel, who picked up a season-high 17 kills (.406 hit%) in a four-set loss to Homestead, enters her senior season with 493 kills and 94 total blocks across two-plus varsity seasons. Hanchar enjoyed a breakout junior campaign, totaling 339 kills on .310 hitting for the short-handed Irish. She also served 37 aces, blocked 39 shots (14 solo) and collected 252 digs. She is a 5-10 full-rotation hitter. The 2026 Illinois commit led the Hornets to the Class 3A state final last season, averaging 5.6 kills over 121 sets (676 total, .373 hit%). She's a prolific attacker, evidenced by her five matches with 30-plus kills. Among those outings were a 37-kill performance vs. NorthWood (.395 hit%) and a 36-spot (.414 hit%) vs. 4A Homestead. The 6-foot Harris, who has 1,164 career kills, also logged 127 aces, 53 total blocks and 265 digs. The 5-11 Alabama commit scored 425 kills in her third varsity season, putting her within reach of the 1,000-kill plateau entering the fall. She also recorded 47 aces, 20 total blocks, 323 digs and five assists. Two of Imes' best performances came against two of the best teams on the Eagles' schedule: Westfield (27 kills, .250 hit%) and Hamilton Southeastern (25 kills). A 6-2 Central Michigan commit, Jones totaled 56 blocks on the right side last season for the state champion Royals. She also put down 145 kills, 36 aces (166 points) and 62 digs. Jones blocked five shots in a 3-2 win over Tri-West in mid-September. Lemming accumulated 547 kills on .494 hitting over 81 sets last season (6.8 per set), leaving her with 1,289 entering her final varsity season. The Butler commit, who set a season-high with 51 kills on .610 hitting in a four-set win over Rensselaer Central, also notched 55 aces (112 points), 18 blocks and 332 digs. A 6-1 opposite side hitter, Lewis was the Irish's primary attacker, totaling 204 kills (428 career), 77 total blocks (37 solo), 38 aces and 62 digs over 88 sets. The Georgetown commit had 12 kills on .556 hitting in a two-set sweep of Center Grove and six total blocks in a four-set loss to Roncalli. The 5-11 Ohio-bound senior cleared 1,000 career kills, totaling 463 on .340 hitting to leave her three-year total at 1,035 (.280 hit%). Mahin also picked up 69 aces, 41 total blocks, 271 digs and 22 assists. A recent Ball State commit, the 6-1 Mandsager is back after missing her sophomore season due to injury. She was very good as a freshman, posting 216 kills on .230 hitting, 43 aces, 29 total blocks (24 solo) and 103 digs. Miles, a 6-1 Illinois commit, dazzled as one of HSE's primary attackers, racking up 411 kills on .402 hitting with 28 blocks, 11 aces and 80 digs over 104 sets. She had 15-plus kills in five matches, including a season-high 21 on .410 hitting in the semistate final vs. FW Carroll. The 2027 Kentucky commit improved her efficiency (hit% increased from .306 to .377) as she cleared 300 kills for a second consecutive season (340; 721 career). She served 36 aces and 134 points, and rounded out her season line with 20 solo blocks (30 total), 251 digs and 59 assists for the regional champion Knights. A rising 2028 prospect, the 5-7 Ritchie picked up 185 kills in her debut season (115 sets). She also registered 62 aces (228 points), 12 total blocks and 439 digs over 115 sets. Ritchie cleared 10 kills in five matches, posting a dozen against both Brebeuf Jesuit and Avon. The 5-11 Purdue commit is ranked tops at her position by Prep Dig Indiana and is coming off a career year for the regional champion Bulldogs. Schara scored 577 kills on .322 hitting (1,480 career), 57 aces, 27 blocks and 359 digs (1,012 career). She's the centerpiece of a very talented returning nucleus for Crown Point. Another future Purdue Boilermaker, the 5-10 senior reset her career-high with 517 kills on .355 hitting. She tacked on 47 aces, 43 solo blocks (50 total), 358 digs and 25 aces to her season line and enters the fall with 1,174 kills, 104 blocks and 741 digs for her career. Sinish, an IU Indy commit, cleared 1,200 career kills for the 4A state champs last season, totaling 494 on .351 hitting. She put down 23 kills in the semistate final vs. HSE, then notched 15 against Yorktown in the final. Sinish also logged 61 aces, 49 total blocks, and 236 digs. She has 128 blocks and 635 digs for her career. The 6-0 senior established herself as a key contributor to the HSE rotation last fall, registering 215 kills on .291 hitting over 102 sets. She had a season-high 18 kills in a five-set win over Zionsville and rounded out her season line with 43 blocks and 40 digs. Sliwa is a Ball State commit. The West Virginia-bound Smith reached 450 kills — her second consecutive season with at least that many — on .271 hitting. She also recorded 244 digs, 36 total blocks (22 solo) and 49 aces over 87 sets. Smith has over 1,200 career kills and is closing in on 1,000 career digs. A 6-1 Missouri commit, the multi-sport Stahley set career-highs across the board with 394 kills on .350 hitting, nine aces, 31 total blocks, 80 digs and 11 assists. She had 12 kills in the state championship match vs. Angola, and enters her final varsity season with 641 career kills. The Notre Dame commit is back for her senior year after missing most of last season due to injury. Stegall, a 5-11 outside, had 235 kills, 60 digs, seven aces and 26 blocks as a freshman in 2023. The rapidly rising sophomore made quite the impression as a freshman, totaling 404 kills on .302 hitting, 31 aces, 35 total blocks and 242 digs. Utterback cleared 20 kills in five matches, including a career-high 28 (.345 hit%) in a five-set loss to Brownsburg in the sectional. The SMU commit fought through injury to help the Bruins reach the 3A state semifinals, recording 243 kills on .255 hitting, 40 aces, 62 total blocks and 147 digs over 90 sets. She had 10-plus kills in 10 matches, including a season-high 15 in a four-set win over eventual 2A state champ Western Boone. More names to know: Rylee Bumgardner, Danville; Callie Gibson, Brownsburg; Addison Jones, Barr-Reeve; Lanie Marie Graber, Barr-Reeve; Natalie Sevier, New Palestine; Ella Warrick, Linton-Stockton; Sophie Wischmeier, Brownstown Central.
Mint
31-05-2025
- Mint
Kansas man arrested for dragging American Airlines flight attendant up the aisle mid-air, faces up to 20 years in jail
A 24-year-old man from Kansas has been arrested for assaulting an American Airlines flight attendant on board, reports quoting prosecutors have said. According to a report by The New York Post, the man, identified as Julius Jordan Priester assaulted the flight attendant after ripping off his shirt. He allegedly threw the employee to the ground and dragged them up the aisle, as per the report quoting prosecutors. Priester, a 24-year-old resident of Wichita, boarded the American Airlines flight from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut. The Department of Justice said he was arrested and charged for assaulting the cabin crew member. The incident happened at around 10 pm when the Chicago-bound flight was mid-air, The Post reported, resulting in chaos. 'Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling 'Help me,'' United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan was quoted as saying. Priester then grabbed the victim who was seated, forcefully bringing them to the ground. 'He then grabbed a flight attendant ('the victim'), who was seated, shouted, 'You're coming with me,' and forcefully brought the victim to the ground,' Sullivan said. The attacker tried to drag the cabin crew member up the aisle but was stopped by passengers who rushed to save the employee. Sullivan's office further added that Priester continued to shout incoherent comments even after passengers helped him get seated. American Airlines issued a statement regarding the matter, lauding its cabin crew members for their assistance. 'We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance,' it said. However, the incident forced the pilot to divert the plane back to Bradley after the captain declared an emergency. Following the safe touchdown of the flight, Connecticut State Police arrived onboard to arrest Priester, who was then taken to a hospital for evaluation. Prosecutors have also revealed that Priester already has a criminal history in Kansas, with charges including that of an aggravated assault. He is currently in police custody and will be produced at the court soon. Priester can face imprisonment for up to 20 years with charges of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. The condition of the affected flight attendant has not been revealed.
NDTV
31-05-2025
- NDTV
US Man Charged For Assaulting American Airlines Flight Attendant In Mid-Air Meltdown
A 24-year-old Kansas man has been charged after he allegedly grabbed a flight attendant and dragged her up the aisle of a Chicago-bound flight, leaving from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut. The Department of Justice said Julius Jordan Priester was arrested and charged with assaulting the cabin crew member. The incident took place on Tuesday (May 27) when the American Airlines flight was over 30 minutes into the journey, according to a report in the New York Pos t. United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan said Priester stood up, started taking off his shirt and ran to the back of the plane yelling, "Help me". He added that Priester then grabbed a flight attendant, who was seated, and shouted, 'You're coming with me,' and forcefully brought the victim to the ground. As the kerfuffle ensued, several passengers intervened and managed to subdue Priester, bringing him back to his seat in the process. Although he continued acting erratically and making incoherent statements, the authorities added. Priester arrested The plane was diverted back to Bradley after the captain declared an emergency. As the plane safely touched down, Connecticut State Police arrived onboard and arrested Priester, who was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The condition of the flight attendant, whose identity has not been disclosed, remains unknown. Meanwhile, American Airlines issued a statement, lauding the flight crew for their reaction to the incident. 'We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance,' the statement said. Prosecutors revealed that Priester already has a criminal history in Kansas, including an aggravated assault charge. Priester remains in police custody with a court hearing lined up. The charges of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum term of 20 years of imprisonment.
