The Riverside Bulldogs volleyball team has earned another sharp victory against the East Mills Wolverines on Monday night with a 3-0 score in the Class 1A Region 4 semifinals. From the first serve the high octane energy was set for this match as it points continued to go back and forth. At one point Riverside was up 15-10 with all the momentum and East Mills came all the way back to make it 20-18. Then Sophia Taylor added a few kills and a crucial block in the set to help the Bulldogs take it 25-22. Taylor on the night had 9 kills and 2 big blocks.

In the second and third sets Riverside was led by Bentley Rone with 11 kills, 21 assists, 3 blocks, 2 ace, 4 digs and Madison Kelley with 4 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs, and, 5 blocks. Both found success targeting the back row with their serves and clean sets top put their teammates swings in perfect position. Set two saw the same amount of intensity, but with the amount of confidence that Riverside gained from winning the first set they held on to win set two 25-21. Set three was much cleaner and filled with more precision with there Bulldogs going on a 7-0 run to clear the set and sweep the Wolverines 25-13.

Riverside Head Volleyball Coach Brooke Flathers was pleased with how her team closed out the third set going on that 7-0 run.

Coach Flathers also complimented on the fight and skill East Mills displayed throughout the match.

Heading into the Regional Final coach Flathers wants her team to stay focused on practice and not look too far ahead.

For the Class 1A Region 4 Finals, the Bulldogs will head to West Monona to take on the Akron-Westfield Westerners for an opportunity to head to State. KJAN will have the coverage with the pregame show beginning at 6:30pm.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Iowa State junior point guard Tamin Lipsey has been named to the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday.

Lipsey is one of four players from the Big 12 named to the 20-member watch list. A returning AP Honorable Mention All-American, Lipsey was a finalist for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year awards last season.

The annual Bob Cousy Award, named after the Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard, celebrates its 22nd year by highlighting the top point guard in Division I men’s college basketball.

Lipsey also got it done in the classroom, being named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team. He was also selected to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team after leading the Cyclones to their sixth Big 12 Championship. He was also named an NABC First Team All-District selection, named to the All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team last season.

Lipsey averaged 12.4 points, 4.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals in his sophomore campaign. He was one of 17 players in the country, and the first in Big 12 history, to average those numbers since 1996-97. Lipsey had a school-record steal streak of 34-straight games snapped this season. It was the second longest streak in the country. He has a steal in 66 of the 69 games he has played.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, November 1. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committee for the Bob Cousy Award is composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

The winner of the 2025 Cousy Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center).

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Tristen Newton, Connecticut (2024), Markquis Nowell, Kansas State (2023), Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (2021), Ja Morant, Murray State (2019), Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), and Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph’s (2004).

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior guard, Lucy Olsen, was to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason watch list by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on Monday.

Olsen was 1-of-20 student-athletes chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts that recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.

Olsen competed the previous three seasons at Villanova University. The Collegeville, Pennsylvania, native was third in the country in scoring (23.3 ppg) last season behind Caitlin Clark and USC’s JuJu Watkins. She scored over 20 points in 25 games this season, including surpassing 30 points in 10 of those games, with a career-high of 40 points against Temple. Additionally, she averaged 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. She was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press. Olsen also highlighted the All-Big East by earning first team accolades and the Most Improved Player Award last season.

In its 26th year, the award recognizes the top point guard in NCAA Division I women’s college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former University of Iowa player and assistant coach Kirk Speraw will be inducted into the University of Central Florida Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday as part of the Class of 2024.

The six-person class will be recognized at an induction banquet and the group will be honored on field at halftime of the UCF-Arizona football game.

Speraw, who served as the Knights’ head coach from 1993-2020, led the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances (1994, 1996, 2004, 2005), four Atlantic Sun Tournament titles and an A-SUN regular season crown in 2005.

During the 2006-07 season, Speraw was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year after guiding UCF to 22 victories and a runner-up league finish. He coached 18 all-conference selections in his 17 seasons and 54 academic all-league honorees.

In his career, Speraw coached a total of 43 years as an assistant coach at Iowa (1979-80, 2010-22), Denver (1980-82), Florida Southern (1982-87), Florida (1990-93) and head coach at Pensacola Junior College (1987-90) and UCF.

The Sioux City, Iowa, native was a two-time letterman (1978-79) as a Hawkeye, playing under Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2025 Bob Cousy Award and, in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2025 Nancy Lieberman Award.

A Waukee High School graduate, Dinnebier became ninth player in program history to win Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year last season and was also named to All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team. She earned MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team honors and collected Patty Viverito MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player award. The Waukee High School graduate was included as a finalist for Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award. She led Drake and was atop or near the top of the league with 18.1 points, 6.9 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game and eclipsed 1,000 career points as a junior, currently sits at 1,333. Dinnebier ranks 10th all-time with .370 career three-point percentage and second all-time with .856 career free throw percentage, fourth all-time with 548 career assists, marking the seventh player in program history to dish out 500+ assists, and cracked top 10 on all-time steals list with 188.

Now in its 26th year, the Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman. The entire list of preseason watch list candidates is included below.

*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2024-25 season.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, November 1. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Nancy Lieberman Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just 5. In March, the five finalists will be Lieberman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for Nancy Lieberman Award are composed of top men’s and women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

The winners of the 2025 Lieberman Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men’s and Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).

Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2022-24), Paige Bueckers, UConn (2021), Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (2018-20), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), Diana Taurasi, Connecticut (2003-04), and Sue Bird, Connecticut (2000-02).

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior return specialist Kaden Wetjen has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the Hawkeyes’ Homecoming victory over Northwestern. The announcement was made Monday by the Big Ten Conference office.

Wetjen (5-foot-10, 196 pounds) finished with 176 return yards against the Wildcats, including an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter. The 85-yard punt return for a score is a career long and the seventh longest punt return for a touchdown in program history.

The Williamsburg, Iowa, native has posted three straight games with 100+ return yards. He is the first Iowa player since at least 1978 with 100+ kickoff/punt return yards in three consecutive games. The last Big Ten player to accomplish the feat was Maryland’s Javon Leake in 2019.

Wetjen leads the country with 692 combined kick return yards, ranking eighth in punt returns (13.7) and 12th in kickoff returns (25.4). He is one of 40 players nationally to return a punt for a touchdown this season. Wetjen is also a candidate for the annual Jet Award, which recognizes college football’s top return specialist.

Wetjen is the third Hawkeye to earn Big Ten weekly honors this season. Kaleb Johnson was recognized with the offensive honor following his performance in Iowa’s win at Minnesota, while Aaron Graves was honored with the defensive accolade after the win over Washington.

Iowa (5-3, 3-2) returns to action on Saturday versus Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2). Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The game will be televised on NBC and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

A brutal schedule continues for Northern Iowa this week as the Panthers visit top ranked North Dakota State on Saturday. UNI is 0-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference and the four losses have come against ranked foes. UNI coach Mark Farley.

The Panthers are coming off a 49-42 loss to Missouri State. Farley is in his 24th season as head coach and does not remember any stretch of a schedule as tough as this.

Farley says the Panthers face another tough challenge.

Farley is looking for ways to fix a defense that is giving up more than 40 points per game in conference play.

Farley says a positive was the play of quarterback Matthew Schecklman. He was 20 of 30 through the air for 270 yards and three touchdowns.

Farley says a key for North Dakota State has been the play of quarterback Cam Miller.

Former Iowa offensive line coach Tim Polasek is in his first season as head coach of the Bison.