The Big Ten, which has two teams — Nebraska and Penn State — in the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship, made its news off the court Monday.
In a surprise move, Michigan State and coach Leah Johnson “have mutually agreed that Johnson will step down as the program’s head coach, effective immediately.”
And more surprising is that Purdue, which finished fourth in the conference this seasson and advanced to the NCAA Tournament round of 16, is going to need some new players: Its two outsides, Big Ten first-teamer Eva Hudson and second-teamer Chloe Chicoine, are in the transfer portal along with middle Lourdes Myers.
There were other player moves, too: NCAA kills leader Caylen Alexander of Hawai’i is transferring to Missouri and Ohio State’s Emmi Sellman is going to Penn State.
These are strange times.
And this is a potpourri edition of Volleyball Today that includes news from USA Volleyball and our report on American women playing internationally:
Michigan State needs a volleyball coach
Michigan State, which finished 13-18 this season, 6-14 in the Big Ten, put out a fairly complimentary news release about third-year Johnson’s exit, including that, “This past season, Michigan State posted a 13-18 mark, including 6-14 in the Big Ten, including a win over No. 16 USC. MSU twice played in front of home crowds of more than 6,900 fans, as 6,930 witnessed a four-set win over Michigan, and 8,291 were in attendance vs. Nebraska, marking the second-largest crowd in program history.
“Johnson led the Spartans to 17 victories in 2023, the most by the MSU volleyball program since 2019. MSU’s nine conference wins were the most since 2017. On Oct. 28, 2023, Johnson and the Spartans defeated No. 13-ranked Penn State (3-2) which marked MSU’s first home win over a nationally ranked opponent since 2017.”
Read the entire news release here.
This is the fifth Power 4 opening after Wake Forest UCF and Cincinnati fired their coaches and Luka Slabe resigned from NC State.
Louisiana Tech of Conference USA hired Scott Mattera, coach of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, Read the LA Tech news release here.
Arizona-BGSU in NIVC championship match
Arizona (23-9) of the Big 12, which has won 10 matches in a row, three in the NIVC, plays host Tuesday to the MAC’s Bowling Green (25-9). The last time these teams met was in 1988.
The 8 p.m. Eastern start will be streamed on ESPN+.
Pro Volleyball Federation TV
Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) has a new TV agreement with FS1 and FS2, expanding its television coverage with 13 additional nationally televised matches in 2025. The deal
includes four matches airing on FS1 and nine on FS2, bringing PVF’s total national television footprint to over 24 matches across multiple linear and over-the-air networks.
The league also announced that it will have a mid-season all-star game in Indianapolis on February 22 and it will air on CBS.
USA Volleyball tabs Steve Bishop to be COO
USA Volleyball has appointed Steve Bishop as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective January 6, 2025. In this pivotal role, Bishop will oversee the organization’s day-to-day operations, driving growth, efficiency and the continued advancement of USA Volleyball’s mission to grow the sport nationwide.
Bishop brings more than 20 years of leadership experience, most recently serving with the Florida Region of USA Volleyball, where he spearheaded strategic growth in membership, sponsorships, and program development.
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Bishop has served multiple terms on the USA Volleyball Board of Directors and is currently the board president of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
USA women playing internationally
In the Champions League, Vasas of Hungary lost to to Turkish champion Fenerbahce in four sets but Taylor Bannister had 23 kills, hitting .340, three aces and a block … Nantes lost to Budowlani Lodz in four sets but Haylie Bennett had 16 kills and four blocks. Jess Robinson addeded with 12 kills, hitting .417, and a block … Malina Terrell led OK Tent’s five-set win over French champions Paris SC with 21 kills and a block. Kateryna Tkachenko, the Ukrainian who played at Clemson, had 15 kills and four blocks for Paris.
In the CEV Cup, Mulhouse was eliminated in five by Kuzeyboru despite Annayka Legros’ 14 kills (.458), two blocks and two aces. Katelyn Evans had with 18 kills and one block. Jasmine Gross added eight kills. Former Atlanta Vibe opposite Anna Lazareva (Russia) had 33 kills (.467) and three blocks in just four sets …Volero Le Cannet was also eliminated after losing a golden set to Asterix Beveren after initially sweeping the match. Morgahn Fingall led all scorers with 24 kills (.353), two aces, and one block … Tia Scambray’s efforts were not enough as NUC Viteos were eliminated by Radomka of Poland. Scambray was NUC’s top scorer with 21 kills and six blocks. Caroline Meuth had 10 kills, three blocks and an ace.
In the Challenge Cup, Riley Wagoner led CSM Targoviste into the quarterfinals by sweeping GEN-I Volley. Wagoner was top scorer with 15 kills (.500), two aces and a block. Maya Taylor added eight kills and an ace … Kyra Holt led Benfica into the quarterfinals with a four-set win over ASP Thetis. Holt had 15 kills and four blocks. ASP Thetis setter Maggie Speaks had a match-high six blocks and three kills and an ace.
In Türkiye, Dana Rettke had hit .600 with seven kills, two blocks and an ace as Eczacibasi earned a key win over rival VakifBank in four sets. Ali Frantti had three kills and a block as a substitute for VakifBank.
In Italy, Ashley Evans set Bergamo to a four-set win over Firenze. Her team hit .410 and she had two kills, a block and an ace.
In Brazil, Nia Reed and Praia Clube ended the match on a 7-0 run to claim the fifth set 15-12 over Minas. Reed had 19 kills and two blocks. Jenna Gray had 48 assists for Minas.
In France, Emily Holterhaus had nine kills and two blocks and was named MVP as Beziers beat Paris SC in four sets … Annayka Legros and Mulhouse outlasted Fingall and Le Cannet in five sets. Legros was named MVP as she had 17 kills (.640), six blocks and an ace. Katelyn Evans added 15 kills and an ace. Fingall led Le Cannet with 26 kills … Lauren Matthews was named MVP as Cannes beat Chamalieres. Matthews had 14 kills (.545), a block and an ace. Anna Katherine Griggs added seven kills (.778) and three blocks.
In Germany, Marta Levinska (Arizona State/Latvia) led Dresden’s four-set win over Wiesbaden with 22 kills (.360) and an ace …Eleanor Holthaus was named MVP as Potsdam swept Erfurt. Holthaus was top scorer with 19 kills and a block.
Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall class of 2025
National championship college coaches Jerritt Elliott from Texas and Chuck Erbe, formally from USC, along with Los Angeles City 10-time champion Howard Enstedt, headline the 2025 induction class for the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame (SCIVBHOF).
Also going in are standout indoor players Bob Samuelson from CSUN, Alix Klineman from Stanford, Krista Vansant Hendrickson from Washington and old-timer John Brame from USC.
Selected for their lifetime volleyball service are standout player and CIF championship coach Rocky Ciarelli of Huntington Beach HS fame, and former UCSB NCAA finalist Marc ‘Cubby’ Jacobs, who made a local career from public address announcing for both the Gauchos and UCLA Bruins. Both are deceased, but have left lasting volleyball memories.
The induction ceremony, however, is not until May 3, 2026, and will include the 2026 class that will be announced next year.
900 Square Feet, NCAA Championship edition
ICYMI, Emily Ehman and I talking about the NCAA Championship this week in Louisville and how the four teams got there. And more: