JWS Staff
Nov 29, 2022
Defending champion Wisconsin volleyball ended its regular season on an 18-match winning streak.
The Badgers have not lost since Sept. 25, even as the team endured a tough Big Ten schedule and the turmoil of a photo leak investigation, and now they enter the NCAA tournament with a 25-3 overall record and the No. 1 seed.
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) November 28, 2022𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙊𝙢𝙖𝙝𝙖 begins now.
Badgers earn the No. 1 Seed in the Top Right Region. pic.twitter.com/BPSfSPSNHc
The University of Wisconsin athletic department announced on Oct. 19 the investigation into a a leak of private photos and videos of Badgers women’s volleyball players, which were then shared on the internet.
At least one of the photos appears to have been taken after the team won the Big Ten title last November and shows members of the team posing with their sports bras lifted, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The athletic department called the leak a “significant and wrongful invasion” of the athletes’ privacy. Yet even after the off-court issue, which highlighted the vulnerable position of college athletes, the Badgers continued to roll.
Wisconsin finished its conference season Saturday with a 3-1 win against Ohio State, clinching a 19-1 conference record and theBig Ten title. The only loss came on Sept. 25 against Minnesota.
“There was so much learning that came from our one loss against Minnesota,” coach Kelly Sheffield said. “That was really important for where we are right now. There was so much opportunity for us to learn throughout the course of the year and I am so proud of them.”
The 18-match winning streak is tied for the second-longest winning streak in program history. The 19-1 conference record is tied for the best conference record in program history.
Wisconsin already has sold out all-session tickets to its first- and second-round matches in the NCAA tournament. The Badgers will start their quest for a repeat title at 8 p.m. ET Friday against Quinnipiac.
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Meredith Heil
Jun 21, 2024
Five months after announcing that the Washington Spirit had hired Barcelona Femenà coach Jonatan Giráldez as the team's new head coach, Giráldez has joined the club in Washington, DC.
Giráldez is coming off of a successful season with the Spanish side, having won UEFA Women's Champions League, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa, and Liga F in his final season to complete a lauded Quadruple.
While Giráldez was finishing out his tenure in Europe, Adrián González filled in as Spirit interim head coach. González has also seen success, leading the team to its third-place standing with a 9-3-1 record through 13 games.
“I’m thrilled to join the Spirit and begin this next chapter with the club,” Giráldez said in an official team statement. “To be part of the vision Michele Kang has for the Spirit and women’s soccer globally is an exciting opportunity.”
Giráldez has worked at Barcelona since 2019, initially coming on as an assistant coach before moving up to head coach in 2021. The team went 30-0-0 on the season under Giráldez during his first year as manager.
He brings along with him Andrés González and Toni Gordo, who will serve as the Spirit's Fitness Coach and Club Analyst, respectively.
Meredith Heil
Jun 21, 2024
TheUS Olympic Track & Field Trialsbegin on June 21st, kicking off a 10-day quest to determine who will represent the US in Paris this summer.
The crucial meet will take place in Eugene, Oregon, where the top three finishers in each event will punch their ticket to the 2024 Olympics. As with this past week'sUS Swimming Trials, even the most decorated athletes must work to earn their spot — and one bad performance could undermine four years of preparation.
Reigning100-meter World Champion Sha'Carri Richardsonheadlines this year's field, as the 24-year-old looks to qualify for her second Olympic Games and compete in her first. Richardsonis a world champion in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint, but missed the Tokyo Olympics due totesting positive for THCshortly after the last US Olympic Trials.
Other standouts include400-meter Olympic gold medal-winning hurdlerSydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who's currently the most decorated athlete in the active women's US Track & Field pool. McLaughlin-Levrone qualified to run in the 200-meter and 400-meter flat races alongside the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic Trials, but opted to focus solely on her signature event.
800-meter specialist Athing Muwill also be a huge draw this week, as the Olympic gold medalist looks to shake off a lingering hamstring injury while pursuing her second Summer Games. Gold medal-winning pole vaulter Katie Moonwill also attemptto qualify for her second-straight Olympic Games.
Ole Miss star McKenzie Longcould be Richardson's greatest competition in the 100-meter and 200-meter events, as well as Richardson'sWorlds teammateGabby Thomas in the 200-meter. In field events, watch forOregon senior Jaida Rossgoing head-to-head with reigning world championChase Jacksonin the shot put, as both push for their first Olympic team berth.
Regardless of why you tune in, the US Olympic Trials are a perpetually thrilling and sometimes brutal qualification process. If you're able to make your way to the head of the pack, a shot at Olympic glory might just be waiting at the finish line.
Fans can catch live coverage throughout the Trials viaNBC, USA, and Peaco*ck.
Meredith Heil
Jun 21, 2024
As the NWSL season continues,a few top-performing clubs will have a chance to boost their standings this weekend.
First-place Kansas City will travel to Providence Park to take on fifth-place Portland, asthe Currentlook to keep their unbeaten streak intact. And in New Jersey, third-placeWashingtonwill take on fourth-placeGotham FC, with both teams attempting to extend multi-game unbeaten streaks.
A six-point gap has opened between the fifth and sixth spot on theNWSL table— with just six points also separating the league's top five. Kansas City, Orlando,Washington, Gotham, and Portland have recently proven themselves to be a cut above the rest of the competition. With eight postseason spots up for grabs and half the season behind us, a pattern is forming that indicates the playoff race could come down to spots six through eight on the NWSL table.
Of those top five teams,only Orlando faces an opponent in the bottom half of the league this weekend: The Pride will take on 14th-place Utah, who nonetheless are coming off awin— just their second of the season — over Bay FC last weekend.
But despite Kansas City and Orlandohaving yetto lose a game, Gotham might be the squad coming into the weekend with the most momentum.
Clutch goals fromRose Lavelleand rookie Maycee Bell gave the Bats a 2-0 midweek win overSan Diegoon Wednesday, in a rematch of the2024 Challenge Cup. Gotham's unbeaten streak dates all the way back to April, as rising availability and sharpened form have honed this year's superteam into a contender.
Bottom line? As the NWSL season passes thehalfway mark, some matches might begin to feel more like playoff previews than mere regular season battles.
Emma Hruby
Jun 20, 2024
Chelsea Gray made her return to the basketball court on Wednesday, helping the Aces to a 94-83 win over the Seattle Storm.
The lauded point guard missed the first 12 games of the season, having been injured in last year’s WNBA Finals. The left foot injury caused her to miss Game 4 of the championship series, and she’s continued to rehab it through the beginning of the 2024 season.
Her return on Wednesday was capitalized by the fact that she needed just 20 seconds to make an impact and record her first assist. While she finished with just one point, she had seven assists, four rebounds, and two blocks to go alongside it in 15:30 minutes. Gray's contributions on the night brought her career assist record up to 1,500.
"I probably went through every emotion leading up to today," Gray said after the game. "I was a little anxious all day. It's been a long time since I've been out on that court. But the fans were amazing from the time I came out to warm up to the time I checked in the game. It was a rush and a feeling I missed a lot."
It’s been a roller coaster of a season so far for Las Vegas, who have lost five of their last seven games. Gray, who averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 2023, has proven herself a much-needed addition to the team’s lineup.
"Felt like my heart," Aces coach Becky Hammon said when asked how she felt hearing the crowd erupt for Gray's return. "She's the leader of our team. I thought she did a wonderful job too."
