When Cathedral Catholic’s Julia Blyashov steps onto the court, she turns heads. At 6-foot-3, it’s hard to miss her. But during the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Open Division State Championship against Saint Francis on Nov. 19, she wasn’t on the court.

The senior outside hitter and future Stanford freshman suffered an ankle injury in Cathedral Catholic’s semifinal win, forcing her to miss the biggest game of the season. But if Blayshov was feeling cheated or frustrated by the situation, she didn’t show it.

“I wouldn’t have changed anything about that night,” she says.

Blyashov stayed active on the sidelines, offering guidance from her new vantage point as the team rolled to a straight-set victory and handed Saint Francis its first loss of the season.

“Even though I was out, I was still trying to contribute. I was cheering everyone on,” she says. “When I say all these girls are my best friends, they are. Being able to be there, and just being in that environment was awesome. I was so excited during, and especially after.”

Though she didn’t step foot on the court during the state title game, Blyashov made an indelible mark on the team during the season. Cathedral Catholic dropped one set all year on their way to a 42-0 record and the final No. 1 ranking in JWS’ season-long poll. Blayshov led the way from beginning to end, earning 2022 JWS Volleyball Player of the Year honors as a result.

“We got where we were because of Julia … she’d be the one terminating a lot of the plays,” Dons head coach Juliana Conn says. “We need a point, set — Julia.”

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Blyashov led the team in kills this year and is often lauded for her powerful swings, but Conn is most impressed with Blyashov’s passing.

“Passing is the hardest skill in volleyball. Throughout the year, her ball control has increased tremendously,” Conn says. “People are going to give the most credit to the kids who are terminating plays. But Julia is more than that. She’s always been more than that.”

Cathedral Catholic had 10 seniors on the team this year, and each of them took on a different role. Blyashov, Conn says, is an approachable leader. Not known for being loud or seeking attention, Blyashov instead instilled confidence in her teammates through her calm demeanor and measured approach to the game.

Blyashov started playing volleyball around the age of 7, after a stint as a rhythmic gymnast. Even when she was young, Blyashov’s height set her apart.

“I realized I was a foot taller than everyone,” Blyashov says. “My parents were like, ‘I think it’s time to find another sport.’”

So they took her — against her wishes — to a volleyball camp. And while she wasn’t excited at first, the moment she felt her hands hit the ball, she knew volleyball was the sport for her.

In the decade since that first camp, Blyashov has amassed a laundry list of accomplishments. In addition to starring on Cathedral Catholic’s indoor and beach volleyball teams and WAVE, a premier club team in California, Blyashov has represented USA Volleyball at the highest youth levels.

In 2021, she won a bronze medal with the U.S. U18 team at the Federation Internationale De Volleyball (FIVB). This year, she went a step further, winning gold at the U19 Pan American Cup and tying for the most kills in the championship match with eight. With the victory, Team USA qualified for the world championships next year in the Netherlands.

“It’s such an honor to be on the team and represent the USA and red, white and blue,” Blyashov says.

With the Dons season over, she’ll turn her attention to WAVE, where Conn is also a coach. The two have known each other for six years now. When that season ends and Blyashov packs her bags to head to Stanford next fall, she jokes that she wouldn’t be surprised if Conn follows behind.

“I’m grateful for everything she’s taught me. She’s tough, but I like tough coaches,” Blyashov says. “I’m expecting her to be there. I love her, not only as a coach but as a person.”

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Stanford has always been Blyashov’s dream school. For as long as she can remember, she’s been going to the campus to watch her brother’s water polo tournaments, and she has fond memories of watching two-time National Player of the Year Kathryn Plummer win three national championships with the Cardinal.

“I was in love with the campus,” she says. “I just have chills talking about it right now.”

She says she’s looking forward to being challenged by the best teams in the country. With so many of her childhood dreams coming true, Blyashov has her sights set on new ones — a national championship and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

“I’m definitely excited for baby Julia,” Blyashov says.

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the 2025 resurgence of the San Diego Wave, a team currently sitting in third on the NWSL table following a disastrous 2024 season.

First, Watkins chats through the Wave's 2024 on- and off-pitch losses, from the abrupt firing of head coach Casey Stoney to the midseason retirement of superstar Alex Morgan to the transfers of franchise players Abby Dahlkemper and Naomi Girma — moves that left the 2023 Shield-winners below the 2024 postseason cutoff line.

Given the 2024 upheaval, "San Diego was set up to surprise," says Watkins. "They not only look better this year than they did last year, but right now they look better than a lot of the other teams in the league despite that talent loss."

There are two reasons for the Wave's 2025 rise, argues Watkins, starting with roster construction. San Diego has a bevy of young talent, including 17-year-olds Kimmi Ascanio, Trinity Armstrong, and Melanie Barcenas, as well as notable NCAA signings in Quincy McMahon and Trinity Byars — proving the Wave is flourishing in the NWSL's post-draft era.

"This is the new era of NWSL where teams, if they can sell young players on the future, they don't have to give up assets to sign those players," explains Watkins. "The best pitch wins. And San Diego, for all of their troubles last year, seems to still have a pretty compelling pitch to get these players to sign for them."

Along with the ability to identify and sign top young talent, explains Watkins, the Wave is also putting together a fast, creative style of play that is allowing San Diego to dominate possession and snag wins.

Could San Diego be in its "dynasty build" era?

Looking forward, while San Diego is clearly on the upswing, Watkins outlines the possible final components the club still needs to push them to the top of the league.

Noting that a young core is likely to struggle with consistency, Watkins says that some midseason pickups to either "let that offense go supernova or [to secure] a veteran stabilizing midfield force would be really useful for them."

Ultimately, Watkins questions San Diego's future in the context of the club's 2024 exodus and 2025 success, asking "Is this a setup for a five-year dynasty build, or is this a team that is always going to be stuck in this cycle of strong talent ID, good development —but then those players move on?"

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

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Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawson will lead a different team this NCAA offseason, taking on sideline duties for Team USA at this summer's 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Chile, USA Basketball announced on Tuesday.

Likely one of the last coaching decisions handled by committee, Lawson — alongside assistants DeLisha Milton-Jones and Jennie Baranczyk, the head coaches of Old Dominion and Oklahoma, respectively — will aim to return the four-time champions to the top of the biannual tournament's podium, after falling short to Brazil in the 2023 gold medal game.

The 2005 WNBA champion boasts a long history of success with USA Basketball, earning 2008 Olympic gold amid multiple medals as a player before beginning her coaching career.

Since then, the 44-year-old helped lead various USA Basketball teams to an astounding 75-5 competition record, picking up nine gold medals along the way.

Most recently, Lawson added 2024 Olympic gold as an assistant coach to her inaugural 3x3 Olympic championship as a head coach at the 2021 Tokyo Games.

"I'm incredibly honored," said Lawson in a USA Basketball statement. "It's such a gift. It's a gift that has given me so much over the years as a player, as a committee member, and as a coach. I've always tried to compete and give my best.... That won't change this summer."

Taking place in the middle of the 2025 WNBA season, the Team USA roster could feature NCAA talent.

"The goal is to put together a competitive team, one that represents all the standards that we hold dear to us," added Lawson.

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup team that Lawson will lead will be announced after next month's trials, shortly before the tournament tips off on June 28th.

FIFA announced the eight cities that will host matches at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil on Wednesday, primarily selecting sites on the South American country's East Coast over tropical regions that require more extensive travel.

In addition to Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracanã Stadium, the tournament's 64 games will take place across Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and São Paulo.

"The selection of the host cities represents the moment where the dream begins to take shape," said Brazil’s minister of sport André Fufuca. "Each of the selected host cities represents Brazil — a diverse and vibrant Brazil, with people who are passionate about football, and places that already live and breathe the sport and that will now have the opportunity to leave a transformative legacy for their communities and for generations to come."

The 32 teams battling for the 2027 World Cup will begin their hunt on June 24th of that year, with the final taking place on July 25th.

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Marta, Formiga help announce 2027 World Cup cities

To bolster the news, FIFA tapped famous Brazilians for its announcement video, including star futsal player Amandinha and two-time NWSL champion Debinha.

Also helping drop the eight cities were the country’s most iconic women's soccer legends, Marta — the World Cup's all-time leading scorer — and Formiga, the only athlete to compete in seven editions of the tournament.

"I won't be on the pitch in 2027, but I'm always ready to represent Brazilian football – even more so at a special moment like this," said the retired Formiga.

"I know every corner of our country, and I can tell you: Each of these cities is full of women's football talents who need support and inspiration," she continued. "The Women's World Cup will be an opportunity for them to see the greatest up close and think, 'If they can be there, so can I.' That's the impact that only an event of this size can have."

Using the 2027 World Cup — the first ever hosted in South America — to grow the women's game is top-of-mind for former player Mariléia "Michael Jackson" dos Santos, who now serves as the country's director of women's football promotion.

"We want to create a solid network that will last well beyond 2027," said dos Santos. "The idea is to decentralise the impact so that women's football flourishes in every corner of the country."

"It's a unique opportunity to change the game, and we're going to make the most of it because Brazilian women's football deserves it, and so do the girls in our country."

WNBA teams continued to trim their 2025 rosters this week, as preseason matchups set the stage for the league's May 16th regular-season tip-off.

After wrapping their 2025 preseason slate on Tuesday, Wednesday saw the Las Vegas Aces waive Harvard alum Harmoni Turner — drafted 35th overall last month — and fourth-year veteran center Queen Egbo.

Turner was the Aces’ third-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/buxEKqdVVe

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) May 7, 2025

Other standouts recently shown the door include Indiana Fever recruit Bree Hall (20th overall pick from South Carolina), the Seattle Storm's Madison Conner (29th overall pick from TCU), and Minnesota Lynx rookie Diamond Johnson (undrafted from Norfolk State).

While teams can sign up to 18 athletes to training camp rosters, they must whittle their lineups down to the league's regular-season max of 12 players, a system that sparks lots of movement — both in cuts and additions — in the days leading to tip off.

To that end, after the Golden State Valkyries cut their 17th overall draft pick Shyanne Sellers on Saturday, the Atlanta Dream snatched up the Maryland grad on waivers on Monday — just in time for their final preseason showdown with Indiana on Saturday.

Also receiving good news this week was Dallas's Maddy Siegrist, as the third-year forward saw the Wings exercise her fourth-year rookie option on Tuesday.

Alongside Indiana's 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, Villanova grad Siegrist and the former South Carolina standout are the only 2023 draftees officially on rosters before the 2025 season's start.

Flush with talent and low on roster spots, the WNBA has long been one of the hardest sports leagues to secure a place in — and even more fan favorites are likely to land on the chopping block in the coming days.