Sierra Canyon athletics may be most known for its basketball program, but the Trailblazers’ star power extends to the volleyball court. With No. 2 basketball recruit Juju Watkins and the rest of the Sierra Canyon basketball team looking on, the Trailblazers volleyball team swept No. 10 Mira Costa to win the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division I championship on Saturday.

Pitt commit Olivia Babcock had 22 kills on a .486 hitting percentage, junior Sade Ilawole racked up 50 assists and Lauren Lynch had 17 digs, as the Trailblazers staked their claim as one of the top teams in Southern California and the nation with the win.

Sierra Canyon girls volleyball 🏐: Div. 1 champions

28-26, 25-23, 25-23 sweep 🧹 against Mira Costa

Cerritos college@hw1972 ⁦@SierraCanyonFB⁩ ⁦@SCanyonSports⁩ ⁦@EdwardEstavanSR⁩ ⁦@Coach_Foof⁩ ⁦@sierracanyongbb⁩ ⁦@RubinSteph⁩ pic.twitter.com/SQ5gCdO082

— Jack Pollon (@pollonpreps) November 6, 2022

It didn’t get any easier for Sierra Canyon, though. Awarded the second seed in the CIF Southern California Open Division, the Trailblazers faced reigning state champion Marymount in the first round Wednesday.

It was the fourth meeting between the teams, and it was as tightly contested as the previous three. The Trailblazers showcased their championship mettle and managed a five-set victory for their third win of the season over the Sailors.

The Trailblazers’ next opponent is another familiar nemesis: Mira Costa. But for a program ascending to new heights, the limelight hasn’t bothered them yet.

Juju Watkins on seeing Sierra Canyon girls’ volleyball win the Division 1 title: “It’s cool seeing they’re number one, we’re number one … women supporting women.”

MacKenly Randolph on SC’s Olivia Babcock: “She’s a killer.”

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) November 6, 2022

Behind those two quality postseason victories, Sierra Canyon cracks the top 10 in this week’s Just Women’s Sports team volleyball rankings, rising seven spots to No. 8.

Check out the complete rankings below, and click here to see last week’s rankings.

1. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), 39-0

The Dons won the CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship last week and still haven’t dropped a set. Now, they must navigate a crowded Southern California Open Division to compete for the state title.

2. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 55-2

The Warriors’ season is over. Due to their national schedule, they won’t compete for a state crown.

3. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 34-1

Duquesne commit Avery Hobson was everywhere with 17 kills, 19 digs and 12 assists as the Royals defeated No. 19 Yorktown in three sets to win the Class 4A state title. After opening the season with a loss to No. 22 McCutcheon, Hamilton Southeastern did not lose again, beating McCutcheon in the regional championship.

VIDEO: HSE Volleyball is 2022 IHSAA 4A State Champions! pic.twitter.com/4WjCdbAkpF

— HSERoyalsVB (@hseroyalsvball) November 8, 2022

4. Washburn Rural (Kan.), 43-1

Star outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye, the No. 6 overall recruit in the Class of 2023, has officially signed a National Letter of Intent with Kentucky, where she will team up with Bloomfield Hills Marian setter Ava Sarafa.

5. Westminster Christian (Fla.), 27-0

After sweeping Lake Highland Prep in the semifinals, the Warriors must beat 20-win Clearwater Central Catholic to claim their first state title since 2016 and overcome three consecutive state championship defeats.

6. Fayetteville (Ark.), 36-2

The Bulldogs, who won a state title in late October, did not lose to an Arkansas team all season.

7. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 45-1

The Mustangs cruised to a district championship and then opened the Division I state playoffs with another sweep.

8. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 34-4

If the Trailblazers defeat Mira Costa in the regional semifinal, a potential matchup against No. 1 Cathedral Catholic looms in the regional final.

9. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 38-1

The Lions bring a 26-match winning streak into Friday’s Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 6A state semifinals.

10. Mira Costa (Calif.), 37-4

The Mustangs were handed their first loss since Oct. 1, falling to Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section Division I final, but they bounced back with an opening-round win in the Southern California Open Division.

11. Tompkins (Texas), 39-4

Rice commit Cindy Tchouangwa notched 21 kills, Erica Dellesky had 23 assists and Tendai Titley contributed 21 digs, as the Falcons swept Ridge Point to advance to the regional tournament for the first time in school history.

Tompkins takes the third set 25-23 and completes the sweep. The Falcons are headed to the regional tournament! pic.twitter.com/ZbDiN2hmTR

— Tyler Tyre (@TylerTyre) November 9, 2022

12. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 37-3

Michigan commit Ellie White had 10 kills, Northwestern recruit Gigi Navarrete compiled 16 digs and Tess Hayes played provider with 18 assists, as the Mighty Macs advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals.

13. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 40-3

The Saints are still savoring their Class 5A state championship.

14. Buford (Ga.), 38-5

The Wolves completed the three-peat, beating Lambert in a five-set thriller to win the Class 7A state championship. Mississippi State commit Ashley Sturzoiu led the way with 22 kills and 11 digs, while Polly Cummings had an astounding 48 assists, surpassing 1,000 career assists during the match.

15. Saint Francis (Calif.), 32-0

Taylor Williams racked up 29 kills and Havannah Hoeft had 42 assists as the Lancers beat Archbishop Mitty for the fifth time this season to win the Central Coast Section Open Division. Saint Francis picked up another win in the state playoff opener Wednesday.

16. Notre Dame Academy (Ky.), 34-5

The Pandas beat national power Assumption for the third time this season in the state semifinals and followed it up with a sweep in the state championship, as UNC commit Sydney Nolan recorded 18 kills. Louisville recruit Kamden Schrand added 22 digs, and Lauren Ott and Lizzy Larkins each had 20-plus assists.

17. Pope (Ga.), 45-5

The Greyhounds, who handed No. 20 Pace Academy their only loss this season, came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Sequoyah in a five-set thriller and capture their first state title since 2018.

Class 6A-State Volleyball Champions
🏐🏆 Pope Greyhounds 🏆🏐@mizunovolleyusa @MOLTENUSA pic.twitter.com/YalSWOr92P

— GHSA (@OfficialGHSA) November 5, 2022

18. ‘Iolani (Hawaii), 25-5

The Raiders already wrapped up the season as state champions.

19. Yorktown (Ind.), 34-3

The Tigers fell to Hamilton Southeastern for the second time this season, losing 3-1 in the state championship despite stellar performances from sophomores Charlotte Vinson (15 kills) and Addi Applegate (26 digs).

20. Pace Academy (Ga.), 42-1

The Knights won their sixth consecutive state title — in their third different classification — this past weekend when they swept Lovett in the 4A state championship. They appear primed for another state title run next season as well, with juniors leading the team in all major categories.

21. Papillion-LaVista South (Neb.), 34-5

The Titans started out the year in the top 25, and that’s where they’ll end it after winning the Class A state championship behind 25 kills from South Dakota commit Lauren Medeck and 21 kills from Hawaii recruit Stella Adeyemi.

22. McCutcheon (Ind.), 33-2

The team’s season ended with a loss to Hamilton Southeastern earlier in the playoffs.

23. Benet Academy (Ill.), 36-4

If the Redwings get past 39-1 Barrington in the state semifinals, a potential matchup against Mother McAuley looms in the 4A state championship.

24. Highland Park (Texas), 42-3

The Scots’ season ended with a four-set loss to Guyer in the 6A regional quarterfinals.

25. Immaculate Heart Academy (N.J.), 28-1

The Blue Eagles bring a 25-match winning streak into the state championship and have dropped just four sets all season.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

Top-seeded Montréal suffered a surprising loss in their first 2025 PWHL Playoffs game on Thursday, falling 3-2 to postseason debutant No. 3-seed Ottawa.

Despite a tense back-and-forth battle, Ottawa forward Shiann Darkangelo broke through with a third-period game-winning goal, pushing the Charge to an early lead in the best-of-five semifinal series.

The Victoire, who notably used their No. 1-seed advantage to handpick the Charge as their semis opponent, have yet to log a playoff win, adding Thursday's defeat to last season's first-round sweep by Boston.

Even so, Montréal is already viewing the loss as fuel to even the score this weekend.

"We outshot them, we had a lot of great opportunities. We were right there," said Victoire forward Laura Stacey. "If we can put that game together for a whole 60 minutes, it'll look scary I think."

Toronto takes Game 1 from defending champs Minnesota

In the PWHL's other semifinal matchup, No. 2-seed Toronto claimed a one-win advantage over No. 4-seed Minnesota on Wednesday, halting the defending champion Frost's late-season surge with a 3-2 Sceptres victory.

Captain Blayre Turnbull opened scoring in the first period, giving Toronto a lead that they never relinquished, while rookie Julia Gosling netted a second-period brace to secure the Sceptres' win.

Minnesota, acknowledging the tough road they face to return to the championship ice, has already set their eyes on Game 2.

"It's going to be a hard-fought series," said Frost head coach Ken Klee after the Frost's Game 1 loss. "We didn't get one tonight…[so now] we're looking forward to Friday."

How to watch the 2025 PWHL Playoffs this weekend

Toronto and Minnesota are back in action for Game 2 of their series at 7 PM ET on Friday, before traveling to St. Paul for Game 3 at 6 PM ET on Sunday.

Sunday will also see Montréal’s attempt to even their series with Ottawa, with the puck dropping on their Game 2 matchup at 2 PM ET.

All games will stream live on the PWHL YouTube channel.

The 2024/25 Women's Super League (WSL) season officially wraps on Saturday, with Chelsea preparing to claim even more history on the heels of their sixth-straight league title.

The still-undefeated Blues will face sixth-place Liverpool in their final outing, with Chelsea on the cusp of becoming the fourth-ever team to finish a WSL season unbeaten.

Should they do so, Chelsea will join 2012's Arsenal, 2016's Manchester City, and their own 2018 squad in achieving perfection — those this year's Blues would be the first to accomplish the feat in the expanded 22-match campaign.

While the team only needs a draw to remain undefeated, a win would secure Chelsea another record, becoming the first club to tally 60 points in a single campaign — two more than the current mark the Blues claimed in 2022/23.

Despite their astounding WSL record, the Blues have fought hard for their dominance this season, with first-year head coach Sonia Bompastor strategically using her entire roster to maintain the winning legacy left by now-USWNT boss Emma Hayes.

"Don't think it's easy. It's never easy," said Bompastor after Chelsea's 2024/25 title win. "It's a great achievement and a lot of work every day — I don't let my players breathe."

Battle for second-place continues on final WSL matchday

While Chelsea chases records, other top WSL clubs are still jockeying for positions on the league's final 2024/25 table.

Along with the Blues, Arsenal and Manchester United are locked into Champions League qualifying positions for next season — but United could leapfrog Arsenal for a second-place WSL finish on Saturday.

Separated by just one point, the Red Devils and the Gunners will face off against each other in the season's final blockbuster matchup.

Arsenal has extra incentive for a good showing, as the Gunners try to snap their two-game WSL losing streak and gain momentum before battling Barcelona in the May 24th Champions League final.

Chelsea also has a shot at another trophy looming, with the Blues chasing a second domestic treble — winning the league, FA Cup, and League Cup.

However, a tough Manchester United stands in the way of Chelsea's third and final treble title, with the pair facing off in the FA Cup's May 18th championship match.

How to watch WSL matches this weekend

All 12 WSL teams will kick off their season's last matches at 7:30 AM ET on Saturday.

Both Chelsea's game against Liverpool and Manchester United's visit to Arsenal will stream live on ESPN+.

As tune-up tournaments like this week's 2025 Italian Open dominate tennis ahead of the 2025 French Open, one familiar name is back in the headlines, with world No. 48 Naomi Osaka making significant strides on the clay court.

Coming off her first tournament win since 2021 at L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo — a WTA 125 event — last weekend, Osaka immediately advanced to the Italian Open's third round this week.

The four-time Grand Slam winner has shown glimpses of brilliance after returning from her 2023 pregnancy, with Osaka now aiming to keep up momentum on her historically weakest surface.

"Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst," Osaka posted after her May 4th victory. "That's one of my favorite things about life though, there's always room to grow and evolve."

Osaka isn't the only tennis star cooking in Europe, as heavy-hitters like world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Świątek, and No. 3 Coco Gauff also moved ahead in Rome as they look to hone their Roland-Garros form.

Not usually a clay court specialist, Sabalenka has looked particularly formidable, defeating Gauff to take the 2025 Madrid Open title just last week.

How to watch the 2025 Italian Open

The 2025 Italian Open's Round of 32 kicks off early Saturday morning, with continuing coverage on The Tennis Channel.

Fresh off winning their first-ever WNBA title, the New York Liberty will kick off their 2025 preseason slate with in a Friday night clash against the Connecticut Sun — despite the reigning champs looking a little worse for wear.

Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has been slowly recovering from offseason knee surgery, with the 30-year-old watching from the bench on Friday in an effort to return to full fitness for next week's season opener.

Similarly, star guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is likely out for the entirety of the 2025 WNBA season with a knee injury of her own, exiting the offseason 3×3 league Unrivaled with a meniscus injury in early March.

Meanwhile, starting sharpshooter Leonie Fiebich has yet to join the Liberty in training camp as the European standout finishes her overseas season with Spain's Valencia Basket.

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Liberty additions to make New York debut on Friday

That said, New York did manage to make a few savvy pick-ups ahead of the 2025 campaign, with the newly configured team eyeing a strong Friday showing to avoid rumors of a slow season start.

The Liberty traded for point guard Natasha Cloud and signed forward Izzy Harrison over the offseason, while also welcoming back guards Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardner.

Given New York's lengthy availability report, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello noted that the team's markedly late preseason start was not strategic, but merely a scheduling solution.

"Sometimes it's just out of our hands," Brondello told reporters. "This is the first home game that we've had because we've never been able to get the arena availability, so that's it. Ideally, we would have liked to play the game by now, but it is what it is."

How to watch the New York Liberty in the 2025 WNBA preseason

New York will tip off against Connecticut at 7 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.