It was the match the Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.) volleyball team waited all season to play, and the Royals made the most of it.

After dropping the first set, Hamilton Southeastern battled back to win 3-1 (16-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-19) over McCutcheon in a Class 4A regional final Saturday, sending the Royals to the semi-state round and extending their winning streak to 32 matches.

The win avenged Hamilton Southeastern’s season-opening 3-1 loss to the Mavericks on Aug. 13. It also guaranteed the end of McCutcheon’s reign as 4A state champion.

So proud of this group. Defeating an unbelievably talented Mccutcheon team. pic.twitter.com/bOnELXTVaT

— HSERoyalsVB (@hseroyalsvball) October 23, 2022

In Saturday’s match, Hamilton Southeastern matched a season-high in kills with 59. Duquesne University commit Avery Hobson led the way for the Royals, finishing with 14 kills and 16 digs. Lauren Harden added 11 kills and six blocks, while Breonna Goss chipped in 10 kills and six blocks. Sophie Ledbetter paced Hamilton Southeastern’s defense with 23 digs, and Macy Hinshaw contributed 24 assists and 11 digs. Tiffany Snook finished with seven blocks.

Purdue commit Chloe Chicoine, the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2023, had a match-high 31 kills for McCutcheon, but it wasn’t enough to stymie the Royals, who used their size to their advantage and were dominant defensively.

The win over the Mavericks, who were previously ranked No. 3, vaults Hamilton Southeastern seven spots to No. 5 in this week’s Just Women’s Sports volleyball team rankings. The Royals will continue their quest for the 4A state title with a semi-state showdown against Lake Central on Saturday.

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

1. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), 35-0

Another victory brings another sweep for the Dons, who have yet to drop a set this season. They conclude the regular season Thursday against Del Norte.

2. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 55-2

Nayeli Gonzalez (573 kills) and Megan Fitch (495 kills) lead the Warriors’ high-powered offense, while Alex Manitzas has a team-leading 436 digs to pace the defense.

3. Mira Costa (Calif.), 35-3

The Mustangs had a .385 hitting percentage as a team in a sweep of Palos Verdes on Tuesday. They’ll conclude pool play in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division I Championships on Saturday against Mater Dei.

4. Westminster Christian (Fla.), 24-0

The Warriors defeated NSU University in straight sets Tuesday to advance to the Class 3A region semifinals. They’ll take on Riviera Prep on Friday, with a spot in the region final on the line.

5. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 32-1

Until Saturday’s win over McCutcheon, the Royals hadn’t dropped a single set in more than a month of action.

6. Washburn Rural (Kan.), 40-1

The Blues eased past Dodge City and Manhattan on Saturday to claim a sub-state crown and will now turn their attention to the Class 6A state tournament, which begins with pool play on Friday.

7. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 35-1

The Lions’ win over Ursuline Academy on Tuesday extends their winning streak to 23 matches. They wrap up their regular season Thursday against Liberty Christian.

8. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 42-1

The Mustangs claimed the Catholic High School League Bishop Division tournament championship with ease, defeating Mercy 3-0 on Tuesday to clinch the title. They went 6-0 on Saturday, winning 12 straight sets to earn a spot in the final.

Great day for both @MarianVarsity and our JV Mustangs! Varsity wins the @CHSL1926 Bishop Tournament and the Central Division. JV also earned a regular season Central Div Title. #MarianStrong pic.twitter.com/LH6enoDBN8

— Marian High School Athletics (@marianathletics) October 26, 2022

9. Highland Park (Texas), 39-2

Winners of 17 straight, the Scots wrapped up their regular season with a win over MacArthur on Tuesday. Led by 10 seniors, Highland Park will now turn its attention to the postseason.

10. Fayetteville (Ark.), 34-2

Stanford commit Brooke Rockwell finished the regular season with a team-leading 464 kills for the Bulldogs, who opened the Class 6A tournament Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Bentonville West. They’ll square off against Cabot on Thursday in the state semifinals.

11. Tompkins (Texas), 36-3

The Falcons knocked off Paetow in straight sets Tuesday to conclude the regular season. Cindy Tchouangwa has 487 kills to lead Tompkins, which has won 16 in a row entering the playoffs.

12. McCutcheon (Ind.), 33-2

Chicoine had 549 kills to wrap up her final varsity season, after the Mavericks were stunned by Hamilton Southeastern in a Class 4A regional final on Saturday.

13. Oconomowoc (Wis.), 35-1

The Raccoons opened the playoffs with a win over Neenah on Saturday and will take on Watertown on Thursday in a Division 1 sectional final. They’re led by Florida Tech commit Cordelia Kearns, who has 363 kills.

14. Marymount (Calif.), 30-7

The Sailors fell to Newport Harbor 3-2 in pool play of the CIF Southern Section Division I Championships on Tuesday but will try to stay alive when they face Sierra Canyon on Saturday.

15. Cypress Ranch (Texas), 41-2

The Mustangs have won 25 straight and will wrap up their regular season Friday at Fulshear. Texas A&M commit Bianna Muoneke leads Cypress Ranch with 742 kills on the season.

16. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 31-4

The Trailblazers are 2-0 in pool play of the CIF Southern Section Division I Championships after knocking off Huntington Beach in straight sets on Tuesday. Now, they’ll wrap up pool play and try to avenge a loss from earlier this month when they take on Marymount on Saturday.

17. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 35-3

The Saints claimed a sub-state title on Saturday and will now head to the Class 5A state tournament, which begins with pool play on Friday.

🏐Saints Volleyball
🏆Sub-State Champs@stasaintsvball pic.twitter.com/eICLDxmrD9

— GoAquinasSaints (@GoAquinasSaints) October 22, 2022

18. Yorktown (Ind.), 33-2

The Tigers avenged an early-season loss when they knocked off Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory 3-1 on Saturday. They followed that up by defeating Brownsburg in straight sets to claim the regional crown. Yorktown continues its quest for a Class 4A title when it takes on Floyd Central on Saturday in the semi-state round.

19. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 33-3

The Mighty Macs ended their regular season with a straight-set win over Argo on Tuesday. The sectional round awaits, as Mother McAuley begins postseason play Thursday against Lane Tech.

20. ‘Iolani (Hawaii), 23-5

The Raiders won their 10th in a row after sweeping Kapolei on Wednesday. The win advances them to the Division I semifinal round, where they’ll take on Mililani on Thursday.

21. Dike-New Hartford (Iowa), 43-2

The Wolverines claimed the Class 2A Region 4 title with a 3-0 win over Grand View Christian on Wednesday. Payton Petersen has 430 kills to lead Dike-New Hartford, which continues its quest for a third straight state championship Tuesday in a state quarterfinal match against Kuemper Catholic.

22. Buford (Ga.), 36-5

The Wolves downed East Coweta in straight sets Tuesday in the state quarterfinals, extending their winning streak to 16 matches. The win moves Buford into the final four in Class 7A, with a matchup against North Gwinnett slated for Saturday.

Final 4 Bound ✨‼️

Your Lady Wolves advance in the @OfficialGHSA AAAAAAA Volleyball State Tournament and will travel to North Gwinnett on Saturday. Time TBA! #BWOD pic.twitter.com/Ux7oWCp5wQ

— Buford Volleyball (@Buford_VB) October 25, 2022

23. Mater Dei (Calif.), 29-7

Straight-set wins over Palos Verdes and Lakewood send the Monarchs into a crucial battle of pool-play unbeatens in the CIF Southern Section Division I Championships. On Saturday, they’ll face Mira Costa, with whom they split a pair of matches earlier this season.

24. Saint Francis (Calif.), 28-0

The Lancers remain unbeaten after knocking off Archbishop Mitty in a 3-2 decision Tuesday. They begin action in the CIF Central Coast Section tournament this weekend.

25. St. James Academy (Kan.), 34-3

The Thunder swept Leavenworth and Spring Hill to claim a sub-state title in Class 5A. They begin pool play at the state tournament on Friday.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

US tennis star and world No. 12 Amanda Anisimova continued her breakthrough 2025 Wimbledon run on Thursday, taking down No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to punch a ticket to her first career Grand Slam final.

"This doesn't feel real right now," Anisimova said after winning the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 semifinal thriller. "I don't know how I pulled it out."

"It was such a rollercoaster match," the 23-year-old told ESPN. "[Sabalenka] is such a tough competitor, and I really had to give it my all to fight there to get the win."

As the first US player to reach a Wimbledon final since Serena Williams in 2019 — and the youngest from the US since Williams' 2004 run — Anisimova's meteoric 2025 rise comes just 18 months after she took an extended mental health break from tennis.

"A lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game," she said. "So just me being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritize yourself, that's been incredibly special to me."

Anisimova's semifinal win also continues a unique pattern for her home country, as Saturday's championship match is now the fourth straight Grand Slam final to feature a US player — a streak dating back to No. 3 Jessica Pegula's 2024 US Open championship appearance.

Even more, should Anisimova emerge victorious on Saturday, she'll join 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys and 2025 French Open winner No. 2 Coco Gauff in continuing a US sweep of this year's Grand Slams.

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Anisimova to face Świątek in 2025 Wimbledon final

To do so, however, Anisimova will have to defeat five-time Grand Slam winner and world No. 4 Iga Świątek in what will be the pair's first-ever senior-level match on Saturday.

Like Anisimova, the 24-year-old Polish phenom is on an unexpected Wimbledon run, as the London Slam's grass courts have historically hampered the clay-court specialist.

That said, Świątek dominated her Thursday semifinal against Switzerland's No. 35 Belinda Bencic, booking her spot in Saturday's title match in two quick 6-2, 6-0 sets.

"Tennis keeps surprising me," she said after the match. "I thought I had experienced everything on the court, but I hadn't experienced playing well on grass. That's the first time."

"Honestly, I never even dreamt that it was possible for me to play the [Wimbledon] finals, so I'm just super excited and proud of myself," Świątek added.

As for Anisimova, she's taking her championship match against the decorated Świątek in stride.

"I'm sure it'll be an amazing match. Getting to compete against an unbelievable player again is going to be super special," said the rising US star.

"Obviously I haven't been in a Grand Slam final before, but I've experienced a lot of moments similar and a lot of high-stakes matches," Anisimova noted. "I'm just gonna go out and enjoy every moment and try to not think about what’s on the line."

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon championship match

With this year's tournament guaranteed to crown a first-time Wimbledon champion, Anisimova will battle Świątek for the London Slam's trophy at 11 AM ET on Saturday.

The final will air live on ESPN.

Legendary USWNT attacker Tobin Heath officially announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday, nearly three years after playing her final professional match.

"Over New Year's, I actually came to the full acceptance that I wasn't going to be playing," the 37-year-old explained on her podcast, The RE-CAP Show.

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In her 13 years with the senior national team, Heath — widely regarded as one of the most technical players in US history — earned two World Cup titles (2015, 2019) and three Olympic medals (gold in 2008 and 2012, and bronze in 2021).

Across her 181 USWNT caps, the 2016 US Soccer Athlete of the Year logged 36 goals and 42 assists, making her final appearance for the States on October 26th, 2021.

At the club level, Heath spent seven seasons with the Portland Thorns, helping the team to NWSL Championships in 2013 and 2017, as well as the 2016 NWSL Shield.

While her career also included European stints with the Première Ligue's PSG as well as WSL sides Manchester United and Arsenal, Heath ended her pro run with the 2022 NWSL Shield-winning Seattle Reign, playing what would be her final soccer match on August 14th of that year.

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Injury ends Heath's soccer career

The end of Heath's career is not what the creative, nutmegging winger anticipated.

"I thought I was literally going to be peeled off the field," Heath told The Athletic on Wednesday.

However, a 2022 serious left knee injury left Heath unable to play soccer — even at a casual level — ultimately forcing her retirement.

"I tried f---ing everything to get back, I spent tens of thousands of dollars and [had] two surgeries, one crazy surgery," Heath said on her podcast. "And the whole time I believed I was going to get back."

"Football is a 360-degree sport, and I can't do it," she told The Athletic. "So that part is the hardest part. The actual playing of soccer is gone."

Heath still working to lift up women's soccer in retirement

Despite coming to terms with the end of her on-pitch career, Heath isn't leaving the world of soccer anytime soon, helping lead the newly launched World Sevens Football and joining FIFA's technical study group for the men's Club World Cup.

Elevating football — particularly the women's game — is a pursuit that began for Heath with the Portland Thorns.

"[Portland] showed what women's sports could be," she explained. "I was dreaming of the world that I wanted to create."

The 2019 World Cup run then solidified that mission, with the USWNT adding a fourth star to their crest while also facing a pressure-cooker of expectations amid political tension and a contentious fight for equal pay.

"You can't feel what we felt...and not believe that you're doing something so f---ing important for the world," said Heath.

"You feel that responsibility — and that's what it is — and you want to keep carrying that responsibility as far forward as you can."

USWNT and Chelsea FC forward Mia Fishel is officially heading back to the States, with the Seattle Reign announcing that the 24-year-old signed with the NWSL club on Thursday.

The multi-year deal will see Fishel join Seattle through the 2029 season on a contract reportedly worth nearly $2.5 million — the largest cumulative deal in NWSL history.

"We're absolutely thrilled to bring Mia into our squad," said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey in a club statement. "Mia's ability to disrupt defenses, finish in different ways makes her a dangerous addition to our group."

"Mia is a player with tremendous upside — a goal-scorer with presence, creativity, and a drive to keep growing," added Reign GM Lesle Gallimore.

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Notably, though the Orlando Pride originally drafted the San Diego product and UCLA alum in 2022, this week's move will see Fishel make her domestic debut, with the young talent opting to start her pro career in Mexico.

In her single season with powerhouse Tigres UANL, Fishel notched 17 goals in 17 games to become the first foreign athlete to win the Liga MX Golden Boot, all while leading the team to a league championship.

Following her Liga MX success, Fishel signed with Chelsea, spending two seasons with the WSL champions — though a February 2024 ACL tear limited the young attacker's impact on both club and country over the last 16 months.

Nicknamed "Big Fish," the NWSL debutant has big plans for her upcoming lengthy tenure with Seattle.

"I knew coming to the States, I'm gonna be on a team for the long run," Fishel told reporters. "I wasn't expecting to just hop from team to team. Like, no, I want to put stakes in the ground. I want to eventually lead this team."

This weekend's WNBA slate will see the No. 8 Indiana Fever aiming to right the ship, as the once-projected postseason contenders try to make a push prior to next weekend's 2025 All-Star break.

Despite seeing Caitlin Clark return from injury on Wednesday, the Fever will enter the weekend on a two-game losing streak.

"You should look yourself in the mirror and find ways you can get better, and then come back to practice tomorrow, and play again on Friday," Clark said after Indiana's 80-61 Wednesday loss to Golden State.

There's no immediate assist in the Fever's upcoming schedule, however, as they kick off the weekend against an Atlanta side that feeds on mismatches in the paint:

• No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): The Dream can put any team in a blender with their size and stretch capabilities, and Indiana will need solid three-point shooting to upend Atlanta.

• No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 9 Las Vegas Aces, Saturday at 4 PM ET (CBS): The short-handed Aces will hope to pounce on Golden State's mercurial road form, as Las Vegas tries to keep climbing the standings following a middling season start.

• No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 3 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): An injury-hampered New York will try to hold on against the formidable Dream, as the reigning champion Liberty keep battling while waiting for starters to return.