Mother McAuley (Ill.) volleyball is a decorated program that has claimed 15 state titles, as well as a national championship in 2016. But the Mighty Macs achieved a first this past weekend when they won the prestigious Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament, defeating national powerhouse Assumption (Ky.) in the championship.

The Chicago school won all six matches in the 24-team field, which had a combined 122 state championships, and they capped the run with a sweep of Assumption, which was previously unbeaten on the season and is a 22-time state champion.

No caption needed. #MACS pic.twitter.com/eJJ98EIVgt

— McAuley Volleyball (@McAuley_VB) September 11, 2022

The tournament title prolonged an undefeated start to the season for the Mighty Macs and showcased the skill of Michigan commit Ellie White, who finished with 26 kills and already has more than 200 on the year.

Not to be outdone, Northwestern commit Gigi Navarrete was virtually everywhere on defense with 22 digs against Assumption, pushing her past 150 for the season.

Behind that outstanding play and on the back of a stellar tournament run, Mother McAuley has risen 12 spots to No. 10 in this week’s Just Women’s Sports volleyball team rankings.

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

1. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), 17-0

The Dons cruised to another tournament title, beating reigning state champion Marymount in the Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament championship. They have yet to drop a single set this season.

2. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 22-0

Kentucky commit Ava Sarafa is averaging nearly 10 assists per set, setting up a trio of attackers that all have more than 100 kills.

3. Byron Nelson (Texas), 28-1

The Bobcats have reeled off 18 consecutive wins and avenged their only defeat with a win over Southlake Carroll on Friday.

4. Westminster Christian (Fla.), 11-0

The Warriors have two wins over out-of-state competition, including No. 5 Cornerstone Christian.

5. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 43-2

After falling to Westminster Christian, the Warriors have reeled off seven sweeps in a row.

6. Dike-New Hartford (Iowa), 17-1

The Wolverines look to win their second title this season when they host the Dike-New Hartford tournament this weekend.

7. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 25-1

The Lions won their district opener Tuesday. Their sole blemish remains a loss to Cornerstone Christian.

The Lady Lions fought hard and WON tonight against Bishop Lynch in their district opener!

Congratulations Ladies!!!!! #AllIn #FaithFilledLions pic.twitter.com/jJ88v7SLTU

— PCAAthletics (@PCAAthletics) September 14, 2022

8. McCutcheon (Ind.), 12-1

Aside from a tournament loss, the Mavericks have dropped just two sets all season.

9. Mira Costa (Calif.), 12-2

The Mustangs have not dropped a set since a loss to No. 19 Mater Dei last month.

10. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 15-0

The Mighty Macs defeated teams from Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio en route to the LIVT championship.

11. Cleveland (Tenn.), 24-1

Kinslee McGowan powers the Blue Raiders’ offense with over 8 assists per set. She has a total of 538 assists on the year.

12. Highland Park (Texas), 27-2

Regional semifinalists a year ago, the Scots seem primed for a deep postseason run.

13. St. James Academy (Kan.), 11-0

The Thunder knocked off reigning Class 6A state champions Blue Valley North on Saturday, one of five wins they picked up on the day.

St. James Academy stays undefeated through loaded schedule to start season | East/Southeast Kansas volleyball standouts#KSHSAACovered x @capfed https://t.co/wAVeL1ENTl

— KSHSAA (@KSHSAA) September 13, 2022

14. Tompkins (Texas), 24-3

The Falcons are leaning on their senior experience, including their top two attackers and their assists leader.

15. Fayetteville (Ark.), 13-0

The Bulldogs have dominated the opposition, winning 36 of their 37 sets played this season.

16. Santa Fe (Fla.), 10-1

Jalyn Stout, Florida’s Miss Volleyball last season, is averaging over six kills per state for the reigning Class 4A state champions.

17. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) 16-2

With junior Sade Ilawole averaging over 9 assists per set, the Trailblazers have defeated some high-quality competition in California.

18. Redondo Union (Calif.) 12-4

The Sea Hawks’ schedule is a gauntlet, with wins over Mater Dei and Marymount and a loss to Sierra Canyon, among others.

19. Mater Dei (Calif.), 10-3

The Monarchs lost two of their first four matches, but since then, they’ve won eight of their last nine, including a win over Assumption on Wednesday.

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20. Assumption (Ky.), 15-2

After winning its first 15 matches, Assumption has lost two in a row, both against ranked opponents.

21. Conroe (Texas), 35-1

The Tigers have already won more matches this season than they did the last two years combined.

22. Wayzata (Minn.), 9-1

The Trojans’ winning streak ended at 61 matches, but they bounced back with consecutive wins.

23. Cypress Ranch (Texas), 29-2

Seniors Bianna Muoneke and Kirby Kliafas lead the Mustangs’ offense with 474 kills and 542 assists, respectively.

24. North Allegheny (Pa.) 12-1

The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season in pool play of the Upper St. Clair Tournament but recovered to win the tournament.

25. Alpharetta (Ga.), 21-3

The Raiders enter the home stretch of the regular season with eyes on returning to the state championship after falling just short of a title last year.

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.

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"

An Indianapolis Star columnist is apologizing for an uneasy exchange with freshly minted Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark on Wednesday.

At Clark's introductory press conference with the Fever, reporter Gregg Doyel introduced himself then abruptly formed a heart with his hands. Throughout her career with Iowa, Clark has often flashed heart hands at her family in the stands after finishing a game. The gesture has since become linked to the standout player.

But what ensued between Clark and Doyel was an incredibly awkward interaction, to say the least.

"Real quick, let me do this," Doyel said before making the heart sign at Clark. A composed Clark responded, "You like that?" After Doyel quipped, "I like that you're here," Clark dropped her eyes to the desk and said, "Yeah, I do that at my family after every game."

pic.twitter.com/3vjaTJjrpN

— Don Barzini (@DonBarziniXX) April 17, 2024

“OK, well start doing that to me and we’ll get along just fine,” Doyel said in response, to which Clark raised her eyebrows at the reporter, looking visibly uncomfortable. It wasn't the only unsettling comment Doyel made that day, as he later referred to Clark as "that" and "it" when directing a question to Fever coach Christie Sides. Sides appeared similarly thrown off by his choice of words.

As the clip made its way around social media, Doyel faced backlash from both sports fans and fellow members of the media. Much of the criticism centered around whether or not Doyel or another press representative would address an NBA player in the same manner. 

Doyel later apologized via a column entitled "Doyel: Caitlin Clark, I'm so sorry. On Wednesday I was part of the problem." published on the Indianapolis Star's website late Wednesday evening. Referring to his behavior at the earlier press conference, he called his comments "clumsy and awkward."

"Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better," he wrote, noting that he was "devastated to realize I’m part of the problem."

Rose Lavelle is hoping to return to the field soon. 

The 28-year-old midfielder has been sidelined with a lower leg injury since the Gold Cup in early march. Since then, she has yet to play for new club Gotham FC in the NWSL. She also missed a potential USWNT appearance at the SheBelieves Cup in April, where senior team newcomer Jaedyn Shaw saw success assuming Lavelle's role in the attacking midfield. 

At the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media showcase on Monday, Lavelle told reporters that she’s doing well and hopes to be back soon.

"I’m doing good — I’m hoping I’ll be back in the next couple weeks," Lavelle said. "It’s frustrating to start the year off with an injury, just because I feel like you come off preseason and you’re revving to go, so it’s so annoying."

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Lavelle is still looking to compete for one of just 18 Olympic roster spots. When healthy, she ranks as one of the national team’s most trusted assets, but considering this most recent injury, her health is an obvious concern. Faced with an onslaught of experienced competitors and young talent, incoming USWNT coach Emma Hayes will have some big decisions to make when selecting the Paris-bound squad — a reality Lavelle seems to be taking in stride as she works to regain full fitness.

"We have so many special players, we have so much depth, and so many different weapons to utilize on and off the bench," Lavelle said. "Unfortunately that means really good players are going to get left off, too. And I think for all of us, it’s just about being ready for whatever role is given to us, embracing that, and looking to put it into a collective picture so that we can go into the Olympics ready to go."

Stanford has found its replacement for legendary head women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer in associate head coach Kate Paye.

The Cardinal confirmed the hiring on Tuesday via a press release. Paye was largely expected to replace the longtime head coach, as the college mentioned they were still negotiating Paye's contract when they announced VanDerveer's retirement.

In Tuesday's statement, Paye reported that she was "humbled" to have been tapped to lead the women’s program.

"Stanford University has been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember and I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead its women’s basketball program," Paye said. "I’d first like to thank Tara, who has played such a pivotal role in my career for her friendship and guidance. It’s not what she’s done, but how she’s done it, that has had such a profound impact upon me."

A Woodside, California native, Paye played under VanDerveer from 1992 to 1995, taking home a national title her freshman year. After graduation, Paye briefly joined San Diego State as an assistant coach before making her professional debut with the ABL's Seattle Reign in 1996. After finishing her playing career with the WNBA's Seattle Storm, she joined the team’s coaching staff in 2007 and has been with the organization ever since, picking up another national title win — this time as associate head coach — in 2021. Paye's brother John played quarterback for Stanford from 1983 to 1986, while also serving as a point guard on the basketball team.

In her own response, VanDerveer said that she was "grateful" that Stanford picked Paye to follow in her stead. Last week, the decorated coach stated that this year would be her last after 38 seasons at the helm and three national titles under her belt.

"She has long been ready for this opportunity and is the perfect leader for Stanford at this time of immense change in college athletics," VanDerveer noted. "Kate was the choice for this job and I am confident she will achieve great success as head coach."