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No. 1 Cathedral Catholic volleyball continues perfect campaign

Bloomfield Hills Marian’s Ella Schomer celebrates a point during a match on Sept. 28 in Farmington Hills, Mich. (Brandon Folsom/Hometownlife.com via USA TODAY NETWORK)

An undefeated season is quite the task, and Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) has taken it one step further. The Dons haven’t just lost a match this season; they haven’t dropped a set.

Cathedral Catholic has done so while winning the prestigious Durango Fall Classic, the Kamehameha Tournament and now the GEICO High School Volleyball Invitational this past weekend. To claim the title, Cathedral Catholic defeated Ponte Vedra, runner-up in Florida’s highest classification last season, and Nebraska powerhouse Papillion-LaVista South.

The Dons are led by Stanford commit Julia Blyashov, the No. 3 recruit in the nation, but talent is sprinkled across the roster with six more Division I commits — senior Noemie Glover (Oregon), senior outside hitters Cate Schell (Tennessee) and Milan Bayless (Colgate), senior middle blocker Ryleigh Patterson (Harvard), junior middle blocker Jenna Hanes (Michigan) and junior setter Amanda Saeger (DePaul).

A few more regular-season matches remain before the most important tournament begins, as Cathedral Catholic eyes a state title and tries to maintain its unblemished set record.

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

1. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), 32-0

Coming off the GEICO title, the Dons won twice more Tuesday and Wednesday.

2. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 28-0

The Mustangs have over a week off before they return to action at the Beast of the East tournament.

3. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 54-2

The Warriors returned to the court with a three-set sweep Tuesday, pushing their winning streak to 18 matches. Two of those victories came against top-25 teams.

4. McCutcheon (Ind.), 29-1

After notching 28 kills over three matches to lead the Mavericks to a conference tournament title, senior Chloe Chicoine learned she was one of 27 players selected to compete at the Under Armour Next All-America game.

5. Mira Costa (Calif.), 32-3

Fresh off a second-place finish at the Tournament of Champions Southwest, the Mustangs went 6-0 at the Molten Power Classic, beating Redondo Union in the championship.

6. Westminster Christian (Fla.), 20-0

The Warriors may not play the type of national schedule that other top-10 teams face, but they defeated Cornerstone Christian and have dropped just three sets all season.

7. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 31-1

Since a loss to Cornerstone Christian, Prestonwood has reeled off 19 victories in a row.

8. Washburn Rural (Kan.), 30-1

The Junior Blues just continue to win, claiming the Derby Tournament title with six wins Saturday before notching three more victories Tuesday to stretch their unbeaten streak to 29 matches.

9. Highland Park (Texas), 35-2

The Scots continue to roll in district play, and their winning streak has reached 13 matches.

10. Marymount (Calif.), 28-6

Torrey Stafford recorded 20 kills, Alexa Trapani had 26 digs and Lauren Brooker racked up 49 assists in the Sailors’ four-set league win over Alemany on Tuesday.

11. Fayetteville (Ark.), 30-2

The Bulldogs have three more regular-season matches remaining before their quest for a third consecutive state title begins in earnest.

12. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 27-1

The Royals’ path to a Class 4A state title begins Thursday with a sectional matchup against 22-win Carmel, which eliminated Hamilton Southeastern last year.

13. Tompkins (Texas), 32-3

The Falcons’ winning streak has reached 12 matches with a handful of regular-season contests remaining.

14. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 26-2

The Mighty Macs flexed their muscles with a sweep of 24-win De La Salle on Tuesday, winning both sets without giving up more than 12 points.

15. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 29-4

After losing to Marymount last week, the Trailblazers ended the regular season on a high note with three consecutive wins.

16. Oconomowoc (Wis.), 33-1

Cordelia Kearns notched 18 kills, and Lilly Wagner added 37 assists in a four-set victory last week to conclude conference play. The Raccoons now wrap up regular-season play Thursday.

17. Cypress Ranch (Texas), 37-2

With two more victories, the Mustangs’ winning streak has reached 21 matches.

18. Assumption (Ky.), 28-6

Whitney Woodrow had 61 assists, Kristen Simon added 34 digs and Emma Barnett had a team-high 20 kills in the Rockets’ five-set victory over Mercy, last year’s state runner-up. Assumption followed that up with a win Tuesday on Senior Night.

19. Santa Fe (Fla.), 21-1

State champions last season, the Raiders’ winning streak is at 14 matches, and they’ve dropped just four sets all season.

20. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 32-3

The Saints defeated four teams, including three with 20 or more wins, to claim a tournament title this past weekend.

21. ‘Iolani (Hawaii), 20-5

Maya Imoto-Eakin racked up 61 assists as the Raiders beat rival Punahou, avenging a loss from earlier this season.

22. Dike-New Hartford (Iowa), 39-2

The Wolverines wrap up the regular season Thursday and then turn their attention to the postseason.

23. Mater Dei (Calif.), 27-7

The Monarchs have depth across the board. They have two players with more than 200 kills, two players with more than 300 assists and two players with more than 200 digs.

24. Liberty (Mo.), 29-1

The Blue Jays’ sole blemish is a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.

25. Yorktown (Ind.), 28-2

The future is bright for the Tigers, who are the only team to have beaten McCutcheon this season and have sophomores leading the team in kills (Charlotte Vinson, 363) and digs (Addi Applegate, 354).

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.

USA Paralympic teams shine en route to gold medal games

PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 04: Rose Hollermann #15 and Ixhelt Gonzalez #54 of Team United States celebrate after their team's victory against Team Great Britain during the Wheelchair Basketball Women's Quarterfinal match between Team United States and Team Great Britain on day seven of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Bercy Arena on September 04, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The USA wheelchair basketball team and sitting volleyball team will both compete for Paralympic gold this weekend, after thrilling semifinal wins in the final days of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

USA sitting volleyball took down Brazil 3-1 in their semifinal on Thursday, and will continue their long-held Paralympic rivalry against China on Saturday at 1:30pm ET. The US will be going for their third-straight gold medal in the event, after finishing atop the podium in 2016 and 2020.

On Sunday, the US wheelchair basketball team will take on the Netherlands in a gold medal rematch of group play at 7:45am ET, in search of their first Paralympic gold since 2016.

Breaking through

US wheelchair basketball reached their first Paralympic gold medal game since Rio on Friday with a thrilling 50-47 win over China, exacting revenge on the squad who defeated them in their semifinal in Tokyo.

Rose Hollerman led the team in scoring with 20 points, and Chicago native Ixhelt Gonzalez scored 11 points off the bench after a game-clinching performance against Great Britain in the team's quarterfinal.

On Friday, the US struggled at times with China's full court defense, but a strong third quarter performance prompted a comeback from a halftime deficit, and Team USA proved clinical enough at the free throw line to hold off a late fourth quarter push.

The US will now look to erase their only loss of the tournament thus far, taking on the Netherlands for gold after falling to the Dutch 69-56 in their second game of group play.

Familiar gold medal opponent

USA sitting volleyball's gold medal foe is very familiar, as the US and China have played each other for Paralympic gold in every Games since 2008, with China's Paralympic final streak dating back to 2004.

The US are the reigning champions, winning gold in 2020 and 2016 after falling to China in 2012 and 2008.

Team USA will look for another strong match from outside hitter Katie Holloway Bridge, who led all scorers with 21 points in the team's semifinal win over Brazil.

They will be looking for a little bit of revenge themselves, after falling to China in their Paralympic opener during group play.

“The team’s gone through a lot since they’ve been here," head coach Bill Hamiter said after the match. "To come together and keep playing, and play well enough to get into that championship match was good."

Jessica Pegula’s career-best run leads to US Open final

jessica pegula waves to the crowd at the US open
USA's Jessica Pegula celebrates after defeating Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova during their women's semifinals match on day eleven of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP)

For the second year in a row, there will be a US tennis player facing Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the US Open, after Jessica Pegula wrapped up the best week of her career.

Having reached the quarterfinals in all four major tournaments, Pegula finally broke through to her first Slam semifinal and then final this week with wins over Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova.

A career-best run

Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, Pegula has played some of the best tennis of her career recently, reaching the quarterfinal of the Australian Open in 2021-23, and the quarterfinal of the French Open in 2022, and the US Open in 2023.

But Wednesday's straight-set win over World No. 1 Swiatek proved to be her first time breaking 'the quarterfinal curse,' with the hope of carrying the momentum all the way to the final.

Pegula had to battle back from a slow first set in her semifinal on Thursday, as Muchova took an early 6-1 lead and then a 3-0 advantage in the second set.

"I came out flat, but she was playing unbelievable," Pegula said after the match. "She made me look like a beginner. I was about to burst into tears because it was embarrassing. She was destroying me." But the 30-year-old battled back to take the second set 6-4 and rolled to a 6-2 win in the deciding third set, continuing her impressive 15-1 record since the Paris Olympics.

"I was able to find a way, find some adrenaline, find my legs," Pegula said. "At the end of the second set into the third set, I started to play how I wanted to play. It took a while but I don't know how I turned that around honestly."

Finishing the job

Pegula will face World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated her in Cincinnati, and who advanced past Emma Navarro in straight sets on Thursday. Sabalenka has only dropped one set this US Open, after not participating in the Olympics. The Belarusian will be looking for her second-ever Grand Slam title after coming up just short against Coco Gauff in New York in 2023.

"Hopefully I can get some revenge out here," said Pegula.

Alex Morgan Announces Retirement from Professional Soccer

Alex Morgan looks up before a USWNT friendly.
Alex Morgan's final professional soccer match will be this Sunday. (C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)

USWNT icon Alex Morgan announced today that she is retiring from professional soccer, and will lace up her boots one last time for the San Diego Wave on Sunday, September 8th. Morgan, one of the faces of the USWNT's fight toward equal pay, retires a two-time World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, and UWCL and NWSL champion.

The 35-year-old also announced on Thursday that she is pregnant with her second child, growing her family after having her daughter, Charlie, in 2020.

Alex Morgan celebrates a win while holding her daughter, Charlie.
Alex Morgan helped pave an equitable and safer path in professional soccer for future generations. (Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Morgan's off-pitch legacy changed the game

Not only did Morgan help oversee the USWNT’s fight for equal pay, which was ratified in the team's CBA in 2022, she also played a huge part in the NWSL's 2021 watershed change that enacted policies to protect players.

“We're changing lives, and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible, and I'm proud of the hand I had in making that happen,” said Morgan in a video posted to X.

“Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up she wants to be a soccer player,” Morgan explained. “And it just made me immensely proud. Not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a four year old can see now.”

On-field accomplishments made Morgan an international icon

Bursting onto the USWNT scene in 2010, Morgan's legacy includes her "Baby Horse" moniker and crucial goal contributions on the field.

Her most well-known scoring moments include notching the final goal of the USWNT’s Olympic semifinal match against Canada en route to their 2012 gold medal, and her soaring header in their 2019 World Cup semifinal against England — the goal that spurred her world-famous "sipping tea" celebration.

Morgan’s 176 combined international goals and assists ranks fifth all-time in USWNT history. She trails only Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Kristine Lilly, and Carli Lloyd on the national team's stat sheet.

In NWSL play, Morgan's resume includes the 2013 league championship, the 2022 Golden Boot title, and the 2023 NWSL Shield.

Ultimately, Morgan will be remembered as the face of a USWNT generation that excelled during a crucial era of the team's success — though the change she helped usher in off the pitch will arguably have an even bigger impact.

Jessica Pegula Upsets No. 1 Iga Świątek at US Open

US tennis star Jessica Pegula celebrates her 2024 US Open quarterfinal win.
No. 6 Jessica Pegula's 2024 US Open win over No. 1 Iga Świątek is the US star's first Grand Slam quarterfinal victory. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

In her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal victory, No. 6-seed Jessica Pegula knocked No. 1 Iga Świątek out of the 2024 US Open in straight sets Wednesday night.

Now in uncharted territory, the US tennis star will aim at extending her historic run in tonight's semifinal against unseeded Czech opponent, Karolina Muchová.

Quarterfinal victory proved Pegula's dominance

The 30-year-old Pegula, who has yet to drop a set all tournament, took control of yesterday's match immediately, winning the first game on Świątek's serve — the five-time Grand Slam winner's first broken serve in 26 games.

Świątek, the 2022 US Open champion, committed 18 unforced errors in the first set. Visibly frustrated with her performance, the Polish phenom retreated to the locker room to regroup — a move that ultimately proved unsuccessful in the wake of Pegula's relentless 6-2, 6-4 victory.

After six previous Grand Slam quarterfinal attempts, Pegula celebrated, telling the crowd post-match that "there have been so many freaking times, and I just kept losing.... So thank God I was able to do it. And finally — finally! — I can say, 'Semifinalist.'"

US tennis player Emma Navarro hits the ball in her 2024 US Open quarterfinal win
No. 13 Emma Navarro joins No. 6 Jessica Pegula as the two US players to make the 2024 US Open semis. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Two US contenders will feature in tonight's semis

Pegula isn't the only contender making her Grand Slam semifinal debut tonight. Before Pegula takes the court, fellow US player No. 13 Emma Navarro will take on reigning back-to-back Australian Open champion No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, who fell to US star Coco Gauff in last year's US Open, hopes for better luck against Navarro — the player who ousted the No. 3 defending champ last weekend.

If both Pegula and Navarro emerge victorious, Saturday's US Open final would be the first contested by two US athletes since Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys for the 2017 title. It would also pit two New York locals against each other on their home Grand Slam court: Pegula hails from Buffalo, NY, while Navarro was born in NYC.

How to watch the 2024 US Open semifinals

Navarro and Sabalenka will kick off tonight's Grand Slam action at 7 PM ET, with Pegula's match against Muchová immediately following. Both semis will air on ESPN.

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