The start of the 2022 volleyball season has been historic for Conroe High School (Texas). The Tigers have won 32 straight matches to start the season, by far their best start in program history, dropping just five sets in the process.

Over the last 15 seasons, Conroe hasn’t won more than 29 games in a single season. The Tigers have already surpassed that mark this fall and still have over 10 games remaining in the regular season.

Senior Ariana Brown has helped propel the Tigers to their unbeaten start with 367 kills, averaging more than five kills per set. The University of Louisiana Monroe commit, who is coming off a seven-day stint that earned her Just Women’s Sports Player of the Week honors, transferred to the school in the offseason and is getting the opportunity to play for her mother, coach Charvette Brown, while closing out her varsity career.

Kenedi Medford is usually the one setting for Brown, racking up 456 assists along the way, while her sister Kaiden Medford has tallied 119 kills. Emma Malak recently surpassed 1,000 career digs, with 439 of them coming this season.

Conroe began the season unranked, but thanks to the unbeaten start, the Tigers have arrived at No. 4 in this week’s JWS volleyball team rankings.

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

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

The Dons opened up their 2022 campaign last week with a convincing sweep of La Costa Canyon, winning all three sets by eight points or more.

2. Marymount (Calif.), 4-0

The Sailors have not lost since 2019 and have dropped just one set so far this season.

3. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 12-0

Senior Ava Sarafa, a Kentucky commit, is averaging more than nine assists per set this season.

4. Conroe (Texas), 32-0

While the Tigers finished 24-19 last year, their last playoff appearance was in 2017.

🚨🚨🚨 BIG WIN AT HOME TONIGHT AGAINST WILLIS!!! It was the place to be tonight—PACKED HOUSE! 32-0!!! #oneteamonemission #SicEm pic.twitter.com/0jC9OuaQQ2

— ConroeVolleyball (@ConroeTigerVB) August 31, 2022

5. Wayzata (Minn.), 2-0

The Trojans extended their winning streak to 56 games with consecutive victories to start the season.

6. Byron Nelson (Texas), 24-1

The Bobcats distribute the wealth. They have a trio of attackers with more than 200 kills and two setters with more than 300 assists.

7. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 31-1

Senior Nayeli Gonzalez leads the way with 307 kills, and sophomore Megan Fitch isn’t far behind with 288 kills.

8. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 14-1

The Lions’ sole loss is to Cornerstone Christian, and they bounced back by handing Highland Park just their second loss of the season.

9. Blue Valley North (Kan.), 2-0

The reigning state champions have picked up where they left off last season.

10. Highland Park (Texas), 23-2

The Scots’ two losses have both come against Prestonwood Christian.

11. Buford (Ga.), 15-1

The Wolves have reeled off nine wins in a row, dropping just two sets during that streak.

12. Tompkins (Texas), 21-3

The Falcons have cooled off slightly, falling in two of their past seven matches.

She said NO!! @SimiElliott Great win tonight over Cinco Ranch!! Let’s keep it up! @OTHSVolleyball @PrepDigTX @houstonjuniors pic.twitter.com/X4IfhIfZVS

— Brooklynn Merrell (@BMerrell5) August 31, 2022

13. Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 2-0

The Sharks have played two games and secured two straight-set victories in the past week.

14. Sante Fe (Fla.), 3-0

The Raiders have played nine sets this season and have won all nine as they look to repeat as Class 4A state champions.

15. Cleveland (Tenn.), 16-1

Since losing their second match of the season, the Blue Raiders have reeled off 15 consecutive wins, dropping just four sets.

16. McCutcheon (Ind.), 9-1

The defending Class 4A state champions have dropped just three sets this season, although two of those dropped sets resulted in a loss during tournament play.

17. Dike-New Hartford (Iowa), 7-1

The Wolverines fell in pool play of the Centennial Early Bird Tournament but bounced back to claim the trophy in a stacked field that included some of the top teams in Iowa.

Congrats to the Early Bird Tournament Champions! Quite a day in Ankeny where the field featured 16 teams: #1 in Class 2A, #11 in 3A, and 10 teams ranked in 5A. #rollblue #MomentsThatMatter pic.twitter.com/qsExq3OxH8

— Justin Stockdale (@DNHSUPT) August 28, 2022

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

The Mustangs returned to their winning ways Tuesday with a sweep.

19. Assumption (Ky.), 6-0

A perennial contender, the Rockets are off to another hot start.

20. Alpharetta (Ga.), 17-3

After starting the season 9-3, the Raiders are currently riding an eight-game winning streak, during which they’ve lost just one set.

21. Papillion-La Vista South (Neb.), 6-1

The Titans’ 45-game winning streak came to an end Saturday with a straight-set loss, but they avenged that defeat days later with a sweep of the same opponent.

22. Fayetteville (Ark.), 3-0

The Bulldogs have played nine sets and won all of them.

23. Bishop Gorman (Nev.), 2-0

The Gaels’ pursuit of a fourth consecutive state championship is off to a good start.

24. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 13-1

The Trailblazers have played Mira Costa twice this season, splitting the series.

25. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 8-0

The Mighty Macs have yet to drop a set after falling in last year’s Class 4A state title game.

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.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

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.'"