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Jordan Thompson inspires the next wave of Cincinnati volleyball stars

Jordan Thompson talks to camp participants Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women’s Sports)

CINCINNATI — Prior to when Olympic gold medalist Jordan Thompson enrolled at the University of Cincinnati in 2015, the Bearcats’ Volleyball team had never made it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She committed to coach Molly Alvey’s 3-29 program with the goal of four years of solid playing time.

By the time she left, she had set the UC single-season record for kills (827 in 2018), the NCAA record for kills per set (6.27) and was named a First Team All-American in her final season.

On Saturday, Thompson returned to Fifth Third Arena to lead another group, as more than 30 local high school and middle school volleyball players took part in the inaugural Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By Under Armour Next.

The invite-only event allowed these high-level players the opportunity to connect with and compete against one another on the Bearcats’ home court, in addition to, of course, a few hours of learning from an Olympian who grew both on and off that same court.

“I hope to share wisdom and knowledge that I’ve learned along the way and pass that on,” Thompson told the athletes. “I’m really awkward, so I’m easy to talk to. I want to be a resource for you guys.”

The invitees received custom-made uniforms designed with Thompson and her connection to UC in mind.

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Camp participants listen to Jordan Thompson speak Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women's Sports)

Camp opened with the athletes’ own personal media day, which included headshots, slow-motion video and Tik Tok dances that showed a true taste of the increasingly important role that social media plays in the world of college athletics, particularly in women’s sports.

The buzz of laughter and loud music echoed throughout Fifth Third Arena, and by the time the drills began, the competition was fierce.

However, the atmosphere retained its joy.

The camp roster featured top talent of varying ages. It included athletes who have played together for years on local club teams, as well as others who have played against one another and those who have never met.

Among the represented clubs were two of the top teams in the nation — Tri-State Elite (OH) and Elevation (OH). The highly-rated recruits included outside hitter Lucy Arndt (2023), libero Kelsey Niesen (2024), middle blocker Faith Young (2024), outside hitter Sophia Adkins (2024) and setter Ryan Hicks (2025).

But regardless of team or individual rankings, Thompson reminded every athlete that they had the potential to succeed.

Through a variety of drills and challenges — sometimes forcing an athlete to play a position she wasn’t necessarily used to, while other times being thrown into a random group and expected to find synergy — all 30-plus campers managed to find a little success.

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Camp participants take part in drills Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women's Sports)

Three MVPs found a lot of it, as Hicks, Young and 2024 setter Kiana Dinn took home the top honors.

“It was a great experience for me,” Hicks said. “Experiencing new players is really important to any athlete. Getting to learn from everyone is really fun.”

In between drills, Thompson answered questions about all aspects of her career, whether it be her favorite moment as a Bearcat (when the team finally swept rival UCF at home) or her preferred hype music (Afrobeats).

But the responses that seemed to resonate the most with the athletes were those detailing the individual journey of someone so talented and full of effort that she became a starter in what was only her second full summer with Team USA, and how the journey hasn’t really been individual at all.

“I love that it’s a team sport,” Thompson said. “I’m doing something that can’t be done alone.”

Thompson credits Coach Jackie Richter, her volleyball coach during freshman year of high school, as a mentor whose guidance majorly impacted where and who she is today.

“She was the first coach to see a lot of potential in me,” Thompson said, “even when I didn’t see that potential in myself. I remember, it wasn’t even just about volleyball. It was those little things that she instilled in me and she really helped me to see the potential that I had and gain that confidence.

“I think when you have those people in your life, it’s really important to hold them dear because they’re pouring so much into you.”

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Camp participants take part in drills Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women's Sports)

Even in the face of adversity, Thompson has used these lessons to push through and continue to grow and thrive. She cited two specific injuries that knocked her down — the first being a torn UCL while in college, and the second being an ankle injury at the Tokyo Olympics that sidelined her for much of the Olympics after scoring over 30 points against top-seeded China.

“I think I’m still processing that one,” Thompson said. “But it taught me that there are those beautiful moments in life where you’re on this mountaintop. Things were happening that I never even imagined were possible for me as a player. And then to get injured and not be able to step on the court again at the Olympics made me realize that everybody’s journey is different. There’s a lot of beauty in those differences. I think you can have that mountaintop experience, and your teammate next to you can be counting down the minutes until it’s over.

“Gratitude is really huge as you move through life. I think that helps me stay joyful. I’ve learned a lot from my injuries that really have nothing to do with the sport, but just growing as a person.”

Caroline Makauskas is a contributing writer for Just Women’s Sports. She also writes about college basketball for Blue Ribbon Sports and covers a variety of sports on her TikTok @cmakauskas. Follow her on Twitter @cmakauskas.

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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