Sierra Canyon athletics may be most known for its basketball program, but the Trailblazers’ star power extends to the volleyball court. With No. 2 basketball recruit Juju Watkins and the rest of the Sierra Canyon basketball team looking on, the Trailblazers volleyball team swept No. 10 Mira Costa to win the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division I championship on Saturday.

Pitt commit Olivia Babcock had 22 kills on a .486 hitting percentage, junior Sade Ilawole racked up 50 assists and Lauren Lynch had 17 digs, as the Trailblazers staked their claim as one of the top teams in Southern California and the nation with the win.

Sierra Canyon girls volleyball 🏐: Div. 1 champions

28-26, 25-23, 25-23 sweep 🧹 against Mira Costa

Cerritos college@hw1972 ⁦@SierraCanyonFB⁩ ⁦@SCanyonSports⁩ ⁦@EdwardEstavanSR⁩ ⁦@Coach_Foof⁩ ⁦@sierracanyongbb⁩ ⁦@RubinSteph⁩ pic.twitter.com/SQ5gCdO082

— Jack Pollon (@pollonpreps) November 6, 2022

It didn’t get any easier for Sierra Canyon, though. Awarded the second seed in the CIF Southern California Open Division, the Trailblazers faced reigning state champion Marymount in the first round Wednesday.

It was the fourth meeting between the teams, and it was as tightly contested as the previous three. The Trailblazers showcased their championship mettle and managed a five-set victory for their third win of the season over the Sailors.

The Trailblazers’ next opponent is another familiar nemesis: Mira Costa. But for a program ascending to new heights, the limelight hasn’t bothered them yet.

Juju Watkins on seeing Sierra Canyon girls’ volleyball win the Division 1 title: “It’s cool seeing they’re number one, we’re number one … women supporting women.”

MacKenly Randolph on SC’s Olivia Babcock: “She’s a killer.”

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) November 6, 2022

Behind those two quality postseason victories, Sierra Canyon cracks the top 10 in this week’s Just Women’s Sports team volleyball rankings, rising seven spots to No. 8.

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

1. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), 39-0

The Dons won the CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship last week and still haven’t dropped a set. Now, they must navigate a crowded Southern California Open Division to compete for the state title.

2. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 55-2

The Warriors’ season is over. Due to their national schedule, they won’t compete for a state crown.

3. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 34-1

Duquesne commit Avery Hobson was everywhere with 17 kills, 19 digs and 12 assists as the Royals defeated No. 19 Yorktown in three sets to win the Class 4A state title. After opening the season with a loss to No. 22 McCutcheon, Hamilton Southeastern did not lose again, beating McCutcheon in the regional championship.

VIDEO: HSE Volleyball is 2022 IHSAA 4A State Champions! pic.twitter.com/4WjCdbAkpF

— HSERoyalsVB (@hseroyalsvball) November 8, 2022

4. Washburn Rural (Kan.), 43-1

Star outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye, the No. 6 overall recruit in the Class of 2023, has officially signed a National Letter of Intent with Kentucky, where she will team up with Bloomfield Hills Marian setter Ava Sarafa.

5. Westminster Christian (Fla.), 27-0

After sweeping Lake Highland Prep in the semifinals, the Warriors must beat 20-win Clearwater Central Catholic to claim their first state title since 2016 and overcome three consecutive state championship defeats.

6. Fayetteville (Ark.), 36-2

The Bulldogs, who won a state title in late October, did not lose to an Arkansas team all season.

7. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 45-1

The Mustangs cruised to a district championship and then opened the Division I state playoffs with another sweep.

8. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 34-4

If the Trailblazers defeat Mira Costa in the regional semifinal, a potential matchup against No. 1 Cathedral Catholic looms in the regional final.

9. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 38-1

The Lions bring a 26-match winning streak into Friday’s Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 6A state semifinals.

10. Mira Costa (Calif.), 37-4

The Mustangs were handed their first loss since Oct. 1, falling to Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section Division I final, but they bounced back with an opening-round win in the Southern California Open Division.

11. Tompkins (Texas), 39-4

Rice commit Cindy Tchouangwa notched 21 kills, Erica Dellesky had 23 assists and Tendai Titley contributed 21 digs, as the Falcons swept Ridge Point to advance to the regional tournament for the first time in school history.

Tompkins takes the third set 25-23 and completes the sweep. The Falcons are headed to the regional tournament! pic.twitter.com/ZbDiN2hmTR

— Tyler Tyre (@TylerTyre) November 9, 2022

12. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 37-3

Michigan commit Ellie White had 10 kills, Northwestern recruit Gigi Navarrete compiled 16 digs and Tess Hayes played provider with 18 assists, as the Mighty Macs advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals.

13. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 40-3

The Saints are still savoring their Class 5A state championship.

14. Buford (Ga.), 38-5

The Wolves completed the three-peat, beating Lambert in a five-set thriller to win the Class 7A state championship. Mississippi State commit Ashley Sturzoiu led the way with 22 kills and 11 digs, while Polly Cummings had an astounding 48 assists, surpassing 1,000 career assists during the match.

15. Saint Francis (Calif.), 32-0

Taylor Williams racked up 29 kills and Havannah Hoeft had 42 assists as the Lancers beat Archbishop Mitty for the fifth time this season to win the Central Coast Section Open Division. Saint Francis picked up another win in the state playoff opener Wednesday.

16. Notre Dame Academy (Ky.), 34-5

The Pandas beat national power Assumption for the third time this season in the state semifinals and followed it up with a sweep in the state championship, as UNC commit Sydney Nolan recorded 18 kills. Louisville recruit Kamden Schrand added 22 digs, and Lauren Ott and Lizzy Larkins each had 20-plus assists.

17. Pope (Ga.), 45-5

The Greyhounds, who handed No. 20 Pace Academy their only loss this season, came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Sequoyah in a five-set thriller and capture their first state title since 2018.

Class 6A-State Volleyball Champions
🏐🏆 Pope Greyhounds 🏆🏐@mizunovolleyusa @MOLTENUSA pic.twitter.com/YalSWOr92P

— GHSA (@OfficialGHSA) November 5, 2022

18. ‘Iolani (Hawaii), 25-5

The Raiders already wrapped up the season as state champions.

19. Yorktown (Ind.), 34-3

The Tigers fell to Hamilton Southeastern for the second time this season, losing 3-1 in the state championship despite stellar performances from sophomores Charlotte Vinson (15 kills) and Addi Applegate (26 digs).

20. Pace Academy (Ga.), 42-1

The Knights won their sixth consecutive state title — in their third different classification — this past weekend when they swept Lovett in the 4A state championship. They appear primed for another state title run next season as well, with juniors leading the team in all major categories.

21. Papillion-LaVista South (Neb.), 34-5

The Titans started out the year in the top 25, and that’s where they’ll end it after winning the Class A state championship behind 25 kills from South Dakota commit Lauren Medeck and 21 kills from Hawaii recruit Stella Adeyemi.

22. McCutcheon (Ind.), 33-2

The team’s season ended with a loss to Hamilton Southeastern earlier in the playoffs.

23. Benet Academy (Ill.), 36-4

If the Redwings get past 39-1 Barrington in the state semifinals, a potential matchup against Mother McAuley looms in the 4A state championship.

24. Highland Park (Texas), 42-3

The Scots’ season ended with a four-set loss to Guyer in the 6A regional quarterfinals.

25. Immaculate Heart Academy (N.J.), 28-1

The Blue Eagles bring a 25-match winning streak into the state championship and have dropped just four sets all season.

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.

The third Grand Slam of 2025 is officially underway, as the world's top tennis stars hit the grass courts in London for the annual Wimbledon Championships on Monday.

World No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková enters as the Slam's reigning champion, with all of the WTA's current Top 10 — none of whom have ever won at Wimbledon — looking to dethrone the 2024 victor.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula looks to be an early frontrunner, as the US star picked up steam following her defeat of No. 4 Iga Świątek 6-4, 7-5 in Saturday's championship match of the 2025 Bad Homburg Open, a Wimbledon tune-up tournament.

A 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Pegula has already earned three titles this year, gaining significant momentum as she hunts a career-first Grand Slam trophy.

"[Pegula has] an amazing game, and showed it throughout the tournament," Świątek said following Saturday's loss. "Hopefully, we will have many more finals together."

The first day of 2025 Wimbledon action saw No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka cruise through her first-round match against Canada's No. 194 Carson Branstine in straight sets, while No. 8 Madison Keys battled to a narrow three-set victory over Romania's No. 58 Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova played the most dominant first-round match of the Slam, ousting Kazakhstan's No. 33 Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-0 to open her tournament run.

Italy's No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, a 2024 Wimbledon finalist, also kicked off her 2025 run with a win, downing Latvia's No. 402 Anastasija Sevastova in three sets on Monday afternoon.

Pegula will open her campaign against Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto on the second day of first-round action at 6 AM ET, with Świątek, 2025 French Open champ No. 2 Coco Gauff, and 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinalist No. 10 Emma Navarro also rounding out Tuesday's bill.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

The 2025 Wimbledon women's tournament runs through the July 12th championship.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

The Minnesota Lynx are back on the prowl, after the return of MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier from injury fueled the WNBA-leaders to two straight weekend wins.

Minnesota first outlasted the No. 4 Atlanta Dream 96-92 in overtime on Friday before thumping the last-place Connecticut Sun 102-63 on Sunday, with Collier racking up 49 points over the two-game span.

Collier's bounce-back couldn't have come at a better time, as the WNBA announced Sunday that the Lynx forward will captain the 2025 All-Star Game alongside Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

"It's really cool," Collier said of the news. "I went from never being a starter to captain."

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Both Collier and Clark will have an early chance to test their leadership skills in Tuesday's 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship game, when the defending champs Minnesota Lynx will take on first-time finalists Indiana.

With a second straight title on the line, red-hot Minnesota hold the advantage coming into the Commissioner's Cup final, but a healthy Clark could make all the difference for up-and-down No. 8 Indiana.

Meanwhile in the WNBA standings, as the Lynx continue to hold court at the top, this weekend saw the Mercury overtake the Liberty at No. 2, thanks in large part to Phoenix's 106-91 Friday victory over New York.

Along with Sunday's 90-81 loss to the Dream, the reigning champs have dropped five of their last seven games, as now-No. 3 New York struggles without injured center Jonquel Jones.

How to watch the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final

While the other 11 league teams rest until Thursday, the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever will take Tuesday's court in a battle for the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

The in-season tournament's grand finale will tip off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on Prime.

The world No. 1 USWNT earned another lopsided result against No. 25 Ireland on Sunday, handing the Girls in Green a second straight 4-0 loss despite extensive lineup changes on both sides.

Veteran forward Lynn Biyendolo opened the scoring in her first match as USWNT captain, followed by first-ever senior team goals from both debutant defender Izzy Rodriguez and attacker Yazmeen Ryan.

Second-half USWNT sub Alyssa Thompson found the back of the net in the 86th minute to finish padding the 4-0 scoreline over Ireland.

With one more friendly against No. 8 Canada set for Wednesday, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes rotated all 11 starters on Sunday, trusting bubble players to overcome inexperience to produce a result.

"The level has been set to be relentless in the pursuit of performing and progressing," Hayes said after the game. "It's not about understanding everything in our playbook, but developing the confidence and bravery to deliver."

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The victory also marked the USWNT's 600th program win, with midfielder Sam Meza joining Rodriguez in picking up the 23rd and 24th first caps of the Emma Hayes era.

"I feel like everyone is not only trusting the process, but carrying out all the things we ask them to do," said Hayes of her new additions. "Everybody showed themselves so well."

Though the US keeps stretching its depth and coming out on top, the need to develop strong connections on the pitch could force tough roster decisions in the future.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against rivals Canada on Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET.

Live coverage of the clash in Washington, DC, will air on TNT.

The WNBA made a splash on Monday morning, announcing an expansion plan that will see the league officially grow to 18 teams by 2030, with new franchises joining from Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia.

Subject to approval by the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors, the league expects to add Cleveland in 2028, with Detroit following in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.

With existing NBA ownership groups backing all three cities, the league chose the trio because of "market viability, committed long-term ownership groups, potential for significant local fan, corporate, media, and city and state support, arena and practice facilities, and community commitment to advancing the sport, among other factors."

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Notably, while Monday's news will bring a WNBA team to Philadelphia for the first time, the announcement represents a return for the league to both Cleveland and Detroit.

The Ohio city hosted one of the league's inaugural teams, the Rockers, from 1997 to 2003, while the Detroit Shock joined the WNBA in 1998, eventually relocating to Tulsa in 2010 before becoming the Dallas Wings in 2016.

Monday's WNBA expansion plan also follows the already announced incoming teams in Toronto and Portland, both set to tip off next season, as well as 2025 newcomer Golden State.

Each of the three incoming clubs in Monday's announcement paid a $250 million expansion fee — five times the $50 million that Golden State paid in October 2023.

"This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league's extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women's professional basketball," said commissioner Cathy Engelbert. "I am deeply grateful for our new owners… for their belief in the WNBA's future and their commitment to building thriving teams that will energize and inspire their communities."