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Articles by Ryan McKenna
Injuries continue to pile up throughout football season
The University of Rhode Island football team entered the 2026 season looking to three-peat after back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association championships, but injuries have completely derailed the season for the Rams. In the offseason, it was announced that fifth-year quarterback Devin Farrell and fifth-year wide receiver Marquis Buchanan would return. Buchanan was an Associated Press All-American in 2025, and Farrell was a Football Championship Subdivision Football Central Third Team All-American.
Volleyball eliminated from postseason contention with pair of sweep losses
The University of Rhode Island women’s volleyball team extended its losing streak to six games over the weekend after dropping a pair of matches against George Washington University. It was complete domination from the Revolutionaries in the first match. The most competitive set was the second, but even that was an 8-point difference. Fourth-year Emily Sawyer led URI with six kills. Attacking errors were once again a huge problem for Rhody.
Mol makes strong impression in first fall with women’s tennis
The University of Rhode Island tennis team finished its fall season, and a standout performer was first-year Iben Mol, highlighted by a run in the Atlantic 10 Conference Masters Tournament. Mol, a native of Finland, approximately 4,000 miles away from URI, hit the ground running the second she got to Kingston.
Synnestvedt’s strong goalkeeping helps lead Rams in return to postseason
The University of Rhode Island men’s soccer team is headed back to the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament for the first time since 2021, largely because of the play between the posts from third-year goalkeeper William Synnestvedt. Synnestvedt grew up in the New England area, approximately 85 miles from URI in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Synnestvedt went to Tabor Academy, where he graduated in 2024 and committed to play for Rhode Island his senior year.
Are playoffs still possible for football after two conference losses?
The University of Rhode Island football team entered the 2026 season with hopes of a national championship, but after dropping its first two conference games, those hopes may just be dreams. After back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association conference championships and Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances, the Rams were looking to get to a deeper postseason run and go all the way in 2026.
Losing streak pushes to four as volleyball opens A10 play
The University of Rhode Island volleyball team was swept by George Mason University as the search for its first conference win of the season continues. URI opened Atlantic 10 Conference play Friday on the road in Fairfax, Virginia, against a Patriots team that was picked fourth in the preseason poll. George Mason dominated the first set; the Patriots had 17 kills as a team, six of which came from fourth-year outside hitter Kiera Hamilton.
Wax-on, wax-off: Volleyball opens weekend with sweep before two losses
The University of Rhode Island women’s volleyball team finished its non-conference schedule 5-7 after going 1-2 at the University of Connecticut’s For The White & Blue Tournament this past weekend. Rhode Island broke out the brooms to kick off the tournament on Friday; the Rams swept Merrimack College in dominant fashion, 25-16, 25-11 and 25-17. With the win, Rhody got back to .500 and had its first sweep of the 2026 season under its belt.
Gigliotti set to graduate alongside growing social media presence
University of Rhode Island fourth-year student Peter Gigliotti is set to graduate in May, walking across the stage with four years of real-world experience and a growing social media presence. Gigliotti is a member of the Harrington School of Communication and Media, majoring in sports media and communication and journalism. “Coming out of high school, I knew I wanted to do something in the creativity industry regarding sports,” Gigliotti said.
Helgesen becomes another international standout for tennis team in first year, leading team in singles victories
First-year Kajsa Helgesen has been consistently winning for the University of Rhode Island tennis team all season and is making an impact both on and off the court. Helgesen is originally from Stavanger, Norway, and URI head coach Jonas Brobeck is originally from Sweden. Several other players on the team are also international. Helgesen was put on Brobeck’s radar by an agency he has connections to in Europe. “I recruited her for nearly over a year,” Brobeck said.
Golf grabs fifth-place finish at Wildcat Spring Invitational
The University of Rhode Island golf team was back in action at Galloway National Golf Club in Galloway, N.J., competing in the Wildcat Spring Invitational. The Wildcat Invitational, hosted by Villanova University, featured 12 teams. The Wildcats finished first overall in the tournament, beating out Georgetown University by two strokes. URI shot 24-over par as a team across the course of the tournament. “We didn’t do anything well,” URI head coach Gregg Burke said.
March Madness has been a ball, but where are the Cinderellas?
There has been no shortage of star power, great games or signature moments in this year’s NCAA Tournament, so what could be missing? For the second year in a row, only one double-digit seed made the Sweet 16. Last year, it was the No. 10 seed University of Arkansas, and this year it was the No. 11 seed University of Texas. Both are Southeastern Conference schools and big-name programs. There were more upsets in the first round this year than last year.
Softball swept in conference-opening series against Saint Joseph’s
The University of Rhode Island softball team got swept by Saint Joseph’s University to drop to 3-6 on the season and extend its losing streak to four games. After the last two games on Rhody’s schedule got canceled, URI was back on the field for its first Atlantic 10 Conference series of the season. St. Joe’s was picked fourth in the A-10 preseason poll, while URI was picked eighth. The Rams were rolling to start the first game on Saturday as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings.
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Men’s Basketball FINAL (2/26): St. Bonaventure University 94-76 URI FINAL (2/28): Saint Joseph’s University 61-55 URI FINAL (3/4): URI 64-52 Duquesne University Rhode Island dropped two games before bouncing back with a win over Duquesne University. With the win, URI secured a first-round bye in the Atlantic 10 tournament. The Rams will look to close out their season with a much-needed win over Fordham University on Saturday.
Tennis takes two shutout wins with bounce-back weekend
The University of Rhode Island women’s tennis team picked up two victories over the weekend against Le Moyne College and Siena University to improve to 6-3 on the season. The Rams started the weekend on Saturday by winning all three matches in doubles play to take a 1-0 lead over Le Moyne. Fourth-year Nikki Fernando and first-year Kajsa Helgesen were dominant in a 6-0 victory. Second-year Grace Darcy and second-year Anastasia Petterson won 6-2.
Frickleton swings into season with walk-off hit in opener
The University of Rhode Island softball team opened its season with a 3-2 win over Marist University on Friday in walk-off fashion, thanks to an RBI-single from third-year Riley Frickleton. While Frickleton was the hero this past weekend for the Rams, she missed all of last season due to an injury. She didn’t waste any time getting back into the swing of things. Frickleton was named a captain this season and is a big bat to have back in the lineup for Rhode Island.
Softball set for second season under Coutts with returning core
The University of Rhode Island softball team will open its season on Friday and is looking to take a step forward this year, with lots of returning players and new additions to the roster. Rhody is led by Mike Coutts in his second year as head coach. In Coutts’ first year, the team went 14-35 overall. Coutts has a reputation for rebuilding programs. He took the University of Maine to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 12 years.
Rams sweep Fairfield and Sacred Heart for first two wins of season
The University of Rhode Island women’s tennis team picked up a pair of wins over Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University to improve to 2-1 on the season. On Saturday, URI defeated the Stags by a score of 5-2. The Rams took two out of the three doubles matches to win the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead. Fourth-year Nikki Fernando and first-year Kajsa Helgesen won the first doubles match 6-1. Fourth-year Sophie Herrman and fourth-year Ava Grnja won their match 7-5.
Gray gives Rams strong offensive presence as double-digit scorer
After spending the last two years playing for the Saint Louis University women’s basketball team, fourth-year guard Brooklyn Gray decided she wanted something different for the final season of her collegiate career and entered the transfer portal. Gray is from Rockford, Illinois, and began her collegiate basketball career at Wabash Valley College. Wabash is a two-year community college and competes at the National Junior College Athletic Association level.
Football cruises to first outright CAA title, clinches spot in postseason
The University of Rhode Island football team defeated Hampton University 38-10 in the final game of the regular season on Saturday to punch its ticket to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Rhode Island came into the game with a 9-2 record and a perfect 7-0 mark in Coastal Athletic Association play. The Rams were also riding a 13-game winning streak at Meade Stadium dating back to the 2023 season. Hampton came into the game 2-9 and 0-7 in CAA play.
Storied URI pitcher finds unique way to continue baseball career
Trystan Levesque’s impressive career with the University of Rhode Island baseball team resulted in him hearing his name called in a draft, just not the MLB one. Levesque ’25 is the all-time leader in career starts for the Rams with 52; he is also second all-time in strikeouts with 310 and in wins with 24. After capping off his career at URI with an Atlantic 10 Conference Championship in May, Levesque was hoping to hear his name called in the MLB draft.
Third-year middle blocker becomes defensive stalwart for volleyball
The University of Rhode Island women’s volleyball team has 240.5 total blocks so far in the 2025 season, and 45% of those blocks have come from third-year middle blocker Chloe Abuto. Abuto has spent all three seasons of her collegiate career in Kingston. Before URI, Abuto attended Burlington High School in Massachusetts, where she set a program record with 64 blocks. “She’s just the foundation of our whole defense,” URI Head Coach Ryan Sullivan said.
Goba continues recovery process after significant health scare
Third-year forward Daniel Goba only played in four games for the University of Rhode Island men’s soccer team this past season before undergoing a health scare, and while Goba’s season may have been over, his career and life might’ve been saved. Goba grew up in North Kingstown, which is approximately 15 minutes away from URI. His collegiate career began at Salve Regina University, where he played two seasons before transferring to URI.
Volleyball gets swept by Loyola Chicago in final road series
The University of Rhode Island women’s volleyball team dropped a pair of matches over the weekend against Loyola University Chicago to fall to 5-23 on the season. After taking down George Mason University in four sets in its last game on Nov. 2, Rhode Island was looking for back-to-back conference wins for the first time this season. In the opening set of the first game on Friday night, Rhode Island and Loyola went back and forth.
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Saul helps lead women’s cross country to top-10 finish
The University of Rhode Island women’s cross country team competed in the Paul Short Invitational on Friday at Lehigh University and finished 10th overall out of the 39 teams in competition. The Rams competed in the Women’s College Brown six-kilometer at the event, where the Atlantic 10 Conference had a strong showing, with all four A-10 schools participating finishing inside the top 20. “The pack was nice and tight,” URI Head Coach Laurie Feit-Melnick said.
Losing streak stretches to six for volleyball
The University of Rhode Island’s women’s volleyball team was defeated in all three Atlantic 10 Conference matchups this past week, getting swept in a two-game series against Davidson College over the weekend, then dropping a match against Fordham University on Wednesday. After dropping its first two A-10 matchups against George Washington, URI was looking to get in the win column on Friday night against Davidson College.
Volleyball drops first two conference games to George Washington
The University of Rhode Island women’s volleyball team opened up Atlantic 10 Conference play with a two-game series against George Washington University over the weekend, as the Rams went 0-2 and are now 3-11 on the season. URI took a trip to the nation’s capital to face off against the Revolutionaries to begin its conference schedule. After going 3-9 in nonconference play, Rhody was looking to get back on track and make a statement with a win.
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Winless week extends volleyball’s losing streak to eight games
The University of Rhode Island women’s volleyball team was in action four times this past week and was swept in each match to fall to 2-8 on the season. URI traveled to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the Fight In the Fort Tournament over the weekend, taking on No. 23 Missouri University, No. 15 Texas Christian University and Wyoming University. After the tournament, the Rams hosted Northwestern University in their home opener at Keaney Gymnasium on Monday.
Penn State men’s volleyball sweeps Daemen in NCAA Tournament play-in game
With a spot in the NCAA tournament on the line, Penn State battled Daemen on the road in a play-in game for the No. 7 seed and a chance to play No. 2 Hawaii in the quarterfinals. The blue and white continued to build on its momentum this postseason with a sweep over Daemen in the play-in game, marking the fifth straight sweep by coach Mark Pavlik’s team. The Nittany Lions got things going early in the first set, jumping out to a 6-2 lead due to the offense and defense from Gaige Gabriel.
Penn State men’s volleyball set for play-in NCAA Tournament matchup against Daemen
The No. 20 Nittany Lions will begin the NCAA tournament with a play-in matchup on the road against Daemen at 7 p.m. Friday. The blue and white has been on an up-and-down ride this year, starting 0-7 before flipping its momentum heading toward the postseason. Due to its recent form, coach Mark Pavlik’s team jumped up the standings to earn the No. 3 seed in the EIVA tournament.
Penn State men’s volleyball set for EIVA championship matchup vs. NJIT
The No. 3 seed Nittany Lions head into the championship match of the EIVA tournament to face the top-seeded Princeton Tigers at 5 p.m. Saturday. The blue and white come into the matchup riding high on a wave of momentum. The team has picked up two sweeps in the first two rounds of the tournament against Harvard and NJIT. As for the Tigers, they spent the first round watching their upcoming competition, which ended up being George Mason.
Penn State men’s volleyball set for semifinals matchup against NJIT
The No. 3 seed Nittany Lions head into the semi-finals of the EIVA tournament to take on the No. 2 seed NJIT at 7:30 p.m. Thursday inside Dillon Gym. The blue and white picked up a massive first-round sweep over Harvard on Wednesday and will look to ride that momentum into this postseason clash. These two teams played earlier this season in Newark, New Jersey. The sides split the two series, with NJIT winning the first match and Penn State winning the second.
Returning players shine in football’s annual spring game
The University of Rhode Island football team hosted its annual Spring Blue-White Game on Saturday at Meade Stadium. The scrimmage marked the first time that the defending Coastal Athletic Association co-champions put the pads on since Dec. 7, 2024. The Rams are coming off a historic season that featured the most victories in program history, a playoff appearance and a playoff victory for the first time since the 1985 season.
Penn State men's volleyball tops Harvard, advances in EIVA Tournament
As postseason play began with the EIVA tournament, Penn State men’s volleyball looked to make some noise in its first-round matchup against Harvard. The blue and white collected some early momentum with a first-round sweep over Harvard. The Nittany Lions’ offense got things going in the first set, with four different players tallying a kill to push the score to 6-4. That lead didn’t last long, as Harvard knotted the first set up behind four service errors by the blue and white.
Penn State men’s volleyball set for crucial EIVA series against Princeton
The Nittany Lions will return home to Rec Hall for their season finale against No. 19 Princeton, with Game 1 at 7 p.m. Friday and Game 2 at 3 p.m. Saturday. The series has massive implications for both teams, as it decides who will be the EIVA regular season champion and host the EIVA Tournament. Penn State will need to win both matches to claim the top spot and host the tournament, while Princeton only needs to win one game to capture the first-place spot and host.
This Week In Sports – 4/10 - The Good 5¢ Cigar
Baseball FINAL (4/4): University of Richmond 10-5 University of Rhode Island FINAL (4/4): URI 20-1 Richmond FINAL (4/6): URI 12-9 Richmond FINAL (4/9): URI 11-7 Quinnipiac University After dropping the first game of a Friday doubleheader to open the series, the Rams offense exploded for 20 runs in the second game to get back into the win column. Fourth-year southpaw Trystan Levesque provided URI with a quality start, going six innings and only giving up one run.
Softball drops fourth consecutive series, shutout in midweek doubleheader
The University of Rhode Island’s softball team suffered four losses in five games this week, as it dropped a series against Atlantic 10 Conference opponent Saint Joseph’s University over the weekend, followed by a midweek sweep at the hands of in-state rival Brown University. The Rams and Hawks were originally scheduled to start their series on Saturday, but due to weather concerns, the decision was made by both programs to play a doubleheader on Friday.
Weekly Recap | Penn State men’s volleyball collects series win over Sacred Heart
Penn State had a weekend full of highs with a series win over Sacred Heart, sweeping the first matchup and following up with a 3-1 win on Saturday. In the opening match on Friday, the Nittany Lions handled business from start to finish, resulting in a sweep over the Pioneers (25-22, 25-19, 25-20). On the other hand, the blue and white started slowly in Saturday’s matchup, dropping the first set, 25-23.
Balanced offensive attack pushes men’s volleyball to a win against Sacred Heart
In Penn State’s 3-1 win over Sacred Heart, a balanced offensive attack helped the blue and white collect the win and the series sweep. The Nittany Lions had three hitters that had double-digit kills in Sean Harvey, Will Kuhns and Matthew Luoma. With all of the performances against Sacred Heart, no one was happier than setter Michael Schwob, who ended the day with 46 assists. “It’s really good to have all of these guys that can perform,” said Schwob.
Men’s Volleyball earns series sweep over Sacred Heart amid late-season push
With the EIVA conference being wide open, Penn State battled Sacred Heart, looking to climb up in the conference standings as the end of the season approaches. The Nittany Lions handled business against the Pioneers en route to a 3-1 win and a series sweep. The win took their conference record to 5-3 amid the Nittany Lions’ late season push. The first set got off to a slow start due to a shoe issue from Sacred Heart’s Harryzen Soares.
Penn State men’s volleyball prepares for EIVA battle against Sacred Heart
Penn State will continue its four-game homestand with an EIVA clash against Sacred Heart in Rec Hall’s South Gym. Game 1 starts at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by Game 2 at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Nittany Lions' season hasn’t gone the way anyone expected, with a 6-14 overall record and a 3-3 conference record through 20 games. Despite its disappointing start, the blue and white is still in the mix for the top spot in the conference. As it stands, Princeton holds the top spot with a 5-1 conference record.
Rams bounce back from sweep with midweek victory
Over the weekend, the University of Rhode Island softball team got swept by Loyola University Chicago, then responded with a victory over Bryant University on Wednesday. After picking up a 5-4 win against Providence College on March 26, URI was looking to take its momentum into the weekend and gain some ground in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings. The series against Loyola Chicago kicked off with a doubleheader on Saturday.
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