Small forward comes to UE from Czech Republic

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the second addition for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team during the signing period, head coach David Ragland has announced the signing of David Nejezchleb. The 6-foot-8 forward is currently playing for ERA Basketball Nymburk in his native Czech Republic.

“We are excited to add both size and skill to our roster, and as a staff, we have placed a strong emphasis on positional size,” Ragland explained. “We believe we have found exactly that in David. His ability to handle the ball, make plays for others, and consistently shoot from the perimeter makes him a difficult matchup for any defense.”

“We have enjoyed great success with international student-athletes since our arrival at UE, and David continues that tradition,” Ragland continued. “He has competed with and against some of the top talent in Europe, and we are eager to work with him as he transitions to playing here in the United States. Our system aligns extremely well with his skill set, and we are confident he will thrive within it.”

Nejezchleb is currently in his first season playing for Nymburk of the Basketball Champions League. Through six games, he has averaged 1.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while seeing an average of eight minutes per contest. He is also playing for Polabi of the Czech Republic 1Liga where he is averaging 11.4 points and 7.7 boards. His top effort of 20 points and 10 caroms came against Chomutov on Sept. 28.

Last season, he played for Slavia and recorded 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds over 24 games for the squad. In 2024, he played for Tygr Brno of the U19 Extra League where he averaged 18 points. He also played in the first league for Litoměřice where he recorded 16 PPG.

“Choosing the University of Evansville was easy for me,” Nejezchleb said. “It’s a place where I can grow as an athlete, challenge myself every day, and be part of a program that believes in my potential on and off the court.”

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana swimming and diving’s men extended their lead, while the ladies jumped into second on Wednesday (Nov. 19) at the Ohio State Invitational inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Two Hoosiers broke program records on the second of four days at the midseason meet.

Indiana athletes won three events, earned nine top-three individual finishes and set 33 personal bests throughout the day.

Junior Miranda Grana went 49.98 in the 100-yard butterfly, becoming the first Hoosier to break 50 seconds and besting her 50.01 that finished fourth at the 2025 NCAA Championships in March. The Mexican swimmer is now the third-fastest international in the event.

In the 400 IM, senior Zalán Sárkány (3:39.73) and freshman Noah Cakir (3:40.62) both touched under the previous program record, which stood at 3:40.64. Steve Schmuhl originally set that time in 2014, and Sárkány matched it in March before officially breaking the 11-year-old mark Wednesday night. Five Hoosiers, including three more freshmen in Luke Ellis (3:45.39), David Kovacs (3:45.84) and Josh Bey (3:46.77), placed within the top 10 in the event.

While freshman Liberty Clark did not set a program record, she did drop the quickest 50 free relay leadoff in school history with a 21.61 – the fastest leadoff in the 200-yard freestyle relay field and five hundredths off the 50 free program record. Senior Mya DeWitt kept it steady with a 21.65, followed by freshman Grace Hoeper’s 22.03 and senior Kristina Paegle’s blazing quick 21.54, the second-best split of anyone in the field. The Hoosier quartet finished second in a time of 1:26.83, 17 hundredths off the program record and ranking No. 4 in program history.

Clark went sub-1:42 in the 200-yard freestyle for the second consecutive day, following a similar performance leading off the 800 freestyle relay Tuesday night. This time, the freshman won the 200 free with a personal best 1:41.27, touching 1.87 seconds in front of the runner-up. Clark has broken into the top 10 performance list with the No. 6 and No. 7 times this week, only behind 2025 NCAA Champion Anna Peplowski’s five best times.

Indiana earned a pair of runner-up finishes on the diving boards. Junior Ella Roselli took second on the women’s 3-meter with a 343.90, followed closely by classmate Lily Witte’s 330.70. Sophomore Joshua Sollenberger had IU’s top finish on the men’s 1-meter springboard with a score of 367.00, and freshman Josh Hedberg place fourth with a 351.25.

TEAM STANDINGS
Men
1. Indiana – 1,056
2. Louisville – 750
3. Ohio State – 737
4. Purdue – 569

5. Yale – 527
6. Penn State – 482
7. Kentucky – 424
8. Cincinnati – 287
9. Northwestern – 60
10. Wisconsin – 14

    Women
    1. Ohio State – 850

11. Indiana – 812.5
12. Louisville – 801
13. Purdue – 540
14. UCLA – 485
15. Kentucky – 441
16. Cincinnati – 420
17. Penn State – 378.5
18. Yale – 295
19. Northwestern – 45
20. Pittsburgh – 25
21. Wisconsin – 3

RESULTS

PR – Program Record; POOL – Pool Record, PB – Personal Best; NQ – NCAA Qualifier; 

NZ – NCAA Zone Qualifier

Women’s 100 Butterfly

Men’s 100 Butterfly

Women’s 400 IM

Men’s 400 IM

Women’s 200 Freestyle

Men’s 200 Freestyle

Women’s 100 Breaststroke

Men’s 100 Breaststroke

Women’s 3-Meter

Men’s 1-Meter

Women’s 200 Freestyle Relay

Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay

Freshman named Women’s Diver of the Week

       ST.  LOUIS – University of Evansville freshman Eden McR.oberts has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Diver of the Week in an announcement by the league on Wednesday.

McRoberts had a stellar performance throughout the A3 Invite in Carbondale, Ill. She opened the weekend with a second-place finish in the 1-meter dive. Her score was a lifetime best at 219.1 in Thursday’s opening day of the meet.

In the 3-meter, McRoberts posted a score of 191.00 to earn a finish of fifth place.

MACOMB, Ill.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball picks up the sweep (3-0) at Western Illinois University in the first half of the final series of the 2025 regular season. With the win, the Screaming Eagles move to 13-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 17-12 overall.
 
Set 1: USI 25, WIU 13
With five aces from the Screaming Eagles’ service line, they maintained possession of the ball for the majority of the set. Senior Bianca Anderson and junior Leah Coleman each landed three kills to lead the court. Ashby Willis led the back court, picking up five digs and leading the team with two aces. Junior McKenzie Murphy, who leads the conference in blocking, continued her dominance at the net, adding three blocks to help keep the WIU offense in the negative hitting percentage.
 
Set 2: USI 25, WIU 23
To kick off the second set, the Eagles saw a difficult serving run from the Leathernecks, which tallied four aces. USI fought back, regaining control of the lead after chipping away at the five-point lead the WIU serve had gained them. Freshman Carley Wright swung the momentum for the Eagles’ side, tying the score with three back-to-back kills. She finished the set with seven kills on one error for a game-high .462 hitting percentage. Murphy kept up the net defense with two more blocks.  Freshman Aysa Thomas had her best set with 12 assists and six digs in the set.
 
Set 3: USI 25, WIU 21
After some back and forth to start the final set, Willis went on an eight-point serving run, gaining the Eagles a seven-point lead. The Leathernecks fought back with their own serving run to tie the game back up. Willis had her best offensive set, adding six kills, followed by Anderson, who added five. Libero Audrey Small kept the WIU offense at bay, picking up eight digs.

For the game, Willis finished with a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs. Tying her in kills was Wright, who also finished with 11, and she ended with a .391 hitting percentage, committing just two errors for the best efficiency on the court.
 
OVC Freshman of the Week, Thomas, committed to her all-around performance with 28 assists, 11 digs, and three kills, marking her 20^th double-double in her debut season.
 
The team finished with 70 digs for 23 per set, led by Small, who ended with 14, along with four other Eagles with double-digit digs. Defense at the net was led by Murphy, who finished with five blocks, including two solo. The team had seven blocks, adding to their season total so far of 244, to top the conference rankings.
 
The top seed of the OVC Tournament remains up for grabs after Tuesday’s games as results around the league keep USI in a close third-place position, behind top seeds Morehead State University and Eastern Illinois University.
 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana swimming and diving laid the foundation for its week at the Ohio State Invitational Tuesday (Nov. 18) night, posting four NCAA qualifying times in four relays during the opening night of its midseason meet inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of the Ohio State University.

Both the men and the women had one victory and one runner-up finish on the night, and through two events the men sit atop their team standings with 128 points. The women are third in what should be a tight race with Louisville and Ohio State.

The men started the night victorious in the 200-yard medley relay thanks to a scorching first half of the quartet. Sophomores Miroslav Knedla (20.66) and Travis Gulledge (22.78) had the quickest backstroke and breaststroke legs, respectively, to gain an early cushion. Senior Owen McDonald (19.89) and junior Mikkel Lee (18.66) followed with strong splits in the butterfly and freestyle as the Hoosiers touched in 1:21.99 – a best time this season and 1.06 seconds quicker than Ohio State.

McDonald was the only Hoosier to swim both ‘A’ relays, leading off the 800-yard freestyle. Junior Aaron Shackell had IU’s best split in 1:32.22, as the group placed second with a time of 6:13.01.

Freshman Liberty Clark led the ladies to victory in the 800 free relay, dropping a 1:41.55 leadoff. She was followed by juniors Miranda Grana (1:44.94), Macky Hodges (1:43.81) and Reese Tiltmann (1:45.61), summing up to a 6:55.91. That time ranks No. 5 in program history and beat runner-up Louisville by 5.85 seconds.

Clark’s leadoff marks her first time under 1:42.00 and places her fifth in IU’s all-time performance list in the 200 free. Her best time coming into college was a 1:45.76.

The Indiana women took second in the 200 medley relay. Senior Mya DeWitt posted the best leadoff split, a personal best 23.73 in the 50 back. Sophomore Jonette Lagreid (27.29) gave way to Grana (22.91) and senior Kristina Paegle, whose 21.03 anchor ranked No. 2 in the field.

TEAM STANDINGS

Men

1. Indiana – 128
2. Ohio State – 104
3. Louisville – 98
4. Yale – 70
5. Kentucky – 68
6. Penn State – 62
7. Purdue – 58
8. Cincinnati – 30

Women

1. Louisville – 112
2. Ohio State – 104
3. Indiana – 100
4. UCLA – 76
5. Purdue – 68
6. Cincinnati – 54
7. Kentucky – 46
8. Penn State – 38
9. Yale – 22

RESULTS2

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

2. A – Mya DeWitt, Jonette Laegreid, Miranda Grana, Kristina Paegle – 1:34.96 (NCAA Qualifier)
3. B – Grace Hoeper, Alessandra Gusperti, Amelia Bray, Chiok Sze Yeo – 1:37.82
4. C – Colleen Bull, Kamile Zinis, Katie Forrester, MacKenna Lieske (Early Take-off Swimmer 2)

Men’s 200 Medley Relay

1. A – Miroslav Knedla, Travis Gulledge, Owen McDonald, Mikkel Lee – 1:21.99 (NCAA Qualifier)
2. C – David Kovac, Noah Cakir, Andrew Shackell, Vidar Carlbaum – 1:24.40
3. B – Raekwon Noel, Alexei Avakov, Max Lestina, Dylan Smiley (Early Take-off Swimmer 3)

Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay

1. Liberty Clark, Miranda Grana, Macky Hodges, Reese Tiltmann – 6:55.91 (NCAA Qualifier)

Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay

2. A – Owen McDonald, Aaron Shackell, Raekwon Noel, Zalán Sárkány – 6:13.01 (NCAA Qualifier)
3. B – Andrew Shackell, Cooper McDonald, Brandon Fleck, Josh Bey – 6:21.25

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball announced the signings of five student-athletes for its incoming 2026-27 class.
 
Head Coach Sue Kunkle and the Screaming Eagles will welcome Kinley Miller, Halle Kitley, Lila Koontz, Macey Pugh, and Ava Grace Pogue to the squad in 2026-27.
 
“This class will bring offensive power, a tremendous amount of athleticism, passion for the game, versatility, and pitching,” Kunkle stated. “We are thrilled about the potential of this class and the energy they will bring. We feel fortunate to have another group of student-athletes that will fit perfectly into our culture and our style of play.”
 
Kinley Miller (Evansville, Indiana) is a 5’7″ switch-hitting infielder and utility from Evansville F.J. Reitz High School. Miller is a speedy, versatile athlete with a great defensive glove and is an offensive threat from both sides of the plate. Last season, Miller hit .438 with 16 RBIs and scored 24 runs. Miller had 13 extra-base hits, including four home runs. During her high school career, Miller has batted over .400 with more than 40 RBIs and eight home runs. With the Panthers, Miller has won a Silver Glove Award and was named all-conference first team. Miller competed for the Kevin Brown Eagles at travel club level.
 
Halle Kitley (Flora, Illinois) is a 5’9″ left-handed pitcher from Flora High School. Kitley will add to USI’s deep pitching staff from the left side while bringing tons of experience and success. Kitley has totaled over 500 strikeouts through three seasons of high school softball, including 238 strikeouts last season as a junior. Kitley posted a 2.72 ERA last season. Offensively, Kitley has batted over .350 each season. Kitley is a three-time all-conference honoree, including MVP in 2025, and a two-time SICA All-South Team selection. Last season, Kitley was named to the Illinois Coaches Association Class 2A All-State First Team. In 2023, her team was Black Diamond Conference co-champions and regional champions. Kitley played club travel ball for the Kevin Brown Eagles.
 
Lila Koontz (Bloomfield, Indiana) is a 5’7″ switch-hitting infielder and right-handed pitcher out of Bloomfield High School. Koontz adds power from both sides of the plate while bringing a highly skilled glove defensively and success in the pitching circle. Koontz batted .429 with 21 RBIs and 18 extra-base hits, including five home runs, while scoring 25 runs as a junior in 2024-25. As a sophomore, Koontz hit over .500. Through three seasons in high school, Koontz has hit over .400, belted 13 home runs, collected 58 RBIs, and scored 76 runs. On the pitching side, Koontz is coming off a 7-3 season with a 2.72 ERA and 110 strikeouts during her junior season. During her high school career, Koontz has been the team MVP three times and won a gold glove in 2022. Plus, Koontz set a team batting average record, single-season doubles record, and tied a career record for home runs. Koontz played club travel ball for the Kevin Brown Eagles.
 
Macey Pugh (Clayton, Indiana) is a 5’8″ utility from Cascade High School who brings power from the left side of the plate and can play both infield and outfield defensively. In 2024-25, Pugh batted .448 with 15 extra-base hits, including five home runs, and 31 RBIs. Pugh also scored 32 runs during her junior season. During her high school career, Pugh has a .395 batting average with 15 home runs, including seven in a single season, and 80 RBIs. In high school, Pugh was a member of a regional championship squad her freshman year, a state championship team her sophomore year, and a sectional championship team her junior year. Pugh played club travel ball for the Indiana Prospects.
 
Ava Grace Pogue (Brownsburg, Indiana) is a 5’4″ catcher/infielder out of Brownsburg High School. Pogue will add to USI’s depth behind the plate as well as at third base and second base. Offensively, Pogue brings another power bat to the Screaming Eagles lineup. Through three high school seasons, Pogue has batted over .320 with 31 RBIs and six home runs. Pogue has reached base at a .379 clip while slugging .488. Pogue is a two-time all-conference selection, a second-team honoree in 2023 and a first-team honoree in 2024. Pogue was also named second-team all-state in 2024. Pogue was also a two-time team defensive player of the year. Pogue played club travel ball for the Scenic City All-Star Team.
 
USI Softball heads into its first season as a full active Division I member with eligibility for potential NCAA postseason berths in 2026. The 2026 spring championship schedule will be released later.