BYU Roundup: Cougar women’s volleyball picked seventh in Big 12 poll
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- BYU’s Alex Bower (7) and Claire Little Chambers celebrate a point during a women’s college volleyball match against Wichita State at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.
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- BYU junior Raider Damuni (3) chases the quarterback during the non-conference game against Portland State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2026.
IRVING, Texas — No. 24 BYU women’s volleyball was picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 and had three student-athletes named to the Preseason Team, the conference announced on Tuesday morning.
Alex Bower, Claire Little Chambers and Brielle Kemavor represented the Cougars on the Big 12’s Preseason Team, with Kemavor tabbed a unanimous selection.
As voted on by the league’s coaches, BYU sits behind No. 12 Arizona State, No. 18 TCU, No. 15 Kansas, No. 21 Baylor, No. 23 Colorado and (RV) Iowa State, and was picked in front of Utah, UCF, Arizona, Kansas State, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Houston and Texas Tech in the 15-team conference.
Bower, a 2025 AVCA All-West Region Honorable Mention and All-Big 12 First Team member, posted eight double-doubles last season, second most on the team. The setter led the team in digs in seven matches, and finished with 1,265 assists, second most in the Cougars’ 25-point rally-scoring era.
Little Chambers was also an AVCA All-West Region Honorable Mention to go along with an All-Big 12 Second Team nod. She finished tied with Bower’s eight double-doubles on the year, and posted 26 double-digit kill matches, leading BYU in kills in nine matches and aces in seven.
Kemavor, one of eight unanimous picks on the 18-player team, was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American last season, also being named to the AVCA All-West Region and All-Big 12 First Teams. The middle blocker led the Cougars in blocks in 19 of their 31 matches and recorded nine double-digit kills matches.
The trio were all named to last season’s preseason team, with Little Chambers named the Preseason Player of the Year as well.
BYU will kick off head coach Rob Neilson’s first season at the helm with an exhibition game against Utah Tech on Saturday, Aug. 22 at noon MT.
Big 12 Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll
Rank Team Points (first-place votes)
1. Arizona State 194 (12)
2. TCU 177 (3)
3. Kansas 159
4. Baylor 152
5. Colorado 143
6. Iowa State 131
7. BYU 122
8. Utah 118
9. UCF 84
10. Arizona 77
11. Kansas State 65
12. Cincinnati 60
13. West Virginia 39
14. Houston 35
15. Texas Tech 19
Damuni nominated for Wuerffel Trophy
FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida — BYU safety Raider Damuni was today named a nominee for the 2026 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy. The award recognizes student-athletes who use their platforms to serve others and make a positive impact in their communities, while excelling in the classroom and on the field.
Damuni, a 6-1, 210-pound senior from Provo, Utah, has played in 39 games for BYU over the past three years, only missing a couple of games due to injury. Over three seasons he has tallied 90 tackles with three tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a sack and an interception.
In addition to success on the field, Damuni has a 3.61 GPA in Experience Design (EXDM) in the Marriott Business School, one of the top business schools in the country. Damuni was recognized as Academic All-Big 12 in 2025, CSC Academic All-District in 2024 and been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice in 2024 and 2025. A two-year team captain on the field, Damuni is also an example of service in the community. He has been involved in a variety of service activities locally and internationally. He traveled with BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake and others this summer to Nuku’alofa, Tonga, to set up the BYU-Pathway Worldwide program call center in Tonga that will help individuals obtain higher education and improve business English communications skills, with the goal of having better employment opportunities.
Earlier in the year he and teammate Ace Kafusi organized a service project to help communities along the North shore of Oahu, Hawaii, that were hit hard with major flooding. He also makes regular visits to patients at Utah Valley Hospital who are struggling with illness. In addition, Damuni speaks regularly at local school and church events to inspire local youth to pursue education, and value learning and discipline. He served a two-year volunteer mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the California Oakland-San Francisco Mission (2021-23) and currently serves as young men’s advisor in his local church congregation.
Damuni also volunteers regularly to help serve hot meals and distributing food boxes to homeless and others in need of emergency shelter at the Food & Care Coalition of Provo. He has also partnered with the Utah Pork Producers Association and local meat processors to unload, pack, and distribute 35,000 pounds of donated protein to families statewide for the Utah Food Bank of Salt Lake City.
For the third-straight year, Allstate is partnering with the Wuerffel Foundation to unify two of college football’s most meaningful community service honors — the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner and former University of Florida quarterback, the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy reflects his lifelong commitment to leadership, service and unity.
Last year BYU safety Tanner Wall was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and was a finalist for both the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy and the Pop Warner College Football Award.
Uluave picked as candidate for Lombardi Award
Walbruch earns preseason award
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Senior captain Ellie Walbruch was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Preseason Best XI Second Team.
Walbruch put together a standout 2025 campaign, leading the Cougars in goals (16), shots (91) and shots on goal (41). She recorded the first hat trick of her career against Arizona and posted four multi-goal performances throughout the season. Her postseason success continued at the Big 12 Tournament, where her five goals led the conference and earned her Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors as well as a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Walbruch’s impressive season also garnered All-Big 12 First Team and All-Midwest Region First Team recognition, along with United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America honors.
