Sports

The Charge • May 1 2026

‘Enjoy the ride’: How Valkyries' Courtney Schwan lives by those words

Orlando Valkyries outside hitter Courtney Schwan has been on the court her entire life, even before she was born.

Paula Schwan, her mother, played volleyball until she was eight months pregnant with Courtney Schwan and returned to the floor with her newborn daughter three weeks later.

As Paula Schwan acted as both mother and coach throughout her upbringing, Courtney Schwan carries her favorite piece of advice she gave to this day: enjoy the ride.

The Charge • April 27 2026

‘Cohesion and trust’: Orlando Valkyries champion Major League Volleyball, build partnerships

Two years ago, the City Beautiful entered a new era of women’s professional sports.

Outside hitter Courtney Schwan, a player who’s been with the Orlando Valkyries since the beginning, described what makes the franchise a championship team in two words.

“Cohesion and trust,” Schwan said. “If you can play together and trust the person next to you, it's going to be really easy to put two and two together.”

The Charge • April 22 2026

Omaha Supernovas excel on both sides, sweep Orlando Valkyries

The Orlando Valkyries endured a 3-0 loss against the offensive and defensive prowess of the Omaha Supernovas on Thursday night at Addition Financial Arena.

Omaha (12-13) outblocked Orlando 13-3 while holding the Valkyries to just a .108 hitting efficiency, whereas the Supernovas hit .295.

Omaha’s victory snapped a three-game skid while delivering interim head coach Thomas Robson’s first professional win.

The Charge • March 19 2026

Four Valkyries earn All-Star recognition, set to compete in MLV All-Star Match

Four Orlando Valkyries have been selected to compete in the 2026 AdventHealth MLV All-Star Match, Major League Volleyball announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Setter Chompoo Guedpard and middle blocker Kaz Brown will play for “Team Launiere," led by retired Utah Utes volleyball head coach Beth Launiere, while outside hitter Charitie Luper and libero Teodora Pusić will compete for “Team Meske," led by Dan and Maria Durbin head volleyball coach Dan Meske.

Meske's title reflects how donors Dan and Maria Durbin's funds support the position's salary and the University of Louisville program resources.

The Charge • March 8 2026

Valkyries snap 6-game home loss streak against Columbus Fury

Opposite hitter Charitie Luper’s standout performance led the Orlando Valkyries to snap a six-game home loss streak after defeating the Columbus Fury 3-1 on Thursday night at Addition Financial Arena.

Luper commanded the Valkyries’ (8-7) front line, finishing the game matching her record of 24 points while hitting on .311 efficiency.

Orlando's defensive pressure held Columbus outside hitter Raina Terry to only 12 kills after hitting .083 — a player who currently leads Major League Volleyball in kills with an average of 4.07 per set.

The Charge • March 2 2026

Orlando Valkyries setter Guedpard impacts offensive onslaught in 3-1 win against Dallas

Orlando Valkyries setter Chompoo Guedpard made an explosive return to court in a 3-1 victory against the Dallas Pulse on Friday night at the Comerica Center.

Guedpard missed the past four matches after sustaining a sprained finger injury during the Feb. 6 matchup against the Atlanta Vibe (6-6), yet the 16-year professional delivered a ferocious comeback, finishing with 57 assists and seven digs to counter Dallas (8-5).

The Charge • January 24 2026

Orlando Valkyries' championship rematch ends in a 3-1 loss against Indy Ignite

The City Beautiful’s Major League Volleyball team, the Orlando Valkyries, lost its first game of the 2026 season against the two-way force of the Indy Ignite on Thursday night at the Addition Financial Arena.

Despite losing to the Valkyries in the 2025 championship, Indy returned the favor by defeating Orlando in a hard-fought four-setter.

Orlando Valkyries

I served as the Orlando Valkyries Beat Reporter for The Charge during the Spring 2026 semester at Addition Financial Arena. I reported on the team's 2026 season performance while publishing an enterprise piece on the Valkyries' identity and a profile for one of the three inaugural players, outside hitter Courtney Schwan. A highlight during my coverage is the preview article about the 2026 AdventHealth MLV All-Star Match at Addition Financial Arena and a photo gallery of the match.

UCF Men's Basketball

I had the privilege of covering multiple sports for Sons of UCF, including the UCF men's basketball team during its conference portion of the 2025-26 season at Addition Financial Arena. Here, I reported the trials and tribulations of the Knights' all-new roster. The selected articles highlight my strongest work, including ASB GlassFloor technology's U.S. debut at the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Tournaments, and a brief on its removal shortly after.

Sons of UCF • March 13 2026

Big 12 Basketball's New Flooring Decision Explained

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark announced the switch from the ASB GlassFloor court to a hardwood floor for the rest of the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament in Kansas City, MO, in a statement on Thursday night.

“After consultation with the coaches of our four Semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the Tournament,” Yormark said in the statement. “We look forward to a great Semifinals and Championship Game.”

Sons of UCF • February 4 2026

UCF Knights Basketball Faces $25,000 Fine

The Big 12 Conference announced a $25,000 fine to UCF on Tuesday, Feb. 3, after Knights Nation stormed the court prematurely against No.11 Texas Tech on Saturday.

“In accordance with Big 12 Conference Principles and Standards of Sportsmanship, the Conference has issued a $25,000 fine of UCF for the court storming prior to the conclusion of Saturday’s men’s basketball victory over No. 11 Texas Tech,” the league said in a statement on X.

Sons of UCF • January 31 2026

An out-of-this-world upset, UCF beats No.11 Texas Tech 88-80

A crowd of over 8,500 watched the UCF men’s basketball team deliver an upset victory against the 11th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders 88-80 during its Space Game on Saturday at Addition Financial Arena.

The Knightmare stormed the court prematurely at first as a foul was called on junior guard Chris Johnson, allowing Texas Tech junior forward LeJuan Watts to shoot two free throws with less than a second left of the matchup.

Shortly after, Knight Nation rushed to the court once again to celebrate UCF taking down another ranked team at home during conference play.

Sons of UCF • January 28 2026

A second-half comeback secures UCF victory over Arizona State, 79-76

UCF pulled off a comeback victory at home, 79-76, after recovering from a 12-point deficit late in the second half against Arizona State on Tuesday night.

The Knights (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) secured their second consecutive win over the Sun Devils (11-10, 2-6 Big 12) while experiencing foul trouble and shooting struggles from the three-point line.

UCF men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins said in the postgame press conference that his players believe as long as there’s time on the clock, they still have a chance.

Sons of UCF • January 4 2026

UCF Basketball delivers upset win over Kansas Jayhawks, 81-75

Knights fans stormed the Addition Financial Arena court as they watched UCF men’s basketball win its Big XII 2025-2026 season opener against the 17th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks 81-75 on Saturday afternoon.

Fifth-year guard Themus Fulks opened the game with a layup, and what followed was an intense exchange of play that saw the lead change six times by the end of the first half. During which Kansas showed why they are the top defensive team in the country, ending the first half with 21 rebounds and seven turnovers.

Sons of UCF • April 21 2026

UCF Knights Baseball Weekend Recap: Key Moments

A grand slam, three back-to-back UCF home runs and a Cincinnati outfielder ejection.

These are the climactic moments that wrapped the then-No. 21 UCF baseball weekend series 2-1 in the Cincinnati Bearcats’ favor.

The Knights (21-15, 11-7 Big 12) set the tone of the series with a 7-1 victory on Friday evening. Junior outfielder Andrew Williamson kick-started an explosive fourth frame with a single that led senior infielder/outfielder Cayden Gaskin to home plate.

Sons of UCF • April 16 2026

UCF Knights Baseball Falls Short Against Jacksonville

No. 21 UCF baseball suffered its fourth consecutive loss, 5-4, in extra innings against the Jacksonville Dolphins on Tuesday night at John Euliano Park.

Head coach Rich Wallace told reporters that the Knights need to regain their competitive spirit and return to the program’s standards of play to fight out of the gauntlet like the Big 12.

“They walked us 10 times and we scored four runs. You can’t beat an army of guys on base,” Wallace said. “At some point in time, you’ve got to stand up there and have your best at bat. We haven’t done that for the last four games.”

Sons of UCF • March 31 2026

UCF Knights Baseball Dominates Arizona Wildcats

A pinch-hit walk-off RBI single from freshman outfielder Stephen Chucka sealed the weekend series 3-0 for the now-No. 23 UCF against the Arizona Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at John Euliano Park.

“[Chucka] was ready to go and that was a heck of an at-bat for him. He was down two strikes, fouled a bunch of balls off and delivered at the end,” head coach Rich Wallace said in the postgame conference.

Sons of UCF • March 12 2026

UCF Knights Baseball Struggles Against Miami

A shoulder-to-shoulder audience of more than 3,000 watched UCF suffer a 9-5 rematch loss against the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday night at John Euliano Park.

UCF (9-6, 0-0 Big 12) last played Miami (13-4, 1-2 ACC) on Feb. 17 during the 2026 season, where the Hurricanes won in extra innings after a comeback at the top of the ninth inning.

Sons of UCF • March 3 2026

UCF Knights Baseball: Weekend Recap Against USF

UCF baseball managed a win in the series finale after the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls clinched the weekend 2-1 at John Euliano Park.

The scheduled series opener on Friday was postponed due to inclement weather and changed to a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

Sons of UCF • February 17 2026

UCF Knights Baseball Starts Season with a Bang

UCF baseball knocked the start of the 2026 season out of the park after a 3-0 series win against the Siena University Saints from Feb. 13 through Feb. 15 at John Euliano Park.

Siena (0-3, 0-0 MAAC) was no match for the two-way force of UCF (3-0, 0-0 Big 12), as they only scored one run throughout the series.

UCF Baseball

Among the various areas reported for Sons of UCF was UCF baseball's 2026 season at John Euliano Park. I followed the Knights through their home games and weekend series while publishing briefs on players' accolades awarded by the Big 12 Conference. My photography also began during this beat, where I captured moments of action, from pitching to swinging a baseball bat.

UCF Softball

Lastly, my reporting for Sons of UCF included coverage of UCF softball at the UCF Softball Complex. I produced recaps and game overviews of the Knights as they achieved program milestones.