Latest news with #Lightning
Los Angeles Times
42 minutes ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Daily Pilot Boys' Volleyball Dream Team: Sage Hill's Jackson Cryst could do it all
Jackson Cryst has likely always been the big man on campus. The 6-foot-10 outsider hitter took the Sage Hill boys' volleyball program to new heights during an unbelievable two-year stint that was no tall tale. While much remains ahead for Cryst, who is joining reigning national champion Long Beach State to continue playing volleyball, his high school career closed three weeks ago with the highest of highs. Sage Hill, largely because of Cryst, went down in history as one of the inaugural boys' volleyball state champions, as the Lightning beat San Francisco International 25-19, 25-16, 25-23 for the CIF State Division III title. Cryst had 23 kills, three service aces and 1½ total blocks in the state final, the last game in an extended winning streak that spanned more than six weeks. The season-saving streak began on April 17 with a five-set win over Portola that got the Lightning back to the .500 mark after an 0-5 start. Sage Hill (22-11) grabbed an at-large bid into the Southern Section's Division 4 bracket, then made good on that chance by edging Santa Barbara in five sets for its second consecutive CIF title. After winning back-to-back CIF titles and earning divisional player of the year honors in his two seasons at Sage Hill, Cryst is the Daily Pilot Boys' Volleyball Dream Team Player of the Year. Cryst insisted that winning championships was not a byproduct of 'the Jackson show,' saying that he learned about how to lead a team and make others around him better. Junior Connor Gapp, who split his playing time between setter and opposite, and junior outside hitter Ryan Manesh became key contributors. 'I think that was a really surprising challenge that I wasn't ready for, that I'm not just going to be able to jump my way and hit my way out of everything,' Cryst said. 'That helps in crunch-time matches, but volleyball is the ultimate team sport. I can't hit a ball without someone setting it, and you can't set it without someone passing it, so I think it was really incredible to actually be able to understand that. Now, if I can apply that to a higher-level team, then it makes the game so much more fun to play, and then also we're just so much more effective at winning volleyball matches.' Arriving at Sage Hill as a junior transfer from Long Beach Millikan, Cryst had an immediate impact on the fortunes of the Lightning. Sage Hill needed all of Cryst's eye-popping 54-kill performance to come out on top in a five-set Division 5 final against San Marino for the program's first CIF championship in 2024. 'Jackson is a great leader,' Manesh said. 'It's truly a blessing to be on the same team as him because the amount of volleyball knowledge that he spreads and preaches to us, it's so helpful to our game. … I remember our five-set match against [Simi Valley] Royal, he was talking to us about what Karch Kiraly, the greatest volleyball player of all time, told him. … 'Before the fifth set, he said Karch Kiraly told him, 'Nobody wants the easy 3-0 experiences. The best champions, they live for the five-set matches,' and that helped push us to the win against Royal. Just inspirational words like that, the knowledge that he has, the skills. He's 6-foot-10, but his ball control is insane.' As a two-sport athlete, Cryst also played in the post for the boys' basketball team. Sage Hill advanced to the Division 3AA quarterfinals in his junior year, and this past season, they were the runner-up in the same division. So much of that was challenging. First came frustration with transfer sit-out periods. Then as a senior, the physicality and the time commitment of a senior basketball season that extended into the early part of March with regional playoff qualification was eating away at a volleyball season already underway. Cryst credited D'Cean Bryant, Sage Hill's boys' basketball coach, with helping him to understand the life lessons involved while navigating those situations. 'I think that he was really right there with me through all that, and not in a way where he's just trying to make me feel better, but in a way where he's telling me what I need,' Cryst said of Bryant. 'This last year, too, where I'm committed to college for volleyball, and I'm in basketball season, going well into volleyball, and I'm frustrated. I'm voicing to him that I'm extremely frustrated. 'I'm a volleyball player. Why am I doing this? I'm getting double- and triple-teamed in games, getting beat up.'' Bryant's message was one of honoring your commitments and being where your feet are. 'He was like, 'I don't know when this is going to serve you, but it's going to because at a certain point in your life, you're going to have to do something that you don't want to do. How are you going to respond to that? Are you just going to show up and not be there, not really do it, or are you going to be all-in to whatever you're doing?' It's a character thing, and I think that did really serve me well,' Cryst said. Jordan Hoppe, who took over as the Sage Hill boys' volleyball coach this year, called Cryst a 'student of the game' and also referred to some of the athleticism he displays on the court as incomprehensible. He said he has seen Cryst do the splits. 'The athletic ability, being 6-10, is something you only see in a few athletes to ever live — I think Wilt Chamberlain being number one,' Hoppe said. 'I think it's a good comparison because I think Wilt was one of the most athletic 7-footers to ever play basketball. I think Jackson is not only arguably the best player in the country, but he's arguably one of the most athletic players in the country, even at 6-10, which is even more remarkable.' Craig Pazanti Huntington Beach Huntington Beach (36-5) enjoyed a season to be proud of, even if it fell short of the ultimate goal. The Oilers spent the season looking up to Mira Costa as the nation's top team, but they earned multiple bites at the apple in the postseason, meeting the Mustangs in the Division 1 section final and the Division I regional final. Huntington Beach went undefeated in the Sunset League, securing its first league title since 2016. The Oilers advanced to their first CIF final since 2021. Ben Brown OH | Corona del Mar | Jr. What can Brown do for you? For the Sea Kings, the answer was a lot. Brown, who transferred from Elmhurst York in Illinois, paid immediate dividends for CdM (24-7), which came one match shy of reaching the Division 1 final. The All-CIF Division 1 and Sunset League first-team selection compiled 451 kills, 144 digs and 42 aces. Henry Clemo OPP | Newport Harbor | Jr. Clemo packed a punch from the right pin and the service line, rarely holding back on a swing. A fiery competitor, the junior opposite provided infectious passion that helped elevate Newport Harbor (27-12), which was one of three Sunset League teams to qualify for the Division 1 playoffs. Clemo was a first-team all-league honoree. Kai Gan S | Huntington Beach | Sr. After sharing the setting duties with Jake Pazanti as a junior, Gan handled the role in all rotations as a senior. Gan, a Harvard commit, shared the Sunset League MVP award with Logan Hutnick, his top option and an emerging star for the Oilers at outside hitter. The All-CIF selection churned out 1,454 assists to go with 175 digs, 54 blocks, 39 kills and 29 aces. Nick Ganier Jr. MB | Huntington Beach | Sr. Ganier Jr. had the effect of opening up the entire offense, as teams could not lock in solely on Logan Hutnick and Ben Arguello on the pins. When opponents made that choice, they paid a price for doing so. Ganier Jr., a first-team all-league selection, supplied 212 kills on a .403 hitting percentage and contributed to 68 blocks. Brogan Glenn L | Corona del Mar | Sr. A three-year starter for the Sea Kings, Glenn's passing contributions were vital with his team breaking in a new setter in Drake Foley. Glenn, a UCLA-bound libero who earned All-CIF and Sunset League first-team honors, provided 263 digs, 22 kills and 16 aces. Logan Hutnick OH | Huntington Beach | So. Huntington Beach fell one set short of its first section title in a decade, but Hutnick will surely be at the forefront of the revenge tour. Hutnick finished with 560 kills on a .318 hitting percentage, adding 204 digs, 72 total blocks and 30 aces. The All-CIF honoree had 22 kills, 13 digs and 2½ blocks in the Division 1 final. Position, Name, School, Year OPP Ben Arguello, Huntington Beach, Jr. L Aiden Atencio, Huntington Beach, Sr. MB Jack Berry, Newport Harbor, Sr. L Nathan Jackson, Edison, Sr. OPP Connor McNally, Edison, Sr. OH Kai Patchell, Laguna Beach, Sr. OH Hudson Reynolds, Pacifica Christian, Sr. OPP An Nguyen, Ocean View, Sr. OH JP Wardy, Newport Harbor, Jr. S Charlie Von Der Ahe, Newport Harbor, Jr. MB Billy Watkins, Fountain Valley, Jr.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Lightning Linked To Sabres Star Forward
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a team to watch very closely this off-season. While they had a strong regular-season, their quick playoff exit could lead to them making some upgradess to their roster. Adding another top-six winger would be significant for the Lightning, and they are now being linked to one of the NHL's top trade candidates. Advertisement During a recent episode of The Daily Faceoff Rundown, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that he believes the Lightning are one of the teams interested in Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka. Peterka would be a significant addition to the Lightning's roster if they successfully brought him. This is because the 23-year-old winger is already an impactful top-six forward and has shown signs of having the potential to blossom into a true star. Peterka is coming off an excellent season with the Sabres, as he scored 27 goals and set new career highs with 41 assists and 68 points in 77 games. With offensive numbers like these, he would be a major pickup for the Lightning's top six and power play if acquired. However, an important thing to note is that Peterka is a pending restricted free agent and due for a significant raise from his previous $855,834 cap hit. Due to this, the Lightning would need to move out money to bring him in. Advertisement Nevertheless, with Peterka being a young top-six forward, he would be a great player for the Lightning to acquire. Let's see if they end up winning the sweepstakes. Lightning Trolled By Brad Marchand For Monster Mistake Lightning Trolled By Brad Marchand For Monster Mistake The Tampa Bay Lightning's playoff run ended earlier than expected with their five-game first-round exit to the Florida Panthers. The now back-to-back Stanley Cup champions simply had the Lightning's number again this year before they then knocked out the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Carolina Hurricanes, and then the Edmonton Oilers. Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
South Wales Argus
11 hours ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Hannah Joseph: Lightning must bring their own energy to the Copper Box
Lightning beat London Pulse 58-53 in May, the only side to defeat the regular season table-toppers at home this season. It continued Lightning's fine record of results at the venue, with their last two Grand Final victories also coming in east London. Joseph knows her side will continue to fine tune their performance, but will be using last month's victory as the base ahead of Friday's major semi-final clash against the same opponents. She said: 'Last time we went down there we were super pleased with our performance for around 50 minutes so going into this one, we are looking at what we did well and how we can repeat that as well as those areas we want to fix up. 'Going away to Pulse is always a really hard place to play. They have so many fans and the Copper Box can get very loud at times, but we will prepare for this major semi-final as we would prepare for any semi-final. 'It is probably going to be majority Pulse, so it is a good opportunity to see how we can get around each other and find our own energy.' Lightning finished second in the regular season table, five points behind Pulse after defeat on the final day to Birmingham Panthers. It was a fourth loss of the season for the defending champions, and Joseph hopes her side can take heed of any lessons learned before they travel to London on Friday. 'We were really disappointed with the loss, we always go out there to win. More than anything we didn't feel like we performed,' she added. 'It definitely will give us a kick in the right direction and fire us up but ideally we would have won that and performed well. That's the way you want to go into semi-finals. Ultimately though for semi-finals it is about how you turn up on the day.' Lightning have plenty of big match experience in their ranks, with Joseph one of the core members of the side who have won the last two Netball Super League titles. Vic Burgess was able to add experienced names such as Samantha Wallace-Joseph, Shadine van der Merwe and Jodie Gibson to the ranks this season and Joseph believes having that know-how will serve them well. 'The big thing is all of us stepping up,' she said. 'There are leaders like Nat [Panagarry] who are super vocal but you need everyone to be contributing in their own way, even if that looks different. 'The amount of experience we have in the squad and the number of people who have played in finals puts us in a good place because it is very different.' While Lighting have good memories from their last encounter with Pulse, they will also be keenly aware of the reverse fixture back in March which saw Pulse power to a 77-51 win. 'That loss against Pulse was huge for us,' said Joseph. 'It was very early on in the season and as a squad we could rationalise that some of it was performance and some of it was just where we were in the season. 'There have been some losses we weren't overly pleased with this year but there aren't huge blowout games anymore. There are super competitive games and for the sport that is a good place to be.' Friday's prize is a ticket straight to the Grand Final at the O2 Arena on 6 July. The loser must fight again in next weekend's Preliminary Final, against either Manchester Thunder or London Mavericks before they too can dream of the O2. 'To play at the O2 is going to be amazing,' added Joseph. 'The way the fans have got behind games this year has been amazing, netball has been bigger than ever. 'To get a final at the O2 is huge. We said at the start of the season we wanted to be there, we want to win three championships in a row but there are still some matches to win before we get to that point.' To keep up with the latest news, make sure to follow the @NetballSL on X, Instagram and TikTok, Netball Super League on Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our newsletter. The NSL Grand Final will be held at The O2 on 6 July for the first time ever. Get your tickets to experience live elite netball!
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Lightning have 'set the benchmark' - Wallace-Joseph
Loughborough Lightning's Sammy Wallace-Joseph believes the defending champions have "set the benchmark" for opposition sides this season. Lightning could become the first team to win three netball Super League titles in a row. They face London Pulse in the semi-final on Friday at Copper Box Arena in London (20:00 BST). The Leicestershire side have suffered two defeats in their past five games, including a defeat against local rivals Nottingham Forest who completed the double over the defending champions this season. "It's tough having teams gunning for you. They will play their best netball against you but credit to us because we have clearly set the benchmark," the goal-shooter told BBC Radio Leicester. Lightning are the only team to beat London Pulse at the Copper Box Arena this Wallace-Joseph believes Pulse are the team to beat this year. "It will be tough so I will be jumping for joy once we make the final and win it," she added."Pulse have definitely been the side to beat and we have shown we can do it."The London side earned themselves a home semi-final tie after finishing top of the regular season table, five points clear of Lightning who finished in second place.
National Post
a day ago
- Sport
- National Post
Perry forever the bridesmaid in ongoing search for second Stanley Cup
Article content And as far as relationships go, Corey Perry has to have a love-hate one going with the NHL's most prized possession at this point. Article content Article content A veteran of 20 NHL seasons — going back to when the team that drafted him 28th overall in 2003 was still calling itself the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim — Perry tasted victory from Lord Stanley's Mug during his sophomore season in the league back in 2006-07. Article content Article content And he hasn't been without his chances lately when it comes to securing a second. Article content Fast-forward to these playoffs, which saw Perry hit his 40th birthday milestone, and he has reached the Stanley Cup Final for the fifth time in the past six years. Article content Aside from falling in back-to-back finals with the Oilers, Perry was runner-up in 2021-22 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2020-21 with the Montreal Canadiens and 2019-20 with the Dallas Stars. Article content That's five Stanley Cup eliminations in a span of six years with four different teams for a player during a span of his career where most are left wishing they could still be playing. Article content 'Yeah, it's devastating. I mean, five of the last six, it doesn't get any easier,' Perry said. 'It just doesn't feel real. Article content 'But you get ready and you move on and you get ready for next season. Hopefully, you have that opportunity to do it again.' Article content Article content 'Maybe in 10 years when I look back,' he said. 'Whenever I'm done playing.' Article content Article content But he's not at that point just yet, as he's already turned his attention to next season. Article content 'I just want to win,' said Perry, who was on a one-year, $1.4-million contract. 'Hopefully it's here and hopefully we can figure something out and get something done, because this is a good team and there are some good things ahead.' Article content
