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Top 25 Moments of 2025

Top 25 Moments of 2025

Moments 6-10

As the calendar year wraps up, Boise State Athletics wanted to celebrate some of the amazing accomplishments achieved by our student-athletes in 2025.  After thorough conversation and discussion, the sports communications staff compiled a list of 25 of the top moments from 2025. Here are those Top 25 Moments. 

For Moments 25-21, click here.

For Moments 20-16, click here.

For Moments 15-11, click here.

MOMENT NO. 10:

Boise State Beach Volleyball Joins The Big 12

Though it didn’t come as a surprise to the Boise State beach volleyball team, the words still brought out emotion.

“A new era of Boise State Beach Volleyball,” the Instagram post read. “The Broncos officially join the Big 12.”

For the current student-athletes of the beach volleyball program (or as they call themselves, the Sandy Broncos), the official announcement to join the notorious conference marked just another step in the rapid evolution of the program.

The 2025-26 season will mark the 13th year of the program’s existence, but the seven seniors on the roster have been a part of rapid change. The first nine years of the program saw the team competing as an independent team, unaffiliated with any conference. As the sport grew, so did the program. What started as a way for the indoor volleyball team to compete in the spring, slowly morphed into a beach-only sport.

Prior to the 2023 season, the program accepted an invitation to join the Southland Conference, paving the way for the Broncos to forge a path to the 16-team NCAA National Beach Volleyball Championship. Boise State came close twice, falling in the championship match to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in each of the past two seasons. The Broncos finally broke through, defeating the Islanders in the SLC Championship this past spring to compete at the NCAA event for the first time in program history.

In that time frame, Boise State went from needing the automatic qualifier to becoming a potential bubble team. The Broncos have sat just outside the AVCA Top 20 rankings in each of the last two seasons, and have slowly crept into the at-large bid conversation.

Joining the Big 12 was a perfect representation of the program’s growth. Though if you ask the team, they’re laser-focused on #WhatsNext. The Big 12 features the defending national champion, TCU, alongside powerhouse programs Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State and South Carolina.

The path has only gotten harder, but if it’s anything like the program’s current trajectory, they’re right on schedule. 

MOMENT NO. 9:

Leia Chung Wins Title in Return to Golf Course

For a casual golfer, a winter offseason feels long. For any golfer, a year away from the game feels endless. For a competitive golfer, 508 days feels like an eternity.

Leia Chung knows that feeling all too well.

During the 2023-24 season, Chung suffered a chronic back fracture that required surgery, forcing her to miss the entire 2024-25 campaign. In a sport built around back movement, it was a worst-case scenario.

Rehab stretched on, but her focus never wavered. When Boise State opened its 2025 fall season on Sept. 7-9 at the Golfweek Fall Challenge, Chung was cleared to compete. After 508 days, she was back representing the Blue and Orange.

If you didn’t know her story, you wouldn’t have known what she had been through.

Chung opened the tournament with a three-under-par 68 and followed it with a four-under 67, posting seven-under through two rounds—the third-lowest 36-hole score in program history. As she continued to separate herself from the rest of the field, she put the finishing touches on the tournament on the final day.

Heading into the final hole, Chung held a nine-stroke lead. After rolling in a par on the 18th green, she officially secured the tournament title in her first competition in 17 months. Her teammates huddled just off the 18th green, and as Chung walked off the course, they doused her with a celebratory water bath, the most fitting way to cap a seven-birdie, 11-par round of 64. 

With the win, Chung became the fourth Bronco with multiple solo victories, recorded the lowest 54-hole score in both program and tournament history (199, -14), and tied the program record for largest margin of victory, winning by nine strokes.

MOMENT NO. 8:

Gymnastics Wins Mountain West Regular Season Title

When Boise State entered ExtraMile Arena for the final conference meet of 2025, the stakes were high. A win over Air Force would clinch the Mountain West regular season title for the Broncos, who were undefeated at home.

Boise State set the tone early, recording a season-high 49.200 on vault. Emily Lopez, one of the most decorated student-athletes in program history, led the way with a 9.900, earning the 11th vault title of her career. The fifth year gymnast paced the Blue and Orange in the next rotation, capturing her 18th career bars title with a 9.925. She was backed by eventual MW Co-Freshman of the Year Kristina Shchennikova, who notched a 9.875.

Bronco seniors continued leading the way in the third rotation, with Emma Loyim (9.925) and Alyssa Vulaj (9.875) taking the top two spots on beam. The ever-steady floor quintet of Bridget Kemp, Loyim, Anna Ferguson, Vulaj and Elaina McGovern all scored at 9.750 to earn second through sixth place, putting the finishing touches on a title-clinching performance.

After the top event finishers were announced, it was made official - Boise State won the 2025 Mountain West Gymnastics regular season title. Jenny Bellomy, the assistant athletic director for compliance and sport program administrator, brought the trophy to the floor, presenting it to Lopez and the rest of the ecstatic Broncos.

The championship rings weren’t the only jewelry obtained that night. Director of operations Hope Masiado, a former gymnast, emerged from the hallway to a floor filled with flower petals and a cheering team. Her longtime boyfriend, Cory Meyer, proposed, and she of course said “Yes!” After a celebration in the arena, the team bolted for Albertsons Stadium, where the blue turf and lights provided the perfect setting for one more photoshoot with the hardware.

MOMENT NO. 7:

Boise State Beach Volleyball Wins A Southland Conference Championship

It was always going to come down to Boise State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 

The two foes had been far and away the top two teams in the league since the Broncos joined the SLC in 2023. Though the Islanders had owned Boise State in years past, owning a 5-2 overall record against the Blue and Orange as members of the same conference, the Broncos were coming off a regular season championship, a sign that things may be different this time around.

The two teams - and the seven other members of the conference - all arrived in New Orleans for the three-day event. As the top seed, the Broncos swept both of their first two opponents (No. 8 New Orleans and No. 5 Houston Christian) to set up a face off with the Islanders in the winners’ bracket final.

Though the game wasn’t a true championship match, the stakes were still there. Rivalry aside, the winning team would earn an automatic spot in the championship match. The loser would head to the consolation final, where it would need to win to earn a chance to claim the conference crown.

The Broncos got on the board first, with the No. 3 pair of Avery Allen and Abbie Wolf winning in straight sets. Minutes later, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi evened the score with a win from the top court.

The Islanders added to their advantage, taking a 2-1 lead following a straight-set victory from court four. Charlee Ellena and Lily Patock knotted the score for the Broncos, tying the dual at two with a straight-set win from the No. 5 position.

The dual’s outcome was sent to court two. Ava Anderson and Addison Wolden took the first set, 21-16, but Kristin Bobay and Millie Olsson claimed the second, 21-17, to send the match to a third set. The two sides battled fiercely, with both sides failing to convert multiple match-point chances before the Islanders eventually prevailed, 25-23.

Dampered by the loss, Southland Conference Coach of the Year Allison Voigt reminded the team of one thing. This is what happened last year. The Broncos, then the No. 2 seed, upset Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the winners’ bracket final, but the Islanders roared back in the losers’ bracket to claim the championship.

Boise State arrived the next day with a determination. A hype video was posted that morning that embraced the team’s mantra. “fine. we’ll do it the long way.”

And that’s what they did. And it really wasn’t close.

The Broncos rolled past No. 3 San Jose State, with their No. 1, 3 and 5 pairs winning in straight sets to set up a rematch in the championship.

Seeking revenge after losing the deciding point a day earlier, Boise State’s top pair, Anderson and Wolde,  came out with a vengeance. The duo won  21-16, 21-18 on court two to give Boise State the first point of the day. Attention turned to court four, where the two sides split the first two sets. Guerra-Acuña and Wolthuis staved off three separate match points to secure a thrilling 21-19 third-set win to give the Broncos a commanding 2-0 lead entering the second flight.

The Islanders didn't back down. After dropping the first set on two of the three courts, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forced a third set in all three matches to send the dual to the wire. Tied 10-10 from the top court, Allyson Alden and Sharli O'Neil ripped off five straight points to secure the Broncos' first championship in program history.

As soon as the official blew her horn, members from all three courts swarmed Alden and O’Neil. The team emphatically placed their team sticker on the championship board, then rushed back to the middle court for the celebration. Not only did they receive their (second) championship trophy, but the Broncos received a “Ticket Punched" signed, signifying their claim to the program’s first NCAA National Tournament Appearance in program history.

MOMENT NO. 6:

Women’s Tennis Wins First Mountain West Tournament Title

The Boise State women’s tennis team joined the Mountain West in 2011. In 13 full seasons, the Broncos had never advanced past the semifinal round of the conference tournament.

Until 2025.

Boise State delivered one of its best regular seasons in program history, finishing with 17 wins, seven conference victories and a perfect 13-0 record at home.

It was a year full of success, but the Broncos wanted more.

After a 4-1 win over Utah State in the regular-season finale, Boise State clinched a first-round bye in the MW Tournament and secured the No. 4 seed.

The Broncos opened postseason play against No. 5 Fresno State, a team they defeated 5-2 earlier in the season. That dominant win was replicated, as Boise State swept the Bulldogs, winning the doubles point and each of its three singles matches in straight sets.

Next up was top-seeded and defending tournament champion San Diego State, which had defeated the Broncos 4-2 in the regular season.

San Diego State took an early 2-0 lead, winning the doubles point and the first singles match. A win on court two gave the Broncos life, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Boise State then surged ahead with victories from Paula Schaefer on court four and Zdena Safarova on court one.

A San Diego State win on court three tied the match, leaving the outcome to freshman Masa Viriant at the No. 6 spot.

With a chance to make history, Viriant trailed 5-1 in the third set. She mounted an improbable rally, winning five straight games and forcing a tiebreak. With the program’s first trip to the MW title match on the line, Viriant delivered, clinching the Broncos’ 4-3 victory.

Boise State moved on to play UNLV, against whom the Broncos held just a 1-11 record in the all-time series.

The script felt familiar as Boise State dropped the doubles point, but the response was immediate. The Broncos won three straight singles matches to take a 3-1 lead. UNLV battled back with a win on court three to move the match to 3-2.

The Broncos had chances on courts five and six to win, and once again, one of them belonged to Viriant. For the second consecutive match, she found herself in a position to clinch the victory. After dropping the first set 6-2, she rebounded with back-to-back 6-4 wins, sealing Boise State’s first Mountain West Tournament title in program history.

The Broncos earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010 and became the first team seeded No. 4 or lower to win the MW title since 2010.