Arizona
No. 13 ASU secures season sweep with 4-set win over Arizona volleyball
Arizona volleyball served well and played one of their best sets all season, but the Wildcats still fell to No. 13 ASU in a four-set match on Thursday evening in McKale Center. The Sun Devils won 25-23, 15-25, 25-19, 25-15.
“As a veteran, team (ASU) was just doing their job out there,” said Arizona head coach Rita Stubbs. “Didn’t do anything special.”
The Wildcats have dropped several sets this year simply by giving away points on their serve. On Thursday, they didn’t do that. They had just six service errors compared to 10 for ASU. Last time the two teams played, Arizona had 19 service errors in a four-set loss. Stubbs said that came about because of how they’ve adapted in practice.
“In our 6-on-6 competition, they had to serve a certain area,” Stubbs said. “And knowing that they had to go after a person, they didn’t have to look to move forward. They were able to reset themselves.”
For 2.5 sets, they were relatively clean on offense, too. The Wildcats started the match with just two kills and five hitting errors. They seemed to find their footing at that point, getting nine straight kills without another error to end the first set.
That wasn’t enough to take the 1-0 lead, though. ASU already had a 16-9 lead when Arizona found its way. The visiting team was just good enough down the stretch to emerge victorious in the set.
It could have put the Wildcats back on their heels when they weren’t able to fulfill the comeback. Instead, they carried the momentum into the second set.
Arizona had 17 kills and just two hitting errors in the second set. The Wildcats also had 22 digs and three total blocks as they dominated their in-state rivals.
“I think all the hitters were on,” said Arizona opposite Jaelyn Hodge. “Our passing was on. So you can run your offense really good when passing is on. Keeping them out of system is a part, too.”
A great team regroups, and that’s what ASU did in the third. Arizona used a 6-1 run to take an 11-9 lead, but that was the end of the runs for the home team. The Wildcats did not score more than one point in a row for the rest of the set while the Sun Devils had five runs of two or three points. They ended it on two straight aces.
That took the wind out of Arizona’s sails. The Sun Devils led wire-to-wire in the final set. Once again, UA let its opponent go on runs without answering in kind. The Wildcats scored two points in a row four times in the final set while ASU had two or more points seven times.
“We let them have long runs, even though we said our goal was to go point for point with them, and that was partly because the hitters, our offense was not good today by any stretch of the imagination,” Stubbs said. “We had 10 kills, 12 errors in the fourth set. In that situation, the hitters were just going out there swinging with reckless abandon, and that’s not good.”
The Sun Devils began to pile up the blocks. Arizona led 7.0 to 2.0 after three sets. ASU blocked the Wildcats five times in the final set, closing the UA lead in total blocks to 9-7. Arizona’s back-row attack, which was effective for most of the match, was suddenly accounted for by the ASU block.
“In the second set, we were able to move the ball around and put it in different hands,” Stubbs said. “Back row was something that we were scoring on. Then once they start putting the block up—because they didn’t block it last (match)—once they put the block in front, then we went to the D, but then we didn’t set it the way we were supposed to.”
Arizona was led on offense by Hodge and Jordan Wilson, although neither was very efficient. Hodge had 17 kills on .178 hitting, eight digs, and three total blocks (one solo). Wilson had 15 kills on .205 hitting, 14 digs, and four total blocks (one solo).
The ranked opponents continue as Arizona goes on the road next week to play Utah and BYU. The two teams are tied at No. 21 in the AVCA rankings. The Wildcats split their home matches against the two teams, losing to the Utes and defeating the Cougars.
Lead photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics
Don’t miss these 5 metro Phoenix hidden gem restaurants
From Ethiopian cuisine to mesquite-grilled chicken, check out these five restaurants in metro Phoenix that have flown under the radar for too long.
A former candidate for Gilbert mayor has opened the first Arizona location of a Founding Fathers-themed ice cream shop in Chandler.
Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream is a Utah-based ice cream shop centered around the early history of the United States. Female employees scoop cones in bonnets and dresses; male employees wear tricorn hats and coats. The ice cream flavors have names like Martha Washington’s Colonial Cotton Candy and Alexander Hamilton’s Not Throwing Away My Scoop.
On a trip to Utah in 2019, Arizonan Shane Krauser went to a Brooker’s and was blown away.
“I walked out of that, called my wife Janelle and I said, ‘We will own one of these,’” Krauser said.
The couple had no previous restaurant experience, but decided to open up the chain’s first location outside of Utah, choosing a storefront near the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road. The store opened on June 6.
Krauser loves how the shop creates conversation among customers about American history.
“I love history. I love the Founding Fathers. I love the ideals of America,” Krauser said. “It’s an amazing concept.”
Opening Founding Flavors isn’t political, it’s a ‘labor of love’
Krauser is a retired lawyer turned motivational speaker who addresses topics including “freedom, the proper role of government and the parameters of the U.S. and state constitutions,” according to his website.
In 2024, Krauser ran for Gilbert mayor, but withdrew his candidacy amid scrutiny over involvement with a past investment fraud scheme and his son’s appearance in a video with the Gilbert Goons, The Arizona Republic reported.
Although the shop plans to host events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., such as one for Constitution Day in September, Krauser said he does not see the ice cream store as related to his political career.
“The mayoral run was something to be involved in politically. This is more of a labor of love,” Krauser said. “This is not political in nature at all. It’s an ice cream shop with an American theme.”
Details: 2560 W. Chandler Blvd. #3, Chandler. brookersicecream.com, 480-881-6100.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
Arizona CEO accused of stealing millions
Jeffrey Gottfurcht, the now-former CEO of Mesa startupo Cyber Dive, is accused of stealing at least $1.5 million from the company to buy gifts for his girlfriend. FOX 10’s Brian Webb has more.
PHOENIX – An Arizona chief executive officer is facing major legal trouble after being accused of embezzling money from his company.
What we know:
Cyber Dive is an Arizona startup that sells child-safety smartphones, designed so parents can monitor their children’s online activity. The company is run out of a business complex in Mesa, but the startup is barely hanging on after the CEO allegedly took off with the money to spend on his girlfriend.
Jeffrey Gottfurcht is facing federal embezzlement charges. He stands accused of lying and doctoring documents to trick investors before running off with at least $1.5 million.
On the company Facebook page, Gottfurcht claimed to be the first rheumatoid arthritis sufferer to scale Mount Everest.
Local perspective:
Red flags first popped up at the company on Feb. 13, with strange occurrences coming into the office.
Derek Jackson, who co-founded Cyber Dive, recalled the moment the discrepancies came to light.
“They mentioned to me something about getting routing documentation for funds from an acquisition deal,” Jackson recounted. “They said ‘where are those documents?’ He said he was gonna send him at 3 p.m. today, and my response was what deal are you talking about?”
Dig deeper:
Court documents show Gottfurcht used the money to buy his escort girlfriend a Lamborghini, a four-bedroom house in Miami, and a diamond ring. The girlfriend has posted videos on TikTok, but her identity is hidden because she has not been charged with a crime.
When asked to confirm if Gottfurcht purchased the car, the diamond ring, and the house, Jackson responded, “Yes. So it gets deep. Yes, it gets very deep.”
“It’s a huge gut punch,” Jackson said regarding the impact on the startup. “I think it’s been challenging to stay motivated to keep the company going because when this happened, Jeff drained the account to zero.”
At the Cyber Dive headquarters, half the workforce was let go. Jackson is now serving as the interim chief executive officer, looking for new investors to keep the lights on while coming to grips with the loss of a partner and friend.
Jackson stated that the total amount of money taken is closer to $4 million.
“I was in the army. I was an intelligence officer. I was targeting people in ISIS. I don’t even hate terrorists as much as I hate Jeff right now,” Jackson said.
The other side:
No one answered the door at the Paradise Valley home Gottfurcht shares with his wife and three children. Court paperwork shows that his wife is seeking a divorce, and helped turn her husband in to the authorities.
What’s next:
Gottfurcht was previously arrested in Scottsdale in May over allegations of domestic violence. He remains behind bars on a $250,000 bond.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Derek Jackson, and from court documents.
Arizona
NAU launches first-of-its-kind engineering degree to fast-track Arizona’s future workforce – The NAU Review
As Arizona’s semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries continue to grow at a rapid pace, Northern Arizona University’s Steve Sanghi College of Engineering is launching a new degree program designed to help meet the state’s workforce needs.
Beginning this fall, NAU will offer a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Engineering Technology, a flexible, workforce-focused degree pathway that prepares students for careers in microelectronics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing in as little as three years. The 90-credit bachelor’s degree creates a more accessible pathway into engineering careers through a hands-on, applied curriculum and a streamlined transfer model with Arizona community colleges.
The program follows a 45-45 completion structure, allowing students to complete 45 credits at a community college and 45 credits through NAU. Courses will be delivered through synchronous remote instruction at NAU’s North Valley campus in Phoenix and at Pima Community College in Tucson, increasing access for statewide students.
Addressing Arizona’s growing semiconductor workforce
Designed with workforce readiness in mind, the program emphasizes practical engineering application, systems implementation, testing, quality control, systems analysis, manufacturing, fabrication, process control and project management. Students will gain technical and problem-solving skills aligned with the needs of Arizona’s rapidly evolving manufacturing economy.
“This new bachelor’s degree empowers students to identify real-world engineering challenges and develop practical solutions,” said James Palmer, associate dean for academic affairs at the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering. “We are creating a more accessible pathway into engineering careers while preparing graduates to support Arizona’s growing microelectronics and semiconductor industry.”
Arizona has emerged as one of the nation’s fastest-growing semiconductor hubs, with more than $200 billion in semiconductor-related investments announced in the Greater Phoenix region since 2020, including expansions from Intel, TSMC and Amkor Technology. TSMC alone has committed up to $165 billion toward Arizona operations, including multiple fabrication plants and advanced packaging facilities expected to create thousands of technical and manufacturing jobs.
Industry demand continues to grow for professionals with applied engineering and advanced manufacturing skills in areas such as process engineering, manufacturing systems, equipment operations and yield enhancement. NAU’s new degree program was developed to help students quickly enter these high-demand career fields while supporting Arizona’s long-term economic growth and domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity.
The program also aligns with NAU’s strategic commitment to expanding access to affordable, student-centered educational opportunities that prepare graduates for meaningful careers and long-term success.
Students interested in learning more about the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Engineering Technology program should contact SCE@nau.edu.
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