COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s athletic department is going to share $18 million in revenue with its athletes during the upcoming fiscal year as part of the new era of name, image and likeness payments.

That money will be split (not equally) across four sports: football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball.

Why was volleyball selected as the fourth choice? The answer stems from multiple layers ranging from the national scale to the local level.

“We think with the attention that our program can receive, the Columbus market, volleyball as a booming sport, the Covelli Center is an amazing atmosphere — we thought volleyball could be a sport that could drive more revenue,” athletics director Ross Bjork said Thursday.

In Columbus, volleyball has had bright moments.

The Buckeyes have made 25 trips to the NCAA Tournament with a pair of runs to the Final Four (1991, 1994).

Under coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg, who has been at the helm since 2020, Ohio State has made three NCAA Tournament appearances — making the Sweet 16 in each of her first two seasons and an Elite Eight in 2022.

The city also has a professional team, the Columbus Fury. The franchise started as part of the Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season in 2024 and is partly owned by Joe Burrow’s family.

“The sport is really popular,” Bjork said. “The Big Ten is a leader in women’s volleyball. We want to get better. Coach Jen is working on a plan to get us back on track.”

How much will Bjork have to invest in volleyball from the revenue sharing side?

He elected not to dive into specifics of how much of the $18 million will go toward each program. However, the range of what Big Ten teams will give toward volleyball is vast.

Some schools won’t include volleyball in revenue sharing. Others could devote more than $1 million, a source with knowledge of the situation told cleveland.com.

Many schools will be in the middle, giving around $500,000-$600,000.

The higher figures are a testament to the elite volleyball in the conference.

The Big Ten had nine teams make the NCAA Tournament last year. Two teams, Penn State and Nebraska, made the Final Four with the former winning the national title.

Since 1999, the Big Ten has won 13 national titles, which doesn’t include UCLA, Southern California and Washington winning four championships in that span.

The conference has an opportunity to continue growing the sport, which could lead to larger crowds, increased viewership and more revenue.

HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkat volleyball team released its official schedule for the upcoming 2025 season on Friday with a pair of tournaments and four Conference USA weekends highlighting the fall slate.  

Coach Brenda Gray is back for her 42nd year on the bench leading the Kats and will get the season going on August 29-30 when Sam Houston hosts the Bearkat Invitational with Southern Illinois, McNeese and Tulane. 

Weekend tournaments at Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and a home midweek match vs Lamar (Sept 9) will follow before the Kats return home to HCU, Georgia State and ULM in the Bearkat Classic on September 18-20 to conclude non-conference play.  

The following weekend CUSA play will begin in Huntsville when UTEP comes to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum for a pair of matches on September 26-27. A trip to NM State follows the next weekend to open the month of October ahead of FIU coming to Huntsville the weekend of October 10-11. 

The Kats will then go on the road for consecutive weekends at WKU (Oct 17-18) and Jax State (Oct 24-25) before two straight home weekends vs Kennesaw State (Oct 31 – Nov 1) and Louisiana Tech (Nov 7-8) concludes the home portion of the schedule. 

Sam Houston will close the regular season with a trek to league newcomer Delaware (Nov 145-15) ahead of the annual CUSA Tournament. FIU will play host to the Conference USA Tournament in 2025 with play for the three-day tournament set to begin on Thursday, November 20.

Cody Friesen is the sports editor for the Derby Informer. Contact him with sports tips at sports@derbyinformer.com, and follow @Derby_Sports on Twitter for the latest updates. 

MALIBU, Calif. — Olympians, national champions and All-Americans highlight the 2025 Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame class, which was announced Friday.
 
The inductees include five former student-athletes: Lynn Biyendolo (’15, women’s soccer), Stacy Davis (’16, men’s basketball), Mike Gates (’79, baseball), Kim Hill (’12, women’s volleyball) and Chip McCaw (’95, men’s volleyball). Additionally, the 2012 AVCA Sand Volleyball National Championship team, the late Pepperdine swimming and diving head coach Nick Rodionoff and alumni supporters Ted (’59, MBA ’75) and Carolyn (’57) Porter will be inducted into the hall of fame with Special Achievement Awards. Historically, Special Achievement Awards are given to those who have made exceptional contributions or provided extraordinary service to the athletic program at Pepperdine University.. 
 
The ceremony will be held during Waves Weekend and will take place on the evening of October 4, 2025, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Those interested in supporting the Hall of Fame through sponsorship, purchasing a table, or purchasing tickets may complete this form for first access.
 
“The 2025 Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame Class is truly special,” said Tanner Gardner, Director of Athletics. “The student-athletes, coaches, and supporters who we are welcoming into our Hall of Fame represent the best of Pepperdine. I look forward to celebrating their accomplishments together in October!”
 
The Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1980. This year’s group will join 140 individuals, 14 teams and eight special achievement award recipients that have already been enshrined.
 
To be eligible for induction, nominees must have competed, coached for, or rendered an extraordinary service to Pepperdine University Athletics. After compiling a list of nominations, Pepperdine’s Hall of Fame Committee selected this year’s inductees, which were endorsed by the Pepperdine Athletics Board. A list of Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame members can be found here. 
 
Here is more information about the newest Pepperdine Hall of Famers:
 
Lynn Biyendolo, Women’s Soccer, 2011-15

Fresno, Calif.

• The first Pepperdine Wave to represent Team USA on the international stage, Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) is among the most successful women’s soccer players in program history. Making an immediate impact for Pepperdine as a true freshman, Biyendolo was the 2011 WCC Freshman of the Year and eventually became a three-time All-West Region and WCC First Team selection throughout her highly decorated career. As a senior, Biyendolo put together an All-American season and helped the Waves reach the NCAA Round of 16 for just the third time in program history. She graduated from Pepperdine in 2015 as the program’s second-leading goal scorer and currently holds four individual top-10 program records.
• Biyendolo was drafted by the Western New York Flash in the 2015 NWSL Draft, kicking off a long and successful professional career. During her 2016 season, Biyendolo won the NWSL Golden Boot and MVP awards en route to helping the Flash win the NWSL Championships. Biyendolo went on to win three more NWSL titles: back-to-back titles with the North Carolina Courage in 2018-19, and most recently with one with Gotham FC in 2023. She is currently a member of the Seattle Reign.
• Biyendolo has found success on the international stage as well. In 75 matches for Team USA, Biyendolo scored 21 goals and tallied 13 assists. She helped the United States win the 2023 World Cup and is a two-time Olympic medalist. She most recently helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, where she scored a goal in group play versus Germany.

 
Stacy Davis, Men’s Basketball, 2012-16
Laveen, Ariz.

• Wrapped up one of the most decorated careers in Pepperdine men’s basketball history as the all-time leading scorer with 1,786 points and second all-time in rebounds with 994. He also finished among the program’s top 10 in 10 additional categories, including games played (125), minutes (3,939), and double-doubles (35), showcasing remarkable consistency and longevity.
• Recognized as one of the conference’s elite players, he was a three-time All-WCC first team selection — the first Wave to do so since 1998 — and the first since 1994 to earn All-WCC honors in all four seasons. He also earned back-to-back NABC All-District 9 second team accolades for his standout performances.
• Averaged 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game over four seasons, while becoming the first player in Pepperdine history to lead the team in rebounding each year. He became the seventh in program history to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding in consecutive seasons (2013-15). His impact was felt across the league as well, earning WCC Player of the Week honors four times during his career.

 
Mike Gates, Baseball, 1978-79

Reseda, Calif.

• The star player on Pepperdine’s 1979 College World Series team, Mike Gates left a mark on the Pepperdine baseball program in two short years. Coming to Pepperdine after spending two years in junior college, Gates became the Waves’ starting second baseman in 1978 and put together one of the finest single seasons in program history as a senior.
• Playing for eventual Pepperdine Hall of Famer Dave Gorrie, Gates led the team in batting average, runs, hits and home runs during what was the most successful season in school history. Gates was instrumental in helping Pepperdine win a school-record 53 games and led the Waves to their first-ever College World Series, where they finished third. That year, he was a first-team All-American, an ABCA first team selection and a first-team All-West Region and All-Southern California Baseball Association award winner. Gates made the All-CWS team for his postseason efforts.
• Gates was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 7th round of the 1979 MLB Draft. He made his major-league debut for Montreal in 1981 and appeared in 37 games across two seasons.  He had a .236 batting average over 123 at-bats. 

 
Kim Hill, Women’s Volleyball, 2008-12
Portland, Ore. 

• A two-time Olympian and three-time All-American, Kim Hill is one of the most successful women’s volleyball players in Pepperdine history. She was the first college volleyball player to earn AVCA All-American First Team honors in indoor and beach volleyball after helping Pepperdine win the 2012 AVCA National Championship.
• Hill made an immediate impact as a true freshman by winning WCC Freshman of the Year honors and All-WCC First Team honors. Her best season came in 2011, when she was an AVCA First Team All-American and helped guide the Waves to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Volleyball Championships. Then, in the spring, Hill joined the Pepperdine sand volleyball team for its inaugural season and helped the Waves win the 2012 AVCA National Championship. All told, she was a three-time All-WCC First Team selection, a two-time AVCA All-Region award winner and graduated from Pepperdine ranked sixth with 1,300 career kills, plus ranked in the program’s top-10 in four other statistical categories. 
• After enjoying a successful professional career overseas, Hill was persuaded by a family friend to participate in the 2013 Team USA Women’s Volleyball tryouts. Hill not only made the team but also earned a starting role right away. She played in 95 of a possible 118 sets during her rookie year on Team USA, then one year later, she was named the MVP at the 2014 FIVB World Championships after helping USA win gold. Hill’s meteoric rise in international play continued in 2016, as she earned a spot on the US Olympic team. A two-time Olympian, Hill won a bronze medal in 2016 and helped Team USA win the gold medal in 2020.

 
Chip McCaw, Men’s Volleyball, 1992-95
Tulsa, Okla.

• A four-year starter at Pepperdine who never missed a match from 1992-95, Chip McCaw directed the Waves to the NCAA title as a freshman in 1992. He served as a volunteer assistant coach at Pepperdine during the 1997 season. During his six-year affiliation with the U.S. National team, McCaw competed at numerous international tournaments. He was an alternate for the 1996 U.S. Olympic team.
• As a player, McCaw earned first-team All-American accolades from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Volleyball Magazine as a junior in 1994. He was a third-team selection by Volleyball Magazine as a senior in 1995, and garnered honorable mention acclaim from the publication as a freshman and sophomore.
• In his debut season, McCaw set a single-match school record with 117 assists in Pepperdine’s four-game victory over Long Beach State in the title match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament. McCaw was tabbed to the NCAA All-Tournament team, as Pepperdine swept Stanford in three games to claim the national title.
• A first team All-MPSF selection in 1994 and a second team pick in 1993 and 1995, McCaw represented the U.S. at the 1992 World University Games in Buffalo, New York, and in 1995 in Fukuoka, Japan.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
 2012 Sand Volleyball AVCA National Championship Team
Led by legendary Pepperdine indoor volleyball head coach Nina Matthies, the 2012 Pepperdine sand volleyball team couldn’t have had a better inaugural season. The Waves went 14-0 and won the inaugural AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship, becoming Pepperdine’s first women’s national championship-winning team.
 
Matthies was instrumental in establishing beach volleyball, then called sand volleyball (name officially changed prior to the 2016 season), as an NCAA Division I sport. Her efforts paid off. Bringing over nine players from the indoor volleyball team, the Waves adapted to the outdoor game with relative ease. The 2012 squad featured four All-Americans in Lilla Fredrick, Kim Hill, Caitlin Racich and Summer Ross — the latter of whom went on to win the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship pairs title one day after helping Pepperdine win the team title. With its loaded roster and experienced coach, it was unsurprising that the Waves went 11-0 in dual-match play.
 
The Waves arrived at the AVCA National Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. as the team to beat. Pepperdine won all three of its matches convincingly, first by shutting out College of Charleston, and then by blanking Long Beach State 3-0 in the semifinals. Meeting Long Beach State in the championship match, Pepperdine blanked them again with a 5-0 sweep to win the national title. 
 
Ted (’59, MBA ’75) and Carolyn (’57) Porter
 Longtime supporters of Pepperdine’s athletics programs, dedicated alumni Theodore “Ted” and Carolyn Porter have brought enthusiasm to the university’s athletic mission for decades. A former Pepperdine football defensive end, Ted and his wife, Carolyn met as students at the original George Pepperdine College campus and have remained committed to our Waves teams long after Ted’s graduation in 1959. Ted went on to earn his MBA from Pepperdine University in 1975.
 
Over the years, the Porters have encouraged Waves student-athletes in countless ways. Among their many contributions, Ted and Carolyn have graciously established the Porter Student-Athlete Fifth Year Scholarship to support student success and have invested in several of Pepperdine’s athletic teams. Ted has been a faithful member of the Athletics Board for many years, providing his wise counsel and strategic insight to the department’s leadership. The Porters are often regulars at Waves athletic events,  enjoying courtside seats at Pepperdine men’s basketball games in the Firestone Fieldhouse.
 
Blessed with sixty-seven years of marriage, Ted and Carolyn live in Rancho Palos Verdes, California and enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. They are particularly proud of their granddaughter, Paige Porter (’25), who recently graduated from Seaver College with her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and was a dedicated member of the Pepperdine cheer team.
 
Nick Rodionoff, Women’s Swimming and Diving
 An International Swimming and Diving Hall of Famer, Nick Rodionoff’s affiliation with Pepperdine spanned four decades. Rodionoff came to Pepperdine in 1974 to coach the men’s swimming and diving team, yet his biggest accomplishment came in 1987, when he established the women’s swimming and diving program. Despite being a new program, the Waves promptly went undefeated for five consecutive seasons.
 
As a head coach for the women’s team from 2000-2018, Rodionoff helped guide the Waves to 14 top-five team finishes at the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference (PCSC) Championships — including a runner-up finish in 2008. Individually, Rodionoff was a two-time PCSC Coach of the Year recipient.
 
Yet one of Rodionoff’s greatest accomplishments was not winning an award. After the 2008 national recession forced Pepperdine to cut the women’s swimming and diving program, Rodionoff helped rescue the team he once founded. Thanks to rallying former alumni and donors, Rodionoff was instrumental in reinstating the program in 2009. Without his efforts, the program wouldn’t exist today.
 
Individually, Rodionoff guided seven women to 12 conference titles and four to six NCAA Championship berths. Jessica Mosbaugh earned back-to-back PCSC Division I Swimmer of the Year honors in 2014 and 2015, plus six other student-athletes were named PCSC Diver of the Year: Michelle Barker (2003), Amanda Pond (2009), Tiffany Martz (2011), Kristin Scribner (2012), Klair Korver (2013), and Sydney Newman (2017).
 
Rodionoff’s teams routinely succeeded in the classroom, too. His teams won College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America All-Academic Team awards regularly, and three of his student-athletes won Pepperdine’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.
 
Rodionoff passed away in 2023 and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. His wife Carrie will accept the award on his behalf.
 

Connor Curnick was a proud U.S. Navy officer, following in the footsteps of an established military family when a catalog of injuries caught up with the Southern Californian, leaving him unable to walk. With multiple surgeries and months of physical therapy now part of his daily life, the thought of squatting over 400 pounds must have seemed incomprehensible. And yet, through consistency and professional support, Curnick crushed his goal and took control of his fitness in the process. Here’s how he did it.

Connor Curnick served for four years in the U.S. Navy, becoming a Petty Officer Third Class during that time, and received deployments to Afghanistan and East Africa, as well as multiple shorter tours of the Middle East. Before this, Curnick had proved to be a promising athlete, playing Water Polo internationally. “It’s a pretty brutal sport,” he says. “It is very physically demanding and took a toll on by body after many years of playing,” he reflects. Unfortunately, the wear and tear that he received playing Water Polo would leave him vulnerable to the harsh conditions of service.

Conner Curnick Went From Service to Serious Health Issues

“During my last deployment to East Africa, I was traveling to a remote area, and military planes are not exactly known for being comfortable, or even having seats,” explains Curnick of the toll that serving his country took on his spine.

“In my full kit, I weighed something like 315 pounds and during combat landing, I blew a disk in my back. This was the start of my physical problems. I had sciatica pain thereafter, and after years of physical therapy and less invasive treatments, I finally had surgery to remove the bulged part of the disk and to open up the canal that my nerve runs through (these are known as discectomy and laminectomy operations). It was here that doctors discovered additional issues with Curnick’s hips.

“I had a hip impingement, borderline hip dysplasia (where the hip ball does not sit properly in the socket), and labral tears on both sides, but significantly worse on my right side,” he explains. “I also had the start of osteoarthritis. So roughly 18 months after my spine surgery, I had surgery to remove the hip impingement and attempt to repair the labral tear on my right side. After a six-month healing process, the surgery wasn’t successful. So, about a year later I had my right hip replaced at the ripe old age of 29.”

Conner Curnick Vowed to Reclaim His Mobility

Down but not out, Curnick displayed the same grit that he had shown in the Navy, throwing himself into physical therapy following his operations. First, he gained back the full range of motion in his hips, and then he concentrated on being able to bear weight and keep his spine stable. He began these therapy classes using a walking frame, then transitioned to a cane, and was finally able to walk unaided by the time he completed his course. Still, Curnick felt that he needed to get back to his old self.

“I had been active and in shape my entire life, and after my string of surgeries I was in the worst shape of my life,” he tells M&F. “I knew heading into the surgery that recovery was going to be difficult, but I felt that getting back into top shape would be beneficial for the long run.”

6 months after his final surgery and living in Washington, D.C., Curnick joined the Ultimate Performance gym in Dupont where he received professional coaching. “By the end of physical therapy, I was doing things like kettlebell squats and lunges, and core strengthening, so I felt like the gym would be a good transition,” he explains. “I needed to start training again to prove to myself that I can be strong and not worry about hurting myself.”

Connor Curnick Set Himself a Mission to Squat to His Full Potential

Curnick’s initial training focused on improving his range of motion even further than he had in therapy, utilizing moves like “Standing exercises that eventually progressed to mini squats and balance work,” he explains. “After that, I started doing TRX assisted squats and lunges, starting with 3 sets x 8 reps and progressing to 4 x12. Once I was able to consistently hit 4×12 with assisted squats and lunges, I moved to doing them unassisted following the same rep schemes. Eventually I made it to doing weighted squats and lunges with light kettlebells,” he adds.

Curnick built his base during 3 full body sessions per week. “Lower body exercises consisted of a lot of split squats, goblet squats, leg extensions, and hamstring curls- usually in the three to four sets of 10 rep ranges,” says Curnick. “Once I gained decent strength in these exercises I started doing hack squats, and then eventually weighted back squats, starting out light and making logical progressions with the weight. Then, once I started getting into the 225-pound range, my trainer had me doing things like pause squats (holding at the bottom of the lift for 2-3 seconds to improve form and build strength).”

While making his brave change, Curnick is keen to point out that his progress was not linear. “I had good days and bad days throughout this entire process, and some days my body just wasn’t cooperating.” Still, he pushed on, leaning on the team at Ultimate Performance to keep him motivated and work around any obstacles. “I made it my mission to lift heavier than I ever have,” he says, inspiringly. “I felt like I had to prove the universe wrong.”

As Curnick maintained his trust in the process, the number of plates on the barbell increased and his back squat got better and better. 18 months of sweat and determination from that final surgery led to a climatic moment when Curnick finally crushed a high of 405 pounds. “I feel better now than I did before my string of injuries,” he explains. “I’m probably in the best shape of my life and I’m the strongest I have ever been. My body can now keep up with the lifestyle I want to live, and I know how and when to push myself to achieve my goals. While I do have some limitations, I know how to work within the boundaries to achieve my goals. This wouldn’t have been possible without the team at Ultimate Performance.”

While Curnick’s mission to squat heavy may be complete, he already has his sights set on the next task. “I put on some serious mass while increasing my strength numbers,” he tells M&F. “So, lately I have been focusing on leaning back down to around 10% body fat. I’m pretty close to that now, and then I’ll be focusing on adding on another 10-15 poundsof lean mass.” With a brilliant base, this inspiring individual now wants to bring his upper body up. “Exercise wise, I’m focusing more on upper body pressing movements. The goal I have now is to hit a 255 pounds overhead press, which may take a while!”

To follow Conner Curnick on Instagram, click here. 

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Volleyball program is excited to announce the hiring of Kaeden Noble as an assistant coach.
 
Noble arrives as a recent graduate of Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. Studying sport management, he captained the school’s Division III Men’s Volleyball team as its starting libero. He was named 2025 First Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), ending his career leading the program in digs and sets played, and holding 10 of the top 11 digs totals for a single match. Noble’s other accolades include Academic All-Conference honors and being selected for the USA D-3 Men’s Volleyball team for their summer 2024 Brazil tour.
 
As a coach, Noble was a student assistant on the Roanoke Women’s team through the 2024 season. Previously, he helped out with the East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club and was an assistant coach at his alma mater South Lenoir High School in Deep Run, North Carolina.
 
“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside this amazing staff and with this team,” Noble said. “The vision here is clear, and I’m proud to be part of what’s ahead.”
 
The Gauchos will begin their 2025 season in late August.