The Journal-News recently obtained an exclusive first tour of the all-inclusive entertainment venue on 3.5 acres – across the street from Lakota East High School – and local owners Mike and Heather Ewers said the public will soon experience a rare, hybrid leisure fun experience unduplicated in southwest Ohio and beyond.

“If you are nine years old or 99, there will be something for everybody at Liberty Collective,” said Mike Ewers, long-time Liberty Twp. resident.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

“When you come here, you’ll have an option of whatever food you’d like, deserts, fun, sports and entertainment and a wide range of beer and spirits for everybody,” he said.

An expansive, two-story, open-air hall – including booths, balcony seating, leather couches – is overseen by one of the largest TV screens in the region and serves as a multi-faceted centerpiece to the 18,000-square-foot center.

Inside and outside spaces, which include a coffee/breakfast bar and ice cream shop and more, can accommodate hundreds, said Ewers.

Adorning one side of the hall is “restaurant row,” said Ewers, which offers five eateries designed to cater to a wide variety of tastes and multiple solution to the common family conundrum of “what does everyone want to eat.”

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

The fun isn’t confined to the inside.

On the first and second floors are also outdoor tables, lounges, bar access and plenty of room for families, including balcony seating.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Wintertime will see the spacious balcony area sealed from the cold and converted to digital golf simulators.

Warmer weather will see a major portion of the grounds used for five combined beach volleyball courts, which can also be converted to sand flag football, other sports and child play areas and seating for outdoor music acts.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Hailed by Liberty Twp. officials during its initial announcement in 2022 as an “iconic place” for the fast-growing Butler County community, the Liberty Collective will also feature one of the area’s premier sand volleyball facilities at its 6735 Lakota Lane site along with numerous other sports and games for families.

Based on a similar property of the Ewers in the South American nation of Belize, the two are now also developing another Collective outside of Indianapolis.

Co-owner Heather Ewers said the family-inclusive aspects of Liberty Collective were always a focus in its design.

“Having a variety of food options was important to us. Paired with some beverage and entertainment options really makes this a family friendly environment,” she said.

“There are so many families around here and there are also empty nesters who appreciate having kids around.”

A public-opening date in September will soon be announced and more information can be found on the Liberty Collective website.

Lottery.com and Sports.com have partnered with INDY NXT driver Sebastian Murray and the Andretti Cape team. The deal includes branding on Murray’s race car, a behind-the-scenes series, and social media activations. This partnership is expected to enhance brand exposure and provide networking opportunities. The deal will debut at the Grand Prix of Alabama in May 2025.

Lottery.com Inc. (Nasdaq: LTRY, LTRYW) and Sports.com have announced a high-visibility sponsorship with rising motorsport talent Sebastian Murray, who competes in the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone with the renowned Andretti Cape INDY NXT team. The sponsorship, set to debut at the Grand Prix of Alabama in May 2025, includes branding on Murray’s No. 2 INDY NXT car, decals on the driver’s race suit, and a behind-the-scenes series produced by Sports.com Studios. The partnership also encompasses social media activations across the remaining 13 INDY NXT races, providing Lottery.com and Sports.com with enhanced brand exposure and networking opportunities.

The sponsorship centers on Murray, one of the sport’s most exciting young drivers, and includes branding rights, digital content, and fan engagement activations facilitated through his participation with Andretti Cape. The car will run this weekend with its new look featuring Lottery.com and Sports.com branding at the Grand Prix of Alabama, taking place May 2–4 in Birmingham, Alabama.

The sponsorship was introduced by Warren Macal, Founder of Prosperity Investment Management and a board member at Lottery.com. Matthew McGahan, Chairman and CEO of Lottery.com and Sports.com, commented, “Sebastian Murray is a standout talent, and this sponsorship places Lottery.com and Sports.com right alongside his journey to the top of U.S. open-wheel racing. We’re investing in speed, story, and a new generation of fans.” Sebastian Murray added, “It is a huge honor to carry the Lottery.com and Sports.com brands. The support from Matthew, Warren, and the entire team fuels my drive to deliver on and off the track.”

This announcement follows the launch of the Company’s sponsorship of Donate to Win’s™ Miami Sweepstakes, offering exclusive hospitality at the Miami Grand Prix this past weekend — part of a broader campaign to engage fans and elevate brand exposure. Lottery.com is transforming how official lottery and sweepstakes games are played across the globe, combining cutting-edge technology with consumer-first innovation. Sports.com is a premier digital sports platform dedicated to delivering cutting-edge content, fan engagement, and technological innovation in the sports industry.

The sponsorship with Sebastian Murray is expected to enhance both brands’ visibility and engagement within the motorsports community, aligning with their strategic vision to grow their digital presence and fan base. The partnership reflects the companies’ commitment to investing in promising talent and leveraging high-visibility platforms to drive brand awareness.

References:
[1] https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/LOTTERY-COM-INC-128898692/news/From-Wall-Street-to-the-Pit-Lane-Lottery-com-and-Sports-com-Sponsor-Rising-INDY-NXT-Driver-Sebastia-49805849/

By: Sam Boender

2025 Mines Volleyball Schedule
 
GOLDEN, Colo. – Just three weeks separate the Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team from its 2025 season opener which will kick off a 26-match campaign including 13 showdowns featuring the Orediggers inside Lockridge Arena.
 
Mines’ season starts on Sept. 4 with the 2025 Oredigger Volleyball Classic presented by Marriott Denver West. It marks the 16th time since 2008 that Mines will start its regular season with its own invitational-style event. The Orediggers play a non-conference match against South Dakota Mines on Thursday night at 5 p.m. at Lockridge Arena with action continuing on Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6. Colorado Christian, Davenport, Grand Valley State, Valdosta State, and Washburn will join the Orediggers and Hardrockers for the three-day, two-court, seven-team jamboree. In addition to SDM, Mines will face Davenport and Valdosta State on Friday and Grand Valley State on Saturday.
 
Non-conference action continues for the Orediggers Sept. 11-13 at the Northwest Nazarene Tournament in Nampa, Idaho. Mines starts that trip with a matches against Seattle Pacific and host NNU on Thursday. Friday features Concordia University Irvine. The Orediggers’ finale at the NNU tournament comes Saturday against Westmont. It marks Mines’ second consecutive appearance at the Nighthawks’ invitational.
 
The remaining 18 matches of 2025 feature Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) opponents, but not all results will count in the league standings. Mines opens conference play with a split weekend Sept. 19-20, hosting MSU Denver on Friday and traveling to UCCS on Saturday. Adams State and New Mexico Highlands come to Golden, Colo., Sept. 26-27 before the first of two RMAC pods which do not count in the standings. For the Orediggers, the RMAC Regional Pod brings Colorado Christian to town on Sept. 30 and MSU Denver comes to Lockridge Arena on Oct. 3. Then, conference matches resume with Mines traveling to CSU Pueblo, Colorado Christian, Fort Lewis, and Western Colorado for four straight road contests. The last eight matches feature a pair of home weekends Oct. 24-25 and Nov. 7-8. In the middle, Mines journeys west to Fort Lewis for the RMAC Power Pod against FLC and UCCS. The final weekend of the regular season has the Orediggers playing at Chadron State on Regis on Nov. 14 and 15, respectively.
 
All home and conference matches stream live on the RMAC Network which is officially, completely pay-per-view for the 2025-26 academic year. Fans can purchase annual subscriptions for $120 until Aug. 17 when the price goes up to $130. Monthly subscriptions are $25. Individual games and matches can be purchased for $10 per broadcast. Tickets to matches inside Lockridge Arena can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets, or at the door.
 

2025 Mines Volleyball Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 4 – South Dakota Mines, 5 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5 – Davenport, 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5 – Valdosta State, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6 – Grand Valley State, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 11 – vs. Seattle Pacific, 11:30 a.m. (Nampa, Idaho)
Thursday, Sept. 11 – at Northwest Nazarene, 7 p.m. (Nampa, Idaho)
Friday, Sept. 12 – vs. Concordia Irvine, 4:30 p.m. (Nampa, Idaho)
Saturday, Sept. 13 – vs. Westmont, 11:30 a.m. (Nampa, Idaho)
*Friday, Sept. 19 – MSU Denver, 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Sept. 20 – at UCCS, 3 p.m.
*Friday, Sept. 26 – Adams State, 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Sept. 27 – New Mexico Highlands, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 30 – Colorado Christian, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 3 – MSU Denver, 7 p.m.
*Friday, Oct. 10 – at CSU Pueblo, 6 p.m.
*Saturday, Oct. 11 – at Colorado Christian, 3 p.m.
*Friday, Oct. 17 – at Fort Lewis, 6 p.m.
*Saturday, Oct. 18 – at Western Colorado, 4 p.m.
*Friday, Oct. 24 – Colorado Mesa, 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Oct. 25 – Westminster, 4 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 31 – vs. UCCS, 4 p.m. (Durango, Colo.)
Saturday, Nov. 1 – at Fort Lewis, 3 p.m.
*Friday, Nov. 7 – Black Hills State, 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Nov. 8 – South Dakota Mines, 5 p.m.
*Friday, Nov. 14 – at Chadron State, 6 p.m.
*Saturday, Nov. 15 – at Regis, 3 p.m.
 
Home matches in bold at Lockridge Arena. *-denotes RMAC matches. All dates and times are subject to change. 
 
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on “X” (formerly Twitter) at @MinesVolleyball and on Instagram at @mines.volleyball. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, “X” and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.

Some of the best beach volleyball players in Canada will be in competition this weekend at Ashbridges Bay.

Volleyball Canada will be hosting the Beach Nationals championships for the country’s top players from the age of 14 and up on Friday, Aug. 15, Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 17, at the Ashbridges Bay beach volleyball courts on Woodbine Beach.

Matches will be played in both boys and girls divisions for under-14, under-15, under-16, under-17, under-18 players. There will also be Senior women’s and men’s matches this weekend.

Competition begins on Friday and continues through to Sunday afternoon.

Local residents are invited to come out to watch the action and see some of Canada’s future beach volleyball stars on the Ashbridges Bay courts as they seek to win national titles.

Beach volleyball has a long history in the East Toronto area with the Balmy Beach Club being one of the most popular places to play as far back as the late 1950s and 1960s. The sport’s popularity continued to grow and the beach volleyball courts at Ashbridges Bay are among the most used in the country.

In August of last year, Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkereson (both of Toronto) teamed up to win the silver medal in women’s beach volleyball at the Paris Olympic Games.  Canada’s other Olympic medal in beach volleyball was a bronze won by the men’s team of John Child and Mark Hesse, who both grew up in East Toronto, at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

For more information on this weekend’s tournament, please go to the Volleyball Canada Beach Nationals stie at https://volleyball.ca/en/competitions/2025-beach-nationals#:~:text=Volleyball%20Canada%20is%20excited%20to,well%20as%2020U%20and%20Senior.

With the spotlight ready to shine on the continent’s top U18 water polo players, European Aquatics has launched three dedicated new websites for the upcoming Men’s Elite and Division 1 European Championships, and the Women’s European Championships.

The websites will feature daily reviews from each prestigious competition and contain links to all the squad lists, fixtures, results and standings. Media outlets can also access photos of the action via the Media Center menu.

Live streaming details will be available as well, ensuring all fans are kept fully up-to-date across all three exciting tournaments.

The U18 Men’s Elite European Championships will take place in Oradea, Romania, from 18-24 August and the website for this event can be found by clicking here.

Four groups of four will contest the preliminary stage in Oradea, with Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Montenegro, Serbia, France, Poland, Romania, Türkiye, Georgia, Germany, Malta and Ukraine the 16 teams vying for the trophy.

The U18 Men’s Division 1 European Championships is being held in Rio Maior, Portugal, from 18-24 August and the website for this tournament can be accessed by clicking here.

Two groups of four, one group of three, and one group of two will contest the preliminary stage in Rio Maior, with Czechia, Moldova, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Israel, Lithuania and Portugal the 13 teams competing.

The U18 Women’s European Championships is to be played in Gzira, Malta, from 31 August-7 September and the website for this competition can be viewed by clicking here.

Two groups of four, one group of five, and one group of six will feature in the preliminary stage, with Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Türkiye, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Israel, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Serbia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czechia, Great Britain, Romania, Switzerland and Slovakia the 19 countries taking part.