Sports
Morning Buzz
Start your morning with Buzzcast with Austin Karp and Jenn Azara: Live from SBJ’s Brand Innovation Summit and looking ahead to Day 1 of the festivities
Today marks the “one-year countdown” to the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada are all continuing their preparation for the event. L.A. World Cup Host Committee co-Chair Larry Freedman “acknowledges there’s still a lot of tidying up that has to be done.” The 2026 World Cup will be the “largest and most complex sporting event in history,” with 48 national teams playing 104 games in 16 cities spread across the U.S., Mexico and Canada over 39 days. FIFA says the economic impact to the three countries “could top” $40B. But the “number of obstacles host cities will have to negotiate are almost as large and complex as the tournament itself” — with Freedman pointing to “transportation, communications, ticketing, security, the fan fest.” And “hovering over it all like a black cloud are uncertainties over visas” for those attending (L.A. TIMES, 6/11).
The 2026 World Cup “will be the most lucrative sports event ever staged,” with FIFA’s revenues “set to top” $10B, according to a new report from London-based agency Pitch Marketing Group. FIFA itself has said it “expects to bring in” $13B “over the four-year 2023-2026 cycle, although that includes revenues from the 2023 Women’s World Cup, this summer’s Club World Cup and its annual licensing and sponsorship income.” That would be “more than double” the amount FIFA earned in the four-year cycle that ended with Russia 2018 and almost 75% more than the $7.5B FIFA brought in over the Qatar 2022 cycle (THE ATHLETIC, 6/11).
The first game is still one year away, but Boston’s 2026 World Cup experience “already has turned into a big deal.” The $1.1B in “event-related spending from 2 million-plus visitors that organizers are projecting” over the course of three weeks and the seven soccer games to be held at Boston Stadium “would dwarf any previous event held in Boston.” City organizers “will continue to chip away at a formidable to-do list.” A few items, such as “festooning South Station with ‘Boston 26’ paraphernalia and unveiling a countdown clock at Faneuil Hall Wednesday morning, are being activated at one year away.” The “biggest pieces of the puzzle, such as security, transportation, funding, and FanFest specifics, are still being hammered out.” Other items, such as “many of the stadium modifications, have to wait for the Patriots’ upcoming season to end” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/11).
Countdown clocks will be “unveiled to mark the occasion in Toronto, Vancouver and Niagara Falls.” On Wednesday, the two Canadian host cities “will also release anniversary videos with actor Will Arnett featured in Toronto’s and former Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc in Vancouver’s.” While the clock counts down, the city of Toronto is “still looking for funds to help pay for its end of the tournament.” The cost of hosting six games in Toronto “has been pegged at” $380M, with the federal government contributing $104M and Ontario, including services, $97M. Toronto’s tab is $178.7M (47% of the total cost) (CP, 6/10).
The Atlanta World Cup Host Committee has signed The Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, Georgia-Pacific (paper products) and Southern Company (gas and electric utility) as its first four Host City Supporters. The committee will formally announce the four corporate backers today at an event marking one year to go until the 2026 World Cup. Atlanta also has additional supporter deals pending.
FIFA introduced the Host City Supporter program for the first time to help cities cover the costs associated with hosting in 2026. It allows each of the 16 markets to designate up to 10 companies as supporters. The designation allows supporters to use city-specific IP in marketing materials within a designated geographic region, activate within local FIFA Fan Festivals and access tickets and hospitality for matches in that city. Each city is also bolstering its supporter packages with additional local assets related to legacy programs and community events.
For The Home Depot, which is headquartered in Atlanta, the host city supporter deal supplements its tournament-level sponsorship agreement with FIFA. The brand, which began its World Cup marketing as part of its Memorial Day TV ad campaign, is also a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, MLS and the Mexican National Team.
Atlanta will host eight matches during the 2026 World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including one of the two semifinals.
NCAA President Charlie Baker told hundreds of collegiate athletics administrators during a keynote address Tuesday that the recent multibillion-dollar House settlement approval creates “a far better future” for the organization, one that “comes with choices, instead of bankruptcy.” In his address in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the NACDA & Affiliates Convention in Orlando, Baker said, “No one in this room needs to hear me say that this is one of the biggest changes ever in college sports. I hope you also understand that it’s a far better future than virtually every other alternative that could have been in front of us.” Schools have until June 15 to opt in to participate in the settlement, though Baker said there “has been discussion among conferences to push that date back to July 1” (ESPN.com, 6/10).
Sessions for SBJ’s annual Brand Innovation Summit get underway today at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. A private, invitation-only workshop and breakfast gets things rolling, followed by a structured networking and information-sharing session open to the first 100 attendees who check in onsite. Panels begin after lunch, with speakers including Chicago Sports Network’s Jason Coyle, Monumental Sports’ Jim Van Stone, American Express’ Shiz Suzuki, Angel City’s Julie Uhrman and Aflac’s Garth Knutson.
Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Commissioner Kim Ng hosted a group of over 100 BIS attendees at Parkway Bank Sports Complex near O’Hare Airport on Tuesday evening to kick off the conference. The festive atmosphere started on the bus ride over, with a pregame playlist pumping people up that included “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang and “You Dropped A Bomb on Me” by The Gap Band. There was even a “golden ticket” placed under one lucky attendee’s seat, and Unrivaled’s Kirby Porter won an AUSL swag bag.
Once at the ballpark, reps from AUSL — including content creators and former players now working for the new league — circulated throughout the VIP area to talk about AUSL, its players and fans. Haylie McCleney, an Alabama softball legend who is now with AUSL in partnerships, showed off her silver medal won at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Attendees ranged from first-timers at any SBJ conference to event regulars to folks who were at BIS seven years ago and are now back for the first time since then. Bullseye Event Group’s Lindsey Bogan during the first inning jumped on FaceTime with her daughter, an eighth grade pitcher who was watching the game on ESPN2, and there were already planning a return trip to the ballpark.
Kicking off the Brand Innovation Summit
Fitch Ratings issued a series of ratings actions on Tuesday evening that revealed details around new or anticipated borrowing by MLB, the NBA and the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
MLB has expanded the MLB Trust credit facility to allow for up to $2.5B in total commitments, increasing from $1.75B, and it has issued $6.25M in new borrowing for an undisclosed team. MLB has also extended the maturity dates on revolving credit facilities for both MLB Trust and the league’s Facility Fund from July 2026 to July 2030.
The MLB Trust credit facility has total commitments of around $1.37B, while the $526M Facility Fund has $184M in current commitments. MLB’s debt limit rules enable teams to borrow up to a maximum $125M from the MLB Trust credit facility and $100M from the facility fund. Fitch maintained the strong ratings and stable outlooks for MLB’s borrowing that it issued last month, pointing to the league’s history of valuable media rights agreements as well as new growth initiatives.
Fitch also revealed that on Monday the NBA’s Hardwood Funding debt instrument sold seven series of notes totaling $1.384B in new debt. The league will use the funds to “refinance existing debt and for general corporate purposes,” per Fitch.
Rank + Rally is taking charge of the Senators’ retail experience this summer in a new deal announced Wednesday morning. The Senators previously operated their merchandise business in-house but have handed it over to Levy-owned Rank + Rally. The deal also includes year-round operation of the NHL team’s online shop as well as the National Lacrosse League’s Ottawa Black Bears and non-tenant events at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators become Rank + Rally’s sixth NHL team partner, following the Blackhawks, Oilers, Kings, Blues, and Golden Knights; Levy also handles food and beverage service at those teams’ venues. Aramark Sports + Entertainment runs the Canadian Tire Centre’s F&B program.
Senators Sports + Entertainment will work with Rank + Rally to expand and redesign all in-arena and in-market flagship retails stores and the online Ottawa Team Shop. The upgrades will include a curated upscale premium club and suite retail experience with exclusive designs and lifestyle apparel, new retail tech in the arena, and mobile pop-up retail locations throughout Canada’s capital city.
The Sacramento City Council “voted unanimously” 9-0 Tuesday to “allow construction to begin on a new, privately-funded 12,000-seat soccer stadium for USL Championship club Sacramento Republic FC in the downtown Railyards this summer.” The passing votes mean Republic FC “can continue its plan to break ground in August in time to open in spring 2027.” The project “had two resolutions voted on” by the council. The first was to “finalize the agreements needed to begin construction on the project, including the comprehensive project agreement, land purchase and sale agreement and master funding agreement.” The second was the “expansion of an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, or EIFD, to help fund infrastructure on the project” (SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/10).
As she approaches 10 years at Wasserman, EVP/Global Insights Shelley Pisarra is being promoted to Chief Insights & Innovation Officer and will oversee a team working across divisions such as sports, music, entertainment and marketing consulting. Pisarra will be based out of N.Y. and will report to Wasserman COO Darrell Coetzee.
In her time at Wasserman, Pisarra has established insights frameworks to support accounts like AT&T and American Express, provided consulting for the NHL and spearheaded her team’s development and launch of the Unlock Relevancy Index, a tool that measures the marketability of talent. Her new role will expand her work throughout all of Wasserman to bridge the gap between brands and rights holders for how to make the most out of partnerships.
“Think back six years ago. The pie was big in terms of choice. We had to spend our money on our passions. Now there’s 100 more choices, and everyone’s slice is a little bit smaller, so you have to work that much harder to create that engagement and create that relationship,” Pisarra said. “Our whole goal is to be out in front of that and create experiences that tie the best of sports, music, entertainment together and teach each vertical about the other.”
Pisarra joined Wasserman in March 2016 after spending 20 years on the brand side at companies including PepsiCo, Nestle, Novartis Consumer Health and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The 2020 SBJ Game Changer honoree caught Wasserman’s attention amid the company’s push to build its research and insights practice.
PrizePicks has secured a deal with the Dodgers to become their daily fantasy sports partner. As part of the multiyear partnership, PrizePicks will receive digital and in-stadium activation at Dodgers Stadium, receive in-venue branding such as banner displays through the stadium’s concourses, LED signage across the outfield pavilion, and promotion on the Dodgers’ social media, digital platforms and radio.
Financial details were not disclosed for the pact involving parlay pick ‘em games. But throughout the rest of the season, if the Dodgers score 10 or more runs at home, the team will host a social media contest for an opportunity to win a free PrizePicks lineup and tickets to a future Dodgers game.
PrizePicks has scored and renewed a number of partnerships within MLB with teams including the Braves, Padres, S.F. Giants and Astros.
Kim Damron of Learfield speaks with SBJ’s Ben Portnoy about how her organization is helping its college partners. They discuss new NIL deals and Learfield’s partnership with the University of Southern California.
Speed Reads…
Paciolan is set to announce a partnership with Rice, sources tell SBJ. Deal length and financial details were not disclosed. An official announcement is expected on Wednesday. This marks the second deal in as many days for Paciolan, which announced a deal with Utah on Monday (Ben Portnoy, SBJ).
The first HBCU to have a gymnastics program “will participate in its last season in 2026,” as Fisk Univ., which began competing in January 2023, “will discontinue its program after next season” (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 6/10).
The Univ. of Cincinnati women’s basketball team will “take part in a foreign tour of Italy,” which will start on Aug. 2 in Rome with stops in Naples and Capri scheduled. UC will play international teams with games on Aug. 4 and 7 (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 6/10).
A Mexican national soccer team spokesperson said that the team “will change hotels” in L.A. ahead of their Gold Cup match on Saturday due to “safety concerns amid the protests against immigration raids in the city” (AP, 6/10).
The World Pool-Billiard Association Women’s World 9-Ball Championship is scheduled for Dec. 16-21 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront as “part of a four-year deal to add” Jacksonville as a season finale for the Predator World Pro Billiard Series (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 6/10).
Quick Hits…
“There are no plans to take the RFK funding out of the budget. In fact, I have said explicitly that the funding will be cabined, in other words, protected” — D.C. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, on how a proposal to build a new stadium at the site of the old RFK Stadium isn’t going anywhere, despite initial reporting on Tuesday indicating the contrary (WASHINGTON TIMES, 6/10).
Morning Hot Reads: Diamond Anniversary
The OMAHA WORLD-HERALD went with the header, “Omaha and College World Series celebrate 75 years of marriage made in baseball heaven.” Omaha and the College World Series “have shared a love story for generations.” Now — “improbably, for those who knew them during their earliest dalliance — they’re celebrating 75 years together.” A “diamond anniversary.” Somewhere along the way, “location and mission became synonymous.”
Also:
Social Scoop…
ESPN should make a channel that just plays random episodes of SportsCenter from the past 30 years nonstop. Boom, 100 trillion dollars.
— Karen McGee (@karenmotherof2) June 10, 2025
This was one of the coolest golf things I’ve ever done: Last week I walked the last three holes at Chambers Bay with Michael Greller — and relived one of the craziest finishes in U.S. Open history, 10 years later.
I hope you watch this one!
(link below)pic.twitter.com/sNjsmlTMjd
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) June 11, 2025
“While Mexico is the most logical choice for now, [Ben] Kennedy adds that Nascar will ‘take a race north of the border’ at some point soon, meaning Canada is very much in the mix for a future event.” – @MotorsportBB https://t.co/ACndbLdJul
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) June 10, 2025
“A character in ‘As You Like It’ and a soldier in the Seminole Wars are cited as possible origins for the name of this city.”
Off the presses…
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back pages and sports covers from some of North America’s major metropolitan newspapers:
Final Jeopardy…
“What is Orlando, Fla.?”
The Honorable Mention All-America honors come after both Ptacek and Zelenovic were named First Team All-Big 12, leading one of the league’s most efficient and balanced offenses. Under first year head coach Matt Ulmer, the Jayhawks finished with a 24-11 and the program’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 all-time.
Ptacek, a native of Prescott, Wis., earns her first career All-America honors after hitting .314 with 331 kills, 136 blocks and 27 service aces during the 2025 season. Ptacek was recently named to the AVCA All-Region Team and was named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List during the 2025 season.
Zelenovic, a freshman from Novi Sad, Serbia, finished a standout freshman season for the Jayhawks, leading the team with 485.5 total points, 375 kills, 46 service aces and a .276 hitting percentage. Defensively, Zelenovic posted 123 total blocks. Zelenovic was also named to the AVCA All-Region Team and was named as the Central Region’s Freshman of the Year.
Ptacek and Zelenovic are the latest Jayhawks to earn All-America honors, becoming the 14th and 15th Jayhawks to earn All-America honors all-time. Kansas has had multiple All-Americans in just eight seasons all-time, including 2025, 2024, 2023, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.
See below for a full list of Kansas volleyball All-American honors:
Josi Lima 2003 Honorable Mention Caroline Jarmoc 2013 Third Team 2012 Second Team Chelsea Albers 2014 Honorable Mention 2013 Honorable Mention Sara McClinton 2013 Honorable Mention Erin McNorton 2013 Honorable Mention Cassie Wait 2016 Honorable Mention Ainise Havili 2017 Honorable Mention 2016 Third Team 2015 First Team 2014 Honorable Mention Kelsie Payne 2017 Third Team 2016 First Team 2015 First Team Madison Rigdon 2017 Honorable Mention 2016 Honorable Mention Caroline Bien 2021 Honorable Mention Reagan Cooper 2023 Third Team Camryn Turner 2024 Third Team 2023 Honorable Mention Toyosi Onabanjo 2024 Honorable Mention
Burilovic’s selection makes her the volleyball program’s seventh All-American (sixth athlete), and she collects the fifth presented by the AVCA (since 1981). She becomes the Buffs’ first AVCA All-American since middle blocker Naghede Abu was named to the third team at the conclusion of the 2018 season. The Buffs also boast six previous AVCA All-American honorable mentions and two Volleyball Magazine All-American honorable mentions.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Ana’s efforts and achievements this season, and it’s gratifying to see her get the recognition she deserves,” head coach Jesse Mahoney stated. “She has grown into one of the premier six-rotation players in the country.”
Last week, Burilovic was named to the AVCA All-West Region First Team for the first time in her career, just a week after being selected to the 2025 All-Big 12 First Team. On Sept. 30, Burilovic was named AVCA Player of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after aiding the Buffs in their road sweep over then-No. 14 BYU and then-No. 23 Utah. She was named Big 12 OPOW again on Nov. 4, after leading Colorado’s win over Northern Colorado with 30 kills, hitting .329, nine digs, two blocks and one ace (Oct. 28). At the beginning of the season, Burilovic was selected to the 2025 Preseason Big 12 Team, and she was on the Anteater Classic and Buffs Invitational all-tournament teams.
Burilovic led the Big 12 in points per set with 5.47, good for sixth in the NCAA, and in kills per set with 4.71, good for ninth in the country. She was also third in conference for aces per set with 0.43, landing at 46th in the country. In the NCAA, Burilovic was also fifth for total points (656.0), seventh for total attacks (1,424), eighth for total kills (565), 17th for attacks per set (11.87), and 23rd for total aces (51).
In her 32 matches in 2025, she has accumulated 565 kills, 211 digs, 51 aces, 64 blocks and 19 assists. Burilovic has four kill-dig double-doubles on the season, now totaling 10 in her career. She has had 13 matches with 20 or more kills this season (a CU VB record). Burilovic surpassed 1,000 career kills at West Virginia, becoming the 19th Buff to total over 1,000 career kills. She now has 1,061 career kills, 521 career digs, 118 career aces and 116 career blocks.
At the end of the 2025 season, Burilovic leads the program in rally-scoring era aces with 115, putting her at eighth overall. She is also 15th in CU history for career kills (1,061), and second overall for kills in a single season with 537. Additionally, with two 30-kill matches against UCF (Oct. 2) and at Northern Colorado (Oct. 28), she is only the second player in Colorado Volleyball history to have two matches in a single season with over 30 kills.
Fourteen student-athletes across the country were selected to the AVCA All-America Third Team, 14 to the second team and 14 to the first team. Fifty-seven were also named Honorable Mention. A full list of the honorees can be found at avca.org.
Under 10th-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, Colorado finished the 2025 season 23-9 and went 12-6 against Big 12 opponents. Coach Mahoney has led the Buffs to a 164-135 record in his 10 seasons at the helm. The Buffs made their 22nd appearance in the NCAA tournament after the conclusion of the regular season, sweeping American in the first round before falling to four-seed Indiana in the second round. The Buffs’ last match against the Hoosiers marks the 12th second round appearance in program history. Colorado has 20 wins this season, marking the program’s 13th 20-win season and its first since 2022. With 23 wins this season, this is the most in a season since 2017 and ties for the third-most wins in a season in program history.
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its annual All-American selections on Wednesday morning ahead of the NCAA Tournament semifinals with UNI’s Cassidy Hartman earning All-American Honorable Mention recognition.
The announcement marks the 17th All-American selection in program history and 16thin the Bobbi Petersen era (1997, 2001-pres.). A full list of UNI’s AVCA All-American can be found below.
The 2025 MVC Player of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection, Hartman led the league with 4.64 kills per set, along with 2.74 digs per frame, 58 total blocks and 19 aces during her junior season. Starting all 32 matches during her junior season, Hartman recorded ten or more kills in 27 matches this season, as well as six matches with 20+ kills, including a career-high 26 terminations at Southern Illinois in the regular season.
She also posted 14 double-double outings. A three-time MVC Player of the Week this season and a member of the Capital Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team back in September, Hartman earned AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention honors in 2024.
Hartman helped lead the Panthers to a 26-6 record overall, a 16-0 mark in MVC play and the program’s fourth consecutive MVC regular season and tournament titles, as well as a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
UNI’S AVCA ALL-AMERICANS
- 1999 – Shannon Perry (3rd Team)
- 2002 – Molly O’Brien (3rd Team)
- 2009 – Ellie Blankenship (Honorable Mention)
- 2009 – Bre Payton (Honorable Mention)
- 2010 – Bre Payton (2nd Team)
- 2010 – Ellie Blankenship (3rd Team)
- 2010 – Michelle Burrow (Honorable Mention)
- 2011 – Bre Payton (2nd Team)
- 2011 – Krista DeGeest (Honorable Mention)
- 2013 – Shelby Kintzel (Honorable Mention)
- 2017 – Heather Hook (Honorable Mention)
- 2017 – Karlie Taylor (Honorable Mention)
- 2017 – Piper Thomas (Honorable Mention)
- 2018 – Piper Thomas (Honorable Mention)
- 2019 – Karlie Taylor (Honorable Mention)
- 2024 – Kira Fallert (Honorable Mention)
- 2025 – Cassidy Hartman (Honorable Mention)
UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
Sports
Kentucky Volleyball Final Four Watch Party Set for Thursday at Drake’s Lansdowne – UK Athletics
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Big Blue Nation is invited to cheer on Kentucky Volleyball in the NCAA Final Four at the official watch party hosted at Drake’s Lansdowne, on Thursday, Dec. 18.
The Wildcats face Wisconsin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Texas A&M vs. Pitt match, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. Kentucky’s match is expected to start around 9 p.m. ET.
Fans at the Lansdowne location can enjoy UK Volleyball promotional items and giveaways, with tables available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Landsdowne Drakes is located at 3347 Tates Creek Road in Lexington,
Can’t make it to Lansdowne? All Drake’s locations in Kentucky will show the match, so you can find a spot near you to support the Wildcats.
Drake’s Kentucky Locations:
Lexington
- Lansdowne – 3347 Tates Creek Road
- Brannon Crossing – 390 E. Brannon Road, Nicholasville
- Hamburg – 1880 Pleasant Ridge Drive
- Leestown – 1735 Sharkey Way
Louisville
- Hurstbourne – 2651 S. Hurstbourne Parkway
- Outer Loop – 3501 Outer Loop
- Paddock Shops – 3921 Summit Plaza Drive
- St. Matthews – 3939 Shelbyville Road
Other Locations
- Elizabethtown – 151 The Loop
- Bowling Green – 3267 Ken Bale Blvd
- Owensboro – 3050 Highland Pointe Drive
- Florence – 6805 Houston Road
- Danville – 2596 South Danville Bypass
- Pikeville – 175 Lee Ave.
Join us and be part of the excitement as Kentucky Volleyball competes for a spot in the national championship match!
Arriving for the spring 2026 semester, Holladay and Leban each bring one year of collegiate experience, while Chaney arrives with three.
“Selena and Bri are talented freshmen who offer both production and upside,” Florida Head Coach Ryan Theis said. “Kami gives us a proven point scorer and while we’ll add a few more pieces between now and August, we’re thrilled with this start.”
The trio joins incoming freshman opposite/outside hitter Nadi’ya Shelby as newcomers on Florida’s 2026 roster.
Details on Chaney, Holladay and Leban are below.
Kamryn (Kami) Chaney
- Position: Outside Hitter
- Class: Senior
- Height: 6-1
- Hometown: Park Forest, Illinois
- Previous Teams: Vanderbilt (2025), Princeton (2023-24)
- High School: Marist
At Vanderbilt
Honors:
- TSWA Volleyball Player of the Week – Sept. 23
- Recorded a double-double vs. UC Irvine (19 kills/11 digs)
- Black Student-Athlete Group Executive Board – Treasurer
2025 as a junior: Saw action in 17 matches and led the Commodores attack 12 times and behind the service line in eight matches… Finished with double-digit kills 12 times, including three with 20 or more… Season-best 22 kills against California (Sept. 10)… Matched career-best six aces against Western Kentucky (Sept. 16)… Led Vanderbilt in aces with 33 and totaled 218 kills, .182 hitting %, 94 digs,25 blocks and 264.5 points…Averaged 4.01 points per set, 3.30 kills per set, 0.50 aces per set, 1,42 digs per set and 0.38 blocks per set
At Princeton
Honors:
- Ivy League Player of the Year (2024)
- First Team All-Region (2024)
- First Team All-Ivy League (2024)
- Ivy League All-Tournament Team (2024)
- #9, Most Kills in A Season (421, 2024)
- Second Team All-Ivy League (2023)
- 4x Ivy League Player of the Week (Nov. 18 2024, Nov. 4 2024, Oct. 21 2024, Sept. 16 2024)
- Ivy League Rookie of the Week (Oct. 16, 2023)
2024 as a sophomore: Led the Ivy League and ranked 16th nationally in points-per-set (5.20) … led the Ivy league and ranked 24th nationally in kills-per-set (4.43) … led the Ivy League in points (494) and kills (421) … ranked second in the Ivy League in service aces (48) and service aces-per-set (0.42) … her season-high 34 kills that came on a .484 hitting percentage against High Point on Sept. 21 were the eighth-most kills recorded in a five set match by any player in the 2024 season … became the first Ivy League player Maddie Lord of Penn of Penn on Oct. 11, 2014, to have 34 kills in a match … recorded 12 double-doubles … exceeded 20 kills in eight matches … tallied 25 kills, a season-high 16 digs and a season-high seven blocks on Sept. 13 against St. John’s … recorded 25 kills on a .532 hitting percentage, 13 digs and two service aces against Yale on Nov. 1 … accumulated 24 kills on a .404 hitting percentage and four digs against Yale on Oct. 5 … had 24 kills, hit .358 and had four digs on Sept. 28 against Penn … contributed 23 kills on a .400 hitting percentage and 11 digs at Cornell on Oct. 19 … finished with 22 kills, 10 digs and three blocks at UMBC on Sept. 21 … compiled 20 kills on a .357 hitting percentage, 10 digs and four blocks on Nov. 16 at Harvard
2023 as a freshman: Led the Tigers and ranked second in the Ivy League in points per set (3.86) … led the Tigers and ranked fourth in the Ivy League kills per set (3.27) … led the Tigers and ranked 10th in the Ivy League in service aces per set (0.33) … tied the team-high and ranked 10th in the Ivy League in service aces (24) … appeared in 21 matches and 73 sets … recorded 42 digs and 32 blocks … had a season-high 25 kills on a .417 hitting percentage in the Tigers’ win over Dartmouth on Nov. 10 … recorded 17 kills, three digs and two service aces at Harvard on Oct. 6 … finished with 16 kills, five service aces and three digs in the Tigers’ win at Dartmouth on Oct. 7 … tallied 13 kills, a season-high six service aces, four digs and three blocks on Oct. 14 in Princeton’s win over Cornell … finished with 15 kills, four digs and three blocks at UMBC on Sept. 8 … had a season-high four blocks in the Tigers’ victory over Penn on Sept. 22 … had double digit kills in 13 matches
Why Chaney chose the University of Florida
“Florida checked all the boxes for me. They have the best combination of elite academics and high-level athletics which is super important for me. How could I say no to Gainesville and the opportunities Florida can bring? Go Gators!”
| Career Stats | |||||||||||||||
| Year | S | MP | Kills | E | TA | Hit. Pct. | A | SA | SErr | D | BS | BA | TB | BErr | PTS |
| 2023 | 73 | 21 | 239 | 126 | 650 | 0.174 | 2 | 24 | 34 | 47 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 2 | 282.0 |
| 2024 | 95 | 26 | 421 | 151 | 968 | 0.279 | 16 | 40 | 62 | 222 | 10 | 46 | 56 | 5 | 494.0 |
| 2025 | 66 | 17 | 218 | 113 | 578 | 0.182 | 6 | 33 | 67 | 94 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 3 | 264.5 |
| Totals: | 234 | 64 | 878 | 390 | 2,196 | 0.222 | 24 | 97 | 163 | 363 | 18 | 95 | 213 | 10 | 1,040.5 |
Brianna (Bri) Holladay
- Position: Middle Blocker
- Class: Sophomore
- Height: 6-3
- Hometown: Leesburg, Va.
- Previous Teams: Virginia Tech
- High School: Riverside
At Virginia Tech
Honors:
- Earned All-Tournament Team honors at both the Blue Hen Invitational and the Seahawk Classic
- Named MVP of the Hokie Invitational
2025 as a freshman: In her rookie campaign, the Leesburg, Va., native appeared in 30 of Virginia Tech’s 31 matches, recording 108 blocks. She led the Hokies in blocks in 12 matches and posted five or more blocks 11 times during the season. Holladay added three double-digit kill performances and recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 13 kills and 10 blocks in Virginia Tech’s season finale against Syracuse on Nov. 28.
High School: Earned First Team All-State, All-Region and All-District selections in 2024… Named the 2024 State Player of the Year… Earned 2024 County Player of the Year honors and was named First Team All-Metropolitan… Earned Earned First Team All-State, All-Region and All-District selections in 2023… Named to the Second Team All-Metropolitan in 2023… Is an AP Scholar with Distinction… Earned the Academic Excellence Award four times.
Why Holladay chose the University of Florida
“I chose Florida Volleyball because the program represents a legacy of excellence that inspires every player to set a higher standard. I value the opportunity to represent Florida on the court and develop under the guidance of the new coaching staff. The passionate Gator fan base and strong support for student-athletes create an environment where I know I will be pushed to excel. Beyond athletics, the university’s strong academic reputation, particularly in engineering, will prepare me for a career after volleyball.”
| Career Stats | |||||||||||||||
| Year | S | MP | Kills | E | TA | Hit. Pct. | A | SA | SErr | D | BS | BA | TB | BErr | PTS |
| 2025 | 95 | 30 | 158 | 49 | 332 | .328 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 10 | 98 | 108 | 12 | 224.0 |
| Totals: | 95 | 30 | 158 | 49 | 332 | .328 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 10 | 98 | 108 | 12 | 224.0 |
Selena Leban
- Position: Outside Hitter
- Class: Sophomore
- Height: 6-0
- Hometown: Nova Gorica, Slovenia
- Previous Teams: Kansas
- High School: Gimnazija Šiška
At Kansas
2025 as a freshman: Appeared in 21 of the Jayhawks’ 35 matches, posting double-digit kills seven times and double-digit digs four times. Recorded back-to-back double-doubles, including a career-best 20 kills and 11 digs against then-No. 2 Penn State on Aug. 25, followed by 14 kills and 10 digs against then-No. 8 Wisconsin on Aug. 29.
High School: Competed for Slovenia on the national stage since 2019, beginning with the U16/U17 European Championship…. The European Golden League in 2024 was her 10th competition within the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV)… In 42 career CEV matches, Leban has recorded 289 kills, 52 service aces and 32 blocks…. Also competed in the 2020 and 2023 European Cups for her club.
| Career Stats | |||||||||||||||
| Year | S | MP | Kills | E | TA | Hit. Pct. | A | SA | SErr | D | BS | BA | TB | BErr | PTS |
| 2025 | 67 | 21 | 147 | 74 | 425 | .172 | 11 | 15 | 32 | 126 | 1 | 28 | 29 | 5 | 177.0 |
| Totals: | 67 | 21 | 147 | 74 | 425 | .172 | 11 | 15 | 32 | 126 | 1 | 28 | 29 | 5 | 177.0 |
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KANSAS CITY – Dan Fisher sat at the podium Wednesday afternoon inside the T-Mobile Center, fielding questions about roster turnover, the transfer portal and about how his Pitt volleyball program keeps reloading year after year. As the Panthers prepare to make their fifth consecutive appearance in the national semifinal on Thursday night against Texas A&M, Fisher reflected on the program he’s built.
Then came his answer, simple and profound in its honesty.
“I’m lucky to be at a volleyball school.”
Eight words that capture everything about what Fisher has built. Not a school with a volleyball program. A volleyball school.
The distinction matters.
With all the roster turnover experienced from 2024 to 2025, Fisher and his staff didn’t panic.
They pivoted. They recruited. They rebuilt.
And here they are at the Final Four again, with a roster that looks completely different from the one that took the floor a season ago in Louisville.
“We had to pivot pretty quickly,” Fisher said. “I’m just really proud of the work my staff did to get a team in place to be back here.”
But the work goes deeper than Xs and Os, deeper than recruiting rankings or transfer portal additions. Fisher has built something sustainable at Pitt, something that transcends any single player or season. He’s built a culture, and more importantly, a family.
More Than Volleyball
For Fisher, the consistency hasn’t come from chasing perfection, but from setting standards and trusting people to grow into them.
Olivia Babcock and Bre Kelley, both All-Americans and leaders on this Final Four roster, describe a program that demands excellence without suffocating it.
“We have a standard we want to hold ourselves to,” Babcock said. “But it’s not the end of the world if we don’t hit it right away. That takes pressure off and it lets us get better every day.”
Kelley echoed that balance, pointing to Fisher’s ability to coach individuals as much as athletes.
“He builds real relationships with us off the court,” she said. “So when things get hard, when he’s pushing you, you know it’s coming from a place of care. He believes you can reach that level.”
This year’s team has needed that flexibility more than most. With so many new faces, the Panthers had to build chemistry on the fly while maintaining championship-level play. The result? A dominant season that has ended up back at the Final Four.
“This is a very new team, but so many people have been here before,” Babcock said. “We were able to prepare the newer players coming into this experience, what to expect.”
Playing for Something Bigger
Standing on the precipice of another Final Four, both Babcock and Kelley emphasized something that matters more than wins and losses: they’re playing for each other.
“Every time I step on the court, it’s just to have fun with my friends,” Kelley said. “Obviously, it’s hard to not give in to the pressure of these moments, but you just kind of look at your six-foot world, which is just the people on the court.”
That “six-foot world” philosophy – focusing on the teammates beside you rather than the noise around you – has become a mantra for this group. It’s how they’ve dominated elite competition. It’s how they’ve stayed locked in through adversity. And it’s how they plan to approach tomorrow’s national semifinal match against Texas A&M.
“We just want to play volleyball,” Babcock said. “This game is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be severely taxing on your mind and body. I just want to play ball with this team and play to the best ability that we can and have a blast on this court.”
The Evolution of a Powerhouse
Fisher ponders a question about when he felt his program had arrived.
The foundation took years to build, player development that used to span five-year arcs rather than single seasons. But somewhere around last year, he admits, the perception shifted.
“Probably last year, with us being ranked number one a lot, it shifted from us being looked at as this new kid to, ‘Oh yeah, Pitt’s number one,'” Fisher said. “That was the new shift.”
Maintaining that standard through roster turnover and the chaotic modern college landscape? That’s the real challenge.
“The hardest part is how much the college landscape has changed,” Fisher acknowledged. “People are going to schools for different reasons, recruiting’s changed. As a collegiate coach, you need to evolve and adapt and embrace it.”
But even with all the changes, one thing remains constant: Fisher’s commitment to his players beyond volleyball.
“The most rewarding part is always the relationships,” he said. “The best thing as a coach is to see somebody maybe become better or to do something they didn’t think they could do. To be part of that journey is the best part.”
A Volleyball School
Back to those eight words: “I’m lucky to be at a volleyball school.”
Fisher wasn’t bragging. He was expressing genuine gratitude for an administration that supports the program, for fans who pack Fitzgerald Field House and for a city that has embraced this team as its own.
“We have a newer athletic director (Allen Greene) that’s been incredibly supportive of us,” Fisher said. “I’m lucky to be at the school I’m at.”
As the Panthers prepare for their fifth straight national semifinal appearance, they carry with them the weight of looking for their first appearance in the national championship match and the lightness of a team that genuinely loves playing together. They carry Fisher’s standards without his expectations. They carry the knowledge that they’re playing for something bigger than themselves.
Most of all, they carry the confidence that comes from knowing their coach sees them, truly, as more than just volleyball players.
That’s what it means to be at a volleyball school. That’s what Dan Fisher has built at Pitt.
Five straight Final Fours. A new roster. The same standard. The same coach who feels lucky to be at a volleyball school that just keeps winning.
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