Start your morning with Buzzcast with Abe Madkour: Summer viewing suggestions; NASCAR lands big sponsor; UNC breaks down revenue sharing and LIV Golf’s hot market
USAA remains the presenting sponsor of the Salute to Service Award, and it will also be presenting sponsor of a 60-minute show focusing on its Salute to Service NFL efforts. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
USAA has renewed its longstanding NFL sponsorship, which the company termed a “significant long-term” extension. USAA, which markets insurance and other financial services to veterans, military members, and their families, has been an NFL corporate patron since 2011, when it became the league’s first “military appreciation” sponsor.“The military community’s love for football above all sports far exceeds anything,” said USAA EVP & Chief Strategy & Brand Officer Ameesh Vakharia. “The NFL has been a great way for us to reach our audience and elevate our awareness, even outside of the military.”The renewal isn’t drastically different from USAA’s prior rights. Given the NFL’s imperative for incremental overseas exposure, USAA will ramp up events around the league’s growing International Series of games, which will see six games in Europe this season. USAA remains the presenting sponsor of the Salute to Service Award. It will also be presenting sponsor of a 60-minute show focusing on its Salute to Service NFL efforts; distribution is TBD. Vakharia said, “The Salute to Service piece gives us real authenticity in a highly competitive category.”160/90 and antecedent IMG have been handling USAA’s sports marketing since it became an NFL corporate sponsor. The most intriguing part of the deal is that the NFL simultaneously has Nationwide as an insurance sponsor, bifurcating one of the noisiest and most contentious marketing categories. Nationwide’s NFL marketing backs the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, while USAA leverages a military appreciation platform.Xfinity has been title sponsor of NASCAR’s second-tier series for the last 11 years. Getty Images NASCAR this morning will name O’Reilly Auto Parts as the fourth title sponsor in the history of its second-tier national series, with a switch to an endemic car industry company meant to be part of NASCAR’s quest to return to its roots. What is currently called the NASCAR Xfinity Series will become the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Jan. 1 next year, ending the 11-year reign of Comcast’s Xfinity internet brand, which remains a premier partner of the top tier of the sport. NASCAR and O’Reilly aren’t revealing financial terms, but the multiyear deal will be medium term in length, not long term, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell confirmed to SBJ.
Still, he said, “we expect any partnership we go into, we’re in it for the long haul.” NASCAR had been seeking $15M in average annual spend between rights and activation. Missouri-based O’Reilly was founded in 1957 and has over 6,400 stores in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, and plans in-store activations around the deal. O’Donnell told SBJ: “When you look at the Xfinity Series as its currently known, really from a popularity standpoint, No. 2 in the U.S. in terms of viewership, enthusiasm and the fan base, we knew we needed a partner that could continue to build on the story that Xfinity has had where names are made. They’ve done a really, really good job and it was important for us to find a partner that could activate in the local markets. O’Reilly Auto Parts stores are everywhere, and that’s going to be huge to have that activation, working with the race tracks where we’re hosting races, continuing to get the names of the drivers out there and obviously we believe we can really help them grow.”
With a new media rights agreement set to see Nexstar Media Group’s The CW channel air the entire upcoming season, the Xfinity Series is averaging around 1.1 million viewers per event with 19 of 23 races so far this season having topped 1 million viewers. The numbers are on pace to be the best since 2018, NASCAR said. Intriguingly, the Xfinity Series has become something of a favorite for some of NASCAR’s hardcore fans who say the seventh-generation car used in the top-tier Cup Series isn’t creating as much entertainment value as the old-fashioned car used in the second-tier circuit. In prepared remarks, O’Reilly VP/Advertising & Marketing Hugo Sanchez said: “Partnering with NASCAR and The CW at this level enables us to further deepen our connection to one of the most loyal fan bases in all of sports.”
A couple different agencies were involved in the search to find Xfinity’s replacement, O’Donnell said. Klutch Sports Group was the main agency NASCAR worked with, but NASCAR ultimately negotiated directly with O’Reilly because it already had a relationship with the company, which advertised on NASCAR’s Motor Racing Network. The search for NASCAR was led by SVP & Chief Commercial Officer Craig Stimmel. Offers were made by multiple companies, O’Donnell said. The switch to an endemic brand in the sport comes after NASCAR told Ad Age in July that it was looking for a new creative agency to “help steer the stock car racing circuit back to its heartland roots and reconnect with the blue-collar fans who have long been its backbone.” To that end, O’Donnell told SBJ: “There was a lot of interest, and for us it came down to who is going to support the series the best but also who fits our brand as well and where we’re going, and O’Reilly was a natural fit for us.” While the publicly traded O’Reilly has missed analyst expectations in five of the last six quarters, it met forecasts in the most recent period and its stock is up 28% year to date. SBJ first reported on Saturday that O’Reilly was in line to replace Xfinity as title sponsor.
Sharks Sports & Entertainment has reached an agreement with the city of San Jose that “promises to keep the NHL franchise in the city until 2051.” GETTY IMAGES
Sharks Sports & Entertainment has reached an agreement with the city of San Jose that “promises to keep the NHL franchise in the city until 2051.” The agreement — scheduled for City Council approval later this month — “would commit the city to providing” $325M of the overall $425M investment in upgrades to SAP Center and “impose stiff penalties on the Sharks should they leave the city.” The finalized lease agreement “has been anticipated for a few months” after San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced that both sides “had struck a tentative deal” during his state of the city address in May. The current lease agreement — signed in 2015 — had ensured the team would play at the arena until July 1, 2025, with the lease renewing annually through 2040 (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 8/15).
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league plans to have an answer shortly about who will receive the national TV package beginning in 2026. MLB Photos via Getty Images
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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league plans to have an answer shortly about who will receive the national TV package beginning in 2026 that ESPN currently holds. Manfred said during last night’s broadcast of the Little League Classic, “We’re having very detailed conversations with a number of parties, including ESPN. We hope to have it resolved in the next couple of weeks. It’s a little bit like a jigsaw puzzle, but we will have it resolved in the next few weeks.” ESPN’s Karl Ravech said, “I put my hand up for hoping that we stay involved.”
Manfred hit on some of the highlights for the league this season, saying, “We’re having another great attendance year, we’re going to be above 70 million again. I think it’s a good thing we’re seeing some teams — Detroit’s played so well, Milwaukee’s played so well, it’s a great thing. I think the Dodgers-Padres rivalry is getting into that same zone that the Yankees and the Red Sox are in and have been in. The game on the field we feel like is in really, really good shape.”
He also talked about the importance of global growth for the league, saying, “The money and time we have spent internationally has really paid off for us. We had a great opener in Japan, and our business in Japan — we do basically the same audience, 2.5 million people, for our game of the day in Japan that’s on at 8 o’clock in the morning as we do for your Sunday night game” (“Mariners-Mets,” ESPN, 8/17).
Both the Mariners and Mets “had plenty of face time with the participants in the Little League World Series throughout Sunday.” Getty Images
MLB’s Little League Classic was “a bit delayed due to rain” Sunday night, but once the game got going it was the Mets who “cruised” to a 7-3 win over the Mariners at the Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport. While it “was a blowout almost from the jump,” the Little Leaguers “were in it the entire time — and even repeatedly adoring” Mets RF Juan Soto for his signature shuffle. Both the Mariners and Mets “had plenty of face time with the participants in the Little League World Series throughout Sunday.” Players were “greeted by swarms of kids hoping for autographs, or to trade hats or items” (YAHOO SPORTS, 8/17).
Each year, the players that meet the teams at the airport “bring hats, balls and baseball cards to get signed, as well as create signs to wave.” This year, the Little Leaguers “also had a surprise: cardboard cutouts of the Major League players made from pictures when they were that age.” The Mariners “came up with the idea,” so MLB “reached out to the families of the players to provide the pictures” (Williamsport SUN-GAZETTE, 8/18).
MLB has “built a refreshing tradition” with the Little League Classic. Rather than “a gigantic spectacle” a la the Speedway Classic, the Little League Classic “annually features the smallest annual attendance of the season by a comfortable margin” — as Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field has a capacity of about 2,500. But MLB “ensures the bulk of the crowd is made up of the Little League players, coaches and families.” It’s “undeniably a long day at the office for the big leaguers,” but it “serves a greater purpose that is not lost on the players” (YAHOO SPORTS, 8/18).
The Storm became the first WNBA franchise to dedicate a statue to a former player when they unveiled the bronze statue for former F Sue Bird on Sunday. Getty Images
A statue honoring former Storm F Sue Bird was “unveiled Sunday” by the entrance at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The Storm are the “first WNBA franchise to dedicate a statue to a former player.” The statue, standing 8-foot, 650-pounds, was created by sculptor Julie Rotblatt-Amrany. Rotblatt-Amrany Studio is the “leading artistic team” behind the Lenny Wilkens statue outside the arena, plus the Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Dave Niehaus statues at T-Mobile Park. A fan festival and a Storm matchup with the Mercury, “called the ‘Forever Sue’ game,” followed the statue unveiling at 3pm PT. During the festivities, Sunday was “designated ‘Sue Bird Day’ at the city, county and state levels.” Multiple former WNBA players spoke at the ceremony (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/17).
Fans “gathered to witness Bird’s immortalization, listen to music, pose for caricature art, eat at food trucks and play games.” Many lined up to “take pictures with cardboard cutouts of Bird.” For many of the fans, seeing Bird “cemented outside of the stadium signifies an important new era for women’s sports, and women in general” (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/17). The sculpture encapsulates “maybe, the most accomplished athlete in Seattle history.” Attendance for Storm games was “long near or at the top of the league during Sue’s tenure.” And despite some of the “star power that sits courtside during Storm games, none of those celebs get the ovation Bird does when put on the jumbotron” (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/17).
FIFA Rivals is adding Borussia Dortmund to its NFT-enabled mobile game in a multiyear deal. Mythical Games
Mythical Games’ FIFA Rivals has added Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund to its NFT mobile game in a multiyear deal, its first with a single team as the free-to-play soccer game expands its offerings for markets outside the U.S. The new content launches Monday.
As part of the deal, Borussia Dortmund players coming to the game include the likes of Karim Adeyemi, Serhou Guirassy, Nico Schlotterbeck, Gregor Kobel, Jobe Bellingham, Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson. Team kits are also coming to Rivals, along with a variety of in-game events and other activations around the club and its players.
SBJ’s technology writers Ethan Joyce, Joe Lemire and Rob Schaefer explore the various ways sports organizations — teams, leagues, agencies, investors and more — deploy artificial intelligence in their business operations. From internal processes to identifying potential sponsors to evaluating technology investments, AI is ubiquitous in sports business.
As the documentary “America’s Team: The Gambler and his Cowboys,” nears its debut on Netflix, owner Jerry Jones talks with SBJ football writer Ben Fischerabout what he learned about himself and his business during and after the production.
The USTA’s plan to move its mixed doubles championship to U.S. Open Fan Week has support from some of tennis’ top players and from fans, selling out Arthur Ashe Stadium a week before play begins on Aug. 19. SBJ tennis writer Rob Schaefer details the motivations behind the move, along with some tennis storylines to watch as the three-week U.S. Open gets underway.
NBC announced Sunday that the Premier League Mornings Live and Premier League Fan Fest “will visit” K.C. over the Sept. 20-21 weekend, taking place during the broadcast of the Premier League’s opening-weekend matchup of Arsenal-Manchester United. Premier League Mornings will “broadcast live from KC’s P&L” (K.C. STAR, 8/17).
Planet League and Ball Corporaton have expanded their sustainability partnership for the 2025–26 basketball and hockey seasons at Ball Arena. The partners plans to launch new programs designed to help fans choose aluminum and live more sustainably (Ball Corp.).
Morning Hot Reads: Buyer’s Remorse?
In a front-page piece, the L.A. TIMES goes with the header, “It’s too late for buyer’s remorse. Why L.A. can’t back out of hosting 2028 Olympics.” From “natural disasters, construction woes or unpopular opinion, every Olympics has faced threats in the planning process.” Yet “nearly every time, the city, ready or not, still hosted the Games.” With less than three years before the L.A. Olympics, calls on social media for the city to withdraw or cancel “have intensified.” But Olympic preparations “press forward.” No matter the calls for withdrawal, “the prospect remains almost impossible.” Could L.A. back out of the Olympics? Legally, no. The contract for the 2028 Games “states procedures for termination from the IOC’s perspective but doesn’t leave the same option for the host city or the national organizing committee.”
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This Week’s Events: Aug. 18-24
TUESDAY
The N.C. Courage will host their annual Women in Courage event, “From Sidelines to Spotlight: The Rise of Women’s Sports,” at Red Bird in Raleigh, N.C., from 3:30pm-5:30pm ET. Speakers will include Basketball HOFer and Fever play-by-play voice Debbie Antonelli, Courage President Francie Gottsegen, The Collective Managing Dir Thayer Lavielle, PWHL Senior Dir of Business Analytics Christopher Paolini and more. Read more about the event here.
Amer Sports Inc. will release its quarterly earnings.
THURSDAY
The International Tennis HOF will hold its 2025 induction ceremony in Newport, R.I., honoring former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova and American doubles duo Bob and Mike Bryan.
SUNDAY
The 2025 U.S. Open tennis tournament begins (14 days).
Social Scoop…
Rob Manfred basically just said that expansion teams are coming and division re-alignment for easier travel and better TV
This has kinda been known but we’re saying that on national TV….that usually means like a 2 to 3 year plan to get going on that?
Gray’s Creek’s Taylor Baggett’s senior season was one for the record books.
The Bears’ outside hitter and defensive specialist capped her high school career with a dominant final season that helped Gray’s Creek get to put together a ground-breaking year as the first high school volleyball team in school and county history to make it to an NCHSAA Final Four.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – St. Olaf College recorded its second-highest-ever finish in the fall standings of the Learfield Directors’ Cup by placing 15th out of 429 NCAA Division III institutions, as the standings were announced on Tuesday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
St. Olaf accumulated 241.0 points – its second-highest total ever in the fall – to rank 15th out of the 178 NCAA Division III institutions who earned points this fall. The initial release of the standings included all of the fall results except for the championship game of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. Neither of the institutions competing in the football title game can surpass St. Olaf regardless of the outcome of that game.
The Learfield Directors’ Cup is a program that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based athletics program, awarding points based on each institution’s national finishes in the NCAA Championships. This fall, St. Olaf’s men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s soccer, and women’s volleyball teams contributed to St. Olaf’s point total.
Men’s soccer earned 83 points by advancing to the national semifinals for the second time in program history. Men’s cross country collected 63 points thanks to its 13th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. Volleyball added 50 points with its second-round appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship, while women’s cross country picked up 45 points after placing 29th nationally.
This year marked the sixth consecutive fall that St. Olaf has finished among the top 30 institutions in NCAA Division III, with the 15th-place finish being one spot shy of the t-14th finish in 1996-97 for the highest in school history. It was also St. Olaf’s sixth top-20 and eighth top-25 fall finish in the history of the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which first included NCAA Division III in 1995-96.
LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego Director of Athletics Andy Fee has announced the hiring of Spencer McLachlin as the Tritons’ new women’s volleyball head coach. McLachlin becomes the eighth head coach in program history. The 2026 season will mark UC San Diego’s final in The Big West before the program transitions to the West Coast Conference prior to the 2027 campaign.
“Spencer brings exactly what we need at this moment. He’s helped build winning programs, developed All-Americans, and knows how to compete at the highest level,” Fee said. “His playing career at Stanford and coaching experience at Hawaii, Cal, UCLA, Indiana, and USC give him a deep understanding of what championship volleyball looks like in major conferences. But what really stood out was his approach to the whole scholar-athlete experience. He gets what we’re building here at UC San Diego as we establish ourselves in Division I and look ahead to the West Coast Conference. Our scholar-athletes are going to love playing for him, and I’m confident he’ll have this program competing for championships.”
McLachlin recently completed his third season as an associate head coach for the USC women’s volleyball program. He helped lead the Women of Troy to 25 wins, a fourth-place finish in the ultra-competitive Big Ten, and an NCAA second round appearance. The 2025 team placed six on all-conference teams. In 2024, the Trojans advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year and finished 22-10 overall with a 13-7 mark in the Big Ten (tied for sixth). Setter Mia Tuaniga was named to the AVCA All-America third team. In his first season with the Women of Troy, McLachlin helped USC go 19-13 with a 12-8 mark in Pac-12 matches for a fifth-place finish. Outside hitter Skylar Fields was honored with AVCA All-America first-team recognition.
“I am thrilled to join UC San Diego as the Head Coach of the women’s volleyball program,” McLachlin said. “This is an incredible opportunity for my family and me to be part of an historic and beautiful university and build a program with great potential. I want to thank Andy Fee for trusting my family and me with this role, for his commitment to supporting the future of Triton athletics, and for his vision of the volleyball program specifically. His leadership and commitment to excellence make this an exciting time to be part of the UC San Diego athletic department. Go Tritons!”
Previously, McLachlin served as the associate head coach at Indiana in 2022 where he was responsible for coordinating the defense and blocking. The Hoosiers were 16-16 and went 9-11 in the Big Ten to finish eighth in the conference standings. IU’s nine conference victories were its most since 2010 and the team had its highest finish since the Big Ten expanded to 14 teams (2014).
Prior to Indiana, McLachlin was an assistant coach for the UCLA men’s volleyball program for four years, from 2018-2021. He has also had experience coaching at the international level with the U.S. men’s national team where he was on staffs for squads which competed in the Pan American Cup and NORCECA Champions cup.
Before he joined the UCLA men’s program, McLachlin spent two seasons (2016-17) as an assistant coach at California for the Golden Bears’ women’s team. In 2017, he was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 list, an honor presented to up-and-coming coaching talents across all levels of volleyball. McLachlin got his start in coaching as an assistant for the men’s volleyball program at Hawai’i. During his time with the Warriors, the team earned a bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 13 seasons.
As a student-athlete, McLachlin competed at Stanford from 2008-11 as an outside hitter. He won a national championship with the Cardinal in 2010 and finished his career among the program’s all-time leaders in kills with 1,288. McLachlin was a senior captain, an All-MPSF second team selection, and received MPSF all-academic team recognition three times.
McLachlin graduated from Stanford with a degree in political science in 2011 and completed a Master of Education in 2012 while serving as a club coach for the Bay-to-Bay Volleyball Club.
As a professional athlete, McLachlin was an outside hitter for Mas NIKI Aiginio in Greece for three years from 2012 to 2014.
McLachlin and his wife Diane have three children: daughters Leila and Malia, and a son, Koa.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West inNCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.comor follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade guided the Rainbow Warriors to 27 wins and a Big West Conference championship last season.
The Hawaii men’s volleyball team will open its 2026 season in 10 days ranked No. 2 in the country according to the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll released today.
The Rainbow Warriors, who finished 27-6 last season and won a Big West championship before losing in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship, received seven of 25 first-place votes and was eight points behind No. 1 UCLA, which ended Hawaii’s season in a three-set sweep in Columbus, Ohio in May.
Defending national champion Long Beach State received five first-place votes and is ranked No. 3 going into the season, ahead of Pepperdine and No. 5 Southern California, which earned the final first-place vote.
The other Big West teams in the top 20 include No. 6 UC Irvine, No. 10 UC San Diego, No. 11 Cal State Northridge and No. 17 UC Santa Barbara.
UH’s nonconferene schedule includes home matches on Jan. 6 and 8 against No. 7 Loyola Chicago and road trips at No. 9 Stanford and No. 13 Penn State.
Hawaii also hosts the fourth-ranked Waves and will play No. 12 Lewis and the top-ranked Bruins in the Outrigger Invitational.
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A four-team NIL Tournament in currently scheduled for Feb. 19 and 20 in the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and will feature four of the top five teams in the poll.
Hawaii lost starters Kurt Nusterer and ‘Eleu Choy to graduation last season but return its top four leaders in kills as well as junior setter Tread Rosenthal.
Rosenthal was named to the All-Big West first team along with returning sophomores Adrien Roure and Kristian Titriyski.
UH opens the season against NJIT on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
MADISON, Wis. – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and LEARFIELD released its Fall Division I Learfield Directors’ Cup standings this Tuesday, with Wisconsin placing eighth after a another successful fall season.
The Badgers finished the season with 236.00 points, within 10 points of Georgetown, Colorado and BYU who finished in seventh, sixth and fifth, respectively. North Carolina finished as the top program with 359.00 points.
This is the third straight fall season where the Badgers have finished within the top-ten schools. UW also was the Big Ten’s top finisher, edging out Washington at No. 10 overall with 228.00 points
Wisconsin’s point total was bolstered this fall by a final four appearance from the volleyball team, led by AVCA All-American Mimi Colyer. The team made its third final-four appearance in the past five seasons, compiling a 28-5 overall record, including a 13-1 stretch in its last 14 matches. Wisconsin finished as the third-ranked volleyball team in Learfield standings, coming up with 83 points.
The men’s cross country team contributed the second most points with 55, after a third place NCAA regional placement led to a 19th place finish at the NCAA Championships in Columbia, Missouri. Liam Newhart led the team with 29:28.5 time at the 10K Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
The Badgers were rewarded 50 points from their women’s soccer team after clincing their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Wisconsin took down three top-10 ranked teams on its way to a 14-6-2 record, peaking with a 3-2 overtime victory over Western Michigan in NCAAs. The Badgers finished the season as the 17th ranked women’s soccer program in the standings.
Additionally, the women’s cross country competed at the NCAA Championships in their fifth consecutive appearance in the final meet of the season. The unit finished in 26th place, providing 48 points to round out the scoring for the Badgers.
The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.
Wisconsin’s history in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup can be viewed here.
Lauren Lee’s journey to an unprecedented 5,000 career assists for the Hope College volleyball team began on the beach.
The standout Hope setter often traveled to sandy courts with her family as a child. Lee did not need to look far for inspiration to pick up the sport — or to decide where she wanted to play.
“I started playing volleyball because my dad played at the University of Michigan. He was a setter on their men’s team,” Lee said of her father, Dr. Stan Lee, an orthopaedic spine surgeon at Lucent Spine, PLLC, Specialists in Spine Surgery, in the Detroit area. “I grew up watching him play beach volleyball with his friends. I became a setter because of my dad’s passion for the position and the game. He showed me all the tricky things you can do as a setter and how impactful the position can be.”
Lee, a biology major, closed an outstanding four-year career for the Flying Dutch that included numerous individual achievements:
5,001 career assists over 129 matches, a school record;
four All-America selections from the American Volleyball Coaches Association;
four All-MIAA First Team honors, including Most Valuable Player as a senior and Freshman of the Year in 2022;
one AVCA Freshman of the Year award.
Lee played a central role in an exceptional four-year stretch for Hope volleyball.
The Flying Dutch finished as national runner-up in 2023, reached the national semifinals in 2024 and advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2022. Hope earned three consecutive MIAA regular-season championships for the second time in program history and captured back-to-back MIAA Tournament titles for the first time.
Setting the Table
In all, Lee set the table for the Flying Dutch’s success, head coach Becky Schmidt said.
“I’m super proud of Lauren — 5,000 assists is absolutely huge,” Schmidt said. “She’s an incredible setter and just does so much for us. It’s been so much fun to watch.”
Schmidt believes Hope benefited greatly from Lee playing for the Flying Dutch.
“If she were four or five inches taller, she’d be playing in the Big Ten and doing really great things,” Schmidt said. “I am so thankful for her contributions over her four years. She has done really great things.”
Lee is grateful she chose Hope four years ago as well. While the team’s accomplishments have been rewarding and the individual accolades and milestones bring pride, she said they happened because of the people she played with.
“I am super proud of myself, but more importantly, I am thankful for the help of my team for the past four years,” Lee said. “The primary reason I have been able to reach 5,000 assists is because of the amazing hitters who have put the ball away, the passers who have handled serves and swings so that I can have full offensive autonomy, and the coaching staff who has helped us extend our season as long as possible every year.
“I am humbled and grateful to receive the credit and praise, but this milestone is truly a product of a team effort.”
The journey to 5,000 collegiate assists — and so much more — started with logging countless hours on the beach as a young fan.
Like her father, Lee has shown others how to set and assist teammates on the court. It’s a shared family passion.
“I just love the feeling of chasing down the ball and fixing plays,” Lee said. “When it’s perfect, I love setting others up for success because I know I can’t hit the ball as hard as Kamryn Burbridge or Ella Contant. It’s so awesome to see someone hit the ball as hard as possible.”
Xfinity has been title sponsor of NASCAR’s second-tier series for the last 11 years. Getty Images NASCAR this morning will name O’Reilly Auto Parts as the fourth title sponsor in the history of its second-tier national series, with a switch to an endemic car industry company meant to be part of NASCAR’s quest to return to its roots. What is currently called the NASCAR Xfinity Series will become the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Jan. 1 next year, 
