Sports
Racer Legend Coach Velvet Milkman Inducted into OVC Hall of Fame

Former Murray State women’s golf coach Velvet Milkman, was honored (May 29) as part of the class of 2025 to the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame.
The OVC recognition is her third induction into a hall of fame, after being inducted into the Murray State Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame in 2024.
As the founder of the MSU women’s golf program in 1993, Milkman was the only coach of the team for 29 seasons until her retirement at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Milkman’s longevity spanned an amazing 22 years between her first title in 1997 and the last in 2019. Her teams dominated the OVC championship winning three-straight times on three different occasions (1997-99), (2002-04) and (2017-19). The Racers finished runner up five times and placed outside of the top-3 only five times in 28 OVC championship appearances.
The Racers made seven NCAA appearances under Coach Milkman by competing in team regional play including Columbus, Ohio (2009), Columbus, Indiana (2010), Tallahassee, Florida (2014), Lubbock, Texas (2017), Madison, Wisc. (2018) and Auburn, Ala. (2019).
Milkman coached MSU greats Payton Carter and Linette Holmslykke in her final seasons. In 2022, Carter became the first MSU and OVC player to play as an individual and Holmslykke became the first golfer from Murray State and the OVC to advance to the NCAA Championship in 2019.
Milkman recruited and develop eight different student-athletes that combined to win 10 OVC Player of the Year honors. That list includes Jenny Daag (1998, 1999), Cuyler Hedley (2002), Lee Anne Pace (2003), Nikki Orazine (2004, 2005), Delaney Howson (2014), Moa Folke (2017), Linette Holmslykke (2019) and Payton Carter (2022).
In 12 OVC team championships, Milkman’s Racers had eight players produce 10 medalist winners at the OVC championship including Daag (1998, 1999), Hedley (2002), Pace (2003), Orazine (2004), Howson (2014), Folke (2016, 2017), Anna Moore (2019) and Carter (2022).
The Racers also performed at a championship level in the classroom with 35 winners of the OVC Medal of Honor signifying perfect 4.0 GPA’s and Linette Holmslykke won the coveted NCAA Elite 90 Award in 2019 at the NCAA Championships.
Milkman served for 18 years as senior woman administrator for MSU Athletics and led the department as interim athletics director from July 2018 through February 2019. She was one of the leaders in shaping women’s golf at the NCAA level and served a four-year term (2009-12) on the NCAA Women’s Golf Committee including two years as chair.
In 2022, Milkman was given the Gladys Palmer Service Award, presented by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association’s (WGCA).
Follow the Murray State Racers on X (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics. For more on Murray State women’s golf, follow on X and Instagram (@RacersWGolf).
Sports
Four Nebraska volleyball players named AVCA All-Americans
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Four Nebraska volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Teams, Nebraska Athletics said Wednesday.
Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were selected to the AVCA All-America First Team. Rebekah Allick was chosen to the AVCA All-America Second Team.
Huskers.com said the Huskers’ four All-America selections bring their nation-leading total to 111 all-time.
Murray and Reilly are now three-time AVCA All-Americans, but both earned first-team honors for the first time in their careers.
Jackson earned a second straight nod on the First Team, while Allick was named an All-American for the first time.
AVCA All-America First Team
Andi Jackson, Jr., MB, Brighton, Colo.
- Jackson was chosen to the AVCA All-America First Team for the second straight year, as well as the All-Big Ten First Team. She was also an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist.
- Jackson averaged 2.74 kills per set on .467 hitting with 1.12 blocks per set, and she served 16 aces.
- Jackson’s .467 hitting percentage leads the nation and was the No. 3 hitting percentage in school history for a single season.
- In conference-only matches, Jackson hit .559 to break the Big Ten record for hitting percentage in conference-only matches in a season, which was .541 by Arielle Wilson from Penn State in 2008.
- Jackson has a career hitting percentage of .437, which is the No. 1 mark in school history and the No. 1 mark among active Division I players.
- Jackson earned Big Ten Player of the Week, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and AVCA First Serve Match MVP honors this season.
Harper Murray, Jr., OH, Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Murray earned AVCA All-America and All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third straight year.
- Murray led the Huskers with a career-best 3.54 kills per set on a career-high .295 hitting percentage.
- A standout six-rotation player, Murray also contributed 2.16 digs per set and 0.60 blocks per set along with a team-high 34 aces. She totaled a career-high 4.21 points per set for the season.
- One of the best passers in the nation at her position, Murray passed a 2.52 throughout the season.
- Murray finished the season at 1,181 career kills, which ranks 19th all-time in school history and 10th in the rally-scoring era.
- Murray’s career kills per set average of 3.38 ranks third at NU in the rally-scoring era behind only Sarah Pavan and Jordan Larson.
- Murray’s 109 career aces are the sixth-most at NU in the rally-scoring era.
Bergen Reilly, Jr., S, Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Reilly has been an AVCA All-American each year of her Husker career but earned a first-team accolade for the first time after a record-breaking season.
- Reilly set the Huskers to a school-record .351 hitting percentage, shattering the previous record of .331 in 1986. NU’s .351 hitting percentage ranks first nationally and is the best hitting percentage by a Big Ten team since 2009 Penn State.
- Reilly averaged 10.47 assists per set and 2.70 digs per set. She also totaled 73 kills, 67 blocks and 19 aces.
- Reilly was named Big Ten Player of the Year and AVCA Region Player of the Year, as well as Big Ten Setter of the Year and All-Big Ten First Team for the third time.
- Reilly set Nebraska to a .400 or better hitting percentage nine times on the season, a school record in the rally-scoring era. She had double-doubles in all six of the Husker matches that went longer than three sets, and she had four double-doubles in sweeps.
- Reilly ranks No. 3 in school history in career assists in the rally-scoring era with 3,723. Her career assists per set average of 10.70 ranks No. 4 among active Division I players and No. 2 in school history in the rally-scoring era.
- Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this season, giving her 13 for her career.
AVCA All-America Second Team
Rebekah Allick, Sr., MB, Lincoln, Neb.
- Allick earned the first AVCA All-America honor of her career after being named All-Region three times. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team accolades for the first time.
- Allick had the best season of her standout career with 2.56 kills per set on .450 hitting with a team-high 1.27 blocks per set.
- Allick’s .450 hitting percentage ranks as the No. 4 single-season mark in school history, as well as the No. 4 mark in the country this season.
- Allick finished her Husker career at No. 5 in career blocks in the rally-scoring era with 543. Her career blocks per set average of 1.31 ranks fourth.
- Allick was named AVCA National Player of the Week, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and to the AVCA All-First Serve Team.
- Allick was on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List at the midway point of the season.
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Within Nike, the Jordan brand has always come with a significant opportunity—and challenge. The more than $7 billion business is the “blueprint” of what it means to be an athlete-centered brand, says brand president Sarah Mensah (so much so that its origin with Michael Jordan was dramatized in the film Air).
But for some athletes, the Jordan legacy has come with too much pressure. “In the men’s game, we tend to compare every athlete: are they another MJ?” Mensah says. “That can kind of get in your head.”
That’s one reason Mensah is excited about the potential for female athletes and the Jordan brand, as well as its women’s business. “You don’t have that same sort of comparison with female athletes,” Mensah says. WNBA star Napheesa Collier moved from an overall Nike deal to the Jordan brand earlier this year, citing the investment the brand was making in the women’s game as a reason for the switch. Last year, the Jordan brand debuted the Jordan Heir series, which was designed for WNBA stars. It was the first line of product from the brand “specifically for female hoopers,” Mensah says.
Beyond comparisons with a basketball legend, Mensah thinks female athletes inherently understand the DNA of the Jordan brand, which comes down to “greatness” on the court and off. “They’re defining the game in their own terms, and they’re overcoming adversity,” she says. “They’re overcoming perceptions. And there’s something about that. There’s something about charting a new course, going in a new direction, redefining the game.” These themes are among the top reasons female athletes resonate so strongly with consumers, making them the most effective influencers compared to male athletes or general lifestyle influencers.
Nike is now a year into a turnaround under new CEO Elliott Hill, who aims to return Nike to its roots in sports. While Nike was struggling in recent years, the Jordan brand had been an exception—but this year saw sales fall. Hill has said he believes in the Jordan brand as a pillar of Nike’s return to dominance in sportswear.
There’s a new generation of consumers, however, who have never seen Michael Jordan play basketball and associate the brand only with its Jumpman logo. For Mensah, who has been with Nike for more than a decade and took over the Jordan brand in 2023, female athletes are an essential tool to communicate the original message of “greatness” to a new generation.
“That’s always been the distinction for this brand. It’s never just been about sport, it’s never just been about being an athlete,” Mensah says, “but the body of the athlete, the mind of the athlete, the spirit of the athlete, what the athlete does on the court, the greatness that’s displayed there, and the greatness that they bring to the rest of their world.”
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’s daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
OpenAI is under a ‘code red.’ It’s an alert of “rough vibes” and economic headwinds as the AI leader faces increased competition, especially in enterprise. CEO of Applications Fidji Simo says it’s a “signal to the company that we want to marshal resources in one particular area, and that’s a way to really define priorities and define things that can be deprioritized.” Fortune
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Inside Nancy Mace’s run for governor. In South Carolina, the congresswoman is running as an outsider, reportedly with few allies among her fellow GOP politicians. WSJ
Two Palantir alums just raised $20 million for patent filing. My colleague Jeremy Kahn has the exclusive on Ankar, a London-based startup that’s trying to use AI to transform the process for filing and managing patents. It’s founded by Tamar Gomez and Wiem Gharbi. Fortune
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PARTING WORDS
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— Jamie Lee Curtis on her role in The Bear and this era of her career
Sports
NE10 Faces in the Crowd, Presented by Athletic Solutions
Each week during the academic year, the NE10 honors Athletes of the Week for all of its 24 sponsored sports while they are in season. Faces in the Crowd shines a spotlight on outstanding on-field performances that didn’t earn Athlete of the Week recognition, while also highlighting academic or community efforts from student-athletes across the league.
Faces in the Crowd is presented by Athletic Solutions, a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Their platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.
Below are this week’s NE10 Faces in the Crowd.
Gigi Morossi
School: Pace
Sport: Swimming and Diving
Pace bounced back after a head-to-head loss to SCSU to improve to 7-1 on the season. Morossi was an anchor in a four-point win over Bridgeport, winning the 50 Back, 100 Back and 200 Freestyle. The sophomore was also part of Pace’s 200 Medley Relay that came in second.
Jack Hall
School: SNHU
Sport: Basketball
Hall started his second game of the season at Saint Anselm Saturday and opened 7-for-7 from three. The AIC transfer finished with a season-best 23 points in the Penmen victory.
Jordan Wheaton
School: SNHU
Sport: Track and Field
Wheaton matched her career and program best with an 8.86 in the 60M Hurdles at the Dartmouth December Invite on Saturday. The time is best for third in the conference this indoor season. She also set a new PR in the 60 M Dash. Wheaton had established the mark the prior week at BU and also has the NE10’s top High Jump this season (1.58m), set on 12/5.
Makenzie Shean
School: Franklin Pierce
Sport: Soccer
An All-American, Shean delivered the game-winning-goal in the NCAA Division II semifinals over Washburn last week, pushing the Ravens to the national championship game. It was Shean’s ninth goal of the season and came with only seven and a half minutes remaining in regulation.
Raymond Baka
School: Franklin Pierce
Sport: Basketball
Baka had a day last week at Saint Michael’s, going off for 28 points and 14 rebounds. It was his third double-double in nine games this season. The points total ranks fifth-best by an NE10 player this season and the rebound mark sits fourth. Baka is averaging 14 points and 9.6 rebounds as a first-year player in the NE10 following a transfer from Vermont State.
This Year’s Faces in the Crowd
Week 1
Anna Daggatt, Saint Michael’s Volleyball
Dillon Labonte, SNHU Cross Country
Jakkai Stith, AIC Football
Jenni Huttunen, Franklin Pierce Soccer
Taylor Leckey, SCSU Field Hockley
Week 2
Alice Bender, Pace Volleyball
Annie Lorenz, Bentley Field Hockey
Isabel Hughes and Claudia Keith, SNHU Soccer
Reese Swanson, Franklin Pierce Field Hockey
Connor Dietz, AIC Football
Jay Kastantin, Assumption Football
Week 3
Dillon Labonte, SNHU Cross Country
Elizjah Lewis, Pace Football
Grace Almeida, Saint Michael’s Volleyball
Lana Mignon De Wet, Adelphi Field Hockey
Paola Soto Burgos, AIC Volleyball
Week 4
Brennah Abilheira-Cargill, Assumption Volleyball
Kerrigan Habing, SCSU Volleyball
Drew Forkner, St. Anselm Football
Khais Milligan, Pace Soccer
Madeline Krepelka, Bentley Field Hockey
Week 5
Connor Dietz, AIC Football
Elizjah Lewis, Pace Football
Kaylise McClure, Mercy Field Hockey
Mackenzie Casey, Adelphi Volleyball
Michael Guarnieri, St. Anselm Football
Week 6
Andrew Surprenant, SNHU Men’s Golf
Isaiah Osgood, Bentley Football
Jessica Evans, Mercy Field Hockey
Sarah Henault, SCSU Volleyball
Sydney DeRoche, Bentley Women’s Soccer
Week 7
Faith Kosiba, Saint Michael’s Soccer
Grace Presswood, Assumption Volleyball
John Giller, SCSU Football
McKenzie Carey, Bentley Field Hockey
Ruby Harrington, Saint Michael’s Field Hockey
Week 8
Avery Frommer, Bentley Field Hockey
Billy Gould, Assumption Football
Kerrigan Habing, SCSU Volleyball
Maya Fisher, SCSU Cross Country
Quinlyn Moll, AIC Field Hockey
Week 9
Isaiah Decias, Bentley Football
Jessica Evans, Mercy Field Hockey
Milagros Zanatelli, AIC Field Hockey
Ryan Rosario, Franklin Pierce Women’s Soccer
Sasha Luzina, Bentley Volleyball
Week 10
Connor Smith, Assumption Football
Jake Croce, Saint Anselm Football
Madeline Chaapel, Adelphi Volleyball
Maggie Burchill, Saint Anselm Field Hockey
Riley Mastowski, Franklin Pierce Hockey
Week 11
Ana Carolina Westerich, Adelphi Volleyball
Dayshawn Walton, Adelphi Basketball
Taeya and Rheyna Steinauer, SCSU Basketball
Will Gomes, Franklin Pierce Football
Amelia Hohos, Saint Anselm Soccer
Week 12
Brady Gaudet, Franklin Pierce Soccer
Dom Santiago, Assumption Football
Elena Coban, Bentley Volleyball
Olivia Crespo, Franklin Pierce Soccer
Will Davies, Saint Anselm Basketball
Week 13
Alvaro Garcia, SNHU Soccer
Jojo Wallace, SNHU Basketball
Kaitlin McDonough, Saint Anselm Basketball
Margaret Montplaisir, Saint Michael’s Basketball
Zee McCown, Assumption Basketball
Week 14
Hope Fox, SCSU Basketball
Jodiann Ebanks, AIC Track and Field
Ruzgar Christina Boyle, AIC Basketball
Skyla Lang, Benltey Swimming
Valerii Pidhoretskyy, Adelphi Swimming
Week 15
Gigi Morossi, Pace Swimming and Diving
Jack Hall, SNHU Basketball
Jordan Wheaton, SNHU Track & Field
Makenzie Shean, Franklin Pierce Soccer
Raymond Baka, Franklin Pierce Basketball
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season. The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.
Sports
Meghan Scholz Added to San Diego Volleyball Roster
SAN DIEGO — DePaul middle blocker Meghan Scholz has been added to the San Diego volleyball roster as a transfer, head coach Jennifer Petrie announced on Tuesday evening.
“We’re tremendously excited to welcome Meghan to the Torero family,” said Petrie. “She is a highly talented, well-rounded player whose defensive prowess and competitive spirit will help elevate the standard in our gym.”
A native of Tomahawk, Wisconsin, Scholz will join the Toreros as a senior for the 2026 season. She spent the first three years (2023-2025) of her college career in Chicago, where she appeared in 84 matches and 284 sets for the Blue Devils while totaling 391 kills, 208 blocks (24 solo), 94 digs, 11 service aces, and nine assists.
Scholz appeared in 24 of DePaul’s 28 matches in 2025, recording 97 kills and 38 blocks. She recorded multiple blocks on 11 different occasions last season and had multiple kills in 19 of her 23 appearances.
She led the Blue Devils in blocks in both her freshman (2023) and sophomore (2024) seasons. Her debut college campaign saw her earn two BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors.
The Toreros will begin their pursuit of a second consecutive West Coast Conference title and NCAA Tournament berth in August 2026.
Sports
What to know about Kentucky, Wisconsin volleyball’s Final Four foe
Updated Dec. 17, 2025, 8:29 a.m. CT
The 2020 and 2021 NCAA volleyball national champions will be vying for a spot in the 2025 national championship match.
Wisconsin, of course, won the 2021 national championship. Kentucky won the 2020 national championship. Neither team has been playing on the final day of the season since then.
That will change as the Badgers and Wildcats face off in the NCAA regional semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 18, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The match will start roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Pittsburgh-Texas A&M match, which will start at 5:30 p.m.
Sports
NCAA women’s volleyball championship: All-time winners list
The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball championship will take place from Dec. 18-21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The 2025 Final Four teams heading to Kansas City are Pittsburgh (Pitt), Kentucky, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.
In 2024, Penn State defeated Louisville to take home the title. Stanford has the most all-time championships, with nine titles to its name. Penn State takes second place with eight, followed by Nebraska in third with five.
Check out the all-time winners list for the NCAA women’s volleyball championship below:
2024: Penn State
2023: Texas
2022: Texas
2021: Wisconsin
2020: Kentucky
2019: Stanford
2018: Stanford
2017: Nebraska
2016: Stanford
2015: Nebraska
2014: Penn State
2013: Penn State
2012: Texas
2011: UCLA
2010: Penn State
2009: Penn State
2008: Penn State
2007: Penn State
2006: Nebraska
2005: Washington
2004: Stanford
2003: Southern California
2002: Southern California
2001: Stanford
2000: Nebraska
1999: Penn State
1998: Long Beach State
1997: Stanford
1996: Stanford
1995: Nebraska
1994: Stanford
1993: Long Beach State
1992: Stanford
1991: UCLA
1990: UCLA
1989: Long Beach State
1988: Texas
1987: Hawai’i
1986: Pacific
1985: Pacific
1984: UCLA
1983: Hawai’i
1982: Hawai’i
1981: Southern California
For more NCAA updates, check out the ESPN hub page with scores, rankings and more.
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