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SBJ Marketing

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SBJ Marketing

Across the experiential and sports agency space this week, there was an absolute cacophony of reaction to Nick Kelly departing the top sponsorship job at Verizon after 27 months to establish his own brand-side shop: Encore Sports & Entertainment.

Reaction in the agency buzzosphere varied from surprise to bewilderment, with many questioning why he would leave what they termed “the top job in sponsorship.” Certainly, it’s one of the biggest on the brand side.

Verizon, with around $135 billion in annual revenue, is normally referenced within this newsletter as one of the largest — if not the biggest — domestic sports media spenders. Its sponsorship portfolio is also one of the largest, and it includes rights with the NFL, FIFA World Cup, NASCAR, NHL, Team Penske in IndyCar (along with the Indianapolis 500) and scores of team and venue deals.

How tough is it to walk away from a marketing arsenal armed with so many megatons? Especially when you helped build up supply?

Kelly, a member of the SBJ Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame, received calls this week after the news broke from a number of agency heads, extraordinarily curious about his plans to switch sides of table and enter their business. Surely, they coveted his skills and client connections, but some felt it was the wrong direction.

Inventing and manufacturing his own widgets was a principal force behind Kelly leaving a company with around 100,000 employees. “Working for myself was a driving factor,” Kelly told me yesterday.

Kelly says he’s opening with clients in hand, but has thus far been mum on those identities. It’s difficult to believe that he won’t eventually get some business from Verizon, if not also from Anheuser-Busch InBev, where he once headed U.S. sports marketing.

While Momentum Worldwide has a longtime agency relationship with Verizon, and executed its recent Super Bowl FanFest, Kelly also hired a half-dozen or more agencies to work on other parts of the Verizon portfolio.

Some, or all, of those will certainly be anxious as to their future with Verizon. An exec at one of those shops questioned, “How can he hire all of these agencies and then compete with them?”

It’s an unusual situation, at best.

Singular focus

Maybe Kelly should have called his new agency “Brands Only” instead. “The role I’m looking at is a brand consultancy within the word of sports, but focused on the buy side, so there are no conflicts. And given where I’m coming from, the focus is on working with the marketing leads,” he said. “The hope is to assist brands with sponsorships directly from conception to budget sign-off from senior management.”

By all accounts, Kelly left Verizon in the good graces of that senior management. An email making the rounds at Verizon agencies from CMO Leslie Berland declared in part, “I am so grateful for [Nick’s] many contributions over the last two years and excited to see him embark on his next chapter. Nick and his team transformed how customers engage with our brand by creating industry-first experiences, like Super Bowl FanFest and Barbie StreamHouse, as well as relaunching Verizon Access. They also led the way for Verizon to become the official network of the FIFA World Cup and expanded our partnerships with the NFL, NH, Live Nation and NASCAR, whole also honing other partnerships to maximize value and ROI.”

Kelly cited Genesco Sports Enterprises, which services Verizon’s NFL and 2026 FIFA World Cup activations, as a model he’s following, since that agency is solely focused on brands and eschews selling properties. Worthy of note: Genesco is not part of a holding company Tower of Babel.

Despite the excess of private equity financing eager (maybe even desperate?) to get into sports, Kelly said it’s too soon to dilute his embryonic agency ownership position.

Moving from buy side to sell side, as Kelly is attempting, is always a precarious proposition, even if you headed two of the biggest sponsorship organizations in the land. Kelly promises more details on his offering and clients sometime down the road. In the meantime, “The one sales pitch we have right now is that you get me,” he said, with a laugh.

We’ll find out if that’s enough for Kelly’s Encore.

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Sports

Cedar Rapids wrestler chases her dream, from a volleyball player to a young star in the sport

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – When Maggie Peters is home, she’s locked in.

She lifts weights at a gym in her hometown of Cedar Rapids. But it’s not just for strength – it’s for safety.

“One things goes wrong, and you’ve got people’s lives in your hands,” she said. “I mean, you don’t want to drop somebody on their head.”

But more often than not, Peters is on the road. Her sport is professional wrestling.

She’s performed performed in front of thousands in arenas and on television. Her fights may be scripted, but her dream of reaching WWE is real.

Peters has a background in volleyball, playing at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy. But her dream has always been in the wrestling ring.

“I wanted to do it right when I started watching I wanna say I was eight or nine I would just go wrestle on my trampoline,” Peters said.

She went from the volleyball court at Mount Mercy to a wrestling school in Davenport.

“We would have a show on a Thursday night, so I would leave class early,” said Peters. “But at that point, I will say, my senior year was my worst year of school. Once I got the wrestling training done, I was like, ‘ooh, this is what I want to do.’”

In professional wrestling, the winner and loser are predetermined, unlike traditional sports.

“Pro wrestling, I will say, is like a dance,” Peters said.

But there’s nothing fake about the pain wrestlers endure, what they call “bumps.”

“Any time you get put down on the mat, you’re taking a bump. You’re hitting the top of your back,” Peters said. “Higher on your neck, sometimes, (is) not good.”

Maggie wrestles in independent shows across the Midwest under the ring name Maggie Lee. She also performs in front of thousands in TNA Wrestling as the villainous character “M By Elegance.”

“Yeah, I do like being the bad guy,” Peters said. “I’ve worked a mix of both the bad guy and the good guy on the independents. But everybody was like, ‘you look more like you as the bad guy.’ I was like, ‘gee, thanks,” Peters said.

TNA – Total Nonstop Action – is high-level televised professional wrestling, one step below WWE.

“I actually really love the whole TV aspect. It’s very organized. Being able to see myself on TV is really cool,” Peters laughed.

Maggie hopes a full-time contract with WWE is next. She’s banking on it, writing a card to her mother labeled “open when I’m in the WWE.”

“And it was one of many letters. I made them for her birthday,” Peters said.

When asked about the letter’s contents, Peters said she doesn’t remember what she wrote as a girl.

“I don’t even remember what’s in it, so I’m kind of like scared,” she said. “When she does open it, I feel like it’s going to be a big deal and I might get embarrassed.”

Sometimes she’s flying high, sometimes she’s taking bumps.

Either way, she’s racing towards her dream.



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Men’s Volleyball vs Jessup on 1/6/2026 – Box Score

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UCSD subs: Chandler, Luke; Stewart, Tyler; Hornyak, Ethan.



UCSD subs: Chandler, Luke; Stewart, Tyler; Hornyak, Ethan.






JU subs: Petesch, Riley.



JU subs: Petesch, Riley.




JU


0-1


[Marks, Colin] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).



0


UC San Diego

1

[Marks, Colin] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).




UCSD


1-1


[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Henning, Owen (from Marks, Colin).



[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Henning, Owen (from Marks, Colin).

1


Jessup

1




JU


1-2


[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).



1


UC San Diego

2

[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).




UCSD


2-2


[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Knudsen, Jacob (from Marks, Colin).



[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Knudsen, Jacob (from Marks, Colin).

2


Jessup

2




JU


2-3


[Henning, Owen] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).



2


UC San Diego

3

[Henning, Owen] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).




UCSD


3-3


[Wiemelt, Leo] Kill by Knudsen, Jacob (from Marks, Colin).



[Wiemelt, Leo] Kill by Knudsen, Jacob (from Marks, Colin).

3


Jessup

3




JU


3-4


[Depue, Carter] Service error.



3


UC San Diego

4

[Depue, Carter] Service error.




UCSD


4-4


[Luers, John] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).



[Luers, John] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).

4


Jessup

4




JU


4-5


[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).



4


UC San Diego

5

[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).




UCSD


5-5


[Ewert, Josh] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).



[Ewert, Josh] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).

5


Jessup

5




JU


6-5


[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Henning, Owen.



[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Henning, Owen.

6


Jessup

5




JU


6-6


[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).



6


UC San Diego

6

[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).




UCSD


7-6


[Selcho, Peter] Kill by Marks, Colin (from Lopuch, Jan).



[Selcho, Peter] Kill by Marks, Colin (from Lopuch, Jan).

7


Jessup

6




JU


7-7


[Marks, Colin] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).



7


UC San Diego

7

[Marks, Colin] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).




UCSD


7-8


[Pravednikov, Leo] Attack error by Depue, Carter (block by Wiemelt, Leo; Luers, John).



7


UC San Diego

8

[Pravednikov, Leo] Attack error by Depue, Carter (block by Wiemelt, Leo; Luers, John).




UCSD


7-9


[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wiemelt, Leo).



7


UC San Diego

9

[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wiemelt, Leo).




UCSD


8-9


[Pravednikov, Leo] Bad set by Luers, John.



[Pravednikov, Leo] Bad set by Luers, John.

8


Jessup

9




JU


8-10


[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).



8


UC San Diego

10

[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).




UCSD


8-11


[Sani, Sebastiano] Service ace (Marks, Logan).



8


UC San Diego

11

[Sani, Sebastiano] Service ace (Marks, Logan).




UCSD


9-11


[Sani, Sebastiano] Service error.



[Sani, Sebastiano] Service error.

9


Jessup

11




JU


9-12


[Henning, Owen] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).



9


UC San Diego

12

[Henning, Owen] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).




UCSD


9-13


[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Osahon Jr., Clement (from Marks, Colin).



9


UC San Diego

13

[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Osahon Jr., Clement (from Marks, Colin).




UCSD


10-13


[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).



[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).

10


Jessup

13




JU


10-14


[Depue, Carter] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).



10


UC San Diego

14

[Depue, Carter] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).




UCSD


11-14


[Luers, John] Service error.



[Luers, John] Service error.

11


Jessup

14




JU


12-14


[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Osahon Jr., Clement.



[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Osahon Jr., Clement.

12


Jessup

14




JU


12-15


[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).



12


UC San Diego

15

[Knudsen, Jacob] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).




UCSD


13-15


[Ewert, Josh] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).



[Ewert, Josh] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).

13


Jessup

15




JU


13-16


[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).



13


UC San Diego

16

[Osahon Jr., Clement] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).






UCSD subs: Hornyak, Ethan.



UCSD subs: Hornyak, Ethan.




UCSD


13-17


[Hornyak, Ethan] Kill by Wiemelt, Leo (from Luers, John).



13


UC San Diego

17

[Hornyak, Ethan] Kill by Wiemelt, Leo (from Luers, John).




UCSD


14-17


[Hornyak, Ethan] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).



[Hornyak, Ethan] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).

14


Jessup

17




JU


14-18


[Marks, Colin] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).



14


UC San Diego

18

[Marks, Colin] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Luers, John).




UCSD


15-18


[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Henning, Owen (from Marks, Colin).



[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Henning, Owen (from Marks, Colin).

15


Jessup

18






JU subs: Mueller, Jonas.



JU subs: Mueller, Jonas.




JU


16-18


[Lopuch, Jan] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Depue, Carter; Henning, Owen).



[Lopuch, Jan] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Depue, Carter; Henning, Owen).

16


Jessup

18




JU


17-18


[Lopuch, Jan] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Depue, Carter; Henning, Owen).



[Lopuch, Jan] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Depue, Carter; Henning, Owen).

17


Jessup

18




JU


18-18


[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Logan).



[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Logan).

18


Jessup

18




JU


18-19


[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).



18


UC San Diego

19

[Lopuch, Jan] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).




UCSD


19-19


[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Mueller, Jonas (from Marks, Colin).



[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Mueller, Jonas (from Marks, Colin).

19


Jessup

19




JU


20-19


[Henning, Owen] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).



[Henning, Owen] Kill by Depue, Carter (from Marks, Colin).

20


Jessup

19




JU


20-20


[Henning, Owen] Service error.



20


UC San Diego

20

[Henning, Owen] Service error.






UCSD subs: Stewart, Tyler; Chandler, Luke.



UCSD subs: Stewart, Tyler; Chandler, Luke.




UCSD


21-20


[Stewart, Tyler] Attack error by Chandler, Luke (block by Depue, Carter; Mueller, Jonas; Osahon Jr., Clement).



[Stewart, Tyler] Attack error by Chandler, Luke (block by Depue, Carter; Mueller, Jonas; Osahon Jr., Clement).

21


Jessup

20




JU


22-20


[Depue, Carter] Attack error by Selcho, Peter (block by Osahon Jr., Clement).



[Depue, Carter] Attack error by Selcho, Peter (block by Osahon Jr., Clement).

22


Jessup

20




JU


23-20


[Depue, Carter] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).



[Depue, Carter] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Luers, John).

23


Jessup

20




JU


23-21


[Depue, Carter] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).



23


UC San Diego

21

[Depue, Carter] Kill by Ewert, Josh (from Luers, John).




UCSD


23-22


[Luers, John] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Ewert, Josh).



23


UC San Diego

22

[Luers, John] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Ewert, Josh).




UCSD


24-22


[Luers, John] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).



[Luers, John] Kill by Lopuch, Jan (from Marks, Colin).

24


Jessup

22




JU


25-22


[Knudsen, Jacob] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (block by Marks, Colin).



[Knudsen, Jacob] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (block by Marks, Colin).

25


Jessup

22






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Former CU volleyball star Sis Tebrake glad to be back in Omaha

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OMAHA (KMTV) — She might have a new name, but Norah (Sis) Tebrake still brings the same infectious smile to the court.

The former CU volleyball star is now married to former Creighton baseball standout Dylan Tebrake.

“He’s always encouraging me and challenging me,” said Norah. “And I try to do the same for him. I think it’s such a cool dynamic.”

After spending her first pro season helping Orlando to a league title, Norah had now returned to Omaha to play for the Supernovas. But returning to her hometown actually did take some getting used to again.

“I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold,” Tebrake said. “But now coming back after spending just one winter away, I feel like I can’t handle the cold.”

Along with reuniting with some former Bluejays, Tebrake has also formed friendships with her former rivals and now current teammates, including ex-NU star Merritt Beason.

“She’s just so joyful and leads with so much grace and so much love,” said Beason. “You can see that in her play. She’s one of the best people that I’ve ever met and it’s been so fun getting to know her.”

“To have people that know just kind of what makes you tick and what you need on the court and off the court is super helpful,” Tebrake said. “Obviously we’re all learning that about each other but just to come in knowing that there’s people that already know that about me has been super comforting.”

The Novas host San Diego in the season opener on Thursday at 7 PM at CHI Health Center.





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South Shore High School Girls Volleyball All-Scholastics for 2025

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Jan. 7, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET

After a strong 2024 fall season, high school girls volleyball on the South Shore had an even better one in 2025.

There were two local state-championship-winning teams on the court this year. Oliver Ames finished off the best season in program history by winning it’s first-ever Division 2 state title in it’s second ever appearance (which came last season). On the same day, East Bridgewater followed that up with a program-first of their own, winning it’s first-ever Division 4 state championship in it’s first appearance.



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Who is the volleyball player of the year in the Montgomery area, vote

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Jan. 7, 2026, 4:05 a.m. CT



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Asya Akbulut Signs with Vikings Ahead of 2026 Season

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PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State volleyball program added an experienced setter to its 2026 roster in Asya Akbulut Tuesday.
 
Akbulut, a native of Ankara, Turkey, will be a senior for the Vikings this coming fall after spending her first three years at Southern Utah (one year) and Eastern Arizona (two years).

Akbulut led Southern Utah with 5.0 assists per set last season when she ranked seventh in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the category. As a sophomore at Eastern Arizona, Akbulut averaged 5.16 assists and 0.42 aces per set when she was named to the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference D1 All-Region First Team.

 

“Asya has the experience and skills to have an impact on our program immediately,” Portland State head volleyball coach Michael Seemann said. “She has reliable hands and location and understands how to put her hitters in good situations.”

 

Akbulut joins a setter group that includes returning starter Ava Blascziek and junior Elisabeth Levick.

 



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