Sports
Shannon Sharpe Is Accused of Rape by Ex


A lawyer for Mr. Sharpe, who hosts the podcast “Club Shay Shay,” said the sexual encounters were consensual and called the lawsuit “a blatant and cynical attempt” at a shakedown.
Shannon Sharpe, the host of the popular sports and pop culture podcast “Club Shay Shay” and a former N.F.L. player, was sued by an ex-girlfriend who accused him of rape and sexual assault during a nearly two-year relationship.
The woman, who is described as being in her early 20s, submitted the complaint anonymously on Sunday in Clark County, Nev., and is seeking $50 million in damages. She says in the lawsuit that Mr. Sharpe, 56, raped her in her apartment in October and January.
The lawsuit says that, during the encounters, Mr. Sharpe forced himself upon the woman as she sobbed and begged for him to stop.
Lanny J. Davis, a lawyer representing Mr. Sharpe, denied all the accusations in a statement on social media, calling the lawsuit “a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars.” The lawyer also released graphic messages that he said were texts between Mr. Sharpe and the woman that showed a “consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy scenarios explicitly requested” by the woman, whom he named.
The lawsuit was filed by Tony Buzbee, a Texas lawyer who has drawn attention for filing more than three dozen lawsuits against Sean Combs that accuse the music mogul of sexual misconduct. One of the suits also accused the rapper Jay-Z of rape, but that case was withdrawn after some of the details in the accuser’s account unraveled, starting a contentious legal battle between Mr. Buzbee and Jay-Z.
In a video posted on social media on Tuesday, Mr. Sharpe said: “This is a shakedown. I’m going to be open, transparent and defend myself because this isn’t right. This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee.”
In recent months, Mr. Buzbee has also filed sexual assault lawsuits against the online influencer Andrew Tate and the Alexander brothers, two of whom were once top real estate brokers. In 2021, he was the lawyer for about two dozen women who accused the N.F.L. quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexually harassing or assaulting them during massage appointments. Most of the lawsuits against Mr. Watson were settled.
In a statement about the accusations against Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Buzbee said, “I look forward to presenting the evidence in this case through the judicial process, where the truth matters more than a sports icon’s desperate public spin.”
Mr. Sharpe is a three-time Super Bowl champion and a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end who has become a media personality since his retirement after the 2003 season. His interview-based podcast “Club Shay Shay” grew in popularity after a January 2024 episode with the comedian Katt Williams. Mr. Sharpe also appears on ESPN’s morning debate show “First Take.”
Julia Jacobs contributed reporting.
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Sports
Pitt women’s volleyball outlasts Purdue for 5th straight trip to Final Four
The Pitt women’s volleyball team (30-4, 18-2 ACC), behind Olivia Babcock’s 23 kills, defeated No. 3 Purdue, 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17), sending the Panthers to their fifth straight Final Four.
Up 23-17 in Set 4, Brooke Mosher buried two straight powerful service aces to send Pitt past Purdue. Mosher tallied three aces for the match.
“That was insane,” Mosher said. “I mean, ending on an ace is something I wouldn’t have expected, but being able to see that ball drop and go to the final four is just insane.”
The Panthers won their 52nd straight match at home and their 15th straight at Peterson Events Center.
Their victory over Purdue was full-circle as their first Final Four appearance in 2021 came after a win over Purdue.
Pitt is the fourth team in NCAA history to make it to the Final Four five straight seasons.
Babcock, the reigning ACC and AVCA East region player of the year, took home the regional MVP by racking up 79 kills in the tournament so far. Babcock posted a .375 hitting percentage in the deciding game.
“I just think the fact that we’re able to just keep doing this just shows how strong of a team we are consistently,” Babcock said. “I just feel like we put in so much work this season, so I feel like this season it means a lot more.”
Pitt’s Marina Pezelj tallied 14 kills and 12 digs to give the Panthers momentum in the second set.
“She was doing a lot well,” coach Dan Fisher said. “I think she came up with some big blocks. Her passing was stable. Offensively, she just she made really good choices. I think she had about five shove kills when she saw those openings, which is kind of Purdue’s game. I think she was really in the moment making good decisions.”
Mosher led the Panthers with four blocks,and Bre Kelley tallied three.
Pezelj and Mosher were nominated for the Pittsburgh All-Regional team along with Babcock.
“It’s just a testament to how much work we put in and how hard we fought these past two games,” Babcock said. “It’s hard to move on, let alone be in the group of people who get honored for this, because it’s so hard to get here. I feel like there’s just so many good players, and the fact that we had players on our team who were able to step up for this occasion and help our team get these two wins just means a lot.”
Purdue found itself down 2-0. The Boilermakers, in their 11th straight tournament, battled back. With a 25-22 win in Set 3, Purdue, which notched three reverse sweeps on the season, looked to do it again.
Purdue was led by Akasha Anderson, who delivered 20 kills, and Kenna Wollard, who tallied 15. Dior Charles delivered nine blocks, and Taylor Anderson notched 51 assists.
Despite Purdue having the personnel, the Panthers were too strong to allow a comeback.
“I’m very proud of this team,” Wollard said. “I think we played a pretty clean game. Olivia Babcock is just an amazing player, and we did everything we had to try and stop her. And then they have some players that help her out and can get kills themselves too. You have to be perfect stopping them and you just get to the point where you can’t get enough, but I’m really proud of this team.”
Purdue’s Wollard, Akasha Anderson and Ryan McAleer were nominated for the all-regional team. SMU’s Malaya Jones rounded out the squad.
Anderson kept pounding away at the Panthers down 12-10 in the final set. Three straight Panther blocks and a vicious Babcock spike put them up 13-10, which gave Pitt momentum.
The Boilermakers led the first set early with a kill from Wollard that had them up 10-8. Back-to-back kills from Blaire Bayless and Kelley tied it 10-10.
Babcock notched a kill that put the Panthers up 11-10. They led the rest of the first set.
A Babcock kill and a Mallorie Meyer ace extended Pitt’s lead to 22-19 as it pulled away with the first set. Babcock racked up nine kills, including the last one of the set.
The Panthers went up 12-8 in the second set. Purdue, however, went on a 6-1 run led by Anderson to take a 14-13 lead. Babcock continued to step up. A Babcock block and an error on Purdue gave Pitt a 16-15 lead.
The Panthers didn’t look back and at 24-21, Mosher and Kelley blocked Anderson to earn the set.
Babcock tallied five kills, and Marina Pezelj notched three kills in Set 2.
The Boilermakers came out firing in the third set and didn’t trail once.
Down 17-14, Pezelj notched a kill, and a Mosher block cut it to 17-16. The Panthers inched back and tied it 24-24, but the Boilermakers had momentum as they finished with the 25-22 set win.
This led to Pitt owning the final set.
Purdue coach Dave Shondell congratulated Pitt.
“Dan Fisher has just done one of the most amazing jobs of of coaching in the history of the sport, by taking a team at Pittsburgh, that for so many years was just good … they couldn’t get over the hump — the same hump that we haven’t been able to get over at Purdue — and now five years in a row is in the Final Four. That doesn’t happen without somebody in charge that really knows how to build a program.”
As for Pitt, it faces undefeated Nebraska in the Final Four.
“It’s just surreal,” Mosher said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was little, and to be able to do it with this team is just incredible.”
Sports
Pitt volleyball advances to fifth consecutive Final Four, beating Purdue
Sports
Pitt tops Purdue for fifth straight trip to NCAA volleyball Final Four
Updated Dec. 13, 2025, 10:16 p.m. ET
No. 1 seed Pitt defeated No. 3 seed Purdue in the NCAA volleyball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 13 to punch its ticket to the Final Four in Kansas City.
Pitt’s had sweeps against UMBC, Michigan and Minnesota to advance. Things were a little tighter against Purdue, which pushed the match to four sets before Pitt prevailed, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17.
Senior setter Brooke Mosher, who transferred from Illinois, has 47 assists, seven digs, four block assists and three service aces to lead Pitt. The Panthers advance to the Final Four for the fifth consecutive season. Pitt will be looking for its first national championship.
“This is incredible,” Mosher said on the court after the match. “I could not ask for a better last year. Making the Final Four, it’s been my dream since I was little.”
Olivia Babcock had 23 kills and a hitting percentage of .333. Teammate Marina Pezelj added 14 kills and 12 digs.
Pitt will face the winner of Nebraska-Texas A&M (3 p.m. ET, Sunday on ABC) in the national semifinals in Kansas City on Thursday, Dec. 18.
SCORE: Pitt 3, Purdue 1
Set 4 final: Pitt 25, Purdue 17
Pitt advances to the Final Four for the fifth consecutive season.
Set 4: Pitt first to 15
The Panthers are back on track, hitting .500 in the fourth set and 10 points away from the Final Four.
Set 3 final: Purdue 25, Pitt 22
The Boilermakers push Pitt to a fourth set. Pitt hit an abysmal .167 in the third set compared to .226 for Purdue. Akasha Anderson is up to 17 kills and Kenna Wollard has added 12 kills. Ryan McAleer has 13 digs.
Set 3: Purdue first to 15 as it fights back
Akasha Anderson is up to 14 kills and Kenna Wollard has added 10 kills as the Boilermakers are working to steal a set.
Set 2 final: Pitt 25, Purdue 21
Pitt setter Brooke Mosher has 26 assists leading to 29 kills.
“Brooke Mosher is setting one of the great matches of her career,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher said.
Set 2: Pitt first to 15, Purdue is keeping it interesting
Olivia Babcock is dominating with 13 kills on .462 hitting. Brooke Mosher is up to 23 assists and Marina Pezelj has eight digs.
Akasha Anderson is leading the Boilermakers with 10 kills and hitting .350.
Set 1 final: Pitt 25, Purdue 22
Reigning player of the year Olivia Babcock had nine kills on .563 hitting. Pitt hit .441 for the match and Purdue .390.
Set 1: Pitt is the first to 15
The Panthers are on a 9-3 run as Purdue is rolling up the errors.
We are underway in Pittsburgh
Purdue has an early lead, looking for its first trip to the Final Four.
Purdue starters
Pitt starters
Purdue arrives in the snow
What time is Purdue vs Pitt volleyball?
The Purdue Boilermakers play the Pitt Panthers in the Elite Eight of the NCAA volleyball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh.
Purdue vs Pitt volleyball TV channel, streaming
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Petersen Events Center (Pittsburgh)
- TV: ESPN2
- Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited
Purdue volleyball roster
| 1 | Rachel Williams | DS | Redshirt Sophomore | 5-7 | West Lafayette, Ind. | West Lafayette | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ryan McAleer | DS | Sophomore | 5-6 | Overland Park, Kan. | Blue Valley | |
| 4 | Kenna Wollard | OH | Junior | 6-1 | Dunlap, Ill. | Illinois Valley Central | |
| 5 | Taylor Anderson | S | Junior | 6-1 | San Antonio, Texas | Cornerstone Christian | |
| 6 | Sienna Foster | DS | Redshirt Freshman | 5-9 | Lafayette, Ind. | Benton Central | |
| 7 | Bianka Lulić | MB | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-5 | San Diego, Calif. | La Jolla Country Day | Miami |
| 8 | Isabelle Bardin | S | Freshman | 6-3 | Washington, D.C. | Flint Hill | |
| 9 | Dior Charles | MB | Junior | 6-1 | Los Angeles, Calif. | Marymount | Wake Forest |
| 10 | Nataly Moravec | OH | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-3 | Weston, Conn. | Hopkins | Iowa |
| 11 | Allie Shondell | S | Sophomore | 5-10 | Lafayette, Ind. | McCutcheon | |
| 12 | Lindsey Miller | MB | Graduate Student | 6-4 | San Diego, Calif. | Cathedral Catholic | USC |
| 13 | Akasha Anderson | OH | Senior | 6-3 | Reston, Va. | Herndon | Michigan State |
| 14 | Grace Heaney | OPP/RS | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-2 | Omaha, Neb. | Elkhorn North | |
| 15 | Rachel Raye Willliams | OPP/RS | Freshman | 6-3 | Bloomfield, N.J. | Union Catholic | |
| 16 | Morgan Williams | MB | Freshman | 6-3 | Enterprise, Ala. | Enterprise | |
| 18 | Addy Tindall | OH | Freshman | 6-3 | Roanoke, Ind. | Homestead | |
| 19 | Mattie Casale | DS | Freshman | 5-7 | Wesley Chapel, Fla. | Carrollwood Day | |
| 21 | Julia Kane | DS | Junior | 5-11 | Windermere, Fla. | Windermere Prep |
Pitt volleyball roster
| 3 | Emery Dupes | L/DS | R-Sr. | 5′ 6” | Marietta, Ga. / Walton HS | Florida State |
| 5 | Olivia Babcock | RS | Jr. | 6′ 4” | Los Angeles, Calif. / Sierra Canyon HS | |
| 6 | Sophia Gregoire | OH | R-So. | 6′ 1” | Dundee, Ore. / Newberg HS | Oregon |
| 7 | Izzy Masten | L/DS | Fr. | 5′ 8” | Brownsburg, Indiana / Tri-West High School | |
| 8 | Blaire Bayless | OH | Jr. | 6′ 2” | Plano, Texas / Plano West HS | |
| 9 | Ryla Jones | MB | So. | 6′ 2” | Oxon Hill, Md. / Flint Hill High School | |
| 10 | Marina Pezelj | OH | Fr. | 6′ 1” | Monaco / Lycée Polyvalent Bellevue Toulouse | |
| 11 | Dalia Vîrlan | MB | So. | 6′ 4” | Brasov, Romania / Colegiul Tehnic Feroviar | |
| 13 | Mallorie Meyer | L/DS | So. | 5′ 7” | Roca, Neb. / Lincoln East | |
| 14 | Kiana Dinn | RS/S | R-Fr. | 5′ 9” | Union, Ky. / Ryle High School | |
| 17 | Brooke Mosher | S | R-Sr. | 6′ 0” | Waterloo, Wisc. / Waterloo HS | Illinois |
| 19 | Dagmar Mourits | OH | Fr. | 6′ 2” | Rotterdam, Netherlands / Hoeksch Lyceum | |
| 20 | Abbey Emch | MB | Fr. | 6′ 4” | New Waterford, Ohio / Crestview HS | |
| 21 | Bre Kelley | MB | R-Sr. | 6′ 4” | Rockwall, Texas / Rockwall | Florida |
| 25 | Haiti Tautua’a | S | R-So. | 6′ 0” | Wai’anae, Hawai’i / Wai’anae HS |
Sports
Nebraska-Texas A&M Regional Final Will Be Pressure-Packed, Full of Fireworks
When Kansas coach Matt Ulmer was reviewing the film and preparing to play Nebraska, he struggled to find an area where the Jayhawks could make the top-seeded Huskers uncomfortable.
KU struggled to put much pressure on Nebraska, which was reflected on the scoreboard, as the Jayhawks managed just 35 points in a sweep.
Texas A&M, the Huskers’ opponent in the regional final, however, specializes in stressing other teams. The Aggies and Nebraska will meet Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Devaney Center with a berth in the national semifinal on the line.
A&M coach Jamie Morrison said he’s not scared of the talented Huskers.
“They’re a really good volleyball team, but we’ve talked the entire season and made it our identity of making people uncomfortable, of leaning in and imparting our will on the people that we’re playing,” he said. “It’s going to be the battle of wills in that match. It’s going to be ebbs and flows. It’s going to be back and forth. And again, we’re going to battle until one team wins, and hopefully that’ll be us.”
NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly knows what it’s like to be uncomfortable and deal with pressure in a regional final. Last year, Busboom Kelly was guiding Louisville and trying to make the Final Four in their home city. The Cardinals dropped the first set against Stanford, but then won the next three to play the national semifinals in front of their hometown crowd.
Being the No. 1 seed this year is a different kind of pressure, Busboom Kelly said. However, it’s also exciting because they’ve earned the honor.
“The fact of our book of work this season makes the pressure even more, but I do think this team has a lot of experience with it,” Busboom Kelly said. “The staff has had a lot of experience with it, so it’s nothing new, which helps to alleviate some of that. When we’re talking in our day-to-day and communicating on the court, it doesn’t feel like anything different or like there’s more pressure right now.”
The regional final will also be the final match of the year in the Devaney Center. Home has been kind to the Huskers. They have won their last 29 NCAA Tournament matches at the Devaney Center. NU is also on a 63-match winning streak since the last week of the regular season in 2022, the fifth-longest streak in NCAA Division I history.

Rebekah Allick is filled with gratitude for all the experiences she’s had during her career. While senior night was special, she’s looking forward to enjoying her final match at John Cook Arena and the journey she’s been on over the past four years.
However, Allick is not just treating the match like a celebration. There is still work to do.
“This isn’t a team that you can overlook. I believe 100% from the players to coaching staff, we’re all right where our feet are, and we’re just looking forward to crushing our scouting report today and then handling business on Sunday,” She said. “At no point are we going to overlook this team. I think that alone will alleviate a lot of pressure, just enjoying the game.”
Nebraska will have its hands full with all of Texas A&M’s weapons. The Aggies feature several high-profile attackers led by opposite Logan Lednicky and middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla. They were joined on the all-SEC first-team by outside hitter Kyndal Stowers and setter Maddie Waak.

While the A&M brings a lot of firepower, the Huskers are sticking with what got them to this point of the season. Allick said she’s looking forward to battling with Cos-Okpalla. She has a lot of respect for other elite middles and will rely on her training against the Aggies.
“We’re going middle versus middle at practice, and it’s like the gladiators going at it, because we are constantly pushing each other, especially offensively,” Allick said. “I’m excited to, you know, not go against my own teammates.”
Taylor Landfair will match up against Lednicky at one pin. She echoed Allick’s comments about showing respect, but enjoying the challenge. The Huskers have relied on Allie Sczech and Ryan Hunter to provide them with a good look of what Lenicky can do as a left-handed opposite.
Allick said she relishes the opportunity to go up against another elite team. She said she likes to compare the work ethic to the Marines and pushing each other every day.
“We’re going through fundamental drills, and we get pissed off when it’s not a perfect rep, and we want nothing more than to play someone who can punch us back,” she said. “Pressure-wise, it’s just going to come down to us letting go of perfection, playing free and just enjoying a really good team.”

Meanwhile, the Aggies are trying to reach their first national semifinal in program history. Texas A&M has twice reached the regional final in 1999 and 2001. On Saturday afternoon, Lednicky and Stowers were still basking in their five-set win over Louisville, but Morrison wasn’t satisfied with the achievement.
He told the team in the locker room on Friday night and again at practice on Saturday that their journey isn’t over yet and they have a chance to take the program further than it’s ever been. While it’s not the most important match in Texas A&M history, it will provide a great opportunity.
“It’s a match against a really good team. I think it’s the two most balanced teams in the country,” Morrison said. “I think you’re going to see some fireworks. You’re going to see some exciting volleyball.”
Busboom Kelly agreed with Morrison as she gave a blunt assessment of the match with the Aggies.
“I know we’re going to be ready, but this is a very, very tough match-up for us,” she said. “I think it will be a hell of a regional final match.”
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