Emily Malburg

Set, Spike, Dig!

Cincinnati, OH – The Xavier University Musketeers Women’s Volleyball team is off to a hot start this season! The team is currently 7-1, playing at a very competitive level and dominating their opponents at home and away.

The games can almost take your breath away as these teams are so competitive. The ball seems to never touch the floor once it is in play. The teams can play off some pretty insane and impressive volleys back and forth.

Most recently, the Muskies played Eastern Michigan in the Oakland Tournament winning 3-1. The Muskies won the first set 25-12, lost the second set 25-22, won the third set 25-18, and won the fourth set 25-15! The game leaders from Xavier were Charlotte Moriarty with 13 kills, Kelsey Niesen – Macy Hatkevich – Charlotte Moriarty with 1 ace each. Macy Hatkevich with 31 assists. Kelsey Niesen with 11 digs.

Last season, the Muskies finished their season with a record of 10-18. They had lost their first 4 games, and have turned that around this season winning the first 6 games already. Last season, the Muskies were 6-5 at home, and 4-8 away. They were also 8-10 in conference games. So far this season, the Muskies are 3-0 at home and 1-1 away. So far, they have not played any conference games.

As the season goes on, hopefully the Muskies are able to keep up their winning streak and go further to the playoffs.

The header picture is accredited to Daniel Betz, a sports photographer at Xavier University.

Will Xavier Make it to the NCAA Tournament Under New Coaching Staff and with a New Team?

Cincinnati, OH – What does this NCAA basketball season have in store for Xavier University? Last season and the post-season were quite a roller coaster for the Muskies.

Last year they went 22-12, which was a significant difference from the 2023-24 season where they went 16-18. Since last season however, the Musketeers have changed in multiple ways. For one, the coaching staff.

Sean Miller was the coach from the beginning of the 2022 season from the end of the 2025 season. He was a good coach, but after 3 years of not making it to the Sweet 16, he decided to depart from Xavier University. He is now the head coach of the University of Texas’ men’s basketball team. Now, Richard Pitino will be in the position of the head coach of the men’s basketball team. Pitino recently was the head coach of the men’s team at the University of New Mexico. Pitino has 13 seasons under his belt, winning an NIT Championship and has made 4 NCAA Tournament appearances. Xavier is very excited to have Richard Pitino as their head coach and hope he and the players can work as a cohesive unit and bring the team to a championship.

Other changes to the team were the loss of many, game changing players. Most were due to being graduate students, or seniors and having to leave the team due to graduation. Those players were Marcus Foster, Jerome Hunter, Ryan Conwell, Cam Fletcher, Dayvion McKnight, Dante Maddox, Zach Freemantle, Bob Nunge, and Brad Colbert. Each of these players gave a big part of themselves to the basketball team for years.

In the upcoming weeks the 2025-26 season will begin and this new team’s story will unfold.

Halfway Point in the MLB Season – What is in the Guardians Future?

The halfway mark of a season is detrimental to what will happen to the team in the playoffs. If you are in a slump and aren’t winning, you will most likely not have a shot at playoffs, especially this season as it is another tight race with a lot of divisions having very similar records to each other.

What we do know is that before the All-Star break our Guardians were on a losing streak of 10 games, and a losing streak that big can hurt the team because you get into a mentality that you’re just gonna lose and that’s how it is.

Thankfully, they have won some games since then and are now about to be playing five consecutive series against teams with losing records. So, if they can win this stretch, they could be right back in the wild card race for the last half of the season.

We also know the biggest hurdle keeping the Guardians from playoff contention is, of course, our offense. This is some bad hitting we are producing compared to last season when we were seeing lots of clutch hitting and getting runners on the bases.

And of course, with the trade deadline just around the corner it is pivotal for players to be strong if they want to keep their spot on the team. But, the team is going to have to do what’s best for them at the end of the day and if that means giving up one or two of our relievers, then they may have to do that.

Super Bowl Champions Deserve a Ring Fit for Their Wild Personalities

Winning the Super Bowl is a great feat that many teams have accomplished over the years. It comes with many praises, a trophy, a celebration parade, and a cool ring to show off.

Over the years, many teams have customized their own rings, and I want to share with you my personal favorites that have been given to the teams, including this year’s Super Bowl Champs the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles — Some of the highlights of this ring are the 40 diamonds featured in the words “World Champions” for the points that the team scored. There are 5 diamonds on a secret button for each of the players who scored (Cooper DeJean, Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jake Elliot). The ring also features a quote from head coach Nick Sirianni saying, “Tough. Detailed. Together.” And finally the most special feature of all, the secret button I mentioned. When the button is pressed, it extends wings on the sides of the ring and reveals another quote from Sirianni saying, “You can’t be great without the greatness of others.”

The New England Patriots — While they have earned many rings, their 6th would have to be my favorite. The ring is not as flashy or showy as the Eagles’, but the ring still has a couple cool features. The inside of the ring says, “we are all Patriots” and on the side of the ring it says, “still here”. But the star of the ring is the six Lombardi trophies that are featured on it, which no other ring has.

The Kansas City Chiefs — While they also have a few rings to choose from, I personally like their most recent one the best. The ring features 3 Lombardi trophies. It has the phrases “back-to-back” and “overtime” on it. It even opens up and reveals the game winning play written in head coach Andy Reid’s handwriting. And finally it is personalized for each player with their signatures on the inside of the ring.

Officials Facing Backlash Due to Money Sent to Cleveland Browns for New Stadium

Cleveland, OH – As we know, there has been an ongoing battle of whether the Cleveland Browns would be staying at their lakefront stadium, or moving, as their contract was coming to an end.

This talk of the move was extremely controversial to the city and the fans. Some fans were really upset over the idea of the team moving to a different suburb of Cleveland and leaving the lakefront stadium. While others were excited to hear the move and hear the plans of the new stadium being built. The new stadium includes lots more parking, a dome so that more events can be held there, and so many other cool things.

While the fans were split, it is going to be a good economic boost to the city of Brookpark, as they will get a huge income boost from this project once it is all finished. As mentioned, with a dome you can have many more options for events, and they can be held year round without having to consider the weather. Of course this means less snow game opportunities, but the new opportunities more than make up for that.

Now as for the backlash this is receiving, the Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine, recently passed a budget that is going to allocate $600 million to the Browns for their first grant towards the build of the stadium. The issue is that using the residents’ unclaimed funds violates multiple provisions in the state and federal constitutions. So now they will be bringing this to court and there may or may not be updates soon, but I will make sure to keep you informed.

There Trouble in Atlanta During the 2024 NFL Draft and We are Just Finding Out Why

Atlanta, GA – With contracts and signings, comes trouble sometimes. Players are upset to have not been reached out to, they are upset to not get enough money, and they are upset if they believe they might be replaced. And over in Atlanta with the Atlanta Falcons, they have some unspoken issues between their new quarterbacks resurfacing.

During the last off season, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a 4 year- $180,000,000 contract with the Falcons. Cousins was previously with the Minnesota Vikings for 5 seasons as a starting quarterback, for most of that time.

A new episode from a documentary on Netflix called “Quarterback” was premiered and Cousins shared his thoughts on the 8th overall pick in the 2024 draft from the Falcons. They selected Michael Penix Jr. who is of course a quarterback who had played for the team in the 2024-25 season after being drafted.

Cousins shared that he was not informed that the Falcons would select a quarterback so high in the draft, but he did know that they ultimately would. Consequently, he most likely felt blindsided and upset that he signed with a team who is building up their quarterback roster. And the feeling is understandable as he probably thought he would be playing, but that is up for debate still as Penix Jr. has already begun building a relationship with the team as their quarterback. Cousins also shared that prior to the draft, if he had known their plans that he most likely would have just resigned with the Vikings.

As the 2025 season rolls around we will see how this plays out for more than just the Atlanta Falcons, as there will be many teams who still need to decide who will become their QB1 to hopefully lead them to successful seasons.

Were Future Stars Being Drafted in Los Angeles in the 2025 NHL Draft? Key Points from this year’s NHL Draft

Los Angeles – This past week was the anticipated 2025 NHL Draft. Sports fans, of all different sports, are nothing short of excited when draft season rolls around. The murmurs and rumblings of who will be picked first is a huge topic.

If you follow along with the NHL, you know that the New York Islanders had the first pick in this year’s draft. The last time the Islanders had the first pick of the draft was in 2009, and they selected John Tavares who went on to become a huge franchise player for 9 years. It was no shock when the Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer to be their first pick this year. Schaefer is a phenomenal player, and at such a young age of 17, shows that skills do not need to come with age. A heart warming moment during this selection was when Schaefer put on the jersey to his new team, revealing he already had a ribbon embroidered onto the jersey for his late mother who pasted due to her battle with cancer.

Speaking of heart warming moments, there were no dry eyes in the audience when the Columbus Blue Jackets first round picks were selected. The team had Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of one of the late Gaudreau brothers Johnny, announce the picks. 10 months ago, the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were ripped away from them, leaving holes in the teams they played for and their families’ lives. The brothers were murdered by a drunk driver while out for a bike ride the morning of their sister’s wedding. Meredith was overwhelmed by the love and support shown to her, not only by the Blue Jackets organization, but from the audience who chanted “Johnny” when she stepped onto the stage.

It was a big night for goaltenders as 2 were picked in the first round of this year’s draft. One being the 20th pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets with Pyotr Andreyanov. The other was the 30th pick from the San Jose Sharks with Joshua Ravensbergen. Goalies being chosen within the first round has been a little controversial for whatever reason, but it was the first time in 4 years that a goaltender was selected in the first round, let alone two of them.

The rest of the draft went well with each team adding new assets to their teams to hopefully make them Stanley Cup contenders for this year’s upcoming 2025-26 season. Fans are excited to see what the offseason brings in contracts and free agencies being prominent and right around the corner. As always though, the big thought after the 2025 draft that is on each fans mind currently is if their team will be in the Stanley Cup Finals next year or not.

Issac Okoro Gone, but Lonzo Ball Gained in Cleveland Cavaliers-Chicago Bulls Trade

Cleveland – With the NBA offseason in full swing, we will begin seeing fan favorites come and go. While there have been many rumors of who we will see return to our beloved Cavaliers in this upcoming 2025-26 season, one of these rumors of Issac Okoro being traded has come true. The five year veteran with the Cavs was a forward guard who has been a big part of the team, when he was not dealing with unfortunate injuries. Okoro played 55 games this past 2024-25 regular season, with an average of 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. While his offense may not be impressive to some, he certainly shined in his defense.

Fans were shocked by the news as Issac Okoro is a familiar face who had been with the team for years, so it is never fun news to hear someone who has been loyal to you leave. But, with that being said, it is intriguing to see what Lonzo Ball may bring to the table, as well as the big personalities his brother, father, and himself have. The public, who knows the Ball family, knows they are a wild bunch.

As mentioned, in the trade, Cleveland gained a familiar name of Lonzo Ball. Ball has 6 NBA seasons under his belt, playing for a few different teams. He has spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Chicago Bulls. He did unfortunately miss the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons due to injuries. In his 2024-25 season, Lonzo played 35 games and averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.

All in all, once the 2025-26 season starts, all fans truly want is a healthy and winning team. After this past run for the NBA Championship was cut short in the Eastern Conference round to the Indiana Pacers, Cavs fans were yearning for more and are optimistic to have another great season.

Will NIL Deals Be the Reason Student Athletes Can’t Transfer Anymore?

Wisconsin – When thinking of controversial topics in sports, transfers and the transfer portal is becoming a big one. So to add even more controversy such as tampering, things can get tricky fast.

Xavier Lucas, college football player, has seemingly broken his contract with Wisconsin to go to Miami, so Wisconsin has taken legal actions against the university. Lucas just signed a contract with Wisconsin in December, and school officials claim that representatives from Miami visited Lucas’ home and offered him money to switch schools before the 2 year contract came to an end, when Wisconsin refused to put his name into the portal.

Now the question is if the NIL, name-image-likeness, deals can be the reason a student athlete gets held back at their schools and it does not have to be a deal where the university pays them.

One of Wisconsin’s big reasons for filing the suit is that they believe that the one of the only ways to keep making sure the NCAA sport scene can stay a level playing, is if all of the universities can respect and uphold each other’s contracts that they have. Without schools respecting each other, things could turn into chaos quickly with money being thrown at student athletes all around NCAA.

Of course there are a lot of opinions, and personally being a sport management major and business minor, we have researched the effects of the transfer portal. To me, it is something I think needs some regulation. You see athletes go to 2, 3, 4, and even larger numbers of different schools during their time at college. This not only affects their education, but it can affect their mental health. While your mental health can be a reason for wanting to switch schools, I think it is clear that these young adults just rush into making college decisions based solely on money and not thinking about what they truly want.

I am sure this will not be the last time we see more headlines such as this one in the near future.

Contracts, Contracts, and Even More Contracts!

Cleveland, OH – We know that the offseason is the prime time where teams make deals, trades, and sign new and returning players. This is no different for the Cleveland Browns who are always making roster moves and trying to develop and change their game plan. This month, the team has made a number of signings, in hopes to build that perfect, winning, team.

First up was former Fresno State wide receiver, Jaelen Gill. Gill was originally signed by the Los Angeles Chargers and then became a free agent. Last season, he spent about five weeks on the Browns’ practice squad.

Next was quarterback Dillon Gabrie who was one of the Browns’ picks in this year’s draft. Gabrie played for Central Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon. In 2024, he was named a Heisman Trophy Finalist after a career record of 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns.

The next player signed was offensive tackle, Jackson Barton. He was originally a 7th round pick from the Indianapolis Colts in the 2019 draft. He also played 13 games with the Las Vegas Raiders, and 4 with the Arizona Cardinals.

Finally, the most recent sign from the Cleveland Browns was tight end, Sal Cannella. He was signed as a free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 2021. He has also played with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cannella most recently played in the UFL, United Football League, with the Arlington Renegades and he led the league in receiving touchdowns.