Friday, Apr 3, 2026

Sports

PRESS BOX: Is it time for VCU to move on from the A-10?

April 1, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer For the first time in 10 years, the Rams won an NCAA Tournament game. While the run was short-lived, ending in a second-round loss to the University of Illinois, it was still a relatively successful excursion into March Madness and put VCU back in the national spotlight. However, that success brings back a familiar question surrounding the program: is VCU outgrowing the Atlantic 10 Conference? VCU is one of the most consistent teams in the A-10 over the past decade. The Rams have won the A-10 regular season title five times — three of those shared — and also won the conference tournament four times. The Rams are currently coming off back-to-back seasons winning both the regular season and tournament titles. Despite that sustained success across two different head coaches, postseason success has been limited. No A-10 team since the 2013–2014 Dayton Flyers have advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  VCU has been stuck in a cycle of good, and sometimes great, regular seasons followed by early tournament exits, often needing to win the conference tournament just to secure a bid. This reality the Rams are in has led to a rather interesting

VCU guard Nyk Lewis to return for another season

April 1, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Alexis Washington, Assistant Sports Editor  First-year guard Nyk Lewis announced his intention to return to VCU for his sophomore season after a monumental first season.  Joe Tipton of On3 reported that Lewis and his agency agreed to a deal with the Rams. Lewis is represented by Momentous Sports Partners, a full-service agency focused on contracts and NIL marketing for college athletes, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. Lewis’ early announcement signifies the culture head coach Phil Martelli Jr. has cultivated in his opening season.  “Very thankful for everything VCU has done to help develop me as a man on and off the court,” Lewis said in an Instagram post. “Thankful for the fans and the community for unforgettable memories and experiences, it’s time to build on last year, let’s run it back.” A large number of fans have expressed that the key points of a successful offseason would be retaining at least two of the three underclassmen guards — including second-years Brandon Jennings and Terrence Hill Jr.  Getting Lewis back so early into the offseason is a great step in the right direction for VCU as the transfer portal does not officially open until April 7. 

APRIL 1 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

April 1, 2026

Jenny Allen, Staff Writer Baseball vs. Norfolk State University VCU hosted Norfolk State for a midweek matchup but was unable to secure a win. VCU held on to a 2-0 lead through four innings but Norfolk State was able to record three runs in the fifth inning. Despite the Rams ability to carry on their double-digit hits streak to six games, the Spartans scored two late runs in the top of the eighth securing their 5-3 win.   Baseball vs. St. Bonaventure University — Weekend Series  VCU swept St. Bonaventure in its Atlantic 10 series to extend its record to 16-11 overall and 8-1 in the A-10.  The Rams won on Friday, 4-2. This game marked the Rams fourth-straight weekend with a victory and the fifth game allowing only one earned run in. The game remained at zero, until the fifth inning put the Rams up by three after a two-run home run. The Bonnies finally got on the board in the sixth, cutting VCU’s lead down to one. However, a late run gave VCU the two run win. VCU elevated its second win to 13-3, claiming its third consecutive A-10 weekend series win. The Rams scored first in the first

Women’s tennis outclasses University of Richmond

March 27, 2026

Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer  VCU defeated the University of Richmond Spiders 4-1, losing just one singles match to their cross-town rival. The win advances the Rams 9-8 overall and 3-0 in the Atlantic 10. VCU head coach Rifanty Kahfiani said she would be “lying” if this matchup did not mean anything, but it is also the same as every other game. “It’s right across the road and they’re a good team. It has a little bit more something to it,” Kahfiani said. “We just keep telling our players to focus on what we can control. Focusing on practice and fighting from beginning to end.” VCU second-year Sara Alba and first-year Viktoria Lackova finished their match first, dominating Richmond first-year Beatriz Guerra and fourth-year Elizabeth Novak 6-1. VCU second-years Andrea Magallanes and Sofia Jane Thorne beat Richmond third-years Lainey O’Neil and Lucy Webber 6-4. This win gave VCU the edge on doubles, earning the Rams their first point of the afternoon.  The Black and Gold extended their lead when third-year Isa Andrade beat Novak in two sets. Winning 6-1 in the first and 6-0 in the second.  While Andrade took care of business on court two, the Spiders did the same

PRESS BOX: Could Kyler Murray return to baseball?

March 25, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer Kyler Murray is no stranger to crossroads. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray chose a career in football over baseball.  After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — however, he again finds himself at a crossroad. If things don’t work out in the NFL, a return to baseball could still be on the table. During his time in Arizona, Murray showed flashes of elite production but struggled to sustain long-term success. He threw for over 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns while adding more than 3,000 rushing yards across seven seasons, according to ESPN.  Murray’s best season came in 2021, when the Cardinals opened the year 7–1 and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  However, the team collapsed down the stretch, losing five of its final seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams. Murray struggled in that loss, throwing for just 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34–11 defeat.  Murray’s time in Arizona never met expectations despite his talent, as injuries

PRESS BOX: Phil Martelli Jr. expanded VCU’s legacy

March 25, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Almost a year ago to the day, VCU announced Phil Martelli Jr. as the new men’s basketball head coach, replacing Ryan Odom.  Martelli came from a long coaching pedigree but had a relatively short career to this point, only having coached at Bryant University for two seasons before coming to VCU.  VCU is among other mid-major giants, and its expectations reflect that. Many fans — myself included — went into this season anticipating some growing pains.  Martelli inherited a squad that housed zero returning starters from the previous season. Not only that, but the non-conference schedule Martelli crafted featured more heavy hitters than Ram fans may have been accustomed to.  VCU was voted the top team in the 2025-2026 Atlantic 10 preseason despite all of this. Early non-conference losses to Utah State University, North Carolina State University and New Mexico University left people worried about the remainder of the season.  Those worries only grew when VCU started A-10 play with a 2-2 record, however from this point on a switch flipped with the team. After the conference loss to George Mason University on Jan. 10, VCU ended the season winning 17 of its last 19 games. 

MARCH 25 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

March 25, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Baseball at Virginia Tech University VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game.​​ The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory. Lacrosse at Davidson College VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game. Women’s tennis vs George Mason University VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the

PRESS BOX: Is it time for VCU to move on from the A-10?

April 1, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer For the first time in 10 years, the Rams won an NCAA Tournament game. While the run was short-lived, ending in a second-round loss to the University of Illinois, it was still a relatively successful excursion into March Madness and put VCU back in the national spotlight. However, that success brings back a familiar question surrounding the program: is VCU outgrowing the Atlantic 10 Conference? VCU is one of the most consistent teams in the A-10 over the past decade. The Rams have won the A-10 regular season title five times — three of those shared — and also won the conference tournament four times. The Rams are currently coming off back-to-back seasons winning both the regular season and tournament titles. Despite that sustained success across two different head coaches, postseason success has been limited. No A-10 team since the 2013–2014 Dayton Flyers have advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  VCU has been stuck in a cycle of good, and sometimes great, regular seasons followed by early tournament exits, often needing to win the conference tournament just to secure a bid. This reality the Rams are in has led to a rather interesting topic. Should VCU consider moving to a more prestigious conference, such as the Big East Conference?  The Big East presents a level of competition similar in structure to the A-10, but with more national exposure and historically successful programs like the University of Connecticut, Villanova University and St. John’s University. A move to a conference like the Big East could elevate VCU’s national profile, improve recruiting and provide more consistent opportunities to face top-tier competition.  In today’s college basketball landscape where the transfer portal plays a major role in roster building, that exposure can be the difference between retaining talent and losing players to bigger programs. The transfer portal combined with the rise of NIL money changed everything about the ways programs operate now. Mid-major programs like VCU are often tasked with developing players who eventually leave for bigger schools and bigger paydays.  But VCU could be the outlier in that trend. Head coach Phil Martelli Jr. has built a strong culture in just one season to pair alongside VCU’s history and recent success. This shift in the program could begin retaining key players while attracting new talent instead of serving as a stepping stone to bigger schools. VCU’s recent

VCU guard Nyk Lewis to return for another season

April 1, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Alexis Washington, Assistant Sports Editor  First-year guard Nyk Lewis announced his intention to return to VCU for his sophomore season after a monumental first season.  Joe Tipton of On3 reported that Lewis and his agency agreed to a deal with the Rams. Lewis is represented by Momentous Sports Partners, a full-service agency focused on contracts and NIL marketing for college athletes, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. Lewis’ early announcement signifies the culture head coach Phil Martelli Jr. has cultivated in his opening season.  “Very thankful for everything VCU has done to help develop me as a man on and off the court,” Lewis said in an Instagram post. “Thankful for the fans and the community for unforgettable memories and experiences, it’s time to build on last year, let’s run it back.” A large number of fans have expressed that the key points of a successful offseason would be retaining at least two of the three underclassmen guards — including second-years Brandon Jennings and Terrence Hill Jr.  Getting Lewis back so early into the offseason is a great step in the right direction for VCU as the transfer portal does not officially open until April 7. 

APRIL 1 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

April 1, 2026

Jenny Allen, Staff Writer Baseball vs. Norfolk State University VCU hosted Norfolk State for a midweek matchup but was unable to secure a win. VCU held on to a 2-0 lead through four innings but Norfolk State was able to record three runs in the fifth inning. Despite the Rams ability to carry on their double-digit hits streak to six games, the Spartans scored two late runs in the top of the eighth securing their 5-3 win.   Baseball vs. St. Bonaventure University — Weekend Series  VCU swept St. Bonaventure in its Atlantic 10 series to extend its record to 16-11 overall and 8-1 in the A-10.  The Rams won on Friday, 4-2. This game marked the Rams fourth-straight weekend with a victory and the fifth game allowing only one earned run in. The game remained at zero, until the fifth inning put the Rams up by three after a two-run home run. The Bonnies finally got on the board in the sixth, cutting VCU’s lead down to one. However, a late run gave VCU the two run win. VCU elevated its second win to 13-3, claiming its third consecutive A-10 weekend series win. The Rams scored first in the first

Women’s tennis outclasses University of Richmond

March 27, 2026

Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer  VCU defeated the University of Richmond Spiders 4-1, losing just one singles match to their cross-town rival. The win advances the Rams 9-8 overall and 3-0 in the Atlantic 10. VCU head coach Rifanty Kahfiani said she would be “lying” if this matchup did not mean anything, but it is also the same as every other game. “It’s right across the road and they’re a good team. It has a little bit more something to it,” Kahfiani said. “We just keep telling our players to focus on what we can control. Focusing on practice and fighting from beginning to end.” VCU second-year Sara Alba and first-year Viktoria Lackova finished their match first, dominating Richmond first-year Beatriz Guerra and fourth-year Elizabeth Novak 6-1. VCU second-years Andrea Magallanes and Sofia Jane Thorne beat Richmond third-years Lainey O’Neil and Lucy Webber 6-4. This win gave VCU the edge on doubles, earning the Rams their first point of the afternoon.  The Black and Gold extended their lead when third-year Isa Andrade beat Novak in two sets. Winning 6-1 in the first and 6-0 in the second.  While Andrade took care of business on court two, the Spiders did the same

PRESS BOX: Could Kyler Murray return to baseball?

Sports Editor March 25, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer Kyler Murray is no stranger to crossroads. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray chose a career in football over baseball.  After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — however, he again finds himself at a crossroad. If things don’t work out in the NFL, a return to baseball could still be on the table. During his time in Arizona, Murray showed flashes of elite production but struggled to sustain long-term success. He threw for over 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns while adding more than 3,000 rushing yards across seven seasons, according to ESPN.  Murray’s best season came in 2021, when the Cardinals opened the year 7–1 and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  However, the team collapsed down the stretch, losing five of its final seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams. Murray struggled in that loss, throwing for just 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34–11 defeat.  Murray’s time in Arizona never met expectations despite his talent, as injuries

PRESS BOX: Phil Martelli Jr. expanded VCU’s legacy

Sports Editor March 25, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Almost a year ago to the day, VCU announced Phil Martelli Jr. as the new men’s basketball head coach, replacing Ryan Odom.  Martelli came from a long coaching pedigree but had a relatively short career to this point, only having coached at Bryant University for two seasons before coming to VCU.  VCU is among other mid-major giants, and its expectations reflect that. Many fans — myself included — went into this season anticipating some growing pains.  Martelli inherited a squad that housed zero returning starters from the previous season. Not only that, but the non-conference schedule Martelli crafted featured more heavy hitters than Ram fans may have been accustomed to.  VCU was voted the top team in the 2025-2026 Atlantic 10 preseason despite all of this. Early non-conference losses to Utah State University, North Carolina State University and New Mexico University left people worried about the remainder of the season.  Those worries only grew when VCU started A-10 play with a 2-2 record, however from this point on a switch flipped with the team. After the conference loss to George Mason University on Jan. 10, VCU ended the season winning 17 of its last 19 games. 

MARCH 25 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

Sports Editor March 25, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Baseball at Virginia Tech University VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game.​​ The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory. Lacrosse at Davidson College VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game. Women’s tennis vs George Mason University VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the

PRESS BOX: Could Kyler Murray return to baseball?

March 25, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer Kyler Murray is no stranger to crossroads. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray chose a career in football over baseball.  After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — however, he again finds himself at a crossroad. If things don’t work out in the NFL, a return to baseball could still be on the table. During his time in Arizona, Murray showed flashes of elite production but struggled to sustain long-term success. He threw for over 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns while adding more than 3,000 rushing yards across seven seasons, according to ESPN.  Murray’s best season came in 2021, when the Cardinals opened the year 7–1 and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  However, the team collapsed down the stretch, losing five of its final seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams. Murray struggled in that loss, throwing for just 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34–11 defeat.  Murray’s time in Arizona never met expectations despite his talent, as injuries

PRESS BOX: Phil Martelli Jr. expanded VCU’s legacy

March 25, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Almost a year ago to the day, VCU announced Phil Martelli Jr. as the new men’s basketball head coach, replacing Ryan Odom.  Martelli came from a long coaching pedigree but had a relatively short career to this point, only having coached at Bryant University for two seasons before coming to VCU.  VCU is among other mid-major giants, and its expectations reflect that. Many fans — myself included — went into this season anticipating some growing pains.  Martelli inherited a squad that housed zero returning starters from the previous season. Not only that, but the non-conference schedule Martelli crafted featured more heavy hitters than Ram fans may have been accustomed to.  VCU was voted the top team in the 2025-2026 Atlantic 10 preseason despite all of this. Early non-conference losses to Utah State University, North Carolina State University and New Mexico University left people worried about the remainder of the season.  Those worries only grew when VCU started A-10 play with a 2-2 record, however from this point on a switch flipped with the team. After the conference loss to George Mason University on Jan. 10, VCU ended the season winning 17 of its last 19 games. 

MARCH 25 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

March 25, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Baseball at Virginia Tech University VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game.​​ The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory. Lacrosse at Davidson College VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game. Women’s tennis vs George Mason University VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the

Martelli signs contract extension through 2031-32 season

March 23, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer VCU men’s basketball head coach Phil Martelli Jr. signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Rams through the 2031–32 season, according to VCU Athletics. The extension comes after a standout first season in which Martelli led VCU to a 28–8 record, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and the A-10 tournament championship.  The Rams also earned an 82–78 overtime victory over No. 6 University of North Carolina in the first round of March Madness, marking the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2016. VCU’s 28 wins are tied for the second-most in program history and the most by a first-year head coach ever, according to VCU Athletics. Before Martelli’s time at VCU, he built a strong resume at Bryant University, where he posted a 43–25 record over two seasons as head coach and led the Bulldogs to an America East championship as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance. Martelli acknowledged the support behind the VCU program in a statement. “I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success,” Martelli stated. “We are very fortunate to be at such

VCU’s season ends at hands of Illinois in round of 32

March 21, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor After a historic first round, No. 11 VCU fell to No. 3 University of Illinois 76-55 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.  VCU won the tip before Illinois opened the scoring on a second-chance layup. The Rams found themselves at a disadvantage early, as first-year guard Nyk Lewis went down with an injury in the opening minute that took him out for the rest of the game.  Fourth-year forward Barry Evans started VCU’s tab with a transition layup to tie. Illinois responded with a 9-0 run while VCU struggled through a three-minute scoring drought.  VCU second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. provided the spark once again, hitting a step-back corner three to bring the early deficit to 11-5.  The Rams still lagged behind while the Fighting Illini stayed hot. VCU started the game with two makes in 13 attempts while Illinois was six for 10 seven minutes in.  Illinois continued a 14-3 run, but Evans brought VCU some life with a corner three.  Second-year guard Brandon Jennings scored his first points with a three, before third-year forward Michael Belle and third-year guard Tyrell Ward combined for a transition lob, bringing the deficit to 20-13 halfway

After making NCAA history, VCU looks to Illinois matchup

March 20, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  VCU men’s basketball completed the largest first round comeback in NCAA Tournament history, upsetting No. 6 University of North Carolina 82-78 after being down 19 in the second half.  Second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. was the key to the Rams success. Hill scored a career-high 34 points off the bench, shooting 70% from three with a career-high seven makes. He also set the record for most points scored by any VCU player in NCAA Tournament history.  First-year guard Nyk Lewis continued his strong contributions with 16 points and seven rebounds, and third-year forward Lazar Djokovic added 15 points and five rebounds.  No. 11 VCU advanced to the second round of the tournament for the first time in a decade, and now matches up with No. 3 University of Illinois — an interesting stylistic matchup that should lead to a high-powered offensive display.  Illinois is ranked 17 in offense, and is led primarily by first-year guard Keaton Wagler. Wagler averages 17.9 points and 4.5 assists per game. The Illini also have a very good rebounding team, with multiple players that average four or more rebounds a game.  The keys to success for VCU will be playing to

VCU comes back down 19 to advance past UNC

March 19, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  No. 11 VCU is advancing to the second round of the NCAA men’s tournament for the first time in a decade after a stunning 82-78 comeback against the No. 6 University of North Carolina. “It doesn’t matter who we play,” second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. said. “UNC? It doesn’t matter. Blue bloods? It doesn’t matter. We’ve got the same mindset every game.” UNC won the tip and scored the first points from the charity stripe from third-year center Henri Veesaar. The Tar Heels quickly took a five-point lead off a follow up and-one.  VCU third-year forward Lazar Djokovic scored the Rams first points from the free-throw line after a slow two-minute start. Djokovic then scored again inside on two straight possessions to give VCU the early lead, 6-5.  The Rams stayed hot while the Tar Heels lagged behind to open the game. VCU rattled off an 8-0 run while UNC had a three-minute scoring drought.  UNC broke its cold streak and took the lead back while VCU slowed down on a three-minute drought. VCU’s Hill broke the dry spell with a corner three to tie it back up at 13.  Both teams traded the lead back

Go-Getter: men’s basketball schedule-making maestro

September 19, 2010 No Comments

When Director of Men’s Basketball Operations Kyle Getter sits down to begin the lengthy process of creating the team’s season schedule every year, there are many different components that play in to the project.