Monday, Apr 13, 2026

Sports

Men’s tennis flames out against No. 60 Liberty

April 10, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor VCU men’s tennis failed to capitalize against nationally ranked No. 60 Liberty University on April 9, losing 6-1.  Liberty opened the day with a 6-2 win in the first doubles match over VCU first-year Patrik Petera and second-year Leon Zaorski. VCU brought it back even after second-years Erwann Bouchet and Gevorg Mnatsakanyan won their set 6-3. However, a 6-4 Liberty win on the second court secured the doubles point for the Flames.  The Rams brought the fight to the singles matches; however, the results stayed the same as they failed to capitalize.  VCU second-year Mats Bredschneijder lost in two sets after sending the first set to extras. A similar story followed fourth-year Alfred Almasi, who took the first set to extras before losing in the second, shooting Liberty out to an early 3-0 lead. Bouchet breathed some much-needed life back into a faltering VCU side after a hard-fought three set victory. Bouchet went down 4-6 in the first, before dominating the next two sets 6-2 and 6-1, giving VCU its first point.  The Rams attempted to carry that momentum into the closing matches but came up short each time. Zaorski lost in two sets on court

Martelli aims to retain core players prior to transfer portal

April 8, 2026

Jenny Allen, Staff Writer VCU men’s basketball’s standards have increased as they earned a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title and the conference tournament championship for its second straight season.  VCU secured its spot at the NCAA Tournament, where it faced off against No. 6 University of North Carolina.  The Rams won a thrilling 19-point comeback before eventually losing to No. 3 University of Illinois in the round of 32.  Despite the Rams’ loss in the second round, the astonishing upset against UNC left VCU ready to use the offseason to its advantage.  However, with the rise of the transfer portal, VCU’s team roster remains in question.  Head coach Phil Martelli Jr. believes that one of the most crucial aspects of college basketball is player consistency. Backing his belief, Martelli has agreed to a contract extension through the 2031-32 season, demonstrating his commitment and gratitude towards VCU.  “VCU is built to compete at the highest level and we have to continue to push that forward,” Martelli said in a post-game press conference. “I talk a lot about the people that came before us and what they’ve done to build this legacy, but it’s really now it’s the people

PRESS BOX: Is NIL ruining March Madness?

April 8, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer March Madness is supposed to be pure, unfiltered chaos where any school has a chance, no matter how big the opponent is.  The idea that a small program like Siena University can go toe-to-toe with a blue blood like Duke University is what makes the tournament so special. But with the turnout of last year’s and this year’s tournaments, that unpredictability feels like it’s fading.  Fans don’t want to see all top seeds battling it out in the Final Four like in recent tournaments. They want Cinderella stories, buzzer-beaters and the chaos that made March Madness what it is. Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) is the legal right of college athletes to profit off their fame. It was introduced in 2021 and since then college sports have changed as we know it — and so has March Madness.  One of the last true Cinderella runs came in 2022, when Saint Peter’s University shocked the country. Saint Peter’s became the first team in tournament history to reach the Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed, defeating powerhouse programs like the University of Kentucky and Purdue University along the way.  Runs like that are what make the NCAA

APRIL 8 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

April 8, 2026

Christa Anderson, Contributing Writer Lacrosse vs. Elon University  VCU women’s lacrosse lost to Elon 13-8. The Rams scored their first three points early in the game, but the Phoenixes made up the points quickly and pulled ahead. Third-year attacker Rachel Koeneke led the Rams with three goals scored and two assists. This home game matchup brought VCU’s record to 8-3.  Baseball vs. Longwood University VCU defeated Longwood 6-1 to take its fourth straight win. While the game started off close, the Rams forged ahead and second-year catcher Jacob Lee hit his sixth home run of the season. This brings VCU’s season record to 17-11 and 8-1 in Atlantic 10 conference games.  Women’s tennis at the University of Delaware  The Rams played the Blue Hens in doubles and singles matches, losing 2-4. Third-year Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando clinched points for the Rams in singles matchups following a straight-set win by VCU second-year Sofia Jane Thorne. This brings the Rams’ record to an even 9-9. Lacrosse vs. Duquesne University VCU hosted Duquesne in a home matchup, securing a major win. The Rams started off strong, racking up 15 points before the Dukes’ first goal. The game ended in a VCU victory, 19-6.

Lacrosse victory secures winningest season in program history

April 5, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer CORRECTION: The original version of this story made an error. It reported that the VCU lacrosse head coach’s name was Nina Flores, when in actuality it is Nicole Flores. This story has been updated with the correct information. The CT regrets the mistake. VCU won 19-6 against Duquesne University following the tough loss to Elon University earlier in the week. The Rams took control as soon as the game began, led by third-year attacker Sam Palmer who scored to get VCU on the board first less than one minute into the game. VCU graduate student attacker Molly O’Keefe was next to get in on the action, scoring just over a minute later to extend the VCU lead to two. The Rams used swarming defense to force Dukes mistakes and capitalized offensively, running up a 6-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. VCU’s O’Keefe was electric early, posting a hat trick in the first quarter alone. At the end of the quarter the Rams sat on the winning end of a lopsided 9-0 lead. VCU’s lead swelled to 11 to begin the second quarter thanks to goals from midfielders second-year Annika Bennett and first-year Maya Gipson.  The

Women’s basketball ushers in new era with Chelsea Banbury

April 3, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor VCU women’s basketball unveiled Chelsea Banbury as its 14th head coach on March 31.  Banbury coached at High Point University for the past seven seasons, winning four regular season conference championships, three conference tournaments and three NCAA Tournament appearances.  Three of those four regular season titles came in the last three years, as well as back-to-back conference tournament championships. Banbury finished last season at 27-6, her fourth 20-win season in seven years.  Banbury opened her introductory press conference by first thanking the community. “You guys have a great group of people that welcomed us with open arms,” Banbury said. “They’ve made it feel like home from the beginning. So I do appreciate that and I want to thank all of you.” Banbury then followed by promising to develop and challenge the current student athletes, asking that they “fall in love” with the process. Banbury detailed her game plan on both ends of the court for the upcoming season. Offensively, the plan is to push the pace and rely on spacing and efficiency while utilizing screens and motions to create advantages.  “We’re going to attack the basket and we are going to shoot a lot,” Banbury said.

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

Men’s tennis flames out against No. 60 Liberty

April 10, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor VCU men’s tennis failed to capitalize against nationally ranked No. 60 Liberty University on April 9, losing 6-1.  Liberty opened the day with a 6-2 win in the first doubles match over VCU first-year Patrik Petera and second-year Leon Zaorski. VCU brought it back even after second-years Erwann Bouchet and Gevorg Mnatsakanyan won their set 6-3. However, a 6-4 Liberty win on the second court secured the doubles point for the Flames.  The Rams brought the fight to the singles matches; however, the results stayed the same as they failed to capitalize.  VCU second-year Mats Bredschneijder lost in two sets after sending the first set to extras. A similar story followed fourth-year Alfred Almasi, who took the first set to extras before losing in the second, shooting Liberty out to an early 3-0 lead. Bouchet breathed some much-needed life back into a faltering VCU side after a hard-fought three set victory. Bouchet went down 4-6 in the first, before dominating the next two sets 6-2 and 6-1, giving VCU its first point.  The Rams attempted to carry that momentum into the closing matches but came up short each time. Zaorski lost in two sets on court six despite some competitive back-and-forth on the second set which guaranteed Liberty’s victory as the score sat at 4-1.  The final two matches both went three sets, with the Rams losing both. Mnatsakanyan won his first set 7-5 before losing the next two 1-6 and 4-6. Second-year Nicolo Consonni finished the Rams’ day with a similar effort, winning the first set 6-1 before losing 6(3)-7(7) and 5-7.  Despite the tough loss, head coach Dimi Kutrovsky focused on the positive takeaways from the matchup.  “We’re putting ourselves in good positions,” Kutrovsky said. “[We] just gotta sprint over the finish line and close those matches out and we will be in a different place.” Bouchet was the Rams’ difference maker in this game as he has been for much of the season. His singles win improved his win total to nine on the season, and he featured alongside Mnatsakanyan for VCU’s sole doubles win.  The loss takes VCU’s overall record to 6-12, although it still sits undefeated in the Atlantic 10 at 2-0.  VCU will play its next game at No. 56 Old Dominion University on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m.

Martelli aims to retain core players prior to transfer portal

April 8, 2026

Jenny Allen, Staff Writer VCU men’s basketball’s standards have increased as they earned a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title and the conference tournament championship for its second straight season.  VCU secured its spot at the NCAA Tournament, where it faced off against No. 6 University of North Carolina.  The Rams won a thrilling 19-point comeback before eventually losing to No. 3 University of Illinois in the round of 32.  Despite the Rams’ loss in the second round, the astonishing upset against UNC left VCU ready to use the offseason to its advantage.  However, with the rise of the transfer portal, VCU’s team roster remains in question.  Head coach Phil Martelli Jr. believes that one of the most crucial aspects of college basketball is player consistency. Backing his belief, Martelli has agreed to a contract extension through the 2031-32 season, demonstrating his commitment and gratitude towards VCU.  “VCU is built to compete at the highest level and we have to continue to push that forward,” Martelli said in a post-game press conference. “I talk a lot about the people that came before us and what they’ve done to build this legacy, but it’s really now it’s the people

PRESS BOX: Is NIL ruining March Madness?

April 8, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer March Madness is supposed to be pure, unfiltered chaos where any school has a chance, no matter how big the opponent is.  The idea that a small program like Siena University can go toe-to-toe with a blue blood like Duke University is what makes the tournament so special. But with the turnout of last year’s and this year’s tournaments, that unpredictability feels like it’s fading.  Fans don’t want to see all top seeds battling it out in the Final Four like in recent tournaments. They want Cinderella stories, buzzer-beaters and the chaos that made March Madness what it is. Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) is the legal right of college athletes to profit off their fame. It was introduced in 2021 and since then college sports have changed as we know it — and so has March Madness.  One of the last true Cinderella runs came in 2022, when Saint Peter’s University shocked the country. Saint Peter’s became the first team in tournament history to reach the Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed, defeating powerhouse programs like the University of Kentucky and Purdue University along the way.  Runs like that are what make the NCAA

APRIL 8 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

April 8, 2026

Christa Anderson, Contributing Writer Lacrosse vs. Elon University  VCU women’s lacrosse lost to Elon 13-8. The Rams scored their first three points early in the game, but the Phoenixes made up the points quickly and pulled ahead. Third-year attacker Rachel Koeneke led the Rams with three goals scored and two assists. This home game matchup brought VCU’s record to 8-3.  Baseball vs. Longwood University VCU defeated Longwood 6-1 to take its fourth straight win. While the game started off close, the Rams forged ahead and second-year catcher Jacob Lee hit his sixth home run of the season. This brings VCU’s season record to 17-11 and 8-1 in Atlantic 10 conference games.  Women’s tennis at the University of Delaware  The Rams played the Blue Hens in doubles and singles matches, losing 2-4. Third-year Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando clinched points for the Rams in singles matchups following a straight-set win by VCU second-year Sofia Jane Thorne. This brings the Rams’ record to an even 9-9. Lacrosse vs. Duquesne University VCU hosted Duquesne in a home matchup, securing a major win. The Rams started off strong, racking up 15 points before the Dukes’ first goal. The game ended in a VCU victory, 19-6.

Lacrosse victory secures winningest season in program history

Sports Editor April 5, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer CORRECTION: The original version of this story made an error. It reported that the VCU lacrosse head coach’s name was Nina Flores, when in actuality it is Nicole Flores. This story has been updated with the correct information. The CT regrets the mistake. VCU won 19-6 against Duquesne University following the tough loss to Elon University earlier in the week. The Rams took control as soon as the game began, led by third-year attacker Sam Palmer who scored to get VCU on the board first less than one minute into the game. VCU graduate student attacker Molly O’Keefe was next to get in on the action, scoring just over a minute later to extend the VCU lead to two. The Rams used swarming defense to force Dukes mistakes and capitalized offensively, running up a 6-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. VCU’s O’Keefe was electric early, posting a hat trick in the first quarter alone. At the end of the quarter the Rams sat on the winning end of a lopsided 9-0 lead. VCU’s lead swelled to 11 to begin the second quarter thanks to goals from midfielders second-year Annika Bennett and first-year Maya Gipson.  The

Women’s basketball ushers in new era with Chelsea Banbury

Executive Editor April 3, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor VCU women’s basketball unveiled Chelsea Banbury as its 14th head coach on March 31.  Banbury coached at High Point University for the past seven seasons, winning four regular season conference championships, three conference tournaments and three NCAA Tournament appearances.  Three of those four regular season titles came in the last three years, as well as back-to-back conference tournament championships. Banbury finished last season at 27-6, her fourth 20-win season in seven years.  Banbury opened her introductory press conference by first thanking the community. “You guys have a great group of people that welcomed us with open arms,” Banbury said. “They’ve made it feel like home from the beginning. So I do appreciate that and I want to thank all of you.” Banbury then followed by promising to develop and challenge the current student athletes, asking that they “fall in love” with the process. Banbury detailed her game plan on both ends of the court for the upcoming season. Offensively, the plan is to push the pace and rely on spacing and efficiency while utilizing screens and motions to create advantages.  “We’re going to attack the basket and we are going to shoot a lot,” Banbury said.

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

Sports Editor 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

Lacrosse victory secures winningest season in program history

April 5, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer CORRECTION: The original version of this story made an error. It reported that the VCU lacrosse head coach’s name was Nina Flores, when in actuality it is Nicole Flores. This story has been updated with the correct information. The CT regrets the mistake. VCU won 19-6 against Duquesne University following the tough loss to Elon University earlier in the week. The Rams took control as soon as the game began, led by third-year attacker Sam Palmer who scored to get VCU on the board first less than one minute into the game. VCU graduate student attacker Molly O’Keefe was next to get in on the action, scoring just over a minute later to extend the VCU lead to two. The Rams used swarming defense to force Dukes mistakes and capitalized offensively, running up a 6-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. VCU’s O’Keefe was electric early, posting a hat trick in the first quarter alone. At the end of the quarter the Rams sat on the winning end of a lopsided 9-0 lead. VCU’s lead swelled to 11 to begin the second quarter thanks to goals from midfielders second-year Annika Bennett and first-year Maya Gipson.  The

Women’s basketball ushers in new era with Chelsea Banbury

April 3, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor VCU women’s basketball unveiled Chelsea Banbury as its 14th head coach on March 31.  Banbury coached at High Point University for the past seven seasons, winning four regular season conference championships, three conference tournaments and three NCAA Tournament appearances.  Three of those four regular season titles came in the last three years, as well as back-to-back conference tournament championships. Banbury finished last season at 27-6, her fourth 20-win season in seven years.  Banbury opened her introductory press conference by first thanking the community. “You guys have a great group of people that welcomed us with open arms,” Banbury said. “They’ve made it feel like home from the beginning. So I do appreciate that and I want to thank all of you.” Banbury then followed by promising to develop and challenge the current student athletes, asking that they “fall in love” with the process. Banbury detailed her game plan on both ends of the court for the upcoming season. Offensively, the plan is to push the pace and rely on spacing and efficiency while utilizing screens and motions to create advantages.  “We’re going to attack the basket and we are going to shoot a lot,” Banbury said.

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