Valparaiso (0-24, 0-13 MVC)
Game #25 - February 13, 2026 - 6 p.m.
at Murray State (20-3, 11-1 MVC)
CFSB Center (8,600) - Murray, Ky.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women's basketball team starts its final road stretch of the regular season Friday evening as the Beacons play their first of four consecutive games away from home at MVC-leading Murray State.

Previously: Fiona Connolly and Allia von Schlegell both finished with career highs in the scoring column on Saturday, the latter leading a furious fourth-quarter rally that came up just short as the Valpo women's basketball team dropped an 82-73 decision to Southern Illinois.

Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com

Head Coach Courtney Boyd (0-24 at Valpo, 1st season; 180-92 [.662] overall, 9th season): Courtney Boyd was named the ninth head coach of the Valparaiso University women's basketball program on April 4, 2025. A national championship-winning head coach and player, an NAIA National Coach of the Year, and a two-time conference Coach of the Year, Boyd has won 20 or more games in seven of her first eight seasons as a head coach. She spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Quincy University program after six seasons as head coach at Clarke University, leading the latter program to the NAIA national title in 2022-23.

Series Notes: It's a brief series between the Beacons and the Racers, as the two programs did not meet on the hardwood prior to Murray State joining the MVC. The Racers have earned wins in all five meetings, including in both last season - an 82-45 win in Murray and a 77-57 win at the ARC.

@ValpoWBB...
...versus Southern Illinois
- After SIU scored the game's first four points, Valpo reeled off 10 in a row — four of which came from Fiona Connolly, with Allia von Schlegell and Milana Nenadic hitting a 3-point apiece as well — to take an early 10-4 lead.
- Valpo extended its edge to 15-6 on a Connolly 3-pointer with 4:03 to play in the opening period and held a 17-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
- The Salukis scored the first 11 points of the second period over a span of 3:43 to take a 22-17 lead. The Beacons battled back to tie the game at 26-26 with 3:58 to play in the half before SIU scored 10 of the final 14 points of the half to lead 36-30 at intermission.
- Valpo had its highest-scoring quarter of the season as it dropped 24 points in the third quarter, but the Salukis scored 33 in the same 10-minute span.
- The Beacons fought back to tie the game at 39-39 on a pair of Connolly free throws with 7:46 to play in the period, but SIU went on a 15-2 run over the next four-plus minutes. The Salukis eventually led 69-54 with 10 minutes to play.
- SIU pushed its lead to its apex at 73-55 with 8:59 remaining before a 9-2 run from Valpo — featuring seven points from von Schlegell — forced a Saluki timeout with 7:25 to play and their lead down to 75-64.
- The deficit stayed at 11 as a singular free throw each way accounted for the only scoring over the next three-plus minutes until a driving layup from von Schlegell with 4:15 to play made it a single-digit game.
- The freshman converted a 3-point play with 2:58 to play and then sunk a 3-pointer with 2:28 remaining to make it a one-possession game, 76-73 — completing an 18-3 run over a span of 6:31.
- SIU made a pair of free throws on its next trip down the court to push its lead back to five points, and Valpo was unable to convert on any of its last five offensive possessions.
- von Schlegell and Connolly both established career highs in the scoring column with 29 and 22 points, respectively.
- von Schlegell's 29 points, which bested her previous best by 10 points, came on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and 6-of-7 from the foul line. The freshman established a career high for field goals made and matched her career best for 3-pointers made.
- Connolly edged past her previous career high of 21 points, accomplished twice this season, with her 22-point effort. The senior also handed out five assists to match her best effort in the Valpo uniform.
- Nenadic added 11 points and tied her career high with 12 rebounds to finish with the second double-double of her career — both of which have come within the last four games.
- Valpo shot 41.4% from the floor and was 7-of-24 from 3-point range, while SIU hit at a 42.9% clip from the field and was 5-of-12 from deep.
- The Beacons also hit 18-for-25 from the foul line — the 18 free throws made their second-highest total in MVC play.
- Valpo committed just 12 turnovers against the Salukis, tying their second-fewest in that department this season. Going along with 13 assists, it is the third time in the last seven games the Beacons have had a positive assist/turnover ratio.

...versus Evansville
- After Evansville scored mere seconds into the game right off the opening tip, Valpo held the Purple Aces scoreless for a stretch of over four minutes, going on an 8-0 run to take an 8-2 lead.
- Evansville came back to even the score at 12-12 with 2:27 to play in the quarter before Allia von Schlegell scored five in a row to restore the lead. Valpo's edge was 17-14 at the end of the first period.
- Back-to-back triples by von Schlegell and Milana Nenadic had the Beacons ahead 23-18 with 8:53 to play in the opening half.
- The Purple Aces went on a 16-3 run over the next four-plus minutes to pull in front, 34-26.
- Mikayla Huffine and Kayla Sullivan had back-to-back baskets to make it a four-point game, but Evansville scored the final five points of the half to lead 39-30 at intermission.
- The Purple Aces scored on each of their first five possessions of the third quarter to double their lead within the opening 2:29, extending to a 50-32 lead.
- Evansville led 69-40 at the end of the third quarter and Valpo got no closer than the final margin in the fourth period.
- von Schlegell finished with a team-best 16 points, including three 3-pointers — her 10th game with at least three triples this season.
The freshman has now tallied 15 or more points 10 times this year.
- Nenadic scored in double figures for the seventh time this year with 11 points, including three 3-pointers to tie a career best.
- Huffine came up just short of making it three Beacons in double figures, scoring a season-best nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. The senior also paced Valpo with five assists while committing just two turnovers.
- Autumn Dibb had a season-best eight rebounds to lead Valpo on the glass, while Kennedy Sproule tallied a season-high three steals to tie for game-high honors.
- Led by Sproule's three steals, the Beacons racked up a season-best 10 steals as a team.
- Valpo hit at a 36.7% clip from the field and was 8-of-29 from 3-point range, while Evansville was 14-of-29 from deep as part of a night when it shot 47.6% overall.
- The Beacons held a 26-24 advantage in points in the paint, their first time having the edge in that department this season.

...looking ahead
- This road weekend concludes for the Beacons Sunday afternoon at Belmont.
- Drake and UNI are the next two road games on tap, but they will be played as part of two separate trips a week apart.

...on the road
- Friday's game is the seventh of 10 road games in MVC play for the Beacons, who played six true road games as well in the nonconference slate.
- Valpo is currently 0-12 in true road games.
- Last season's squad posted a 3-11 mark in true road games.

....and @ValleyHoops
- Valpo is in its ninth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Valpo was picked outside the top-four of the MVC preseason poll, as the Valley released only the top four selections.
- The Valley finished last season ranked seventh in the NET, matching the conference's highest NET/RPI ranking in Valpo's time as an MVC member (2020-21).

...looking back at last year
- Valpo finished last season with a 13-19 overall record and went 9-11 in MVC play to finish in eighth place.
- Among the Beacons' 13 victories were a thrilling rally from a 20-point deficit for a home win over Drake which entered the game ranked 69th in NET, the program's highest-ranked win since a win over #54 UNI in 2021-22.
- Leah Earnest was tabbed a First Team All-MVC honoree as she concluded a decorated career that saw her finish first in program history in career rebounds and third in career scoring.
- The 2024-25 Beacons hit 245 3-pointers, third-most in a single season in program history, and tallied 314 steals, seventh on the program's single-season chart and the most since 2001-02.

@RacersWBB
- Murray State enters Friday's game atop the MVC standings at 11-1 in Valley play and with a 20-3 overall record.
- The Racers' lone blemish in MVC action came at UNI, after which they have won their last four games.
- MSU ranks 10th in the nation in scoring offense (84.7 PPG) and boasts the Valley's top two individual scorers in Halli Poock (21.1 PPG) and Sharneece Currie-Jelks (19.0 PPG) - the latter also leads the MVC and ranks eighth nationally with 11.5 RPG.

Allia's Big Day
- Freshman Allia von Schlegell has been the Beacons' leading scorer in MVC play, but took it to another level Saturday against Southern Illinois.
- von Schlegell's 29 points bested her previous career high of 19 points by 10, as she established a career high for field goals made and matched her career best for 3-pointers made.
- von Schlegell scored the most points by a Valpo freshman since Ali Saunders scored 32 against UAB Nov. 21, 2022. It also matched the most points by an MVC freshman this season.
- 15 of von Schlegell's points came in the fourth quarter alone as she outscored SIU in the final period. It is the most points in a single period by a Valpo player this season.
- Even more impressively, von Schlegell scored those 29 points while not committing a single turnover in 35 minutes of action. She is only the fifth D-I freshman this year with a game with 29 or more points and no turnovers.

Connolly's Career Best Too
- von Schlegell wasn't the only Valpo player to set a career high Saturday.
- Senior Fiona Connolly edged past her previous career best of 21 points, accomplished twice earlier this season, with a 22-point effort against the Salukis.
- It is the first time two Valpo players scored 20+ points in the same game since Leah Earnest tallied 24 points and Layla Gold 21 versus Detroit Mercy Dec. 21, 2024.
- von Schlegell and Connolly combined for 51 points, the highest combined scoring output for two Valpo players since Tabitha Gerardot (32) and Gina Lange (24) combined for 56 in a win over Cleveland State Feb. 2, 2013.

The Freshman Fills It Up
- Freshman Allia von Schlegell has made a big impact in her rookie season.
- von Schlegell has scored in double figures 14 times this season, including in 11 of Valpo's last 15 games. 
- 11 times, von Schlegell has dropped at least 15 points - the most 15+ point games by a Valpo freshman since Dani Franklin hit the 15-point mark 12 times in the 2014-15 season.
- von Schlegell currently ranks second among MVC freshmen in scoring (11.3 points/game) and is first in 3-pointers made (50).
- She ranks 54th nationally in freshman scoring and is tied for ninth among freshmen nationally in 3-pointers made.

Doing Work on the Road
- von Schlegell has excelled in the scoring department on the road in MVC play.
- The freshman has scored 15 or more points in five of Valpo's six MVC road games to date, including a career-high 19 twice - at Evansville and at UIC.
- von Schlegell has shot 50% (18-for-36) from 3-point range in road MVC games and is averaging 15.3 points/game in those contests.

Milana Feasts
- Redshirt junior Milana Nenadic has been on a tear offensively lately, averaging 15.3 points/game over the last seven games while leading the Beacons in four contests.
- This recent stretch comes after Nenadic averaged 6.6 points/game and scored in double figures just twice in the season's first 17 games.
- Nenadic became Valpo's first MVC weekly award winner in over four years Jan. 19, as she was named MVC Newcomer of the Week after scoring 34 points at Illinois State (more on that game later) and 18 points versus Drake.
- Nenadic has also hit the glass more recently, averaging 7.0 rebounds/game over the last six games after averaging 4.0 rebounds/game over the first 17 games.
- Nenadic has recorded the first two double-doubles of her career in this stretch as well, posting 19 points and 12 rebounds versus Indiana State and most recently 11 points and 12 rebounds versus Southern Illinois.

Nenadic's Night
- It was truly a night to remember for Nenadic at Illinois State Jan. 15, coming off the bench to deliver 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting.
- The 16 field goals made broke the program record for baskets in a single game, as the previous mark was shared at 15 by Deb Lahti (Feb. 19, 1983 vs. Carthage) and Lyn Swanson (Feb. 8, 1986 at Carthage).
- Nenadic is tied for ninth among NCAA D-I players this season for field goals in a game.
- Nenadic's 25 field goal attempts are tied for eighth-most in a single game in Valpo history.
- The junior now shares fifth on Valpo's single-game scoring chart with Dani Franklin, who dropped 34 at Stetson Nov. 12, 2016. Those two are the only Valpo players to score at least 34 in a game since 1992. Nenadic's 34 points are the most by a player coming off the bench in program history.
- The 34 points is tied with Murray State's Halli Poock for the highest-scoring game by an MVC player this season.
- Nenadic's previous career best was 20 points earlier this year while facing All-American Audi Crooks at Iowa State.
- Nenadic is just the fourth MVC player in the last nine seasons with at least 16 baskets in a game, and joins a few pretty solid players in that department — Drake's Katie Dinnebier, Belmont's Destinee Wells and Murray State's Katelyn Young.

Nonconference Scoring
- von Schlegell scored in double figures six times in nonconference action, among the best in program history in terms of double-digit scoring outputs by a freshman in nonconference games since Valpo joined the North Star Conference for the 1987-88 season:
Dani Franklin, 2014-15, 11
Meredith Hamlet, 2015-16, 8
Tabitha Gerardot, 2010-11, 8
Sarrah Stricklett, 1996-97, at least 7 (2 boxes unavailable)
Debbie Bolen, 1989-90, at least 7 (1 box unavailable)
Jeanette Gray, 1999-2000, 7
Allia von Schlegell, 2025-26, 6
Stephanie Greer, 1987-88, 6
Amy Cole, 1987-88, 6
Linda Batz, 1987-88, 6
Ali Saunders, 2022-23, 5
Jamie Gutowski, 2002-03, 5
- Notably, the six players ahead of von Schlegell on that list all went on to earn All-Freshman/Newcomer Team honors and closed their time at Valpo among the top-12 in program history in career scoring.

Skip the Second?
- Four times in MVC play, the second quarter has proven to be the Beacons' undoing.
- Most recently, the Beacons were outscored by SIU 25-13 in the second quarter, while the other three quarters saw Valpo hold the 60-57 edge.
- Drake outscored Valpo 19-7 in the second quarter, while the Beacons outscored the Bulldogs 49-47 in the other three periods.
- At Illinois State, a 31-12 second quarter for the Redbirds accounted for the entire final margin, as Valpo matched ISU 62-62 in the other three quarters.
- At Indiana State, the Sycamores' 24-13 advantage in the second quarter offset Valpo's 65-64 edge in the other three periods.

Shifting Starters
- Valpo has used ten different starting lineups this year, the most recent change coming last time out, as Nenadic joined Huffine, von Schlegell, Connolly and Sullivan.
- That unit was a +10 (27-17) in 9:52 of playing time together against the Salukis.
- Ten different players have been a part of at least one starting five this year, with only one - Huffine - starting every game. All ten have started at least three games apiece.
- The Beacons have not used the same starting lineup in more than four consecutive games this season.

The Tall and the Short
- This year's Valpo roster features recent extremes on both ends of the height spectrum.
- Mor Shabtai and Mikayla Huffine both are listed at 5-4, making them the shortest Valpo players since 5-3 Rashida Ray (2007-11).
- On the flip side, Kamryn Winch and Milana Nenadic both check in at 6-3, making them the tallest Valpo players since 6-5 Nicole Johanson (2018-19).

International Flavor
- Valpo has a trio of international players on its 2025-26 roster: sophomore Mor Shabtai (Israel) and transfers Milana Nenadic (Ontario, Canada) and Kennedy Sproule (Manitoba, Canada).
- Prior to Shabtai's arrival last year, the Valpo program hadn't had an international player since Sharon Karungi (Uganda) roamed the paint from 2013-15.

Sister Act
- For the third straight season, the Beacons have a pair of sisters on their roster, as freshman Nuala Connolly joins senior sister Fiona on this year's squad.
- The last two years featured identical twins Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson.
- Before that, the last set of sisters to suit up together in the Brown and Gold were the trio of Hamlet sisters: Annemarie (2013-16) overlapped with both older sister Elizabeth (2013-14) and younger sister Meredith (2015-19).