mething I cant put into words.The loss marks Texas second consecutive NCAA runner-up finish, after losing in three sets to Nebraska last year. Micaya White had 17 kills, and Ebony Nwanebu 16.Paulina Prieto-Cera

Fantasy sports operator DraftKings announced Thursday that it has closed a $153 million round of funding with Revolution Growth, the venture capital firm co-founded by Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals.The round of funding was oversubscribed and includes new investors in the daily fantasy giant, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said in a statement. The valuation for the funding was not revealed, and the paperwork to complete the deal will be filed in the coming days.Revolution Growth is a tremendous new partner for DraftKings, with an entrepreneurial outlook and spirit of innovation that meshes perfectly with the culture of our company, Robins said in the statement. They also have deep expertise in sports, technology, and policy.SportsBusiness Journal first reported DraftKings deal with Revolution Growth.Its unclear how big a stake Revolution Growths investment has purchased in the privately held company. Industry research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming estimated the Revolution Growth funding was likely based on a valuation of around $1 billion.DraftKings valuation was estimated last year at almost $2 billion after a $300 million fundraising round in July 2015 but has since fallen considerably. In February, Fox, in a quarterly report, told investors it had marked down the value of its $160 million investment in DraftKings by about 60 percent.Online fantasy sports are just one of the many ways technology has disrupted the sports industry in recent years, Revolution Growth partner Steve Murray, who will join the DraftKings board of directors, said in a release. Building a business is never easy, especially one that is leading the creation of a new marketplace, but Revolution has the expertise to help entrepreneurs execute on their ideas, especially where sports and policy intersect.Last week, Outside the Lines reported on the daily fantasy industrys struggles since DraftKings and FanDuel blanketed airwaves a year ago with a $750 million advertising and marketing blitz.In the story, which also appears in the current edition of ESPN The Magazine, reporter Don Van Natta Jr. detailed how the companies remain unprofitable, with valuations cut by more than half, according to some estimates. ESPN also reported that both companies owed millions to lobbyists, lawyers and others and that DraftKings has tried to renegotiate contracts with vendors and reduce affiliates bonuses.The signing of a daily fantasy bill in New York last month eased some potential investors minds about the future of the young industry, ESPN reported.The reality is neither company was in a position to continue to operate without New York, said Jeremy Kudon, a lobbyist for the companies. They both needed for this to happen. When I had spoken to investors, everyone agreed on its importance. It was less a financial thing and almost a psychological thing. Theyd say, We wont believe this industry will survive unless New York happens. Hows that for pressure?A longtime lobbyist close to both companies told ESPN this week that a DraftKings-FanDuel merger is still likely. 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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Stanford coach John Dunning expected big things from his latest recruiting class.Just maybe not this soon.Inky Ajanaku had 18 kills, Kathryn Plummer added 16 and Stanford -- led by four freshman starters -- beat Texas 25-21, 25-19, 18-25, 25-21 on Saturday night in the NCAA womens volleyball final.The Cardinal (27-7) won 16 of their last 17 matches to complete an unlikely championship run with four freshman starters -- Plummer, Audriana Fitzmorris, Jenna Gray and Morgan Hentz.You know, its overwhelming, coach John Dunning said. You put so much into this, and this is just a group thats just fun to be with. And I love being around them.The Cardinal have the most losses of any championship team in Division I womens volleyball history. Ajanaku, the tournaments Most Outstanding Player, leaves Stanford as a champion just a year following a devastating right knee injury that sidelined her for the entire 2015 season.Stanford began the season 10-5 overall and 4-3 in the Pac-12. Then Dunning moved senior Kelsey Humphreys to defensive specialist and handed the setting duties to Gray. The Cardinal were the hottest team in volleyball from that point on.After losing the third set, Stanford jumped out to a 6-0 lead and continued to dominate the net. Plummer received a bump set from Humphreys and registered the winning kill off of the Texas block to secure the programs first national title since 2004.Humphreys mom played in four Final Fours foor Stanford but never was able to claim the championship.dddddddddddd.When we won two days ago she said, `Bring one home for the family, Humphreys said. To be able to share the Stanford experience with her is something I cant put into words.The loss marks Texas second consecutive NCAA runner-up finish, after losing in three sets to Nebraska last year. Micaya White had 17 kills, and Ebony Nwanebu 16.Paulina Prieto-Cerame had 12 kills in the semifinal against Nebraska, but struggled mightily in the final against Stanfords top-rated block. Prieto-Cerame had just two kills and eight hitting errors before being taken out of the match.Our first touches werent as good as we had hoped, but I think early on that game our setting location was really off, coach Jerritt Elliott said. And so I think her first five or six swings were pretty difficult swings, and I think it just got in her head then and she just kind of struggled from that point on.After trailing 18-16 in the second set, Stanford turned the table with a 7-0 run led by freshman Audriana Fitzmorris and Plummer, who combined for six points during the stretch. The Cardinal won two of the next three points to close the set.Jenna Gray had 51 assists and Morgan Hentz had 27 digs in the winning effort.Stanford had a .277 hitting percentage to Texas .217.Texas finished 27-5. ' ' '