Women’s Soccer

After a thrilling title game on Nov. 5 against Maryville College that came down to penalty kicks, the Lady Lions soccer team were crowned the first-ever champions of the College Conference of the South (CCS).

The stakes were high for the team as heading into the game. On Nov. 2, Piedmont squeaked by Covenant College with 1-0 win in the semifinal game. Riding a four-game winning streak into the championship game, the Lady Lions were defending a conference championship they won last year in the USA South Conference. Playing host for the conference final, the Lady Lions expected the Scots would be looking for revenge after Piedmont defeated them 3-0 on Oct. 15.

“We knew Maryville would come out super strong,” senior midfielder Kaity Hemperly said. “We all worked great together, but came up short on our attack.”

Possession went back and forth throughout the game on a wet field under overcast skies at the Walker Athletic Conference. Excellent defense and perfect goalkeeping kept each team scoreless. The game headed into overtime as rain began to pour down. Maryville outshot Piedmont 6-2 in overtime, but sophomore goalkeeper Haylee Dornan continued to shut down the Scots, causing the game to penalty kicks to break the 110-minute stalemate.

The Scots quickly earned a 2-0 lead in penalty kicks and were facing defeat until senior forward Kaylee King broke through, scoring with a kick off her left foot to make it 2-1. Dornan stopped the next Scots’ kick before graduate student Katy Brown tied it up at 2 with a laser shot through the hands of Maryville’s goalkeeper. After another save by Dornan, Hemperly took her shot, burying the ball in the bottom left of the goal to give the Lady Lions the inaugural conference championship.

“When we went to penalty kicks, we were super nervous because it really is anyone’s game at that point,” Hemperly said. “I’m so proud of our goalie, Hayley Dornan, and everyone who stepped up to take a PK. It truly was such an amazing way to end the season.”

For her efforts throughout the tournament, Dornan was named CCS Tournament MVP. Through three games, the sophomore goalkeeper was perfect protecting the net, earning 9 total saves.

With the CCS title under their belt and a 13-5-1 overall record, the Lady Lions earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament, the team’s first appearance in the national tournament since 2018. Piedmont will play at Emory University on Nov. 12 in the first round of the tournament.

—Emma Marti

Volleyball

The Piedmont volleyball team wrapped up their 2022 campaign with a quick exit in the CCS Tournament.

Entering the tournament as the 6th seed, the Lady Lions headed to Montgomery, Alabama on Nov. 1 to play #3 Huntingdon College in the first round of the tournament. The team was swept in three sets 14-25, 15-25, 15-25 to the Hawks, finishing the season with 6-21 (6-10 in the CCS).