Women’s Cross-Country
The women’s cross-country team was off to the races at the Roanoke Invitational in Salem , Virgina on Oct. 23.
The team ended their competition in Salem with an overall team finish of 5th out of 15 teams. The always reliable graduate student, Jaycie Ponce, finished 4th in the competition with a time of 23:15.0 Star sophomore Skyler Seeber, finished just a hair behind Ponce with a time of 23:15.3 for 5th place.
“What a race that was,” said Seeber. “I am very proud of the team to get a very respectable placement of 5th out of that many teams.”
The invitational is the last regular season meet for the women’s cross-country team. The Lady Lions will race again on Oct. 28, in the CCS Championship in Tallulah Falls, Georgia.
—Dylan Bodney
Men’s Cross-Country
The men’s cross-country team finished in 5th place out of 13 teams at the Roanoke XC Invitational on Friday, Oct. 13 in Salem, Virginia.
“We had a great race,” said junior Tucker Cox. “The conditions were perfect, and the course was flat and fast. Although we had a couple of setbacks, we didn’t let them affect us and we performed like we knew we could. This race was our fastest team average time in school history and (junior) Layton Bradford had an amazing race achieving a new school record.”
The team was looking great with junior Layton Bradford, who finished sixth overall out of 172 runners and just two seconds behind fourth place. Bradford’s time was 25:46.6, which was a PR to capture the sixth-place spot. There was also another solid performance by senior Gary Halverson who crossed the line with a time of 26:17.5 to finish 18th overall. Cox took 22nd overall at 26:25.3 for a new PR.
The men’s cross-country team’s next meet will be the Collegiate Conference of the South Tournament at Tallulah Falls, Georgia on Oct. 28.
—Zane Brookshire
Volleyball
The first doubleheader of the season for the Lady Lions left them 1-1 at home for the weekend, but the stats say otherwise.
The first game was against the Belhaven Blazers, and the Lions conquered the court with 15 aces to Belhaven’s one, and the 38-18 hits left the Blazers unable to dig their way out of a loss. Starting off with the straight set win left the Lions ready to pounce on their next opponent.
“We definitely did great at moving on to the next point and focusing for each set,” said junior middle blocker Jessica Sconyers, who had four kills on the day. “To beat them 3-0 was such a great feeling.”
The second game was battled hard by both teams, but the fifth-set victory was just out of reach for the Lions. Fighting the Maryville Scots point for point, the 25-22 fall in the first set was answered by a 25-22 takeover in the second set by Piedmont. Tied 1-1, the Scots charged to seal off the third set at 25-22. The fourth set was all or nothing for the Lions as the score was back and forth, with momentum shifting faster than the crowd could process. The energy was electric and after the Scots finally fell to the fourth set, Piedmont struggled to keep the lead consistent.
Starting off the fifth set up 11-7, the Scots rallied back to win 15-13. Although the Scots came out on top, the Lions reigned the stat sheet with less errors and only four kills behind their opponents.
“Even though we lost to Maryville, it was a game that I was proud of and I think the rest of the team can agree with that,” said junior setter Vanessa Manzo, who led the team with five service aces in the second contest. “It’s not a game that should be seen as a disappointment.”
The Lady Lions took that momentum to sweep Toccoa Falls in three sets on Oct. 16. The volleyball team (11-11, 8-2 in the CCS) will face Agnes Scott College on Oct. 18 in Cave Arena. The match is dedicated to recognizing the senior Lions.
—Abbey Grace Venham
Men’s Soccer
The Piedmont men’s soccer team lost a neck-and-neck matchup 4-3 against Maryville on Saturday, Oct. 14. Of the Lions’ 21 shots, only five were on frame.
Freshman Delroy Mattis buried the ball into the back of the net with a header, just under 15 minutes into the game.
“It obviously felt good to get an early goal, and we had some chances right after that which gave us more confidence,” said junior Jason Aussin, who fired the cross in to provide the assist to Mattis’s goal.
Maryville answered to tie the game going into the half, allowing for tension to build between both teams during the break. To the Lions’ detriment, Maryville scored almost immediately into the second half, and then again just 11 minutes later.
Less than 60 seconds later, the Lions were granted a penalty kick. Aussin placed the ball in the back of the net, sparking fighting energy back into the Lions. Although they were still down, the Lions did not let up another goal until the 81st minute, to which freshman Davis Knight responded with a goal just five minutes later.
Unfortunately, Piedmont’s efforts were just shy of a draw.
This conference loss does not phase Aussin, who has nothing but confidence in his teammates. “I feel amazing about conference playoffs. The team is finally clicking. We’re possessing, and the midfield is communicating again,” said Aussin.
The Lions (5-6-3, 2-1in the CCS) prepare to use that enthusiasm on Tuesday, Oct. 17, when they will travel to Lookout Mountain, Georgia, to face yet another conference rival, the Covenant Scots.
—Paige Kluba
