Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team defeated the Mississippi University for Women 5-0 on Sept. 1, bringing their record to 2-0.
“Wins on the road is the only strategy we have right now since we have so many games on the road,” said junior goalkeeper Collin Sheeler. “So starting strong with two wins on the road — it’s going to take us to victory down the line.”
There were four different scores for the team, the first being from Colin Vogel at 15:51. Cristi Pascaru led the team with two goals, one at 49:51 and the fourth goal at 68:42. Jason Aussin scored the third goal with an assist from Mason Keith at 55:59, and the final goal was scored by Mason Keith (assist Anthony Bonilla) at 78:14. Four out of the five goals were scored in the second half of the game. Bobby Wood preserved the shutout with two saves in goal.
The men’s soccer team plays next on Sept. 4 at Warren Wilson College.
—John Dieterly
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team kicked off their fall schedule this past weekend at the Transylvania Invite in Lexington, Kentucky. Although the weekend brought on some tough weather conditions, the squad finished in 7th place out of 19 teams.
As multiple weather delays carried out through day one of the invitational, the tournament was shortened from a 54-hole tournament to a 36-hole tournament. “I think the weather, the start and the stop, made a tough day even tougher for guys who haven’t been in that position that often,” said head coach Dustin Meadows. “That is not an excuse by any stretch, but I think we learned from it.”
Senior Kayden White played an impressive tournament as he managed to stroke three consecutive birdies in the opening round, overall finishing with a score of 2-over 74, placing him in the top 25 out of 96 golfers. “Kayden, I’m super proud of him as a senior taking this opportunity by the horns,” said Meadows. “His attitude and preparation this preseason was so much different, and I think that just comes down to his work ethic changed in the offseason. He’s a lot more consistent off the tee and around the greens.”
The Piedmont men’s golf team will next compete in Dickson, Tennessee at the SAA Fall Preview on Sept. 8.
—Ansleigh Dubose
Women’s Soccer
The Piedmont women’s soccer team traveled to Staunton, Virginia to face Mary Baldwin in an exhibition match on Aug. 24. The unofficial results showed a 2-1 score in favor of the Lions, although the game was cut short.
“Winning our exhibition game was a wonderful way to wrap up preseason,” says junior forward Paige Kluba. “I think it set the tone for our season and encourages a positive mentality as we prepare for our first game.”
Following the initial penalty kick goal scored by Mary Baldwin, Kluba put two unanswered in the net to give the Lions the 2-1 edge. The match was cut short in the 65th minute due to injuries stacking up on Mary Baldwin’s side.
Although not officially in the record book, this win will help the Lions mentally as they open their home season Sept. 4 against Toccoa Falls.
—Colin Hacksaw
Volleyball
The Piedmont volleyball team went 0-3 to open the season against three tough nonconference opponents at the Jenny McDowell Invitational in Atlanta.
The Lady Lions opened the tournament, being swept by Oglethorpe University.
“I feel that the team could improve communication when plays get messy,” said senior Jessica Sconyers. “I also feel like we need to work a little harder on controlling the ball.”
Despite the Lady Lions battling throughout the match, Piedmont could not win a set over the Stormy Petrels. Oglethorpe swept the Lions 25-17, 25-15, 25-19. Junior Madison Williams had nine kills, while senior Gabbi Phillips contributed 20 assists for Oglethorpe. Piedmont finished with 15 total kills, including nine in the final set.
The team next faced Greensboro College, earning their sole set win of the weekend, but losing the match 3-1. The team lost its first set 9-25 and came back hot in the second match but fell short, losing 20-25. The Lions were able to win the third set 25-16 and started off leading in the fourth, but Greensboro came back and took the victory 20-25. Junior Katie Hubbard stood out in game one with eight kills and two blocks, as Piedmont finished with 30 kills in the match.
“I think this weekend against Greensboro showed us both our strengths and weaknesses as a team,” said Hubbard. “I think we saw things that we have really been able to improve on upon going into that game, but we also saw things that we will definitely need to work on before our games in a couple of weeks.”
For its third match of the tournament, the Lady Lions faced #9 Emory University, losing 3-0.
“I liked our ability to stay positive, our ability to keep an upbeat attitude even though things weren’t going our way, and I think that’s an important thing,” coach Jamie McCormack said,
Sconyers would lead the team with three kills in the match. Emory University would dominate the match, with the Lions only managing nine points in one of the sets. Emory University would sweep Piedmont 25-9, 25-4, 25-7.
The volleyball team’s next game will be on Sept. 13-14, as they compete in the Berry Invitational. On Friday, Sept. 13, they will play against Transylvania University, with matches against Averett University and Berry College on Saturday.
–Damyon Traylor, Skylar Smith, Ben Leffert
