Men’s Soccer
Piedmont’s men’s soccer team opened up its season with nine consecutive out-of-conference games. These games included dominant wins over Mississippi University for Women (5-0) and Warren Wilson College (6-0), which contributed to their 4-3-2 record. They encountered their first CCS opponent on Sept. 30, after being postponed from Sept. 28, winning a thriller 4-3 over Asbury. The season continues on home turf against Centre College on Oct. 6, followed by one of their final five conference games against LaGrange on Oct. 9. The Lions were ranked number three in the conference preseason poll. They hope to exceed expectations and earn themselves a bye in the tournament. They will either place first or second in the regular season, and they will start the tournament in the semi-finals on Nov. 2. Otherwise, they will play their first-round tournament game on Oct. 30.
Women’s Soccer
The Piedmont women’s soccer team has had a roller coaster of a season. Starting with seven non-CCS opponents, the Lions were 2-2-3. It is worth noting their first six games were ranked the 39th most challenging schedule in all of Division III. They have opened up their conference play by winning their first two games by a combined score of 13-0. This start is enough to hold second place in the conference. They trail Maryville, who is also 2-0 but ahead due to their overall record. The Lions have a tough road ahead of them, playing strong conference opponents to finish the season, but they make their case to earn a top-two seed and a bye to open up the tournament. They will continue their journey with some Friday night lights action at home on Oct. 4 against Huntingdon College.
Volleyball
Piedmont’s volleyball team has struggled early in the season, dealing with some adversity on and off the court. After falling to 0-3 early, only winning one set out of those three games, they announced the departure of eight-year head coach Jamie McCormack. The new era of Piedmont volleyball, under interim head coach Jeff Black, is off to a rough start. The Lions are 1-9 overall on the season and 1-2 in conference play. The team only won three sets in their first nine games before sweeping Wesleyan College three sets to none. They had middle-of-the-pack expectations in the preseason poll, ranking fourth of nine in the Collegiate Conference of the South. They have 13 conference games left and have some work to do, and they are currently sitting at sixth in the conference. They continue their journey on Saturday, Oct. 5, at home against Covenant at noon and Lagrange at 4 p.m..
Men’s Cross-Country
The Piedmont men’s cross country has traveled to two official competitions so far. The first one took place at the University of North Georgia, where they placed second among eight teams. Piedmont took control of some top spots in this meet with a podium finish at third by fifth-year senior Walker Capelle, who also set a new PR. They made up five of the top 20, featuring four Lions in this top range. Next, they traveled to Spartanburg, SC, to compete in the Converse Kickoff, where they finished 14th of 22 teams. It was an outstanding performance considering their competition. Piedmont was the only Division III team in the meet and competed against ranked Division II teams and ranked club teams. They will finish off their season with two more exhibition meets before conferences on Nov. 1st. The team has a ring on their mind, as they were the favorites at the beginning of the season.
Women’s Cross-Country
The women’s cross-country team traveled to the University of North Georgia and Spartanburg in their lone two meets. In the UNG meet, the team placed sixth of 11 with a shiny performance from junior Skyler Seeber, who was the only Division III runner to place in the top 10. Due to dealing with multiple injuries, they did not have enough runners for an official placement in the Converse Kickoff. They will have two more meets before the one that matters on Nov. 1st when they head to Belhaven for the conference championship race.
