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Both the Washington and Lee University men’s and women’s soccer teams advanced to the NCAA Division III Round of 16 by snaring wins in the first two rounds of the tournament.
Playing the first two rounds in Baltimore, Md., the No. 21 W&L men (14-3-5) defeated Otterbein University 1-0 on Saturday before advancing on penalty kicks over Johns Hopkins University (13-3-5) on Sunday.
Against Otterbein (12-7-3), Will Luik scored the only goal of the game in the 15th minute. The Cardinals had only one shot on goal, which W&L goalkeeper Will Joseph saved.
On Sunday, Ryan Sharpe gave the Generals a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute by scoring off a rebound of his own shot. Johns Hopkins tied the game 1-1 when Will Sangpachatanaruk scored in the 50th minute.
After two overtimes, the game went to a shootout, which W&L won 4-2, gaining the upper hand when Joseph stopped Francis Meyer’s attempt toward the right post. W&L then capitalized on its first shot when Lucas Pleasants scored just inside the right post. Both teams made their next two shots before Johns Hopkins missed, and W&L’s PJ Ryan put a missile of a shot into the back of the net to seal the win.
The Generals will face No. 20 Williams in the Round of 16 this weekend. For the date, time, location and updates, visit www.generalssports. com.
Playing the first two rounds at home at Watt Field in Lexington, the ninth-ranked W&L women (20-1-1) beat Farmingdale State College 3-0 on Saturday before overcoming Ohio Northern University 2-0 on Sunday.
Against Farmingdale State (11-8-4), the Generals got two first-half goals from Megan Zimmerman, scoring in the 14th minute and less than four minutes later. In the second half, W&L’s Sarah Zimmerman scored the final goal of the game in the 64th minute. In goal, Abby Groff made two saves for W&L.
On Sunday, the Generals earned their program-record 20th win by defeating Ohio Northern (15-6-1). W&L scored both of its goals in the first half. Sarah Zimmerman scored on a header in the 26th minute on a pass from Bryn Bissinger, and teammate Elizabeth Zimmerman scored W&L’s second goal 11 minutes later.
The Generals will play No. 11 William Smith in the Round of 16 this weekend. For the schedule and updates, visit www.generalssports. com.
W&L Women Take XC Title
The 12th-ranked W&L women’s cross country team won the NCAA Division III South Regional championship Saturday in Clinton, Miss.
W&L, which won the meet for the first time in five years and the second time in program history, earned an automatic bid to the Division III national championships, which will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Generals scored 38 points, Emory placed second of 24 teams with 49 points, and Lynchburg (98) finished third. Southern Virginia University (259) finished ninth.
W&L sophomore Olivia Warr won the race in 21 minutes, 34.7 seconds on the 6-kilometer course. She became the team’s first regional champion since 1995.
The Generals’ second runner was senior Cassie Carr, placing fourth (21:55.9) of 169 runners, with junior teammate Sophia Breschi seventh (22:11.3) and senior Emma Mitchell eighth (21:12.7). Also competing for W&L, senior Mimi Kemp was 18th in 22:36.9, sophomore Lydia Harvey 19th in 22:38.4 and senior Kristen Clodgo 25th in 23:03.
SVU sophomore Bayleigh Redd was 26th, with SVU junior Heidi Barton 30th.
Mary Baldwin University freshman Nicky Black, a 2024 Rockbridge County High School graduate who won the USA South Conference meet on Nov. 2, earned all-region recognition by placing 32nd in 23:22.9. Black was leading the field after the first kilometer before her shoelace came untied.
On the men’s side, Lynchburg won the meet with 51 points to earn an automatic bid to the national meet. Emory (56) placed second of 22 teams, W&L (59) finished third and SVU (216) came in sixth.
The 15th-ranked W&L men’s team received an atlarge bid to the national championship meet, which will take place this Saturday at noon, also in Terre Haute, Ind.
Junior Keaton Rush led the W&L men at the regional meet, placing fourth of 160 runners in 24:57.17 on the 8K course. W&L senior Row Sterne was fifth (24:58.1), with sophomore Robert Cooper sixth (25:00.72). Sophomore teammate Thomas Franklin was 20th in 25:39, with sophomore Jackson Kodenski 24th in 25:56.4 and freshman William Dunaway 25th in 25:57.5.
SVU sophomore Kaelen Ruder, who was 18th in 25:23.2, reaped an individual NCAA bid. Senior teammate Kedryn Chandler, a 2021 PM graduate, finished 27th in 26:06, and SVU sophomore Joseph Hughes came in 33rd in 26:19.4.
For more on the meet, visit www.generalssports.com and knightathletics.com.
W&L Netters Win ODAC
The 12th-ranked W&L women’s volleyball team rallied back from a 2-1 deficit, claiming the final two sets of the match to earn a 3-2 home win over Virginia Wesleyan University for their second straight and 20th overall Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship on Saturday afternoon in Holekamp Gym in Lexington.
The Generals (32-2 overall, 12-0 ODAC), who won 3-0 in the first two rounds of the ODAC tournament, captured a 24-26, 25-13, 20-25, 25-21, 15-12 victory over the Marlins (26-5, 11-1).
Grace Mitchener led W&L with 19 kills, while Riley Debiec had 17 kills and paced the Generals with six blocks. Other W&L leaders were Allie Buchholz with 49 assists and Vivi Vasquez with 33 digs.
With the win, the Generals earned the ODAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. For their schedule and updates, visit www. generalssports.com.
SVU Nets USA South Title
The SVU women’s volleyball team won the USA South Athletic Conference championship by defeating Salem (N.C.) 3-1 on Saturday at Knight Arena in Buena Vista.
Bouncing back after dropping the first set, the Knights (22-11 overall, 15-3 USA South) earned a 24-26, 25-22, 25-22, 27-25 victory over the Spirits (30-6, 15-3).
Sydney Bassett, who was named the tournament Most Valuable Player, led SVU with 20 kills and had five blocks, Brookelyn Madland added 16 kills, and Brenna Clyde had a teamhigh night blacks and added eight blocks. Ruby Blamires dished out 44 assists to lead the Knights, and Gracie Fulton had a team-high 32 digs.
With the win, the Knights earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. For their schedule and updates, visit knightathletics. com.
