Sun Belt student-athletes are making their mark on the national scene
While football continues to take center stage and men’s basketball season gets in full gear, many other Sun Belt student-athletes are making their mark on the national scene.
Here’s a look at how teams across the conference fared in the past week.
All rankings are accurate as of Nov. 9.
Men’s Soccer
The Sun Belt Conference Tournament began Nov. 9 with several thrilling quarterfinal matchups that tested the conference’s top seeds.
Top-seeded Kentucky was held scoreless by Coastal Carolina through regulation and overtime before advancing 6-5 in a dramatic eight-round shootout, capped by Oliver Stavdal’s decisive kick.
No. 3 Marshall handled Georgia State 3-1 behind a balanced offensive effort, while West Virginia needed penalty kicks to outlast No. 7 Old Dominion. The Monarch’s Lewis Rourke score twice in the second half to give ODU a 2-1 lead, but Pablo Pozos tied the game with his 11th goal of the season in the final minute. The Mountaineers’ Isaac Scheer then converted the winning kick in the sixth round of the shootout.
In the final quarterfinal, No. 5 UCF upset No. 4 Georgia Southern 3-2 in overtime. The Eagles led 2-0 before conceding three unanswered goals, with Drew Hansen scoring the winner in the 104th minute. The victory marked UCF’s first conference tournament win since the 2021 AAC Tournament.
The semifinals provided even more drama as both top seeds were eliminated. Joao Alves scored his first goal of the season on a penalty kick in the 110th minute to lift Marshall past West Virginia 3-2, sending the Thundering Herd to their third straight Sun Belt final.
In the other semifinal, UCF’s Henson delivered his second consecutive game-winner of the tournament, leading the Knights to a 1-0 upset of top seed Kentucky. The win secured UCF’s first appearance in a conference title match since claiming the 2020-21 AAC Tournament crown.
The championship match will be held at 1 p.m. on Nov. 16 in Huntington, West Virginia, with Marshall hosting as the higher seed. UCF leads the all-time series 7-6-1 but has lost all three meetings since joining the Sun Belt. The Knights’ last win came in November 2012, when both programs competed in Conference USA.
In the final poll before the NCAA Tournament starts, Marshall climbed five spots to No. 12, while West Virginia and Kentucky each dropped one place to No. 17 and No. 19, respectively. For the first time since Sept. 2, Georgia Southern failed to get a vote.
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Women’s Soccer
Based on the regular season, it was almost fitting that Texas State and ULM would decided the Sun Belt title.
The Bobcats created multiple first-half chances, firing seven shots, but ULM goalkeeper Jen Handy made two saves. The Warhawks’ lone shot of the half was on goal but failed to find the net.
In the 54th minute, Texas State’s Sadie Guzman scored her third goal of the season to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. ULM could not the equalizer, and Texas State claimed its first conference tournament title since winning the Southland in 2011.
The Bobcats’ reward is a trip to Waco, where they will face Baylor, the No. 5 seed in the Wake Forest regional. The Bears beat Texas State 4-1 in San Marcos in September and have won all meetings. The two programs also met in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, when Baylor prevailed 3-0.
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Volleyball
James Madison secured the East Division title with a weekend sweep against Old Dominion, extending their winning streak to 13 games. Both Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern were swept last week, putting them out of reach of the division title.
Appalachian State remains on the outside looking in for the conference tournament, as the top five teams from each division qualify. The Mountaineers need either Georgia State (vs. ULM) or Marshall (vs. Southern Miss) to be swept, while also sweeping Troy themselves.
Three teams are in contention for the West Division title, with just one match separating them. Arkansas State has a one-match lead over South Alabama and Texas State. For the final postseason spot, Louisiana and Southern Miss are tied for fifth. The Golden Eagles swept the Ragin’ Cajuns in early October, so Louisiana would need to sweep Georgia Southern and hope Southern Miss to drop one game to Marshall.
Projected Sun Belt matchups (top seeds earn first round bye):
- Troy (4W) vs. Marshall (5E)
- Georgia State (4E) vs. Southern Miss (5W)
- South Alabama (2W) vs. Georgia Southern (3E)
- Texas State (3W) vs. Coastal Carolina (2E)
- Top seeds: James Madison (1E) and Arkansas State (1W)
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Women’s Basketball
Three teams remain undefeated through the first week and a half of play: Southern Miss, Troy and ULM, all sit at 3-0 as of Nov. 12.
The Golden Eagles, after defeating Northern Illinois in the MAC-SBC Challenge, played two non-Division I programs. ULM, meanwhile, earned wins over Grambling and future conference member Louisiana Tech.
James Madison was upset by Atlantic 10 member George Mason 72-57 on Nov. 6, as the Patriots shot 46.7% from beyond the arc.
The Sun Belt went 0-7 against Power Five programs to start the season, though two games went down to the wire. Georgia Southern fell 80-72 to ACC member Florida State on Nov. 6, trailing by only two entering the fourth quarter. Marshall lost to Indiana 57-51 but outscored the Hooisers 21-14 in the final period to make it close.
The biggest upset so far came in Lafayette, Louisiana on Nov. 7, when the Ragin’ Cajuns fell to Division II member Delta State. The Lady Statesmen dominated from start to finish, scoring 42 points in the paint and 24 off turnovers.
Troy’s Fortuna Ngnawo was named the first Sun Belt Player of the Week after scoring 17 or more points in wins over Toledo and Mississippi Valley State.
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Women’s Field Hockey
While none of the Sun Belt programs that sponsor the sport advanced to the NCAA Tournament, several players earned end-of-season conference honors.
Old Dominon’s Serena Langendoen was a unanimous to the All-Big East First Team selection. Four Monarchs made the Second Team, led by senior forward Sian Ernslie, who lead the team with 25 points, including nine goals.
To see the update conference standings and more news, visit the Big East page here or the MAC page here.
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