The fall sports season is off to a fiery start in the Sun Belt, where early upsets and powerhouse performances are shaking up expectations across the board.
On the pitch, men’s soccer giants like Marshall and West Virginia enter the year with national title dreams, but it is the underdogs–like Kentucky and Georgia Southern–stealing the spotlight with headline-grabbing wins.
Meanwhile, on the volleyball court, all eyes are on Coastal Carolina’s Jalyn Stout, the triple-double queen, and Georgia Southern’s title-hungry squad as they aim to dethrone defending champ Texas State.
From dramatic goals to record-breaking sets, the race for Sun Belt dominance is officially on.
Men’s Soccer
In the biggest postseason championship shocker since Fresno State won the 2008 College World Series as a regional No. 4 seed, Marshall’s bid for a second national championship ended in extra time against Vermont.
For the second straight season, a team from the Sun Belt made the trip to Cary, North Carolina, for the College Cup, only to return home empty-handed. In 2023, fifth-seed West Virginia fell to ninth-seeded Clemson, which went on to win the national title.
Expectations remain high at the top of the conference. Marshall earned eight of the 10 first-place votes in the Sun Belt preseason poll, with West Virginia receiving the other two.
In the United Soccer Coaches preseason rankings, the Thundering Herd was ranked No. 2 behind the defending national champions, while West Virginia came in at No. 16.
On the opening night of the season, another Sun Belt team wanted to make their case for inclusion in, not just in the Top 25 poll, but in the hunt for the conference title.
Kentucky, unranked to start the season, opened on the road against No. 20 Western Michigan. Alex Ruiz scored twice, including an unassisted goal in the 76th minute–just two minutes after the Broncos had netted the equalizer.
Alex Ruiz, in his Kentucky debut, has his second goal of the night⚽️😼
📺 https://t.co/rqZc4LXqcj
📊 https://t.co/vDZ0afXYfp#WeAreUK | #GBED pic.twitter.com/crxcp55qrc— Kentucky Men’s Soccer (@UKMensSoccer) August 21, 2025
Another upset occurred in Charlotte, North Carolina, when the defending American champion Charlotte was held scoreless by Georgia Southern. The Eagles, picked to finish eight in the Sun Belt preseason conference poll, sealed the win with a goal in the 71st minute by Emil Seedorff Sorensen.
Top Games for the Week Ending Sept. 3:
- No. 10 West Virginia at No. 16 Akron (Aug. 29)
- No. 12 Virginia Tech at No. 2 Marshall (Aug. 29)
- No 23 UNC Greensboro at UCF (Aug. 31)
- No. 20 Gardner-Webb at No. 10 West Virginia (Sept. 3)
To see the update conference standings and more news, click here.
Women’s Soccer
Unlike the men’s league, only one Sun Belt team reached the NCAA Tournament in 2024. James Madison fell to No. 3 seed Ohio State, 4-1, in the first round. The Dukes return several starters from that Sun Belt championship squad.
Sophomore forward Ginny Lackey was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while redshirt sophomore Sofia DeCerb was selected as the preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
While not a unanimous pick for league champion, James Madison received nine of 14 first-place votes in the Sun Belt preseason coaches’ poll. Texas State, which won the West Division in 2024 with a 12-5-5- record, and Old Dominion earned four of the remaining five votes. Marshall, picked to finish 10th, received the other first place vote.
On opening night, James Madison picked up where it left off with a 3-0 road win over ACC opponent NC State. While the Wolfpack are coming off a losing 2024 season, it was still a victory over a Power Five program. Lackey opened the scoring in the 11th minute and assisted on the deciding goal in the 75th.
’75 | Audrey Orrock uses her head for the first goal of her JMU career!
JMU 3, NC State 0 pic.twitter.com/1JUxkftSNC
— JMU Women’s Soccer (@JMUWSoccer) August 15, 2025
Defending Big East champion Georgetown hosted Old Dominion and played to a 2-2 draw. Gry Boe Thrysoe scored the equalizer in the 87th minute for the Monarchs.
Appalachian State also notched a win over a Power Five program, defeating Miami, 1-0, in Boone on Aug. 17
Texas State returned from a trip to College Station with a 1-1 draw against Texas A&M but could not replicate the result at home. The Bobcats fell to Arizona State, 4-1, on Aug. 24.
Top Games for the Week Ending Sept. 3 (all games played on Aug. 30):
- Georgia State at No. 12 South Carolina
- Coastal Carolina at Louisville
- James Madison at No. 9 Penn State
- Appalachian State at Clemson
- ULM at Houston
To see the update conference standings and more news, click here.
Volleyball
The 2025 Sun Belt volleyball season began on Aug. 29 with 16 matchups, as teams aim to build momentum for the NCAA Tournament. Last season’s champion, Texas State, fell in straight sets to No. 7 seed Missouri in the first round.
The Bobcats were picked to finish at the top of the West Division, with nine first-place votes. Coaches in the preseason poll picked Georgia Southern to win both the East Division and the conference title. The Eagles are looking for their fifth straight winning season, having reached back-to-back National Invitational Volleyball Championships in the past two years. A conference title would be the program’s first since winning the Southern Conference in 2013.
Coastal Carolina junior setter Jalyn Stout was named the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year. A first-team All-Sun Belt selection last season, Stout leads all active NCAA Division I players with 34 career triple-doubles. After setting the NCAA single-season record with 20 triple-doubles in 2024, the Chanticleers are hoping she will power them to their second Sun Belt title in three years.
Junior Jalyn Stout has been named Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/agvyP5QoXA
— Coastal Volleyball (@CoastalVball) August 20, 2025
South Alabama redshirt senior Anna Loberg earned preseason Setter of the Year honors. She tallied 1,022 assists last season–second in the conference–including a career-high 65 assists in the season finale against Coastal Carolina.
Southern Miss junior Sunni Sheppard was named Libero of the Year after leading the Sun Belt in both digs per set (5.21) and total digs (557) in 2024. Despite the Golden Eagles’ 9-20 record last season, Sheppard looks to help guide the program back into contention.
Top Games for the Week Ending Sept. 3:
- Arkansas State at the Georgia Tech Classic (vs. Ole Miss and No. 22 Georgia Tech)
- South Alabama at the LSU Volleyball Tournament (vs. No. 20 Baylor and LSU)
- Coastal Carolina host three Power Five opponents to open the season (Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina)
- James Madison at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational (vs. No 17 Missouri)
- West Virginia at Old Dominion
- Troy at the Samford Invitational (vs. Geogia); also plays at Auburn
To see the update conference standings and more news, click here.
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