Sun Belt Olympic Sports Update
While football took center stage this past weekend, 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 Sept. 7th
Men’s Soccer
While most of the league played opponents from low-major conferences or unranked Big East teams, Marshall continued its challenging nonconference schedule with a second game against a ranked opponent.
This time, the Thundering Herd traveled to High Point, North Carolina, to face off against the Panthers. Thiago Apolinario scored his first two career goals in two seasons to pull Marshall ahead 2-1, but High Point equalized in the 87th minute to end the match in a 2-2 draw.
LET’S GOOOOOO 👊#WeAreMarshall pic.twitter.com/VANAWyrNnj
— Marshall University Men’s Soccer (@HerdMSoccer) September 10, 2025
South Carolina swept the Sun Belt’s weekly awards. Senior Tyler Trimnal was named offensive player of the week, while sophomore Yvan Malarte earned defensive honors. It marked the second straight week a single school swept the awards, following West Virginia’s performance in the Sept. 2 awards.
Another team joined the United Soccer Coaches poll, as Georgia Southern received two votes after a 2-0 victory over Stetson on Sept. 2.
Top Games for the Week Ending Sept. 18:
- South Carolina at No. 11 UNC Greensboro (Sept. 13)
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Women’s Soccer
Heading into the final week of nonconference action before Sun Belt play begins on Sept. 13th, several schools turned in impressive performances against ranked opponents.
Texas State hosted No. 19 Oklahoma, which entered with an undefeated record. The Sooners struck first in the 22nd minute, but Constance Agyernang scored her fourth goal of the season in the 30th minute to help the Bobcats earn a 1-1 draw. The match grew tense late, with three yellow cards issued in the final 15 minutes of play- two of them to Texas State. It marked the Bobcats’ third consecutive draw against a ranked program dating back to the 2023 season.
Old Dominion faced a ranked team for the first time since falling to No. 1 Duke in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The Monarchs overcame an early deficit with two first-half goals to defeat No. 20 Virginia Tech, snapping a 13-game losing streak against ranked opponents. ODU’s last win over a ranked team came October 29, 2000, when it beat then-No. 25 Richmond in the regular-season finale.
1H: 35:23
Brooke Edwards heads it in to give ODU the lead!#ODUSports | #ReignOn | #Monarchs pic.twitter.com/21yMRRiGe5
— ODU Women’s Soccer (@ODUWomensSoccer) September 4, 2025
Georgia Southern dropped its second game against a Power Five opponent — and fourth straight dating back to 2023 — with a 1-0 defeat to No. 2 Tennessee. The Eagles kept the game close in the first half but allowed nine shots in the second, including the Volunteers’ lone goal in the 50th minute. James Madison allowed eight shots in the second half, falling to No. 23 North Carolina 3-0.
Old Dominion’s Riley Mullen was named offensive player of the week after the junior scored three goals, including the equalizer against Virginia Tech. ULM junior Libby Holmes earned defensive honors, marking the program’s first weekly award since Hailey Hillock received the recognition on Aug. 31, 2021.
Top Games for the Week Ending Sept. 18:
- Louisiana at South Alabama (Sept. 13)
- App State at Old Dominion (Sept. 12)
- James Madison at Old Dominion (Sept. 18)
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Volleyball
Arkansas State hosted then-No. 16 Missouri for back-to-back matches. On Thursday, the Red Wolves won the final two sets to earn a 3-2, marking their first win against an SEC opponent since defeating Ole Miss 3-1 during the opening weekend of the 2024 season. Mia Maloney led all players with 21 digs, while Kaitlin Whitlock notched 19 kills in the upset.
🚨 RED WOLVES GET THE UPSET WIN 🚨@AStateVB defeats No. 16 Missouri, 3-2, for the upset win!#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/j1ARfe2uGc
— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) September 5, 2025
Friday’s match was a back-and-forth battle, with Missouri winning the final set 15-12 to split the two-game series. Devyn Lewis led the Red Wolves with 15 kills, while Erin Madigan had 27 assists.
Texas State hosted No. 11 Arizona State and took a two-set-to one lead, but the Sun Devils rallied to win the final two sets to avoid the upset. Anna Blaine, the Sun Belt Setter of the Week, led all players with 45 assists. The Bobcats lost their second consecutive match against a Power Five opponent, with the last win coming against Oregon State on Sept. 12, 2024.
James Madison junior Kennedy Louisell was named offensive player of the week after leading the Sun Belt in kills (122) and points (131) through two weeks. South Alabama redshirt freshman Alexa Strandberg earned defensive honors with 17 total blocks over the weekend.
Top Games for the Week Ending Sept. 18:
- James Madison at RV Marquette (Sept. 13)
- App State at No. 25 North Carolina (Sept. 16)
- Coastal Carolina at RV Miami (Sept. 18)
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Cross Country
No events were scheduled since last week’s article, but six teams will be participating in four events on Sept. 12:
- Louisiana at the LSU Invitational
- Troy, South Alabama and Marshall at the Southern Showcase (Jacksonville, Alabama)
- Appalachian State at the Virginia Invitational
- Texas State at the UIW Invite (San Antonio, Texas)
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
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