Sun Belt student-athletes are making their mark on the national scene
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. 21st.
Men’s Soccer
Sun Belt play started last weekend, with all four teams currently ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 winning their conference openers. South Carolina and Georgia State played to a 2-2 draw. Teams then wrapped up nonconference play with several ranked matchups.
In a battle of top-10 teams, No. 10 West Virginia hosted No. 9 High Point in Morgantown. It was the first meeting between the programs since 2014, with West Virginia leading the overall series 2-0-1 since 2002. The Panthers dominated the first half, taking a 2-1 lead despite only six shots attempts compared to 11 for the Mountaineers. Pablo Pozos netted the equalizer in the 71st minute for his eighth goal of the season, helping West Virginia avoid just its second loss of the year.
The Bluegrass rivalry added another chapter, but No. 22 Kentucky did not get the result it wanted. After a defensive first half, Louisville opened the scoring in the 47th minute. Back-to-back goals by Alex Ruiz and Isiah Chisolm gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute, but the Cardinals equalized in the 89th minute to force a 2-2 draw. It marked the first draw in the rivalry since 2017. Kentucky now leads the all-time series 18-16-6.
No. 4 Marshall traveled to Richmond to face VCU, which is just outside the Top 25. The teams have met in four straight seasons, with Marshall winning the last four meetings to take a 5-4 series lead. Joao Roberto tied the match with his third goal of the season just before halftime. Takahiro Fujita gave the Herd a 2-1 lead in the 51st minute, but VCU responded in the 59th to secure a 2-2 draw — the first draw in the series.
In the latest United Soccer Coaches released on Sept. 23, Marshall rose two spots to No. 4. West Virginia climbed to No. 10, while Kentucky jumped four spots to No. 18. Georgia Southern cracked the top 20, moving up five spots to No. 19.
This week’s Sun Belt Player of the Weeks honors both went to players from Georgia. Georgia State’s Matt Taylor earned Offensive Player of the Week after scoring the game-winning score against UAB and recording a goal and assist against South Carolina. Georgia Southern’s Toby Nevile claimed Defensive Player of the Week after played all 90 minutes in wins over Jacksonville and Old Dominion.
Top Games for the Week Ending Oct. 2:
- No. 4 Marshall at No. 19 Georgia Southern
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Women’s Soccer
With conference play in full swing, teams are beginning to separate from the pack. South Alabama is one of them, starting 3-0 in conference action. Only Coastal Carolina has scored against the Jaguars in that stretch — a 4-1 South Alabama win. The Jaguars also secured their fifth shutout of the season with a 4-0 victory over Southern Miss. ULM and Texas State sit two points back with identical 2-0-1 records, having played to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 13.
In the East Division, Old Dominion leads a tight four-team race with 1-0-2 record, one point ahead of Marshall and James Madison. Georgia State, at 2-1 in conference play, technically sits a point ahead of ODU, but one of their wins came against Southern Miss and does not count towards the division standings.
ULM’s Skylar Blaise was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after scoring two goals and adding an assist in two victories, including the game-winner against Arkansas State. Texas State goalkeeper Brooklyn Escobar earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording her first two collegiate shutouts in wins over Troy and Georgia Southern.
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Volleyball
In the final weekend of nonconference play, one Sun Belt team took on two Power Five opponents, while two others earned notable wins over ACC teams.
Texas State traveled to Palo Alto, California, for the Stanford Invitational, hosted by the No. 4 Cardinal. The Bobcats opened with a 3-1 loss to UCLA — a team received votes in the Sept. 16 poll — and narrowly lost the fourth set 28-26. Anna Blaine led all players with 41 assists. On Saturday, Stanford swept Texas State 3-0, capitalizing on 21 Bobcats errors. Texas State rebounded with a 3-1 victory over Hawaii to close the tournament.
App State hosted the Mountaineer Classic, defeating Davidson and earning a historic 3-1 victory over in-state rival Duke — their first win over the Blue Devils since Nov. 3, 1981. App State snapped a nine-match losing streak in the series.
Old Dominion traveled to the VCU Invitational, opening with back-to-back 3-1 losses to VCU and Wake Forest. On Sunday, the Monarchs ended a seven-match losing streak against the ACC by defeated NC State 3-2. It was just their fourth win over a Power Five program since the program began in 2021.
Arkansas State earned two of the three Sun Belt Player of the Week honors. Daedrianna Cali was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Haley Glunz earned Defensive Player of the Week after the Red Wolves swept the Razorback Invitational. Marshall’s Bella Thompson was named Setter of the Week after recording 124 assists during a 2-1 showing at the Wofford Invitational.
Top Games for the Week Ending Oct. 2:
- ULM at Southern Miss
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Cross Country
Coastal Carolina hosted the Chanticleer Challenge last weekend and finished second in both the men’s and women’s teams standings behind Richmond. Junior Adam Groves won the men’s 8,000-meter by nearly 20 seconds. Addison Laughlin led the Chanticleer women with a fifth-place finish in the 5,000-meter. Both runners earned Sun Belt Runner of the Week honors. All six of Coastal’s top individual performances this season came at the event.
Arkansas State was the only other Sun Belt program competing last week, winning both men’s and women’s races at the Rhodes College Invitational. Carlo Martinez-Jaramillo placed fifth in the men’s 8,000-meters, while Devyn O’Daniel finished fourth in the women’s 5,000-meters.
To see the update Sun Belt conference standings and more news, click here.
Golf
Several Sun Belt programs competed in tournaments across the country.
Southern Miss traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, where their men’s team won the Badger Invitational by 10-strokes with a score of 23-under par. Benjamin Fernandez led the Eagles with a 9-under par score, tying for third overall.
Four schools participated in the Sandestin Collegiate Classic in Destin, Florida. ULM had the best finish, tying for second with 16-under-par. Amilkar Bhana led all Sun Belt golfers, tying for fourth at 8-under.
Georgia State’s women’s team traveled to Canton, Massachusetts, for the Red Bandana Tournament, finishing fifth with a 59-over par. Lindsey Pak tied for 17th at 12-over-par. It was a challenging course, as no team or individual finished under par.
Women’s Field Hockey
In Big East play, Old Dominion improved to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play with a 2-0 win over Providence. Both goals came in the first half, and the Monarchs held off six Friar penalty corners in the second to preserve the shutout. ODU hosts Quinnipiac and Michigan this weekend.
Appalachian State and James Madison both went 2-0 last week. The Dukes opened MAC play with a 5-2 win over Central Michigan, while App State defeated Ohio 5-3. On Sunday, the Mountaineers cruised past Vermont 7-1, while JMU earned a 3-1 road win over Michigan.
Molly Schreiner was named last week’s MAC Goalkeeper of the Week after allowing just three goals across two matches. The redshirt sophomore anchored the Dukes’ defense in both wins.
To see the update conference standings and more news, visit the Big East page here or the MAC page here.
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