Union sports enjoyed a successful weekend that featured the start of ultimate frisbee season, solid finishes by both cross country teams, and a 3-1 showing at the North Alabama Volleyball Tournament.
Cross Country
After sub-par finishes at the Memphis Twilight Classic on September 2, both cross country teams got back on track at the Rhodes College Invitational on Saturday morning.
The men’s team earned sixth place out of 20 teams at the 8K event, marking the team’s second-best finish since the start of last season. Union also got a strong performance from Justine Kipkoech, freshman business major, who came in 6th place with a time of 26:17.
The women’s team looked just as good, placing 7th out of 24 teams and fielding the seventh-best runner in senior Janey Berends.
Berends did not seem concerned about the disappointing start earlier this month.
“Some of our workouts in the last couple of weeks have specifically been geared toward endurance-building, which is typically what we work on at the beginning of the season,” Berends said. “It usually takes a race or two to get into our rhythm.”
Both teams will compete in the Mississippi College Invitational next month before the Gulf South Conference Championships, where the Lady Bulldogs will look to defend their title.
Men’s Soccer
Despite plenty of opportunities in front of the goal, the men’s soccer team could not figure out how to break through Christian Brothers goalkeeper Viktor Hoestbo in a 2-0 loss in Memphis on Sunday.
The Union defense was stout for 65 minutes before fouling Brendan Bennett in the box. Bennett put in his third goal of the year with ease before the Bucs scored again in the 85th minute to put the game away.
Robel Dent, senior sociology major, addressed the offensive woes, but was still optimistic about the rest of the season.
“We have to do a better job taking our chances close to goal,” the Scottish transfer said. “It’s a tough loss now but as always, we will reflect, regroup and move forward and focus on the next game ahead of us.”
The Bulldogs will try to crack the win column for the first time this season when they host the 1-5 Shorter Hawks on Friday.
Volleyball
The Lady Bulldogs’ volleyball team continued its impressive start over the weekend, going 3-1 for a third straight tournament.
The 9-3 start is a whopping five games better than any other start the Lady Bulldogs have had since moving up to NCAA Division II. Katie O’Malley, sophomore exercise science major, attributes the team’s success to a more team-oriented mindset than in seasons past.
“Last year we were just teammates… [this year] we are a family,” O’Malley said. “Each player is so selfless and wants what’s best for the team whether that means they are cheering on the sideline or they are serving match point.”
“This team plays for each other not with each other,” head coach Darrin McClure said.
Union will open conference play at Christian Brothers on Tuesday before heading home for weekend matches against Shorter and Lee.
“The conference schedule is like starting a second season,” McClure said. “All our conference opponents are going to be eager for wins.”
Ultimate Frisbee
The Union Jaxx opened their season with a successful 4-2 tournament over the weekend in their first season under new captain Daniel Yurov, sophomore marketing major.
The team opened the tournament with a one-score loss to Virginia Tech, but was able to reel off three straight wins against Berea College and in-state rivals Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
The Jaxx also opened the second day with a one-point loss to a good program in Kentucky, but then again bounced back to win their only other game of the day against a fellow Gulf South school in Lee.
This should be an exciting year for the Jaxx, as they have a dozen rookies on the squad, all of whom should only get better after one tournament under their belts.
“For some of [the rookies], it was their first real time playing Ultimate,” Yurov said. “I expected them to come out with a lot of energy and they definitely did.”
The Jaxx will host Murray State in their home opener during family weekend.
“Sidelines are an indispensable part of our game and it’ll be absolutely incredible to have our fellow Bulldogs cheering us on,” Yurov said. “Tell everybody you know, and we’ll see you on [September] 30.”
The volleyball team and both the men’s and women’s soccer teams will host conference foes Shorter and Lee this weekend. Check http://www.uuathletics.com/calendar.aspx for times and dates for all six games.
