The Lee University volleyball team, which began the season with its highest NAIA ranking ever, raised that again Tuesday to No. 2 in the country behind Fresno Pacific. Then the Lady Flames improved to 15-0 by whipping Southern Wesleyan 25-8, 25-14, 25-21 in Southern States Athletic Conference play at Central, S.C.
Stephanie Todd, Arlene Ferreira, Kayla Carlisle and Irene Ojukwu had eight kills each for Lee, Ojukwu with a .538 hitting percentage, and Ferreira and Lindsay Shein had 10 and eight digs. Setters Kelsey Leffew and Gretchen Higdon had 15 and 14 assists.
At Athens, Tenn., Ashley Sours Hogsett recorded 12 kills on .563 hitting in leading Bryan College to a 25-23, 25-19, 25-9 Appalachian Athletic Conference victory Tuesday night at Tennessee Wesleyan.
Sarah Thacker had 20 assists and Courtney Cotter made 14 digs for Bryan (11-7, 5-2). TWC is 2-9, 1-5.
TWC ties Maryville
The Maryville College soccer teams, coached by former Chattanooga high school coach Pepe Fernandez, couldn’t quite pull off a sweep against Chattanooga-area visitors Tuesday evening.
The Maryville women scored just before halftime and held on to edge Bryan 1-0, dropping the Lady Lions to 7-3 for the season. But the Maryville men’s team had to score two second-half goals to tie Tennessee Wesleyan, where Fernandez is in the hall of fame, 2-2.
Will Watkins and Martyn Freestone scored unassisted goals in the first 11 minutes for TWC (1-4-3). Ryan Radcliffe got the Scots on the board at 70:49, and Ridge Carter equalized from a Tyler Tinker assist at 84:28.
Bryan’s men’s game at Covenant was postponed because of a wet pitch and reset for Nov. 2. Bryan moved up this week to No. 19 in the NAIA soccer coaches’ Top 25 poll.
Lincoln Memorial (w) 2, Tennessee Wesleyan 0: At Athens, Chealsey Baxter made 11 saves for the hosts, but the NCAA Division II team dropped them to 5-4-1. Becky Thompson and Leanne Reid scored the goals, both in the first half.
Lee 2, Mid-Continent 1 (OT): At Cleveland, the Flames won with only 13 healthy players available, on Fernando Barriga’s unassisted goal 4:30 into extra time. Juan Sebastian Lara scored from a Chevon Roberts assist at 11:05 for Lee (4-5-2), and Keagan Bacchus equalized six minutes later. Benjamin Perez made seven saves for the Flames, who outshot MCC 17-13.