SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The top-ranked Lee University volleyball team improved to 36-0 with a 25-22, 27-25, 25-20 win Tuesday over Briar Cliff in pool play in the NAIA national tournament. Arlene Ferreira had another double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs and added three blocks for the Lady Flames, who face Southern Oregon this evening and Embry-Riddle on Thursday night in Pool A. Kayla Carlisle had 10 kills and Valquiria Caboclo recorded eight, including the one ending the second set, on .571 hitting. Christa Hutchison had seven kills, Kelsey Leffew and Gretchen Higdon had 23 and 16 assists with nine digs apiece and Sarah Smith made 11 digs. Lee won without versatile captain Stephanie Todd, who has an ankle injury. Sarah Wieseler hit 12 kills and Erin Frank had 33 assists for Briar Cliff.
Basketball
* SEWANEE, Tenn. – Sophomore Brett Bouldin scored 19 points and Bryan Beviacqua added 12, all of his in the second half, in Sewanee’s 83-60 win over Johnson Bible College in men’s basketball Tuesday night. Anvil Nelson and Lewis Affronti scored 10 apiece for the Tigers (3-1), who shot 32-of-74 from the field despite only 10-of-34 success from 3-point range. The Preachers’ Tyler Griffin scored 20 points.
* ATLANTA – Hannah Lilly scored 14 points and Danielle Landry and Savannah Morgan grabbed 11 and 10 rebounds to lead Emory University over Sewanee in women’s basketball Tuesday. Morgan also had seven assists and four rebounds for the Eagles (3-3). Dee Bradford and Alex Ginsburg scored 12 and 11 points for the Tigers (1-4), and Dani Kabbes and Ginsburg had 13 and nine rebounds.
* FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Cleveland State’s women’s basketball team improved to 8-0 by winning 68-40 over the Emmanuel junior varsity on Tuesday, as Jessica Harper had 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Cleveland State men overcame an eight-point second-half deficit to win 62-59 with Terrell Parks contributing 19 points and four steals.
* Kinsey Galyon scored 17 points as Reinhardt University beat Tennessee Temple 61-51 in women’s basktball Tuesday. Anshel Cooper had 14 points for Temple (1-7), which made only three field goals in the first half. Cherelle James had nine rebounds and Amber Charles had four assists and three steals in defeat.
Softball
* Heritage senior pitcher Marissa Patterson committed to the University of West Georgia this week, becoming the first member of the high school’s successful three-year program earn a scholarship. Patterson led Heritage into the Georgia Class AAA quarterfinals with 21 wins, a 0.76 ERA and 187 strikeouts and just 69 hits allowed in 145 innings pitched. “I think it’s a real good fit for Marissa,” Heritage coach Steve Chattin said of the NCAA Division II school. “They need pitching and she’s a good one. They even asked if she could graduate early and enroll this spring.”
* Three members of the Northwest Whifield High School softball team earned All-Region 7-AAAA honors, led by sophomore pitcher Emily Boyd, who was named the league’s pitcher of the year. Joining her on the first team were outfielder Amy Shampo and shortstop Ashley Conner, while Mykeah Johnson, Hannah Godfrey and Macy Weeks made the second team.
* Carson-Newman College softball coach Vickie Kazee-Hollifield announced Tuesday her three November signees, and one was Ooltewah’s Jessica Morgan, as previously reported. “We are excited about the work we’ve done early in this class with these three players,” Kazee-Hollifield said. “We look for them to make an immediate impact within our program. Along with being outstanding players, they are also quality individuals in the classroom.” Morgan batted .487 with 48 runs scored last season and led the Chattanooga area with 54 stolen bases. She will join two former Lady Owls teammates and three Frost Falcons summer-ball teammates with the Lady Eagles.
FOOTBALL
* Former Southeast Whitfield High School quarterback Tanner McCutchen signed Tuesday to play for Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala., according to Southeast coach David Crane. McCutchen, a three-year starter who graduated last year, did not play football this year after considering several baseball offers. In the 2008 and ’09 seasons he had 3,754 yards and 34 touchdowns as a two-way threat for the Raiders. “It’s really a unique situation,” Crane said. “They had offered him before and I wasn’t sure if the offer would still be there since he took the year off. However, we contacted them and they said they would love to still have him.”