With their sights again set not on getting to the NAIA Division I tournaments but advancing far there, the Lee University basketball teams begin their seasons with homecoming games today. The Lady Flames, 25-7 last season, open at noon against a Tennessee Wesleyan team that went 30-4 and won 22 games in a row before losing in the second round of the NAIA Division II tournament. Jeff Rice’s Lady Bulldogs still have a 22-game win streak against league opponents and are favored to win the Appalachian Athletic Conference again with seniors Leah Frazier, Candace Cain and Rochelle Davidson and other high-contribution returners including Heather Gibson and Cody Houck. Lee women’s coach Marty Rowe lost a 2,216-point career scorer and a two-sport NAIA final four participant but expects solid leadership from seniors Angela Spann and Kally Eldridge and sophomore point guard Hollie German. Eight other returners played varying amounts in 2010-11, and Jenna Adams from McMinn Central and Jordan Neuharth from Walker Valley are freshmen expected to help right away. Lee men’s coach Tommy Brown lost the Southern States Athletic Conference player of the year and four other 2010-11 seniors, but Johnny Godette is back after averaging nine points and six rebounds a game and leading the 23-9 Flames with 16 points in their final loss, and juniors Brice Sharp and Patrick Shaughnessy got nine and 12 starts at guard and inside, respectively, and are counted on for more this season. The 11 new Flames include senior NCAA Division I transfers Tyrone Caldwell (Austin Peay) and Josh Henley (Gardner-Webb) and junior college transfers Alex Wells (Chattanooga State), Duran Blue and Dorian Smith. Chad Lee from McCallie and Cory Billingsley from Sweetwater are key freshmen.
Wrestling
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga lost its season-opening wrestling match Friday evening at Maclellan Gymnasium, 31-9 to Old Dominion. Brandon Wright’s 3-2 decision at 165 pounds and Niko Brown’s pin at 197 were the only points for the Mocs, who lost three one-point decisions. “They out-hand-fought us, they rode us out, and that can’t happen,” UTC coach Heath Eslinger said. “The good thing is that it is early. We have a lot of time.”
Volleyball
• GREENSBORO, N.C. — The UNC Greensboro volleyball team defeated UTC 26-24, 25-20, 25-15 in a Southern Conference match Friday night. Heather Parman and Jennifer Kuroski led UTC (5-23, 3-10) with 11 kills apiece, while Bridget Camacho had 21 assists and Melissa Green had 17 digs.