Kendra Mueller scored the tying goal at 86:48 for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in its soccer season opener Friday against visiting Austin Peay, and the match wound up a 1-1 draw after two overtime periods. Katie Kenwardgave the Governors a lead from an Ashley Whittaker assist just 8:34 into the game. UTC was outshot 10-6 but was even at 5-5 in shots on goal and had a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Fishing
» Michael Neal will be one of the 10 anglers in the championship round Sunday of Major League Fishing's season-ending Bass Pro Tour Redcrest tournament on the Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wisconsin, but fellow Dayton resident Andy Morgan and Harrison's Jacob Wheeler were knocked out Friday. Another 10 will try today for the final five spots. Neal was second to Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Alabama, in total catch Friday with 60 pounds, 4 ounces on a round-high 42 bass; Vinson's 40 weighed 63-10. Morgan and Wheeler were ninth and 10th with 30-11 and 30-8 on 16 and 17 fish.
» Gary Clouse of Winchester, Tennessee, finished 44th with 30 pounds, 12 ounces for two days in the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on Cayuga Lake in New York. He received $2,500. Led by Ontario resident Jeff Gustafson at 49-1, the top 35 were to go back on the lake this morning.
Volleyball
» The Bryan College volleyball team downed Cincinnati Christian 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-15) but lost 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-16) to Judson University on Friday in Michigan-Dearborn's Early Bird Classic. In the season-opening win for Bryan, Paige Randolph had eight kills and Gigi Ford and Anna Owens seven apiece, Ford with 10 digs, while Jaleigh Rogan contributed 15 assists and Rheagan Kean had 17 digs. Against Judson, Kean had 25 digs, Rogan 17 and Ford 15, Rogan and Sidney Pierce had 11 and 10 assists and Owens had nine kills.
» Covenant College was predicted this week to win the West Division volleyball championship in the USA South for the fifth year in a row. The Scots of seventh-year head coach Joanna Ehman went 12-2 in league play in the 2018 regular season and return four starters, including all-division selections Alexa Spurling and Emily Moore. Covenant, which has a 49-8 USAS record the last four years, got five first-place votes and 46 poll points. Huntingdon was picked second with two firsts and 42 points, and Maryville was third with one first and 38. Defending conference tournament champion Meredith led the East Division voting with seven firsts and 63 points.
Cross Country
» Led by 2018 runners of the year Christian Noble and Chloe Flora and a bunch of other strong returners, the Lee University cross country teams coached by Caleb Morgan are overwhelming favorites to win the Gulf South Conference again this fall. The Lady Flames, who will be seeking their third consecutive GSC championship, got all 12 possible first-place votes in the coaches' poll, and Morgan's men got 10 of a possible 11 after taking the last four titles. Alabama-Huntsville was second in the men's poll with Mississippi College third and Montevallo fourth. UAH and Montevallo were second and fourth in the women's predictions as well, with Union University third.
» Cleveland State alumna Whitney McConnell was honored Thursday before the school's volleyball match for having the highest grade point average of any TCCAA women's cross country runner in the 2018-19 school year. McConnell, who now attends UTC, was the first runner signed in the Cleveland State program's history. "Whitney is an incredible young lady," coach David Kyle said. "I watched her run most of her young life at local meets and road races. She worked hard for two years running and in the classroom. She led by example and was a vital part of building our program to what I want here. A great student-athlete." Kyle's teams are running this morning in the Race To Achieve 5K at Tinsley Park in Cleveland as a warm-up for their season-opening meet at Covenant next Friday.