The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's golf team begins its season this weekend where it usually does - at The Farm in nearby Rocky Face, Georgia, as part of the ultra-prestigious Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament. The Friday-to-Sunday event includes the Mocs for the 13th year in a row, and they won it in 2008 and were runners-up to Tennessee in 2009. The 2019 field includes Alabama, Charlotte, Clemson, Colorado State, East Tennessee State, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, North Florida, San Francisco, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. UTC's players will be Will Porter and A.J. Lintunen for the third time, Oliver Simonsen for the second and Moritz Lammel and Matt Smith for the first. "It's a good blend of experience and new faces," coach Mark Guhne said in a UTC release. "You're looking at a group that is hungry to get the season started. There is no more special place to begin than at the Carpet Capital. It's a stern test on a great golf course, and the strength of the field is stronger than any event we play except the NCAA Championships."
Football
* Going into its 125th year of football, Sewanee has taken the lead in NCAA Division III in committing fully to the NFL's top-rated helmet manufacturer for the past three years, VICIS. The company agreed in April to work with the school in providing individualized-fit headgear for Tigers players, and Sewanee announced this week a four-year agreement to cover every Tiger with a VICIS helmet. It is the first D-III institution to sign such a deal. "We are fortunate the Sewanee administration and athletic director Mark Webb share the belief in providing the top option in helmets for all of our Sewanee football student-athletes," coach Travis Rundle said in the school's release. "The process of making this transition went smoothly with VICIS, as they made multiple trips to Sewanee to provide each student-athlete with a custom fit. Our players, parents, coaching staff and administration cannot wait to strap up the 2019 season and beyond with VICIS." Sewanee tested the helmets last season with the Tigers' William Phillips and Jo Jo Matlock, and both gave excellent reviews on the customized headwear, according to the release. "The University of the South has shown great leadership through its commitment to player protection," said Dave Marver, the VICIS co-founder and CEO. "We are proud to help Coach Rundle and the Sewanee Tigers protect their athletes." Sewanee begins the 2019 season Saturday at 2 p.m. EDT at home against Southwestern of Texas. The Tigers' Hardee-McGee Field is the oldest college football venue in the South.
Volleyball
* Bryan College junior Rheagan Kean from Chattanooga was selected the Appalachian Athletic Conference volleyball defender of the week, and Milligan senior Kellee Geren from Cleveland was the setter of the week. Their teams open AAC play against each other Thursday night at 6:30 in Bryan's Summers Gymnasium. Last weekend, Kean had 86 digs in 15 sets as the Lady Lions went 3-1 in their Bryan Bash, including 37 in a 3-2 loss to Faulkner and 27 against Johnson and Wales of Florida. She also totaled 11 assists. Geren had 145 assists in 15 sets (9.73 per set) with 52 in one 3-2 win, and she added 22 digs. She made the Milligan Mountain Madness all-tournament team.
Soccer
* Tennessee Wesleyan junior Chloe Rootes from Australia was chosen the AAC women's soccer offensive player of the week for her two goals in a 4-0 win over Dalton State.
* The Sewanee and Covenant women's soccer teams played to a 1-1 draw through two overtime periods Wednesday night at Sewanee, leaving both with 0-1-1 records. Kyra Duble scored from a Paige Simons pass in the 31st minute and Lucy Sandhoff made six saves for the visiting Lady Scots, but Addie Roemerhauser equalized from Olivia Rhodes' assist in the 83rd minute. Hanna Judycki had four saves for the Tigers, who had margins of 14-10 in shots and 7-6 in shots on goal.