Howard Women's Basketball Releases Stout 2016-17 Schedule

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard University women's basketball team has finalized its schedule for the 2016-17 season, as announced by head coach Ty Grace on Monday. The 28-game slate includes matchups with three teams that made the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

The 2016-17 regular season opens with a seven-game road trip, beginning at Brown on Friday, Nov. 11. The Bison will head to face West Virginia on Nov. 15, who made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Howard will spend the rest of November making stops at Michigan (11/18), Cornell (11/22), Cincinnati (11/26) and St. Francis (N.Y.) (11/30).

After a Dec. 4 game at Robert Morris, the squad will have its 2016-17 home opener on Saturday, Dec. 10 when it welcomes Mount St. Mary's to the Nation's Capital. The Bison travel to NJIT on Dec. 16 before coming back home to face UIC on Dec. 19. The team will have a quick turnaround to play at Fairleigh Dickinson (12/22) then hosts Vermont (12/30) to close out the year and non-conference schedule.

Howard commences Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) action with a showdown against Florida A&M on Jan. 4 in Burr Gymnasium. The Bison will play home-and-home series against Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T, the 2016 MEAC Champion. The rest of the conference schedule will be single-play matchups.

The Bison will play their final home game on Feb. 27 when it battles UMES before closing out the regular season on the road against Delaware State on Mar. 2.

"I felt we did a good job putting together a diverse schedule," said Ty Grace. "While we are playing some of the best teams in the country in West Virginia and Michigan, we are also giving ourselves an opportunity to be competitive and pick up some wins in our non-conference action. I think our non-conference schedule will definitely help us prepare for the MEAC season, which I know will be tough once again."

The 2017 MEAC Tournament will be played from Mar. 6-11 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. 

       

Full schedule listed below:

HOWARD BISON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 2016-17 SCHEDULE

DATE	OPPONENT	LOCATION	TIME (ET)
11/11/16	at Brown	Providence, R.I.	TBA
11/15/16	at West Virginia	Morgantown, W. Va.	TBA
11/18/16	at Michigan	Ann Arbor, Mich.	TBA
11/22/16	at Cornell	Ithaca, N.Y.	TBA
11/26/16	at Cincinnati	Cincinnati, Ohio	TBA
11/30/16	at St. Francis (N.Y.)	Brooklyn, N.Y.	TBA
12/4/16	at Robert Morris	Pittsburgh, Pa.	TBA
12/10/16	Mt. St. Mary's	Washington, D.C.	2 p.m.
12/16/16	at NJIT	Newark, N.J.	7 p.m.
12/19/16	UIC	Washington, D.C.	2 p.m.
12/22/16	at Fairleigh Dickinson	Teaneck, N.J.	TBA
12/30/16	Vermont	Washington, D.C.	2 p.m.
1/4/17	FAMU*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
1/14/17	at UMES*	Princess Anne, Md.	TBA
1/16/17	Coppin State*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
1/21/17	at North Carolina A&T*	Greensboro, N.C.	TBA
1/23/17	at North Carolina Central*	Durham, N.C.	TBA
1/28/17	Savannah State*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
1/30/17	S.C. State*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
2/4/17	at FAMU*	Tallahassee, Fla.	TBA
2/6/17	at Bethune-Cookman*	Daytona Beach, Fla.	TBA
2/11/17	at Hampton*	Hampton, Va.	TBA
2/13/17	Morgan State*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
2/18/17	North Carolina A&T*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
2/20/17	North Carolina Central*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
2/25/17	at Norfolk State*	Norfolk, Va.	TBA
2/27/17	UMES*	Washington, D.C.	TBA
3/2/17	at Delaware State*	Dover, Del.	TBA
3/6-11/17	MEAC Tournament	Norfolk, Va.	TBA

Home Games in BOLD

*Denotes MEAC Contest

by Candace Johnson, Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Here's how Southern's Jose De Leon made himself a prized L.A. Dodgers prospect

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma — Jose De Leon knew little to no English. He was a little pudgy — baby fat as some called it — and he was in a new world.

A freshman in his first semester at Southern University in 2010, De Leon was wide-eyed and struggling. Baton Rouge was different from Isabela, Puerto Rico, and he missed his family.

“I was lost,” De Leon said.

Then he stepped into the classroom of an aging history professor who possessed a deep Southern accent. Many students dropped the class, citing an inability to understand the professor.



De Leon moved closer to the front of the room.

“I was going to stay there because if I end up understanding him I could understand anybody,” De Leon said. “By the end of the year I was understanding.”

That was the first sign of what De Leon could do if he applied himself.

Four years later, De Leon became a “teacher’s pet” in a baseball classroom, taking the necessary steps to rise from the 24th-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers to a prized pitching prospect currently in Triple-A Oklahoma City.

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from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU at Coastal Carolina, Game 2 Preseason Pick

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Coastal Carolina is going to score. All of last year there was not a team that seriously slowed their offense. In the three games they lost they scored 21, 25, and 38 points.

The last time FAMU played them in 2014, the Rattlers gave the game away with interceptions and fumbles, but then again causing turnovers is a part of Coastal’s game. This time they will be playing a Carolina team that is ranked 16th in preseason polls.

The biggest advantage that Coastal Carolina will have is a successful offensive scheme they have been using for four years now. They also have solid running backs and big receivers. Coastal will have a new defensive coordinator to try to shore up their defense.



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ASU Up-Tempo Scrimmage Results in Big Plays on Both Sides of Ball

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Junior LENORRIS FOOTMAN threw for two touchdowns and ran for one to highlight the Alcorn State University football Purple vs. Gold preseason scrimmage Saturday in front of a strong turnout at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.

The new scoreboard was officially turned on for the first time and operated for the entire scrimmage. Fans got their first look at instant replays in addition to enhanced video and score content.

The scrimmage featured the entire offense wearing gold, playing against the entire defense wearing purple. A total of six touchdowns and two field goals were registered by the gold after two 15-minute halves.

The fast-tempo game also saw the defense record eight sacks, six pass break-ups and three quarterback-hurries.

Footman ended with 158 yards passing. He split time at quarterback with redshirt-freshman NOAH JOHNSON who also threw for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

The scoring began with a 40-yard field goal by freshman COREY MCCULLOUGH. The first touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from Footman to junior NORLANDO VEALS.

Also catching touchdowns on the day were junior JALEN WALKER and sophomore CORBIN JOHNSON.

The biggest play of the scrimmage came on a 40-yard spurt by junior ARRON BAKER who busted through the middle and could not be caught. Baker finished with 80 yards on seven carries.

Defensively, TERRY WHITTINGTON shined with 6.5 tackles including 3.0 sacks. Junior BRADY SMITH was also all over the field with 7.0 tackles and a pair of pass breakups.

Sophomore LASHAUN EALEY got his hands on the lone interception of the contest in the closing minutes.

On special teams, McCullough and fellow freshman VARRICK DYER JR. split duties between kicking and punting. Dyer drilled a 45-yarder on his lone field goal attempt.

Freshman Tavares Johnson broke-off a pair of big kick returns including a 53-yarder and a 47-yarder. Junior CHARLES HUGHES returned punts, with his longest of the day resulting in a 32-yarder.

Alcorn has two more weeks to prepare for its 2016 season opener as it takes on Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 4 at noon (CT) as part of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on ESPN.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Dr. Darryl A. Pope Named Fort Valley State Director of Athletics

Dr. DARRYL A. POPE

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Following a nationwide search, Fort Valley State University President Paul Jones announces the appointment of Dr. Darryl A. Pope as the university's director of athletics. Pope will join FVSU from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he has served as athletics director since March 2014.

In announcing Pope's hiring, President Jones expressed confidence that FVSU's athletics teams will reach new heights in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and National Collegiate Athletics Association competitions.

"I'm excited about having someone with his extensive background and experience join the Wildcat family. I'm looking forward to his leadership during this exciting time in our university's history," said Jones.

With more than 20 years' experience, Pope has extensive knowledge in leadership and management in intercollegiate sports. His accomplishments include: developing compliance and fundraising programs, writing and managing strategic plans for a progressive and growing athletic program, oversight of facilities and athletic budgets, external relations and game-day management. He also served on the NCAA Peer Review Program, from 2000 to 2011, evaluating Division I institutions for compliance with NCAA guiding principles.

"I'm looking forward to working with the staff and administration at Fort Valley State University. FVSU has potential to make some great strides in athletics that will have a positive impact on the school and community. I enjoy moving programs forward and making a positive difference. I thank Dr. Jones for the opportunity and know that together we are going to do some great things at FVSU," stated Pope.

At FVSU, Pope will oversee 11 intercollegiate sports programs, including football, men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, track and cross country, tennis and softball.

Prior to his 2014 arrival at Lincoln, Pope spent two years as director of athletics and physical activity at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. He also worked in the Department of Athletics at Kennesaw State University and served as associate athletics director for internal affairs. He earned his bachelor's degree in communication management, with a minor in business administration from Howard University, a master's degree in sport administration from Grambling State University in Louisiana, and a doctoral degree in education in sports management and leisure studies from Temple University in Pennsylvania.

Tentatively, Pope begins Sept. 12, 2016.

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alcorn State Braves Unveil Loaded 2016-17 Schedule

LORMAN, Mississippi -- With eight of its 11 non-conference games on the road against bigger schools, the Alcorn State University men's basketball program released its 2016-17 schedule, head coach Montez Robinson announced Friday.

"I'm really excited for the upcoming season. We are going to play a very difficult non-conference slate which will have us well-prepared for conference play," said Robinson, who enters his second year at the helm. "Even our non-Division I games are against quality opponents and we'll have to play our best every night to win."

The Braves open the 2016-17 campaign Friday, Nov. 11, when they travel to Evanston, Ill., to take on Loyola-Chicago. Alcorn will hang around the Midwest a few more days to play at Evansville Monday, Nov. 14.

The home opener will be Friday, Nov. 18, when Selma University comes to town to play inside the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex. The Braves will stay at home to host Blue Mountain Tuesday, Nov. 22. Both games will begin at 7 p.m.

Alcorn will kick-off a big six game road trip starting Sunday, Nov. 27, which will include games at Colorado State, San Francisco, California, Louisiana Tech, Georgia Tech and Grand Canyon. After almost a month away from home, the Braves will play their non-conference finale at home against Rust College at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 22.

Southwestern Athletic Conference action starts Monday, Jan. 2 when the Braves host Texas Southern, followed by Prairie View A&M Wednesday, Jan. 4. SWAC play will feature a double round robin format where all 10 schools play each other twice, home and away, to complete an 18-game conference schedule.

The top-eight teams from the SWAC regular season standings will qualify for the 2017 conference tournament beginning Thursday, March 7. The higher seed will host the first round, and both the semifinals and finals will be held March 10-11 at a neutral site in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center.

Date Time Opponent Location Home / Away Conference Game Location 
1/11/2016 TBA Loyola-Chicago Evanston, Ill. A Evanston, Ill. Fri.
11/14/2016 TBA Evansville Evansville, Ind. A Evansville, Ind. Mon.
11/18/2016 7 p.m. Selma University H Davey L. Whitney Complex Fri.
11/22/2016 7 p.m. Blue Mountain College H Davey L. Whitney Complex Tue.
11/27/2016 TBA Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO A Fort Collins, CO Sun.
11/30/2016 TBA San Francisco San Francisco, Calif. A San Francisco, Calif. Wed.
12/3/2016 TBA California Berkeley, Calif. A Berkeley, Calif. Sat.
12/5/2016 TBA Louisiana Tech Ruston, La. A Ruston, La. Mon.
12/18/2016 TBA Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. A Atlanta, Ga. Sun.
12/20/2016 TBA Grand Canyon Phoenix, Ariz. A Phoenix, Ariz. Tue.
12/22/2016 7 p.m. Rust College H Davey L. Whitney Complex Thu.
1/2/2017 7 p.m. Texas Southern H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon.
1/4/2017 7 p.m. Prairie View A&M H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Wed. 
1/7/2017 TBA Jackson State Jackson, Miss. A Conference Game Jackson, Miss. Sat. 
1/9/2017 TBA Grambling State Grambling, La. A Conference Game Grambling, La. Mon. 
1/14/2017 5:50 p.m. Mississippi Valley State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
1/16/2017 7 p.m. Arkansas-Pine Bluff H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon. 
1/21/2017 TBA Alabama State Montgomery, Ala. A Conference Game Montgomery, Ala. Sat. 
1/23/2017 TBA Alabama A&M Huntsville, Ala. A Conference Game Huntsville, Ala. Mon. 
1/28/2017 5:30 p.m. Southern H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
2/4/2017 5:30 p.m. Jackson State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
2/6/2017 7 p.m. Grambling State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon. 
2/11/2017 TBA Mississippi Valley State Itta Bena, Miss. A Conference Game Itta Bena, Miss. Sat. 
2/13/2017 TBA Arkansas-Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, Ark. A Conference Game Pine Bluff, Ark. Mon. 
2/18/2017 5:30 p.m. Alabama State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
2/20/2017 7 p.m. Alabama A&M H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon. 
2/25/2017 4 p.m. Southern Baton Rouge, La. A Conference Game Baton Rouge, La. Sat. 
3/2/2017 TBA Texas Southern Houston, Texas A Conference Game Houston, Texas Thu. 
3/4/2017 TBA Prairie View A&M Prairie View, Texas A Conference Game Prairie View, Texas Sat. 
SWAC Tournament
3/7-11/2017 TBA TBA TBA N TBA Tue.-Sat. 

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

SCSU's Pitt Promoted to Associate Head Basketball Coach

COACH RIO PITT

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State men’s basketball coach Murray Garvin announced the promotion of assistant Rio Pitt to associate head coach.

Pitt, who is entering his sixth season as a member of the SC State basketball staff, will -- among other duties -- coordinate recruiting and academics for the Bulldogs and also be responsible for developing the SC State post players along with on-the-floor coaching duties.

“Coach Pitt is one of the brightest young coaches that I have had the pleasure to work with over the span of my career on the collegiate level,” said Garvin. “He is hard-working and has demonstrated the characteristics that will one day allow him to run his own program as a head coach.”

Garvin noted, “With the recent departure of Coach Ken Spencer to Fayetteville State University, many wondered who would replace him as my right hand guy. I never had that concern as Rio has demonstrated over the years that he is ready for the responsibility of being second in command.”

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South Carolina State Bulldogs Conduct Second Scrimmage

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- SC State held its second preseason scrimmage Saturday (Aug.20) morning and followed the workout with the annual "Meet the Players Day/Fan Fest," hosted by The STATE Club, the Bulldog booster organization.

The Bulldogs football players along with other sports and coaches were introuduced to SC State supporters and fans.

In the scrimmage, which lasted approximately two hours, the Bulldog coaching staff ran about 82-plays on offense to allow several quarterbacks a chance to lead their units. Several injured Bulldogs didn't participate or saw limited action in today's scrimmage.

Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough, who is entering his 15th season at the helm of the football program, said he saw, in Saturday's scrimmage, some improvements from the first scrimmage but still thinks he team has a long way to go in some areas.

In commenting on the play of the Bulldog offense, Pough said that he was impressed with the way the offense moved the ball down the feel and was able to put the team in scoring position.

The Bulldogs will now turn its focus to preparing for its season-opener against Central Florida on Saturday. Sept. 3 in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Season Tickets are on sale at the Ticket Office for $130.00. Purchase yours today. Single-game tickets bought in advance are Student/Youth: $10.00; General Admission: $30.00: Reserved: $35.00.

For your information, GAME DAY ticket prices as are as follow:
STUDENT/YOUTH (17 and under): $10.00
GENERAL ADMISSION: $35.00
RESERVED: $40.00
HOMECOMING: $40.00 (All Tickets)
PARKING: $15.00 (Anywhere other than in the Game Zone)

For more information about purchasing tickets, visit us at www.scsuathletics.com or call (803) 536-8579 or 1-800-298-9157. For more information on Bulldog football or to schedule player or coaches interviews during the season, contact the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803)536-7060 or by email at KLewis19@scsu.edu.



SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Tiger Camp 2016: Day 15 - Final Scrimmage

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- The final scrimmage of Camp 2016 was opposite of the first encounter. The Tiger defense dominated from the start during the 60-game contest on Saturday evening.

The offense moved down the field on the opening drive with an even mixture of passes and runs, while receiving some assistance from three defensive penalties. But the drive ran into a road block at the 12 yard line. With third and long, O’Shay Ackerman-Carter was intercepted in the end zone by Trevion Duncan to end the initial threat.

Senior cornerback Ezra Robinson followed Duncan’s cue on the very next drive as he picked off a Ronald Butler pass and returned it untouched for a touchdown. The two interceptions set the tone for the remainder of the skirmish.

The defense continued to make big plays as linebacker Antonio Justice helped halt the third drive. The offense tried to get things going attempting to convert on a fourth down play. Justice charged around the left side of the line and elevated to knock down an Ackerman-Carter attempt to end the series in favor of the White shirts.

The defense continued to dominate throughout the evening before the offense mustard up a shortened drive at the end. The Blue squad got on the board as E.J. Junior powered in from the two on the last play of the scrimmage for the only offensive score of the scrimmage.

The Tigers will begin its normal practice schedule this week with the start of classes. TSU will continue to work over the next two weeks in preparation for the season opener on Sept. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Defensive Coordinator, Osita Alaribe
- On the Success of the Defense during Final Scrimmage
“I think the guys did a great job communicating. They had fun today playing together. I think we developed a great chemistry amongst each other today.”

- On the Play of the Secondary
“Our secondary coaches, Ed Sanders and Mikhal Kornegay, have been doing a great job with our secondary. They have the guy’s technically sound and understanding the overall scheme. On the D-line, everything starts with the pass rush. The best pass defense is the pass rush

Junior Linebacker, Chris Collins
- On the Growth during Camp
“I felt like we progressed throughout the whole camp, offensively and defensively. We became closer as a team. We are eliminating a lot of mistakes, but we have to eliminate the stupid penalties. I think we are get a lot better every day. We are not messing up on the same things and I think we are growing up.”

- On the Beginning of Classes
“You have to have a great focus with so many elements added to you with class and people on campus. It is easy to mess up. I was telling the team we need to stay locked in on the vision we have and everything will work itself out."

- On the Start of the Season
“It is real exciting. I am glad camp is over. It was pretty tough, but I feel like it will be worth it in the end. I feel like we are going to have a great season and everyone is ready.”

Redshirt-Sophomore Quarterback, O’Shay Ackerman-Carter
- On the Offense
“I feel like we will be alright going into the season. We have some things to clean up, but we have to weeks and I believe we will it that done.”

- On the Defense
“They just played football. They we were flying around making plays. Big props to them, they were on it today.”

- On the Start of the Season
“We are all excited. Many of us, it is our second year and we know what to expect. The coaches will prepare us and we will just come and play with our A-game.”

Redshirt-Sophomore Defensive Tackle, Terrence Summers
- On the defensive Play
“We played good up front, the linebackers set the edges and the DB’s did their job. It was a good day, a dominating day.”

- On the Start of the Season
“Camp is over, but class and study hall is starting up. We need to stay focused and it will be a great season. This will be my first game ever for TSU. It will be exciting, the crowd will be loud and I’m just ready for it.”



TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU Athletics: Football progress

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s football team held a scrimmage on Saturday, which Overton attended. He said the team looks more competitive than it did last year, though he’ll reserve judgment until the group plays a few games.

Overton was also willing to talk about what the Rattlers might play for in future seasons. FAMU is ineligible for the postseason this year, but Overton said he expects that to change soon.

“We should get it back this next year,” Overton said. “Our numbers are right. As long as our APR numbers continue to trend they way that they are.”

Overton, who was a four-year starter on the offensive line at Oklahoma in the 90s, said he saw explosive plays during Saturday’s scrimmage – something that was missing last year.

“I saw four competitive quarterbacks, which I did not see before,” Overton said. “Last year we didn’t have four competitive quarterbacks. We’ve got some guys this year. Everybody’s pushing each other.”



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FSU Football Should Schedule Game Against Florida A&M In The Future

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- What many people outside of the campus on the other side of Gaines Street from FSU and college football nuts seem to forget is that the Rattlers were the first ever champions of the 1-AA level, defeating UMass for the title in 1978. While the current team is trying to rebuild, it could be argued that they were the best 1-AA program in the mid-1990’s and early-2000’s.

This week, FSU football head coach Jimbo Fisher made it known that he supports the idea of power programs like the Seminoles playing schools at the lower level. Fisher used the classic argument that games like that, while usually not competitive, help the little schools out financially in ways other options couldn’t.

If that’s the case, why not schedule a Capital City showdown between the ‘Noles and the Rattlers?

In 2012, the Seminoles made history by playing a historically black colleges and university team for the first time every, when they shutout Savannah State in a game that was mercifully called due to weather for the visitors. The next year, FSU would play Bethune-Cookman for the first time ever and just the second time against a HBCU opponent.

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Teammates most of their lives, Cole and Proctor have one more turn at HU

HAMPTON, Virginia — To think, it all started 14 years ago with the Hampton Hoyas.

Brendan Cole, a military brat, had just arrived from his father's previous stop in Kansas. Rashawn Proctor, who was born in Japan to Air Force parents, had been in the 757 since he was 7-months-old.

So in 2002, a pair of 8-year-olds became teammates for the first time on a youth basketball team. Their houses were a long touchdown pass apart, their families still attend church together, and it's past the point where one knows everything about the other.

"Everything," said Cole, a junior defensive back. "When we walk into a hotel room, he knows I like to sleep by the AC vent. All that little stuff we just know about each other."

They were teammates in rec league, middle school, and at Bethel High School. There was a two-year gap in which each went his separate way, but in 2013, they were reunited at Hampton University.

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2nd-day split for Nuggets; Tomasoni sets school record

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana split its final two volleyball matches Saturday in the Hotel Indigo at the Alamo Saints Classic, and newcomer Juliana Tomasoni broke the XULA record for kills in a match.
     
The Gold Nuggets (1-3) lost 17-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-12 to NAIA No. 20 Evangel, then — after a 45-minute break — rallied to defeat Tennessee Wesleyan 23-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-17.
     
Tomasoni, a junior and a transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, produced a school-record 25 kills against Evangel and had a career-best 28 digs. Tomasoni had 17 kills, 16 digs and four aces against Tennessee Wesleyan.
     
Freshman setter Tiffany Phillips extended her streak of assist/dig double-doubles to four. Phillips had 43 assists and 17 digs against Evangel and 46 assists and 14 digs against Tennessee Wesleyan.
     
Additional freshman standouts included Hasani Salaam, who had 24 kills and seven blocks in the two matches, and libero Amanda Perry, who had 43 digs, 24 against Evangel. Adili Rikondja had six kills and three blocks in the final match. Taylor Ducros had 15 digs against Evangel.
     
Tomasoni, Salaam and sophomore transfer Monet Fontaine combined for 39 kills and a .492 hitting percentage against Tennessee Wesleyan. Fontaine, a sophomore transfer from NCAA Division I Morgan State, had 15 kills for the day.
     
XULA placed fourth out of five teams. The host, Our Lady of the Lake, led the way with a 4-0 record. Tomasoni led the tournament with 3.4 kills per set and a .333 hitting percentage, and Phillips was tops in assists with 8.9 per set.
     
"We had a great weekend overall," fourth-year XULA coach Hannah Lawing said. "We traveled 10 newcomers, eight freshmen, and I have to say that it surely didn't feel that way. This class of newcomers is exactly who (assistant coach) Hilary (Lobenstein) and I wanted as part of this 2016 team. They are fierce competitors, even more fierce supporters, and they're extremely receptive to their coaches when given feedback.
     
"We did a great job of managing the things within our control. We got our serves in, maintained consistent energy, acted as one cohesive unit and were supportive. We excelled in many areas, but our biggest areas of growth were terminating free balls and overpasses as well as playing with a sense of urgency. Every set we got better at playing like every point was game point."
     
The Gold Nuggets will be return to the road next week for four matches in the STU Invitational at Miami Gardens, Fla. On Friday they'll play the host, St. Thomas, at noon EDT, then play defending Southern States Athletic Conference champion Coastal Georgia at 4 p.m. Saturday opponents will be NAIA No. 2 Missouri Baptist, the national runner-up a year ago, and Indiana Tech.

BOX SCORE 1
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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Video Highlights from NCCU Football Scrimmage

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University held its first scrimmage of the 2016 football preseason camp on Saturday inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

NCCU head coach Jerry Mack said the heat, with temperatures in the mid-90s, tested his team's conditioning, and he'd like to see an increased tempo. Mack did like that both the offense and defense made big, explosive plays.

For highlights of the scrimmage and a full interview with Mack, visit the official YouTube page of NCCU Athletics at https://youtu.be/vbHsWtxbUUo.




NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU: Michael Haywood returns to Houston to rebuild Tigers

HOUSTON, Texas -- Followers of the Texas Southern football program are hoping the hire of a head coach with Houston roots will make the team relevant again.

TSU hasn't had a winning season since 2010 and finished 3-7 (2-7 in the SWAC) in 2015. So Michael Haywood, who was born and raised not far from TSU in South Park, will face some challenges.

"It's a process right now, and we're looking for an exciting year," said Haywood, a product of St. Thomas High School. "We're renovating our facility. … We're going to provide a great opportunity to play great football in Texas."

Haywood, a former head coach at Miami (Ohio) and a former player and offensive coordinator at Notre Dame (2005-08), is replacing Darrell Asberry, who was 12-31 (9-27 SWAC) in his four years directing the Tigers.

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from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU Football Preseason Prediction

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Okay, let’s get right down to it. I am picking FAMU to go 7-4 in 2016. That’s right, for a team that won only one game in 2015 I am picking them to find a way to win 7 games out of 11 in 2016. How?

First, as much as FAMU stumbled the last two seasons, they loss games in both seasons that they could have and should have won. That includes a 2014 loss to Bethune Cookman and a 2015 loss to North Carolina Central.

Second, the MEAC is a conference of extremes. Last year FAMU was one of those teams on the low end of the MEAC spectrum, in the loser’s bracket. Even the best teams in the conference, e.g. North Carolina A&T loss to North Carolina Central last year, have a way of losing when they should not have.

And third, the MEAC is ...



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Gold Nuggets lose twice in Texas to open season

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana opened the 2016 volleyball season Friday with losses to Wayland Baptist and Our Lady of the Lake in the Hotel Indigo at the Alamo Saints Classic.

\The Gold Nuggets lost 25-22, 25-16, 25-23 to Wayland Baptist in the morning, then lost 25-14, 20-25, 25-11, 25-12 to OLLU, the tournament host, in the afternoon. All three teams were NAIA National Championship qualifiers a year ago.

XULA freshman Tiffany Phillips opened her college career with assist/dig double-doubles in both matches. She had 15 assists and 12 digs in the first match and 29 assists and 11 digs in the second.

Other highlights included sophomore newcomer Monet Fontaine's 11 kills and freshman Hasani Salaam's eight kills against OLLU and junior newcomer Juliana Tomasoni's 11 digs in the opener.

Against the Pioneers, the Gold Nuggets used a 9-0 run to take a 16-12 first-set lead. XULA led 18-16 and was tied at 23 in the third set before Wayland Baptist clinched.

Fontaine had five kills and Salaam four in the second set to help the Gold Nuggets even the second match.

Top performers for the opponents were Wayland Baptist's Mallorie Ellis (11 kills, 12 digs) and Elisabeth Pirolo (six aces, 22 assists, 10 digs) and OLLU's Kendall Gross (13 kills, .414 hitting percentage) and Leilani Smith (11 kills, .375). The Pioneers and Saints had cumulative advantages of 90-60 in kills and 20-4 in aces. They outhit the Gold Nuggets .213 to .088.

XULA returns no starters from last season's 19-8 team that repeated as champions of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament. Of the 12 student-athletes who traveled this week, eight were freshmen.

XULA will play twice in this event Saturday — at 11 a.m. against NAIA No. 20 Evangel and 1 p.m. against Tennessee Wesleyan. The Gold Nuggets' home opener will be Sept. 2.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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