Land O' Lakes, Florida -- Bishop McLaughlin senior volleyball player Jessica Johnson has verbally committed to Norfolk State, Hurricanes coach Douglas Chinchar said Tuesday.
Johnson visited the MEAC school in Virginia over the weekend. She plans to sign in the early signing period next month, when she would become the first volleyball player in Bishop history to sign with a Division I program, Chinchar said. She also made an official visit to Maryland Eastern Shore.
Johnson, an outside hitter, is among the North Suncoast’s leaders in aces (1.4 per game) and kills (5.1 per game). She has 995 kills in her high school career and will likely record her 1,000th this week.
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Tuesday, October 18, 2011
SCSU Bulldogs, FAMU Rattlers alike, Pough says
Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Winning two straight games and climbing over the .500 mark for the first time all season is a positive in South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough's book.
It does not necessary mean in his eyes, however, the Bulldogs have "turned a corner" into becoming a complete Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship contender. On Monday, Pough said the team remains a work in progress although he believes a home win Saturday over Florida A&M would bring them a step closer towards becoming what he envisioned in the preseason.
"I think the jury is probably still out," he said. "We don't necessarily have the confidence to really say that we've got it pretty much on track. I can tell you though is that I think I see that happening. We need another win or two as this week will go big in that direction of trying to make that determination."
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It does not necessary mean in his eyes, however, the Bulldogs have "turned a corner" into becoming a complete Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship contender. On Monday, Pough said the team remains a work in progress although he believes a home win Saturday over Florida A&M would bring them a step closer towards becoming what he envisioned in the preseason.
"I think the jury is probably still out," he said. "We don't necessarily have the confidence to really say that we've got it pretty much on track. I can tell you though is that I think I see that happening. We need another win or two as this week will go big in that direction of trying to make that determination."
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Streaking Xavier Gold Nuggets picked to win another GCAC title
NEW ORLEANS — No surprise here. Xavier University of Louisiana, winner of its past 29 games against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents, was picked first again in the preseason coaches poll.The Gold Nuggets received seven first-place votes and 49 points. SUNO received the other first-place vote and tied with Tougaloo for second place with 37 points.
It's the ninth time in 10 seasons that the Nuggets finished in the top two of the coaches poll.
Xavier hasn't lost to a GCAC team since a 59-56 decision at LSU-Shreveport in the semifinals of the conference tournament on March 6, 2009. The Gold Nuggets went 18-0 in the GCAC regular season and 3-0 in the tournament in 2009-10, then 6-0 in the regular season and 2-0 in the tournament this past year.LSUS no longer is in the GCAC, but the conference expanded from six to eight teams during the summer by adding Philander Smith and Talladega. All teams will play a double round-robin schedule of 14 games.
Keldra Hall, Jazmoné Kelly and Brandi Young, all seniors, are returning starters for Xavier, which will travel to SEC member LSU for a 7 p.m. exhibition on Nov. 2, then open the regular season at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 against Florida Memorial at The Barn. Hall and Kelly were All-GCAC this past season, and Young was All-GCAC Tournament. Hall was GCAC Newcomer of the Year.
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By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
Bulldogs’ basketball team full of excitement as practice begins
Orangeburg, South Carolina - The first official practice for men's basketball Saturday morning at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center marked an end and a beginning for South Carolina State.As far as the players and head coach Tim Carter are concerned, the book on last year's 10-22 season was officially closed and they're determined to focus on producing a more successful account.
"Don't talk about it," Carter said. "I mean, that's a word we don't even say ‘last year' because it doesn't matter what happened last year other than you don't want it to happen again." "We've got that bad taste in our mouth from last year," point guard Khalif Toombs said. "We're ready to get that out and have a good season."
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Grambling breathing easier after win
Grambling, Louisiana - Monday provided Grambling its first chance since early September to start a new week of meetings and practice on a positive note."It's cured the cold so far," Doug Williams said Monday about beating Concordia, 44-0. "I think not only for the players, but for the coaches. In meetings (Monday) morning, you could feel in the room that it's a better atmosphere when you win, no matter who you play, and hopefully it's contagious not only from the coaches' standpoint but all the way down to the players and the fans."
But much of the coach's comments about his team and its status midway through the season remained similar to those that had followed four consecutive losses.
"You've got a chance to smile a little more because you've got a 'W' up under your belt," he said...
XU's Gold Rush picked for second in GCAC preseason poll
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, which returns nine of 11 lettermen and four starters from its 27-6 men's basketball team of this past season, is picked to finish second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in 2011-12.
The Gold Rush received one first-place vote and 43 points in a poll of the GCAC's head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team. Tougaloo topped the poll with 49 points and received the other seven first-place votes.
Four points separated the third- through seventh-place teams.
The GCAC expanded during the summer from six to eight teams with the addition of Philander Smith and Talladega. Unlike last season, all GCAC teams will play a double round-robin schedule, with the conference awarding regular-season and tournament championships. Tougaloo defeated Xavier 93-80 in overtime to win the GCAC Tournament in March.
Xavier's returning starters are guards Chris Iles and Kevin Miller and forwards Anthony Simmons and Denzell Erves. Simmons was All-GCAC this past season, and Iles led the conference in assists per game. They helped Xavier win its first 13 games for the first time since 1940-41 and record a school-record-tying 11th consecutive winning season.
The XU men will open their 74th season at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2 at The Barn against Carver College of Atlanta.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
The Gold Rush received one first-place vote and 43 points in a poll of the GCAC's head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team. Tougaloo topped the poll with 49 points and received the other seven first-place votes.
Four points separated the third- through seventh-place teams.
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The GCAC expanded during the summer from six to eight teams with the addition of Philander Smith and Talladega. Unlike last season, all GCAC teams will play a double round-robin schedule, with the conference awarding regular-season and tournament championships. Tougaloo defeated Xavier 93-80 in overtime to win the GCAC Tournament in March.
Xavier's returning starters are guards Chris Iles and Kevin Miller and forwards Anthony Simmons and Denzell Erves. Simmons was All-GCAC this past season, and Iles led the conference in assists per game. They helped Xavier win its first 13 games for the first time since 1940-41 and record a school-record-tying 11th consecutive winning season.The XU men will open their 74th season at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2 at The Barn against Carver College of Atlanta.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information DirectorVISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
Mitchell 1-for-2 on late choices
Baton Rouge, Lousiana - In the final moments of Saturday’s 22-21 loss at Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week, Southern coach Stump Mitchell had to make two crucial decisions. One of them was right on the money. One wasn’t.With 2 seconds left, the Jaguars were down by seven points and had the ball at the UAPB 11-yard line. Southern lined up for a play, and UAPB took a timeout - ostensibly to take a longer look at the Jaguars’ offensive formation.
Mitchell then called for a throwback screen to Sylvester Nzekwe, which gave the Jaguars the touchdown they needed. The call, and the players’ execution of it, fooled the defense enough for Nzekwe to beat a lone defender and sneak inside the left pylon.
That, in turn, left Mitchell with another tough decision: Should he go for an all-or-nothing two-point conversion? Or try for the extra point and overtime?
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