Albany State Golden Rams Football Climb In Regional Rankings

ALBANY, Georgia – Albany State University's six-game win streak has not only locked up the SIAC Eastern Division title, but has claimed a Top 10 ranking for the Golden Rams in both the NCAA Division II Super Region Two Regional Rankings and the BOXTOROW HBCU Football Media Top 10 Poll.

After making their debut in Super Region rankings last week, Albany State (6-3) climbed to No. 7 in this week's poll. ASU made its debut this week at No. 10 in the BOXTOROW HBCU Media Poll behind Morehouse.

The Golden Rams' climb comes after a 21-0 shutout on the road at Benedict College on Oct. 26, the Rams' first shutout since a 38-0 homecoming win over Morehouse in 2015.

In Super Region Two, ASU's six-game win streak is the fourth-longest active streak among teams in the poll. Top-ranked West Georgia (9-0) and second-ranked Valdosta State (8-0) remain undefeated, including wins over Albany State. Lenoir-Rhyne (8-1) is ranked No. 3 in the region and is riding an eight-game win streak since losing in Week 1 to West Alabama (6-3), who is ranked No. 5 in the current region poll behind Bowie State (6-1). Florida Tech (6-3) is the other team ahead of the Golden Rams.

ASU's only other loss this season came in Week 2 in a non-conference against Tuskegee University, which sits tied with Miles College for the lead in the SIAC Western Division entering the final regular season week. Miles and Tuskegee meet Nov. 3 to decide the West champion and right to host the SIAC Championship game on Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET.

This Saturday, Nov. 3, Albany State will travel to Columbus, Georgia to meet Fort Valley State University in the 29th Annual Fountain City Classic at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is 2 p.m. ET.

CLICK HERE for tickets and more information on this year's Fountain City Classic.
 
For more information on the 2018 SIAC football championship, click here.

NCAA Super Region Two Rankings                         
1          West Ga.         9-0       9-0
2          Valdosta St.     8-0       8-0
3          Lenoir-Rhyne   8-1       8-1
4          Bowie St.         6-1       7-1
5          West Ala.        6-3       6-3
6          Florida Tech    6-3       6-3
7          Albany State   6-3       6-3
8          West Florida   5-2       5-3
9          Wingate          6-3       6-3
10        Fayetteville St. 6-1       6-1


2018 BOXTOROW HBCU Media Top 10 Poll
Week 9
(Records through October 27, 2018)
 

No.	Team	W-L	Pts.	Last Week
1	Florida A&M (15)	6-2	159	1
2	North Carolina A&T	6-2	138	2
3	Alcorn State (1)	7-2	133	3
4	Bowie State	7-2	89	6
5	Southern	5-3	67	9
T-6	Tennessee State	3-3	63	5
T-6	Grambling	4-4	63	7
T-8	Fayetteville State	6-1	35	NR
T-8	Morehouse	7-2	35	4
10	Albany State	6-3	27	NR

 
Other receiving votes: Virginia Union (6-2) 18, Prairie View A&M (3-5) 15, Langston (7-1) 11, Tuskegee (5-4) 8, Alabama A&M (4-4) 6, Benedict (5-3) 5, Howard (3-4) 4, Hampton (4-3) 2.

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN RAMS SPORTS INFORMATION

ASU Baseball Hires Grant Reynolds as Assistant Coach

ALBANY, Georgia -- Former two-time Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Grant Reynolds has returned to the state Georgia and college coaching as the new assistant coach for Albany State University baseball, head coach Scott Hemmings announced. Reynolds will serve as pitching coach for the defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) champion Golden Rams.

"We were lucky to find someone with such an impressive resume as Coach Reynolds with it being so late in the summer. Coach Reynolds brings an unbelievable playing resume both at the college level and professional level as well as having both head and assistant coaching experience. He also brings in a large network for our recruiting with the number of contacts both here in the states and in Australia," Hemmings said. "Coach Reynolds has added a lot of value to our program and I have seen an immediate impact with our pitching staff and their overall development in the four weeks that he has been here."

Reynolds comes to ASU from Caledonia High School in Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he served as an assistant coach in 2018. He stepped away from the college game in 2015, resigning as head coach of Ohio Christian University after the birth of his twin daughters.

Prior to Ohio Christian, in addition to some high school and private coaching, Reynolds spent time as a pitching coach at Wheaton College in Illinois in 2011, helping guide the pitching staff lower its ERA by more than a run from the year before and striking out more than 200 hitters. He also served as assistant at NAIA program Davenport University in Michigan for one season. Other high school coaching experiences include Lemon Bay High School (Fla.) and The Seven Hills School (Ohio).

A naive of Sydney, Australia, Reynolds came to the U.S. in 2000 to play for Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama, after graduating from Girraween High School in 1997. At WSCC, he struck out a school single-game record 17 batters in 2001 and posted a 9-1 record for the season with a 0.97 ERA to be named AJCCC MVP and an NJCAA All-American.

Reynolds moved to Georgia the following year to play for then-NCAA DII program Kennesaw State University, where he once again broke the single-game record for strikeouts in a game (18), and then again with 19 in 2003, which tied the Peach Belt Conference record and earned him National PLayer of the Wek honors. His 134 Ks in 103 innings was also a school record. A five-time Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week, Reynolds was twice named the PBC Pitcher of the YEar and earned South Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year honors and All-America status as a junior and senior. KSU honored his career with induction into the Kennesaw State University Hall of Fame in 2014.

During the summer of 2002, he set the New England Collegiate Baseball LEague season record with a 0.46 ERA and earned Top Pitcher and Top Pro-Prospect honors in the league.

From KSU, he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the ninth round of the 2003 MLB Draft and spent three years in the minors before being released in 2003 due to injuries, including Tommy John Surgery.

Reynolds completed his bachelor of science in health and physical education at Kennesaw State University in 2006 and earned a master of arts in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University Irvine (Calif.) in 2015. He is currently working on his master of science in coaching and exercise science at Concordia-Irvine, which is set to complete in 2019.

He and his wife, Erin, have four daughters, Hannah and Nora (4), Maddy (2) and Claire (1).

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN RAMS SPORTS INFORMATION

Hampton Lady Pirates Sweep Battle Of The Bay

Final Score: Hampton 3, Norfolk State 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-16)
 
Location: Hampton, Va.
 
Records: Hampton – 8-15, Norfolk State – 3-15
 
The Short Story: Hampton swept Norfolk State in the Battle of the Bay Tuesday night. It was the first sweep for the Lady Pirates since defeating South Carolina State on September 7.
 
BEHIND THE NUMBERS

• Hampton has defeated Norfolk State in each of the previous four matchups, improving the Lady Pirates' all-time record to 66-20 over the Spartans.
• Megann Delgado led the Lady Pirates with 12 kills and 19 digs.
• Hampton outhit Norfolk State .290 to .074, buoyed by a third set that saw the Lady Pirates hit .500.
• Norfolk State held a 9-4 edge in blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Hampton led the duration of the first set with the latest tie coming at 2-2.
• Norfolk State rallied at the beginning of the second set, jumping out to an 8-1 lead. The Lady Pirates bounced back with a 16-6 run to take their first lead, 17-16. The hosts would lead the remainder of the set. Victoria Jenifer jumpstarted the run with three-straight kills to start the spurt. She registered five kills in the run.
• Hampton was the one to jump out to the early lead in the third set, scoring the first five points before taking a 9-3 edge. Norfolk State scored five in a row to pull within one point, but the Lady Pirates rebounded on a kill from Delgado and a pair of kills from Isis Black to extend the lead back to four.  Norfolk State got no closer than two the rest of the way.

WHAT'S NEXT
Hampton travels to UNC Asheville (11-11/6-6) on Friday for a 6 p.m. Big South contest.
 
For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5811 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

MEAC Announces Weekly Bowling Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia — Delaware State junior Aleixis Neuer and North Carolina A&T State junior Tyra Merritt were named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Co-Bowlers of the Week, the conference office announced today.

Neuer (Jr., Lewisburg, Pa.) was the top individual, earning tournament MVP honors at the Caldwell Cougar Classic this past weekend, posting an average of 202.67 in traditional play. She led Delaware State to a third-place finish in the tournament, bowling three 200 games over the weekend, including a 235 against Sacred Heart.


Merritt (Jr., Tampa, Fla.) averaged 208.4 pins in traditional play at the McKendree BearCat Open, the 11th-best average for the weekend. She had three 200 games, helping the Aggies to a fourth-place finish overall a 4-1 mark in traditional play, and she bowled a career-high 249 over the weekend.

Other Top Performers
Paulina Torres (MDES) had the sixth-best individual average at the Caldwell Cougar Classic at 186.3 and bowled a 216 twice.

MEAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

2018 Toyota SWAC Football Championship Game Relocated

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has announced that the upcoming 2018 SWAC Toyota Football Championship game initially scheduled to be played at Legion Field in Birmingham has been relocated.

The title game is now slated to be held at the home venue of the SWAC institution with the highest ranking that qualifies for the championship game. If required, tiebreakers in the league’s constitution and bylaws will be used to determine team rankings heading into the championship game.

“Upon arriving at the conference office in September, it was brought to my attention of a potential scheduling conflict at Legion Field if the University of Alabama at Birmingham was to qualify to host the 2018 Conference USA Football Championship game,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland.

“When the probability to play the SWAC Championship game as part of a doubleheader at Legion Field started to become a reality, we quickly recognized that playing two championship games in one day would not be a viable option. The conference office then began to proactively seek an alternative site for the championship game.”

“The rich tradition and heritage of our conference requires us to showcase its’ unique legacy with this game in a way that allows us to maximize game atmosphere, overall attendance, all while having it featured as the premier attraction. It was clear that sharing the venue with UAB on that day would diminish our attempts at achieving those objectives.”

“After considering many of these critical factors we came to the decision that the best course of action for the league was to move the 2018 SWAC Championship game on campus to the highest-ranking institution that qualifies for the championship game.”

“We would like to congratulate the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers football program on their successful season and we would also like to thank the City of Birmingham for all the hard work and planning that went into hosting the game up to this point.”

As previously announced the 2018 SWAC Championship game will be played on Saturday, December 1st at 3:30 pm (CST). The game is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPNU and will also be available live and on demand on the WatchESPN App.

SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Andrew Gillum Is Ready. Is Florida?

The man hoping to be Florida’s first black governor just wants to get to work

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The street is blocked off south of Bethel A.M.E. Church. Young marching-band members clog the road, reviewing their formations. Majorettes take their final stretches, wearing outfits designed to sparkle in the sun. Band members blow out their last practice notes. There are a few white folks sprinkled throughout the crowd, but approaching the campus, it’s clear that Homecoming Day at Florida A&M University might be the blackest place possible to meet Andrew Gillum.



That makes it the perfect place, really. The man who may soon become Florida’s first African American governor arrived here almost 19 years ago as a freshman, and ended up protesting the state’s governor at the time: Jeb Bush. Gillum was one of the organizers against Bush’s push in 2000 to tier the state university system in a way that would have put FAMU at the bottom, making it a “baccalaureate factory,” as Gillum called it, without graduate programs. Bush did succeed in endIng affirmative action in state college admissions, but Gillum and his fellow Rattlers helped FAMU maintain its master’s and doctorate programs. Now, he is asking Floridians to give him Bush’s old job.

CONTINUE READING

Road To The Championship HBCU Football Schedule, Week 10

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2018

CIAA
Shaw at Saint Augustine's, 1 PM, Raleigh Classic
Livingstone at Johnson C. Smith, 1 PM, Commemorative Classic
Lincoln (PA) at Chowan, 1 PM
Elizabeth City State at Bowie State, 1 PM
Virginia State at Virginia Union, 1 PM
Winston-Salem State at Fayetteville State, 1 PM, TV: Aspire

SIAC
Lane at Central State (OH), 1 PM  VIDEO  LIVE STATS
Tuskegee at Miles, 2 PM,  VIDEO
Morehouse at Clark Atlanta, 2 PM
Benedict at Kentucky State, 2 PM, STATS
Albany State vs. Fort Valley State at Columbus, GA  2 PM  AUDIO

OTHER CONFERENCES
West Virginia State at Urbana, 1 PM, WATCH   LIVE STATS
Lincoln (MO) at Tarleton State, 3 PM, WATCH, LIVE STATS  AUDIO
Texas College at Oklahoma Panhandle State, 3 PM, WATCH   LIVE STATS

BIG SOUTH
Hampton at SUNY Maritime. 1 PM,  VIDEO   LIVE STATS

OVC
Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri State, 2 PM, ESPN+

SWAC
Prairie View A&M at Jackson State, 3 PM, ESPN3
Mississippi Valley State at Grambling State, 3 PM
Texas Southern at Alabama State, 3 PM
Alabama A&M at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 3:30 PM
Alcorn State at New Mexico State, 6 PM   VIDEO   AUDIO  STATS

MEAC
Florida A&M at Howard, 1 PM, ESPN3
Norfolk State at North Carolina A&T State, 1 PM, ESPN3
Savannah State at Delaware State, 2 PM, ESPN3
Edward Waters at North Carolina Central, 2 PM, ESPN3
Bethune-Cookman at Morgan State, 4 PM, ESPN3

GAME TIMES INDICATED IN EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME ZONE



HBCU CONFERENCE LEADERS 10/29/2018

SOONER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SAC)
1. #12 Langston University Lion,  7-0 SAC; 7-1 Overall
2. Oklahoma Panhandle State (OPSU) Aggie, 5-1 SAC; 5-4 Overall
    Scheduled Nov. 10th: "Battle for the Bell," OPSU @ Langston Lions

CENTRAL INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (CIAA)
NORTHERN 
1. Bowie State Bulldogs, 5-1 CIAA; 7-2 Overall
2. Virginia Union Panthers, 5-1 CIAA; 6-2 Overall
3. Virginia State Trojans, 4-2 CIAA; 4-4 Overall
SOUTHERN 
1. Fayetteville State Broncos, 6-0 CIAA; 6-1 Overall
2. Shaw Bears, 3-2 CIAA; 4-4 Overall

SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
EAST
1. Albany State Golden Rams, 5-0 SIAC; 6-3 Overall
2. Morehouse Maroon Tigers, 3-2 SIAC; 7-2 Overall
WEST
1. Tuskegee Golden Tigers, 4-2 SIAC; 5-4 Overall
2. Central State (OH) Marauders, 3-2 SIAC; 4-5 Overall

MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (MEAC)
1. Florida A&M Ratters, 5-0 MEAC; 6-2 Overall
2, North Carolina A&T State Aggies, 3-1 MEAC; 6-2 Overall
3. Howard Bison, 3-2 MEAC; 3-4 Overall
4. South Carolina State Bulldogs, 3-3 MEAC; 3-5 Overall

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SWAC)
EAST
1. Alcorn State Braves, 6-1 SWAC; 7-2 Overall
2. Alabama A&M, 3-2 SWAC; 4-4 Overall
WEST
1. Southern Jaguars, 4-1 SWAC; 5-3 Overall
2. Grambling State Tigers, 3-2 SWAC; 4-4 Overall



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PVAMU TV: It's About Time - President Ruth Simmons

Host, Deandre Nicholson interviews Prairie View A&M University's President, Dr. Ruth Simmons.

SWAC Volleyball Players of the Week: October 30

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has recognized Southern’s Arabella Hall, Alabama State’s Kori Kutsch and Alabama A&M’s Megan Evans and Jaelin Gant as volleyball players of the week for contests played from Oct. 23-29.

SWAC Offensive Player of the Week – Hall was superbly efficient in leading the Jaguars to wins over Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern. The 5’10 junior from San Antonio, Texas hit at a stunning .555 en route to 21 total kills, including a 13-kill effort versus Prairie View. Hall made just one attack error across the two matches.

SWAC Defensive Player of the Week – Gant totaled 20 digs as the Lady Bulldogs pushed aside Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State. She posted 10 digs in each of the matches and also added two blocks against Alcorn State. Gant also factored in offensively with 17 combined kills.

SWAC Co-Setter of the Week – Evans continued to pile up the assist totals, posting 67 combined against Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State. Evans dished out 37 assists against the Devilettes, adding three digs. Versus the Lady Braves, the 6’0 sophomore posted 30 helpers with five digs, three kills, two blocks and two service aces. Evans has cleared 30 assists or more in 10 of her past 11 matches.

SWAC Co-Setter of the Week – Kutsch grabbed 62 total assists in two matches, posting a strong average of 10.3 assists per set. She added two service aces, 17 digs (2.83 per set) and two blocks. The Torrance, Calif. native assisted on 34 kills and chipped in with six digs in Sunday’s victory against MVSU, marking the 16th time this season that Kutsch has surpassed the 30-helper plateau. She recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 28 assists and 11 digs in Monday night’s sweep of Alcorn State.

SWAC Newcomer of the Week – Carter was solid in all phases, posting 19 kills, 17 digs, three total blocks and three service aces as a key contributor during the Jaguars’ victories over Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M. Carter converted on .410 of her attacks, with just three errors in 39 total tries.
Footer.

SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Sports Network: Interim VP Kevin Granger

Howard University Announces Donnie Stith as New Assistant Coach for Women’s Basketball

ASSISTANT COACH DONNIE STITH
HOWARD UJNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Photo Courtesy: Howard University Athletics

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  Howard University women's basketball head coach Ty Grace has announced Donnie Stith as a new assistant coach. "Donnie is a great addition to our staff. His background playing at the Division I collegiate level and overseas will definitely be an asset to our team. He will work with our post players and assist with all the day to day operations of the program," stated Grace.

Prior to Howard, Stith was the head coach at the Boo Williams Summer League in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Before that he was the varsity head coach at Salem High School after receiving a promotion from being the boys varsity assistant coach.

"His experience on the high school and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) level has allowed him to build great relationships, that will help with our recruiting ties throughout the east coast and and other areas. I'm excited for his passion to learn and help develop our student-athletes on and off the court."

Stith has an extensive background playing basketball. In college he was a member of the Tulane University team under the tutelage of head coach Dave Dickerson. His team finished third in the semi-finals of the 2006-2007 Conference USA tournament. Stith appeared in 118 games playing over 2,600 minutes. Ultimately he accumulated over 740 points, 550 rebounds and 141 blocks.

After Tulane he played internationally with the Dornbirn Lions in Austria. There he was on the regional championship team. His last international stint was with the UCD Marian. He led the Irish Superleague club in scoring with 17.8 points per game.

Stith is a 2008 graduate of Tulane University. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts.

About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.

By: Brittany Bell Surratt, Assistant Athletic Director of Media Relations
HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Bissah Repeats as MEAC XC Champion, NSU Spartans Finish as Runnder-Up

SMYRNA, Delaware  –  Norfolk State junior Martha Bissah became the first repeat MEAC women's cross country champion since 2002-03 when she won her second straight conference individual title on Saturday morning, leading the Spartan women to a runner-up finish.

MEAC Women's XC Results

Bissah covered the soggy 5,000-meter championship course in 18 minutes, 2.4 seconds, some 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Emmax Kiplagat of Florida A&M. Bissah was one of four Spartans who earned All-MEAC honors by placing in the top 15, but NSU (44 points) finished just one point behind FAMU (43) in the team standings, as the Rattlers claimed their seventh straight MEAC crown.

Freshman Fridah Koech finishe  d fourth overall to earn her first All-MEAC honor. She ran a time of 19:11.8. Senior Candice Higgins placed ninth to pick up her third straight all-conference award, finishing in a time of 19:42.6. Ashah Koech, Fridah's older sister, recorded her second consecutive All-MEAC finish by placing 14th in 20:03.8. Carolina Samoei rounded out NSU's top five with a 16th-place finish (20:13.7).

Bissah is the first MEAC female to win two straight individual MEAC cross country titles since Howard's Tasha Harris accomplished the feat in 2002 and 2003. Bissah has won all four races in which she has competed this season.

The Spartans are slated to compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional meet on Nov. 9 in Rock Hill, S.C.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Norfolk State vs. North Carolina A&T State Football Game To Air Tape-Delayed on ESPNU

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State's football game at North Carolina A&T this Saturday has been picked up as a "wildcard" game for a tape-delayed broadcast on ESPNU, the conference announced Monday.

The game will air at 1:15 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, Nov. 4.  Like every other regular-season NSU game, this week's contest will also be broadcast live on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at BB&T Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets sweep Lady Tigers; battle for 1st is Thursday

NEW ORLEANS — Kayla Black and Vivica Price-Spraggins combined for 29 kills Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-11, 25-15, 25-20 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against Edward Waters.
     
The Gold Nuggets (22-6, 12-0) won their fourth in a row. They'll play the GCAC's other unbeaten team, Tougaloo, at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in XULA's Convocation Center. Admission will be free for all.
     
XULA and Tougaloo are closing the regular season with consecutive matches against each other. The second will start at 1 p.m. Sunday at Tougaloo, Miss. Thursday's match at XULA is a makeup; it was postponed Sept. 4 because of weather and Oct. 15 because of Tougaloo transportation issues.
     
Black had 16 kills and hit .433 in 30 attacks, and Price-Spraggins had 13 kills, six in the opening set. Teammate Angele McClain had eight kills — her second most in a match this season — and hit .500 in 16 attacks.

BOX SCORE
     
Eva Le Guillou had 34 assists and served two aces for the Gold Nuggets. Beatrice Formilan had 13 digs and Taylor Ducros 12. McClain and Elena Duru had two blocks apiece.
     
Maurica Marsh and Kaitlyn Shaw had five kills apiece for the Lady Tigers (11-10, 7-6), who dropped their third in a row. Katarina Ribar had 18 assists, 11 digs and four aces.
     
XULA trailed 7-6 in the first set before scoring 10 consecutive points, then closed with a 10-2 run in the second set. The Gold Nuggets opened the third set with a 7-1 run and withstood an Edward Waters 5-0 surge that cut the margin to 19-17.
     
XULA outhit Edward Waters .321 to .074 — the 14th time this season that the Nuggets reached .300 — but the Lady Tigers had advantages of 5-3 in aces and 44-41 in digs. XULA outblocked Edward Waters 4-1.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Krysta Medearis, Kayla Torres hit milestones; Alabama State Vollyball sweeps Alcorn State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State withstood a furious push from Alcorn State in the second and third sets and won their seventh-consecutive match with a three-set (25-16, 25-23, 25-23) victory against the Lady Braves.

With the victory, the Lady Hornets (17-17, 14-2) reached .500 overall for the first time since August, 31 and are assured no worse than the No. 2 seed in the SWAC Volleyball Tournament.

Alabama State had a couple of players hit career milestones on the night as Kayla Torres picked up dig No. 700 courtesy of a six-dig effort and junior Krysta Medearis spiked 12-of-27 attacks to place the Memphis, Tenn. native with 807 career-kills.

Kori Kutsch – who came into the match ranked 35th nationally in total service aces -- assisted on 28 kills and tallied 11 digs, picking up her 10th double-double of 2018.

BOX SCORE

The Lady Hornets cruised in the opening stanza but saw a four-point advantage dissipate in the second frame and used a service ace from Kayla Torres to spark a 4-1 run to close out the set. The storyline continued in the final set as the Lady Braves (8-19, 4-12) recovered from an early 10-4 onslaught to eventually tie the game at 18-18. Medearis provided three pivotal kills to carry Alabama State down the stretch and the Lady Hornets clinched the win on an Alcorn State ball-handling error.

Alabama State will face first place Alabama A&M Thursday night in Huntsville, Ala. First serve is at 7 pm.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State volleyball, follow the Lady Hornets on social media at @BamaStateVB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State Athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

AAMU Lady Bulldogs Volleyball Blanks MVSU, 3-0

HUNTSVILLE- The current winning streak for the Alabama A&M University women's volleyball team now stands at 16 straight matches after the Lady Bulldogs swept Mississippi Valley State 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-17) on Monday for the team's "Dig Pink" match inside the Elmore Gym.

Leading the way was Alana Cox with 10 kills and a .533 attack percentage. Cox also secured three blocks along with Ashley Jackson and Terra Brooks. Jaelin Gant added eight kills followed by Maya Evans with seven. Maci Battle led with 13 digs and Gant added 10 digs. Megan Evans had 30 assists for AAMU and one service ace.

BOX SCORE

The Lady Bulldogs improve to 20-12 overall and 16-0 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The team is assured no worse than the No. 2 seed, and can clinch the No. 1 seed and the regular-season title with a win over Alabama State Thursday night. The match between the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Hornets will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at Elmore Gym.

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama A&M's Dell named STATS FCS Freshman of the Week

CHICAGO, Illinois — Nathaniel Dell's first Magic City Classic has been one to remember.

And the memories continue to pour in.

Dell was selected as the STATS FCS Freshman of the Week Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day, the Alabama A&M receiver was named the SWAC Newcomer of the Week.

Dell, a 5-foot-10 and 160-pound freshman from Daytona Beach, Fla., caught six passes for 204 and two touchdowns Saturday afternoon during Alabama A&M's 27-10 win against rival Alabama State.

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS 

Tuskegee and Miles Meet for SIAC Divisional Matchup

ATLANTA, Georgia  –  After a close determining week, week ten of the SIAC Football regular season will bring us closer to determining this year’s championship slate, with one team punching their ticket to play for the conference trophy.
 
With Albany State’s 21-0 victory over Benedict this past weekend, the Golden Rams have earned the Eastern Division Championship title. This feat marks the Golden Rams’ first appearance in the title game since the 2015 season. The Albany State University football team extended their win streak to six games with a 21-0 shutout of Benedict College, Saturday afternoon at C.W. Johnson Stadium. It is ASU's first shutout since their 38-0 Homecoming win over Morehouse in 2015.
 
The Western Division is still up for grabs as Tuskegee and Miles enter the battle both 3-2 in countable conference play. Countable conference play is determined by division contests in addition to the final two cross-divisional games. The two western division rivals will face off against each other for the divisional crown and a chance to host the SIAC Football Championship title.
 
Saturday, November 3, 2018 is the final date of regular season play for the 2018 SIAC Football season. The winner of the Western Division will be announced upon the conclusion of this weekend’s games, with the Western Champion advancing to face Albany State in the SIAC Football Championship on November 10 at the Western Division Champion’s campus. Tickets are available now via GoFan.  For more information on the 2018 SIAC Football Championship, visit us here. 

SIAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Spring Hill Badgers Women's Basketball Ranked in South Region Pre-Season Polls

ATLANTA, Georgia  – After making their full transition into Division II, Spring Hill's Badgers women's basketball team is ranked No. 9 in the D2SIDA Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll, released Monday by the D2SIDA Women's Basketball committee.

The Badgers garnered a spot in the poll behind Tampa and Lee to round out the poll.

During the 2017-18 season, Spring Hill Lady Badgers finished 22-6 overall (15-3 in conference play). Spring Hill returns 9-of-16 from its 2018-19 team including All-Conference performers Tiffany Valentine and Elise Reilly, and welcomes eight new faces to the squad.

The Badgers opens its 2018-19 campaign with on the road in an exhibition game against Nicholls State University on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m.

Other conference opponents that received votes in this poll were defending champions, Clark Atlanta, with six votes and Central State with four votes.

SOUTH
Rank School (First-Place Votes)
1 Union (6)
2 Florida Southern
3 Valdosta State
4 Eckerd
5 Embry-Riddle
5 West Florida
7 Tampa
8 Lee
9 Spring Hill
10 Nova Southeastern
RV: Clark Atlanta (6), Central State (4), Barry (4), West Georgia (1)

Link to D2SIDA Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll

By Jim Stennett
SPRING HILL COLLEGE BADGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Saint Augustine's Baron Freeman Selected as NCAA Cross Country National Athlete of the Week (Oct. 29)

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – We’ve reached the end of the road when it comes to National Athlete of the Week in two of the three NCAA divisions (NCAA Division I and NCAA Division III) and both NJCAA divisions.

Here are those athletes who stood out the most from their peers during the opening weekend of the postseason and were named National Athletes of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.

• NCAA Division II Men –  Baron Freeman,  Saint Augustine’s

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Baron Freeman, Saint Augustine’s

Freshman | Hampton, Virginia

Baron Freeman was named a National Athlete of the Week after winning the individual title at the CIAA Cross Country Championships this past weekend.

The freshman took home the individual honors by 40 seconds after posting a 25:52.6 on the 8K course. The Hampton, Virginia, native paced his team to a second-place finish overall.

Freeman was also selected as the CIAA Men’s Runner of the Year and is the first athlete in program history to be honored as a National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.

By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA 

Week 9: SWAC Football Players of the Week

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Arkansas-Pine Bluff junior running back Taeyler Porter, Alcorn State junior linebacker Brelion Hollis, Southern sophomore punter Cesar Barajas and Alabama A&M freshman wide receiver Nathaniel Dell all named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Football Players of the Week in week nine of the season for their outstanding play.

Offensive
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Taeyler Porter (JR, RB, Immokalee, Fla.)
Junior running back Taeyler Porter finished with a career-high 226 rushing yards on 38 carries and added three touchdowns including a 75-yard touchdown run and averaged 5.9 yards per carry
Porter entered the game just one yard shy of the SWAC rushing leader and is now has overtaken the lead in the conference with 1,037 yards and nine rushing touchdowns.

Defensive
Alcorn State
Brelion Hollis (JR, LB, Monroe, La.)
Hollis turned in a career day for the Braves. He wrapped up a career-high 12 tackles to go along with a sack and a pair of tackles for a loss. Alcorn ranks first in the nation in both sacks and tackles for a loss per game, and Hollis will help improve the team's tally as it sacked Jalen Morton five times and brought PVAMU down 11 times behind the line of scrimmage. Hollis' previous career-high in tackles was eight set last year at Jackson State. Hollis helped the Braves defeat the Panthers 27-13 which put them in the driver’s seat in the SWAC East Division. Hollis also aided Alcorn in holding the league's then leading rusher, Dawonya Tucker, to just 60 yards.

Specialist
Southern
Cesar Barajas (SO, P, Arcadia, Fla.)
Barajas continued to set the tone for Southern’s special teams Saturday averaging 47.5 yard per punt on six punts. Two of Barajas’ landed inside the 20-yard line and the true sophomore posted a long of 60 yards as the Jaguars earned a 41-7 victory against Jackson State. On the season, Barajas ranked third in the conference in yards per punt at 41.7 yards per kick.

Newcomer
Alabama A&M
Nathaniel Dell (FR, WR, Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Playing in his third collegiate game (because of an injury in early September), Dell caught six passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. The freshman caught a 26-yard touchdown in the second quarter that gave AAMU a 7-0 lead, and caught a short pass in the fourth quarter and sprinted 81 yards down the sideline for a touchdown that gave AAMU a 20-10 lead. AAMU defeated ALST 27-10 in the 77th annual Magic City Classic in front of over 65,000 fans at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS