Orange Women’s Soccer

Kayla Hodges: Hodges was named to the first team All-Colonial Athletic Association for the Elon women’s soccer team last week. Hodges, a junior, played in all 17 games and compiled 1,561 minutes for the Phoenix, who finished the season 9-6-2 overall, 4-3-2 in the CAA. Hodges, playing along the backline, helped Elon to six shutouts, second in the CAA. She was tied for the team lead with three goals. One of them came against rival UNC Wilmington to tie the game in the 84th minute.

Emerson Talley: Talley returned to action for Division II Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team against Carson-Newman on Wednesday. The Bears took the win over the Eagles 3-2. Talley checked in late in the game at Mortez Complex in Hickory.

Taylin Jean: Jean earned the victory as goalkeeper for the final win of the season for the Limestone women’s soccer team last Wednesday. Jean posted a clean sheet against Lincoln Memorial in a 2-0 Saints win. She made three saves as Limestone held the Railsplitters to four shots. On Saturday, Limestone played the aforementioned Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference tournament at Mortez Sports Complex in Hickory. Jean started as goalkeeper. On paper, at least, it pitted two former Cedar Ridge teammates against each other, though Talley didn’t play for the Bears. Lenoir-Rhyne won 2-0. Jean played all 90 minutes and made four saves. Limestone ends the year 10-5-1 with a sixth-place finish in the SAC.

Trenton Gill: Gill was named a co-Captain for the Wolfpack in its 28-14 win over Florida State on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, FL. Gill had eight punts and averaged 45.2 yards per boot. His longest was 60 yards. He had another punt that went 53 yards. There were five punts downed inside the 20-yard line. The Wolfpack, ranked #21 in the Associated Press, will face Wake Forest in a huge matchup on Saturday at Truist Field in Winston-Salem.

“Field position is a great friend to a defense,” said N.C. State coach Dave Doeren. “Ninety-yard fields, when you’re a defensive coordinator, are nice to call the game in. Trent’s a weapon. He’s really, really kicking the football well on kickoffs, too. This isn’t a one-time thing. This has been multiple games this year. He’s flipping the field, too. He had a bomb on one of those punts. We’re very fortunate to have the specialist crew that we do right now.”

Keshawn Thompson: James Madison throttled Campbell 51-14 at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday. Thompson had nine tackles for the Camels, who have lost four straight. Campbell will host Hampton for Senior Day on Saturday.

Adam Chnupa: #10 Villanova routed Elon 35-0 at Rhodes Stadium on Saturday. Chnupa entered the game as a defensive reserve for the Phoenix. Elon falls to 4-5, 3-3 in the CAA. They will travel to Towson on Saturday.

Bailey Lucas: The Meredith College volleyball team reached the championship game of the USA South Conference Tournament. On Saturday, Southern Virginia defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 for the championship at Knight Arena in Buena Vista, VA. Lucas, in what may have been her final game, led Meredith with 21 assists. She also had ten digs and two aces. In the semifinals on Friday, Meredith defeated Maryville 3-2. Lucas started and again led the Avenging Angels with 24 assists. She also had seven digs and one block. In the quarterfinals, Meredith swept William Peace. Lucas had 18 assists (a team-high) with four digs and two aces. Lucas, a setter for the Meredith College volleyball team, was named to the USA South Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship team. Meredith will now wait and see if they receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament. The field will be announced later today.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team opened its regular season with a 95-84 victory over Lenoir Community College in Kinston last Wednesday. McMullin started his first official game with the Flyers and scored ten points off 5-of-12 shooting from the field. He also had five rebounds. On Friday, Anne Arundel Community College defeated Sandhills 82-75 in the Flyers’ home opener. McMullin led the Flyers with 20 points off 10-of-19 shooting.

On Saturday, Sandhills defeated Shooting For Greatness Academy 96-72 in Pinehurst. McMullin had 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Braden Homsey: The Division III Ferrum wrestling team started its dual season with a loss to Washington & Lee 35-7 last week. Homsey won the first match of his senior season with a 10-3 decision over Matt Majoy at 197 pounds. On Sunday, Homsey competed in the Southeast Open at Roanoke College in Salem, VA. Homsey dropped both of his matches.

Brittany Daley: As her women’s soccer career winds down at Division III Greensboro College, former Cedar Ridge centerback Brittany Daley was honored by the USA South Conference. Daley was named to the All-Sportsmanship team. In her final game at Greensboro College’s Pride Field, Greensboro defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 1-0 on Sunday. Daley had a chance to score her first career goal for the Pride as she lined up for a penalty, but the kick was knocked away by Battling Bishops’ goalkeeper Alicia Jacobs in the 80th minute. Daley had a career-high three shots in the match. On Tuesday, Mary Baldwin University defeated Greensboro 2-0 in the opening round of the USA South Conference Tournament in Staunton, VA. In her final game, Daley played all 90 minutes. The Pride ends the year 5-10-3 overall, 3-4-2 in the USA South. Daley concludes her Greensboro College career with 55 career games and 52 starts. She was a starter for the Pride when they won the USA South East Division championship last spring.

Kayla Hodges: The former Orange High midfielder was honored on Senior Day by the Elon women’s soccer team last Sunday before its game against Towson at Rudd Field. The Tigers defeated the Phoenix 1-0. Hodges had a shot on goal and finished with two shots. Elon is 6-5-1 overall, 1-2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Elon will conclude the regular season with a trip to Drexel on Sunday.

Taylin Jean: On Saturday, the Carson-Newman women’s soccer team defeated Limestone 1-0 at McCown Field in Jefferson City, TN. Jean replaced starting Limestone goalkeeper Katie Maher in the the 40th minute. Jean played the final 50 minutes and made one save. Limestone falls to 9-4-1 overall, 5-4-1 in the South Athletic Conference.

Jordan Rogers: Like Daley, Rogers was named to the All-USA South Sportsmanship team for William Peace University. The Pacers ended its season last weekend after a double overtime loss to Salem College. Peace concluded the season 4-7-3 overall, 2-5-2 in the USA South.

Trenton Gill: The N.C. State football team became bowl eligible after beating Louisville 28-13 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Saturday night. Gill, the Wolfpack’s punter, was busy on a night where the defenses largely dominated. He had six punts for an average of 45.4 yards. His longest was 53 yards, one of two punts over 50 yards. Five of his six punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had five kickoffs with three touchbacks. The Cardinals were coached by former Orange High quarterback Scott Satterfield.

Keshawn Thompson: Charleston Southern defeated Campbell University 27-14 at Buccaneer Field in Charleston, S.C. on Saturday afternoon. Thompson, coming off 12-tackle game against Kennesaw State, finished with six tackles for the Camels. Campbell is now 3-5 overall, 2-3 in the Big South Conference.

Adam Chnupa: The Elon football team suffered a disappointing 45-21 loss to #5 James Madison at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday. Adam Chnupa played special teams and defeated for the Phoenix. Elon drops to 4-4 overall, 3-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They will host Villanova next Saturday at Rhodes Stadium

Bailey Lucas: The Meredith volleyball team build a ten-game winning streak before it was snapped during a quad-match on Saturday afternoon. To start the day, the Avenging Angels defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 3-1 at the Grant Center in Danville, VA. Lucas started and finished with 16 assists, one kill and four digs. The winning streak ended when Averett defeated Meredith on scores of 25-14, 25-15, 19-25 and 25-20. Lucas had 16 assists and 12 digs. Meredith concluded the regular season 21-7 overall, 15-3 in the USA South Conference. On Tuesday, Meredith defeated crosstown rival William Peace 3-1 at the Hermann Athletic Center in Raleigh. Lucas led Meredith with 29 assists and six digs. Meredith will start play in the USA South Tournament on Tuesday with another match against Peace.

Photo by Marc Reidel:

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team honored senior and former Orange star Bailey Lucas during a tri-match at Weatherspoon Gym in Raleigh on Saturday. The Avenging Angels won both matches to extend its winning streak to nine, a season-long. Meredith defeated Pfeiffer 3-0 on scores of 25-16, 25-20 and 25-15. Lucas started and had a game-high 17 assists along with two digs and one ace. Meredith also swept Greensboro 3-0 on scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-21. Lucas had 19 assists with seven digs and an ace. Meredith also won two matches over Salem last week. On Tuesday, Meredith defeated the Spirits 3-0 on scores of 25-13, 25-18 and 25-16 at Varsity Gym in Winston-Salem. Lucas led the Angels with 17 assists, one ace and six digs. On Thursday, Meredith swept Salem again in Raleigh. Lucas finished with eleven assists and seven digs. The Angels are 18-6 overall, 12-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team was named the preseason #1 team in Division III of the National Junior College Athletic Association media poll. The Flyers continued to prepare for the upcoming season with a 105-64 win over Blue Light College in a scrimmage in Pinehurst on Wednesday. McMullin lead the Flyers with 14 points. He also tied for the team lead with nine rebounds. Sandhills will start the regular season against Lenoir Community College in Kinston on November 3.

Trenton Gill: Miami defeated #18 N.C. State 31-30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Coral Gables, FL on Saturday night. Gill had six punts for an average of 49.2 yards per boot for the Wolfpack. His longest was 59 yards, one of three punts that went over 50 yards. Three punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Of Gill’s seven kickoffs, six were touchbacks.

Keshawn Thompson: For the third time this year, former Orange High linebacker Keshawn Thompson led Campbell in tackles in a game. Thompson registered 12 tackles, but #11 Kennesaw State routed the Camels 30-7 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson leads Campbell in tackles with 41 on the season. The Camels are 3-4 overall, 2-2 in the Big South Conference. They will travel to Charleston Southern next Saturday. Thompson has started all seven Campbell games.

Adam Chnupa: The Elon football team defeated New Hampshire 24-10 at Rhodes Stadium on Saturday. Chnupa entered the game as a reserve defensive back and assisted on a tackle. Elon has now won three in a row and is 4-3 overall, 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Phoenix will travel to James Madison next Saturday.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges made two more starts for the Elon women’s soccer team in a couple of marathon games last week. On Sunday, Elon defeated Northeastern 2-1 in overtime at Parson Field in Brookline, MA. Hodges played all 93 minutes before Kenney Jones scored the golden goal in overtime. On Thursday, the Phoenix played to a scoreless tie against William & Mary at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg, VA. Hodges fired one shot and played all 110 minutes. Elon is 7-5-2, 2-2-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Elon will host #23 Hofstra on Sunday at Rudd Field.

Emerson Talley: Talley started Lenoir-Rhyne’s game against Newberry at the Smith Road Complex on Saturday. Newberry came away with a 1-0 win in double overtime. Talley played 36 minutes. Last Sunday, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Tusculum 5-0 at Pioneer Field in Greenville, TN. Talley came off the bench and played 13 minutes. The Bears, in the Division II South Atlantic Conference, are 9-3-2, 7-2-1 in the SAC.

Taylin Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team shut out Tusculum 4-0 at Saints Field in Gaffney, SC on Wednesday. Former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Taylin Jean entered the game in the second half and preserved the clean sheet for the Saints, making one save. Limestone is 9-3-1, 5-3-1 in the SAC.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 tie against Mary Baldwin University at Pride Field in Greensboro on Wednesday. Daley played all 110 minutes for the Pride. Greensboro is 4-9-3 overall, 2-4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Daley will be honored on Senior Day on Sunday when Greensboro hosts North Carolina Wesleyan.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team lost in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday. Salem College scored in the final minute of the second overtime to defeat the Pacers 3-2 at Varsity Field in Winston-Salem. Rogers, a former Orange Panthers, started for the Pacers and played all 110 minutes. She fired one shot. On Wednesday, Peace played Pfeiffer to a 1-1 tie in Misenheimer. Once again, Rogers started and played all 110 minutes. Peace is now 4-6-3 overall, 2-4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges was one of the seniors honored by the Elon women’s soccer team before last Sunday’s game against Towson at Rudd Field. Hodges fired two shots, including one on net, but the Tigers defeated Elon 1-0. The Phoenix are 6-5-1 overall, 1-2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They face Northeastern this afternoon at 1PM in Boston.

Taylin Jean: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper returned to action for Division II Limestone on Saturday. The Saints defeated Coker 4-0 at Saints Field in Coker, S.C. Jean entered the game to start the second half and made one save, which was Coker’s only shot of the game. Limestone is 8-2-1, 4-2-1 in the SAC. They will host Tusculum on Wednesday.

Emerson Talley: On Wednesday, Talley played the entire second half as the Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team defeated Mars Hill 5-0 at Meares Stadium. Talley fired the first shot in her college career. The Bears are 8-1-1, 6-1 in the South Atlantic Conference. They will face Tusculum in Greenville TN this afternoon at 2 PM.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team defeated William Peace University 3-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Saturday. Daley started and played her usual 90 minutes at centerback. The victory ended a six-game winless streak for Greensboro, who won the USA South Athletic Conference Southern Division championship last spring. On Tuesday, Methodist defeated Greensboro 1-0 at Pride Field. Daley started and played the distance. The Pride are 4-9-2 overall, 2-4-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Jordan Rogers: The Greensboro College-William Peace matchup pit a former Cedar Ridge player against a former Orange player. Daley for Greensboro and Rogers for Peace. Rogers started as a wingback for the Pacers in the 3-0 loss and got off one shot. On Tuesday, Peace defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 1-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Rogers played all 90 minutes. Peace is 4-5-2 overall, 2-3-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Joey McMullin: McMullin, who reached 1,000 points for his Orange High career, played his first game during a scrimmage with the Sandhills Community College Flyers on Wednesday in Pinehurst. Fayetteville Tech defeated Sandhills 84-79. McMullin hit two free throws with 1:24 remaining to tie the game at 76-76. McMullin played 19 minutes and scored nine points off 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including one 3-pointer. Sandhills will play Blue Lights College in a scrimmage on Wednesday.

Trenton Gill: The #22 N.C. State Wolfpack football team defeated Boston College 33-7 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA on Saturday night. Gill was also the holder when Wolfpack placekicker Christopher Dunn kicked an extra point to become the Wolfpack’s all-time leading scorer. On a rainy night, Gill had six punts for a 46-yard averaged. His longest was 65 yards. Four punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. He had two punts exceed 50 yards. The Wolfpack will face Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Coral Gables, FL next Saturday night.

Keshawn Thompson: For the third time this season, the former Orange linebacker led Campbell in tackles. Thompson, who is a graduate student with the Camels, had eleven tackles (including one for a loss) and a pass breakup, but Monmuth defeated Campbell 34-17 in a battle for first place in the Big South Conference at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Campbell will host Kennesaw State next week for Homecoming. The Camels are 3-3 overall, 2-1 in the Big South.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team is on a five-match winning streak. On Saturday, the Avenging Angels swept a quad match at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA. Meredith defeated Southern Virginia 3-1 on scores of 25-21, 25-21, 17-25 and 25-18. Lucas started for the Angels and had a team-high 23 assists, along with one kill and two digs. Later, Meredith defeated Mary Baldwin 3-0 on scores of 25-16, 25-16 and 25-9. Once again, Lucas led the team with 13 assists. She also had three digs. On Wednesday, Meredith defeated Methodist 3-0 at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville on scores of 25-16, 25-23 and 25-17. Lucas started once again and had 16 assists, along with two kills and seven digs. Lucas is second on the team with 318 assists. Meredith is now tied for second place in the USA South Athletic Conference South Division with Averett with a 5-2 record. William Peace is in first place at 7-0.

Bryse Wilson: The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 at LoanDepot Park in Florida in Saturday night. It marked Wilson’s first win in a Pirates uniform. Over five innings, Wilson retired the Marlins in order twice. He surrendered two runs off four hits with three strikeouts and no walks. The only runs that Wilson gave up came off a 2-run homer from Nick Fortes in fifth inning. Wilson is now 3-7 with a 4.88 ERA this season. His next start will likely be at Philadelphia next week. It marked the end of a bittersweet week for the Wilson family.

Payton Wilson: On Monday afternoon, N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren announced that Wilson will miss the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder injury against Mississippi State last Saturday. Wilson led the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles per game last year. Before he left the contest against the Bulldogs, Wilson had his first sack of the season. Wilson has led N.C. State in tackles each of the last two seasons with a total of 177. Last season, the Wolfpack went 6-1 in games where Wilson led the team in tackles. Wilson is a redshirt sophomore who took a medical redshirt two years ago after an injury during spring practice shortly after he enrolled in Raleigh. Wilson had surgeries on both of his shoulders last winter, which led to him missing spring practice.

Trent Gill: On Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C. State rolled past Furman 45-7 at Carter-Finley Stadium. Gill, the former Cedar Ridge kicker, had four punts for an average of 38 yards. Three of the punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest was 41 yards. The Wolfpack are 2-1 and will face #5 Clemson next weekend in Raleigh.

Keshawn Thompson: It was another big week for the former Orange linebacker. Campbell hammered Presbyterian 72-0 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson had his first career interception for the Camels. He also registered two tackles. The past two weeks, Thompson led the team in tackles. Campbell is now 1-2 and will travel to North Alabama next Saturday to open Big South Conference action.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team defeated Furman 2-0 on Thursday in its final nonconference game of the season. Hodges played all 90 minutes for Elon, who improved to 5-3. Hodges has played 685 out of 690 possible minutes so far this season. The Phoenix will travel to UNC Wilmington to open Colonial Athletic Association action this afternoon.

Emerson Talley: The all-time leading goal scorer in Cedar Ridge women’s soccer history made her college debut for Division II Lenoir-Rhyne last week. The Bears defeated Francis Marion 6-0 at Mortez Sports Complex in Hickory. Talley came off the bench to play 30 minutes. On Saturday, it was a matchup between two former Cedar Ridge players when Lenoir-Rhyne faced #21 Limestone, featuring goalkeeper Taylin Jean. Neither Talley nor Jean played. Lenoir-Rhyne defeated the Saints 3-2 to improve to 3-0-2. It was the South Atlantic Conference opener for both teams.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision to Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. Daley made her sixth start of the season and played all 90 minutes. On Wednesday, Bridgewater College defeated Greensboro 5-1 in Virginia. Daley also started and played the distance. The Pride are 2-4.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team defeated Ferrum 3-1 in its USA South Athletic Conference opener at WakeMed Soccer Parkin Cary on Saturday night. Rogers started and played all 90 minutes. On Wednesday, Rogers also went the distance as the Pacers played a scoreless tie against Brevard College at Ives-Lemel Family Field in Brevard on Wednesday. Peace now has a four-game unbeaten streak and is 3-2-1 overall, 1-0 in the USA South.

Keshawn Thompson: It was a showdown between a former Orange Panther and a former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek on Saturday. The Campbell Fighting Camels, featuring former Orange linebacker Keshawn Thompson, faced off against the Elon Phoenix, which included former Cedar Ridge linebacker Adam Chnupa. The Phoenix defeated the Camels 24-23. For the second week in a row, Thompson led Campbell in tackles with nine. Last week, Thompson was honorable mention for Big South weekly football honors. Campbell is 0-2. They will face Presbyterian on Saturday in Buies Creek.

Adam Chnupa: Elon is now 1-1 after the victory over Campbell. Chnupa played special teams for the Phoenix in the win. Elon will travel to Appalachian State on Saturday.

Payton Wilson: In N.C. State’s loss to Mississippi State on Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, MS, Wilson suffered a shoulder injury. Wilson did register his first sack of the season. He finished with three tackles. There’s no word yet on whether Wilson will miss any action. Mississippi State defeated N.C. State 24-10. The Wolfpack were deprived of its first road win against an SEC team since 1977.

Trenton Gill: Former Cedar Ridge punter Trenton Gill was too busy for the Wolfpack’s liking against Mississippi State. Gill had seven punts on Saturday night. He averaged 43.6 yards per punt. His longest was 55 yards. One of the punts was downed inside the 20-yard line. The Wolfpack will host Furman on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

Rodney Brooks: After missing the opening game of the season for the Division II Livingstone Blue Bears, former Orange quarterback/defensive back Rodney Brooks made his season debut on Saturday. Savannah State, an FCS team, crushed Livingstone 50-6 at Theodore Wright Stadium in Savannah, GA. Brooks, a safety, had four tackles.

Bryse Wilson: On Sunday at PNC Park, the Washington Nationals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2. Wilson suffered the loss for the Bucs. In four-and-one-third innings, Wilson surrendered five runs off seven hits and two walks. Luis Garcia, Alex Avila and Lane Thomas honored off of Wilson, who is now 2-7 this season with a 4.97 ERA. The Pirates travel to Miami next weekend.

Kayla Hodges: After a tight loss to N.C. State, the Elon women’s soccer team rebounded with consecutive wins last week. On Thursday, the Phoenix defeated Gardner-Webb 2-0 at Rudd Field in Elon. Hodges started and played all 90 minutes. On Sunday, the Phoenix defeated American University at Reeves Field in Washington, D.C. Once again, Hodges played the duration of the game and fired one of Elon’s ten shots against the Eagles. Through seven games, Hodges is tied for the team lead with two goals. Elon faces Furman on Friday in its final nonconference game of the year.

Brittany Daley: Emory University’s women’s soccer routed Greensboro College 6-0 in Atlanta on Saturday. Daley played all 90 minutes at centerback for Greensboro. The Pride will travel to Bridgewater on Wednesday.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team has won two in a row. On Sunday, the Pacers defeated Ferrum 3-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Rogers started at wingback for Peace. On Wednesday, Peace defeated Johnson & Wales University 2-0 in Charlotte. It was Rogers’ 40th game for Peace. The Pacers are 2-2. They will travel to Brevard on Wednesday.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team won two out of three matches over the weekend. On Friday, Christopher Newport defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 on scores of 25-18, 24-26, 25-23 and 25-12 at Weatherspoon Gymnasium in Raleigh. For the first time this season, Lucas didn’t start for Meredith. She did finish with two kills, 14 assists and five digs. The Avenging Angels won both of its matches on Saturday. They opened with a sweep of Guilford on scores of 25-17, 25-8 and 25-22 at the Hermann Athletic Center in Raleigh. Lucas came off the bench and had 16 assists and one dig. Meredith defeated William Peace 3-1. Lucas led the Avenging Angels with 25 assists and seven digs. Meredith is 5-3 and will play a doubleheader against Brevard and Maryville on Friday in Brevard.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith Avenging Angels volleyball team opened its season with four matches in four days. Meredith started with a 3-1 win over Roanoke at the Cregger Center in Salem, VA. Meredith won on scores of 16-25, 25-10, 25-16, 26-24. Lucas started and played all four sets. She had 17 assists, an ace and four digs. On Friday, the Avenging Angels swept Geneva on tallies of 25-15, 25-23 and 25-6 to start play at the Marlin Invitational in Virginia Beach, VA at TowneBank Arena. Lucas led the team with 14 assists in the win over the Golden Tornadoes. She also had two digs. On Saturday, Virginia Wesleyan defeated Meredith 3-0. Lucas had nine assists and five digs. To end the weekend, the Avenging Angels defeated Mary Washington 3-1. Once again, Lucas led the team with 20 assists. She also registered six digs.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson returned from the injured list for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a start against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The White Sox defeated the Pirates 4-2. Wilson suffered the loss after he threw five innings. He surrendered four runs off six hits. Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer off Wilson in the second inning. Jose Abreu lauded a solo homer off Wilson in the third. This season, Wilson is 2-6 with a 4.61 ERA.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges scored her second goal of the series for Elon in a 3-0 win over UNC Asheville on Thursday at Greenwood Field in Asheville. Hodges scored the game’s second goal off an assist from Abby Fusca in the 24th minute. She fired two shots against the Bulldogs. On August 26, Virginia Tech defeated Elon 7-1 at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, VA. Hodges started as a defensive midfielder. Elon is 2-2 and will travel to N.C. State later today (Sunday).

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team suffered a loss to Roanoke 2-0 in its season opener on Wednesday. Daley, a former Cedar Ridge All-Conference selection, started her 37th game with Greensboro as a center back. It was her 40th game. On Saturday, Greensboro rebounded with a 2-1 win over Johnson & Wales University at Pride Field. Daley started for the Pride once again.

Jordan Rogers: Rogers started her senior season for the Division III William Peace women’s soccer team. On Wednesday, Guilford College defeated Peace 1-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. On Saturday, Randolph College shut out the Pacers 2-0. Rogers started both games as a wingback.

Keshawn Thompson: The former Orange defensive back led Campbell in tackles in its loss to Liberty at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Thompson had a career-high 13 tackles for the Camels, who lost to the Flames 48-7 to open the 2021 season. This was Campbell’s first game since last fall. Unlike many FCS schools, the Camels didn’t play last spring. Next week, Campbell will host Elon.

Payton Wilson: To open his third season with the Wolfpack, Wilson had two tackles as the Wolfpack routed South Florida 45-0 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Wilson had one-half tackle for loss as he was in and out of the lineup throughout the night. The Wolfpack will travel to Mississippi State on Saturday.

Trent Gill: N.C. State only punted three times against the Bulls. Gill, a former Cedar Ridge football and soccer player, had two of the punts for a 45-yard average. Gill’s longest punt was 45 yards. Both of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had eight kickoffs, four of which were touchbacks. His average kickoff was 64.6 yards.

Adam Chnupa: Former Cedar Ridge linebacker Adam Chnupa started his redshirt sophomore season at Elon with a tremendous game against Wofford at Rhodes Stadium. The Terriers defeated the Phoenix 24-22 on Saturday. Chnupa made one tackle as the Phoenix dropped its opener.

Colin Guentensberger: Guentensberger, who led the 2018 Orange football team in tackles, suffered a torn ACL and MCL during practice with Appalachian State’s football team. Guentensberger is a junior walk-on with the Mountaineers.

Kayla Hodges: After being a regular starter for the Elon women’s soccer team’s first Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship team last spring, Kayla Hodges scored her first college goal in the Phoenix’s season-opener against George Washington. In the 55th minute, Hodges scored off a corner kick when she chipped one in the net off an assist from Lily Harkes. Hodges, who started as a defensive midfielder, played 84 minutes as the Phoenix won 2-0 at Rudd Field in Elon. On Sunday, UNC Greensboro defeated Elon 1-0 at Rudd Field. Hodges earned another start and fired one shot. She played all 90 minutes. The Phoenix are 1-1 and will travel to Virginia Tech on Thursday. Hodges, a junior, started all ten games last year.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was placed on the Injured List by the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 16. Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington says the move is mostly about rest from fatigue. At the time he was placed on the Injured List, Wilson had just started against the Milwaukee Brewers in a no decision. Counting his time with the Atlanta Braves, Wilson has thrown 48 and 2/3rds innings and has an 5.55 ERA.

The fall sports season is underway for women’s soccer. It will officially start for football, volleyball and men’s soccer next week. Here are some Cedar Ridge and Orange graduates who will be competing in colleges throughout the country this fall.

Payton Wilson: A second-team All-ACC linebacker with N.C. State last season, Wilson returns for his redshirt sophomore season after undergoing surgery on both shoulders. It kept him sidelines for spring practice. Wilson ranks third among returning ACC players in career tackles. He’s been named to the Butkus Award watch list for the nation’s best linebacker.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge punter and soccer player is now a redshirt junior at N.C. State. Gill is N.C. State’s career leader in punt average with 46.3 yards–which is tied for the second-best mark among returning ACC punters. Gill’s has 4.997 career punting yards, which is 12 in school history. In 2020, Gill averaged 44.7 yards per punt, the fifth-best single-season mark in school history.

Keshawn Thompson: Thompson is now a graduate student with the FCS Campbell football team. Last year, Campbell played only four games in the fall and sat out the spring. Thompson totaled nine tackles. He started the season opener at Georgia Southern, a game where the Camels lost 28-27 when a two-point attempt in the waning seconds ended with an incomplete pass.

Adam Chnupa: The former Cedar Ridge linebacker returns to Elon’s football team as a redshirt sophomore. The Phoenix played last spring. Chnupa appeared in all six games and finished with six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Elon will open against Wofford at Rhodes Stadium on September 4. It will mark the 20th anniversary of Rhodes Stadium.

Rodney Brooks: The Division II Livingstone Bears of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association didn’t play in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic. Brooks will return as a senior with the Bears. The 2018 Orange graduate had 16 tackles for Livingstone in 2019.

Trey Grizzle: The former Orange linebacker, who graduated in June, has enrolled at Division III Averett University. Averett will face Ferrum College in Virginia on September 4.

Taylin Jean: The 2018 Big 8 Goalkeeper of the Year at Cedar Ridge, Jean starts her junior year at Division II Limestone College. Last season, Jean earned a spot on the South Atlantic Conference Commissioners Honor Roll. She appeared in four games for the Saints between the pipes.

Brittany Daley: A former All-Conference player with the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team, Daley enters her fourth season with the Division III Greensboro College’s women’s soccer team. Last season, Daley earned USA South All-Academic honors with a 3.9 GPA. Daley has played 45 games in her Greensboro career. Last year, she helped the Pride win the USA South East Division Championship, which was the only tournament the Pride was allowed to play in due to the pandemic.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace University women’s soccer team will open against Guilford College on September 1. Rogers, a former Orange star who is now a senior, has started all 37 games she’s played in for the Pacers in her career.

Bailey Lucas: Lucas enters her senior season with the Division III Meredith College volleyball team. Last season, Lucas appeared in 14 matches and had 108 digs. She led the team with 298 assists. The Avenging Angels open the season at Roanoke on September 1.

It may surprise some that the success of the UNC women’s soccer program is comprised almost as much by Calvin & Hobbes as it was by Mia Hamm and Crystal Dunn.

During her four years with the Tar Heels, 2017 Orange High graduate Natalie Chandler joined her teammates in memorizing quotes and reading books assigned by head coach Anson Dorrance. Her favorite came from a Calvin & Hobbes strip.

“Live your life in a never-ending ascension.”

From the time she moved with her family to Hillsborough from Bedford, New Hampshire, Chandler has had a relentless drive to explore and achieve. Last spring, she ended her UNC soccer career with a third straight trip to the Final Four. She had a 4.0 grade point average every semester. At Orange, Chandler led the most successful teams in the 33-year history of the program.

The Big 8 Conference Player of the Year in 2017, Chandler spearheaded Orange to consecutive appearances in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs in her junior and senior seasons. She was named All-State and All-Region. As a sophomore, Chandler was part of the only team in Orange history to sweep a regular season series from Chapel Hill in 2015.

She was even a state champion gymnast.

Chandler graduated from Orange as the valedictorian, then stepped off the stage at the Smith Center and walked onto the UNC women’s soccer team. It was a natural transition. Her sister, Madison, graduated from UNC in 2017 and recently completed her Ph.D at Michigan State. Chandler’s father, Brian, played baseball at UNC and embarked on a brief minor league career that took him to the San Jose Bees of the old California League.

So how did she accomplish all of that in such a short amount of time without approaching sleep as the enemy?

It started with a good foundation. Her mother, Sandra, and her father didn’t pressure her to learn. Instead, they created an environment conducive for learning.

“Madison enjoyed reading and we would go to museums together,” Natalie said. “I have a perfectionist gene in me. The pressure I put on myself wasn’t coming from outside forces. It was me wanting to do the best I could do.”

Her father, a business developer, moved his family from New England to Hillsborough because he loved the area from his college years.

Through the mists of time, Chandler will forever be linked to a group of athletes that will be remembered as Orange’s golden age. In her class was Mia Davidson, the all-time leading home run hitter in North Carolina softball history who led Orange to the 2017 3A State Softball Championship. Davidson has set school records at Mississippi State.

The underclassmen at that time included Bryse Wilson, now a pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates; Jamar Davis, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference track and field jumper with N.C. State; Connor Crabtree, possibly the best men’s basketball player in school history; and Payton Wilson, currently an All-ACC linebacker with N.C. State.

Chandler carved out her own legacy. She started her sophomore season by beating Chapel Hill in penalty kicks. The following month, the Lady Panthers edged Chapel Hill 3-2 on the road. Chandler assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Rachel Shinnick.

“I played travel in Chapel Hill, so I knew most of their players,” Chandler said. “That definitely felt good. I was very proud of that team because Orange hasn’t had a great history in women’s soccer. That team got along so well.”

The 2015 Orange team was the most successful squad in school history with a record of 15-4-2. Chandler scored a goal in Orange 4-0 win over Cleveland in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs in Hillsborough.

Somehow in the midst of soccer and finishing at the top of her class, Chandler also found time to became a state champion gymnast. Training at Bull City Gymnastics, she excelled in the floor exercise.

“I had a lot of energy as a kid,” Chandler said. “My mother put me in gymnastics when I was a child. I always had fun doing it. It’s a challenging sport but I always had a blast. I love soccer, but gymnastics may be my favorite sport to watch.”

Her favorite part of gymnastics was the vault. Part of the reason why?

“Because it feels like you’re flying.”

Which largely sums up Chandler’s approach of ascending and never standing still.

On a fifth grade field trip to Washington, D.C., Chandler saw Dorothy’s ruby red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” at the Smithsonian Museum. Though she remains unfamiliar with the classic film, Chandler seems to fit the tone of its title song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

In 2015, Chandler went to India as a Goals for Girls ambassador. She ventured into the heart of India in Nagpur before spending a week in a very crowded New Delhi.

“Driving in the middle of the day was insane,” Chandler said. “There were no traffic lights and people were blaring their horns everywhere. There were people everywhere, riding their mopeds. Just walking in the middle of the road. Cars driving right at you. They have their own rhythm, but it’s very different from what it is here.”

Last week, Chandler embarked on another journey–St. Andrews, Scotland. She will play with the university’s soccer team while taking a one-year Master’s program in Sustainable Development. Heather O’Reilly, a Tar Heel assistant coach who led UNC to two national championships before a 16-year professional career, connected Chandler with the program.

“I’ve always wanted to study abroad,” said Chandler, who will play in BUCS 1A, the top college league in Scotland. “I’ve love studying different cultures.”

Chandler walked on to UNC’s program, where they won two ACC Championships and three regional titles. In 2019, they reached the national championship game, losing to Stanford 5-4 in penalties at Avaya Stadium in San Diego. The team not only practiced and played together, but often read books together.

They ranged from “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, chronicling his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps during World War II to “When No One was Watching” by Carli Lloyd, a member of the United States’ 2015 World Cup championship team.

“Coach Dorrance wants you to be a good soccer player,” Chandler said. “But he wants you to be a good person above all else. That stuck with me. There’s always room to get better and room to grow. That’s an exciting way to think about life.”

A Public Health major, Chandler envisions a career in environmental sustainability. Last month, when Orange County received a Code Orange ozone alert from the wildfires along the west coast, it left Chandler concerned. But not surprised.

“It sound hokey, but I want to leave the world in a better place than I found it,” Chandler said. “I want to help save the world from climate change. In the past year, there have been lots of natural disasters with wildfires in Australia and California. We’ve had the most extreme weather in various part of the world. It’s real and it’s happening. I get some backlash for that. I think it’s natural to make it less important than it actually is because you don’t want to think about it.”

After its best overall season in six years, there were two Orange women’s soccer players honored by the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association as All-Region 6.

In fact, they came from the same family.

Logan and Sydney Rogers were named to the NCSCA Region 6 3A team. Region 6 includes all the teams from the Big 8 Conference as well as the six teams from the Greater Neuse Conference.

In addition, Logan and Sydney Rogers were named to the All-Big 8 Conference team. Joining them on the All-Big 8 team from Orange were junior Bella Brown and sophomore goalkeeper Abby Monteith.

Cedar Ridge senior striker Emerson Talley and midfielder Nicol Anderson were also named All-Big 8 Conference. It was the third time (out of three possible years) that Talley made All-Big 8.

Logan Rogers scored a career-high nine goals this season for an Orange team that finished 9-5, its best record since going 15-4-2 in the 2015 season. In a non-pandemic year, the Lady Panthers’ record would have been good enough to make the 3A State Playoffs for the first time since 2017. Due to the pandemic, the field was limited to 32 teams, instead of the usual 64, by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

During a two-week period in March, Logan had a three-game goal scoring streak. That included the only tally in a 1-0 victory over Northwood in Hillsborough on March 24. She also scored in a 5-1 win against Cedar Ridge on March 22, the first time the Lady Panthers defeated its crosstown rivals since April 28, 2017. In the rematch on April 14, Rogers notched a season-high two goals. In her final game at Orange, Rogers registered a goal and an assist as the Lady Panthers defeated Northern Durham 4-1 at James Armstrong Stadium.

Sydney Rogers played on Stanford Middle School’s 2019 Orange-Person Athletic Conference Championship team, which stunned Phillips 2-1 in the OPAC title game. It was Stanford’s first-ever tournament title. She has continued that success across the campus at Orange, where she is a defender along Orange’s back line. In Orange’s eight wins that were contested (there was a forfeit against Southern Durham), Orange held all of its opponents to one goal or less.

Logan and Sydney’s older sister, Jordan, is a starter for the Division III William Peace women’s soccer team in Raleigh.

Last summer, Brown transferred to Orange from Alamance Christian School. Her impact was felt immediately as a striker. She scored 12 goals to lead the team. In Orange’s first win of the year, a 9-0 decision over Vance County, Brown scored a hat trick. It was the first of three hat tricks for Brown. She also had three goals against Cedar Ridge on April 14 at Red Wolves Stadium, and added another three goals at Vance County on April 12. In the first matchup against the Red Wolves, Brown scored twice. She finished with a team-high 34 points.

After starting one game as a freshman in 2020, Monteith earned eleven starts in net for the Lady Panthers in 2021. Playing against Eastern Regional Champion Chapel Hill and an East Chapel Hill team that advanced to the 3rd round of the state playoffs (and eliminated by Chapel Hill in penalty kicks), Monteith still finished 7-1-1 for her first appearance on the All-Big 8 Conference team. She opened the season with 12 saves in a 3-0 loss to East Chapel Hill at Orange Soccer Stadium.

For Cedar Ridge, Talley finished her career as the all-time leading goal scorer in school history. In her final game, she notched three goals as the Red Wolves rolled past Vance County 9-0 in Henderson. Talley finished with 87 career goals, and that was after her junior season was limited to four games. Her senior year included four hat tricks, including six goals against Northern Durham in a wild 7-6 Red Wolves victory at Cedar Ridge Stadium.

Talley signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne last month to continue her soccer career. She is the fourth member of the 2018 Cedar Ridge team that will play college soccer.

Anderson was a senior co-captain for the Red Wolves. She had a career-high 13 goals in her fourth varsity season. In her final game, she scored two goals against Vance County. Anderson also played on Cedar Ridge’s team, in her freshman year, that was over West Carteret in the 3A State Playoffs in Morehead City.

Among the honorable mention selections was Orange’s Katelyn Van Mater and Madison Orange. Van Mater, a sophomore who is a regular rotation player for the Orange women’s basketball team, scored three goals in her first full varsity season.

Orange, in ten games, had the game-winning goal in the season-finale against Northern Durham. She had two goals against the Knights.

Cedar Ridge’s Ianna Pfeifer and Lily Dyslin, both sophomores, were also named honorable mention. Pfeifer scored five goals in her first varsity season. Dyslin had two goals and four assists.