Rocky Mount, N.C. - N.C. Wesleyan's football, cross country, soccer, and volleyball teams continued tuning up for USA South play over the weekend, highlighted by the first International Student Night on Saturday.
FOOTBALL
The Battling Bishops hosted their 2017 home opener at Rocky Mount Athletic Stadium on Saturday night, but despite a solid 99 rushing yards from sophomore Deandre Gillis and touchdown catches by senior Brandon Leake and freshman Dupre Falls, the Bishops were unable to overcome six turnovers and an explosive Shenandoah offense en route to a 61-14 defeat. The evening was highlighted by Wesleyan's first-ever International Student Night, which featured a Parade of Flags at halftime recognizing 99 students from 28 different countries. NCWC's Cans Across the Conference food drive was also successful, and the Bishops would like to thank everyone who pitched in for this worthy cause. Wesleyan will continue pursuing its first win of the season next Saturday when the Bishops open up USA South play at Huntingdon College. Kickoff is slated for 1:00pm CST.
CROSS COUNTRY
Wesleyan's crosss country squads headed to Charlotte to compete in the Royals Twilight hosted by Queens University on Saturday. Running against a predominantly Division II field, the Bishops held their own in a pair of 5K races, again showing marked improvement both individually and as a team. Carlos Clinton and Sarah Grossman were NCWC's outstanding performers with both posting the best times of their collegiate careers. Clinton improved his personal best time from 19:09 to 17:45, while Grossman's 24:24 shaved 23 seconds off of her previous college best of 24:47 recorded a freshman. Next up for the Bishops is Friday's Adidas XC Challenge held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
The N.C. Wesleyan women's soccer team suffered a pair of losses in New Jersey over the weekend, falling 3-1 at Stockton on Saturday and 1-0 at Rutgers-Camden on Sunday. Freshman Cydney Nichols tallied the Bishops' lone goal at Stockton, but NCWC was unable to combat a trio of second half scores in the loss. Sunday's match saw the Bishops dominate first half play, out-shooting their opponents 12-0 in the period (8-0 on goal). Unfortunately, R-C's Kyrsten Piper made 10 stops on the day to secure the shutout, and a breakaway goal in the 51st minute proved to be the difference in the contest. Wesleyan returns to action on Saturday when the Bishops host their 2017 home opener against Bridgewater. The match is slated for a 3:00pm start at Scalf Field.
MEN'S SOCCER
Wesleyan's men's soccer team dropped a tough 2-1 decision to the University of Mary Washington on Saturday at home. The Eagles got on the board quickly on a 25-yard free kick less than four minutes in, but sophomore Kobi Boompong was able to knot the score midway the second half off an assist from Sheriff Secka. UMW countered less than a minute later off a headed deflection at 76:12, and it proved to be the eventual gamewinner. The Bishops, who held a 12-6 advantage in shots on the day, return to action on Tuesday when they host Virginia Wesleyan at 4:30pm at Scalf Field.
VOLLEYBALL
The Battling Bishop volleyball team traveled to Ohio over the weekend to compete in the Marcia French Invitational co-hosted by Baldwin Wallace and Case Western Reserve. Taking on a host of undefeated and regionally-ranked squads, the youthful Bishops were unable to come away with a victory but were rewarded with an All-Tournament award for sophomore Autumn Spence. Spence racked up 21 kills, 14 digs, and 4 blocks over the 4-match span to secure her first accolade of the season. The Bishops are now set to travel to Randolph-Macon on Tuesday before hosting their 2017 home opener on Thursday night at 7:00pm versus Johnson & Wales. Thursday will also serve as Youth Night in Everett Gymansium.