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Asbury Athletics fielded a busy schedule this past week with teams traveling to play and compete all around the region.

Womens’ soccer

Asbury womens’ soccer (1-4-1) took the field Wednesday, Sept.21, to face Berea College (0-6-0) in a night matchup in Wilmore. The Eagles collected their first win of the season, which was also head coach Zach Welch’s first win as head of the program, 5-0. Asbury had a good night both offensively and defensively to spark the win. The offensive contributions came from goals by five different Eagles, including Caroline Absher, Maci Muncie, Hannah Muncie, Anna Sparks, and Deidra Long.

The Eagles took the field again on Saturday, Sept. 23, in Lookout Mountain, Ga., to face Covenant College (2-1-4). Covenant prevailed in a close match, coming out on top, 0-2. AU was able to put some offensive looks together as the team put a total of 10 shots together, with seven of them being on goal. Absher led the Eagles’ offensive charge with four shots and three shots on goal. Maliya Crump made four saves on the night for the defense.

Mens’ soccer

The Asbury mens’ soccer team (4-2-3) traveled to back-yard rival Transylvania University (1-3-3) on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Although both teams put up 26 shots, neither could find the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless match for Asbury’s third draw of the season. Asbury keeper Peyton French was crucial in the outcome of the matchup. From nine shots faced, French recorded seven saves against the Pioneers, a season-high for him.

The Eagles traveled to Asheville, NC., on Saturday, Sept. 23, to take on Warren Wilson College (0-5). Asbury displayed intense offensive efforts, putting up a season-high 23 shots against the Owls. AU allowed no goals from Warren Wilson while scoring four of their own, giving the Eagles their fourth win of the season in their highest-scoring match so far, 4-0. Asbury’s goals came from four different Eagles, including Jason Flaming, Austin Dunlap, Yousef Ismail, and Ryan Kim (Season-First). Dunlap led the board with six shots, a goal, and an assist. Flaming sat behind him with three shots and a goal.

Volleyball

Junior Emma Grace Gray continued her electric season with 10 kills on Tuesday, Sept. 19,  as Asbury volleyball (6-8) slipped in a road contest with Franklin College (0-3). The 10-kill night for Gray gives her six double-digit kill matches on the season out of 10. She produced eight in her sophomore campaign, where she led AU with 178 kills.

Sophomore Riley McChord produced 20 digs in back-to-back matches on Friday, Sept. 22, as Asbury volleyball competed in their opening matches of the Rose-Hulman Invitational in Terre Haute, In. AU dropped the first-afternoon match against Anderson, 0-3, and then went five sets with Rose-Hulman in the evening before slipping in the final set, 2-3.

Megan Walden’s 12 kills on Saturday night led Asbury over The University of Olivet after falling earlier in the day to Grove City College on day two the Rose-Hulman Invitational. Walden had a total of 40 kills combined in Asbury’s four matches in two days in the Invitational. Lucy Kate Gray had her second-highest assist game of the season against Olivet with 42.

Golf

The Asbury golf team competed in the NCCAA Mideast Regional on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 18-19, finishing in 2nd place overall. Junior two-time NCCAA All-American Garret Sturges led the entire field on Tuesday (74) to power Asbury to the best team score of the day (+17) in Paris, Ky. AU climbed 12 strokes on Tuesday to finish in second place overall, behind just three strokes to the first place Oakland City team they trailed by 15 strokes after Monday. The Eagles moved in front of CU-Harrodsburg into second place after sitting in third after the first round of the tournament. Sturges birdied four holes and made nine pars to lead the way for Asbury (74). João Costa knocked in four birdies himself, shooting 75 to tie for the second-best score of the day. Costa took second place overall in the tournament (77, 75), while Sturges was a stroke behind to secure third place (79, 74). Freshman Peter Hoeppner continued to play solid golf for AU, shooting a 77 with three birdies and eight pars.