The Presbyterian College football team achieved back-to-back conference victories for the first time since joining the PFL on Saturday afternoon, dominating the Dayton Flyers for a 28-7 triumph that was assisted by a phenomenal defensive display.
Forcing four turnovers and keeping Dayton out of the end zone for every drive except one, the Blue Hose steamrolled their league opponent for the second straight week, grounding UD for almost 45 minutes on their way to a 21-point W.
Head coach Steve Englehart’s crew controlled the clock to a massive degree in the opening half, holding possession for almost 19 minutes in that span and keeping the ball out of Dayton’s hands for all but six minutes.
After sprinting past Stetson with a 35-7 halftime advantage last week, PC was again excellent in the first two periods. Defensive coordinator Dan Owen’s squad pitched a first-half shutout for the second occasion this season.
The Scotsmen outgained their visitors in total yards 190-38 in the first 30 minutes, riding that large lead all the way to the finish line for their second win over Dayton in as many years.
PC’s confidence is at supreme levels following consecutive PFL blowouts, ending their 10-week streak of competition and awaiting an upcoming BYE.
FINAL SCORE – Presbyterian, 28 – Dayton, 7
RECORDS – Presbyterian (4-6, 2-4) – Dayton (5-3, 3-2)
LOCATION – Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)
NOTABLES
- Dayton entered Saturday’s affair as the FCS leader in both total yards allowed (231 per game) and first downs given up (11 per game). Presby annihilated both those averages, gaining 11 first downs in the opening half and 21 for the game, reaching a grand total of 336 yards.
- Thrust into the role of starting kicker mid-season, Peter Lipscombe ascended to a never-before-seen stat line by a Blue Hose in the school’s Division I era (2007 onward).
- Lipscombe collected 14 points by himself in the W, hitting four field goals in a single game. That’s the first time in PC’s D-I history that this feat has ever happened.
- Known for his efficiency and decision-making, Jerry Rice Award Watch List member Collin Hurst continued his outstanding play by finding his target on 22 of his 27 throws.
- Hurst was 17-for-20 after two quarters, completing 12 consecutive passes before intermission and ending the game with an 81-percent hit rate (208 yards).
- The redshirt-freshman has now finished a full game without an interception for the fourth time in the last five matchups (all conference clashes).
- Senior tailback Quante Jennings nearly posted two triple-digit performances in a row after he and Antonio Wright both passed the century mark last week, carrying 17 times for 89 yards and a 2nd-quarter touchdown.
- PC slammed the door on any thoughts of a Dayton comeback by popping the ball loose in consecutive drives near the close of the game. Sebastian Conwell and Tariq Hollinger were the ones to stop those series dead in their tracks and preserve the hefty lead.
- In the past two outings, the Blue Hose have outgunned the other team by a combined score of 50-7 in the opening half. With eight minutes to go until the break on Saturday, Presby had outgained the Flyers in overall yardage 148-11.
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
- The Scotsmen grabbed points on their first drive for the second straight meeting, guiding in the longest of Lipscombe’s kicks on a 37-yarder.
- Dayton, on the other hand, was unable to pick up a single first down in the entire first frame, botching a punt at the end of their first set which led to a safety and a 5-0 edge for Coach Englehart’s gang going into the next chapter.
- The Flyers were anything but flying in the opening quarter, posting -2 total yards on only six snaps. This was just the beginning of the visitors’ offensive misery.
- More evidence of PC’s clock-management perfection, the score was boosted to 12-0 on a 13-play drive that devoured nearly seven minutes. Jennings ended that series by converting a third-and-short for a 12-yard touchdown scurry.
- Presbyterian’s aggressiveness didn’t waver as they piled on the points, denying a 4th-and-1 handoff to turn Dayton over on downs just past midfield (7:43 in the 2nd).
- Lipscombe’s second boot pushed the margin to 15-0 at the halfway point, 50 percent through his individual historic day.
HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
- All four of the Flyers’ turnovers happened in the 3rd and 4th quarters, starting the second half with a Malek Horlback strip-sack that ended in an 11-yard loss and a fumble.
- The Blue Hose pounced on the opportunity to turn that mistake into seven more points, carrying out that goal with an 8-yard touchdown run that gave them their largest lead of the afternoon (22-0).
- Normally catching TD’s instead of rushing for them, senior tight end Worth Warner was the beneficiary on an option pitch from Hurst that essentially put the game out of reach for the road team.
- Dayton’s next drive saw them get further into PC territory than they had been all day (the 18-yard line), although they couldn’t move the needle any more thanks to a Brooks Russ-Martin deflection on 4th down.
- Brooks and his twin brother Bradley added up for four deflections in the beatdown, ensuring that the Flyers’ struggles persisted.
- A 22-yard chip shot from Lipscombe made PC’s largest lead a teeny bit bigger at 25-0, beating out Indiana State for the title of scoring the most points in a single game that Dayton has allowed all season long.
- Dayton’s only touchdown of the contest came with five seconds to go in the 3rd, a two-yard plunge that served as their first TD in a seven-quarter stretch.
- Thanks to Conwell and Hollinger’s aforementioned forced fumbles, the Blue Hose confirmed that would be all for the Flyers’ scoring production. Lipscombe made school history on a 34-yard connection with 98 ticks to go, solidifying the sole-game record and putting the final tally to its resting place of 28-7.
UP NEXT
- A much-deserved BYE for Coach Englehart’s unit will give Presby an extra week of prep for their last two games later this month. Sitting out next Saturday, they’ll face Marist in New York on the 16th for their final road trip of the semester.
- It’s been a total nightmare for the Red Foxes in 2024, falling to Drake 19-0 in their last appearance to slump to 0-9 on the year. Before going up against PC, they’ll first battle Stetson in Florida next weekend.
- Kickoff in Poughkeepsie will take place at 12:00 noon in 14 days.
PHOTOS here.
PRINCETON, N.J. – The fifth-ranked Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team showed exactly why that number is beside their name in the first tournament of the 2024-25 season, bringing 16 grapplers to the Princeton Open on Sunday afternoon and stacking up a skyscrapers’ worth of wins.
Chiara Barbieri (103), Chloe Dearwester (110), Cassia Zammit (131), and May Cuyler (160) all won 1st-place gold in the tournament, while three others picked up silver.
Altogether, the Blue Hose summoned 49 victories amongst their massively-hyped roster. Of them, 23 were pins and 18 more came via technical fall.
Only one of Presbyterian’s three All-Americans from last spring were available on Sunday, and yet head coach Brian Vutianitis’ crew didn’t skip a beat and continued their elite status on day one of the new campaign.
Ten out of PC’s 16 competitors finished with at least a bronze prize, one of the most successful all-around tournament performances from a program who has become accustomed to such domination.
NOTABLES
- This was the second individual championship for Barbieri since arriving at PC last year, improving on her 3rd-place nod in Princeton from 2023 by going 3-0 and never letting any of her opponent notch a single point against her.
- When looking at the combined record on Sunday from Barbieri, Dearwester, Zammit, and Cuyler, the final number is 15-0. Presby’s first-place winners added up for seven falls and six tech’s.
- Dearwester and Cuyler couldn’t have scripted a better beginning to their Presbyterian careers by each going undefeated to take home a 1st-place banner. All six of their W’s between them were carried out by either pin or TF.
- Ranked as the number five wrestler in class 131 following an exceptional rookie year, Zammit secured her second college title in the northeast. The championship round was one of major intrigue, pitting Zammit against Lock Haven’s Lillian Sherer (another top-ten wrestler four spots behind).
- It ended up being a one-sided title-clincher, as Zammit surged in front for an 8-0 decision.
- Alyssa Mahan (124), Ella Beam (207), and Paige Wehrmeister (138) all backed up their claims to the national top ten by going 10-3 collectively with three runner-up standings.
- Wehrmeister in particular was a welcome sight for coach Vutianitis, who returned to the mat for the first time in almost 365 full days after being sidelined by injury for the majority of last season.
- Three others posted a 3rd-place finish in Princeton, two of which were freshmen making their debut for the Blue Hose. Maria Aiono and Carina Giangeruso were the rookies in question who went 9-2 combined, joining Charlee Shuler (117) who also nabbed bronze.
- PC took a large step forward in their pursuit of a national championship, placing inside the country’s top ten in each of the past two seasons and now having their highest-ever preseason ranking to bring their expectations even further.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Practically a no-brainer of a decision after he set a program Division I record just 24 hours ago, kicker Peter Lipscombe of the Presbyterian College football team was selected as the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Sunday afternoon.
During a 28-7 beatdown over Dayton inside Bailey Memorial Stadium – the second straight conference win for the Blue Hose, both in dominant fashion – Lipscombe became the first PC kicker since at least 2007 to hit four field goals on the same day.
The Maryland native was responsible for exactly half of the team’s point production (14 out of 28), connecting on both PAT’s and hitting one field goal in every quarter.
No player had ever made four FG’s in a single contest since the school jumped to the D-I ranks 17 years ago, transforming Lipscombe into a breakout star after spending the majority of his career in a backup role.
AWARDS GALORE
- This is the fifth weekly award from the Pioneer Football League that has gone to the Blue Hose over the past two seasons, and the third time over the last season-and-a-half with a Special Teams Player of the Week shoutout.
- Then-freshman Mack Mikko earned Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2023, with the second honor coincidentally also after a clutch victory against Dayton.
- Lipscombe’s four kicks in one game are the second-most of any player at the FCS level this year, hitting from distances of 37, 27, 22, and 34 in the blowout over the Flyers.
- Prior to Saturday, Lipscombe had never made a college field goal (used primarily in point-after-touchdown scenarios). He is now a part of Blue Hose history.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Head coach Steve Englehart’s club has now won back-to-back league games for the first time since joining the PFL in 2021. They’ve done so by outscoring the other side 70-21, building a growing wave of confidence down the stretch.
- After 10 weekends in a row of competing, Presby has earned a BYE for this Saturday. Only two matchups remain on PC’s schedule, starting with a trip to Marist on November 16.
FARMVILLE, Va. – Picking the perfect date to win their first-ever match at Longwood on Saturday night, the Presbyterian College women’s soccer team brought all the drama and came out on top in a penalty kick shootout to eliminate fourth-seed Longwood in the first round of the Big South Championship.
Tied at 0-0 for the second time in two weeks against the Lancers – thanks largely to the excellency of dueling All-Conference keepers Kelly Hall and Sara Curtis – the Blue Hose prevailed in PK’s by a margin of 4-2.
In a true storybook ending, it was Hall that delivered the final blow to secure the victory, Presbyterian’s first-ever Division I postseason win.
PC had been unable to snare an outright win in any of their previous seven trips to Longwood, including a nil-nil draw just 14 days ago.
That trend was finally broken on Saturday, with the Blue Hose claiming the W in their third-ever Big South Tournament appearance.
The Scotsmen will now go head-to-head with the 2024 conference regular season champions in the league semifinals, set for a rematch against USC Upstate next Thursday at a neutral venue (Matthews, North Carolina).
FINAL SCORE – #5 Presbyterian, 0 – #4 Longwood, 0
(PC Advances in PK Shootout, 4-2)
RECORDS – Presbyterian (7-5-5) – Longwood (4-9-6)
LOCATION – Longwood Athletics Complex (Farmville, Va.)
COACH SMITH’S SENTIMENTS
“I’m incredibly proud of our girls for the way they weathered the storm against a very good Longwood team, and their refusal to lose was contagious all-around. The mantra of the tournament is to survive and advance, and they embodied that tonight.”
“Leading up to this game, our most important thought was: how can we spend another week together and keep this train rolling? We found a way to answer that question. This team loves playing with each other, and I certainly enjoy getting to coach them to a program-first.”
DÉJÀ VU
- Due to the postseason nature of Saturday’s encounter, a tie at the end of regulation meant that overtime (and later, double overtime) was mandatory. No player was able to break the scoreless tally in a theme that was nearly identical to the regular season meeting with the Lancers.
- In 200 total minutes of action between the Blue Hose and Longwood (covering both matches), the overall score stayed 0-0. Thus, the solution to the Semifinal ticket was a penalty kick shootout.
- As always, Hall was exquisite in defending the PC goal while living up to her all-league title, saving 10 shots while turning in her 11th career shutout.
- This was the fifth time in 2024 that head coach Matt Smith’s team blanked the opponent and the third time it has happened versus a league foe.
SEASON ON THE LINE
- Presbyterian’s vaunted defense held steady despite getting out-shot 18-8 by the higher seed, withstanding two corner kicks in the final three minutes of regulation that maintained the draw.
- Hall threw out the life jacket for coach Smith’s crew just 16 seconds into the first overtime period, denying what would have been the game-winner from the home side.
- She would again come up huge with the pressure mounting, logging another save with four seconds left in OT number one.
- Sarah Dieffenderfer forced Longwood to provide their own game-saving play in the second overtime, launching a shot in the 107th minute that was on-target.
PRESBY IN PK’S
- Four out of five penalty kicks from the Blue Hose passed by Curtis and drilled the back of the net, starting with Dieffenderfer who got her squad off to a 1-0 jump.
- Hall vetoed the Lancers’ attempt to tie up the PK score at 1-1, providing the avenue for freshman Harlan Lyons to convert Presby’s second penalty try.
- Longwood again was left scratching their heads as Hall blockaded another, although PC’s third penalty kick was also a misfire that kept the margin at 2-0.
- The Lancers’ desperation finally allowed them to make their next kick, although coach Smith’s gang would go 2-for-2 from then on to move to the next phase of the bracket.
- Lyla Chadd submitted the third hit for the Blue Hose, which positioned Hall to steer in another stop and then deliver the dagger from her own feet.
UP NEXT
- Perhaps the biggest win in the program’s Division I history, PC will rest for the next four days before entering the round of four on Thursday.
- Already annihilating their preseason projection of 7th place, the Blue Hose will head to the Big South Semifinals for the first time ever and battle the team that captured their inaugural conference crown: USC Upstate.
- The Spartans earned a first-round BYE after coming in 1st place, designing a very intriguing rematch between two schools located just 30 minutes apart.
- PC played Upstate in the Big South opener way back on September 25, ending a busy evening at Martin Stadium with a 2-2 tie.
Rabarivony Scores Two Goals; Blue Hose Top Winthrop, 5-2, On The Road
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Behind two goals from Sandro Rabarivony and a total team offensive attack, the Presbyterian Blue Hose (5-7-2, Big South: 2-4-1) defeated the Winthrop Eagles (5-11-1, Big South: 4-3), 5-2, on the road on Saturday night.
With tonight’s win and a loss by USC Upstate, the Blue Hose earned a berth in the Big South Conference Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the 4th minute, Presbyterian’s Iragi Kalala took the ball into the top center of the box. He passed to Morgan Dance on the left side of the field. Dance chipped the ball over Winthrop’s goalkeeper Jack Kilstrom's head into the right side of the goal.
In the 21st minute, Dance had a breakaway when he was fouled in the box by Winthrop’s goalkeeper Kilstrom leading to a penalty kick. Damorney Hutchinson blasted the ball into the lower left corner of the goal giving PC a 2-0 lead.
In the 43rd minute, Winthrop’s Rodrigo Ferreira put a free kick into the top left corner of the goal from 20 yards out, cutting the Blue Hose’s lead in half.
In the 50th minute, Winthrop’s Ricardo Ferreira tied the score at two with a goal off assists from Sam Pidgen and Rodrigo Ferreira.
In the 69th minute, Presbyterian regained the lead for good when Jonas Sundli-Hardig passed the ball to Rabarivony on the right side of the box. Rabarivony made a world-class first touch to give him some space, and then he blasted the ball just inside the right post into the back of the net.
In the 78th minute, Sundli-Hardig and Rabarivony connected again on a goal. Sundli-Hardig passed the ball from the top of the center of the box to Rabarivony on the left side. Rabarivony blasted the ball into the middle of the goal from 15 yards out increasing the Blue Hose lead to 4-2.
In the 86th minute, Hutchinson was fouled in the box by Winthrop’s goalkeeper Kilstrom, awarding a penalty kick for the Blue Hose. Carson Griffith blasted a penalty kick shot into the goal's lower right corner, giving the Blue Hose a 5-2 lead.
NOTABLES
Hutchinson’s goal was his team-high 11th of the season and the 18th of his Presbyterian career.
Dance’s goal was his third of the season.
With his two goals tonight, Rabarivony has scored three goals this season and five in his career.
Griffith’s scored his fourth goal of the season and the eighth of his PC career.
Presbyterian finished the game with 13 shots. Hutchinson led the Blue Hose with five shots. Rabarivony made good on his two shots with two goals. Steven Cordova tallied two shots. Dance, Griffith, Sundli-Hardig, and Damian McGregor-Wickham each tallied a shot apiece.
UP NEXT
Presbyterian, the sixth seed in the Big South Tournament, returns to Winthrop for a rematch with the third-seeded Eagles in the quarterfinals of the Big South Conference Tournament this Wednesday, November 6 at 6 p.m.
FARMVILLE, Va. – The Presbyterian College women’s soccer team can claim something they haven’t been able to since 2019: a berth in the Big South Tournament. Earning the fifth seed in the six-team bracket, they’ll travel to #4 Longwood for the second time in 14 days for the Conference Quarterfinal round.
First touch in the Commonwealth State is labeled for 7:00 PM tomorrow, as the Blue Hose and first-year head coach Matt Smith look to make history and give PC their first-ever postseason win under the Big South umbrella.
Presbyterian’s other two ventures in the league tourney have ended with one-goal defeats, hoping to buck that trend against an opponent who they tangled to a scoreless tie back on October 19.
ESPN+ will have the broadcast in PC’s postseason return, competing in November for the first time in five years.
GAMEDAY INFO – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2
BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP – QUARTERFINALS
No. 5 Presbyterian (7-5-4, 2-2-3) at No. 4 Longwood (4-9-5, 3-2-3)
WHERE / WHEN: Longwood Athletics Complex | 7:00 PM
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
LAST TIME AGAINST THE LANCERS
- Reconfiguring the offense at the time due to a slew of injuries, the Blue Hose held their own on the back line when they faced Longwood a couple weeks ago, not letting any of their 12 shots pass through and settling for a nil-nil draw.
- Due to the final result being a tie, PC has still yet to defeat the Lancers on the road in seven attempts. That earlier meeting this fall was the third time that the Scotsmen have tied Longwood when playing in Farmville.
- Senior keeper Kelly Hall matched the program record (D-I era) for most career shutouts when the dust had settled from round one against the Lancers. She went on to break that record in the very next match, a 2-0 win over UNC Asheville which was her 10th clean sheet.
- Presbyterian earned their third shutout of ’24 in the Longwood visit, an affair that featured 19 combined shots and two stellar efforts by Hall and Lancer goalie Sara Curtis (11 saves put together).
ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
- 24 hours ago, the Blue Hose accomplished another program-first in a season full of improvement, placing five different All-Big South players for the first time in school history.
- Junior forward Sloan Spees became the second person in PC’s Division I era to be named all-conference in three separate seasons, named to the All-Big South Second Team alongside senior defender Gwen Keiser and midfielder Ella Williams.
- Additionally, rookie Cassidy Oldham ensured that there would be a Blue Hose on the all-league freshman team for the third year in a row, while Hall was the school’s representative on the Big South All-Academic team yet again.
- Hall was listed as an “Honorable Mention” performer by the league yesterday, punctuating a career where she is the all-time D-I PC leader in goals-against average (1.66). Her .830 save percentage is the best among any of the nine Big South starters this year.
BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
- In both of Presby’s previous conference tournament tickets, the bracket was a bit larger and they held the #7 seed on both occasions. Their Big South tournament debut came in 2013, coming oh-so-close to upsetting No. 2 Liberty in a 1-0 defeat.
- The lone goal for the Flames on that day came just before halftime (42:43), the only time they hit the back of the net despite 20 shots.
- PC’s last appearance in the Big South Championship was against #2 Campbell in 2019, a 3-2 heartbreaker that was decided in overtime.
- After Morgan Hutchison and Kori Lawrence produced back-to-back goals 14 minutes apart to put the Blue Hose in front 2-1, the Fighting Camels would send the match to an extra period at 67:21.
TONIGHT:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Presbyterian College Blue Hose women's basketball team opens the 2024-25 slate with a road test against the Charlotte 49ers on Monday, November 4 at 5:30 p.m.
GAME INFO
Date: Monday, November 4, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
Site: Charlotte, N.C. (Halton Arena)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Charlotte49ers.com
Live Stats: Sidearmstats.com
PRESBYTERIAN
Record: 0-0
Last Game: March 22, 2024 in NCAA Tournament, Round of 64 – #1 South Carolina 91, Presbyterian 39
Head Coach: Tiffany Sardin (Virginia, 2006)
Record at PC: 0-0 (1st Season)
CHARLOTTE
Record: 0-0
Last Game: March 10, 2024 in AAC Tournament – Tulane 65, Charlotte 52
Head Coach: Tomekia Reed (Georgia Southwestern, 2003)
Record at Charlotte: 0-0 (1st Season)
PC HEAD COACH TIFFANY SARDIN
Coach Sardin takes the helm for her first season with the Blue Hose, bringing experience from her roles at Saint Louis, Chicago State, Longwood, Boston U, Clemson, Illinois-Chicago, and Mount Olive.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS
Presbyterian returns six student-athletes from last year's squad. These players include; seniors Paige Kindseth (3.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), and Sonia Sato (1.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg), juniors Ashley Carrillo (4.8 ppg, 2.6 apg), Natalie Herrin (3.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg), and Dennaye Hinds(1.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg), and sophomore Laney Scoggins (1.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg).
NEWCOMERS
Joining the Blue Hose this season are eight newcomers; juniors Adout Ring, Teresa Mbemba, Shelby Fiddler, Aminata Tal, and Kishyah Anderson, along with freshmen Morgan Boyd, Ellie Southards, and Daniella Velez.
LAST SEASON
The 2023-24 Blue Hose women's basketball team claimed their first-ever Big South Tournament championship, earning a spot in the prestigious NCAA Tournament. They continued their incredible run by defeating Sacred Heart in the NCAA play-in game. The team set new program records across the board, including the most wins in Presbyterian's Division I era with 21 victories. They also set records for points,
rebounds, and assists.
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Last season, Charlotte finished with a 16-15 record including a 9-9 mark in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Redshirt junior forward Keanna Rembert is the 49ers leading returning scorer after averaging 8.4 ppg last season. Charlotte's roster welcomes 10 new faces while returning four players from last year's team. Tomekia Reed is in her first season as the head coach of the 49ers after spending the last six seasons as the head coach of the Jackson State Tigers.
PRESBYTERIAN – CHARLOTTE ALL-TIME SERIES
The 49ers hold a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series, with the last matchup occurring on November 20, 2016, when Presbyterian fell on the road, 71-63.
THE 2024-25 SLATE
Presbyterian's non-conference lineup includes five home games and eight road games, featuring a notable matchup against ACC opponent Clemson. Before starting conference play, the Blue Hose will compete in the Puerto Rico Clasico, facing Morgan State and Montana State. Conference play begins January 2, with PC set to take on each of its eight Big South opponents twice in a balanced home-and-away schedule.
Game Information
Presbyterian Blue Hose at Charlotte 49ers
Date: Monday, November 4, 2024 at 8 p.m.
Site: Charlotte, N.C. (Halton Arena)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Sidearmstats.com
PRESBYTERIAN
Record: 0-0
Last Game: March 24, 2024 in CBI – Montana 82, Presbyterian 79 (OT)
Head Coach: Quinton Ferrell (Presbyterian, 2007)
Record at PC: 48-103 (6th Season)
Career Record: Same
CHARLOTTE
Record: 0-0
Last Game: March 15, 2024 – Temple 58, Charlotte 54
Head Coach: Aaron Fearne (Mayville State, 1997)
Record at Charlotte: 19-12 (2nd Season)
Career Record: Same
PC COACH QUINTON FERRELL - Quinton Ferrell is in his sixth season as the head coach of his alma mater, Presbyterian College. Ferrell, a former Blue Hose team captain and a 2007 PC graduate, is one of 50 coaches in the NCAA Division I ranks who are coaching their alma maters.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS - Presbyterian returns three starters and nine letterwinners off last season's team. The returning letterwinners: seniors guards Kobe Stewart (8.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and Jamahri Harvey (7.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg), and forwards Jonah Pierce(7.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg), and Kaleb Scott (7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and sophomores guards Kory Mincy (6.0 ppg, Big South All-Freshman team selection), and Carl Parrish (2.8 ppg). Three players after redshirting last season return to the lineup this year guards Quadir Pettaway, Houston Jones and forward Jaylen Peterson.
NEWCOMERS - Joining those returners are five newcomers: sophomore guard Khalon Hudson, a transfer from Spartanburg Methodist Junior College, freshmen guards Iverson King, Triston Wilson, and Luke Allison and forward Chidi Chiakwelu.
POSTSEASON PLAY - Last season, the Blue Hose played in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI), This marked Presbyterian's second postseason tournament appearance during its Division I era. In 2019, Presbyterian won two games in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).
REGULAR-SEASON TOURNAMENTS - The Blue Hose are playing in The Axe'Em Classic at Stephen F. Austin, November 21-23. This will be the fourth straight season that the Blue Hose have played in a tournament in the month of November. The Axe'Em Classic will be the 13th regular-season tournament that PC has played in since moving to Division I in 2007-08. In the 2021-22 season, the Blue Hose claimed the University of New Orleans Classic title with wins over New Orleans, VMI, and Central Arkansas.
BIG SOUTH LEADER IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE - Last season, Presbyterian led the Big South Conference and finished 45th the nation in field goal percentage shooting 47.2 percent (897-1901) from the field. In the 2023-24 season, Presbyterian had 12 games shooting 50 percent or higher from the field. The Blue Hose shot a season-high 69.8 percent from the field in a win over Mid-Atlantic Christian on December 13.
PERFECT FROM THE FIELD - Last season, seniors forward Kaleb Scott and guard Jamahri Harvey shot 100 percent from the field in PC's win over Mid-Atlantic Christian (December 13, 2023). Scott was 7-for-7 while Harvey was 6-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 beyond the three-point arc.
BENCH POINTS - In the 2023-24 season, Presbyterian had 35 double-figure scoring games off the bench while averaging 26.6 bench points per game. Presbyterian finished the season 32nd in bench points. The Blue Hose behind three double-figure scorers off the bench in the win over Mid-Atlantic Christian (December 13, 2023) tallied 55 bench points. The 55 bench points were the most scored by PC since scoring 58 bench points in the win over Allen on December 19, 2022.
PRESBYTERIAN – CHARLOTTE SERIES
Monday's game will be the fifth meeting between Presbyterian and Charlotte, who has won the previous four matchups. Charlotte defeated Presbyterian, 69-42, at home in their last meeting on November 26, 2022. Houston Jones scored 10 points while connecting on three three-point field goals in that game.
SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
Last season, Charlotte posted a 19-12 overall record while finishing third in their first season in the American Athletic Conference, the best league finish by Charlotte since 2006. Junior guard Nik Graves is the 49ers leading returning scorer after averaging 10.4 points per game last season. Charlotte has seven returners and eight newcomers on their 2024-25 roster. Coach Aaron Fearne is in his second season as the head coach after spending five seasons as an assistant coach at Charlotte.
RESULTS:
Pierce Scores a Game-High 22 Points; Presbyterian Falls to Charlotte in Tightly Contested Game
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jonah Pierce scored a game-high 22 points while grabbing nine rebounds but the Presbyterian Blue Hose (0-1) lost to the Charlotte 49ers (1-0), 88-79, in a tightly contested game on the road last Monday night.
Pierce was a perfect 11-for-11 from the field. With his last basket with six seconds on the clock, Pierce scored his 1,000th point in his college career. Kory Mincy scored 17 points. Carl Parrish scored 12 points off the bench.
The Blue Hose finished the game with a 34-8 advantage in bench points.
WOMEN
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Despite a trio of Blue Hose players scoring double-figure points, the Presbyterian College women’s basketball team (0-1) fell to the Charlotte 49ers (1-0) with a final score of 77-63 last Monday evening
Hutchinson Named Big South Offensive Player of the Year; Four PC Players Earn All-Big South Honors
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Four members of the Presbyterian College Blue Hose men's soccer team earned All-Big South accolades highlighted by senior forward Damorney Hutchinson capturing the Offensive Player of the Week award, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Hutchinson and senior midfielder Carson Griffith were First Team All-Big South selections. Junior midfielder Steven Cordova was Second Team All-Big South. Freshman midfielder Morgan Dance was an Honorable Mention All-Big South selection and All-Freshman Team honoree. For the second consecutive season, Griffith was on the Big South All-Academic team.
Presbyterian’s four All-Big South selections have played an integral role on a Blue Hose explosive offensive attack which ranks 10th in the NCAA in points per game at 6.93 (32 goals, 33 assists, 97 points).
PROGRAM FIRSTS
Hutchinson became the first player in the program’s history named Big South Offensive Player of the Year. Griffith and Hutchinson join former Blue Hose Cesar Sancho (2019, 2021) as two-time First Team All-Big South selections. Griffith is one of three players in the program’s history to earn All-Big South accolades three times in their careers, Sancho (2019-21), and Luca Ziegler (2018-20) are the other two.
DAMORNEY HUTCHINSON
Earlier this season, Hutchinson set the program’s Division I era records for goals (11) in a season and a career (18). Hutchinson is sixth in the nation in goals per game at .85 while scoring a Big South leading 11 goals. Hutchinson has scored six goals against Big South competition. For his stellar play this season he was the TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Player of the Week on September 17 and a two-time Big South Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16 and Oct. 7). Last season, Hutchinson garnered the Big South Newcomer of the Year award while being a First Team All-League selection.
CARSON GRIFFITH
Griffith anchors the Blue Hose midfield. He has scored four goals while dishing out three assists. In his career, Griffith is a two-time First Team All-Big South selection (2023, 2024), a Second Team All-League honoree (2022), a member of the 2022 Big South All-Tournament team, and a two-time Big South All-Academic team recipient (2023, 2024).
Griffith has a 3.55 GPA majoring in Business Management. He earned a spot on the Dean's List three times, the President's List once, and on the Big South Honor Roll twice.
STEVEN CORDOVA
Another major part of Presbyterian’s offensive attack, Cordova is third in the Big South with six assists with three of those assists coming in Big South Conference play. In Presbyterian’s 3-2 win at Coastal Carolina, he scored a goal and recorded an assist.
MORGAN DANCE
Dance is the 14th player in the program’s history to earn Big South All-Freshman honors. He has scored three goals all against Big South foes. On October 7, Dance was named Big South Freshman of the Week.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Punctuating one of the best single-year turnarounds in program history with a postseason return right around the corner, the Presbyterian College women’s soccer team ushered in five All-Big South honorees on Thursday afternoon.
While the Blue Hose and first-year head coach Matt Smith anticipate the team’s first league tournament appearance since 2019 this weekend, PC was represented with a group of three on the All-Big South Second Team, along with an Honorable Mention shoutout and an All-Freshman member.
Sloan Spees, Ella Williams, and Gwen Keiser were each chosen to the all-league second team, the first postseason award for the latter two while Spees makes it three consecutive seasons with All-Big South praise.
Meanwhile, record-breaking goalie Kelly Hall was included on the conference’s “Honorable Mention” tab, along with her inclusion on the All-Big South Academic Team for the third straight campaign.
Rookie Cassidy Oldham completes Presby’s lengthy list of postseason award-getters with an All-Freshman nod, signifying the first time in school history that five separate PC women’s soccer athletes were given All-Big South flowers in the same year.
The Blue Hose are currently 48 hours away from their third-ever conference tournament match, traveling to Longwood on Saturday for a 7:00 PM start in the Big South Quarterfinals.
SLOAN SPEES | Jr. | F | Dacula, Ga.
All-Big South Second Team
Totaling nine points on 14 starts in her first season as an upperclassman, Spees has collected three goals and three assists this fall to continue her three-season run of postseason recognition.
She was an All-Freshman recipient in 2022 and followed that up with an “Honorable Mention” spot 12 months ago. As a junior, Sloan chronicled the most shot attempts on the roster and scored twice against league competition.
Spees secured her first goal of ’24 on the same night that she also had an assist in a 4-1 drubbing over South Carolina State, going on to smash two other scores against Winthrop and UNC Asheville.
Five of her nine points this semester occurred in a Big South setting, logging 20 shots-on-goal (nearly 1.5 per game) and well over 800 minutes.
Spees has now made PC history, becoming the second player since the school made the Division I leap (2007) to earn an All-Big South honor in three different seasons. She joins the company of Kelsey Yeager, who also achieved this feat in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
ELLA WILLIAMS | Jr. | MF | Dacula, Ga.
All-Big South Second Team
A high school classmate of Spees, Williams was granted her first postseason accolade by the conference on Thursday following a campaign where she remained in the starting lineup from beginning to end (16 contests) and toppled 1,200 minutes.
Known more for her defensive prowess and having a hand in four Blue Hose shutouts since August, Ella scooped her first collegiate goal during one of those clean sheets against The Citadel (3-0).
Hers was the first score of that particular day in the 31st minute, enabling Presbyterian to seal a season-long four-match winning streak at the time.
GWEN KEISER | Sr. | D | Charleston, S.C.
All-Big South Second Team
While her final year with the garnet and blue was unfortunately cut short with three matches remaining due to injury, Keiser’s senior round was still strong enough to warrant an All-Big South second team acknowledgement thanks to a six-point trek.
A known elite defender, Gwen approached her last season without any prior goals at the college level. She’d go on to score three times this year (all in free-kick scenarios), launching a missile each time from a great distance.
She’d sail in her first PC goal in the 65th minute at Furman which turned out to be the game-winner. Keiser struck again in free-kick opportunities against SC State and Winthrop, starting all 13 of her appearances and surpassing 1,100 minutes.
KELLY HALL | Sr. | GK | Suwanee, Ga.
All-Big South Honorable Mention
All-Big South Academic Team (3x)
With at least one more match in her collegiate career and a postseason birth for the first time since she arrived on campus, Hall has been an essential piece to PC’s growth over the years and is now plastered all over the Blue Hose record book as a result.
In a 2-0 triumph against UNC Asheville eight days ago, Hall became Presbyterian’s new all-time leader in career shutouts (10). She has been the only keeper to play for coach Smith’s unit this fall (1,440 minutes), topping all Big South goalies with a save percentage of .830.
Kelly is on pace to finish her PC career with the lowest goals-against average of any player in the Division I era (1.66), stopping 93 shots as a senior alone and 241 over her entire tenure (2nd among all Presby players since 2007).
The captain of the Blue Hose defense assembled at least seven saves in eight different meetings this year, logging a personal-best 13 at Western Carolina back in September.
In addition to her on-field success, Hall has been just as elite in the classroom by maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA for her whole college career.
Majoring in Business Administration with a double-concentration in Accounting and Marketing (not to mention a minor in Spanish), Kelly has now made the Big South All-Academic Team three years in a row. That feat has only been equaled at PC by Emily Boggus, who did it from 2011-13.
CASSIDY OLDHAM | Fr. | D | Southport, N.C.
All-Big South Freshman Team
Made to sit out the first three games of the schedule due to injury, Oldham entered right into the fray and went on to start 13 matches during an impressive debut campaign.
Balancing between midfield and defense – eventually playing more of the latter down the stretch – Cassidy roamed the field for over 1,100 minutes, the most of any first-year player on Smith’s roster.
With Oldham on the back line, the Blue Hose registered back-to-back shutouts against Radford and Longwood near the last leg of the season. PC earned seven outright wins altogether, the program’s most in a six-year span.
Rairigh and Kaufman Earn Big South All-Academic Team Accolades
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Senior Caroline Rairigh and sophomore Noah Kaufman of the Presbyterian Blue Hose cross country teams earned Big South All-Academic team honors.
CAROLINE RAIRIGH
For the second straight season, Rairigh was a Big South All-Academic team selection. Rairigh has a 3.93 GPA majoring in Psychology with a minor in French. During her academic career at PC, she has been on the President’s and Dean’s List three times and the Big South Presidential Honor Roll.
Last season, the Dahlonega, Georgia native set a personal record with a time of 20:32.3 in the Big South Championships. This year, she finished in the Top 25 in the UNCW Beach Blast on September 6.
NOAH KAUFMAN
Kaufman has a 3.78 GPA while undecided on his major. During his academic career at PC, he has been on the Dean's List two times and was on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll last year.
This season, the Hilton Head, South Carolina native crushed his PR by 39 seconds in the 8k at the Royals Challenge on October 11. He led the Blue Hose in four races.
Rabarivony and Sundli-Hardig Capture Big South Weekly Honors
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the third time this season, the Presbyterian Blue Hose men’s soccer team earned two Big South weekly awards, as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. After scoring two goals including the game-winner in Presbyterian’s 5-2 win over Winthrop, sophomore midfielder Sandro Rabarivony was named Big South Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. After dishing out three assists in the win over Winthrop, freshman midfielder Jonas Sundli-Hardig captured Big South Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season.
Rabarivony is the fourth player in the program's history to earn the Big South Offensive Player of the Week award. Senior forward Damorney Hutchinson has been the Big South Offensive Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 16, Oct. 7). Sundli-Hardig is the third player in the program’s history to capture multiple Big South Freshman of the Awards after earning his first accolade on Sept. 16. On October 7, freshman midfielder Morgan Dance was the Big South Freshman of the Week.
SANDRO RABARIVONY
The Auxerre, France native scored two goals both in the second half including the game-winning goal in Presbyterian's win at Winthrop this past Saturday night. The victory clinched a berth in the Big South Tournament for the Blue Hose.
Rabarivony's two goals came on two shots. With the game tied at two, he scored his first goal in the 69th minute which was the game winner. Then, he scored his second goal in the 78th minute.
This is the second Big South weekly award that Rabarivony has earned in his career after claiming the league’s Freshman of the Week award last season.
This season, Rabarivony has scored three goals while dishing out three assists.
JONAS SUNDLI-HARDIG
The Bergen, Norway native tallied three assists in Presbyterian's win at Winthrop. He assisted on the game's first goal in the 4th minute. He assisted on the game-winning goal in the 69th minute and he collected his third assist on Presbyterian's fourth goal which came in the 78th minute.
Sundli-Hardig is second in the Big South Conference with seven assists
UP NEXT
Presbyterian has a rematch with Winthrop on the road in the Big South Tournament quarterfinals this Wednesday, November 6 at 6 p.m.
One of the contributors to PC's astounding offensive performance over the weekend in their first conference victory of the season, second-year running back CJ Johnson of the Presbyterian College football team was selected as the Adidas / Game One PC Student-Athlete of the Week.
On a day where the Blue Hose established a heap of program Division I records (including 663 yards of total offense and 35 first-half points), Johnson found the end zone twice in a 42-14 drubbing over Stetson.
He was part of five rushing touchdowns for Presbyterian as they secured their most-ever rushing yards against a Division I opponent (329).
Each of PC's five first-half drives ended in a TD and were all on the ground. Johnson added to Presby's eight yards per carry in the 1st and 2nd quarters, responsible for a pair of scores before halftime.
A native of nearby Greenville, CJ's first touch of the game on Saturday resulted in six points from three yards away. He'd later snatch his second touchdown in the next frame, a 33-yard sprint that is his longest career rush to this point.
RUSHING RAMPAGE
Presbyterian's previous D-I record for most rushing yards against a D-I institution came in 2017 versus Gardner-Webb (297), topping that number by 32 yards as they steamrolled the Hatters by 28 points.
Head coach Steve Englehart's crew gathered the third-most total yards in a single game of any Pioneer Football League team this semester, tying the school's second-most rushing TD's in one contest since turning D-I 17 years ago.
PC never needed to punt throughout the entire first half, accumulating six scores on the day from five different players.
The Blue Hose calculated 13 plays of at least 20 yards, their most of 2024 with three outings left. Eight of those 13 snaps fell in the first half, as the Scotsmen scattered 29 first downs.
LOOKING AHEAD
- PC will gear up for their 10th straight weekend on the field as Dayton comes to Bailey Memorial Stadium on November 2. They'll hope to string together back-to-back PFL victories against a visitor who started 5-1 this fall.
- Kickoff in Clinton is scheduled for 1:00 on ESPN+ in Presby's penultimate home meeting of the season. Last year, the Blue Hose earned a dramatic overtime win against Dayton in Ohio, nailing a 34-yard walk-off field goal.
- Following Saturday's bout, PC will then travel to Marist in New York on November 16 and will wrap up the season entirely on the 23rd versus Butler.
GAME ONE
- The Presbyterian College athletic department partnered with Game One on a multi-year apparel agreement in November 2022 as an official team dealer for Adidas. The partnership extended the university's alliance with Adidas which began in 2015 to outfit the Blue Hose athletic programs.
- Game One is among the largest and fastest-growing sports equipment and apparel suppliers in the country, serving a loyal customer base of 13,000 schools and organizations in 38 states.
Presbyterian's Adidas / Game One Student-Athlete of the Week
September 3, 2024 – Lina-Marie Müller, Women's Soccer
September 10, 2024 – Isabel Whitman, Women's Cross Country
September 17, 2024 – Dominic Kibby, Football
September 24, 2024 – Anna Baranski, Volleyball
October 9, 2024 – Gabe Carvalho, Men's Soccer
October 16, 2024 - Courtney Williams, Volleyball
October 21, 2024 - Lyla Chadd, Women's Soccer
