Blue Hose Sign Talented Prep Forward Chidi Chiakwelu
Presbyterian Blue Hose head men's basketball coach Quinton Ferrell announced the signing of Chidi Chiakwelu, a 6-foot-7 forward from Houston, Texas.
"I'm very excited with the addition of Chidi Chiakwelu to our program! Chidi is one of the best athletes in Texas," Ferrell said. "Chidi has a 7-foot wingspan to go along with his explosive jumping ability. Chidi is a double-double machine and a player who plays with a tremendous motor on both ends of the court. He will have the ability to impact the game at a very high level on the defensive side of the court because of his versatility to guard multiple positions. Chidi is a high-character and high academic young man. I look forward to having him and his family a part of our Blue Hose family."
Chiakwelu was a three-time First Team All-District selection, averaging 15 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocked shots, and 2.5 assists per game at George Ranch High School in Houston. He played AAU on the EYBL circuit for LivOn and the 3SSB circuit for the TJ Ford Elite.
"I chose PC because of the belief Coach Q has in me," said Chiakwelu. "When other coaches came and went, PC always believed in me.”
Dragoo Named CSC Academic All-American
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Joel Dragoo of the Presbyterian College Blue Hose baseball team has been awarded with a spot on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2024 Academic All-America Third Team for his excellence both on the field and in the classroom, as announced on Tuesday afternoon. This is the first time since 2004 that a Blue Hose baseball player has recieved an Academic All-American award.
To be named to the CSC Academic All-America team, student-athletes must have already earned the CSC Academic All-District award, maintained a minimum 3.50 GPA, and either started in 66 percent of games or have competed in 90 percent of total games.
The Division I CSC All-America Team is made up of 33 players who have a cumulative GPA of 3.78.
Junior | Outfielder | Beckville, Texas
3.68 GPA | Business Management / Marketing
Dragoo emerged as one of the nation's standout batters this season, achieving a remarkable feat by setting the program's Division I single-season record with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs. His outstanding performance earned him the title of Big South Player of the Year, leading the league with a .401 batting average, .797 slugging percentage, and .508 on-base percentage. Additionally, Dragoo was recognized as a First Team All-Big South player and received four Big South Player of the Week honors. More recently, Dragoo earned a spot on the NCBWA All-America roster which hadn't been done by a player at PC since 2011.
Outside of baseball, Dragoo excels academically, having earned placement on the Dean's List three times and the President's List in the Fall of 2022 and 2023. Throughout his career at PC, he has consistently been named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll.
Women’s Basketball Signs Six Newcomers to 2024-2025 Roster
The Presbyterian College women's basketball team has welcomed six new players to the Blue Hose family. Morgan Boyd, Shelby Fiddler, Teresa Mbemba, Kishyah Anderson, Aminata Tal, and Daniella Velez are joining Presbyterian College this week to begin their journey with the team.
"Our team will benefit tremendously from the athleticism and versatility this group of newcomers will bring." Said coach Sardin. "We return an experienced group of women from last season's roster who were instrumental in last season's run. I'm really excited to integrate a highly talented and experienced group of players into our program."
5'9" | Guard
Highland Springs High School | Highland Springs, Va.
Boyd made a significant impact on her high school basketball team, earning numerous athletic honors. During her time at Highland Springs, she was recognized as an All-Region, All-State, and All-Metro Honorable Mention player.
Quote from Coach Sardin
"We are excited to add Morgan to the True Blue family. She was my first commit. Morgan's ability to get to the rim and rebounding ability will fit well in our system."
5'9" | Guard
Patrick Henry High School | Roanoke, Va.
Fiddler is a DI transfer from Niagara University, where she played a pivotal role from the start, participating in every game during the 2023-24 season. Before joining Niagara, Fiddler was a standout player at Patrick Henry High School. She earned multiple accolades, including two-time All-State, two-time All-Region, and two-time First Team All-District honors.
Quote from Coach Sardin
"I recruited Shelby during her high school days, and most recently watched how she developed at Niagara. She's coming from a successful program where she already understands tempo and grit. Her deep range three-point shooting ability and high IQ will give us immediate experience in the guard position."
5'11" | Forward
Colegio Wiliete | Benguela, Angola
Mbemba excelled at Frank Phillips College during the 2023-2024 season, leading the team in scoring with an impressive average of 13 points per game. She also averaged five rebounds per game, and recorded a 48% field goal percentage. Mbemba's outstanding performance earned her recognition as an All-Conference player for her contributions on the court last season.
Quote from Coach Sardin
"We are thrilled Teresa is coming to PC. Her athleticism and versatility to defend multiple positions will fit in well with how we want to play."
5'10" | Guard / Forward
Yavapai College | Gilbert, AZ
While playing basketball for Yavapai College, Anderson achieved impressive statistics and numerous athletic accolades. She averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game during her season with the team, including an outstanding performance where she scored a season high of 28 points. During the 2023-2024, Anderson accumulated 478 points, 157 rebounds, 104 assists, and 57 steals. Her exceptional play earned her several awards, including NJCAA Player of the Week, First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-ACCAC, two-time Second Team All-Region, and Female Player of the Year.
Quote from Coach Sardin
"We are very excited to welcome Kishyah to our program. Kishyah's versatility and ability to score at all levels will make an impact for us right away. Her confidence and toughness on both sides of the ball will be contagious throughout our program."
5'8" | Guard
Shorter College | St. Louis, Senegal
During the 2023-2024 season at Shorter College, Tal averaged 18.9 points per game with 491 total points in one season. She recorded a 43.3 field goal percentage with 187 made shots. Tal totaled 172 rebounds, 96 assists, and 65 steals. She was named a First Team All-Region player due to her success over the season. Tal is also a part of the Senegal national team.
Quote from Coach Sardin
"We recruited Aminata out of the SEED Academy program in Senegal a few years ago. She will give us much needed depth in the point guard position. AT's strength and scorer mentality will certainly help us add more points on the boards."
5'5" | Guard
Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School | Queens, NY
As a standout four-year varsity player and three-year captain at Mosignor McClancy, Velez garnered many achievements for her ability and success on the court. She was named Tablet All-Star during her sophomore and senior years, made the CHSAA All-League First Team her sophomore year, and CHSAA All-League Second Team her senior year. During her senior year she recorded an impressive stat line including 16.8 ppg, shot 38 percent from outside the arc, averaged 4.5 assists per game, and took 2.6 steals per game. Her efforts this season helped her earn MVP at the Tampa Bay Florida Invitational Christmas Tournament.
Quote from Coach Sardin
"I am excited to add Daniella to our program. She's super competitive and has a high basketball IQ that will translate well into our style of play. Daniella will be fun to watch.”
Women’s Tennis Signs Another Newcomer to the 2024-25 Roster
Joel Roberts, head coach of the Presbyterian College Blue Hose women's tennis program, proudly announces the addition of Sofia Rodrigo Hidalgo to the Blue Hose family.
Sofia Rodrigo Hidalgo
Illinois State University | Valencia, Spain
Rodrigo spent the 2023-24 season as a freshman at Illinois State where she helped the team make the Missouri Valley Conference Championship match. After taking a 7-1 conference record the team faced UIC in the semifinals where Rodrigo took a 6-4, 6-4 win at the No. 6 singles spot to help advance the team to the MVC Championship.
During her summers, Rodrigo spent time coaching kids from the ages of five to 14 in her GTennis Academy.
Originally from Valencia, Spain, Rodrigo brings a wealth of experience and a strong competitive edge to the Blue Hose lineup. She plans to pursue a major in computer information technology during her tenure at Presbyterian College.
Coach Robert's Thoughts:
"Really excited for Sofia to join us! She is a great competitor and will bring some experience for us as well. We can't wait to get her on campus in August!”
Thirteen PC Men’s Wrestlers Make SoCon Honor Roll, Five of Which Named to Academic All-Conference Team
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Presbyterian College men's wrestling program (an affiliate member of the Southern Conference since its creation five years ago) was represented plentifully on the 2024 SoCon Honor Roll and All-Conference units. Announced on Thursday afternoon, PC qualified 13 for the former and five for the latter.
Michael Ramirez, Caleb Roe, Brayden Adams, Eli Holiday, and Morvens Saint Jean all met the strict requirements to hit the mark for All-SoCon Academic status. They were joined by Dakota Price, Joshua Roe, George Hopkins, Ryan Luna, Brandon Jacoby, Connor Garren, Reed Douglass, and Malcolm Wiley to round out the full group of 13 on the SoCon Honor Roll.
Having five Academic All-Conference wrestlers is an improvement of three compared to last season's rollout. The program has now produced 18 different Honor Roll members in the last two academic years.
Of the 15 Presbyterian athletes who made the list in 2023, 10 of them returned to the roster for another go. All of them retained their memberships on the SoCon Honor Roll, with four of them advancing to All-Conference levels after being ineligible the previous instance due to their freshman classification.
In order to gain entry into the Southern Conference Honor Roll, one must acquire a 3.0 grade point average over the course of the full academic year. Any student-athlete with that number or higher will be included, regardless of class or the amount that they competed.
The criteria for SoCon All-Conference, however, is much more strenuous. Freshmen and transfers are not permitted, and all of those who qualify must've established a 3.3 GPA for their cumulative college careers while also competing in at least 50 percent of their team's events throughout the regular season.
PC Men's Wrestling is a part of 2,473 student-athletes around the league who made the SoCon Honor Roll, including 615 on the All-Conference roster.
Dakota Price and Joshua Roe reached a flawless 4.0 GPA, allowing them to win the Commissioner's Medal along with 682 others who maintained that number from August to May.
Brayden Adams (Savannah, Ga. | So. | 133) – SoCon All-Academic Team + Honor Roll
Wrestling mostly in the lightweight division during his freshman stint, Adams bumped up to class 133 last spring and competed in 18 matches altogether. Inside Templeton Gymnasium, he bested Queens' Griffen Gonzalez via 10-8 decision. With two seasons of his PC tenure in the books, he has earned an overall GPA of 3.64.
Eli Holiday (Yorba Linda, Calif. | Jr. | 157) - SoCon All-Academic Team + Honor Roll
Eli enjoyed a mostly injury-free campaign after sitting out the majority of 2023, claiming six victories across 20 showings. He went 5-1 in the midway portion of January, picking up non-conference W's over Cleveland State, Truett McConnell, and Queens on 40 combined points in those meetings. His individual '24 highlight came against VMI's Josh Yost, winning a 9-6 clash that advanced to sudden death overtime. Holiday's cumulative GPA is 3.54 with a major in Communication Studies.
Michael Ramirez (Rock Hill, S.C. | Sr. | 165) - SoCon All-Academic Team + Honor Roll
One of the most committed Blue Hose athletes on campus, Ramirez competed in 26 matches during his senior trek (the second-most on the club), moving up to class 165 for a squad that was riddled with injuries. After winning two straight bouts at the F&M Open in Pennsylvania, he defeated VMI's Luke Hart with a 6-2 decision that ultimately went down as his final win under the Presby umbrella. Ramirez wraps up an impressive career in Clinton with an 8.2 cumulative GPA studying Biology.
Caleb Roe (Arab, Ala. | So. | 184) - SoCon All-Academic Team + Honor Roll
Roe acquired 10 victories while becoming a regular starter for head coach Mark Cody's crew, gaining a 4th-place finish at the SoCon Championships in class 184 were he toppled Gardner-Webb's highly-touted nationally-ranked wrestler, Jha'Quan Anderson, with a 95-second pin. Caleb won five consecutive duals in January, winning a pair of regular season league matches opposite Bellarmine and Chattanooga by a combined clip of 28-10. He landed 4th in the postseason by downing The Citadel's Adam Ortega with a 9-5 tally, holding a cumulative GPA of 3.79 as a Business Accounting major.
Morvens Saint Jean (Fort Myers, Fla. | So. | 285) - SoCon All-Academic Team + Honor Roll
Saint Jean has been Presbyterian's go-to heavyweight over his first two seasons in blue and garnet, lining up 22 appearances as a sophomore. He earned a couple of non-con W's against Bloomsburg at a neutral site and Truett McConnell in Clinton, represented in all eight of PC's league affairs. Morvens has combined for a 3.45 GPA with his college tenure halfway complete, majoring in Computer Science.
Dakota Price (Gilbert, S.C. | Jr. | 157) – SoCon Honor Roll + Commissioner's Medal
Going for a perfect 4.0 GPA as a junior while majoring in Political Science & Public Policy, Price wrestled six times in 2024 – including four SoCon duals that came in the heart of the season. He held down the 157-lb. spot for a club that was dealt a tough injury blow, primarily featured in tournament settings.
Joshua Roe (Arab, Ala. | Fr. | 165) – SoCon Honor Roll + Commissioner's Medal
Alongside his older brother Caleb, Joshua has carved a solid start to his PC tenure by catching a perfect 4.0 GPA (major undecided). His rookie year entailed 14 matches, seizing four victories in bracket play along with an additional W over Truett McConnell in an 8-6 seesaw. His college debut featured three straight wins at the Mountaineer Open (including a 19-3 technical fall versus G-W's Josh Ward), obtaining his last win over Appalachian State's Alex Hopper in the Wildcat Open from North Carolina (11-3 major decision).
Reed Douglass (Canajoharie, N.Y. | So. | 174) - SoCon Honor Roll
Reed wrestled nine times as a second-year rising star, forced to sit the back half of the campaign due to injury complications. On a night where he was given the opportunity to compete in his home state of New York, Douglass achieved two tech's in a row over Sacred Heart and Northern Colorado with an added difference of 46-14. He would later add one of the most exciting W's of any PC performer at another neutral site, winning over Bloomsburg's Anthony Derosa in a 21-18 barnburner.
Connor Garren (Lewis Center, Ohio | Fr. | 197) - SoCon Honor Roll
Garren suited up for a quartet of matches during his freshman bow, wrestling in two duals and a couple of other encounters inside of the tournament system. He posted a 3.18 GPA with two semesters down, landing a SoCon Honor Roll spot in the process.
George Hopkins (Columbus, Ga. | So. | 197) - SoCon Honor Roll
Became Presbyterian's normal starter in class 197 during his sophomore stretch, wrestling 22 times from November to May. George put together a GPA of 3.38 for the academic year (major undecided).
Brandon Jacoby (Myrtle Beach, S.C. | So. | 174) - SoCon Honor Roll
Jacoby switched between classes 165 and 174 for a lineup that faced a large amount of adversity on the year, participating in six contests as a sophomore along with a trio of Southern Conference duals. His sophomore GPA came out to 3.21 (major undecided).
Ryan Luna (Gilroy, Calif. | So. | 133) - SoCon Honor Roll
Ryan increased his work rate across his second season under Coach Cody, wrestling 20 times and having his hand raised on six occasions, three of which were duals. A high chunk of his personal wins were by sizable margins, among them a 15-0 TF against Gardner-Webb's Tyler Lamon at a neutral tourney in North Carolina, a 12-4 MD against Sacred Heart, and a 21-5 technical that bested his opponent from Bloomsburg. He capped off his second go-around with an exhibition triumph over #24 Campbell in Templeton (6-3 standard decision), going for a 3.24 GPA as a Business Accounting & Management major.
Malcolm Wiley (Tyrone, Ga. | Sr. | 197) – SoCon Honor Roll
Poised to seemingly make a push towards All-SoCon contention awaiting his last season with the Blue Hose, Wiley was unfortunately unable to compete for the entirety of the schedule due to a preseason injury. Instead, Malcolm contributed to the team as a student-assistant coach once his diagnosis turned season-ending, recognized on Senior Day (February 11) when PC battled Gardner-Webb. His final year at Presby came with a 3.66 GPA while studying Political Science.
Men’s Soccer Reveals 2024 Schedule
The Presbyterian College Blue Hose men's soccer program and head coach Nick Finotti release their 2024 schedule highlighted by seven regular-season games at Martin Stadium.
"We look forward to our fall schedule, which consists of nine non-conference and seven Big South Conference matches," said Finotti, who is in his second season at PC. "Given the level of competitiveness, we expect an exciting season and welcome all students, faculty, alumni, and community members to support us."
Presbyterian begins the 2024 campaign with two exhibition matches at Martin Stadium against Davidson (August 14) and Anderson (August 21). The Blue Hose kick off the regular season at home against Erskine on August 24 while rounding out the month of August with their first regular season road game at ETSU on August 29.
The Blue Hose begin the month of September with road games at Queens (September 2), Virginia Tech (September 5), and Coastal Carolina (September 9). Then, PC is back in Martin Stadium to face VMI on September 12 before returning to the road at Liberty on September 18. Presbyterian ends the month with two home games against Big South Conference foes Longwood (September 22) and UNC Asheville (September 27).
Presbyterian begins the month of October with road contests at Wofford (October 1) and Big South Conference opponents Radford (October 5), and Gardner-Webb (October 12). Then, the Blue Hose play their final non-conference match of the season when they welcome Furman to Martin Stadium on October 15. Presbyterian concludes the month with Big South Conference home games against USC Upstate (October 19) and High Point (October 26).
The regular season concludes with a road game at league foe Winthrop on November 2.
The six-team Big South Conference Tournament begins with two quarterfinal games played at the teams that finish third and fourth in the regular-season standings on November 6. The two top seeds will host the Big South Tournament semifinal games on November 10. The Big South Conference Tournament Championship game will be played at the highest remaining seed on November 16.
Women’s Soccer Publishes First Fall Schedule of Smith Era
Recently-appointed Presbyterian College women's soccer head coach Matt Smith has announced the full layout of the team's 2024 schedule, uncovered on Tuesday afternoon. PC will participate in 17 regular season matches beginning on August 15, including eight Big South Conference bouts.
The Blue Hose will compete inside Martin Stadium against eight opponents this fall, a highly-anticipated campaign for Smith who was named the program's second-ever head coach on December 27.
Presby's 2024 opener – a short visit to Wofford – will be a full-circle moment for Smith, who began his collegiate coaching career with the Blue Hose as an assistant from 2005-09 underneath now-retired director Brian Purcell.
Over 19 seasons as both an assistant and head coach, Smith has been apart of 175 victories as well as 14 postseason appearances and four trips to the NCAA Tournament.
"We are very excited about the schedule we've been able to put together", remarked Smith, who is responsible for 80 wins in seven seasons as a head coach. "Our team is very hungry and wants to be challenged, and I think we have crafted a schedule to accurately reflect that desire".
Exhibition Play + August
Within a five-day period in the month of August, Smith's squad will face Coastal Carolina (road) and Truett McConnell (home) in exhibition contests. That will segue to the official PC head-coaching debut of Smith on the 15th in Spartanburg versus the Terriers.
Presbyterian will face Wofford for the 12th time since turning Division I (a transition that Smith was a part of), beginning a season against their SC rivals for the second time ever and first since 2014.
Smith's first home match as PC's man-in-charge will occur on Sunday, August 18 when welcoming College of Charleston. The Blue Hose will be going up against the Cougars for the first time in seven years and the first time in Clinton since 2009.
Both of Presby's first two road features will happen with a Southern Conference school standing in their way, traveling to Furman on August 22. The Paladins started off last season with a 1-0 win over PC, charting the lone goal during the 56th minute.
The final clash of August and the first of September will both be held at Martin Stadium, going head-to-head with Southern Wesleyan and South Carolina State respectively.
September
Three of the squad's remaining four non-conference encounters will take place outside of their home turf, dropping by The Citadel on September 5 before hosting Georgia State three days later.
The litany of SoCon foes will continue with PC's last pair of pre-Big South adversaries, traveling to both Western Carolina and Mercer on September 12 and 15 respectively. Those schools combined for 23 wins a year ago, with WCU winning the SoCon tournament championship thanks to an overall record of 13-5-3.
Coach Smith's unit will enjoy a 10-day break once the non-con stage has ended, returning home for the first time in two weeks to battle USC Upstate for the league opener on September 25.
Presbyterian has bested the Spartans more times than any other current Big South member, winning seven affairs over their Palmetto neighbors.
October
The first week of October will entail back-to-back road meetings for the Blue Hose, headed to Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb (Oct. 2 and 5) as divisional play proceeds.
PC earned one of its two league W's in '23 over the Runnin' Bulldogs at Martin Stadium, shutting out G-W thanks to a couple of goals by Sloan Spees that were both assisted by Lina-Marie Müller (15th and 60th minutes).
Presbyterian's next matchup will come against their other Big South victory from last fall, taking on Winthrop in the Kim Purcell/Pink Eraser Cancer Awareness Game (October 11).
That Müller/Spees combo was the deciding factor when PC defeated the Eagles in Rock Hill last time out, scoring in the 11th minute and cruising from there for the 1-0 triumph.
The final four matches of the regular season will be split between home and away designations, visiting High Point and Longwood on the 16th and 19th.
From there, the Blue Hose will carry out their remaining two contests from the friendly confines of home, scheduled to face UNC Asheville on October 23rd and defending Big South champion Radford in the season's closer on the 26th.
Postseason
The Big South Tournament's quarterfinal round will be dueled on November 2 from the site of whomever is the higher seed. Charlotte will serve as the location for the Semi's and Championship, played on the 7th and 10th.
The winner of the Big South tourney will earn the league's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Championship, joining the field of 64 in pursuit of a national title.
2023 Recap
Primarily a young team during Purcell's last ride, the '23 Blue Hose wrapped up the campaign with Müller and Spees both landing spots on the All-Big South rosters. Müller particularly impressed after redshirting the 2022 slate, becoming the fourth player in program history to win two separate all-conference honors (All-Freshman and All-League 2nd Team).
The German native acquired nine of her 12 points when going up against divisional foes, while Spees ranked fourth in the Big South by lining up five goals throughout the campaign.
Incoming senior Kelly Hall made it back-to-back years as the team's representative on the Big South's All-Academic team, catching a flawless GPA as Presby's starting keeper.
PC's academic prowess wasn't limited to just one competitor, hitting the maximum limit for the second straight time by witnessing six on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team.
