FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo volleyball team is the last remaining unbeaten team in Peach Belt Conference matches following a 25-20, 25-14, 20-25, 25-15 win over Flagler College to take sole possession of first place in the league Sept. 25.

Montevallo (9-5, 5-0 PBC) was led by senior Rebecca Dowd, who had a team-high 14 kills and 13 digs.

Junior setter Anna Garrison picked up her eighth double-double of the season with 51 assists and 16 digs. Garrison was named the Peach Belt Conference’s Specialist of the Week for the third-consecutive week. The junior leads the Peach Belt Conference with 10.38 assists per set and is 14th in digs per set.

Redshirt freshman Manyi Ati added 13 kills in the win over Flagler. Sophomore Virginia Clay ended the match with 12 kills and a team-high four blocks, including two solo blocks.

Michelle Carle added 11 kills. Sophomore libero Brittany Wilson led the team in digs with 29. Junior defensive specialist Jessica Guidry had 12.

The Falcons swept visiting Armstrong Atlantic State University  25-21, 25-23, 25-18 to move to 4-0 in the Peach Belt Conference play Sept. 24.

The 4-0 start is the best conference start at Montevallo since 2003 when the Falcons started out conference play 6-0. Ati and Clay led the team with 15 and 11 kills, respectively.

Dowd had nine kills and 11 digs falling just short of a double-double. Freshman Taylor Chapman finished with nine kills and two block assists.

Garrison had a double-double with 36 assists and 11 digs. Wilson led the team in digs with 17.

Montevallo’s seven-match winning streak ended with a 25-23, 19-25, 21-25, 18-25 loss at home Sept. 21 to the University of West Florida.

Dowd led the Falcons with 14 kills and a team-high 16 digs. She also added three block assists.

Garrison also had a double-double with 49 assists and 11 digs. Ati led the team in kills with 15 while registering a team-high four blocks, including two solo blocks.

Chapman had 10 kills, two digs and one solo block. Clay had 10 kills, two digs and three block assists.

Wilson had 16 digs to tie for the team lead. Guidry added 15 digs.

Men’s soccer remains undefeated

The University of Montevallo men’s soccer team pushed its unbeaten streak to eight games as the Falcons defeated UNC Pembroke 2-0 in their third Peach Belt Conference match Sept. 25.

The Falcons (7-0-1, 2-0-1 PBC) received goals from seniors Milan Pualic and Nathaniel Foster, who was named the Peach Belt Conference’s Player of the Week.

Freshman goalkeeper Brendan Ledgeway picked up his third shutout of the season with three saves. He improved his record to 7-0-1 in net for the Falcons, who moved up to No. 6 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.

An own goal just four minutes in overtime gave the Falcons a 2-1 win Sept. 21 over Christian Brothers University.

Montevallo trailed 1-0 until a Daniel Pelletier goal with five minutes left in regulation tied the game at one. Ledgeway finished with five saves.

Women’s soccer drops two matches

The University of Montevallo women’s soccer team dropped both matches last week following a pair of 1-0 losses to Christian Brothers University and UNC-Pembroke.

The Falcons (2-6, 0-3 PBC) fell to Christian Brothers in overtime Sept. 21. Montevallo keeper Alyssa Maxwell made a diving attempt to take away the ball from an opposing forward, who found a teammate open for a shot at the wide-open net.

Freshman Kaitlin Thomas made her first start in goal for the Falcons in a 1-0 loss Sept. 25 to UNC-Pembroke. Thomas stopped three shots while allowing just one goal.

Montevallo cross country teams compete at Gulf Coast Stampede

The University of Montevallo men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Gulf Coast Cross Country Stampede Sept. 25 in Pensacola, Fla.

The women finished fifth in the women’s team standings at the event hosted by the University of West Florida.

The Falcons’ top runner was freshman In-Mi Matsunaga, who finished 16th overall with a time of 19:59.50. Matsunaga’s time is the 10th fastest 5K time in Montevallo history.

The men team finished seventh in the men’s team standings.

The Falcons’ top runner was freshman Mark McDonald, who finished 14th overall with a time of 28:30. McDonald’s time was one second faster than his previous best time this season.