Disclaimer: All records and stats are as of Sept. 16, 2024.
The fall semester is underway, and so are Suffolk University’s sports teams. With the fall season in swing, some teams are off to hot starts while others are coming up cold.
Volleyball off to record-setting start
The start of the season for volleyball has been nothing short of dominant. Not only winning their first six matches, they only lost three of the 21 sets played in that span.
The Crosstown Challenge in Albany, New York brought the first two losses of the season for the Rams, as they fell 3-0 to Union College and 3-2 to Skidmore College Sept. 13. They rebounded the next day, beating Russell Sage College 3-0 and SUNY Oswego 3-1 to move to 8-2 through their first 10 matches.
Senior Libero Morgan Kelsey made program history during the team’s Sept. 10 win over Salem State University when she became the all-time leader in career aces with 232. After the four-match Crosstown Challenge, she now has 239 aces.
Head coach Scott Blanchard also reached a milestone during the Crosstown Challenge. With the win over Russell Sage Sept. 14, Blanchard reached 100 wins as head coach. He is the first and only head coach of the team to reach the 100 win mark.
Women’s soccer boasts undefeated start to season
Like the volleyball team on the court, the women’s soccer team has been dominant to start the season. Not only are they 5-0 to open the year, their first four wins were all shutouts.
After a 2-0 shutout against Elms College on the road to open the season, four straight home games were lined up for the Rams. They started with a 2-0 win over UMass Dartmouth before beating Worcester State University 1-0 and Fitchburg State University 5-0 before a dominating showing against Framingham State University Sept. 14.
With a celebration of the team’s seniors before the game, Suffolk followed that up with a nine goal showing to lead to a 9-1 win against Framingham. Through their first five games, they’ve outscored opponents 19-1 and are averaging just over 22 shots per game and just under four goals per game.
Men’s soccer stumbles to start
The men’s soccer team hasn’t been able to match the strong play of the women’s team to open the season, as they have a 2-2-2 record through their first six games.
Their lone game of August saw them hang four goals on Emmanuel College in a 4-1 victory at home. Two days later, they couldn’t score any goals in a 0-0 tie against Brandeis University. The drought continued against nationally ranked Amherst College Sept. 4 with the number two team in DIII taking down the Rams in a 4-0 shutout.
Looking to rebound at home against Husson College, it was instead the Rams’ second straight loss in a 2-1 decision. A road match against Framingham State brought better fortunes, as Suffolk scored twice in the both first and second halves to take a comfortable 4-0 shutout win. They couldn’t keep the momentum going against Salem State, instead getting their second tie of the season with a 1-1 final score.
Women’s golf tees off with two events
After capturing the Northeast Women’s Golf Conference Championship in the spring, women’s golf got the fall schedule started as they try to defend their title. They weren’t able to finish their first event of the season, as the Westfield State Invitational couldn’t be completed due to inclement weather.
The weather allowed the Polar Bear Shootout to start and finish as planned Sept. 14 and 15, with the Rams finishing 10th in the 13-team field. The Rams finished with 681 points, 99 back of the winning Williams College squad.
Cross Country knocks out first meet of season
Men’s and women’s cross country got their seasons underway with the Wheaton College & Babson College season opener Aug. 31, in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
The men’s team began the day with their five kilometer race, where Senior Tim Barry finished fifth overall to pace the men’s team to a sixth place finish out of nine teams. The Rams finished with 138 points.
On the women’s side, their three kilometer run saw them accumulate 37 points to finish in second place out of eight teams. Only the College of the Holy Cross finished ahead of Suffolk. Freshman Megan Dunn’s 13:19.28 showing was good for 52nd place and secured Conference of New England Rookie of the Week honors.
Women’s tennis kicks off latest season with familiar result
Under new head coach Zack Goodstein, women’s tennis started their season Sept. 7 against Salem State. The Rams suffered their third straight season-opening loss, falling 6-1 to the Vikings.
The duo of Rachel Hill and Nia Bebb won one of the three doubles matches, but Salem State won the other two to collect the doubles win. The only Rams winner in singles play was Elene Nishnianidze, who defeated Salem State’s Alanna Bonneau.
