Sports

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SPORTS 9/24/23 1:03pm

Elon University volleyball defeated by UNCW in CAA home opener

By Jack Prahinski

The Elon University volleyball team was unable to win its conference home opener against the University of North Carolina Wilmington as they fell 3-0 on Sept. 23. After dropping both matches to Hofstra University last weekend, today’s loss placed Elon in a three-way tie for a race to the bottom of the Coastal Athletic Association standings. Elon head coach Mary Tendler said while it was good to be playing in the Schar Center again, she felt like her team lacked energy from the outset of the match.

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SPORTS 9/22/23 1:40pm

Elon University women’s soccer ties against UNCW

By Jack Prahinski

After holding the lead for almost an entire half of play at Rudd Field, a late goal by the University of North Carolina Wilmington forced a 1-1 draw for Elon University women's soccer Sept. 21. The only win on the season for the Phoenix came last month against Wofford College. Coming into Thursday's Coastal Athletic Association matchup, Elon had lost four consecutive matches. Elon head coach Neil Payne said he felt like Elon handled the Seahawks’ attacks well for large portions of the match. However, Payne said his key takeaway from tonight was that Elon has to learn to put teams away.

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SPORTS 9/21/23 9:25am

Community weighs transgender sports ban

By Miles Hayford

North Carolina lawmakers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act with the power of the Republican supermajority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The new law went into effect at the start of the academic year and bans “students of the male sex” from playing on all “athletic teams designated for females, women or girls.” This includes teams at the middle school, high school, intramural and collegiate level. With the passing of the bill, North Carolina joins a long list of states that have prohibited transgender women from playing in women’s sports. 

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SPORTS 9/20/23 7:00pm

Historical halfback play surges Elon University football to first conference win of season

By Benjamin Berfield

With an experienced offensive line, along with redshirt sophomore running back Jalen Hampton primed to build off a 1,000 yard freshman campaign, there were high expectations for the Phoenix to continue its success with run games, according to head coach Tony Trisciani. While Elon averaged 116 rushing yards per game in the first two losses against Wake Forest and Gardner-Webb, Triscianni said Saturday night’s 27-3 victory over the North Carolina A&T Aggies was the type of dominating performance the Phoenix were counting on.

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SPORTS 9/16/23 1:44pm

Elon University ultimate frisbee team sets sights on nationals

By Alex Sterne

Elon University’s club ultimate frisbee team, appropriately named “Big Fat Bombs,” began an unprecedented run after starting the season being ranked 138th in its division. While this could have diminished the motivation of the team, team president Tyler Myers said he discovered the team’s value didn't reside in the speed or the strength of the individual players. Riding off the progress of last fall, the team looks to improve for this season.

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SPORTS 9/12/23 11:43am

Elon University junior stands against sister as CAA opponent

By Audrey Toscano

Junior Sydney Love is an outside hitter and captain for Elon University's volleyball team. As volleyball kicks off their 2023-24 season, Love prepares to face her younger sister Ryann Love on the opposite side of the net. Though the sisters grew up learning and playing volleyball together, Ryann now plays at William & Mary. Both sisters said they look forward to the competition that comes with playing against each other at the collegiate level. This season, Elon’s first game against William & Mary is Oct. 7.

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SPORTS 9/11/23 7:56am

Athletic scholarship awarded to Elon University sophomore

By Mason Willett

Redshirt sophomore Julian Bumper was rewarded an athletic scholarship after a few years as a walk-on for Elon University's football team. According to Bumper, receiving the scholarship is something he said he will never forget and credits his success to his parents — who graduated from Elon in the '90s. “I just want to say, I thank y'all," Bumper said. "All the sacrifice, all the times bringing me to practice. Believing in me throughout my whole time here, understanding that eventually my time will come and believing that when I get the opportunity, I'll make the most of it."

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SPORTS 9/8/23 8:31am

Elon University athlete finds solace in rugby team

By Erin Martin

Junior Coby Fecher was 18 years old when he planned to meet up with someone he trusted. That someone, a man, sexually assaulted him. Now as a junior at Elon, Fecher said the experience left him fearful of men — especially those who are bigger and taller than him. Around the time of the incident, Fecher joined Tobacco Road Rugby Club in Durham while attending Alamance Community College. For Fecher, rugby has always been a constant in his life, but playing on the field helps him work through his feelings. When he transferred to Elon last fall, Fecher said joining club rugby was an easy choice.

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SPORTS 9/6/23 12:44pm

Born to Ball

By Max Wallace

Eastern Alamance High School senior quarterback and team captain Jason Ball said he knew he wanted to play football from the very first time he picked up a ball. Ever since, he said he's dreamed of playing football at the next level and looks to turn those dreams into a reality as he enters his final year of high school. With college on the horizon, Ball said he has already received interest from a few schools, including Appalachian State, Eastern Carolina University, Liberty University, as well as other Division II schools.

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SPORTS 9/3/23 12:35pm

Elon University football captain grows from injury

By Mason Willett

Just a few days before the start of the 2022 season, Dylan Tucker said he was feeling the excitement for his third season on the field for Elon University’s football team. During one-on-one drills against former wide receiver Bryson Daughtry on Aug. 18, 2022, Tucker suddenly felt a pain in his chest. His pectoral muscle was torn. The injury sidelined him for the entire 2022-23 season, something Tucker said was the hardest moment in his career. Now, the redshirt sophomore begins the 2023-24 season as a leader of the team.

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SPORTS 9/1/23 12:21am

Elon University football falls in season opener

By Mason Willett

Elon University football officially started its 2023-24 season Aug. 31 at Wake Forest, ultimately losing 37-17. After a slow start with senior Matthew Downing as quarterback, coaching staff made the change to red-shirt senior Justin Allen. The first half ended with the Phoenix down 24-0, but Allen said thanks to locker room pep talks, the team outscored Wake Forest in the second half 17-13. One of the big scores in the second half was a pick-six by redshirt sophomore Caleb Curtain taking the ball 49-yards for the touchdown.

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SPORTS 8/31/23 10:03am

Elon University Football prepares for season starting

By Mason Willett

Elon's football team is set to travel to Wake Forest Aug. 31 to begin the 2023-24 season against the Demon Deacons. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. as the team looks to start its push for the playoffs once again by facing a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Head coach Tony Trisciani said he is hopeful that new additions to the team coupled with last season's accomplishments will lead to greater success this year. Senior quarterback Matthew Downing and redshirt sophomore Dylan Tucker also said they are setting their sights high.

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SPORTS 8/29/23 9:15am

Elon University track and field athlete enters motorway with NASCAR internship

By Mason Willett and Abigail Hobbs

Elon University senior track and field athlete Lauryn Carlton partnered with NASCAR this summer for her marketing internship. According to Carlton, she didn’t want to make her passion for sports feel like a job, but searched for something during the summer in the industry. In the internship, Carlton said she helped manage the relationship between NASCAR and its official partners. She also said her most memorable assignment was putting together an information packet for the Chicago Street Race — the first street race in NASCAR history.

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SPORTS 8/27/23 11:34am

Elon University’s women’s soccer duo fosters strong relationship on, off the field

By Mason Willett

Sophomores Ashlee Brehio and Rachel Buckle said they have a connection that allows them to know where the other is at all times. The soccer duo's bond started last year as freshmen entering Elon University's women's soccer program and has only gotten stronger thanks to the long road trips on the bus and team dinners spent together. Both Buckle and Brehio said they never let anything get in the way of their friendship, especially if it means jeopardizing the game. 

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SPORTS 8/24/23 12:46pm

Elon University men’s basketball release 2023-24 non-conference schedule

By Mason Willett and Aidan Rella

Elon University's men’s basketball team released their 2023-24 non-conference schedule Aug. 23. Head Coach Billy Taylor said that the team has already started preparing for what looks to be a competitive schedule. This is Taylor’s second season and the team's first home exhibition will be on Oct. 31 against William Peace. The full 2023-24 Coastal Athletic Association schedule will be released at a later date, including game times for the non-conference games.

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SPORTS 8/14/23 11:24am

Elon University athletic director driven by student, professional athletic experience

By Sarah T. Moore

After working at the University of Miami since 2012, Jennifer Strawley began as Elon University’s director of athletics on Aug. 1. Strawley is Elon’s first female director of athletics and the 20th individual to hold the position, filling the role after Dave Blank stepped down at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. She was the senior deputy director of athletics at Miami, and also served as the sport administrator for football, women’s soccer and women’s basketball.

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SPORTS 7/20/23 1:51pm

CAA changes name

By Mason Willett

The CAA announced it's changing its name from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Coastal Athletic Association on July 20. According to the CAA, the name change comes from its expansion across the East Coast and its goal of  ‘United in Excellence.' Despite this, George Washington University announced last year that it would be dropping all “Colonial monikers” because of the name's glorification of colonialism. 

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SPORTS 7/6/23 11:22am

Elon University selects new athletic director

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University selected Jennifer Strawley as its new athletic director after former director Dave Blank stepped down at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. Strawley will come to Elon as the former deputy director of athletics at University of Miami and is set to begin her role Aug. 1. Strawley has over 20 years of experience in athletics administration and has been involved in various committees and positions for both the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Atlantic Coast Conference throughout her career.

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SPORTS 6/14/23 3:56pm

North Carolina sports betting bill signed by governor

By Mason Willett

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper officially signed House Bill 347, which will legalize betting for professional, amateur, electronic and collegiate sports in 2024. A similar bill was introduced in North Carolina last year but did not pass. HB347 charges the North Carolina State Lottery Commission with regulating sports wagering and being responsible for issuing wagering and supplier licenses that will last five years. While the bill could go into effect as soon as January 2024, the commission has until June 2024 to open the betting. 

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SPORTS 5/22/23 10:06am

Injury plagued Elon University lacrosse player’s life outside the sport

By Joanna Dwyer

Graduating senior lacrosse defensive player Cassidy Creighton has now walked across the stage in Schar Center, but the path to get there wasn’t easy. Creighton went through multiple injuries, playing in only eight games with the Phoenix over four seasons. But fighting through these injuries is what Creighton said will help propel her in her future. 

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