Sports

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SPORTS 5/7/25 7:28pm

Elon University Athletics, town of Elon collaborate on sports-driven economic planning

By Monika Jurevicius

The town of Elon’s Downtown Development Director Jill Weston said one of the town’s missions is to produce more involvement with the students and Elon University — and is starting with Elon Athletics. As a town of under 12,000 residents, Weston knows there will be challenges as more people and traffic come into Elon as the school grows, but the town’s leadership is receptive to balancing what the town’s needs are for the future. Sport management professor Alex Traugutt, who researches college athletic finances, said the cross-collaboration between athletics and the town hasn't been ingrained in Elon yet. 

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SPORTS 5/7/25 9:13am

Elon softball enters CAA Championships as 2 seed

By Miles Hayford

Elon softball finished its regular season on May 3 with a series win over Campbell University, ending the regular season with a record of 29-18 and were 21-6 in conference play. Its strong conference play earned the team the No. 2 seed in the CAA Championships — the second time it earned that seeding. Elon’s seeding gives it a bye, allowing it to start play a day after the tournament starts with a May 8 matchup against the winner of No. 3 College of Charleston and No. 6 Hofstra. 

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SPORTS 5/6/25 2:31pm

Rocket League sparks connection at Elon

By Erin Martin

Founded in 2015, Elon’s esports scene has been growing steadily over the past few years, along with the rest of the world. This year marked a major step forward for Elon’s Rocket League program. The team competes under the Collegiate Carball Association and played in a Collegiate Conference Series tournament with other schools from the Coastal Athletic Association. The team also recently competed in the ZCL — a community based, independently managed tournament. There, Elon dominated the competition, sweeping through the bracket to take home the championship title.

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SPORTS 5/3/25 5:36pm

Nick Dorn transfers from Elon to Indiana University in pursuit of NBA dreams

By Liya Rike

Nick Dorn, a former member of Elon’s men’s basketball team, entered the NCAA transfer portal on March 25 and announced his commitment to Indiana University on April 24. After reviewing game footage and discussing his decision with his coaches and family, Dorn decided that transferring would give him a better opportunity to reach the professional level. Dorn’s transfer to Indiana is a step up to a Big Ten program with rich basketball history, including 41 NCAA Tournament appearances and five national championships. Elon, by contrast, has never made the NCAA Tournament in its Division I history. 

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SPORTS 4/27/25 8:45pm

Gritty performance by Elon men’s tennis falls short in CAA championship

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s tennis team was denied a Coastal Athletic Association championship by the University of North Carolina, Wilmington for the fourth straight year April 27. It was a gritty effort by the Phoenix, but a doubles defeat along with an initial loss in singles proved too much to overcome. Elon entered the match as one of the CAA’s hottest teams. The team was the winner in 8 of its last 10 games, and was fresh off a 4-1 victory against Monmouth on April 26. However, one of the team’s weaknesses was doubles matches.

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SPORTS 4/27/25 3:43pm

Elon University women’s tennis wins first CAA Championship in program history

By Miles Hayford

Elon women’s tennis made history April 27, winning its first CAA Championship in program history by beating William & Mary 4-2 in a thrilling affair that came down to the wire. William & Mary came into the match looking to win its fourth consecutive CAA Championship, but Elon was not any standard opponent. The Phoenix were the No. 1 seed in the tournament — the first time in program history — and beat the Tribe 4-3 recently in its final regular season match. Elon’s win earns them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which starts May 15.

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SPORTS 4/27/25 12:46am

Elon University men’s tennis advances to CAA championship game in dominant fashion

By Kathan Gandhi

Elon University men’s tennis showed out in its semifinal game versus Monmouth University in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament on April 26, winning 4-2. The Phoenix came in hot, having an 8-2 record in its last 10 games. Elon will now play three-time defending champion University of North Carolina, Wilmington tomorrow, whom it has lost to in the CAA Championship game the last three years in a row. The winner will clinch an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Tournament on May 15. The match will begin at 2 p.m. April 27 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. 

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SPORTS 4/26/25 4:03pm

Elon University women’s tennis beats Charleston, advances to CAA Championship

By Miles Hayford

With a mostly home crowd that packed the bleachers of Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, Elon women’s tennis beat the College of Charleston 4-0 in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament semifinals on April 26. It advances Elon to its second CAA Championship in program history and the first since 2022. Elon will play three-time defending champion William & Mary at 10 a.m. tomorrow April 27 for the championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, a rematch of the 2022 CAA championship. 

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SPORTS 4/25/25 11:06am

Elon’s newest volleyball head coach looks to build player-coach connections

By Benjamin Berfield

When Matt Troy took the head coaching job for Elon University’s volleyball team, he saw it as an opportunity to grow as a coach. Troy previously hadn’t heard much about Elon’s volleyball program but after watching film of the team, he believed they had potential that could be built upon once the season begins in August. Last year, Elon finished 11-18. While Troy does plan on incorporating a few things such as an up-tempo offense, he isn’t looking to change everything about the team.

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SPORTS 4/24/25 7:57pm

Elon University men’s basketball star transfers to Indiana University

By Miles Hayford

Elon men’s basketball’s star sophomore Nick Dorn is transferring to Indiana University, he announced on social media on April 24. Dorn was instrumental for the Phoenix these past two years as he made the CAA All-Rookie Team after a stellar freshman year that saw four CAA Rookie of the Week awards. This past season he was second on the team in points per game with an average of 15.2 and also had 3.8 rebounds per game. He was lights out from beyond the arc, leading the team in 3-pointers attempted and in 3-pointers made with 74. 

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SPORTS 4/19/25 4:15pm

Elon women’s tennis beats William & Mary 4-2 in final regular season match

By Kathan Gandhi

Elon women’s tennis topped the College of William & Mary in its final match of the regular season. The day started with an impressive doubles win from sophomores Simone Bergeron and Mariana Reding. On top of impressive volleys and consistent rallies, Bergeron’s energy, which is often shown with triumphant screams, is a key factor in their success. The pair won 6-4, improving their doubles record to 16-3. Elon now turns its attention to the CAA Tournament, which will be hosted at Elon. The tournament begins on April 25 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.

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SPORTS 4/19/25 4:09pm

Elon University women’s lacrosse clinches playoff berth behind dominant second half

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University women’s lacrosse won its penultimate home game in style, clinching a playoff spot against Towson University with a 16-8 victory on April 19. Elon endured a back-and-forth first half before outscoring Towson 10-6 in the second half. It is the team’s fifth win in the last seven games. Elon achieved this feat thanks to redshirt sophomore Ana Lee Vandiver and senior Sammy Fisher, who combined for nine goals, scoring five and four, respectively. Vandiver tied her season high goals with the performance. 

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SPORTS 4/18/25 10:13am

$6.6 billion bet in first year of legalized sports betting in North Carolina

By Miles Hayford

It’s been 13 months since sports betting was legalized in North Carolina, and the inaugural year was a success for the state and betting operators but led to an increase in gambling addiction. A total of $6.6 billion in bets were placed in the first year, with players winning more than $5.85 billion. The eight authorized sports betting operators — Underdog Sports Wagering, BETMGM, ESPN Bet, Draft Kings, bet365, Fanatics Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise — made more than $713 million in the first year and the state received $128 million in tax revenue.

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SPORTS 4/15/25 7:41pm

Elon University men’s basketball lands two transfer guards

By Miles Hayford

After losing two of its best offensive players in TK and TJ Simpkins to the transfer portal, Elon University men’s basketball has finally made its first move in the portal. Bryson Cokley, a transfer from George Mason University and Randall Petus II, who played at Northern Kentucky University last year. Acquiring guard play was a crucial need for the Phoenix as it lost two of their best guards in the Simpkins brothers and potentially losing sophomore Nick Dorn who has also recently entered the transfer portal. 

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SPORTS 4/13/25 9:47pm

Elon University baseball flys high, low against Towson

By Kathan Gandhi

Elon baseball exits its three-game weekend series against Towson University with two more additions to the win column. After heavy rain postponed Elon’s game on Friday, the Phoenix opened the weekend playing a double-header versus the Towson Tigers on Saturday, April 12. The Phoenix started the series with a 10-0 win and a 23-5 loss in a doubleheader. The final game of the series witnessed a 6-4 victory for the Phoenix. Following the series, Elon now has a 13-22 record for the season. Elon plays University of North Carolina, Greensboro  next at 6 p.m. April 15 at Latham Park. 

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SPORTS 4/12/25 7:05pm

Elon University men’s basketball star transfers to Seton Hall University

By Miles Hayford

Elon men’s basketball’s star TJ Simpkins is transferring to Seton Hall University, according to an announcement on social media April 12. Simpkins was a key aspect of Elon’s offense as he averaged 14.6 points per game with the third most total points on the team. He had an average of 3.8 rebounds per game and the second most total assists with 85. He led the team in steals with 45 and added 11 blocks on the season. Simpkins was impressive against Power Four opponents this year, scoring 18 against North Carolina and 16 against Notre Dame.

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SPORTS 4/9/25 8:51pm

Elon University men’s basketball star guard transfers to University of Oregon

By Miles Hayford

Elon men’s basketball’s leading scorer in points per game from last season TK Simpkins is transferring to the University of Oregon. Simpkins announced on social media on April 9 that he is transferring. Simpkins was instrumental for the Phoenix this year as he made the All-CAA Second Team by leading the team in points with an average of 16.4 points per game. He was second on the team in 3-pointers with 58 and was third in assists with 70. He shot 36.7% from beyond the arc and 42.3% from the field.

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SPORTS 4/8/25 10:58pm

Elon baseball falls to top-ranked North Carolina in thrilling, high-scoring game

By Miles Hayford

Elon baseball fell just short of upsetting North Carolina in a high-scoring affair as it lost 12-10 on April 8. It was a grueling, three and half hour affair that saw multiple lead changes throughout the back-and-forth game. It was the second year in a row where Elon lost to North Carolina by two or less runs. Elon hasn’t beaten the Tar Heels since 2010. But Elon put up a valiant effort against the 16th ranked team in the country and one of the best pitching staffs in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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SPORTS 4/6/25 4:33pm

Elon University sophomore pitcher throws complete game to cap off series sweep against Charleston

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University softball team continued its torrid stretch over the past month with a 5-1 victory against the College of Charleston on April 6. Elon swept Charleston in a series where it only allowed three runs in three games. It is Elon’s third series sweep in the last 16 games in which it is 13-3. Elon accomplished its sweep thanks to sophomore pitcher Anna Dew, who threw a complete game, striking out six batters while allowing just one hit over five innings. “I always have had the confidence that I could do it." Dew said.

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SPORTS 4/4/25 9:07pm

Elon University softball beats Charleston in extra innings in top-ranked CAA clash

By Miles Hayford

Elon University softball defeated the College of Charleston 3-2 in an extra innings, walk-off thriller in a battle of the Coastal Athletic Association’s best. The two teams entered the game tied for first place in the CAA as they both boasted a 9-3 conference record, but it was Elon who came out on top after nine grueling innings of play that almost lasted three hours.  Both teams strangely mirrored each other in the first inning with a flurry of baserunners getting on base, but few runs were actually scored. Charleston started the game off hot with a leadoff double, followed by a walk. Sophomore pitcher Lia Miller looked shaky early on, triggering a mound visit from her coaches and her catches, hoping to settle her down and prevent any further damage. After getting one out, Miller walked another, loading the bases. Charleston drove one run in, but Miller got out of the jam, stranding two runners. 

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