Sports

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SPORTS 9/28/25 4:54pm

Tennis player reflects on experiences from playing in Mexico to U.S. Division I sports

By Riley Hale

Junior Mariana Reding has the word “fly” written inside her shoe, which is a nod to the advice her dad would give back home during her matches. She said playing tennis often reminds her of her cultural heritage and her family. “My dad used to tell me, ‘Fly Mar fly!’ in my matches,” Reding said. She said she loves when people watch her matches because it makes her feel more supported and involved with Mexican culture. In Mexico, she said people are always very supportive, asking her family, “What is her score, and where can I watch it?” 

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SPORTS 9/28/25 4:54pm

Jugadora de tenis reflexiona sobre sus experiencias de jugar en México a jugar División I de los Estados Unidos

 

Mariana Reding, estudiante de tercer año, lleva la palabra "fly" escrita en el interior de su zapato, un guiño a los consejos que su padre le daba en casa durante sus partidos. Dijo que jugar al tenis a menudo le recuerda su herencia cultural y a su familia. "Mi papá solía decirme: '¡Fly Mar fly!' en mis partidos", dijo Reding. Dijo que le encanta que la gente vea sus partidos porque la hace sentir más apoyada e involucrada con la cultura mexicana. En México, comentó que la gente siempre la apoya mucho y le pregunta a su familia: "¿Cuál es su puntuación y dónde puedo verla?".

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SPORTS 9/27/25 9:32pm

Elon University football finds ground game, triumphs over Hampton on Family Weekend

By Miles Hayford

An explosive rushing attack propelled the Elon University football team over Hampton University 41-20 on Family Weekend. Elon was coming off a 26-16 loss against East Tennessee State University last week and looked to win their Coastal Athletic Association opener. Sophomore running back TJ Thomas Jr. got involved early, breaking a few tackles en route to a 22-yard catch from redshirt freshman Landen Clark, who scrambled out of a sack. Thomas then ran in a 23-yard touchdown on the following play for his first rushing attempt of the day.

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SPORTS 9/26/25 11:57pm

Elon men’s soccer battles against Campbell to scoreless draw in physical, gritty match

By Shaan Gandhi

On a night where space was scarce and chances even rarer, Elon University and Campbell University men’s soccer fought to a 0-0 draw in a tense affair at Rudd Field under the lights Sept. 26. Despite the lack of goals, Elon’s defensive solidity remained a bright spot. The Phoenix has conceded just three goals through its first nine matches. “I don’t think we gave up much tonight,” head coach Marc Reeves said. “That’s where you want to be — hard to beat.” 

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SPORTS 9/24/25 10:29pm

Elon volleyball sweeps sets to win 3rd straight match

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University volleyball team capped off their three-game homestand with its third straight victory over North Carolina Central University. Like the previous two matchups, Elon won in three straight sets, which now marks nine consecutive sets the team has won. Offensively, the Phoenix were efficient tallying 39 kills in all three sets, 12 more than NC Central. “Every hitter that’s on our floor has the ability to score at any moment,” head coach Matt Troy said. “It’s finding where we can get the one-on-one, or where we can take advantage with our speed when we’re in transition play.”

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SPORTS 9/20/25 7:42am

Elon men’s soccer team hopes to build on solid 2024 season

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University men’s soccer team is zeroing in on a fresh start, following a year in which they went 10-7-1. Head coach Marc Reeves said in order to repeat last season’s strong performance, they must put aside any talk about the previous year. He acknowledged the team’s four-win improvement from the year before was something to be proud of, but emphasized the importance of handling expectations. “It’s a brand new team,” Reeves said. “If we talk about what we did last year and just expect that to replicate, it won’t be the case. You have to reset standards.”

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SPORTS 9/16/25 11:28pm

Elon men’s soccer controls match to stay undefeated

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team beat Davidson College 2-0 to win their fifth game of the season. It is the fifth consecutive win for the team after tying their season opener against Old Dominion 0-0. Elon controlled the majority of the match, leading for almost the entirety of the game. Head coach Marc Reeves said he was proud of the team’s ability to lead the game wire-to-wire for that extended amount of time. “Coming away with the win feels really good and to know that we are leading most of the time just helps build our confidence,” Reeves said.

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SPORTS 9/16/25 6:08pm

Los Carolina Cowboys suben en la clasificación por equipos de los Professional Bull Riders

By Sarah T. Moore

El Coliseo First Horizon en Greensboro suele hospedar conciertos y partidos de baloncesto. Pero del 12 al 14 de septiembre, el Coliseo se llenó de tierra mientras los jinetes de toros captaban la atención del público. Con una mano en la cuerda del toro y la otra en el aire, los jinetes animaban al público mientras un cronómetro contaba hasta ocho segundos. Cowboy Days es un evento anual de tres días que se celebra en el Coliseo First Horizon. Cada día se disputan cinco partidos con un total de 10 equipos. 

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SPORTS 9/16/25 12:55pm

Sophomore running back embraces high expectations before Elon University's football season

By Benjamin Berfield

Sophomore running back TJ Thomas Jr. enters this season as one of the notable returning skill positions for Elon University football. As a freshman, Thomas made an immediate impact as the second running back on the depth chart behind senior Rushawn Baker, accounting for 696 total yards from scrimmage. Despite a shoulder injury that cut Thomas’ freshman campaign short, he has his sights set on a comeback. “I want to just do what I do,” Thomas said. “Don’t even think about anything. Just keep my mind on football and get the job done.”

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SPORTS 9/16/25 7:08am

Elon University cross country enters 2025 with a sense of direction

By Kathan Gandhi

After a year defined by both growing pains and promising steps forward, Elon University’s cross country team enters the 2025 season with something they lacked in 2024: consistency. Elon was under the guidance of first-year head coach Mark Rinker in 2024, who was hired from the University of Eastern Michigan after the departure of head coach Kevin Jermyn, who had been in the position for seven years. “Obviously, we are disappointed to have not won the women’s conference championship,” Rinker said. “Finishing third is not what we wanted, but we had a really young team and a lot to look forward to.” 

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SPORTS 9/15/25 12:40pm

Elon University women’s soccer uses 2024 turnaround as fuel for fall

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University women’s soccer team saw a huge turnaround during the 2024 season. After winning just three out of 17 games during the 2023 season, they improved their record by 10 games en route to an appearance in the Coastal Athletic Association semifinals. Looking back at their turnaround season, redshirt junior forward Isa Murdock and junior defender Grace Gelhaus said they believe the team was able to use its mindset to their advantage on a consistent basis. “The mindset is there now,” Gelhaus said. “It’s more competitive and we’ve learned from our mistakes in the past two seasons.”

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SPORTS 9/14/25 2:44pm

Carolina Cowboys move up in Professional Bull Riders team standings

By Sarah T. Moore

The First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, typically hosts concerts and basketball games. But from Sept. 12 to 14, the Coliseum was filled with dirt as bull riders captured the crowd’s attention. With one hand on a bull rope and the other in the air, the riders had the audience cheering as a timer counted up to eight seconds. “Being able to see them do something that matters so deeply and that they put their entire life into — risking their lives on a day-to-day basis — that was the best part,” High Point University student Kylin Starr said. 

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SPORTS 9/14/25 1:16pm

Elon men’s soccer wins physical match to remain unbeaten

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team beat University of South Carolina Upstate 1-0 to win their fourth game of the season. It is the second consecutive year the Phoenix have opened the season unbeaten through the first five games. “You have to compete first,”head coach Marc Reeves. “I thought we did a really good job of that. They’re a very strong team with some really good players and I thought we dealt with it all well.” The Phoenix will host its next game against Davidson College at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at Rudd Field. 

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SPORTS 9/14/25 7:38am

Elon men’s soccer regains key offensive piece for 2025 season

By Kathan Gandhi

As Elon University men’s soccer kicks off its 2025 campaign, it’ll be looking to deliver on promising developments from 2024, with contributions from new leaders and returners such as senior Colin Veltri, who is returning after an injury stalled his 2024 season. Despite his injury, Veltri is excited to return to the pitch this season. “I want to be a part of helping us get the win,” Veltri said. “If that means changing my role or doing more to help the offense, I’m willing to do that.” 

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SPORTS 9/13/25 9:11am

Elon football team looks to carry last season’s momentum after key offseason losses

By Miles Hayford

After starting the 2024-25 season 1-5 with four losses at home, the Elon University football team bounced back and won their last four games. Head coach Tony Trisciani said the team is hoping to carry that momentum into this season. “I expect us to be highly competitive,” Trisciani said at the Coastal Athletic Association Football Media Day on July 24. “We got a lot of juice, a lot of energy in our building, and these guys are ready to go.” 

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SPORTS 9/12/25 3:23pm

Elon University dance team sets sights on maintaining team chemistry

By Benjamin Berfield

Going into her senior year for Elon University’s dance team, Olivia Ferranola said she would love to achieve a first-place finish in next year’s hip-hop and pom categories. However, she said that she doesn’t want competition to be the team’s only measure of success. She said she hopes everyone can show enough growth to the point where they will be able to make strong adjustments from last year. “If it does happen, that would mean the absolute world,” Ferranola said.

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SPORTS 9/11/25 9:34pm

Western Alamance High School strikes a pose, striking down McMichael in three sets

By Emma Citro

Wednesday night, Western Alamance High School's volleyball team's front line struck more than just volleyballs. Flashy or not, the Warriors' momentum was proven effective as they swept Dalton McMichael High School in three straight sets. Western opened strong with a 25-16 win, edged McMichael 25-22 in a fiery second set, and sealed the win 25-14 in the third behind consistent offense from junior Reese Walker. "Reese has been a dominant force for us,"Nadeau said. "One hit from her can change the whole momentum of our team."

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SPORTS 9/11/25 12:41pm

Elon University volleyball team enters season under new leadership

By Miles Hayford

The Elon University volleyball team is entering the 2025 season with a new face at the helm. Head coach Matt Troy is entering his first season as a coach for the Phoenix after coaching at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, where he led them to a 2019 NCAA Division III Championship amid a 151-17 record. Troy said the players immediately welcomed him in at Elon and he didn’t feel like a stranger. “There was already a solid culture coming in, the players are very connected with one another,” Troy said.

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SPORTS 9/10/25 10:53pm

Historic defensive performance lifts Elon University women’s soccer over South Carolina State

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University women’s soccer team defeated South Carolina State 6-0 to win their sixth game of the season, pushing the Phoenix to its seventh straight shutout. After a first half that involved lots of defense, the Phoenix scored five goals in the second half to seal the victory. Head coach Neil Payne said the team takes lots of pride in their defense and team performance. “We celebrate defending as much as we celebrate goals,” Payne said. “Every single player helps out and it’s not just defending our goal."

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SPORTS 9/7/25 1:12am

Dominant team performance propels Elon University football to historic first win of season

By Benjamin Berfield

Nine days after their 45-17 loss against Duke, the Elon University football team made an immediate impact in its first home game of the season with a convincing 55-7 win over Davidson College. Even with multiple delays before the game due to inclement weather, Elon came out firing on all cylinders in what was the largest win of head coach Tony Trisciani’s tenure. “It was really just to be in the moment and win the moment,” Trisciani said. “These guys just went out and played one snap at a time."

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