Southwestern Athletics has been stellar this fall. An exciting October has put many Pirate squads in a strong position through conference play. In particular, your Men’s Soccer and Volleyball teams have been excellent, as they have begun SAA play as six of the conference’s nine teams advancing to the SAA tournament. Your Pirates are building strength just at the right time to secure strong postseason positions. 

Your Southwestern Men’s Soccer team continues to reach new heights, sitting atop the SAA standings heading into the last weekend of regular-season play. With a 13-1-1 record, the squad’s thirteen-game undefeated streak is the longest since 2001. Pirates Men’s Soccer has also been ranked fifth in the country by the United Soccer Coaches poll and eighth in the NCAA NPI rankings, the highest in program history. The Pirates have dominated SAA play, going 5-0-1 with a draw against Trinity University and a string of victories against Centre College, Oglethorpe University, Berry College, Maryville College, and Sewanee. Offensively, sophomore forward Grey Richards and senior defender Cooper Pero lead the team with eight and six goals, respectively. Junior midfielder Ross Anderson has also been excellent with eight assists so far. Defensively, your Pirates have been anchored by sophomore goalkeeper TJ Bass, with 48 saves, 10 shutouts, and two SAA Defensive Player of the Week awards so far this season. The Southwestern defense remains prolific, allowing only seven goals through 15 games. After such a dominant season, this team is ready for the SAA playoffs and beyond. Pirates Men’s Soccer returns this Friday, October 30th, against Millsaps College at 7:30 pm.

Your Pirates Women’s Soccer team has battled this season, going 5-7-4. The squad secured their most recent win against Texas Lutheran University. Last weekend, the squad fell out of playoff contention after dropping games to Maryville College and Sewanee. Due to a forfeit from Millsaps College for this Friday’s game, Pirates Women’s Soccer will play its last game of the season this weekend. Still, the team has had standout performances throughout the season. Sophomore keeper EJ Searfoss has been excellent between the pipes, posting five shutouts, an impressive .822 save percentage, and 88 total saves this year. Searfoss also reached a new career milestone with over 200 saves after the Berry match. Offensively, Junior forward Kristine Garcia has been a major focal point, posting nine points, four goals, and one assist. However, the most impressive aspect of this team’s offense has been their balance. The squad has 11 multi-point scorers this year. This team has fought incredibly hard this season, and their final weekend of play offers a massive opportunity to end their season on a high. Pirates Women’s Soccer returns home on Sunday, November 1st, to face Rhodes University at 11:00 am. 

Your Pirates Football team won its first game at the brand-new on-campus Multi-Purpose Sport Complex, 44-20 against Rhodes College last weekend. Notably, senior defensive back Jameer Martin earned SAA Defensive Athlete of the Week after posting 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. Martin has also broken the Pirates’ all-time tackle record with 267 and has the seventh-most tackles nationally this season with 82. The Pirates offense scored a season-high 44 points, dominating through the air and on the ground. Quarterbacks Jacob Smith and Jaxon Sims were clinical, throwing for nearly 250 yards,  two touchdowns, and a 68% completion percentage. Six different players caught a pass, but senior receiver Graydon Thompson’s seven receptions, 90 yards, and touchdown catch were critical to the Pirates’ victory. On the ground, Jacob Smith also logged a team-high 180 yards rushing and two more touchdowns. Senior Devin Baylor also ran for 43 yards and scored a touchdown.  However, the Pirates offense did not dominate alone. Your defense constantly disrupted Sewanee’s offense with five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, an interception, and one fumble recovery. Sophomore linebacker Caleb Costantino had a career day, notching six tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Sophomore linebacker Greg Pearson, junior defensive lineman Jaylon Hardeman, and sophomore defensive back Seth Jammer also both recorded sacks and tackles for loss. The Pirates will look to continue their winning ways at home this week against Millsaps College. Join the tailgating and excitement this weekend as Southwestern plays its second game at the brand-new on-campus Multi-Purpose Sport Complex. Visit southwesternpirates.com to purchase tickets before the game. 

Your Pirates Volleyball team has dominated this season, going 17-9 thus far. Since September 29th, Southwestern has gone 9-4, putting itself in a strong position to wrap up the season over the next two weekends. Last weekend, the squad went 2-1, posting dominant 3-1 and 3-0 wins against Rhodes College and Millsaps College, respectively. However, they fell in a close game against seventeenth-ranked Trinity University. Offensively, five Pirates have recorded more than 100 kills this season. Sophomore outside hitter Tatum Ahrens has dominated, already logging 267 kills. Junior right-side hitter Sophia Burke, freshman outside hitter Lucy Riggar, freshman outside hitter Evamarie Planchet, and freshman right-side hitter Alta Wilson have also recorded triple-digit kills with 197, 186, 161, and 148, respectively. Junior libero Izzy Rodriguez leads the squad defensively with 451 digs. In the middle of the court, freshman setter Caroline Srubar has 665 assists to date. Additionally, senior Lauren McIntyre hit a career milestone this year, securing her 750th career dig. Your Pirates Volleyball squad returns to Georgetown for Senior Day on Saturday, November 7th, to face the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and conclude the regular season.