ATLANTA, GA. (December 20, 2023) – In a season marked by unprecedented achievements and historic milestones, the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) proudly recaps the exhilarating journey of its Fall 2023 sports campaign.
OVERVIEW
As the leaves changed and the temperatures dropped, the CCS Fall Sports Season showcased thrilling competitions, outstanding performances, and unforgettable moments. The Fall 2023 season saw student-athletes from nine member schools competing with passion, determination, and the spirit of sportsmanship.
FEATURED SPORTS
Cross Country
Piedmont hosted the CCS Cross Country Championships for the first time in the new conference.
Men’s
- The Piedmont University men's cross country team concluded a historic year for the program as they captured their first CCS men's title in the Jimison era.
- Piedmont’s Head Coach Jamie Jimison was named the 2023 CCS Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year for his work with the program.
- Gary Halverson set the new Piedmont record in the 6k during the 2023 season and was named Runner of the Week twice this season.
- Covenant’s Ethan Saiki claimed four Rookie of the Week honors and earned 2023 CCS Rookie of the Year honors.
Women’s
- Berea’s women’s cross country team concluded an phenomenal year for the program as they captured their first CCS women’s title.
- Berea’s Head Coach Michael Thomas was named the 2023 CCS Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
- Berea’s Madison Stonestreet and Muhorakeye Joyeuse earned Runner of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, three times this season. They were both also named 2023 CCS Runner and Rookie of the Year.
Soccer
Men’s
- The Covenant Scots avenged their loss to the Belhaven Blazers earlier this year with a 2-0 win to clinch the CCS Men's Soccer Championship regular season and tournament sweep.
- Covenant’s Head Coach Scot Bosgraf was named the 2023 CCS Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year.
- Berea’s Joshua Szidik and Piedmont’s Colin Vogel were both named CCS Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. Belhaven’s Max Rudolph was named CCS Defensive Player of the Week twice this season before capturing the 2023 CCS Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year honor. Piedmont’s Davis Knight also captured four Rookie of the Week honors before capturing the 2023 CCS Men's Soccer Rookie of the Year Award.
- In the first-round of tournament play, No. 6 Maryville upset No. 3 Piedmont with a 2-1 win advancing to the semifinals.
Women’s
- Maryville’s women’s soccer made a triumphant comeback from last year’s heartbreak outlasting Covenant 2-1 winning their first CCS women’s soccer championship title.
- Covenant snapped Maryville's streak of 552 minutes without allowing a goal to a CCS opponent.
- Maryville’s Head Coach Pepe Fernandez was named the 2023 CCS Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year.
- Covenant’s Rachel Wall and Lila Wiley was named CCS Offensive Player of the Week and CCS Rookie of the Week, respectively, for back-to-back weeks. Maryville’s Madison McDonald also captured two Rookie of the Week honors before being named the 2023 CCS Women's Soccer Rookie of the Year.
Volleyball
- Covenant cracked the national rankings at No. 25 for the first time in school history. This comes after defeating No. 5 Emory on its home court and clinched the CCS Regular Season Championship with wins over LaGrange and Piedmont.
- No. 24 Covenant hosted Maryville inside Barnes P.E. Center. In front of an excited crowd, Covenant won in a 3-0 sweep to be crowned Tournament Champions for the second consecutive season.
- Covenant’s Head Coach Stephanie Wharton was named the 2023 CCS Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year.
- Maryville, who entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed, defeated No. 2 Huntingdon for a spot in the 2023 CCS Women’s Volleyball Championship Game.
2023 CCS CHAMPIONS CORNER
- Women’s Cross Country: Berea College
- Men’s Cross Country: Piedmont University
- Men’s Soccer: Covenant College
- Women’s Soccer: Maryville College
- Women's Volleyball: Covenant College
POSTSEASON PERFORMANCES AND ACCOLADES
Cross Country
Teams traveled back to Mount Berry, GA and Norton, OH for the NCAA South Region and Great Lakes Regional Championships.
Men’s
- Covenant finished 15th overall out of 24 quads, led by Josiah Mellott with a time of 27:03.2.
- The Lions saw their best ever finish at the NCAA South Region Championships as the team finished seventh overall out of 24 squads.
- Out of 40 teams, Berea men’s team finished 35th with a score of 993, led by CCS Men’s Runner of the Year, Robert Immell finishing 34th among 278 runners with a time of 24:44.6.
- Belhaven, Huntingdon, LaGrange, and Maryville had student-athletes compete.
Women’s
- Piedmont women’s cross country team finished 13th out of 22 teams.
- Covenant finished 15th overall out of 22 quads with a score of 441 points led by senior Lydia Dorman with a time of 25:17.5.
- Out of 40 teams, Berea women’s team finished 18th with a score of 532, led by CCS Women’s Runner of the Year, Madison Stonestreet finishing 13th among 269 runners with a time of 21:15.6.
- Agnes Scott and Huntingdon had student-athletes participate in the race.
Soccer
Men’s
CCS Men’s Soccer programs did not earn a NCAA automatic bid. The conference is scheduled to receive the bid during the 2024-25 academic season.
Awards
- 2023 Academic All-District® Men’s Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- CCS Honorees
- Welsey Bloodworth, Belhaven
- Jake Estes, Belhaven
- Zachary Mouton, Behlaven
- Igor Rudolph, Belhaven
- Knox Gibson, Covenant
- Parker Rody, Covenant
- Tyler Swinehart, Covenant
- Jorge Graniel, Maryville
- Craig McIlwraith, Maryville
- Brooklyn Muccillo, Maryville
- Caleb Platillero, Maryville
- James Cash, Piedmont
- Danny Castro, Piedmont
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's All-Region VI
- Second Team
- Kade Thuenissen, Covenant
- Parker Rody, Covenant
- Third Team
Women’s
Maryville earned an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship, drawing a first-round match against Washington (Mo.) in St. Louis ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Awards
- 2023 Academic All-District® Women’s Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- CCS Honorees
- Kaci Craft, Belhaven
- Ally Davis, Belhaven
- Reagan Nichols, Belhaven
- Lauren Snell, Belhaven
- Isabella Villagrand, Belhaven
- Harley Waits, Belhaven
- Madeline Andrews, Covenant
- Addie Gamache, Covenant
- Leah Marr, Covenant
- Lucy Sandhoff, Covenant
- Hailey Cartt, Maryville
- Delaney Muldoon, Maryville
- Katie O’Brien, Maryville
- Alex Smith, Maryville
- Hannah Smoot, Maryville
- Sophie Turner, Maryville
- Savannah Jerome, Piedmont
- Sierra Judson, Piedmont
- Paige Kluba, Piedmont
- Elissa Lotter, Piedmont
- Jocelyn Maseda, Piedmont
- Chloe Spradlin, Piedmont
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Women's All-Region VI
- Second Team
- Hailey Cartt, Maryville
- Sierra Judson, Piedmont
- Kaci Craft, Belhaven
Volleyball
Covenant earned an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship. This was the second consecutive year that Covenant has made the NCAA Tournament and the fourth time in school history. The Scots defeated No. 14 Mount St. Joseph in first round matchup (3-1) but fell to No. 7 Emory in a second-round five-set thriller (2-3).
Awards
- 2023 AVCA/TARAFLEX Division III Women’s Volleyball Coaches Poll
- Covenant cracked the national rankings at No. 25 in Week 8 (Oct. 24)
- 2023 Academic All-District® Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- CCS Honorees
- Jessica Sconyers, Piedmont
- Mary-Grace Shaw, Piedmont
- Katie Hubbard, Piedmont
- Jenna Ash, Piedmont
- Kyla Bailey, Covenant
- Hannah Haerer, Covenant
- Caitlin Torok, Belhaven
- Ally Sokolow, Maryville
- Landry Frisch, Maryville
- Reese Bailey, Maryville
- 2023 AVCA Division III Women’s Regional Awards
- Region 6, First Team
- Emma Kalbfleisch, Covenant
- 2023 AVCA Division III Women’s All-America Teams
- Honorable Mention
- Emma Kalbfleisch, Covenant
SPORTSMANSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS
Individual
Team
- Women’s Cross Country: Berea College
- Men’s Cross Country: Berea College
- Men’s Soccer: Maryville College
- Women’s Soccer: Wesleyan College
- Women's Volleyball: Agnes Scott College
Looking Ahead
Future Championship Dates & Locations
- Basketball: Feb. 20 – 24 | Highest Seed
- Tennis: Apr. 25-27 | Chattanooga Champions Club
- Outdoor Track and Field: May 7 – 8 | Maryville College
- Golf: April 29-May 1 | Dalton Country Club
- Softball: May 1 – 4 | Highest Seed
- Baseball: May 8 – 11 | Highest Seed
Future CCS Membership
Asbury
will be joining the CCS in July of 2024.
Social Media Highlights
About the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Berea College, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
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