ATLANTA, Ga. (December 20, 2024) - From record-breaking moments to unforgettable firsts, the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) celebrates an extraordinary Fall 2024 sports season filled with remarkable accomplishments and memorable milestones.
OVERVIEW
As autumn unfolded, CCS student-athletes brought energy, dedication, and camaraderie to every competition. Representing nine member institutions, their performances defined excellence, teamwork, and a shared commitment to the values of Division III athletics.
FEATURED SPORTS
Cross Country
Belhaven hosted the CCS Cross Country Championships in Jackson, MS which covered the championship morning with an overcast and light showers.
Men
- The Covenant College men's cross country team avenged last year's conference championship finish by securing the first place championship victory.
- The Covenant Scots Men's Head Coach Eli Kaczinski secured the highly esteemed 2024 CCS Men's Cross Cross Country Coach of the Year award in his third season at the helm of the program.
- The Covenant Scots program rounded the trail season out at the NCAA Division III South Regional Championship with two new personal records in the 8k race from Daniel Bowles and Ethan Saiki.
Women
- The Asbury Eagles women's cross country team catapulted their historic inaugural season with the first CCS championship title across all Asbury programs.
- The Asbury Eagles Head Coach Randy Crist propelled his first year coaching in the CCS by earning the 2024 CCS Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
- The Asbury Eagles women's program executed pure resilience by blazing the trails to a fourth place finish at the NCCAA Championship Cross Country meet and finishing seven runners at the Division III Great Lakes Region Cross Country Championships.
Soccer
Men
- In what was a rematch of the 2023 CCS Final, Belhaven and Covenant put on a battling display in the 2024 CCS Men's Soccer Championship game.
- Belhaven Blazers won the 2024 CCS Men's Soccer championship with a 2-0 clean sheet victory over top seed Covenant and made their first appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer tournament.
- The win marks Belhaven's first conference championship in the program's NCAA era and first in the Collegiate Conference of the South.
Women
- Maryville's women's soccer captured their second CCS Women's Soccer Regular Season and Championship title culminating in a 1-0 Victory Over Belhaven.
- The Blazers entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and defeated No. 6 LaGrange (4-1) and No. 2 Piedmont (1-0) en route to the championship game.
- Maryville's Sierra Lee earned her second Offensive Player of the Year title, leading the Scots to back-to-back championship titles.
- Zach Welch of Asbury was named the 2024 CCS Women's Soccer Coach of the Year.
- Shaylinn McFarland (Huntingdon) had a record-breaking year after breaking Huntingdon's single-season goal record in the NCAA era and was named 2024 CCS Rookie of the Year.
Volleyball
- Asbury University hosted the final four of the 2024 CCS Women's Volleyball Championship.
- Within their first year of entering the Collegiate Conference of the South, Asbury clinched their first CCS Women's Volleyball Regular Season Championship title.
- The Eagles finished conference play with an astounding record of 22-7 overall and 16-1 in conference play.
- In the Semifinal round of Championships, the No. 5 seed Huntingdon eliminated No. 1 seed Asbury and secured their spot into the championship round to face off against the No. 3 seed Covenant.
- The Scots punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third consecutive year defeating Huntingdon, 3-0.
- Asbury swept 4 of the 5 CCS Women's Volleyball Superlative awards in their first year in the league.
- Riley McChord won the CCS Women's Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year Award.
- Lucy Kate Gray won the CCS Women's Volleyball Setter of the Year Award .
- Isabelle VandeSchraaf won the CCS Women's Volleyball Freshman of the Year Award after tallying 423 kills and 342 digs, she reigned first in kills in the CCS and fourth in dIgs in the CCS during her first collegiate season.
- Asbury's Head Coach Tiffany Horton won this year's CCS Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year Award.
- VanderSchraaf ranks 26th in the NCAA Division III with a 423 kill record and ranks 22nd in kills per set (4.07).
2024 CCS CHAMPIONS CORNER
Women's Cross Country: Asbury University
Men's Cross Country: Covenant College
Men's Soccer: Belhaven University
Women's Soccer: Maryville College
Volleyball: Covenant College
POST-SEASON ACHIEVEMENTS & ACCOLADES
Cross Country
Belhaven became the first CCS institution to host a regional cross country meet.
Men
- Asbury flocked together to produce a top 30 finish as the lone conference team at the Division III Great Lakes regional meet.
- The Piedmont Lions fought hard for a top 15 finish after Walker Capelle led the Lion pride with a top 35 finish. Walker Capelle was named to the USTFCCA All-Region in the South region after his performance.
- Maryville took the 20th spot at the regional meet in an opportunity to display their youth and to beat team records.
- Belhaven rounded up the conference finishes at the regional meet as the Blazers hosted another highly anticipated meet of the season.
Women
- Maryville women's cross country program capped off a productive season with a historic NCAA Division III South Region meet that saw two Scots finish within the top 100 and break the 26 minute barrier.
- Agnes Scott women's cross country concluded the season at the NCAA Division III South Region meet with a program best 20th place finish within the last three seasons at the postseason meet.
- Covenant blazed the trails to a 16th place finish at the NCAA Division III South Region meet led by Emerson Tillery who clipped a top 50 spot.
- Piedmont roared their way to an 18th place finish at the regional meet led by the 2024 CCS Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Soccer
Men
Belhaven automatically qualified for the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship for the first time in program history, drawing a first-round match against Trinity, which resulted in a 3-0 loss. This is the conference's first year receiving an automatic qualifying bid to the national championship.
- Awards
- 2024 Academic All-District® Men's Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Austin Ney, Belhaven University
- Wesley Bloodworth, Belhaven University
- Igor Rudolph, Belhaven University
- Samuel Hadley, Belhaven University
- Caleb Drake, Belhaven University
- Avery Anders, Belhaven University
- Luke Laughlin, Covenant College
- Ty Morgan, Covenant College
- Zachary Moir, Covenant College
- Parker Rody, Covenant College
- Kade Theunissen*, Covenant College
- Daniel Wallis, Covenant College
- Tate Reynolds, Huntingdon College
- Witt Kessler, Huntingdon College
- Dylan Bailey, LaGrange College
- Nicholas Missert, LaGrange College
- William Perry, LaGrange College
- Graham Peruksi, LaGrange College
- Jorge Graniel, Maryville College
- Craig McIlwraith, Maryville College
- Brooklyn Muccillo, Maryville College
- Nathan Jacome, Piedmont University
- Andre Grant, Piedmont University
- Davis Knight*, Piedmont University
- 2024 Academic All-America® Men's Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Division III, First Team
- Kade Theunissen, Covenant College
- 2024 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's All-Region VI
- Second Team
- Kade Theunissen, Covenant College
- Third Team
- Parker Rody, Covenant College
Women
Maryville received the first CCS automatic bid to the NCAA postseason. The Scots drew Pacific Lutheran out of Tacoma, Washington, as a first-round opponent in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship, which resulted in a 1-0 loss hosted by Emory.
- Awards
- 2024 Academic All-District® Women's Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Lillian Harvey, Belhaven University
- Micah Benson, Belhaven University
- Ally Davis, Belhaven University
- Kaci Craft, Belhaven University
- Macy Mathers, Belhaven University
- Reagan Nichols, Belhaven University
- Hannah Ford, Covenant College
- Bronwyn Kickasola, Covenant College
- Mae Pierce, Covenant College
- Lila Wiley, Covenant College
- Laney Bishop, Huntingdon College
- Bayleigh Pitts, Huntingdon College
- Zoe Gerlach, Huntingdon College
- Angelina Mazza, Huntingdon College
- Calista Sweet, Huntingdon College
- Maddie Goggans, Huntingdon College
- Madison Dekker, LaGrange College
- Briana Suarez, LaGrange College
- Elle Fair, Maryville College
- Katie Corley, Maryville College
- Sydney Mahr, Maryville College
- Caelin Cole, Maryville College
- Avery Brown, Maryville College
- Hannah Smoot*, Maryville College
- Paige Kluba*, Piedmont University
- Jocelyn Maseda, Piedmont University
- Savannah Jerome, Piedmont University
- Peyton Gates, Piedmont University
- Sierra Judson, Piedmont University
- Sophie Wells, Piedmont University
- 2024 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Women's All-Region VI
- Second Team
- Sierra Lee, Maryville College
- Third Team
- Sierra Judson, Piedmont University
- Shaylinn McFarland, Huntingdon College
- Hannah Smoot, Maryville College
- Fourth Team
- Gretchen Caswell, Covenant College
- Sophie Wells, Piedmont University
- Annabelle Procter, Maryville College
Volleyball
Covenant received the last postseason bid for the fall season to the 2024 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament where they took on regional host, Emory which resulted in a 3-0 loss. This marked the fourth time in school history that Covenant has made the NCAA tournament and the third consecutive year the Scots have earned a bid.
- Awards
- 2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III All-Region 6
- Honorable Mention
- Superlative Awards
- AVCA Division-III Region 6 Freshman of the Year
- Isabelle VandeSchraaf, Asbury
- 2024 Academic All-District® Women's Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Emma Gardner, Belhaven University
- Rylee White, Belhaven University
- Hannah Mathis*, Covenant College
- Cali Sandhoff, Covenant College
- Kelsey Carman, Covenant College
- Sarah Jennings*, Covenant College
- Eva Ellenburg, Huntingdon College
- Izzy Valldeperas*, Huntingdon College
- Jessi Hilyer, Huntingdon College
- Ashlen Janowski, Huntingdon College
- Meredith Orton, LaGrange College
- Zentrina Choice, LaGrange College
- Cailin Mastropasqua, Maryville College
- Landry Frisch, Maryville College
- Reese Bailey*, Maryville College
- Dakota Vaiese, Maryville College
- Vanessa Manzo, Piedmont University
- Jessica Sconyers, Piedmont University
- Katie Hubbard, Piedmont University
SPORTSMANSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS
Individual Sportsmanship Awards
Team Sportsmanship Awards
- Women's Cross Country: Covenant College
- Men's Cross Country: Covenant College
- Women's Soccer: Asbury University
- Men's Soccer: Covenant College
- Volleyball: Wesleyan College
COMMISSIONER CUP UPDATES
Standings as of December 2024 (includes fall championships only).
Women's Cup
|
Maryville
|
25.5
|
|
Asbury
|
24
|
|
Covenant
|
23
|
|
Piedmont
|
18.5
|
|
Belhaven
|
18
|
|
Huntingdon
|
12
|
|
Agnes Scott
|
8
|
|
LaGrange
|
7
|
|
Wesleyan
|
2
|
Men's Cup
|
Covenant
|
16
|
|
Belhaven
|
12
|
|
Asbury
|
10.5
|
|
Maryville
|
8.5
|
|
Piedmont
|
7
|
|
LaGrange
|
3
|
|
Huntingdon
|
2
|
Overall Cup
|
Covenant
|
39
|
|
Asbury
|
34.5
|
|
Maryville
|
34
|
|
Belhaven
|
30
|
|
Piedmont
|
25.5
|
|
Huntingdon
|
14
|
|
LaGrange
|
10
|
|
Agnes Scott
|
8
|
|
Wesleyan
|
2
|
LOOKING AHEAD
Future Championship Dates & Locations
- Basketball: Feb. 25 - Mar. 1 | Highest seed
- Tennis: April 24 - April 26 | Chattanooga Champions Club
- Men's Golf: April 28 - April 30 | Dalton Country Club
- Track and Field: April 23 - April 24 | Maryville College
- Softball & Baseball: April 30 - May 3 | Highest Seed
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, Asbury University, 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.