ATLANTA, Ga. (December 30, 2025) - The 2025–26 fall semester delivered another memorable chapter in Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) history, marked by championship moments, postseason breakthroughs, and continued growth across the league’s fall sports. From title races decided in the final strides to penalty-kick drama and historic NCAA appearances, CCS teams showcased competitive excellence, claimed conference championships, earned national recognition, and made meaningful postseason runs.
FEATURED SPORTS
Cross Country
The CCS Cross Country Championships debuted in Huntsville, Alabama, at John Hunt Park.
Men
- Recap
- Covenant repeated as CCS men’s cross country champions, finishing with 26 points behind a balanced and disciplined team effort. Ethan Saiki led the Scots with a runner-up finish in 26:22.36—marking the fastest and highest finish by a Covenant runner in championship history and his second consecutive second-place showing.
- Maryville claimed runner-up honors with 54 points, paced by Tyler Tangel’s sixth-place finish (27:32.49), while Asbury placed third with 67 points as freshman Jesse Gassmann crossed the line third (27:06.02).
- Piedmont’s Layton Bradford captured the CCS Individual Championship, winning the race outright in 26:04.00. Covenant placed four runners among the top seven finishers, earning multiple First Team All-CCS honors. Following the meet, Covenant head coach Eli Kaczinski was named CCS Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, while Asbury’s Jesse Gassmann earned Rookie of the Year recognition.
Women
- Recap
- Asbury claimed the women’s team title behind a dominant front-running performance from Bailey Gassmann, who won the individual championship in 23:28.48. The Eagles placed multiple runners inside the top seven.
- Covenant finished second overall, led by Lucie Demers’ runner-up finish (23:54.02) and Sarah Olson’s fifth-place performance. Maryville rounded out the top teams with Megan Shinn and Addison Goodwin earning First Team All-Conference honors.
- Gassmann’s victory marked an improvement from her runner-up finish a season ago. Demers was named CCS Rookie of the Year, while Asbury head coach Randy Crist earned his second CCS Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honor.
Soccer
Men
- Recap
- The CCS Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament delivered a series of tightly contested matches, culminating in a dramatic final between Covenant and Maryville.
- Belhaven opened tournament play with a commanding 5–0 win over Huntingdon, while Piedmont edged LaGrange, 2–1, to advance to the semifinals. In the next round, both semifinal matches ended in elimination, setting up an all-Scots championship showdown.
- Maryville, the No. 2 seed, captured the CCS title after a 1–1 draw with top-seeded Covenant, securing the championship on penalty kicks, 6–5. The title sent the Scots to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship, where their postseason run concluded against nationally ranked Emory.
- Maryville’s Brady Hammer earned CCS Offensive Player of the Year honors, while teammate Ben Brophy was named Rookie of the Year. Covenant’s Fox Landgren claimed Defensive Player of the Year, and head coach Scott Bosgraf earned his third CCS Coach of the Year award. Belhaven’s Danny Bahena repeated as Goalkeeper of the Year.
Women
- Recap
- The women’s tournament proved equally dramatic, with multiple matches decided by penalty kicks.
- Piedmont advanced past LaGrange in a scoreless quarterfinal decided on penalties, while Asbury upset Covenant, 3–1. Asbury then eliminated top-seeded Maryville in the semifinals, again advancing via penalty kicks, while Belhaven secured a narrow 1–0 win over Piedmont.
- Belhaven capped its run with a 2–1 victory over Asbury in the championship match, extending its undefeated streak and earning the league’s automatic NCAA bid. The Blazers finished the season 14-5-3 overall, before their NCAA run concluded against Emory.
- Emma Antonoplos earned Offensive Player of the Year honors for Belhaven, while Maryville’s Ellie Fair was named Defensive Player of the Year. Jon Baker was recognized as CCS Coach of the Year after leading Maryville to a regular-season title. Piedmont’s Maggie Leger earned Goalkeeper of the Year, and LaGrange’s Gabby Worthy was named Rookie of the Year.
Volleyball
- Recap
- The CCS Volleyball Championship Tournament delivered one of the most memorable finishes of the fall, highlighted by a historic first for Asbury.
- Quarterfinal action saw Covenant and LaGrange advance with straight-set victories before the top four seeds converged in Wilmore, Kentucky. In the semifinals, Maryville eliminated defending champion Covenant in a five-set thriller, while Asbury advanced with a four-set win over LaGrange.
- Saturday’s championship match featured a back-and-forth battle between Asbury and Maryville. After dropping the opening set, Asbury rallied to force a decisive fifth set, edging the Scots 15–12 to claim the program’s first-ever CCS Tournament Championship and its 13th consecutive win.
- Abigail Bruner earned Tournament MVP honors after leading the Eagles with consistent offensive production and defensive presence. The championship propelled Asbury to a program-record 22 wins and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament—making the Eagles the second CCS volleyball program to reach the national stage.
- Maryville’s Kylie Wilhelmi was named CCS Player of the Year, with teammate Ruby Walton earning Rookie of the Year. Asbury’s Riley McChord claimed Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight season, while head coach Tiffany Horton earned her second Coach of the Year award. LaGrange’s Julia Damico was named Setter of the Year.
2025-26 CCS CHAMPIONS CORNER
Women’s Cross Country: Asbury University
Men’s Cross Country: Covenant College
Women’s Soccer: Belhaven University
Men’s Soccer: Maryville College
Volleyball: Asbury University
POST-SEASON ACHIEVEMENTS & ACCOLADES
Cross Country
Four CCS programs participated in the NCAA South Regional Meet with Asbury being the lone program to run at the NCAA Great Lakes Region Meet.
Men
- Regional Appearances
- In the NCAA South Regional Meet, Covenant finished 12th place out of 24 teams; Maryville finished 17th, and Piedmont finished 18th.
- The Asbury Eagles men's program finished 27th place out of 37 teams to conclude their 2025 season at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Cross Country Championships with Gassman finishing within the Top 100.
- Awards
Women
- Regional Appearances
- In the NCAA South Region meet, Covenant finished 12th, Maryville finished 19th, and Agnes Scott finished 24th out of 26 teams.
Soccer
Belhaven women’s soccer and Maryville men’s soccer punched their tickets to the NCAA tournament where they were both matched against Emory University in the second year of the league’s AQ.
Men
- Regional Recap
- Maryville men's soccer saw its postseason run come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling 3-1 to nationally ranked Emory.
- Maryville closes the season at 9-4-6, continuing to build momentum under a group that has grown stronger every step of the way.
- Awards
- Academic All-District® Men’s Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Crosby Short, Asbury
- Austin Ney, Belhaven
- Ciaran Colvin, Belhaven
- Graham Harris, Belhaven
- Samuel Hadley, Belhaven
- Caleb Drake, Belhaven
- Matt Smith, Belhaven
- Tate Reynolds, Huntingdon
- Brandon Cruz, Huntingdon
- Olufunmilayo Said, LaGrange
- Dylan Bailey, LaGrange
- Sawyer Williams, LaGrange
- Damien Fekete, LaGrange
- Tucker Smith, Maryville
- Brady Hammer, Maryville
- Davis Knight, Piedmont
- Tyler Vogt, Piedmont
- Nathan Jacome, Piedmont
- Academic All-America® Men’s Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- 2025 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's All-Region VI
Women
- Regional Recap
- A historic season for the Belhaven Women's Soccer program came to a close on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 2 Emory. The Blazers fell to the hosts 6-0 to finish the season.
- The Blazers finished the season with a record of 14-5-3 overall and those 14 wins are the most for the program since 2001.
- Awards
- 2025 Academic All-District® Women’s Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Hannah Muncie, Asbury
- Maggie Perry, Asbury
- Anna Sparks, Asbury
- Cate VanMeter, Asbury
- Emma Antonoplos, Belhaven
- Micah Benson, Belhaven
- Lauren Snell, Belhaven
- Lillian Harvey, Belhaven
- Jennifer Neal, Belhaven
- Reagan Nichols, Belhaven
- Shaylinn McFarland, Huntingdon
- Maddie Goggans, Huntingdon
- Zoe Gerlach, Huntingdon
- Shea Eichelberger, Huntingdon
- Calista Sweet, Huntingdon
- Madelon Machen, Huntingdon
- Madison Dekker, LaGrange
- Kennedi Vowell, LaGrange
- Hannah Smoot, Maryville
- Elle Fair, Maryville
- Madison McDonald, Maryville
- Anne Marie Konieczny, Maryville
- Avery Brown, Maryville
- Katie Corley, Maryville
- Peyton Gates, Piedmont
- Sierra Judson, Piedmont
- Savannah Jerome, Piedmont
- Jocelyn Maseda, Piedmont
- Addi Banks, Piedmont
- 2025 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Women's All-Region VI
- Second Team
- Emma Antonoplos, Belhaven
- Third Team
Volleyball
Asbury punched their ticket to their first-ever NCAA Tournament against Illinois Wesleyan University. The Eagles are the second team to earn the league’s automatic qualifier.
- Regional Recap
- The No. 8 seed Asbury volleyball team (22-8, 15-1 CCS) competed in their first-ever NCAA Tournament on Thursday night in Bloomington, Ill., falling in the opening round to the No. 1 seed host of the Regional, Illinois Wesleyan University (27-2, 8-0 CCIW), 3-0.
- Though the season concluded with this match, ending the team's campaign at an impressive 22-8 overall and 15-1 CCS record, the achievement of reaching the tournament through a Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Championship highlighted a milestone season for the Eagles in their fourth year under the leadership of head coach Tiffany Horton.
- Awards
- Academic All-District® Women’s Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Rylee White, Belhaven
- Megan LaCour, Belhaven
- Aly Harris, Huntingdon
- Lindsey Holland, Huntingdon
- Morgan Suggs, Huntingdon
- Carryne Chancey, Huntingdon
- Zentrina Choice, LaGrange
- Isabella Zentkovich, LaGrange
- Rebecca Miranda, LaGrange
- Julia Damico, LaGrange
- Kylie Wilhelmi, Maryville
- Dakota Vaiese, Maryville
- Katelyn Eldred, Maryville
- Megan Fairburn, Maryville
- Sara Bjerke, Piedmont
- Erin Lemons, Piedmont
- Abbye Carver, Piedmont
- Katie Hubbard, Piedmont
SPORTSMANSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS
Individual Sportsmanship Awards
Team Sportsmanship Awards
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Women’s Cross Country: Asbury University
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Men’s Cross Country: Belhaven University
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Women’s Soccer: Asbury University
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Men’s Soccer: Asbury University
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Women’s Volleyball: Huntingdon College
LOOKING AHEAD
2025-26 CCS Championship Dates & Locations
Winter Championships
Basketball (Men & Women)
Date: Tuesday, February 24 - Saturday, February 28
Host: Highest seed
Spring Championships
Tennis (Men & Women)
Date: Thursday, April 23 - Saturday, April 25
Location: Adams Tennis Complex (Murfreesboro, TN)
Men’s Golf
Date: Monday, April 27 - Wednesday, April 29 (Practice Round Sunday, April 26)
Location: Dalton Country Club
Track and Field (Men & Women)
Date: Tuesday, April 21 - Wednesday, April 22
Host: Belhaven University
Softball
Date: Wednesday, April 29 - Saturday, May 2
Host: Choccolocco Park (Oxford, AL)
Baseball
Date: Wednesday, April 29 - Saturday, May 2
Host: Trustmark Park (Pearl, MS)
Future CCS Championships
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.