Senior Jada Holloman scored three times on opening weekend for the UMSL women’s soccer team, including the match-winner in a 2-0 upset victory over No. 2 Washburn on Thursday night. It was the Tritons’ first victory over a ranked team since 2019. (Photo by Patrick Clark/Athlete’s Eye Photography)
Women’s Soccer
The University of Missouri women’s soccer team opened its season with a 2-0 victory over second-ranked Washburn on Thursday night at Yaeger Stadium in Topeka, Kansas. It marked the first time the Tritons upset a ranked opponent since a 2-0 win over then No. 24 Rockhurst in 2019. Jada Holloman scored UMSL’s first goal midway through the 21st minute when she beat Ichobads goalkeeper Hailey Beck into the lower left side of the net. The Tritons withstood sustained pressure by Washburn and were outshot 11-3 in the match. Jaycee Cotton sealed the victory when she scored with 22 seconds remaining in the match. Mary Kate Neal made three saves in the shutout. UMSL kept the momentum going with a 3-2 victory on Saturday over Northwest Missouri State. Holloman scored twice in the second half as the Tritons rallied from a 2-1 deficit. She now has 10 career goals. Julie Steiger also scored for UMSL in the victory. The Tritons (2-0) will open their home schedule Thursday against Newman before traveling to Drury to begin Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Saturday.
Men’s Soccer
The Tritons went 1-1 to open their season, falling to Kentucky Wesleyan 1-0 on Thursday in their home opener at the Don Dallas Soccer Field but beating Trevecca Nazarene 3-2 on Sunday in Nashville. Calum Newson had the only goal of Thursday’s opener on a penalty kick in the 85th minute, and UMSL got shut out despite outshooting Kentucky Wesleyan 14-8. The Tritons scored the first three goals against Trevecca Nazarene. Jon Campbell got them on the board in the fourth minute and added a penalty kick goal in the 27th minute. Luca Saewe netted his first goal of the season in the 49th minute. Trevecca Nazarene managed two goals in the final 10 minutes but couldn’t complete the comeback. UMSL will take on Union on Tuesday in Jackson, Tennessee, and will open its GLVC schedule on the road on Sunday at Drury.
Volleyball
The sixth-ranked UMSL volleyball team opened its season by going 4-0 in the Union Volleyball Classic in Jackson, Tennessee. The Tritons pulled out a five-set victory over Carson-Newman in Friday’s opener, winning 25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 24-26, 16-14, before posting straight-sets victories over Union, Harding and Limestone. Setter Caitlin Bishop tallied 51 assists in the opening match, and the Tritons got 17 kills from freshman rightside hitter Alayna Santel and 12 from Hannah Copeland. Skylar Weaver had a career-best 19 digs. Santel also led UMSL in kills against Union with 13 and against Limestone with 14. Washburn transfer Iyannah Jackson was behind her with 12 kills and four blocks against Harding. The Tritons will be tested next weekend in the Colorado Premiere Challenge at Regis Fieldhouse in Denver. They open against No. 3 West Texas A&M and also take on No. 13 Regis on Friday with two more matches to be determined on Saturday.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
Seniors Benjamin VandenBrink and Jacob Warner each posted top-10 finishes and helped the men’s team place second overall Friday evening as it opened it season at Illinois Springfield’s Prairie Star Invitational at UIS Cross Country Course in Springfield, Illinois. VandenBrink took seventh in the 7-kilometer race, posting a time of 22:05.52., and Warner was two spots behind him with a time of 22:12.12. Toby Middleton and Will Kaempfe also logged times in the top 20, placing 16th and 19th, respectively, as the men tallied 65 points to trail only host Illinois Springfield. The women also made their season debut and took sixth place with 188 points. Kayley Heeter led the way, finishing in 28th place in the 5-kilometer race with a time of 20:11.60. Bridget Ragan was the next UMSL runner to cross the finish line, coming in 33rd with a time of 20:24.90. Both the men’s and women’s teams will be back on the course on Friday when they race at the Illinois State Redbird Invite in Normal, Illinois, and at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama.
Men’s Golf
The Tritons opened their season by finishing fifth in a 12-team field in the one-day Arch Cup played last Tuesday at Gateway National Golf Course in Madison, Illinois. UMSL posted a combined 36-hole score of 576. Freshman Logan Mayo was UMSL’s top finisher, tying for second individually with a total of 4-under-par 138 and was named to the all-tournament team. Sophomore Dani Solavera took seventh with a total of 141. Junior Leo Baudry was UMSL’s next-highest finisher in 30th place with a score of 148. The Tritons also fielded a second five-man squad that placed 11th. William Jewell’s Bryson Oots was the individual medalist with a score of 135, and Drury took the team title by six shots over runner-up Missouri S&T. UMSL will next play on Sept. 22 in the University of Indianapolis Fall Invitational at Broadmoor Country Club in Indianapolis.
