VCU finished off a solid weekend 6-3, moving them to a combined 44-14-6 this fall sports season. We typically stick to hoops around here, but here’s a recap of what else has been going on around VCU Athletics as the Ed McLaughlin era is underway.
VCU Volleyball (19-3, 5-2)
With seven regular season contests remaining, the Rams have already past last season’s win total and are in position to finish toward the top of the A-10 if the black and gold can handle their business at home (five of their remaining games are at the Siegel Center). The Rams are lead by senior Kristin Boyd, fresh off A-10 Player of the Week honors. Boyd leads the team with 234 kills on the season, her 1,187 total following this weekend have moved her into second on VCU’s all-time career list.
The Rams look to continue their winning ways in two weekend games, the first a 7PM Friday contest against George Washington (5-2, 8-13), followed by another 7PM Siegel matchup against Duquesne (6-1, 18-6).
VCU Women’s Soccer (9-4-3, 4-2-0)
The ladies of VCU soccer finished off a 2-win home weekend with a 1-0 win over fellow A-10 newcomer Butler Bulldogs, solidifying a spot in 4th-place out of the 16 competing teams in the Atlantic 10 this season. The Rams have been incredibly tough at SportsBackers, winning 12 of their last 13 contests at home. They have blanked most of their A-10 opponents (4), and senior Kristin Carden’s seven total shutouts leads all A-10 keepers. VCU’s 4.9 points/contest is good four 4th in the A-10, and Junior forward Courtney Conrad’s 9 goals are good for third in the conference.
The Rams take on Richmond (3-2, 7-7-1) in a rivalry contest at SportsBackers this Friday at 7PM.
VCU Field Hockey (9-5, 0-3)
Shannon Karl’s gang started the season on fire, winning their first eight contests and outscoring their opponents 26-10. Things have cooled off considerably however, as VCU has won just two of their last seven, including an 0-3 start to their first-ever Atlantic 10 season. If VCU is to stop the bleeding, they’ll have to do so in back-to-back road contests, first against A-10 opponent Lock Haven (10-6, 1-2), followed by a trip to Pittsburgh to take on La Salle (7-8, 1-2).
The Rams are lead by Senior Kelsey Scherrer. Scherrer’s 13 goals and six assists are both tops on the team.
VCU Men’s Soccer (7-2-3, 3-1)
The VCU men’s squad has won three of their last four, including a huge home upset of 13th-ranked Charlotte, a win that vaulted the Rams to a No.21 national ranking. The only blemish on their last four contest was a 3-2 2OT heartbreaker in ol’ St. Loui (both of the Rams losses this season have come in double OT). The Rams bounced back however with a 1-0 shutout at Butler.
The Rams are lead by Junior Jason Johnson. Johnson sits atop a three-way tie for points in the A-10 scoring nine goals to go along with his three assists on the season. Great news for VCU fans from the striker who hails from a place called Happy News, Jamaica.
The men finish off a four-game road trip with contests at Fordham (5-4-2, 1-1-1) and La Salle (8-3-2, 2-1) this weekend before heading home to the third-largest average home crowd in A-10 play this season (981 fans/contest, up 430 fans from last season’s averaged in the CAA).
