Sports Briefs

Field hockey earns first victory

The VCU field hockey team won for the first time this season after defeating visiting Longwood 1-0 Sunday. The long awaited victory came after a disappointing loss to the University of Richmond Friday when the Rams were shut-out 1-0.
The goal against the Lancers yesterday was made with 17:22 left when freshman forward Nikki Lloyd (England) scored, improving the Rams record to 1-3.
VCU’s stingy defensive play allowed the one goal to be the difference in the game. Strong defensive play was led by dominant performances by VCU goalies Laura Baker (England) and Becca Leuzzi (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes High School).

Preseason tennis poll lists contenders

In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s preseason polls released Tuesday, both VCU men’s and women’s units had players named in the top ten.
Junior Olga Borisova (Belarus) and sophomore Marianna Yuferova (Russia) were ranked fourth in women’s doubles. Last year the pair earned All-America doubles status after advancing to the National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterfinals. Together the two posted a 17-5 record on the year. Yuferova was ranked high in singles play as well, being named 22nd in the nation.
Junior Arnaud Lecloerec (France) was ranked eighth in the men’s singles in the preseason poll. He was named an All-American last year as well as the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the Year after going 26-12. Senior Francesc Lleal (Spain), along with Lecloerec were ranked 47th in the preseason poll as doubles partners.
VCU volleyball drops three on the road

After winning three straight in the Third Degree Sportswear Volleyball tournament a weekend ago, VCU dropped to 6-4 overall after losing three of their last four matches.
The Rams went on the road to meet Wichita State Thursday where they lost the match zero games to three. From there the black and gold went on to the Pizza Hut Jayhawk Invitational Friday where they lost to Kansas 1-3 but managed to beat Temple 3-1 later that night.
VCU was unable to finish the tournament strong as they fell to Michigan State 2-3 in a hard fought battle. The Rams had been up two games to one after winning the third game 30-26, but then lost consecutive games to concede the match to the Spartans.
Despite a road trip that earned VCU three losses, the victory over Temple brought the Rams win total up to six, already tying the win total from the 2004 campaign in which they went 6-21.

Hoyas hound Rams; win 3-1

VCU’s men’s soccer team lost 3-1 to Georgetown Friday after leading early in the second half. The Hoyas scored three goals in the last 14 minutes of play to come from behind and beat the Rams in the first round of the Maryland/Adidas Classic.
Senior Brain Morris (Springfield, Va.) scored the black and gold’s only goal of the game after receiving a pass from fellow Senior Veit Schaidinger (Germany.)
Georgetown out-shot VCU 8-3 in the second half and 9-8 throughout the game as VCU was unable to stop the undefeated Hoyas from scoring. Richard Frank of Georgetown scored the tying goal and Ben Jefferson-Dow and Daniel Grasso scored the final two goals to seal the game.