CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Southern Conference championship cross country meet will be held today at the Trophy Lakes course with the men's 8-kilometer race beginning at 8 a.m., followed by the women's 5k. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga teams will be led by seniors Chris Berry, already a three-time top-four SoCon finisher, and Tara Gietema, who helped the Lady Mocs win conference titles in 2007 and '08 but has all newcomers running with her this time. The Appalachian State men and Samford women are the defending champions.
Golf
• WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Led by sophomore Marion Duvernay in an individual tie for third place at 1-over-par 73, the UTC women's golf team is seventh out of 18 teams after the first round Friday in the Landfall Tradition. UTC is at 309, five strokes behind second-place Purdue and one behind No. 16 Ohio State. Third-ranked Auburn shot a 297. The Mocs' Mette Kryger and Maria Juliana Loza are tied for 32nd at 78, and Jordan Britt shot 80.
• A Dalton Golf and Country Club golf team will be trying today and Sunday to win the Georgia Team Championship for the third time in five years, and all four men were part of either the 2007 or 2009 champions. Dalton resident David Noll Jr., the reigning Georgia amateur champion, was on both as well as last year's third-place finisher from the club. His teammates at The Georgia Club at Statham are Mike Nance and Greg Brock of Calhoun and Matt Oxford of Rocky Face. Calhoun's Brent Sizemore is on the Barnsley Gardens team, and Calhoun's Cres Dodd is on the Cartersville Country Club team.
Basketball
• The Southern Conference Sports Media Association followed the lead of the league's coaches in picking UTC to win the women's basketball championship this year. The media voting announced Friday had Wes Moore's Lady Mocs with 12 of 22 first-place votes and 228 points overall, seven more than defending champion Appalachian State, which had eight firsts. Reigning SoCon tournament winner Samford was third with 191, followed by Elon with 170, Furman with 133 and Davidson with 132. Georgia Southern, UNC Greensboro, College of Charleston, Western Carolina and Wofford were seventh through 11th.
• MEMPHIS -- Tennessee Temple University opened the area's basketball season with a 70-54 men's win over Shepherd Tech late Friday night at Victory University. Germeil Daniels and Brolin Floyd had 23 and 20 points and 10 rebounds apiece for the Crusaders. Corbin Taylor led Shepherd with 16 points.
Volleyball
• Visiting Samford defeated UTC 25-12, 19-25, 25-16, 25-15 in SoCon volleyball Friday night at Maclellan Gymnasium. Michaela Reesor had 16 kills and Katie Murphy and Elizabeth Neisler had 12 apiece for the Bulldogs (22-3, 8-2), and Casey Garvey had 47 assists and 11 digs. Heather Parman and Jennifer Kuroski registered 11 kills each for UTC (5-22, 3-9) and Christina Teter added 10, and Parman had 13 digs to go with Melissa Green's 17. Bridget Camacho had 32 assists.
• ATLANTA -- After earlier this season ending a 23-match win streak for Emory, the Lee University volleyball team snapped Heidelberg's 20-win streak in Emory's tournament Friday, 25-19, 25-19, 27-25. It was the 18th win in a row for the Lady Flames (24-2), ranked fourth in the NAIA. Stephanie Todd had nine kills and 10 digs and Arlene Ferreira and Marija Zelenovic also had nine kills each for Lee, while Gretchen Higdon and Kelsey Leffew had 17 assists apiece and Sarah Smith made 12 digs.
• JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Bryan College beat Milligan in an Appalachian Athletic Conference volleyball match Friday, 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 25-12. Bryan now is 17-15, 11-2 in the league.
• SEWANEE, Tenn. -- Piedmont downed Sewanee 25-17, 20-25, 25-15, 25-19 in NCAA Division III volleyball Friday, dropping the Tigers to 7-21. Jamie Sue Wilson had 14 kills, Rachel Schuman 25 assists and Kayla Sewell 22 digs and five blocks for Sewanee.
Tennis
• CLEMSON, S.C. -- UTC's Emily Hangstefer and Alexa Flynn won the silver doubles draw in Clemson's Duckworth Fall Classic tennis tournament Friday. They beat duos from Kennesaw State, UT-Martin and Armstrong Atlantic. The Lady Mocs' Shaina Singh and Charlotte Bossy won twice before losing in the bronze draw final. Singles play begins today.
Soccer
• BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Alicia Plotky and Amanda Bobbin each had a goal and an assist as Birmingham-Southern (10-4-1, 6-1) beat Sewanee 4-1 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women's soccer Friday. Kabler Calhoun scored from a Faith Spencer assist for the Tigers (5-10-2, 3-4). The men's teams played later.
• DAYTON, Tenn. -- The scheduled AAC soccer match between the Bryan women's team and visiting Bluefield was rained out Friday night. The schools' men's teams are slated to play tonight.