Austin Peay State University athletics had a full slate of competition last week with teams on the field, court and course.
Soccer
Austin Peay soccer dropped a 1-0 decision to Eastern Kentucky on senior day, Sunday, Sept. 21, at Morgan Bros. Field. The match was delayed more than an hour due to storms and stayed scoreless until the 36th minute when the Colonels broke through with the game’s only goal. Senior forward Ellie Dreas led APSU with three shots while junior goalkeeper Lauryn Berry recorded four saves to bring her career total to 136.
The Govs returned to action Sunday, Sept. 28, at Lipscomb where they fell 5-0. The Bisons controlled the match from the start, outshooting APSU 12-0 in the first half. Abby Mathews recorded the team’s only shot on goal and Berry tallied five saves before being subbed out in the 74th minute.
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team earned its strongest finish of the season at the Sandestin Collegiate Classic in Miramar Beach, Florida, Sept. 22–24.
The Govs opened with a two-under 282 on Monday, led by a three-under 68 from Patton Samuels. They climbed the leaderboard Tuesday with a nine-under 278 as Samuels fired a bogey-free 66 to move into second place overall.
On Wednesday, Austin Peay closed with a five-under 279 to finish tied for second at 16-under 836, just four strokes behind champion Middle Tennessee. Samuels tied for second individually at 10-under 203 while Parker Elkins fired a career-best 66. John Mark Mills and Seth Smith also finished inside the top 30 at one-under 212.
Volleyball
Austin Peay volleyball ended non-conference play Tuesday, Sept. 23, with a 3-0 sweep at Tennessee State. Taly Cloyd led the offense with 10 kills while Brooklynn Merrell set a career mark with 15 assists and four service aces. The Govs hit .325, their best mark since 2022.
Conference play opened Friday, Sept. 26, with a 3-0 loss at North Alabama. The Govs nearly stole the second set but ultimately dropped it 25-23. Two days later, on Sunday, Sept. 28, APSU fell 3-0 at Central Arkansas despite jumping out to an 11-3 lead in the third set. Cloyd once again led the attack while Reagan Anderson anchored the defense with 14 digs.
Softball
The Govs opened fall softball Friday, Sept. 26, with a 9-1 run-rule win over rival Murray State at Cathi Maynard Park. Austin Peay launched three home runs including a grand slam from Katie Raper. Sammie Shelander and Mimi Blackledge also homered while Blackledge added two hits and pitched two innings in her debut.
On Sunday, Sept. 28, the Govs hosted Belmont for a doubleheader. APSU dropped the first game 11-2 but bounced back with a 2-1 win in the second to close the weekend on a high note.
Looking Ahead
Austin Peay heads into another full week with soccer traveling to North Alabama, volleyball returning home to face Eastern Kentucky, men’s golf preparing for the Little Rock Classic in mid-October and softball continuing its fall exhibition schedule at Cathi Maynard Park.
