Pirates Look to Build on Successes
In 2005-06, Pirate athletes are primed to surpass the success of a year ago with hopes set on conference titles and post-season play.
Southwestern volleyball continued a rich tradition, capturing its first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) title since 1997, as well as advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA South Regionals. The 2005 squad also produced a school record 36 wins.
Senior Misti White was named SCAC Player of the Year and selected to the All-SCAC First Team. Six Pirates earned all-conference honors. Second-year head coach Hannah Long was selected SCAC Coach of the Year for guiding the Pirates to a 17-1 conference mark and the most victories since joining the conference in 1994. She is the third Southwestern coach to receive this SCAC honor.
With talent, depth and experience, the Southwestern men’s basketball team is confident that it has the right ingredients to be number one—and they are not alone in that thinking. Southwestern was a near unanimous pre-season choice to claim the SCAC men’s basketball crown in 2005-06, according to a vote by the league’s coaches. The Pirates also garnered a No. 13 pre-season ranking by DIII News.
“We feel we have all the pieces in place,” seventh-year and 2004 SCAC Coach of the Year Bill Raleigh says. “We’re also very much aware that just because you feel you have all the pieces in place, it doesn’t guarantee anything.”
The 2004-05 squad finished with a 19-6 overall regular season mark, an 11-3 conference record and the top seed in the SCAC tournament. With all five starters—including SCAC Player of the Year and DIII News Pre-season All-American Aaron Bowser—returning to the line-up, Southwestern is ready to pick up where it left off last season.
Despite a challenging season, the 2005 women’s soccer team achieved a first-ever victory over their archrival, the Trinity University Tigers. It was also Trinity’s first loss of the 2005 soccer season.
Southwestern men’s soccer also battled through a tough season. The men finished 9-7-3 overall and posted a 4-4-1 record in SCAC play.
The Southwestern cross-country squads achieved another athletics milestone for the University. At their most important meet of the season, the SCAC Championships, the women’s team finished fourth, posting their best-ever finish at the conference championships. On the men’s side, junior Jameson Otto placed 10th, and his time bested the SU all-time fastest 8K run in a cross-country race for Southwestern University.