Sergio Guerra, Sports Editor/Photographer
UNCG Women’s Soccer has clinched the seventh seed in the Southern Conference standings after the final slew of regular season matches across the conference on October 26. The Spartans were in action against the Samford Bulldogs and narrowly lost to the league leaders 2–1. However, results around the conference ensure that UNCG will be hosting the SoCon first round against VMI on Tuesday, October 28. Meanwhile, UNCG Men’s Soccer and Volleyball faced losses in conference play.
Matchup against the League Leaders
The Spartans were hosting Samford with a record of 2-3-3 in SoCon play. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs were undefeated heading into the final match of the regular season, sitting atop the SoCon standings with a record of 6-0-2. However, it was the hosts that stunned Samford, finding the back of the net in the first four minutes of the match. UNCG senior Morgan Brubaker netted her first goal of the season thanks to an assist from Taylor Mentzer.
UNCG’s lead was short-lived as Samford was able to turn the match on its head with two goals in under ten minutes. The first was scored by Samford senior Sarah Holland in the 12th minute of the game. Shortly after, freshman Mamie Carman scored the go-ahead goal in the 21st minute. Both goal scorers have up to four goals in the 2025 season. Despite generating many chances in the match (10 shots, 8 shots on target), the Spartans would be unable to find an equalizer as the match ended 2–1.
The result ensured that Samford remained top of the Southern Conference standings, becoming regular season champions.
The SoCon Post-Season
Despite the loss against Samford, UNCG managed to secure seventh place in the SoCon standings thanks to results around the league. This means that the Spartans will host the first-round of the SoCon tournament against last place VMI. VMI has gone winless throughout the 2025 season with a record of 0-9-0. The last time the two sides met was in UNCG’s SoCon opener, where the Spartans won 4-0.
The first-round matchup is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 28 at 6:00 p.m. The winner of this game will be rewarded with a visit to No. 2 Western Carolina in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Men’s Soccer Recap
UNCG Men’s Soccer was in action twice this past week, facing a top three team in the nation and last year’s SoCon tournament champion. On Tuesday, October 21, the Spartans visited NC State (No. 3 in the nation) and left with a 1-1 draw. UNCG’s Enzo Dovlo scored his ninth goal of the 2025 season with an absolute screamer from outside the box that gave the Spartans the lead. However, a late equalizer from Drew Lovelace spared the Wolfpack from an upset.
The Spartans would be unable to build on this result in their Southern Conference matchup against the Furman Paladins. The Paladins were the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament Champions, knocking out UNCG in penalty kicks en route to an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. Furman would continue to be UNCG’s kryptonite, defeating the visitors 2-0 and claiming first in the Southern Conference.
The result means that the highest seed that UNCG can reach is third in the Southern Conference, which could make the path to a NCAA tournament appearance all the more difficult. UNCG Men’s Soccer is back at home against Mercer in the final regular season match on Saturday, November 1 at 6:00 p.m.
Volleyball Stumbles
UNCG Volleyball was handed two losses away from home at the hands of Samford and Furman in Southern Conference play. The Spartans first played Samford on Friday, October 24, and lost in a five-set thriller. Almost routinely, Allie Sweet led the match in kills with 32, while Chloe Nussbaum led in digs with 33.
The second match of the weekend on October 25 was a little more one-sided, with UNCG losing 3-1 to Furman. The Spartans’ offense struggled significantly, with Allie Sweet once again leading the team in kills, but this time with only 11.
UNCG Volleyball is back in action on Friday, October 31 at 6:00 p.m. at Fleming Gym.
THE CAROLINIAN 