By Zack Peñalva, Sports Editor
With the start of the new season of fall sports, the predictions in the newly named River States Conference (formerly the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) are anyone’s best guess. Each year, coaches from the conference’s volleyball and soccer programs are asked to cast their vote on what teams look the strongest. Here are the results of the latest poll:
Men’s Soccer: #4
There was optimism for the Eagles in their preseason polls, with coaches ranking them at fourth among the conference’s nine teams. After a disappointing season last year ended with a 6-13 record and a tough loss in the semifinals of the KIAC tournament, this year has a more positive outlook. Last year saw the emergence of junior Ryan Metcalf and sophomore Austin Baker as important players for the Eagles, and both were named All-Conference.
Should the Eagles find a rhythm to get their attack working and shore up a leaky defense that allowed nearly three goals per game, they could very well see their fortunes rise in a very competitive field.
Volleyball: #4
After a respectable outing last season and change in coaching, the Eagles should see their fourth place ranking in the polls as a pretty solid place to build from. Last year, the Eagles ended the season with a 21-14 record and a third place finish in the KIAC standings. If the Eagles want to make a splash in the conference this year, it will be asking players to step up in the way junior Kayla Morlan did last season. Morlan led the team in kills and was in the top 50 in the nation in hitting percentage on her way to being named an honorable mention All-American. The Eagles will have to be ready to cause some upsets if they want to improve on last year.
Women’s Soccer: #1
The women’s soccer team is coming off a very successful season last year. They finished first in conference and went undefeated on the road before bowing out in a tough 1-0 loss to West Virginia Tech. The Eagles effectiveness last year came from their balance on the field: a dangerous attack (an average of 2 goals per game) combined with the stingiest defense in the KIAC (average of .94 goals per game.)
This year, coaches expect the Eagles’ success to continue. Even with the graduation of KIAC Offensive Player of the Year Teryn Wright and the departure of defensive stalwart Madison Mitchell, the Eagles will look to the depth of talent available to head coach Brooke Lincoln. Sophomore Emily Hubbuch is the obvious candidate to fill the attacking void left by Wright, a role she stepped into quickly with her two-goal performance against University of the Cumberlands. One place of stability for the team is in goal. Junior Brooke Perkins is expected to return in goal. The 2015 All- Conference goalkeeper made 12 saves in the 3-2 win over Cumberlands and will be a big factor in making sure the Eagles’ defense doesn’t fall off from last season.