William Carey Athletics is continuing a successful year with every Crusader fall sport poised to be represented in the upcoming NAIA National Championships.
The private university out of Hattiesburg will look to compete for a title on the pitch in both women’s and men’s soccer.
Coach Danny Owens’ women’s soccer team is currently ranked No. 3 in the latest NAIA poll on the heels of another Southern States Athletic Conference Championship. The defending NAIA runners-up are hoping to make another run at a national championship and duplicate the feeling of hoisting the red banner again for the first time since 2018.
Led by leading scorer, Christina Salmon, the Crusaders are 18-1-1 on the season and will play the winner of Mid-America Christian and Xavier on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. The winner of that game will advance to the final site in Pensacola, Florida for a shot at the title.
The men’s soccer team will host the NAIA’s opening round on its home field. The Crusaders finished No. 3 in a tough SSAC featuring three teams ranked in the top 15 in the nation. Ranked No. 12 nationally, Carey has a record of 13-3-2 behind Kolby Godbolt’s team-leading eleven goals.
Coach Barry Farrell’s team will have to beat Georgia Gwinnett to reach the final site to compete for an NAIA championship in Wichita, Kansas. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.
The Lady Crusader cross country team is bound for the NAIA National Championship in Columbia, Missouri after winning the SSAC Championship in Oakville, Alabama. Blanca Conesa paved the way as she’s done all season, winning the individual championship and earning the SSAC Runner of the Year title.
This is the first SSAC Championship for the Lady Crusaders since 2018. The NAIA National Championship race is set to take off at 11:30 a.m. CT on Friday.
The men’s cross-country team placed third at the SSAC Championship, but Nathan Sury finished in the top five earning him the opportunity to compete unattached at the NAIA National Championship.
In what may be considered the biggest surprise of the fall season, Carey’s volleyball team has punched its national championship ticket. Predicted to finish No. 5 in the SSAC pre-season poll, the Crusaders silenced critics, finishing No. 3 in the regular season before cruising to the SSAC Tournament championship.
The Crusaders came up just short in the finals, but the runner-up finish was good enough to grab the second automatic berth for the conference into the NAIA tournament. Led by freshman Suelen Lima’s 465 kills, the Lady Crusaders boast a record of 28-9 heading into the opening round of the championship series.
Carey has a tall task ahead as they travel to North Dakota to take on No. 3 Jamestown for a shot at advancing to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa. That game is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.
Each William Carey championship game will be broadcast here.
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