COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Monmouth transfer named UVA’s top QB
Virginia coach Tony Elliott named Tony Muskett the Cavaliers’ starting quarterback, likely surprising very few observers.
Muskett, a transfer from Monmouth, beat freshman Anthony Colandrea for the job. Muskett, who amassed more than 5,600 passing yards and 51 touchdowns in 23 starts for Monmouth, will lead the Cavaliers against Tennessee in less than two weeks in Nashville.
**Meanwhile, the Cavaliers got a weekend commitment from tight end Trevor Ladd of La Costa Canyon High in Encinitas, California. That made him UVA’s 16th football commitment for the class of 2024.
At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, the 3-star prospect is ranked as the No. 105 tight end in the country by 247Sports and the No. 232 overall prospect in California.
As a junior, Ladd had 35 receptions for 605 yards and eight touchdowns, earning all-league honors. According to reporter Jerry Ratcliffe, Ladd had offers from Air Force, San Jose State, Nevada, Montana State, Idaho, Columbia and Penn.
CNU picked second in conference
Christopher Newport was predicted second to Salisbury in the coaches’ poll in the seven-team New Jersey Athletic Conference poll.
CNU is coming off a 7-3 year and second-place finish to Salisbury, which has won the last four NJAC titles and is ranked 25th nationally in the d3football.com preseason poll. The Captains were 5-1 in the conference, while the Sea Gulls were 6-0.
Rowan, Kean, The College of New Jersey, Montclair State and William Paterson were chosen third through seventh, respectively.
CNU, paced by two-time NJAC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Dzierski at quarterback, will open its season at 5 p.m. Sept. 2 at home against Southern Virginia.
COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY
Cavaliers predicted as ACC runners-up
Virginia was picked second to North Carolina in the coaches’ poll in the seven-team ACC. The Cavaliers got three first-place votes.
UVA sophomore midfielder Daniela Mendez-Trendler, who had eight goals and 19 points in her first season, was named to the Preseason All-ACC team.
The Cavaliers advanced to the ACC final last season, losing 3-2 to UNC. This year’s ACC Tournament will be in Charlottesville from Oct. 31-Nov. 3.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
CNU chosen second to Mary Washington
Defending champion Mary Washington was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference favorite in a poll of coaches, while Christopher Newport was chosen second and UC Santa Cruz was third.
Salisbury, Pratt of New York, Mount Mary of Wisconsin and Warren Wilson of North Carolina were fourth through seventh, respectively.
CNU has been to 15 consecutive NCAA Division III championship tournaments; the Captains reached a region final last year before losing to eventual national champion Juniata. UMW, UC Santa Cruz and Salisbury also reached the 64-team championship field last year.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOCCER
Tribe back gains CAA honor
William & Mary sophomore center back Nora Green-Orset was named the Coastal Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week. Playing 176 of a possible 180 minutes, she netted a header in a 4-0 victory over Temple and was part of a scoreless draw versus Saint Joseph’s.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
ODU’s Finwood hires ex-Alabama assistant
Old Dominion coach Chris Finwood added Ryan Fineman to his staff. Fineman started at catcher for Indiana from 2016-19, during which the Hoosiers made three NCAA Tournaments, briefly played in Tampa Bay’s minor league system and most recently was Alabama’s director of player personnel.
