Christendom’s men’s rugby team took on their toughest opponent of the season yet on Saturday, playing DII University of Virginia and defeating them at home in a 29-24 stunner. The rest of Christendom’s athletic teams similarly cleaned up over the weekend, with women’s volleyball and women’s soccer both picking up key wins and men’s soccer drawing Penn State Mont Alto in an exciting home matchup.
Returning home after another resounding win last weekend against Radford University, Christendom’s men’s rugby team hit the pitch for their toughest matchup yet, taking on DII University of Virginia. In the first half, Christendom rugby quickly got on the board with a try from Andrew Krolick, before Virginia tied the game back up again just a few minutes later. This back and forth continued for most of the second half until Christendom managed to take control, with John Kennedy and Matthew Westin pushing Christendom to a 24-12 lead at the half.
Joseph Kokes gave Christendom another key try early in the second half, before Virginia began to mount a comeback. With less than ten minutes remaining, Virginia brought the score to 29-24, but Christendom’s defense held them the rest of the way to victory. With the win, Christendom now stands at 3-0 on the season, putting them in prime position before they take on Virginia Commonwealth University next Saturday.
Women’s volleyball won 3-1 over Mid-Atlantic Christian.
On Friday night in St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium, women’s volleyball aimed to bounce back from a two-game losing streak in a match against Mid-Atlantic Christian. The team won the first set but lost the second before taking control of the game, winning the next two to grab a 3-1 victory. Nora Ross again dominated the game for Christendom, scoring 30 points and also leading the team in kills with 26. Claire Mense and Cate Brezinsky were not far behind, scoring 14 points each for the team. The team now stand at 6-5 on the season.
Women’s soccer defeated Penn State Mont Alto 2-0.
On Saturday, women’s soccer continued their homestand with a game against Penn State Mont Alto. The team’s defense played terrific, holding Penn State back throughout the game. Catherine Thomas scored two key goals for Christendom — ultimately the only two the team would need. Miranda Keller also secured her third shutout of the season, helping the team achieve a 2-0 win and push their record to 6-5.
Men’s soccer drew Penn State Mont Alto 4-4.
Finally, to close the weekend, the men’s soccer team returned home after earning their first win of the season against Patrick Henry College on Wednesday. Riding a new wave of momentum, Christendom kept the game close against Penn State Mont Alto at 1-1 in the first half before taking a commanding lead in the second, with Aganze Nkere and Sean Corcoran scoring goals to give Christendom a 3-1 lead. Mark Taylor would give the team a 4-2 lead going into the final 20 minutes, but Penn State made a comeback, bringing the score to a 4-4 tie with less than ten minutes remaining. The two team’s defenses held the game from there, resulting in a 4-4 draw. The team now stands at 1-6-1 on the season.
For more information, visit christendomathletics.com.