Chris Ferguson, Campus Carrier Asst. Sports Editor
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| Taylar Wilson | CAMPUS CARRIER |
| Senior Elizabeth Ragland serves for the Vikings during their game against Rhodes College on Sept. 24. The Vikings are now 8-0 in conference as a result of this win. |
As the halfway mark of the fall semester nears, Berry sports teams have been successful beating many of their opponents. Of Berry’s fall sports, football, cross country, and volleyball all boast winning records and have chalked up wins against some formidable out-of-conference opponents.
Football currently holds a 5-0 overall record and a 3-0 record in conference. They have continued their success this season by winning 14 of their last 15 games. They have also racked up record-breaking stats at third in the league in points per game with 33, and second in the league with 175 rushing yards per game on the offensive side of the ball. They also lead the league with only 15 points allowed per game and are ranked 16th in the country with 74 rushing yards allowed per game on the defensive side of the ball. Overall, the team is continuing to break records and create waves throughout Division III football by moving up the ranks to 24th in the nation after their 44-10 blowout against Austin College.
Women’s volleyball holds a 14-3 overall record and an 8-0 record in conference. The girls are currently on a nine game winning streak and are undefeated at their home court. They have also garnered new records and have received votes to place in the top 50 teams in Division III. Junior Cassi Culhan states that this success can be attributed to their new “plus-one” mentality that is helping the girls achieve their goals throughout the season.
“This year’s team has really focused on the plus-one mentality,” said Culhan. “This plus-one mentality simply means putting in extra reps in practice and out of practice to push our teammates to the next level. We plan on continuing to stick with this mentality throughout the rest of the season and continue to execute our game plan. We hold each other accountable to achieve our goals so we can give our 110 percent every day.”
Men’s and women’s cross country are continuing their success this season by setting new personal bests and placing lower times than many teams in their conference. In their last race, the team was led by captain Parker Roberts with a staggering time of 16:14, followed closely by senior Rhett Butler with a time of 16:16. The women were led by Alainna Chretien with a time of 18:32 and Abby Carrol, not far behind, with a time of 19:10. Both men’s and women’s runners continue to set personal bests and are preparing to perform in their more competitive upcoming meets.
“Our success this season started with the hard work everyone put in over this past summer,” said senior Rhett Butler. “Many people on the team stayed on campus over summer break and put in lots of miles to be able to train at a higher level. As the temperature is starting to fall, we will be running at optimal conditions and be able to hit our best times. At this point in the season, we are starting to get into some more competitive meets and everyone is excited about dropping time and staying competitive. We must continue to put in work and maintain high energy throughout the rest of the season in order to stay successful.”