FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9-17-07

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, September 17

Women's Golf at Lady Falcon Invitational (Uwharrie Point, N.C.)

Tuesday, September 18

Women's Golf at Lady Falcon Invitational (Uwharrie Point, N.C.)

Wednesday, September 19

Women's Soccer at UNC Pembroke, 5:00 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Augusta State, 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 20

No Events Scheduled

Friday, September 21

Volleyball vs. Lander, 7:00 p.m

Saturday, September 22

AASU Hosts 2007 ITA Mid-Atlantic Tennis Regional (All Day)

Women's Soccer vs. Georgia Southwestern State, 3:30 p.m.

Volleyball at Anderson Regional Crossover (Anderson, S.C.)

AASU vs. Barton, 2:00 p.m.

AASU vs. North Greenville, 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 23

AASU Hosts 2007 ITA Mid-Atlantic Tennis Regional (All Day)

Volleyball at Anderson Regional Crossover (Anderson, S.C.)

AASU at Anderson, 3:00 p.m.

Soccer (4-1 Overall, 1-0 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State women's soccer squad earned its first-ever national ranking last week, debuting in the NSCAA/adidas Division II Top 25 rankings at No. 16. The Pirates then successfully defended that national ranking by blanking Clayton State, 5-0, in its Peach Belt Conference opener on Saturday afternoon.

The Pirates led, 1-0, after the eighth minute courtesy of a Kristin Burton header, giving the reigning PBC Offensive Player of the Week her league-leading seventh goal of the season. In the 29th minute, fortunes turned against the visiting Lakers as leading scorer Olaitan Yusuf was sent off, receiving a red card for retaliation. AASU went into halftime up, 1-0.

In the second half, the Pirates started to capitalize on the short-handed Laker squad. Lyndsi Stricklen capitalized on a misplay by the Clayton State back line, delivering her first goal of the year in the 55th minute. Another defensive breakdown led to freshman Kyndal Schaaf’s first collegiate goal in the 73rd minute, then Burton added her second goal of the game in the 79th minute from a Holly Grulich cross. Freshman Lianne Stricklen capped off the scoring with her first collegiate goal in the 89th minute from an assist by Elizabeth Kerkhoff.

Burton tallied her eighth career multi-goal match against the Lakers while Tarra Kohler and Tracey Mitchell combined on the shutout. AASU joins Columbus State and GCSU atop the league standings with three points after the first week of play.

This week, the Pirates travel to UNC Pembroke for a 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19, then AASU returns home to host Georgia Southwestern State on Saturday, September 22, at 3:30 p.m.           

Volleyball (4-12 Overall, 0-0 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State volleyball squad dropped four of five matches this past week in its final action before beginning the Peach Belt Conference schedule.

The Pirates hosted West Georgia on Tuesday and fell in four games to the Wolves. Nikki Yates led the Pirates on the evening defensively with 21 digs.

AASU then traveled to Huntsville, Ala., for the UAH Country Inn & Suites Invitational. The Pirates dropped two matches in Friday’s action, losing to Arkansas Tech, 3-1, and West Florida, 3-0, extending its losing streak to six. AASU rebounded on Saturday to defeat Valdosta State, 3-2, led by Brendyce Budd’s 15 kills and senior Kassi Kixmiller’s career-high 10 kills and eight blocks. AASU finished up the Invitational with a tough 3-2 loss to host Alabama-Huntsville.

The Pirates have already played in six five-game matches this season through its first 16 matches – surpassing the four five-game matches that AASU played in last year. 

This week, the Pirates open Peach Belt Conference play on Wednesday, September 19, with a 7:00 p.m. match against Augusta State. AASU then hosts Lander on Friday, September 21, at 7:00 p.m., before traveling to Anderson, S.C., for the Anderson Regional Crossover on Saturday and Sunday. The Pirates will take on Barton and North Greenville on Saturday and host Anderson on Sunday.          

Men’s Golf (No. 12, GCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll)
The No. 12-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men’s golf team opened the 2007-08 season by finishing second at the Kiawah Island Invitational, led by junior Chris Wolfe, who captured his fourth career individual title with a four-stroke victory.

Wolfe fired rounds of 65 and 68 to finish with an 11-under-par 133 total, four better than Oklahoma Christian’s Fernando Gonzales. As a team, the Pirates shot rounds of 287 and 292 to finish with a 579 total, three strokes behind Oklahoma Christian.

Freshman Tanner Farr had a solid debut as he fired even par rounds of 72 to finish tied for sixth with an even-par 144 total. Freshmen Daniel Mobley (78-75), Parker Gordon (76-77) and junior Mitch Baxley (74-79) all finished tied for 33rd with nine-over-par 153 totals to round out the Pirates’ scoring.

The Pirates return to action on September 24-25 at the Coker College Invitational in Orlando, Fla. 

Women’s Golf
            The Armstrong Atlantic State women’s golf team finished fourth at the Anderson Invitational in its first tournament of the 2007-08 season.

The Lady Pirates shot rounds of 336 and 351 for a two-day 687 total. AASU was led by a pair of freshmen as Savannah native Carrie George fired back-to-back 80s to finish tied for third individually with a 160 total. Jacksonville native Kristen Jelinek shot 79-84 to finish tied for 7th with a 163 total.

Senior Kristen Graham shot rounds of 83 and 95 to finish in 24th place with a 178 total, while junior Courtney Sanders shot rounds of 94 and 92 to finish in 33rd place with a 186 total.   

Pfeiffer captured the team title with a two-day 654 total, besting Tusculum (672) by 18 strokes, while host Anderson (686) finished third.

The Lady Pirates return to action on September 17-18 at the Pfeiffer Lady Falcon Invitational.

Play in singles and doubles will continue through Monday with the champions of each main draw bracket advancing to the 2007 ITA Small College Championships in Mobile, Ala., on October 11-14.

The Pirate men tuned up for the regional by competing in the GSU Fall Invitational this weekend, where AASU swept the singles and doubles brackets. Senior Davor Zink captured the "A" singles bracket with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 win over North Florida's Eduardo Pereira, while newcomer Rafael Array captured the "B" singles bracket with a win over teammate Kevin Sijmons, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2.        

In doubles play, the duo of Christian Bergh and Robert Jendelund defeated teammates Array and Paul Bishop, 8-5, to win the "A" doubles bracket. Completing the sweep were Sijmons and Zink, who teamed to knock off Georgia Southern's Shine and Paetz, 8-2, to win the "B" doubles bracket.

- Pirates -