By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics
For the fourth weekend in a row, William & Mary's volleyball team split a pair of Colonial Athletic Association matches. The Tribe has shown resiliency but also, head coach
Tim Doyle has seen, up-and-down play.
Take last weekend, for instance. On Saturday, W&M led North Carolina A&T two sets to one but ended up with a 3-2 loss. The following day, the Tribe bounced back for a 3-0 win.
"I told the team after our win yesterday, I don't really know who we are, but I know we have the capability of being really good," Doyle said. "We've just got go do it consistently."
The Tribe (9-7, 4-4 CAA) already has its most wins in a season since 2015. W&M's six shutouts are its most since 2009.
W&M will have the weekend off before playing Hampton University on Oct. 22 and 23 in Kaplan Arena. Doyle plans to use it wisely.
"Basically, the players who see major minutes will have low-volume practices and probably only one high-intensity practice," he said. "Other than that, we'll give them time to sleep, rest, recover and really give their arms a break. They've been swinging for so many weeks in a row."
Men's soccer comes up with 'pretty good tie' at Elon
William & Mary picked up its school-record sixth draw of the season Saturday, and it came on the road against the first-place team in the conference. The Tribe and Elon combined for one shot on goal in the scoreless tie.
Obviously, W&M coach
Chris Norris would have preferred the win and three points in the standings. But that point from the tie kept the Tribe (2-1-3 in the CAA) in fifth place. Six will make the conference tournament.
"There are times you fight and scrap but don't feel like you're going to have much of an opportunity to win the game," Norris said. "We didn't come out of the game with that feeling, so there's a little bit of a disappointment on our end.
"But when you put it in perspective in getting a point on the road against the team that's leading the league, it's a pretty good tie."
The Tribe has three CAA games remaining, and they will be spaced out between non-conference games against Wake Forest, N.C. State and North Carolina. W&M will host the Demon Deacons (10-2), who were ranked No. 4 nationally last week, Tuesday night at Martin Family Stadium.
"We've got two-thirds of the season behind us, and we have a pretty good idea of who we are as a group," Norris said. "It's as good a time as any to play a team that's arguably one of the top ten teams in the country. And to get them at home has a chance to be special."
More from last week
Women's soccer (6-5-4, 2-1-3) saw its six-game unbeaten streak end with a 3-2 home loss to Northeastern Thursday night. A 2-2 tie vs. Monmouth Sunday moved W&M into a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference standings. As with the men, six teams make the tournament …
Field hockey (7-6, 1-2) went 0-2 last week with one-goal losses at home to Delaware and Drexel to fall into sixth place with three conference games remaining. Four teams make the CAA tournament. …
Bronson Yoder was named the CAA's Offensive Player of the Week in football after rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown in the Tribe's 27-21 win over Delaware. He became the first back to rush for more than 65 yards against the Blue Hens this season.
On tap this week
Tuesday: Men's golf at Elon Phoenix Invitational; Women's golf at Edisto Island Invitational (Edisto, S.C.); Men's soccer vs. Wake Forest, 6 p.m., Martin Family Stadium.
Thursday: Women's soccer at Towson, 7 p.m.
Friday: Field hockey at Northeastern, 4 p.m.
Saturday: Women's and women's cross country at Virginia XC23 Invitational, Earlysville; Women's golf at Lady Blue Hen Invitational (Rehoboth Beach, Del.); Men's and women's swimming vs. Johns Hopkins, Bee McLeod Recreation Center; Men's soccer vs. UNC Wilmington (Martin Family Stadium).
Sunday: Women's golf at Lady Blue Hen Invitational (Rehoboth Beach, Del.); Field hockey at Hofstra, 1 p.m.; Women's soccer at Elon, 1 p.m.
