Averett roundup: Danville native Wood notches hat trick in Cougars’ win

STAUTON — Senior Hillary Wood scored three goals and freshman Claire Armstrong added two goals as Averett crushed Mary Baldwin College 6-1 in women’s soccer on Saturday afternoon.

Armstrong got the scoring going for the Cougars (6-8. 3-4 USA South) with a breakaway goal in the 25th minute. Wood, a former standout at George Washington High School, then scored her first goal of the day, which proved to be the game-winner, just eight minutes later on a pass from sophomore Laura Evans.

Three minutes passed until Averett struck again. Armstrong powered home her second goal of the afternoon on a penalty kick to put the Cougars in front 3-0.

Mary Baldwin scored its lone goal right before the half on a Michelle Jones shot.

Wood notched her second goal in the 57th minute and completed the hat trick in the 69th minute off a pass from freshman Kaitlin Robinson.

Averett’s sixth goal came at the expense of Mary Baldwin, which put a corner kick into its own goal late in the game.

The Cougars return to action on Sunday at Shenandoah University.

Averett volleyball loses two on first day of Rhodes Classic
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Averett lost both of its matches on the first day of the Rhodes Classic on Saturday. The Cougars suffered a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Adrian College before falling to Transylvania University 3-0 later in the day.

Averett (17-10) opened its match against Adrian with wins in the first two sets (25-21, 25-10). However, Adrian bounced back to win the third set 25-22 and the fourth set 25-16. Adrian clinched the win with a 15-13 win in the deciding fifth set.

Freshman Hillary Metheny led the Cougars with 11 kills. Sophomore Jesse Jones had a team-high 35 assists and former Tunstall standout Marie Keatts had 20 digs. Freshmen Savanna Butts and Paige Aaron, former standouts at Gretna and Chatham, added four blocks and three aces, respectively.

Transylvania defeated Averett by scores of 25-21, 25-21, 25-12.

Metheny had a team-best five kills, Jones had 15 assists and Butts had three blocks. Keatts finished with 11 digs and two aces in the loss.

Averett takes on Monmouth at 10 a.m. and host Rhodes at 12 p.m. on Sunday.

N.C. Wesleyan tops Averett in USA South men’s soccer action
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Averett couldn’t overcome a first half deficit in a 4-2 loss at N.C. Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon. The Bishops scored three goals in an 11-minute span late in the first half, which proved to be too much for the Cougars.

Averett (7-5-1, 2-2 USA South) led 1-0 after freshman Tuukka Myyra scored less than four minutes into the contest. That lead held up until Robert Ivanovich knotted the game three minutes later.

The Bishops (6-6, 2-1 USA South) then scored three goals before halftime. The first came on a Michael Muhseler shot off a cross pass in the 32nd minute. Ousman Sarr added another goal less than four minutes later on a free kick. N.C. Wesleyan’s final goal came off Irvan Herrara’s shot from 20 yards out.

Averett got one of those goals back in the second half. Freshman Timi Heikkonen’s header off Myyra’s corner kick cut the deficit to 4-2 in the 60th minute. However, the Cougars couldn’t get any closer.

Averett women finish 11th in Guilford Cross Country Invitational
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Averett women’s cross country team finished 11th in Saturday’s Guilford College Invitational at The Meadows. Emory University won the women’s event.

Averett was led by freshman Candace Bradley, who finished 38th overall in a time of 26:56.92. Niina Marttila (64th, 29:11.00), Pinja Laitinen (66th, 29:16.16), Ani Kekkonen (75th, 30:31.73) and Chrysa Meaney (77th, 30:42.24) also competed for the Cougars.

Sophomore Bryan Swann and freshman Kendrick Harris competed for the Averett men, who didn’t place as a team. Swann, a former standout at Tunstall High School, finished 30th overall in a time of 29:42.58, while Harris was 57th in a time of 29:42.58.

Emory also won the men’s competition.