By Sarah Turner, Sports editor 

After a long summer of hard work and preparation, Falcon athletes are ready to return to competition as fall sports gear up across campus. With several teams on the rise and key players returning, the 2025 season is shaping up to be one to watch. 

Women’s Soccer 

The Falcons head into the season ranked No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches’ Preseason poll, the first time the program has been ranked since 2008. And rightfully so; head coach Jake Wyman’s squad is eager to build on last year’s impressive run. The Falcons reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, one of their best finishes ever, before falling to GSC rival West Florida. Their 2024 campaign included the second-most single-season wins in program history, and they’re poised to go even further this fall.  

The squad returns all four of its top goal-scorers in senior forward Shadia Valenzuela and junior forwards Isabel Dillehay, Lainey Farabaugh, and Morgan Goehring, who all combined for a total of 35 of the team’s 46 goals, which was the second-most in the GSC. Valenzuela, Dillehay, and Goehring are also preseason All-GSC picks for the squad, who will open up the season ranked second in the conference. They’ve started off the season with a 1-0 win over Anderson University and a loss to Florida Tech. The Falcons begin conference play on Sep. 17 at Auburn University Montgomery, and then return home on Sep. 24 to host West Alabama. 

Men’s Soccer 

In 2024, men’s soccer showed improvements after a rocky 2023 season. The group ended the season 6-8-2, and 4-7 in GSC play, and this year, they’re picked to finish eighth in the conference. While they may have lost three of their biggest contributors on the offensive side, they’ll return Preseason All-GSC defender Sebastian Flores, who has now been a part of the program for three years and will look to step into a leadership role during his senior year.  

Head coach Bruce Dietterle also added 17 new faces to the roster this season, three of whom were named to the GSC Preseason Watchlist, including junior Dakota Hart, sophomore Oscar Vallejo and freshman Alex Müller. The Falcons tied and then dropped early season contests to Francis Marion and Mars Hill University, respectively, before tying with the No. 4 team in the country in the Anderson Trojans. The Falcons start conference play on the road on Sep. 26 at Lee University before hosting the University of Alabama at Huntsville on Oct. 3.   

Volleyball 

Currently picked to finish sixth in the GSC, the Falcons are looking to make big strides in head coach Haven O’Quinn’s third year with the program. Despite last fall’s 11-20 record, the return of GSC Freshman of the Year and Preseason All-GSC selection Nikol Antova gives the Falcons a strong foundation. The outside hitter tallied 319 kills in her first year as a Falcon, the third most in the conference. And with the rest of Antova’s fellow sophomores, now seasoned with a year of experience, this squad is a postseason threat.  

Newcomers Lily Erdal and Mallory Hulsey both made the GSC Newcomer Watchlist, adding in their own fresh talent to the group. The team will start the season with three tournaments, traveling to Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina, before coming home to Central State Bank Arena on Sep. 26 to host Trevecca Nazarene.  

Cross Country 

The class of 2025 saw a lot of talent graduate from both the men’s and women’s programs, but coaches Tommy Barksdale’s and Julia Marquardt’s programs are looking to make some noise despite being low on numbers. In 2024, the women’s team finished in sixth place at the GSC championships, while the men finished in ninth. This fall, pre season conference rankings put the women in sixth place, while the men are ranked eighth.  

Junior Jackson Howse returns as a leader for the men’s team after a breakout 2024 season that saw him set personal bests at both the conference and regional championships in both the 8k and the 10k. This class of incoming freshmen will definitely make an immediate impact on both sides, but the team will especially rely on Ava Taylor and Kaitlynn Moore on the women’s side.  

While the roster is smaller this year, the teams are aiming to outrun expectations with a gritty, competitive mindset. They’ll compete in four regular season meets before going to the conference championship on Oct. 25 in Memphis, Tenn.  

Men’s Golf 

A new era begins for UM men’s golf as the program moves forward without one of its top players, NCAA Regional qualifier and First Team All-GSC selection Eric Boutwell. The senior will be hard to replace, but the Falcons will be ready to fill in those gaps with both returning talent and a strong freshman class.  

Four-time GSC Freshman of the week Bentley Van Pelt is back for the Falcons, hoping to top an impressive first year. He and the other returners will be joined by seven new golfers, five of which are freshmen. The Falcons begin their fall season hosting the Montevallo Invitational in Calera on Sep. 8-9 before hitting the road for tournaments in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. 

Women’s Golf 

A second place team finish at the spring GSC championship is no small feat, and the Falcons are only looking to top that this year. Second Team All-GSC sophomore Kate Cost returns for the Falcons, joined by senior Fabiola DeCespedes, who finished second individually at last spring’s conference championship. These two will provide the low scores the squad needs to be successful this fall.  

Despite graduating three key seniors, the Falcons have reloaded with four promising newcomers ready to step up. The Falcons open their season at home on Sep. 8-9 at Timberline Golf Club in Calera for the Montevallo Invitational before competing at tournaments in South Carolina and Georgia.