Bulldog Fall Teams Return to Campus to Prepare for Seasons

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – It's that time of year again on the UNC Asheville campus. Students begin moving back to campus this weekend and classes begin on Monday. Four Bulldog programs have arrived back on campus early and are preparing for their fall seasons.

The women's soccer program was the first team to report back to campus and kick off fall practices last Thursday morning. The Bulldogs already have their lone preseason exhibition under their belts, a 1-0 victory at Wofford College on Tuesday night. The women's soccer roster features 12 newcomers out of the 25 student-athletes on the roster, and some with high profiles. A pair of freshmen, Bella Iorio and Ellie Stone, were each named to and played in the North Carolina East-West All-Star game earlier this summer. Freshman teammate Jessica Dooley was named a 2015 NSCAA High School Winter-Spring All-American, one of just 27 from across the country and the first in Bulldog women's soccer program history.

Women's soccer kicks off the 2015-2016 schedule for the entire athletic department when they play the first Asheville game of the season Friday night, August 21 at home at Greenwood Field in a 7 p.m. start. The Bulldogs return to action in their opening weekend with another home contest Sunday, August 23 in a 1 pm kickoff.

The women's volleyball team began preseason practice last Friday afternoon in preparations for their upcoming campaign. Armed with a roster that boasts plenty of collegiate experience, the Bulldogs' roster looks nearly identical to last season, adding only a pair of freshmen to their team after having no seniors on last year's squad. The Bulldogs have four seniors on the 2015 roster – Kaie Davis, Cat Fischer, Chrissy Lakatos and Bryn Pfeiffer – who each will continue to have large rolls this season.

Volleyball opens their season on August 28 and 29 with three matches at the UNC Charlotte Invitational before their home opener inside the Justice Center against Montreat College on September 4. In addition to their full slate of games, the Bulldogs will also host the UNC Asheville Invitational from September 10-12 on campus, welcoming four teams to Asheville.

The men's soccer team got their preseason going on Monday morning, as first-year head coach Mathes Mennell begins his first preseason with his squad. The Bulldogs feature 12 new faces on the 26-man roster, with seven freshmen signees coming to Asheville along with five transfers. Jack Huber, Victor Aguiar, Zach Joens and Andy Lawerence are considered key returners for the Bulldogs, who will play just six home matches at Greenwood Field as part of their 20-game regular season schedule.

Men's soccer begins their campaign on Saturday, August 22 at Wofford, while their first home match will come on August 30 when they welcome LIU Brooklyn to town. The Bulldogs five remaining home contests throughout the season are all against Big South Conference foes.

The men's and women's cross country teams are the final fall sport to get underway, beginning training on Thursday night. The Bulldogs will train at various sites in and around the Asheville area in the upcoming weeks in preparation for their season. Their first competition comes on September 5 in the Western Carolina Invitational, while everything leads up to the Big South Championships on October 31.