ELON, N.C. – Every Monday, Phoenix fans can get a look at the week ahead with our “Elon Athletics Weekly Update” feature when we will preview all the week’s upcoming events for our sports teams. “Follow us” on Twitter at @elonphoenix and @elonscores, “Like” Elon Phoenix on Facebook and continue to check elonphoenix.com to stay current on all things Elon Athletics.
Cross Country
Elon at CAA Cross Country Championships, Saturday, Nov. 1, Boston
• The Elon men’s and women’s cross country programs will compete at the Colonial Athletic Association Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1, hosted by Northeastern.
• Saturday’s meet will be the programs’ first-ever league championship event in the CAA in Elon’s inaugural season in its new conference.
• Senior Luis Vargas won his fourth straight race at the NCAA Pre-Nationals on Oct. 18 after clocking in a time of 24:20.3 in the men’s 8K race. The performance earned Vargas his fourth CAA Men’s Runner of the Week on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
• The Phoenix women finished 25th overall at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, a 19-spot improvement over the previous year’s results at the meet. Senior Jenny Gallagher finished 55th out of 293 runners and clocked in a time of 21:40.8 in the 6K run – the third-fastest performance in school history.
Football (1-7, 0-4 CAA)
Inside the Huddle Luncheon, Monday, Oct. 27, at 12 p.m., Best Western Plus
Elon Football Live Radio Show, Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., Fat Frogg Bar & Grill
Elon at Towson, Saturday, Nov. 1, at 4 p.m., Rhodes Stadium (American Sports Network)
• Elon has been one of the least penalized teams in the nation this season. The Phoenix ranks second nationally in fewest penalty yards per game with 33.38. The only team to average fewer penalty yards per contest is CAA mate William & Mary that averages 32.63.
• With a backfield depleted due to injury, junior running back Tracey Coppedge has had to carry the load for the running game the past few weeks. Over the past four weeks, Coppedge has toted the ball 64 times out of the 80 attempts by Phoenix running backs. That amounts to 80.0 percent of the carries by backs.
• Elon will return to the road this week, paying a visit to last year’s national runner-up Towson for a 4 p.m. game on Saturday. The Tigers have won each of the previous three meetings between the two programs.
• The Towson game is slated to be televised in select markets by the American Sports Network.
• Fans can preview this weekend’s tilt with against Towson at either the Inside the Huddle Luncheon on Monday or at the Elon Football Live Radio Show on Thursday. The luncheon is held from noon until 1 p.m. at the Best Western Plus on Huffman Mill Road in Burlington and the cost to attend is $10 and includes a catered lunch by Grill 584. The radio show is broadcast live from the Fat Frogg Bar & Grill in Elon on Thursday from 7-8 p.m. and can be heard live on WPCM 95.1 FM and 920 AM, as well as at elonphoenix.com
Men’s Soccer (8-4-4, 3-1-2 CAA)
Elon at College of Charleston, Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m., Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Elon at Delaware, Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m., Newark, Del.
• The Phoenix travels on the road for its final two matches of the regular season with trips to former Southern Conference foe College of Charleston before finishing the regular season at CAA Preseason favorite Delaware.
• Elon defeated Duke at home, 2-1, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, for the program’s first-ever victory over the Blue Devils. Prior to Tuesday’s win, the Phoenix was 0-9-3 all-time against Duke in 12 meetings. The win against Duke also improved Elon’s record against ACC foes to 5-2-4 since 2010.
• The Phoenix’s Jason Waterman was rewarded as the CAA Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 20, after helping the maroon and gold go undefeated the previous week against nationally ranked UNC Wilmington and Drexel.
• Senior goalkeeper Nathan Dean and the maroon and gold notched its ninth shutout of the year on Sunday, Oct. 26, in a scoreless draw against James Madison. That mark is now the second-best all-time in school history in a single-season and is one clean sheet shy of tying the program’s all-time shutout record of 10 in 2010.
Volleyball (5-21, 0-10 CAA)
Elon vs. William & Mary, Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m., Alumni Gym
Elon vs. James Madison, Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m., Alumni Gym
• Elon returns home to Alumni Gym this weekend for its final two home matches of the season.
• Fans are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to Friday’s match against William & Mary. There will be a costume contest and free candy for fans.
• Sunday’s match against James Madison marks Senior Day for Phoenix seniors Kris Harris, Chanelle Smith and Danielle Smith. The trio has led Elon to three conference tournament appearances over the last four seasons, as well as the program’s transition to the Colonial Athletic Association.
Women’s Basketball
Elon vs. Catawba (exhibition), Sunday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m., Alumni Gym
• Fans can get their first look at this year’s women’s basketball team with the Phoenix hosts Catawba in its lone exhibition game on Sunday in Alumni Gym. The team opens the season against Anderson in the first game of an Elon basketball doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m.
• Elon returns four starters, including 2013-14 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year Jenifer Rhodes, and nine other players from last year’s team and welcomes three freshmen to the 2014-15 squad.
• The Phoenix also welcomes the addition of assistant coach Tasha Taylor and director of operations Morgan Oliver to the team. Taylor, who played for assistant coach Cristy McKinney at Clemson, joins the team from Limestone College, while Oliver comes to Elon after four years as a manager with the Duke women’s basketball team.
Women’s Golf
Elon at Palmetto Intercollegiate, Monday – Tuesday, Oct. 27 – 28, Kiawah Island, S.C.
• Elon’s women’s golf team will wrap up the fall portion of its schedule at the Palmetto Intercollegiate hosted by CAA rival College of Charleston this week.
• The tournament began on Sunday and the Phoenix ended the first round in a tie for 10th out of 20 teams in the field. The field features five of the nation’s top 50 teams.
• In its last event, Elon placed 10th out of 18 teams at the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate.