Elon Athletics Weekly Update

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.

SAAC Food Drive
Elon’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is currently hosting a food drive as part of the Colonial Athletic Association’s third-annual conference-wide Food Drive Challenge that will run through Friday, March 6. All food and monetary gifts collected will go to Allied Churches of Alamance County. SAAC members will be on hand at home events to collect nonperishable food items and monetary donations.

Baseball (5-2)
Elon at Campbell, Monday, March 2, at 5 p.m., Buies Creek, N.C.
Elon at Davidson, Wednesday, March 4, at 6 p.m., Davidson, N.C.
Elon at The Citadel, Friday – Sunday, March 6 – 8, at 6/2/1 p.m., Charleston, S.C.

• Weather continued wreak havoc on the Elon baseball schedule as the Phoenix had four games cancelled last week.
• The Phoenix did play one game last week, picking up a 7-3 victory over former Southern Conference rival UNCG at Latham Park on Wednesday. In that game, starter Matt Harris went six innings and matched a career high with eight strikeouts.
• Elon has added a Monday contest at Campbell. The Phoenix defeated the Fighting Camels 2-1 at Latham Park in the lone meeting between the two programs last year.
• A couple of former Southern Conference foes will be back on the slate this week. Elon will visit Davidson for a 6 p.m. bout on Wednesday before heading to Charleston, S.C., for a three-game series at The Citadel. The Phoenix went a combined 4-3 against those to squads last season.

Men’s Basketball (14-17)
2015 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship
#8 Elon vs. #9 Towson, Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m., Baltimore, Md.

• Riding a league-best three-game winning streak, the Elon men’s basketball team heads to Baltimore for the 2015 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship this week. Eighth-seeded Elon faces ninth-seeded Towson on Friday night, March 6, at 6 p.m. at Royal Farms Arena.
• Elon closed the regular season with three straight victories, including a pair of wins over Northeastern and UNCW this past week. The Phoenix topped Northeastern 72-65 before claiming a 74-55 decision over UNCW on Senior Night on Feb. 28.
• Elijah Bryant leads all CAA rookies in scoring at 13.9 points per game. Bryant has scored in double figures in 25-of-31 games this season and has earned CAA Rookie of the Week accolades five times.

Men’s Tennis (3-7)
Elon vs. UNC-Wilmington, Thursday, March 5, at 2:15 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center
Elon vs. North Carolina Central, Saturday, March 7, at 9 a.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center
Elon vs. Georgia Southern, Saturday, March 7, at 1 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

• The Phoenix played its first match in two weeks on March 1 after having its matches against Winthrop, Wofford and UNCW either rescheduled or canceled due to winter weather.
• Elon dropped a 4-3 decision to Gardner-Webb in Greensboro on March 1, snapping its three-match win streak. The Phoenix won the doubles point but dropped four of the six singles matches.
• Stefan Fortmann and Josh Luck added points for Elon, winning 6-0, 6-0 and 6-3, 6-2, respectively. Fortmann and doubles partner Brian Kowalski won 6-3 at No. 1 doubles. The duo hasn’t lost since Feb. 8 at No. 59 Virginia Commonwealth.
• Each of Elon’s next six matches will be played at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, where the Phoenix is 19-4 over the past two seasons.

Softball (7-4)
Elon vs. Campbell, Tuesday, March 3, at 4 p.m., Hunt Softball Park
Elon vs. NC State, Wednesday, March 4, at 5 p.m., Hunt Softball Park
Elon at NC A&T, Thursday, March 5, at 4 p.m., Greensboro, N.C.

• After having all of its games wiped out or postponed last week due to weather, the Phoenix returns to action with contests on three consecutive days against Campbell (March 3), NC State (March 4) and at NC A&T (March 5).
• The winter weather last week forced the postponement of the Phoenix’s game at North Carolina last Wednesday. That contest will be played at a to be determined date.
• Elon also had to cancel its second home tournament of the year, the Elon Softball Tournament, scheduled to play from Feb. 27 – March 1.
• Freshman Hannah Olson was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 24, for her efforts the previous weekend. Olson helped the maroon and gold to a 4-0 record at the Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla., after batting .545 (6-for-11) with three runs scored, a double and a pair of RBI.

Women’s Basketball (17-11, 10-7 CAA)
Elon vs. Delaware, Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m., Alumni Gym

• Elon claimed a big road win, 64-58, at Hofstra on Sunday, marking its first victory of the season ranked higher than the team in the CAA standings.
• The Phoenix returns home to Alumni Gym for its regular-season finale to take on the Blue Hens of Delaware. The game will also mark senior night for the program’s three seniors – Shannen Cochraham, Sam Coffer and Zora Stpehenson.
• Elon claimed a 60-50 victory over the Blue Hens in the first conference game of the season on Jan. 4 in Newark, Del.

Women’s Golf
Elon at Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Spring Classic, Monday – Tuesday, March 2 – 3, Kiawah Island, S.C.

• After winning its third team title of the year in its opening event, the Elon women’s golf team is playing at the 40-team Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Spring Classic to start this week.
• The Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Spring Classic is the largest collegiate golf tournament in the nation.
• The tournament got underway on Sunday with the Phoenix firing a round of 306 to sit eighth.
• Sunna Vidisdottir shot a first-round 71 (-1) and is tied for fifth out of 210 participants.

Women’s Lacrosse (3-3)
Elon vs. Coastal Carolina, Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m., Rhodes Stadium

• The Phoenix fell to No. 2 UNC, 21-2, in its lone game last week in cold and rainy weather conditions in Chapel Hill, N.C.
• After four straight games over the last four weeks, Elon returns to the friendly confines of Rhodes Stadium for its next game on Friday against Big South opponent Coastal Carolina.
• Friday’s game marks the first of four straight home games for the maroon and gold from March 6 – March 28.

Women’s Tennis (4-4)
Elon vs. UNCG, Wednesday, March 4, 2:30 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center
Elon vs. Liberty, Friday, March 6, 2:30 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

• Elon has two home matches in this upcoming week against UNCG on Wednesday, March 4, at 2:30 p.m. and against Liberty on Friday, March 6, at 2:30 p.m.
• Both of Elon’s matches this past week against Gardner-Webb and William & Mary were canceled due to inclement weather.
• Elon has not played since posting a 6-1 victory over USC Upstate on Feb. 20.
• A total of four players have won three straight matches heading into this week’s contests. Kamilla Beisenova leads the team with a 5-2 singles mark.

Women’s Track and Field
Elon at Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Championships, Thursday – Saturday, March 6 – 8, Boston

• Select members of the maroon and gold will travel to Boston to compete at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships beginning on Thursday, March 5.
• The Phoenix currently has nine athletes that are slated to compete at the championship meet in Elyse Bierut (3,000 and 5,000-meters), Shelby Cuddeback (one-mile), Jen Esposito (400-meters), Sydney Griffin (60-meter hurdles), Bryanna Hames (shot put), Kimberly Johansen (800 and 1,000-meters, one-mile), Megan Kirschling (high jump), Tereza Novotna (one-mile) and Bre’anna Warren (shot put).
• Freshman Emily Dixon also qualified for the ECACs in the pentathlon, but currently sits outside of the top-15 performances to compete at the league meet. The final declared list will be announced on Tuesday, March 3.