Southern Virginia Knights
| Southern Virginia Knights | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Southern Virginia University |
| Conference | USA South Athletic Conference Continental Volleyball Conference (men's volleyball) |
| NCAA | Division III |
| Athletic director | Deidra Dryden |
| Location | Buena Vista, Virginia |
| Varsity teams | 26 (13 men's and 13 women's)[1] |
| Football stadium | Knight Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Knight Sports Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Parry McCluer HS |
| Softball stadium | Harvey-Dryden Field |
| Soccer stadium | Knight Stadium |
| Other arenas | Stoddard Center |
| Nickname | Knights |
| Colors | Crimson and White |
| Website | athletics |
The Southern Virginia Knights are the athletic teams that represent Southern Virginia University, located in Buena Vista, Virginia, in NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Knights compete as a member of the USA South Athletic Conference in most sports. The Knights are a member of the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) for men's volleyball. Altogether, Southern Virginia sponsors 26 sports: 13 for men and 13 for women.
History[]
The school's athletics programs historically competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and also competed in national tournaments of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). Southern Virginia began its athletic program in the fall of 1997, one year after it became a four-year liberal arts college with an LDS environment. In 1998, the Knights joined the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. The 2012–13 school year was SVU's first year as a provisional NCAA Division III member; it joined the Capital Athletic Conference (now Coast to Coast Athletic Conference) on July 1, 2013, and became eligible for conference championships in 2014–15.[2] Since C2C has never offered football under either of its names, Southern Virginia joined the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football effective July 2014. After four successful provisional years, the Knights became a full NCAA Division III member on September 1, 2016. On August 9, 2017 Southern Virginia University officially changed its school colors from green and white back to its original colors of crimson and white. Two months later on October 16, 2017 Southern Virginia University announced its football program would switch over to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference starting in the 2019–20 season. On February 20, 2018 the men's volleyball team became the first Southern Virginia program to be nationally ranked; ranking in at number eight in the AVCA and NCAA DIII poll.[3] On July 12, 2018 Southern Virginia announced Women's Field Hockey as a varsity sport becoming the 23rd varsity sport offered at the school.[4] On April 4, 2019 Southern Virginia added men's rugby as a varsity sport to be offered.[5] One week after announcing the addition of men's rugby, on April 11, 2019 Southern Virginia announced the addition of men's and women's swimming and diving.[6] On December 11, 2019, Southern Virginia announced it would join the USA South Athletic Conference in the 2021–22 academic year.[7]
Sports sponsored[]
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cheer |
| Cross Country | Cross Country |
| Football | Dance |
| Golf | Field Hockey |
| Lacrosse | Golf |
| Rugby | Lacrosse |
| Soccer | Soccer |
| Swimming | Softball |
| Tennis | Swimming |
| Track and field† | Tennis |
| Volleyball | Track and field† |
| Wrestling | Volleyball |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
A member of the USA South Athletic Conference, Southern Virginia University sponsors teams in thirteen men's and thirteen women's varsity sports.
Men’s basketball[]
Men's cross country[]
In 2021 the Southern Virginia Men's Cross Country team won the USA South Athletic Conference Championship. This was Southern Virginia's first ever conference championship as a member of the USA South Athletic Conference. Runner Dylan May as was named Runner of the Year, Rookie Runner of the Year, and First Team All-Conference.[8]
Women's cross country[]
In 2021 the Southern Virginia Women's Cross Country team also won the USA South Athletic Conference Championship.
Football[]
Men's tennis[]
For the 2020-21 season the Men's Tennis team won their first ever conference championship as a member of the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference.[9] The men's tennis team then went on to advance to the NCAA Final 8 before being eliminated.[10]
Men’s volleyball[]
On March 30, 2019 the Southern Virginia Men's Volleyball team clinched the CVC regular season championship for the 2018–19 season. This was Southern Virginia's first ever conference championship as an NCAA Division III member.[11][12] On April 13, 2019 Southern Virginia men's volleyball program captured the University's first conference tournament title and first NCAA DIII Tournament appearance after defeating Juniata College in five-sets.[13] On April 23, 2021 the Southern Virginia Men's Volleyball team lost in the NCAA Division III Final Four to Benedictine in five sets. This marks the longest a Southern Virginia team has lasted in the school's Division III era. [14]
Women’s volleyball[]
On November 6th, 2021 the Southern Virginia Women's Volleyball team won the USA South Athletic Conference tournament championship for the 2021–22 season. This was Southern Virginia's first ever women’s volleyball conference championship.[15] In their first ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament, the Southern Virginia Women's Volleyball team lost 0-3 to Emory in the first round.
Wrestling[]
In 2017–18 Nico Ramirez became the first NCAA National Qualifier in Southern Virginia's school history and made it to the second round of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.[16]
National Championships[]
Team[]
| Team | ||
| Year | Athletic Association | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | NSCAA | Women's Soccer |
| 1998 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 1998 | Men's Cross Country | |
| 1999 | Softball | |
| 1999 | Women's Soccer | |
| 1999 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2000 | Men's Soccer | |
| 2000 | Men's Basketball | |
| 2001 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2001 | USCAA | Men's Soccer |
| 2002 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2002 | Women's Volleyball | |
| 2002 | Women's Track & Field | |
| 2002 | Men's Track & Field | |
| 2002 | Women's Basketball | |
| 2003 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2003 | Women's Track & Field | |
| 2004 | Women's Track & Field | |
| 2004 | Women's Volleyball | |
| 2004 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2005 | Women's Track & Field | |
| 2005 | Women's Soccer | |
| 2005 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2006 | Women's Basketball | |
| 2006 | Women's Soccer | |
| 2006 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2007 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2008 | Women's Soccer | |
| 2011 | Men's Basketball | |
| 2011 | Women's Cross Country | |
| 2012 | Women's Cross Country | |
— (NCSAA) National Small College Athletic Association
— (USCAA) United States Collegiate Athletic Association
Individual[]
| Individual | |||
| Year | Individual | Athletic Association | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Nate Casperson | NCWA | Wrestling (149lbs) |
| 2001 | Jessyca Barker | USCAA | Cross Country |
| 2003 | Kim Anderson | Cross Country | |
| 2005 | Kim Anderson | Cross Country | |
| 2007 | Grant Dean | Golf | |
| 2008 | Peter Rose | NWCA | Wrestling (157lbs) |
| 2009 | |||
| 2010 | |||
Athletic facilities[]
Current facilities[]
- Harvey-Dryden Field — Softball
- Knight Stadium — Football, Men's and women's soccer, Men's and women's lacrosse, Field hockey
- Knight Arena — Men's and women's basketball, Men's and women's volleyball, Wrestling
- Tennis Complex — Men's and women's tennis
- Vista Links Golf Course — Men's and women's golf
For baseball, Southern Virginia plays at local high school Parry McCluer High School. And for track and field and swimming Southern Virginia uses Washington and Lee University facilities.[17]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Athletics". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Capital Athletic Conference Adds Penn State-Harrisburg; The Lions Join CNU & SVU As New Full Members in 2013–14" (Press release). Capital Athletic Conference. July 26, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
- ^ "AVCA DIVISION III MEN'S WEEK #5 COACHES POLL: FEBRUARY 20, 2018" (Press release). American Volleyball Coaches Association. February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ "Southern Virginia Adds Field Hockey For 2018-19 Season" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Lamb Announces Smyth as School's First Rugby Head Coach" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "Southern Virginia University to Add Men's and Women's Swim Teams" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
- ^ "Southern Virginia University Set to Join USA South" (Press release). USA South Athletic Conference. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- ^ "Men's Cross Country Wins USA South Conference Championships; May and Chandler Earn Major Awards" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "Men's Tennis Earns Program's First-Ever Conference Championship" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. May 8, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "Dias Advances to NCAA Final 8, Blonquist and Dias Make Final 8 in Doubles" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. May 29, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "Knights Knock Off Kean For CVC Regular Season Title" (Press release). Continental Volleyball Conference. March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- ^ "No.11 Knights Upset No. 3 Cougars in Five-Set Thriller" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- ^ "Men's Volleyball Earns Program's First CVC Championship Over Juniata 3-2" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. April 13, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ "Knights' Historic Season Ends in National Semifinals with Nail-biting Loss to Benedictine" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. April 23, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ "Women's Volleyball Captures First Conference Championship In Program History" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ^ "Nico Ramirez Wins in First Round, Falls in Second at National Tournament" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Facilities and Directions" (Press release). Southern Virginia Athletics. December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
External links[]
- Southern Virginia Knights