Monarch Brew 9/18: History Makers

James, ODU Women's Soccer With Historic Performances

Good morning Monarchs. Making history is always special.

No matter the sport, no matter the occurrence, history is always memorable.

it was a history making weekend for the Blue & White as the Monarchs piled up wins, made electric plays and made statements across the conference and nation.

What all do we have stirring in today’s edition of the Brew? Check it out!

🏈 He Is Him
⚽️ Cleainin’ Out
🏐 Balancing Act
👑 And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 He is Him. There have been thousands of players to play FBS football over the years. Hall of Famers, NFL Draft picks, all-time greats.

Anytime you accomplish something that only 7️⃣ players in FBS HISTORY have done… it’s pretty special.

That’s what LaMareon James did on Saturday in ODU’s heart-wrenching 27-24 loss to visiting Wake Forest.

James became the seventh defensive player in FBS history to score a TD on a fumble return and an INT return. Not too bad a day for the Norfolk native.

🔼 Cleanin’ Out. To the surprise of pretty much no one, ODU’s women’s soccer team opened up their conference slate with, you guessed it, another shutout.

It’s the seventh shutout of the season for the Blue & White, who currently lead the country in total shutouts and goals against average.

A goal from Anessa Arndt in the 69th minute on Friday night proved to be enough in a 1-0 road decision at Coastal Carolina. The victory moved ODU to 6-0-2 for the fall, tying the program record for longest unbeaten streak to start a season (8 in 2006).

ODU will look to extend that streak this week when they host Louisiana right here in Norfolk on Thursday night.

🔼 Helping Hands. Freshman William Arnesen must have been taught the golden rule, because he was sharing all over the place this weekend.

The newcomer assisted on both of ODU’s goal in the Monarchs conference opener at Georgia State on Saturday evening with the Blue & White earning a hard-fought 2-2 draw on the road.

The Monarchs return home for the first time since the season opener when they host long standing rival, VCU, on Tuesday night.

🔼 Not Backing Down. Well, one thing’s for sure, the ODU field hockey program can play right with anyone in the country. The Monarchs faced their fourth top-10 opponent in the first seven games of the 2023 season and battled #9 Duke to the wire, but a third-quarter goal by the Blue Devils was enough for a 1-0 defeat of the Blue & White.

Possession and control of the match was really with the Monarchs most of the day, but they couldn’t find the back of the cage with Duke’s keeper coming up with a game-high seven saves.

"Really tough loss. We outplayed Duke, I think there is little question about that if you watched the game. But it doesn't matter if you don't put it on the scoreboard. We have to score on our corner opportunities. Corners are the difference in the score line in the last two games. But we have to find a way to score period," said head coach Andrew Griffiths.

👕 BLUE OUT TO BEAT PROSTATE CANCER

This Saturday, September 23rd the SURF Foundation hosts the “Blue Out to Beat Prostate Cancer” presented by Sentara and Urology of Virginia. The SURF Foundation reminds you that early detection saves lives. One in eight American men will get some form of prostate cancer, and the earlier it's identified, the better the rates of survival.

We're honoring those survivors and asking you to please—get screened.

📝 ICYMI

🔼 Our Leader. Coming off a golden summer with Team USA, DeLisha Milton-Jones locked down her future plans and those plans are right here in Norfolk.

ODU and Coach Milton-Jones announced a contract extension this week that keeps her with the Monarchs through 2028.

During her three seasons at ODU, the Monarchs have compiled a 59-33 (.641) overall record with a 31-21 (.596) mark in league play. During that time, her teams have reached the conference tournament semifinals twice (Conference USA in 2021 and Sun Belt in 2023) as well as making it to the second round of the WNIT in 2022.

"It is a wonderful feeling knowing that my vision is supported and my work is appreciated. I thank Dr. Wood Selig for believing in me while on my quest to bring back the historical prominence of this program," said Milton-Jones.

🤔 MONARCH TRIVIA

Balancing Act. This past weekend, ODU’s volleyball team continued their strong start to the 2023 season.

In just its fourth year of existence, the Monarchs went 2-1 at the Mountaineer Invitational in Morgantown, including decisive victories over WVU and Robert Morris on Thursday.

Over the weekend, three different Monarchs recorded double-digit kill performance and the Blue and White are on the cusp of having five players with 100+ kills on the season, led by All-Conference honoree Myah Conway.

What’s the highest total of players with 100+ kills in program history?

Got a guess?

Scroll down to the bottom of this email and see if you had the right answer!

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📅 WHAT’S ON TAP

Tuesday, September 19
🏐 Volleyball vs. Liberty @ 5pm l Live Stats
⚽️ Men’s Soccer vs. VCU @ 7pm

Thursday, September 21
🏐 Volleyball at Marshall @ 6pm
⚽️ Women’s Soccer vs. Louisiana @ 7pm l Live Stats

Friday, September 22
🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. NYCC Collegiate Invitational (Norfolk, Va.)
🏑 Field Hockey vs. Temple @ 2pm l Live Video l Live Stats
🏐 Volleyball at Marshall @ 6pm
⛳️ Women’s Golf at Lady Paladin Invitational (Greenville, S.C.)
🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. UNC Fall Invitational

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Six in 2021.

Hailey Duncan (225), Alessia Sgherza (218), Conway (195), Kira Smith (146), Olivia De Jesus (122) and Madeline Rudd (109) all eclipsed the 100+ kill mark in 2021.

🦁 Let’s have a great Monday to start the week!