BYU Roundup: Women’s soccer ends two-match losing streak
Courtesy BYU Athletics
BYU's Mia Lopez (19) heads the ball into the goal against Cincinnati in a Big 12 women's soccer match at South Field on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025.Freshman midfielder Mia Lopez recorded her first career brace and senior Mackenzee Vance scored her first goal of the season to help secure No. 16 BYU’s 3-0 shutout of Cincinnati on Saturday.
The Cougars improved to 6-3-1 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play with its first conference win of the season and end a two-match losing streak, including a 3-2 home loss to West Virginia on Wednesday.
“This was a really good bounce back for us,” BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “Wednesday was a tough result after playing some pretty good soccer, so we wanted to make sure we bounced back. We’re proud of the way we played, that we came out and got an early goal the first 12 minutes, which is something we’ve been talking about all season. Some great goals by Mia Lopez tonight. I think she’s really coming into her own and finding confidence.”
BYU outshot Cincinnati 12-4, with five shots on goal compared to the Bearcats’ zero. The Cougars also dominated the corners, 12-3, and limited Cincinnati to just a few early chances.
Saturday’s matchup also featured Alumni Night, where the Cougars celebrated and honored returning alumni at halftime.
BYU opened the scoring with a goal by Lopez in the bottom right corner of the net in the 11th minute of the game. The goal was assisted by Presley Freeman and Vance, giving both their first assists of the season.
Just three minutes later, Lopez added another goal in the 14th minute, putting BYU up 2-0. In the 65th minute of the match, Vance was fouled inside the 18-yard box and awarded a penalty kick, which she converted for BYU’s third goal of the night.
Cougar goalkeeper Paiton Collins made a diving stop at the end of the match to maintain the shutout, earning her fifth clean sheet of the season.
BYU travels to Houston on Thursday at 6 p.m. MDT, with streaming available on ESPN+.
No. 14 women’s volleyball sweeps Iowa State
Claire Little Chambers finished with a match-high 14 kills (.367) and freshman Suli Davis added 13 kills (.522) as the No. 14 BYU women’s volleyball team swept Iowa State on Saturday 25-18, 25-20, 26-24.
It was BYU’s first win in Big 12 play after a 3-1 loss to Colorado on Thursday.
Davis added a career high with two solo and four total blocks. Brielle Kemavor had five kills (.400) and five blocks. Hannah Billeter contributed two aces.
The Cougars hit .345 compared to Iowa State’s .186 and controlled the net with an 11-2 blocking advantage. The Cyclones committed 23 attack errors to BYU’s 10.
After the Cougars won the first two sets, Iowa State rallied late in Set 3, tying the score at 21 and then taking its first lead since early in the set at 23-22. BYU responded, edging back ahead 25-24 on a kill by Little Chambers. The Cougars sealed the set in extra points, 26-24, on an ace from Emma Barbero.
BYU (13-1 overall, 1-1 Big 12) will travel to Ohio to open its Big 12 road campaign at Cincinnati on Wednesday, October 1 at 6:30 p.m. EDT with streaming on ESPN+.
Top-ranked women’s cross country claims Cowboy Jamboree
STILLWATER, Okla. – The No. 1 BYU women’s cross country team won the Cowboy Jamboree with 34 points at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course on Friday morning.
Riley Chamberlain led the Cougars with a time of 20:04.40, securing second place. It was the second consecutive meet in which Chamberlain finished second. She also finished more than 10 seconds ahead of the third-place runner.
“Taking second overall and having my teammates right behind me just makes us all more hungry and determined,” Chamberlain said. “We want to keep grinding and be at our best in November when it matters. Grateful to be starting where we are starting and moving forward from here.”
Senior Taylor Rohatinsky finished fourth with a time of 20:23.80. Juniors Jacey Harkins-Farmer and Lexi Goff-Thompson weren’t far behind, placing eighth and ninth, respectively. Autumn Classic winner Nelah Roberts rounded out BYU’s top five, finishing 11th with a time of 20:43.70.
BYU scored 34 points, 23 points ahead of second-place No. 13 Oklahoma State. No. 3 New Mexico was third with 65 points. Kentucky and SMU rounded out the top five with 127 and 134 points.
The Cougars will travel to Columbia Missouri on Oct. 18 to preview this year’s NCAA Championship course, Gans Creek Cross Country Course. The race is set for 9 a.m. MST.
Men’s cross country finishes fifth at Gans Creek Classic
COLUMBIA, Mo. – BYU Men’s Cross Country took fifth at the 2025 Gans Creek Classic with 199 points Friday morning.
Senior Davin Thompson led the way for the Cougars finishing 20th in a time of 23:02.9. Thompson came in just 10 milliseconds ahead of the next finisher in what was a tight finish.
Noah Jenkins finished 28th in a time of 23:06.1, Tayvon Kitchen came in 34th, Garrett Stanford finished 45th overall, and Max Davis rounded out BYU’s top five finishing 61st in a time of 23:29.
No. 4 BYU scored 199 points to take fifth overall just six points behind fourth-place Alabama.
The Cougars travel to Madison, Wisc., to race in the Nuttycombe Invitational on the Thomas Zimmer Championship course on October 17.
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