Area colleges: MTSU forward earns weekly Sun Belt soccer award

Middle Tennessee State’s Shan Jones was named the Sun Belt Conference women’s soccer player of the week, the conference office announced Tuesday.

The sophomore forward out of Wales had four goals and two assists as the Lady Raiders opened the season with two victories. She tied a school record with four goals (she also had one assist) in an 11-1 victory over Alabama A&M and one assist in a 4-0 victory over Tennessee Tech.

She currently leads the conference in scoring with 10 points.

Jones is the first MTSU player since Oct. 30, 2007 to win the award.

BASEBALL

Aaron Smith was named a volunteer assistant coach at Belmont.

Smith spent the last three seasons at Trevecca Nazarene University, the last two of them as assistant head coach. There, he worked primarily with the catchers and hitters.

“He brings with him a tremendous amount of experience, a strong work-ethic, and a high-energy work ethic that will contribute a lot to our practice situations,” Belmont coach Dave Jarvis said.

SOCCER

Trevecca Nazarene’s women’s team was picked to finish fifth in the TranSouth by the conference’s coaches. Trevecca’s men’s team was picked sixth in the TranSouth preseason coaches poll.

RESULTS
TUESDAY
Men’s soccer
Alabama-Birmingham 3, Belmont 1 (exhibition)
Will Moorad deflected Alex Davis’ free kick for the only goal by Belmont, which was outshot 20-3 and had a 4-1 deficit in corner kicks.

Trevecca Nazarene 3, Brentwood Soccer Club 92 Elite 2 (exhibition)
Phillip Walker scored all three goals (two in the first half, one in the second) in its first contest under new head coach Danny Leavy.

SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
Women’s soccer
Lipscomb at UT-Martin, 4 p.m.
Middle Tennessee State at Wright State, 6 p.m.
Vanderbilt vs. Mercer, 7 p.m.
Belmont at Alabama-Birmingham, 7 p.m.
Men’s soccer
Trevecca Nazarene vs. Campbellsville, 7 .m. (exhibition)
Volleyball
Belmont vs. Wichita State, 11 a.m. (at Louisville Invitational)
Belmont vs. Pittsburgh, 4 p.m. (at Louisville Invitational)
Tennessee State vs. Southern Mississippi, 4:30 p.m. (at Samford Tournament)
Middle Tennessee State vs. Kansas, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY
Volleyball
Lipscomb vs. Western Kentucky, 9 a.m. (University of Tennessee Tournament)
Belmont vs. Arizona, 11 a.m. (at Louisville Invitational)
Tennessee State vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 1 p.m. (at Samford Tournament)
Middle Tennessee State vs. Murray State, 1 p.m.
Lipscomb vs. Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m. (University of Tennessee Tournament)
Belmont vs. Louisville, 6 p.m. (at Louisville Invitational)
Tennessee State vs. Samford, 7 p.m. (at Samford Tournament)
Trevecca Nazarene Alumni Game, 7 p.m.
Middle Tennessee State vs. Xavier, 7:30 p.m.
Women’s soccer
Trevecca Nazarene at Covenent, 2:30 p.m.