RSCC – BOAZ, Ala. — Roane State men’s golf turned in three consistent rounds at the Chuck Kalanick Memorial Tournament hosted by Snead State, finishing with scores of 306, 295, and 313 over the three-day event.

The Raiders, who currently sit seventh in the NJCAA Division II national standings, leaned on the play of freshmen Reggie Phelps and Max McClure to navigate a demanding course layout.

Head coach Chris Griffin said the event provided a different kind of challenge compared to previous tournaments.

“The course was a totally different style,” Griffin explained. “We call it the bomb-and-gouge group that hits the ball long off the tee and goes to find their ball. That doesn’t work here. Drivers were taken out of the players’ hands on two-thirds of the holes. It was a ball-striker’s course, and that’s what showed with Reggie and Max.”

Phelps, a freshman from Bristol, England, impressed in his debut on Bermuda grass greens. He stayed in contention throughout, sitting in second place after 45 holes before finishing just outside the top spots.

“He had never seen this style of course, but he did awesome,” Griffin said. “Reggie played alongside the tournament medalist and got to experience what it’s like to be in that position, close to the lead, and learn how to finish. That’s invaluable.”

McClure, a freshman from Franklin, North Carolina, matched Phelps with his ability to adjust. Griffin praised both for tailoring their games to the conditions.

“Max did just like Reggie, making the adjustments and absorbing the competition,” Griffin said. “They both gained experience and showed they can compete at a high level.”

The rest of the lineup — Tripp Hall (So.), Jackson Hawkins (So.), Andersen House (Fr.), and Collin Keino (Fr.) — faced tougher stretches as the course punished players unwilling to adapt.

“That’s kind of college golf in a nutshell,” Griffin said. “Every week is different, and you have to adjust your plan accordingly. The guys learned a great lesson this week.”

Roane State now prepares for its next test at the Walters State Invitational held October 5-7 at Morristown Country Club. Griffin said the team is motivated to chase a breakthrough performance.

“Morristown is a long course, and with all the rain it will play even longer,” he said. “We’ve taken some really good teams there and never come away with a win. This group is challenged to change that. We’re recovering, resetting, and practicing to give ourselves another shot to compete at a high level.”

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RSCC – Roane State women’s volleyball earned a much-needed victory Wednesday night, September 24, defeating Bryan College in straight sets behind a sharp offensive effort and steady contributions from multiple players.

Head coach Jaymee Hannan said she was pleased with her team’s poise while navigating the second half of a back-to-back stretch.

“This was a fun win,” Hannan said. “I think we played really clean. We were focused, for the most part, and offensively we did a good job finding the court tonight.”

The Lady Raiders came out fast in the opening set, attacking early behind swings from sophomores Madyson Bethea and Kaitlyn Foster. Setter McKenna Cameron — whom Hannan called the “heart and soul” of the team — sparked the offense by keeping Roane State in rhythm and setting up hitters in favorable positions.

“She really is what gets us to run our offense,” Hannan said. “If we don’t have her on the floor, we can’t do much. She goes for everything, and it makes it really easy for the other girls to go too.”

After taking the first set, Roane State adjusted into a 6-2 system to close out the match. Freshman setter Eddy Brown helped guide the offense in the third set, giving the Lady Raiders additional versatility in their rotation.

The win came less than 24 hours after a grueling match the night before, and Hannan admitted her team showed signs of fatigue before rallying to finish strong.

“I can definitely tell they’re sore,” she said. “Yesterday was a hard game, and they played hard. You could see some of them moving a little slow coming in, but they got themselves warmed up and ready to go.”

The Lady Raiders continue to work through injuries that have forced lineup adjustments. One starter remains out for the season following ACL surgery, while another is still sidelined with a concussion. Despite the setbacks, Hannan welcomed several players back into the fold Tuesday.

“They’re getting back on the court and into it,” Hannan said. “It took a little minute to kind of get reset, but we got them on the court tonight and let them take a couple swings.”

With conference play now going strong, Hannan said she believes the team is beginning to click both technically and mentally.

“Every game that we’ve played, we’ve been a little different,” she said. “Sometimes it’s because of lineup changes, sometimes because of what we’re facing across the net. But I think when our conference opponents see us again, they’re going to see a very different version of us.”

Roane State will return to action next week for its home match on Tuesday, September 30. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET against TCCAA conference rival Pellissippi State.

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RSCC – Freshman forward Zoey Rose recorded her first collegiate hat trick as Roane State women’s soccer rolled to a 6–0 victory over Dyersburg State last week.

The Lady Raiders struck early and never looked back, netting three goals in the first half and adding three more after halftime to secure their third conference win of the season. The victory improved Roane State to 4-5-1 overall and 3-3 in Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) play.

“We came out a lot sharper than last week,” head coach Donnie Green said. “I challenged the team to score early, and they responded. I was really proud of how they set the tone.”

The Lady Raiders peppered Dyersburg’s back line with 29 total shots, 13 of them on frame. Rose led the charge, scoring in the 16th, 58th, and 60th minutes with assists from Breanna Sanderson, Makhira Ralston and Hannah Kate Turner.

Freshman Addison Haney also celebrated a milestone, netting her first career goal in the 41st minute off a feed from Elizabeth Troyna. Maddie Bailey opened the scoring in the third minute when she converted a punt from goalkeeper Addison Roberts, who later finished with six saves to preserve the shutout. Troyna added a goal of her own in the 33rd minute, assisted by Haney.

“The attack looked great tonight,” Green said. “We’ve got so many players who want to just pass and possess, but I keep telling them to take those shots. You saw that confidence tonight.”

Green said the performance was also fueled by homefield advantage after a sluggish outing on the road against the same opponent.

“We played much better at home,” he said. “Everybody got minutes, and that was fun to see. We were able to rotate in the bench, and the energy stayed high.”

The Lady Raiders now face a daunting stretch with three straight matches against Pellissippi State, Columbia State and Motlow State — the top three teams in the conference.

“To beat those teams, we’ve got to be flawless,” Green said. “We’ve lost to two of them already, and we know what it takes. If we can combine, pass, and finish our chances, we’ve got a good shot.”

Green also noted the difference from a year ago, when the Lady Raiders were winless in league play at this point.

“This year feels completely different,” he said. “We’ve got a strong recruiting class, more depth, and players ready to step in when injuries happen. I feel a lot more confident about where we’re headed.”

With Rose emerging as a scoring threat and the freshmen making immediate contributions, Green said the key will be carrying momentum into the most challenging part of the schedule.

“We’re getting better each game,” he said. “This was a game we should have won, and we took care of business. Now we’ve got to take that same energy into the next three.”

Final: Roane State 6, Dyersburg State 0
Scoring Summary:
Maddie Bailey (3′, assist Addison Roberts)
Zoey Rose (16′, assist Breanna Sanderson)
Elizabeth Troyna (33′, assist Addison Haney)
Addison Haney (41′, assist Elizabeth Troyna)
Zoey Rose (58′, assist Makhira Ralston)
Zoey Rose (60′, assist Hannah Kate Turner)

Shots: RSCC 29 (13 on frame); Dyersburg State 9 (6 on frame)
Saves — RSCC: Addison Roberts 6

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RSCC – VONORE, Tenn. — Roane State women’s golf head coach Rich Maharry said his team continues to show promising growth after competing at the Links of Kahiti, the closest course to home on their schedule this season.

The Lady Raiders shot a 378 as a group, a score Maharry believes could have been significantly better if not for missed opportunities on the greens and from the bunkers.

“Everyone improved by more than 10 strokes compared to earlier in the season,” Maharry said. “That’s definitely impressive, and they still know there’s work to do. Putting cost us some strokes, chipping cost us some strokes, but overall the progress is clear.”

Freshman Raegan Corvette highlighted the effort with an 80 in her second round despite two out-of-bounds shots and three three-putts. Maharry said without those miscues, Corvette would have been in the low 70s.

“She hit the ball really well and was right there on the edge,” Maharry added. “It was a great performance.”

Baye Dobbs improved by more than a dozen strokes from earlier tournaments in Mississippi, shooting rounds of 112 and 116 in her first collegiate events.

“Sydney (Romer) got a little frustrated because she found herself in a lot of bunkers,” Maharry said. “We had her working on that yesterday, and we’re seeing a lot of progress from her now.”

Maharry explained that putting woes also hampered Reagan Bailey, estimating she could have saved as many as seven or eight strokes with steadier work on the greens.

Still, the coach believes the team is trending toward the 350-355 range that earned them a berth at nationals last year.

“If we keep working, we can get back to that level,” he said. “The biggest thing for all of them right now is ball striking. I’ve told them to hit 100 balls a day, 700 to 1,000 a week. This isn’t just three days of practice anymore — it has to be every day if they want to get better.”

Maharry emphasized course management as another area of focus. In the practice round at Kahiti, he instructed players to put away their drivers on a tight hole that punished errant tee shots.

“I told them to hit a five- or seven-iron instead, just to stay in play,” he said. “That decision alone saved us two strokes. Putting will always make or break your score, but smart decisions like that can make a difference, too.”

The Lady Raiders now turn their attention to their next event in Alabama, hosted by Northwest Alabama on a hillier layout.

“It’ll be a tougher course, but the girls are listening, working, and improving,” Maharry said. “If we can clean up a few things, we’ll be right where we need to be.”

Team Score: Roane State 378
Top Individual: Raegan Corvette — 80 (second round)