High Point, N.C. — High Point University Athletics sees a busy week as women's soccer faces off against two opponents, men's soccer starts its season with a pair of games, and volleyball travels to Virginia to participate in the James Madison Invitational.

Women's Soccer

at UNC Greensboro | Wednesday, Aug. 23 | 7:00 pm | UNCG Soccer Stadium
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at Appalachian State | Sunday, Aug. 27 | 1:00 pm | Appalachian Soccer Stadium
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HPU had an amazing comeback during its season opener against Campbell University. The Panthers were down two goals five minutes after the start of the second half. Less than 10 minutes later, HPU scored its first goal thanks to a Camel own goal, and then freshman Meg Roden made her first collegiate goal, tying the game 2-2. Neither team was able to gain the upperhand during the remainder of the match, leading to a draw. 

UNC Greensboro kicked off its season with a 2-0 shutout against Army last week. Spartans' freshman, Mairead Gayer, scored the team's first goal late in the first half. UNCG came out swinging in the second half with a quick goal in the 47th minute. Army took 12 shots against the Spartans in the second half, but was unable to outsmart the defense.

The last time HPU went head-to-head against UNCG, the Panthers lost 2-1. High Point's all-time record against the Spartans is 3-8-2 since their first matchup in 2005. 

Appalachian State narrowly lost its most recent game against Wake Forest University, 1-0. The Demon Deacons made their only goal of the night at the 25th minute in the first half. Although unable to find an edge on offense, the Mountaineers buckled down on defense with six saves out of the seven Wake Forest shots on goal.

HPU shutout Appalachian State 4-0 last time the two faced each other in 2018. The Panthers have tallied up five wins against the Mountaineers and have lost twice since their first match in 1999.

Men's Soccer

at Davidson College | Thursday, Aug. 24 | 7:00 pm | Alumni Soccer Stadium
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vs Saint Peter's | Sunday, Aug. 27 | 7:00 pm | Vert Stadium
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HPU ended the 2022 season against No. 5 Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 6-2. Despite the tough loss, the Panthers made history with their first program win in the NCAA Tournament by shutting out the UNC Tar Heels in the first round, 2-0. High Point has dominated pre-season exhibition matches. High Point tied its first exhibition match against Wofford College, 2-1, and beat the Tar Heels in their second match, 2-1. HPU hosted Southern Wesleyan for the last exhibition match of the 2023 season. The Panthers dominated the Warriors with a 6-0 victory to celebrate HPU students returning to campus. 

Davidson College had a tough start last year, losing the first four games of the season. The disappointing start didn't stop the Wildcats however, as they went on to conclude their season with two shutouts against UMass and Rhode Island, leaving them with a 6-8-3 record. 

The Panthers last played Davidson almost a year ago to the day on August 25, 2022. The match ended with a High Point win, giving HPU a 4-3-2 series record since their first matchup in 1999. 

Saint Peter's went undefeated at home last year after beating Iona, 2-1. The first half ended 0-0 with neither team able to generate a lead. Iona scored first in the second half, but the Peacocks quickly struck back with two goals to end the game, claiming their 2-1 victory and undefeated-at-home status. 

HPU has not played Saint Peter's before. Sunday will be the first time both teams meet on the field. 

Volleyball at James Madison Invitational

vs James Madison | Friday, Aug. 25 | 5:30 pm | Convocation Center
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vs UMBC | Saturday, Aug. 26 | 12:30 pm | Convocation Center
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vs Ohio University | Sunday, Aug. 27 | 11:30 am | Convocation Center
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High Point volleyball last saw action during the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking its second NCAA appearance in the past three seasons. The Panthers lost 3-0 against No. 6 University of Southern California. The Panthers have since added 10 new players: four incoming freshmen and six transfers. Six returning student-athletes will be rounding off the roster.

Similarly to High Point, James Madison University last stepped on the court during the first round of the NCAA Tournament. JMU was swept by No. 18 BYU. The Dukes were able to start out with a 6-1 run in the first set, but BYU quickly caught up and dominated the rest of the match. Despite the early loss, this NCAA appearance was JMU's first since 2017. HPU has played the Dukes five times since 2007, but has yet to win a match.

UMBC ended its 2022 season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the Retrievers were swept by No. 11 Penn State. UMBC finished its season with a 17-9 record and saw its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. This Saturday will be the first time the Panthers go head-to-head against the Retrievers, according to the HPU Athletics website.

Ohio University ended its 2022 season in the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship against Xavier. The Bobcats started the match strong with a 25-15 win in the first set, however they were unable to keep that momentum and ultimately lost the match 3-1. HPU has only battled the Bobcats once in 2017, with the Panthers narrowly obtaining a 3-2 win.

At last year's James Madison Invitational, the Dukes beat each visiting team and started off the season with a clean 3-0 record. JMU opened the tournament with a win over the University of Albany. The next day, the Dukes swept Robert Morris, 3-0, before cinching a tight 3-2 win over Kent State. HPU did not attend last year's invitational, however the Panthers did attend the tournament in 2021.