A Look Back: Fall 2019 Centenary Athletics Recap
Part One of a Three-Part Series .... Today we revisit the success of Centenary athletics in the Fall of 2019.
The 2019 fall sports season was a busy and successful one for Centenary athletics. Today we take a look back at those highlights in part one of a three-part series.
The women's soccer team had one of the finest seasons in program history and its best in the division III era. The Ladies finished the 2019 season 16-3 overall and 7-3 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play and were ranked for six consecutive weeks in the United Soccer Coaches West Regional Poll during the season as the Maroon and White set division III era (2011-present) team records for wins (16), goals (47), assists (39), points (132), and shots (327).
The Ladies qualified for the SCAC Championship for the fourth season in a row, falling to Southwestern 1-0 in overtime in the semifinals in Georgetown, Texas. Centenary finished 10th in the West Region in the final edition of the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 NCAA Division III Poll.
The Ladies volleyball team finished third in the nation in division III (first after the regular season) in team digs with 2,642.
The men's soccer team finished an even 8-8 and posted five shutouts during the season and went 7-3 at home. Centenary won the second-most games in a single season in the division III era and finished eighth in the SCAC standings, just missing a conference tournament berth.
MARISSA SANDOVAL, Volleyball
Sandoval, a senior from San Antonio, had a superb senior season for the Ladies as she collected 754 total digs, the third-highest total in the nation in division III. That number was the most by any division III player in the regular season and a Centenary division III era single-season record.
She was also named the Libero of the Year on the 2019 All-Louisiana Volleyball Team, by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Sandoval's 1,993 career digs are the most in program history in the division III era and she also set the record for digs in a single match (47) set this season in a 3-2 win over Schreiner on Oct. 19.
MIGUI BOLDRIN, Women's Soccer
Boldrin, a native of Ribeiaro, Brazil, had a stellar season for the Ladies in 2019, her lone season in Maroon and White.
She was named the 2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Women's All-America Team as a second team selection, named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, named to the United States Coaches All-West Region Team.
Boldrin earned the distinction of being the first player in program history (division 1 or division III) to be named an All-American as she had one of the finest seasons in Ladies soccer program history as she led the conference in goals (16), shots (97), points (39) and game-winning goals (5).
She also had four multiple-goal games – the most in the SCAC and collected the most shots by a SCAC women's player in a single season since 2014. A two-time SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Week during the regular season, Boldrin was second in the SCAC in points per game (2.29) and tied for third in assists (7). In eight conference matches, she scored a goal or recorded an assist in five of them. Boldrin was also a First Team All-SCAC selection and was named to the 2019 SCAC Women's Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team. Boldrin was also named to the first team of the 2019 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Women's Soccer Collegiate Team.
WIL ESCOBAR, Men's Soccer
Escobar, a sophomore midfielder from Cypress, Texas, was a First-Team All-SAC selection this past season, marking the first time that a Centenary men's soccer player has been named first-team all-conference since 2007.
Escobar led the team in goals (10) and points (20) and ranked second or tied for second in the conference in goals, goals per game, and game-winning goals.
Escobar recorded a hat trick against Louisiana College on Oct. 21 and scored at least two goals in a match three times during the season.
