Rivalry wins, ranked matchups, dramatic finishes and breakout players made September a busy month in college sports. Lacey looks back at football, soccer, volleyball, field hockey and ice hockey, with a preview of the October matchups she’ll be watching as conference races take shape.

Photo credit: Patrick Clark / SIUE Athletics

Homecoming Weekend brought plenty of excitement to SIUE athletics!

SIUE volleyball split a tough two-match series with UT Martin, falling in a competitive 3-0 battle before rallying from a 2-0 deficit the next day to complete an incredible 3-2 reverse sweep.

The SIUE women’s soccer team opened OVC play with a dominant 4-2 victory over Eastern Illinois, while the men’s soccer team delivered the biggest moment of the weekend.In front of an incredible crowd of 2,766 at Ralph Korte Stadium, the Cougars defeated Southern Indiana 3-1 in their OVC opener. SIUE scored early in both halves, battled through a physical match, and took advantage of a Southern Indiana red card before Ben Perkins returned from injury to score the final goal with about five minutes remaining.

Homecoming Weekend brings a full slate of SIUE athletics, but this weekend is about more than Homecoming—it marks the beginning of Ohio Valley Conference play for volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer.

Volleyball looks to bounce back from a difficult weekend at the Governors Classic and begins OVC play with back-to-back home matches against UT Martin.

Men's soccer enters conference play after a 3-0 win over Webster, looking to carry that momentum into Saturday night's Homecoming matchup with Southern Indiana.

Women's soccer will look to turn the page after a difficult finish to nonconference play when Eastern Illinois comes to Korte Stadium Sunday afternoon.

With each program coming into conference play from a different place, all three teams now have a chance to start fresh.

A first career goal saved a draw with Bradley. Four days later, Archie McDonnell scored again as SIUE beat Webster 3-0. Lacey Weissenborn looks at the Cougars’ response and what it means heading into conference play.

SIUE volleyball returned to First Community Arena for the Cougar Classic with a young team looking for its first win of the season. By the end of Friday, the Cougars had two. Saturday brought a tougher test and a clear picture of where they still needed to grow.

One of college soccer’s most historic rivalries returned to Edwardsville—and SIUE made sure it was a night Cougar fans would remember.

SIUE defeated rival Saint Louis University 1-0 to reclaim the Bronze Boot in a match filled with history, intensity, a first-half game-winning goal, strong goalkeeping and a dramatic finish that came down to the final seconds.

But Lacey Weisenborn also caught one moment you probably won’t find in the box score: a soccer ball landing perfectly in a trash can as the clock wound down.

From the history behind the Joseph Carenza Sr. Trophy to the final review that sealed SIUE’s victory, Lacey takes us through the Bronze Boot from a fan’s perspective—and explains why this rivalry still feels like much more than another game on the schedule.

For the first time ever, one of America’s most iconic baseball stadiums became the home of college volleyball. More than 43,000 fans packed Wrigley Field for a historic doubleheader featuring Kentucky, Penn State, Nebraska, and Missouri.

Kentucky and Penn State made history by playing the first volleyball match ever at Wrigley Field, with the Wildcats earning a 3-1 victory. Then came the highly anticipated matchup between No. 1 Nebraska and Missouri.

What followed was a night nobody expected.

High humidity made the court dangerously slick, players and staff worked together to dry the surface, and even the teams found ways to have some fun during the delays. But ultimately, player safety had to come first.

It was a night filled with history, incredible fan support, dancing, frustration, and heartbreak—and a reminder that sometimes sports don't go according to plan.

September brings a major shift in the college sports season as conference play begins, rivalries return and several nationally ranked programs face important early tests. In this Blind Sports Reporter roundup, Lacey Weisenborn looks at the latest storylines across college soccer, volleyball, football and field hockey—from SIUE and Saint Louis preparing for the Bronze Boot to major matchups involving Penn State, UCLA, Nebraska, Iowa, Florida State and more.

College sports are back, and fall is already heating up.

Women’s and men’s soccer are underway, volleyball has opened with major national matchups, field hockey is returning, and college football is right around the corner.

From local teams like SIUE, Saint Louis, Illinois and Illinois State to national programs including Penn State, UCLA, Florida State, BYU and Texas A&M, there’s plenty to follow as the new season begins.

Catch the full college sports roundup and see which teams are already making early statements.