The seasons of UNF’s spring sports teams were brought to a halt in mid-march when the ASUN conference announced all play would be cancelled for the rest of the season. Teams ranging from Beach Volleyball to Baseball were left with only memories of the few games they played.

Here’s what every team was looking at before the sudden cancellation.

Softball

The Osprey Softball team was off to a stellar start to their 2020 campaign. The team boasted a 12-6-0 record and had only lost two games at home this season. Their 8-6 win  over Hofstra started a six game win streak that included a 3-2 win over nationally-ranked Virginia Tech at 19/20.  

The last game of the season was a 6-3 win over Fairfield where Morgan Clausen picked up her sixth win of the season and recorded eight strikeouts. The team was supposed to travel to Longwood, Florida for three days but the trip and season were cancelled on March 13th.

Baseball

The Osprey Baseball team saw their season come to an end after a big win against a tough Ohio State team. It was the Ospreys’ first win against a Power Five team since their win against Florida last season. Overall the team was looking at an uphill battle after starting the season 4-12 with 15 of their 16 games being at home.

Another three-game home series was up next for the Ospreys as Illinois State was scheduled to play a weekend series at Harmon Stadium. 

Women’s Tennis

A 10-1 start for new head coach Catherine Dunagan seemed like a dream start for a team coming off an ASUN conference title just a year ago. Senior Lucia Montano earned her second ASUN player of the week honor this season after leading her team to victory against Navy and Penn State.

The team claimed a 16-match home winning streak and looked forward to defending the nest as they were about to host ETSU. The season looked bright as Montano and the Ospreys looked to claim yet another ASUN conference title.

Men’s Tennis

An impressive 8-2 start to the season presented confidence in the eyes of the Ospreys racquet-holders. Freshman PJ Kotan looked sharp in his first season going 4-0 in singles and winning the Georgia Southern Doubles Gold Draw Championships with his partner, Joe Ellis.

An 0-7 loss against nationally ranked Duke handed the Ospreys their second loss of the season, but their season ended on a high note with a 5-2 against a challenging Chattanooga team. The team’s next match would have been against South Alabama at a neutral site in Tampa.

Swimming

The UNF Swim team saw its season come to an end abruptly like many others, but not without seeing improvements made to its program. The team had its best finish since 2012 at the CCSA championship this season and recorded two wins against Georgia Southern, who they hadn’t beat since 2013.

The season ended as senior Jacqueline Barklund and sophomore Julianna Graf swam at the National Invitational Championship at Cleveland state. The swimmers earned a spot in the championship after great individual performances at the CCSA championship. Most NIC events were cancelled, but Barklund and Graf were able to compete the day before cancellation.

Beach Volleyball

A brand new state-of-the-art volleyball complex located on UNF’s campus “The Coop” promised a season full of true home games. The Beach Volleyball team knew what they were in for as six of their first eight matches were against Top 25 nationally ranked foes. 

After losing to two tough ranked opponents at the Georgia State Tournament, the Ospreys had another tough test ahead at the Wheeler Beach Invitational but their matches against ranked teams Arizona State, South Carolina, FIU and unranked Mercer were cancelled. The team will have to wait until next season to hit the sand once again.

Women’s Golf

Top-five finishes and first place at the UNF collegiate were just the norm as the UNF women’s golf team started their season strong. Senior Teresa Conroy placed third in individual competition as three of her other Osprey teammates also finished in the top-20.

The season was cancelled shortly before the team was scheduled to head to the El Tigre Collegiate in Puerto Villarte, Mexico. The Ospreys ended the season as the No. 86 ranked team in the country and looked to improve on an impressive start.

Men’s Golf

Coming off a 2019 campaign where UNF placed No. 22 at the NCAA division I golf championships, the Ospreys started off their season with expectations of reaching new heights in 2020. A sixth place performance at the General Hackler Championship in Myrtle Beach saw the Ospreys improving as a team. Sophomore Cody Carroll led the squad with a sixth-place performance and Michael Mattiace finished tied for tenth.

Although the two performed very well, only three out of six Osprey golfers were able to shoot a sub-par round on the final day and the team ended with a three-over-par 867 to finish sixth. The Ospreys would have traveled to Chapel Hill for the Tar Heel Intercollegiate, but their season was cancelled.

Women’s Track and Field

As the indoor Track and Field season had wrapped up at the ASUN indoor championship, the team was preparing to shift to outdoor competition at the Florida State and Raleigh Relays in late March. The team placed fifth at the indoor championships and was led by junior Syd Steele and senior Skye Zeller.

As competition shifts to cross country in the fall, the extended break looks to give transitioning runners extra time to prepare for the treacherous terrain. 

Men’s Track and Field

The indoor season for the men’s team wrapped up with some outstanding performances at the ASUN indoor championship. In the high jump, Jaasiel Torres won his second straight conference title with a 2.09m performance. Other notable finishes included George Escobar’s second place finish in the 400-meter event and both Jared Vazquez and Nathan Jubran claiming bronze in the mile and 5000-meter respectively.

The team was also looking forward to the Florida State and Raleigh Relays and now looks at a long offseason until cross country in the fall.

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