BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Big South regular season champions and top-seeded Campbell (11-3-3, 7-0-2) takes on fourth-seeded Gardner-Webb (9-6-4, 4-3-2) in the Big South Championship semifinal Thursday at the Matthews (N.C.) SportsPlex. Kickoff is set for 4:00 PM and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Tickets are available to purchase at the gate with prices set at $7 for general admission, $5 for students with valid ID and free for children 5 and under.
BACK-TO-BACK REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS: Campbell finished the regular season unbeaten with a 7-0-2 record and earned back-to-back conference regular season titles for the first time in program history. It marked the third time in progam history the Camels finished the conference regular season slate unbeaten having previously achieved it in the A-Sun confernece in 1995 (8-0-2) and 2004 (7-0-3)
BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Fighting Camels have reached the conference tournament for the ninth-straight season. CU has won two Big South titles- in 1993 and the spring 2020-21 season. Last season Campbell defeated Radford 5-1 in the semifinals before falling to High Point 2-1 in the final.
LAST TIME OUT: Campbell secured back-to-back Big South regular season titles after defeating Longwood 8-0 last Wednesday. Jessica Donald scored scored twice in Campbell's largest offensive output in over five years and the Fighting Camels extended their unbeaten streak to 13 matches. Amber Liston scored in the second minute and added two assists for Campbell, which concluded an unbeaten home schedule at 7-0-1 and set a program record for most goals scored against a Big South opponent.
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday marks the 25th meeting between Campbell and Gardner-Webb with the Camels leading the series 14-8-2. Campbell earned a 2-2 draw against the Runnin' Bulldogs during the regular season as Jackie Richards and Elyssa Nowowieski scored goals. CU has not lost to Gardner-Webb since 2018, and have outscored the Runnin' Bulldogs 17-5 in that span since. The Camels have met Gardner-Webb three times in conference tournaments, winning 1-0 in the Atlantic Sun semis in 2004, 3-1 in the Big South quarters in 2011 and 1-0 (2OT) in the Big South semis.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Gardner-Webb owns a 9-6-4 record overall and finished Big South play with a 4-3-2 mark. Thanks in large part to a 21-0 win over Division II Allen University, the Runnin' Bulldogs rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, points per game, total goals, total points and total assists. Senior forward and Big South first team selection Maddie Turlington tops the Big South and ranks 2nd nationally with 18 goals and 41 points. Mike Varga (Ashland '90) is the head coach of GWU, owning a 68-79-23 record in nine seasons with the Runnin' Bulldogs and an overall record of 254-237-56 in 28 seasons as a head coach.
AWARD WINNERS: Jessica Donald was named Big South Offensive Player and Laney Peabody was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, Donald was named Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second-straight season, becoming the first player in conference history to win both Offensive Player/Scholar-Athlete honors in the same season.
The Fighting Camels led all Big South schools with seven first and second team selections to the all-conference teams:
- Jessica Donald - Forward - First Team
- Jackie Richards - Forward - First Team
- Reagan Baiotto - Midfielder - First Team
- Laney Peabody - Defender - First Team
- Delaney Baumbick - Defender - First Team
- Olivia Neal - Defender - Second Team
- Elyssa Nowowieski - Forward - Second Team
UNBEATEN STREAK TO 13: Campbell improved its unbeaten streak (11-0-2) to 13 games following its 8-0 win over Longwood last Wednesday. The streak started with a 3-0 win over Richmond on September 1, following three-straight losses to a pair of teams that advanced to last season's NCAA Tournament (Clemson, NC State) and a Liberty team that reached the NCAA Tournament in the spring 2020-21 season. The Camels, who haven't dropped a match since August 28, have had unbeaten streaks of five or more games in each of the past three seasons; 2021 - six games (twice), 2020-21 - eight games, 2019 - nine games. The current 13 match unbeaten streak is the second-longest in program history, only behind a 17 match unbeaten streak set in the 2004 season.
LISTON EARNS WEEKLY HONORS: Senior midfielder Amber Liston took home Big South offensive player of the week honors after scoring a goal and recording two assists in Campbell's 8-0 win over Longwood on Oct. 26. Liston scored the opening goal in the match - just 88 seconds in.
BIG SOUTH DOMINANCE: The Camels have compiled a 30-4-4 record in Big South regular season play since the 2019 season, outscoring conference foes 101-27 in that span.
HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE: Campbell is 26-4-4 in home games dating back to the 2019 season, outscoring opponents 101-27 in that span. The Camels finished the 2022 season unbeaten at home with a 7-0-1 record.
POINT PRODUCERS: Fifteen different players have recorded at least one point or more for Campbell through 17 matches this season. Jessica Donald (eight goals, six assists) leads the team with 22 points followed by Jackie Richards (6g, 9a) with 21 points and Elyssa Nowowieski (5g, 8a) with 18. Kaleigh Backlund (5g), Reagan Baiotto (4g, 2a) and Amber Liston (3g, 4a) all have 10 points each.
FIRST CAREER GOALS: Senior forward Kristen Jensen and Sophomore defender Sage Dougherty each recorded their first career goals in CU's 8-0 win over Longwood to close out the regular season.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS: Campbell ranks in the top-25 nationally in several statistical categories as of Nov. 1:
- No. 6 - Assists per game - 2.76
- No. 6 - Total assists - 47
- No. 11 - Points per game - 7.47
- No. 13 - Total points - 127
- No. 14 - Scoring offense - 2.35
- No. 19 - Corner kicks per game - 6.71
- No. 23 - Total goals - 40
HEAD COACH JEFF GROSS (UMBC '93) is in his first season at Campbell and as a head coach. Gross spent the last eight seasons, including the last two as associate head coach, on the staff at UNC Greensboro. While at UNCG, Gross helped guide the Spartans to back-to-back Southern Conference championships and NCAA College Cup appearances in 2017 and 2018. Gross takes over a program that is coming off consecutive trips to the Big South Conference championship game as well as an appearance in the 2020-21 NCAA tournament.
$30K FOR 30 CAMPAIGN: Campbell University head coach Jeff Gross has announced the $30K for the 30th anniversary season campaign to benefit the Fighting Camels program. In recognition of the 30th anniversary of Campbell's first women's soccer season in 1992, the program is setting a fund-raising goal of $30,000 for a number of enhancements.
