VCU received the preseason nod in the CAA. But several coaches suggested they had a hard time determining the pecking order on their ballots. Almost every team has some question marks, from youth to transfers to taking the next step. Several coaches said the league is so balanced they don’t see clear-cut favorites. “I see nightmares,“ Delaware coach Monte Ross said. “For a team like us, we think we’ve gotten better. But we may not see any rewards for our work because the league is so tough and so difficult.“

Virginia Commonwealth University won’t surprise anyone during the upcoming Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball season. The Rams, coming off a school-record 26-win season, were picked to finish second in the CAA in 2008-09 in a poll of coaches, sports information directors and selected media members. Results were announced at yesterday’s preseason media day in Washington. The top spot was awarded, predictably, to Old Dominion’s Lady Monarchs, who are chasing their 18th consecutive CAA championship.

CINCINNATI—Jake Russell scored for the second consecutive match and Richmond tied Xavier 1-1 yesterday in Atlantic 10 conference play. In the 12th minute Russell took Ty Williams’ cross and slammed it in the right corner to give the Spiders the lead. Ricardo Sutherland converted a penalty kick with 14 seconds left to tie the match for the Musketeers.

Kendra Smith, Randolph-Macon’s senior middle hitter from Clover Hill High School, was the Old Dominion Athletic Conference volleyball player of the week after leading the Yellow Jackets to four victories in as many tries. Three of those triumphs came at the expense of league opponents. Smith rang up 39 kills in the four matches. Thirty-three of those occurred in ODAC contests. She logged 16 kills in the Yellow Jackets’ 3-1 win over Emory and Henry and 11 in a five-set triumph over Roanoke. She committed only seven hitting errors in 66 attempts. Other contributions included 10 blocks.

VCU’s Quanitra Hollingsworth, a 6-5 senior post player, has recovered swiftly from an Achilles tendon injury and is expected to play in the Rams’ Nov. 14 Preseason NIT opener at Liberty. VCU coach Beth Cunningham said Hollingsworth, who has career averages of 14 points and 10 rebounds, “has come along much faster than anyone expected. Technically, she has already been cleared to play. If she keeps progressing the way she has been, I’d say yes, we’ll have her for the Liberty game.“

During his weekly luncheon appearance yesterday, William and Mary coach Jimmye Laycock casually dropped a bombshell when he said quarterback Jake Phillips was on crutches and is “very questionable” for Saturday’s Colonial Athletic Association opener against No.14 Villanova (1-0, 3-1) on Family Weekend in Williamsburg. Phillips, who has had an up-and-down start to the season, apparently aggravated a foot injury in the Tribe’s 42-12 victory over Norfolk State on Sept. 20 and hasn’t practiced since. His replacement would be R.J. Archer, who spent his first two seasons as a wide receiver but was a quarterback in high school.

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University of Richmond tailback Justin Forte broke a bone in his lower leg during the fourth quarter of the Spiders’ 44-17 win over Maine on Saturday and will be out six to eight weeks, UR coach Mike London said yesterday. Forte, a 5-9, 185-pound junior, was sharing time at tailback with senior Josh Vaughan. Forte had carried 24 times for 120 yards for the 3-1 Spiders, who play at Villanova (2-1) on Saturday at 3:30 in a Colonial Athletic Association game that will be televised by CN8.

BLACKSBURG—Hassan Ibrahim chipped a shot past Stefan Caulfield with 2:42 to go in overtime to give Clemson a 3-2 win over Virginia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference match yesterday. Brandon Dunn, normally one of the Hokies’ goalkeepers, came off the bench to score with 6:04 left in regulation to force the extra period. Clemson————————————- 1 1 0—2
Va. Tech————————————- 1 1 1—3

Virginia Commonwealth University’s men’s soccer team scored a goal in the 34th minute and then relied on a stingy defense to defeat the University of Richmond 1-0 tonight. It was the first time the crosstown rivals had played since 2006, and the first time the VCU Rams’ men’s soccer team had beaten the UR Spiders since 2004. The lone goal came off a free kick from near the right sideline. VCU’s Gerson Dos Santos sent a long ball into the box, where freshman Michael Denkewitz headed it over UR goalkeeper Brock Tomlinson and into the goal.

College performances

Virginia Commonwealth University basketball coach Anthony Grant made a splash in the recruiting pool, getting a commitment from one of the country’s top-rated point guards. Ben Eblen is rated the 17th-best point guard by Scout.com. The 6-0, 185-pound left-hander from Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla., was one of the Rams’ top targets. VCU will lose one player after this season: senior point guard Eric Maynor, last year’s Colonial Athletic Association player of the year.

Virginia Commonwealth University has received a commitment from one of the country’s top-rated basketball prospects at point guard. Ben Eblen is rated the 17th-best point guard by Scout.com, a recruiting service. The 6-foot, 185-pound left-hander from Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla., averaged about 15 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals last season.

College soccer