Sports
WashU’s fall teams: Where they stand and where they’re going

Junior Taryn Gurbach notches a dig against UW-Whitewater earlier this month. (Photo by Curran Neenan / Student Life)
This year’s fall sports have already produced some of Washington University’s best teams and performances in a long time, and we have not even reached the end of the regular season. We here at Student Life thought it would be helpful to catch you up on where every team is, what their near future looks like and a key stat that has defined their season.
Women’s soccer
The women’s soccer team, as in years past, is dominating the regular season; the no. 3 team in the nation is 12-0-1, outshooting opponents in all of their matches while allowing only five goals on the season. Defense continues to be a strength, as they’ve swept their entire UAA slate up to this point while allowing only a single goal to Brandeis in their 2-1 victory. However, their toughest competition still lies ahead: they close out the season with three matches against UAA opponents, all of whom are ranked in the top 25 nationally, ending on a Nov. 6 matchup against rival No. 13 Chicago.
Key stat: The Bears are producing their most efficient offense of the past decade: before Wednesday night’s 1-0 win over Illinois Wesleyan, the team had taken over four fewer shots per game (17.3) than their average over the past decade (21.8), but their average goals per game (2.58) is the third-highest over that span, leading to their highest shot percentage in a decade at 14.9%.
Men’s soccer
The men’s soccer team is having its best season in recent memory, as they have remained in the top 10 after breaking into the rankings following a huge win against the University of Rochester earlier this month. They’ve followed that up with a 1-1-1 record against stiff UAA competition, and they currently sit at No. 8 in the nation. Riding the offensive performances of junior Sergio Rivas and sophomore Owen Culver, as well as stellar goalkeeping from senior Matt Martin, the team hopes — and increasingly, expects — to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Key stat: The Bears have drastically bolstered their defensive front this season, and it’s the biggest reason for their success this season. Their average goals allowed is by far the lowest it has been in the past decade.
Cross country
The No. 10 and No. 3 men’s and women’s cross country teams are gearing up for their biggest competition after putting up consistently strong performances to open their season. Both teams have finished in the top five, and the women in the top three, of every meet they’ve competed in this season, but those results are far from on their minds as they turn their sights to the UAA Championships in Rochester on Oct. 30. The women look to defend their title for the seventh season in a row, while the men’s team will try to reclaim the throne after losing for the first time in five years in 2019. Both teams have performed excellently thus far, but as is always the case with cross-country, the regular season matters little — it’s all about what happens on race day.
Key stat to watch: The women’s top finishers. During three out of four of their meets this season, the women’s team have had at least three runners finish within 14 seconds of one another. Earlier in the season, head coach Jeff Stiles emphasized the team’s strength when running as a group; if they want to succeed down the stretch, the Bears will look to maintain that strength and pace each other in their most important races.
Football
If you wanted to bet the line on a WashU team, this is the easy choice. After a heartbreaking loss to Chicago to open head coach Aaron Keen’s tenure, the Bears responded with two commanding wins in which they looked dominant on both sides of the ball. That was quickly dismantled in a blowout loss to No. 6 Wheaton College, where they were incapable of stopping the rush and mustered very little offense. Quite simply, they’ve beaten less-talented teams and lost to more-talented ones. With competitive matchups with Millikin and Carroll the next two weekends before a face-off with No. 1 North Central (a matchup they have not won since they began playing each other in 2017), junior quarterback Matt Rush and the Bears hope to take care of business and then push for an upset.
Key stat: Turnovers. In their four wins, the Bears have turned the ball over only once. In their two losses? Four turnovers. Everyone knows that ball security is critical for any winning team, so WashU’s ability to hold onto the ball will be a good determinant of their success in the latter half of the season.
Women’s volleyball
Despite their winning record, there are some key matches the volleyball team would like to have back. The first UAA Round Robin handed the team two heartbreaking losses against Chicago and NYU, putting them in a hole early. But they’ve since gone 3-1 in UAA competition after sweeping last weekend’s matches. Their sights are now mainly set — aside from a few matches in between — on the UAA championships starting Nov. 5, where they have the chance to avenge those early losses and claim a conference championship for the first time since 2017.
Key stat: The first set. The Bears are undefeated in UAA competition when they win the first set, and they’ve lost every match in which they failed to take that first set. Fast starts bode well for the Bears, so look for them to try and come out hot against their competition.