MOC teams cop league sportsmanship awards

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on December 13, 2013 1:50 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Two Mount Olive squads are among five recipients of Conference Carolinas team sportsmanship awards upon the completion of the fall season.

The Trojan men's soccer and women's volleyball teams earned the recognition from their peers due to exhibiting the highest degree of sportsmanship among their players, coaches and fans during regular-season play.

MOC finished 3-15-0 overall on the soccer pitch, while the volleyball team logged a 14-16 record which included an appearance in the season-ending conference tournament.

"In our pursuit of excellence and success in competition, it is important to us that our student-athletes and coaches exhibit good sportsmanship," said Jeff Eisen, director of athletics at MOC. "It is rewarding to know that other schools in the conference have recognized that our men's soccer and women's volleyball teams conduct themselves in the manner that reflects high standards of Mount Olive College and Conference Carolinas."

The sportsmanship award is process that involves a coach and student-athlete representative voting together and judging the teams' sportsmanship. Once the votes are submitted and calculated, the institution with the overall highest average receives the award.

The award is in its third year.

MOC concluded the fall season third in the Joby Hawn Cup overall standings with 31.5 points. The Trojans trail league leader Limestone (38.5 points) and Belmont Abbey (37).

In the men's and women's portion of the Cup, the Trojans are third.

Hawn Cup points are awarded in each sport based on regular-season finish. The tournament champion receives two bonus points and the runner-up earns one.

The Cup is named in honor of former Commissioner HC "Joby" Hawn for his many years of service to the former Conference Carolinas. The first Cup was awarded in 1976 when schools competed in the old NAIA-based Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.