Old Dominion and South Alabama Set for Sun Belt Championship Match

Old Dominion and South Alabama secured spots in the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Championship title match after winning dramatic semifinal contests on Wednesday evening.

The matchup, set for Saturday, November 14, pits the second-seeded Monarchs against the fifth-seeded Jaguars at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex. Old Dominion is making its third appearance in the conference championship over the last five seasons, marking its first trip to the final since 2023. South Alabama will play in the finale for the 10th time in program history, a milestone that follows a string of three-straight championships in 2021.

The Monarchs defend their shutout

Old Dominion relied on a disciplined defensive performance to overcome a scoreless first half against third-seeded App State. The game remained a stalemate for the first 45 minutes, during which the Monarchs recorded four shots and one shot on goal, while the Mountaineers failed to register a single shot attempt.

The deadlock broke early in the second half, specifically in the 50th minute, following the Monarchs’ first corner kick of the night. Koto Davis, a second-year midfielder, delivered a cross into the box that was headed into the net by second-year forward Ashley Economopoulos near the back post.

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App State nearly answered seven minutes later when a loose ball was played back into the box from 30 yards out. A redirected pass from second-year defender Maddie Williams created a close-range scoring chance, but goalkeeper fourth-year Ellie Goodrich responded with a diving, one-handed save to keep the ball from crossing the goal line.

The Monarchs’ defense held firm through the closing minutes to secure their 11th shutout of the season. The final statistical breakdown showed Old Dominion held an 11-2 advantage in shots.

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South Alabama wins in overtime

The semifinal between fifth-seeded South Alabama and top-seeded James Madison required extra time to decide a winner. James Madison took an early lead in the 12th minute when fourth-year striker Ginny Lackey redirected a cross from fourth-year forward Samantha DeGuzman into the corner of the net to make it 1-0.

South Alabama answered in the 26th minute to equalize. After third-year forward Zamiyah Hill drew the defense toward the top of the box, freshman midfielder Julie Dirom struck a one-timed shot into the upper left corner, bringing the score to 1-1.

The match remained tied through regulation despite intense pressure in the final 20 minutes. In the 86th minute, fourth-year forward Aliya Gomes raced toward the James Madison goal, but her initial shot was saved by fourth-year goalkeeper Sofia DeCerb, and a subsequent rebound from fourth-year forward Ava Matherne was blocked by fifth-year center back Soleil Flores.

The Jaguars finally broke the tie in the 97th minute of overtime. Following a corner kick launched by Matherne, Dirom charged into the center of the defense to head the ball past DeCerb for the golden goal.