There will be five Lion teams in action in the coming week.

    Several teams are preparing for their respective conference championships while one team is playing to put themselves in the driving seat of the Gulf South Conference.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team will play their first game against Vanderbilt University in an exhibition game in Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Missy Tiber will coach the Lions for the first time when they play Vanderbilt.

Tiber was named head coach of the team in June after several years at Southern Illinois University.

Nichelle Fillmore will be beginning her final season as a Lion. Fillmore is a senior from Birmingham. Four juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen will join her on the floor this season.

The game against Vanderbilt, who competes in Division I, will not count towards the Lions regular season record. This will be the second year in a row that the women’s team has played a SEC school to start off the season. 

The Lions first regular season game will be against Tennessee Temple in Flowers Hall on Nov. 12.

Football

The Lions will play their biggest game of the season in their final home game against the University of West Alabama on Nov. 2.

The Tigers come into the game in first place in the Gulf South Conference standings. They are 4-0 in conference and a win against UNA would clinch the GSC championship for UWA.

A UNA victory would create a three-way tie on top of the GSC standings. UWA, UNA and Delta State University would all be 4-1 in conference. The Lions would own the tiebreaker as they defeated DSU earlier this season and would have defeated UWA to create the tie.

Former UNA quarterback Will Hall will be returning to Braly Stadium for the second time since taking over as head coach of the Tigers in 2011. The game will also be the first time UWA has been to Florence since Bobby Wallace took over as head coach.

Soccer

UNA played the University of Alabama-Huntsville at 7 p.m. in Huntsville on Wednesday Oct. 30 after press time.

The Lions will travel to Memphis to play Christian Brothers University in the last regular season game of the season.

The Lions, who are 6-7-2 as of press time, lost to CBU at home in overtime on Sept. 28 and will look to better them in their final game of the season. 

The Osmond sisters (Jennifer and Julia) have led the Lions this season and will continue to do so in the GSC tournament.

The GSC tournament begins on Nov. 7. The tournament, held in Pensacola, Fla., will last four days, with an off day on Nov. 9.

Volleyball

The struggling team will host Kentucky State University in Flowers Hall on Nov. 2. They will play in Flowers again against the University of Alabama-Huntsville on Nov. 5.

The Lions (6-17) played Christian Brothers University after press time in Memphis on Oct. 29.

Rugby

The Lions lost 62-7 to Middle Tennessee State University on Oct. 19. 

The team had a bye week after the loss and will play Freed-Hardaman University in Henderson, Tenn. on Nov. 2.