Sports Briefs:

The regular-season champion Lady Scots (13-4, 12-0 Great South) open semifinal play against Piedmont College on Friday at 1 p.m. The Agnes Scott and Spelman women follow at 3 p.m. The Great South women’s champion will receive the conference’s first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The regular-season champion Scots (12-5, 7-0) meet LaGrange (Ga.) College in the first men’s semifinal Friday at 5 p.m. The Piedmont and Huntingdon men conclude the first day’s play at 7.

The women’s championship match is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m., with the men’s title tilt following at 4:30.

Stevens named defensive player of week
Fayetteville, N.C. - Maryville College junior linebacker Scott Stevens has been named defensive player of the week for his efforts against Methodist College by the USA South Athletic Conference. The Dunedin, Fla., native led the Scots to a 30-26 win over USA South rival Methodist. Stevens recorded 12 tackles, seven solo, two of which were for a loss, and one sack. '

Scott is a 2005 All-USA South Athletic Conference performer. He is the son of Merry and Kenneth Stevens of Dunedin.

Earlier in the week, Stevens and four other members of the Scots football team were nominated for CoSida Academic All-American consideration. The business major has 53 total tackles through eight games. He has thrown opponents for a loss on eight occasions for 36 yards and has sacked the quarterback on three times.

Volleyball enters tourney as Great South’s top seed
The Maryville College women’s volleyball enters this weekend’s Great South Athletic Conference tournament in Demorest, Ga., as the league’s No. 1 seed.

The Lady Scots (23-11, 9-1) begin tournament play at Piedmont College on Friday.

Scots look for donations to support competition
The Maryville College athletic department will take part in a "Cans Across the Conference" competition within the USA South Athletic Conference on Saturday. Scots senior and USA South SAAC’s committee representative Daniel Dunn said Maryville’s Circle K will be collecting can goods from fans attending Maryville’s last home game against Shenandoah University. All cans will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Collection areas will be located within Maryville’s Lloyd L. Thornton Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. Maryville’s 10 senior football players will be honored during "Senior Day."