Old Dominion’s field hockey team beat its fourth straight top-10 ranked opponent to open its season with a 4-1 blitzing of Virginia on Sunday in Norfolk.

The Lady Monarchs took a 1-0 lead 0:33 into the match. ODU led 3-0 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

Freshman midfielder Kelsey Smither (Lakeland) notched her third assist of the season, helping set up ODU’s second goal of the game in the 24th minute.

ODU’s beaten Penn State, American, defending national champion Maryland and Virginia by a combined margin of 17-4.

ODU will travel to Columbus, Ohio this weekend to face No. 5 Syracuse on Saturday and No. 6 Ohio St. on Sunday.

Radford spoiled the first match and first home match in Liberty’s field hockey history with a 3-1 Lady Highlander win on Saturday in Lynchburg.

Senior back Lynsey Daughtrey (Lakeland) added an assist and two shots on goal to the Radford attack. The Lady Highlanders (3-0) outshot Liberty 25-5.

Liberty scored its first-ever goal in the 55th minute to make it 3-1.

Freshman midfielder Megan Johnson (Lakeland) came on as a substitute for the Lady Flames.

Liberty is playing a mixed schedule of Div. I and lower division schools in its inaugural season. Liberty hosted Rider Monday afternoon and will go to Fredericksburg to play two matches at Mary Washington Saturday-Sunday.

Radford travels to Fairfield, Conn. for matches against Fairfield on Friday and St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday.

Sophomore Ben Hunter (Lakeland) led Apprentice to a 305-356 golf victory over Southern Virginia in the first match of the season for the Builders at The Woodlands in Hampton on Friday.

Hunter was the medalist with a four-over par 73. Hunter won the individual title at the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship last October in State College, Pa.

The Builders go north later this week for three days of golf in four days. The Builders will be in Roslyn Harbor, N.Y. on Thursday and in Delhi, N.Y. Saturday-Sunday.

Norfolk State opened its football campaign with a 37-3 win over Virginia State on Saturday in Norfolk.

Six former Suffolk high school standouts were on the Spartan and Trojan rosters.

True freshman George Riddick (King’s Fork) played and made one solo tackle for NSU. Riddick, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound lineman, accepted a scholarship last year from NSU.

Senior Francisco Clifford (King’s Fork) is the starting center for Virginia St. Sophomore Steve Skinner, Jr. (Nansemond River) is a reserve quarterback for the Trojans.

Junior wide receiver Tyrece Shepherd (Lakeland), junior running back Bryant Bailey (King’s Fork) and sophomore offensive lineman Steven Beard (Nansemond River) play for the Spartans.