After more than three years of waiting, a sold-out crowd of more than 3,200 christened a new era of Bulldog basketball as UNC Asheville hosted the top-ranked Tar Heels of UNC Chapel Hill in the first regular season game played in Kimmel Arena.

“I think this game had a large effect on the community and the school,” said UNCA senior  guard Chris Stephenson. “It’s very rare a school of their (UNC’s) caliber goes on the road and plays against smaller mid-major schools.”

Lady Bulldogs celebrate after their win against Campbell. The Bulldogs will travel to Rock Hill Friday. / Dustin Stuart, Photography EditorThe UNC Asheville women’s volleyball team returned to the Justice Center this weekend, earning two important Big South Conference victories and their fourth straight win.

The Bulldogs took on Campbell University Friday night and High Point University  Saturday afternoon. They defeated Campbell for the first time since 1993 in four sets; 25-17, 19-25, 25-20, 25-16.

Holly Shelton and Cindi Miller lead the Bulldogs with 13 kills each. Setter Hallie Morse also had a great match. She had 20 digs, 41 assists and five kills.

“I love playing in the Big South and although I am sad that it is my final opportunity to do so, I am happy to be a part of trying to add to our team’s success and also our school’s success,” Morse said. 

UNC Asheville will reintroduce the women’s swimming program into competition for the 2012-13 year, according to UNCA Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. The revival of women’s swimming gives UNCA its 15th varsity program.

“We are excited to bring a women’s swim team back to UNC Asheville,” Cone said. “Based on our assessment of interest in competitive swimming across Western North Carolina with club teams and high school programs, as well as available collegiate competition, we determined that the addition of women’s swimming would be ideal. We have wanted to add another women’s program and believe swimming is the perfect sport for us at this time.”

Junior Adrien Langeard serves in the home tournament last Friday Sunday at the Crowne Plaza. / Adam GrossThe UNC Ashevile men’s tennis team ended their fall season hosting the Citadel and Wofford in the Asheville Invitational tournament at the Crowne Plaza this weekend.
“We know we can be right up there in conference. We will compete hard and be very disciplined. We learned this fall that everything you do on court counts,” senior UNCA team member Tom Rees said.
Matt Waissen and Jonas Brobeck and Tom Rees and Adrien Langeard were co-champions of the doubles tournament. Both teams posted a perfect 4-0.
“We had several guys win their division or make it to the finals,” redshirt freshman John Schubel said. “Our team had one of our overall best fall seasons in a while, but we are still a long ways away from realizing our full potential. With the group of guys we have, I am confident we will get there,”
Junior Langeard went 2-1, finished as the runner-up in the top flight singles draw. Junior Ryan Matthews went 4-0 and won the B-flight singles. Rees went 3-1 in top flights singles draw, allowing him to beat Wofford’s number one player in the last match. Senior Alex Appelt went 3-1 in B-flight singles, and won one match with a perfect score of 6-0 6-0.