Year of the 'Jacks - October
6/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
2014-15 proved to be arguably the most memorable year in the history of Stephen F. Austin Athletics. Nine regular season conference titles, three NCAA postseason appearances, seven Coach of the Year honors, seven All-Americans, 23 Southland Conference major award winners, a national runner-up showing and the program's first Division I national champion. Over the next few weeks, SFAJacks.com looks back at the highlights of SFA's historic 2014-15 season, a season which came to be known as the "Year of the `Jacks."
OCTOBER
Records: Football (3-1); Soccer (8-0); Volleyball (9-0)
Nights of #PurpleLights: 17
Oct. 4- VB - Ladyjacks Record Fourth-Straight Sweep To Open Southland Competition
SFA controlled its match with Abilene Christian from start to finish, sweeping the Wildcats to remain a perfect 12-0 in sets to start conference play. Jill Ivy posted a game-high 18 kills, hitting .405 in the process, and the Ladyjacks combined for 11 service aces to put ACU away.
Oct. 5 – SOC - Ladyjacks Edge Bearkats 2-1, Improve to 4-0 in SLC
The SFA women’s soccer team overcame an early deficit to knock off Piney Woods rival Sam Houston State 2-1 at home on October 5, improving to 4-0 in league play in the process. Freshman Hanna Barker scored her sixth goal of the season and Amanda Doyle was credited with the go-ahead goal early in the second half to complete the comeback.
Oct. 11- VB - 4,000 Assists for Paige Holland
Recording 41 helpers in a 3-0 sweep of Houston Baptist, Holland became the fifth setter in program history to eclipse the 4,000-set plateau. Her strong play helped SFA win its sixth-straight match.
Oct. 11 – FB – SFA Ends Road Skid, Toppling Nicholls 42-20
Fueled by a 200-yard, three-touchdown performance by Gus Johnson, SFA ran away from Nicholls in the second half en route to a 42-20 win in Thibodaux. It was the Lumberjacks’ first road victory since the 2011 season, snapping a 12-game road losing skid.
Oct. 14 - WGLF - Lautensack Records First Individual Tournament Title
Freshman Erica Lautensack became the first golfer in Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack program history to capture an individual tournament title, leading the Ladyjacks to a runner-up finish at the 2014 Arkansas State Lady Red Wolf Invitational. Lautensack shot a 3-under 141 for the tournament, including a 3-under 69 in round two.
Oct. 18 – FB – SFA Outlasts Newcomer HBU in Houston
SFA withstood both an upstart Houston Baptist team and a two-hour power outage, defeating the Huskies 59-27 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Gus Johnson had another big game, rushing for three touchdowns and moving into second all-time in SFA rushing history.
Oct. 19 – BOWL – Schwartz Earns MVP Honors in First Collegiate Tournament
Freshman Stephanie Schwartz was named the MVP of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Bowling Invitational in her first collegiate tournament. She led all bowlers with a 241.6 average as the Ladyjacks finished second in the team standings.
Oct. 20 – MGLF – Pugh’s Hole-In-One Highlights Jim Rivers
Senior Blake Pugh fired the first hole-in-one of his SFA career, helping lead the Lumberjacks to a second-place showing after the first round of the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate. Pugh hit the shot from 183 yards on hole five en route to a top-10 showing.
Oct. 21 – WXC - Brittany Innis Named SLC Women’s Runner of the Week
Freshman Brittany Innis was named the SLC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after a breakout weekend at the University of Alabama Crimson Classic on Oct. 17. She finished the 5,000-meter course in 17:55 to place 17th out of 225 women competing at the Division I level. Innis' team-best time helped the Ladyjacks earn a solid fifth place showing out of 25 DI programs. 
Oct. 23 - VB - Dramatic Comeback Helps SFA Stay Perfect in SLC Play
Trailing 2-0 to rival Sam Houston State, the Ladyjacks responded with vigor to win the next two sets and even the match at 2-2. Middle blockers Jacque Allen and Justice Walker and outside hitter Jill Ivy recorded double-digit kills as SFA pulled away late in the final period to win the match 3-2 and extend its winning streak to 10 contests.
Oct. 24 – SOC - SFA Clinches Share of Fourth-Straight Title on Bonfire Night
In front of a packed house of 2,413 fans, the SFA women’s soccer team defeated Central Arkansas 3-0 to claim a share of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Southland Conference regular season title. The Ladyjacks also secured the top seed in the SLC Tournament with the win.
Oct. 25 – FB – Lumberjacks Tame Eighth-Ranked Lions on Homecoming
SFA raced out to an early lead, then held off a late Southeastern Louisiana surge, defeating the eighth-ranked Lions 27-17 at Homer Bryce Stadium. A 75-yard interception return in the fourth quarter by Patrick Martin helped seal the win as SFA upset a top-10 team for the second-straight season.
Oct. 25 - VB - SFA Completes Perfect October with Sweep of Lamar
The Ladyjacks went 9-0 during the month of October, improving to 11-0 in Southland action with a 3-0 sweep of Lamar. Jacque Allen and Justice Walker provided 10 kills apiece while libero OJ Olson tallied a game-high 17 digs.
Oct. 28 – WGLF – Ladyjacks Claim First-Ever Tournament Title
SFA captured the first team tile in Ladyjacks program history, winning the 2014 UIW Fall Invitational by a commanding 26 strokes. Six SFA golfers finished among the top-10 of the individual standings, led by a runner-up showing by junior Sydney Reed.
Oct. 31 – SOC - Prince’s Web Gem Secures SLC Championship Outright
Senior forward Zuri Prince used a little back heel magic in the 65th minute against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, scoring the goal of the year to lift SFA to a 1-0 win. Prince’s game-winner appeared as high as the number four play on ESPN’s Top Ten following the game and proved to be enough for the Ladyjacks to earn the win and secure the 2014 SLC Championship outright.
"Year of the `Jacks" By The Numbers
Regular Season Conference Titles: 9
Total Number of Conference Titles: 10
NCAA Postseason Appearances: 4
All-Americans: 7
National/USA Champions: 2
SLC Major Award Winners: 23
SLC Players of the Year: 6
SLC/National Coaches of the Year: 7
First team All-SLC selections: 43
Total All-SLC selections: 105
Capital One Academic All-District selections: 11
Capital One Academic All-Americans: 2
SLC Student-Athletes of the Year: 3
SLC All-Academic Team selections: 24
"Year of the `Jacks" Release Schedule
August/September: Friday, June 19
October: Friday, June 26
November: Friday, July 3
December: Friday, July 10
January: Friday, July 17
February: Friday, July 24
March: Friday, July 31
April: Friday, August 7
May/June: Friday, August 14
-SFA-
