MONTEVALLO - It was a week filled with fantastic triumphs and gut-wrenching heartbreak in the world of Falcons Sports. Volleyball and women's basketball soared, swimming made a record-breaking splash, cross country made program history and men's basketball stepped onto the big stage, while paying a visit to an old friend. The men's soccer team experienced the thrill of victory, followed the agony of defeat, while women's soccer ended their season on a high note.

The UM women's basketball team took to the skies over the weekend to open the season at the D2 Tip-off Classic in Billings, Montana. The Falcons lost the opening game to top-ranked and two-time defending Division II National Champion Lubbock Christian 69-55, but rebounded to roll past No. 11 Tampa 81-67 on the second day. On the final day, the Falcons knocked off Simon Fraser 79-72 to finish the weekend at 2-1. Seniors Kiya Sain and Shyan Flack earned All-Tournament honors with their performances during the weekend.

Men's basketball opened the season with an exhibition game just north of the Windy City against DePaul University.  The Falcons had a chance to visit with a Montevallo favorite son, Falcons Hall of Famer and DePaul Director of Athletics, DeWayne Peevy. Meanwhile, on the court, the Falcons gave the DI, Big East Blue Demons all they could handle and more before falling 67-53. The Falcons had possession, trailing by three with less than 10 seconds left before the buzzer sounded.

The Falcons volleyball team had a crucial week in their chase for a Gulf South Conference tournament spot. Entering the week sitting in 8th place in the standings, the Falcons were in a dangerous spot, needing to win to stay in the hunt. On Tuesday night, the Falcons nearly pulled off an upset of red-hot and 7th-ranked West Florida on the road. UM pushed the Argonauts to five sets, before falling. Even with the loss, the Falcons gained momentum for the weekend. The results were a sweep of Lee University on the road and a 3-1 win over second place UAH. The win over the Chargers evened the score from a 3-0 loss in Huntsville earlier this season. The Falcons came out of the rugged week with a 16-13 record overall and more importantly, a 7-7 GSC mark going into the final regular season week of the season. The Falcons also crept into 7th place in the GSC standings with West Alabama, a half-game behind in the No. 8 spot.

On the cross country course, the Falcon men and women traveled to Saint Leo, Fla. to compete in the NCAA South Region Championship. Senior Joe Leventry made school history becoming the first UM men's runner to qualify for the Division II National Championships by finishing 11th overall/ He will return to Saint Leo on Nov. 20 to compete for an individual DII title. As for the teams, the men finished 8th in the 18-team field, while the women came in 12th.

On the pitch, the men's soccer team couldn't have had more contrasting emotions in a matter of days. On Thursday, the Falcons beat Auburn-Montgomery on the road with a dramatic overtime goal in the final three seconds of the game. The win earned UM the regular season title and the top seed in the GSC tournament. Then, on the Sunday, the Falcons hosted Spring Hill in the opening round of the tournament. Spring Hill had defeated UM in their first meeting this season, one of only two setbacks. The Falcons took an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Edorta Cabieces Sanz. But, Spring Hill responded with two goals in the second half. The Falcons couldn't find the back of the net again and suffered a crushing loss.  With an outside chance remaining, the Falcons must wait until Wednesday to see if they can make a last ditch run at the NCAA South Region poll. Last week, UM was not ranked. One consolation, head coach Bruce Dietterle was named GSC Coach of the Year. He guided a squad picked to finish 12th in the preseason poll to a regular season title.

Meanwhile, the Falcons women's soccer team ended their season with a 2-1 win over AUM. Allye Darnell's goal in the final five minutes provided the final tally and allowed the Falcons to write a positive ending to a tough season.

At the SAC Natatorium, the men's and women's swim teams hosted Birmingham Southern in their first home meet of the season. Several pool records were set during the meet. Connor Daigle's performance, winning three individual events and as a member of a relay team helped propel the Falcons to a 151-110 win over BSC. Meanwhile, the women's team came up short 164.5 to 94.5, despite an outstanding day from Amanda Ware who won two events and was part of a victorious 400 yard relay.

Next up:

The UM women's basketball team will host West Georgia on Friday in the first home game of the season. It's a lunch time special as tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Trustmark Arena. Then the Falcons head up to Birmingham to take on Samford in an exhibition contest.at 2 p.m. at the Pete Hanna Center.

The Falcons volleyball team caps off the regular season with a pair of key home matches. On Friday, UM takes on West Alabama at 6 p.m. at the Trustmark Arena. Then on Saturday at 2 p.m., the Falcons face Mississippi College on Senior Day. The lone senior on the team, Evelina Teran will be recognized in her final match on the home floor.

With an exhibition test under their belts, the men's basketball team opens the regular season on the road against Tampa on Friday at 7:30 ET. Then, on Saturday, the Falcons take on Saint Leo at 1 p.m. ET. Both games will be played at Saint Leo.