UAPB Soccer Set for New Era with Selph Announces 2024 Schedule

PINE BLUFF, AR. – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s soccer head coach Jayme Selph announced its 2024 fall schedule on Sunday, a slate featuring six-home games at Pumphrey Soccer Complex.

The Lady Lions look to have another solid outing during non-conference play this fall. Last season, UAPB shutout FCS opponent Tarleton State by a score of 1-0 at home for a commanding win.

“Our approach has mostly been ‘practice what you preach’ heading into this season,” head coach Jayme Selph stated about the upcoming fall. “I got a chance to wholeheartedly watch this team last fall, and we did well. There were some things that we need improvement on, so I’ve been driving them with the basics so that we implement it into our play. Also, just gaining feedback from the team to better the chemistry.”

Following an exhibition matchup against Northwest Community College, the Lady Lions will open up their season on the road against Louisiana-Monroe (Aug. 15) and will host Central Baptist College at home (Aug.29).

UAPB will then hit the road for five straight non-conference contests against Tulsa (Sep. 1), Hendrix College (Sep. 5), Texas-Rio Grand Valley (Sep. 8), Little Rock (Sep. 12), and Stephen F. Austin (Sep. 15) for their final test before conference

“I wanted to set our group up for success, so I made our preseason a bit more challenging than last season,” Selph stated. “The main thing I want to see is perseverance. How we respond to the negative and make it positive. How we respond to the positive and build on it. The teams we play at a high caliber for preseason will only set us up for success when we step into SWAC play. I just want us to keep our heads high at all times and learn how to persevere at a team.”

UAPB will open conference (SWAC) action on the road versus Alabama State (Sep. 27) and Alabama A&M (Sep. 29).

The Lady Lions will return home for conference play against Mississippi Valley State (Oct. 4) and Alcorn (Oct. 6). UAPB will then have a weekend in between matches to recover before coasting through Mississippi and Louisiana for a two-game stretch against Jackson St. (Oct. 18) and Southern (Oct. 20).

UAPB will host their remaining three key matches at home, starting with Texas Southern (Oct. 25), Prairie View A&M (Oct. 27), and the defending champion Grambling St. (Nov. 1)

The Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament will begin Nov. 7-10 in Prairie View, Texas, with the top-eight seeds qualifying.