June 29, 2026

Asbury Captures 2025-26 Collegiate Conference of the South Women's Commissioner's Cup

ATLANTA, Ga. --- In just its second season competing in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS), Asbury Athletics captured its first Women’s Commissioner’s Cup following a standout year across women’s athletics.

The Commissioner’s Cup is presented annually to CCS member institutions that demonstrate consistent athletic performance and overall excellence throughout the academic year. The awards recognize the top men’s and women’s programs, while the Overall Commissioner’s Cup is determined by combining results from both men’s and women’s sports.

The 2025–26 academic year marked the CCS’s fourth year of competition and featured another strong season of athletic achievement across the conference.

For the 2025–26 season, the CCS utilized an updated ratio-based scoring system approved by the league’s athletic administrators. Points were awarded based on regular-season standings in team sports and championship finishes in individual or meet-based sports. Each institution’s total points earned were divided by its total possible points to determine the final rating. Additional points were awarded for conference championship success, with four points for championship titles and two points for runner-up finishes.

Asbury’s women’s programs delivered exceptional results throughout the year, claiming conference championships in women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, and women’s tennis, while also earning a runner-up finish in women’s soccer. The Eagles accumulated 60.0 of a possible 80.0 points to finish with a conference-best 0.750 rating.

The honor marks another milestone for Asbury, which shared the Overall Commissioner’s Cup during its first year in the conference last season.

"We congratulate Asbury on capturing its first Women’s Commissioner’s Cup in just its second year in the league, which speaks to the immediate impact and strength they have brought to the CCS," CCS Commissioner Beth Vansant said. "As we celebrate Asbury, we also look ahead with excitement going into year five, as our conference continues to build momentum and create meaningful championship experiences for our student-athletes."

Previous Commissioner’s Cup Winners

Asbury 2025-26 CCS Championships

Asbury’s path to the Women’s Commissioner’s Cup began in the fall of 2025 with a dominant performance from the women’s cross country team, which captured the conference championship on October 31 in Huntsville, Ala. The Eagles were led by Bailey Gassmann, a social work and adventure education and leadership major, who claimed the individual CCS title with a 6K time of 23:28 after finishing runner-up in the 2024 championship race. Sophomore Emma Groff delivered a breakout performance, shaving 1:20 off her previous personal best to place third overall in 23:59. Senior captain Brooke O'Carroll also turned in an outstanding effort, cutting 45 seconds from her previous best to finish sixth. Gassmann, Groff, and O’Carroll each earned CCS First Team All-Conference honors.

Momentum continued into volleyball season as Asbury women’s volleyball put together one of the most successful campaigns in program history. The Eagles finished 22-8 overall and dominated conference play with a 15-1 CCS record, securing their first CCS Tournament Championship in only their second year in the league while also repeating as regular season champions. Five Eagles earned All-Conference recognition, and head coach Tiffany Horton was named CCS Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

The success carried into the spring as women’s tennis captured its second straight CCS Tournament Championship. Led by CCS Player of the Year Kat Nova and supported by four All-Conference selections, the Eagles finished 11-8 overall and 6-1 in conference play. Entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed, Asbury completed its championship run with a victory over top-seeded Piedmont in the title match.

Asbury 2025-26 CCS Superlative Awards

The CCS honors for Asbury carried into coach and student-athlete superlatives, highlighting three Conference Player of the Year awards and two Coach of the Year recognitions. 

Player of the Year Honors

Bailey Gassmann | Social Work and Adventure Education and Leadership | CCS Cross Country Runner of the Year

Riley McChord | Communications (Business Minor) | CCS Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year

Katherine Nova | Marketing | CCS Women's Tennis Player of the Year

Coach of the Year Awards

Randy Crist | CCS Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year

Tiffany Horton | CCS Volleyball Coach of the Year

ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.

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