Mount Olive, N.C. – The Southern Virginia University women's wrestling team opened their 2025 campaign at the Women's Trojan Open, hosted by the University of Mount Olive, facing off against several strong regional programs in the season debut.

Leading the way for the Knights was Alexis Kirkland (160 lbs), who earned two wins on the day. Kirkland opened the tournament with a first-round fall (2:00) before dropping a 14-4 technical fall in the next round. She rebounded in the consolation bracket with another fall victory (0:56) but came up just short of a podium finish after a hard-fought loss by fall (4:54).

Also competing at 160 lbs, Makenna Dolt started her season strong with a 10-0 technical fall victory in her opening match before falling in her next two bouts (fall 1:16; tech fall 10-0).

In the lower weight classes, Katie Ramsay (101 lbs) battled through a tough bracket, finishing 0-2 with losses by technical fall (14-4, 12-0). Andrea Castro (124 lbs) also went 0-2, with both matches ending by fall (0:41, 2:43).

Seani Casperson (131 lbs) and Gracie Blake (138 lbs) each showed strong effort in competitive divisions, with Casperson falling by pins (0:44, 1:12) and Blake dropping matches by technical fall (10-0) and fall (3:44).

At 160 lbs, Eve Beckstead rounded out the competition for the Knights, battling hard before falling by pin (1:28) and technical fall (10-0).

The Knights will return to the mat on Saturday, November 15, at the Liberty University Tournament, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The event will feature several regional programs, including Greensboro, Randolph, Montreat, Apprentice, and Washington & Lee.

For updates on the Knights' progress, follow @knightwwrestling on Instagram or visit knightathletics.com