Buena Vista, Va. – The Southern Virginia University rugby team delivered a dominant performance in preseason play, defeating James Madison University 75-14.

The opening stages saw both teams battling it out before Weston Memmott sparked the attack. After a series of offloads involving Riddick Sa'u and Josh Nelson, Memmott broke through the Dukes' defensive line for the first try of the match. Tevita Vaea slotted the conversion to make it 7-0.

Moments later, Vaea struck again—picking the ball out of a scrum, faking a kick, and slicing through for a try of his own, extending the lead.

The Knights' relentless pressure continued when Nelson forced a turnover and quickly released Milemoti Pulotu, who was stopped just short of the try line. The ball was swung wide, finding Wells, who dove into the corner for another score. Vaea's conversion made it 21-0.

JMU attempted to respond but lost possession in a scrum, and Nelson once again pounced on the opportunity. After sustained phases, John Mann broke the gain line before offloading to Tate Lewis for another try. Vaea remained perfect from the tee, pushing the lead to 28-0. Lewis added his second try minutes later, with Vaea converting for a 35-0 advantage.

The Dukes finally broke through with a converted try before halftime, but the Knights' defense stayed firm after the break. Saveaalii Fitisemanu powered over for back-to-back tries, reestablishing control at 42-7.

Southern Virginia's pace and physicality wore JMU down in the second half. Malakai Volavola ignited a surge with a long run that set up consecutive tries, stretching the margin to 56-7. Mann then finished the match in style with two late tries as the Knights sealed a commanding 75-14 victory.

For the latest updates on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_rugby on Instagram.