FLORENCE, S.C. – The fall sports seasons at Francis Marion University will begin at the end of the month and in preparation, five Patriot athletic teams have or will soon begin pre-season drills.

The FMU women’s volleyball team began practices on Aug. 6. Second-year head coach Paul MacDonald welcomes back seven letterwinners, including four starters, from last year’s 26-8 squad that shared the Peach Belt Conference regular-season crown. The Patriots open their season Aug. 24 at the Eckerd College Tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Patriot men’s soccer team also began its pre-season drills on Aug. 6. First-year head coach Kevin Varnado has 17 of 20 letterwinners (including 10 of 11 starters) returning from last year’s 4-12-1 squad. The Patriots open their season Aug. 24 at home against Lees-McRae College at 4 p.m. 

The Francis Marion women’s soccer team, which is completing its transition to NCAA Division I affiliation, opens practice on Aug. 13. Fifth-year mentor Marty Beall welcomes back 12 of 16 letterwinners, including nine of 11 starters, from last year’s 11-5-3 mark. Last fall, the Patriots were the fourth most improved team in NCAA Division I according to Somis Sports, after improving upon a 5-9-1 record in 2005. FMU opens its season Aug. 31 at Winthrop University. The 2007 schedule lists 18 matches, including six home matches. A tough road slate also includes matches at Florida State and N.C. State, as well as a tournament at the College of Charleston.

The FMU men’s and women’s cross country squads will convene on campus this weekend and will commence running on Aug. 13. Head coach Mark Bluman has four returnees from the 2006 men’s squad that placed fifth at the Peach Belt Conference Championships, and five returnees from his women’s team that placed seventh at the PBC Meet. The two squads will run in the USC Gamecock Invitational Meet, Aug. 31, in Columbia.

Fall semester classes at Francis Marion begin on Aug. 22.