by Danny Kotula | Aug 23, 2021 | News Slider, Sports, Student Spotlight
Liza Corso, an incoming freshman this fall, will compete against some of the best runners on the planet in Tokyo, Japan at the Paralympics while her classmates at Lipscomb are starting their school year. Her race will mark the first time a Bison has competed in either an Olympic or Paralympic event. Corso is one of the six fastest 1500-meter runners in her Paralympic class. When Corso finally hits the track in the Paralympic Games on Saturday, she will have every reason to feel proud of herself. Despite all of her achievements and the impressive pinnacle she will reach this weekend, Corso is set on a goal that has nothing to do with success. Corso said she wishes that her struggle with vision impairment will be an encouragement to others. “I hope that I am able to inspire others through my running journey,” Corso said. “I want others to know that even if you are facing an obstacle, with hard work and dedication you can overcome it.” A native of Newmarket, New Hampshire, Corso also has felt immense support from her home base. “I have felt a lot of support from not just my family but also people that I have never met,” Corso said. “Everyone back home has been very supportive and excited. All of the support and energy helps motivate me to put my best self out there on the track, and I couldn’t be where I am without all the people who have helped me along the way.” Corso qualifies for the Paralympics in the T13 classification, the least impaired class of three categories for vision impairments...
by Danny Kotula | Aug 23, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb women’s soccer team defeated the Austin Peay State Governors by a score of 2-0 in front of a home crowd of over 150 fans. One goal in each half was sufficient for the Bisons to earn their second victory in their first two matches this season after beating Mississippi State on Thursday. Redshirt freshman Kale’a Perry scored the opener in the 27th minute for Lipscomb, while Cami Rogers helped secure the result in the 64th minute with a goal of her own. The Bisons held firm control of possession across both halves, sticking to a familiar style of midfield pressure that stifled Austin Peay throughout. Junior and Auburn transfer Cami Rogers as well as Roswell, Georgia-born redshirt freshman Evee Reeder were instrumental in that effort for Lipscomb. They stifled the middle of the park and created opportunities going the other way for the Bisons to get forward. Even with the loss of fellow center midfielder Kelli Beiler to injury within five minutes, the central midfield partnership of Rogers and Reeder was more than enough to set the tone and allow the home side to dominate. Despite the reassuring performance of those two, however, Beiler’s injury is still a major concern for Lipscomb. The junior from Mount Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania led the team with nine goals while playing 1,000 minutes for Lipscomb last year. Her injury appeared to be serious, as she was unable to leave the pitch on her own power with what appeared to be an issue with her lower leg. In the attack, it was a similar story for the Bisons, as they outshot the...
by Danny Kotula | Aug 18, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
Last season for the Lipscomb women’s soccer team, everything was in place for another ASUN conference championship–until it wasn’t. The top-seeded Bisons went into the conference tournament last April needing just three wins to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. Instead, they lost at the first time of asking to league-bottom Liberty and saw their season cut short. This year, though, longtime head coach Kevin O’Brien’s squad looks more primed than ever for an NCAA appearance. An already experienced team returns most of its key contributors from last year, and that alone makes the Bisons formidable once again in 2021. Couple that with an ASUN Preseason joint-top ranking and four players on the Preseason All-Conference list, and the expectations become sky-high for Lipscomb’s women’s soccer program. Luckily, there’s more than enough quality in the squad to live up to those expectations. Coach O’Brien’s Bisons bring back nearly all of last year’s starters, with the notable exceptions of long-serving goalkeeper Melissa Gray and starting defenders Audrey Ann Beck and Kaitlin Echols. Gray spent five years with the program and started for the past two seasons, but her successors are equally capable. Our prediction for who puts on the gloves is redshirt sophomore CJ Graham, but the Swannanoa, N.C. native has strong competition from redshirt freshman Sydney Jones of Castle Pines, Colo. In his ever-honest way, Coach O’Brien let on that even he was unsure of who would end up starting the season at goalkeeper. “I told them early on, ‘Hey, this is the one position in our team that there’s a bit of a question mark.’...
by Danny Kotula | Aug 12, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
Liza Corso’s name forever will be etched in Lipscomb athletics history before she even suits up in purple and gold. Before she attends QuestWeek or attends her first class, incoming freshman Corso will represent the United States’ National Paralympics Team at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Corso comes to Lipscomb from Newmarket, N.H., where she established herself as one of the state’s top high school distance runners despite being legally blind. She has qualified for the women’s 1500-meter final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo after finishing first in the 1600-meter, first in the 800-meter, and third in the 3200-meter at the New Hampshire Division III state meet earlier this year. A 2021 graduate of Portsmouth Christian Academy in Dover, N.H., Corso has a low-vision disorder called albinism, a genetic condition that renders her vision 20/200. Corso, 17, began running when she participated in a 5K at age 5, and she has participated in cross country and track and field competitions since sixth grade. She has also competed in basketball, gymnastics, swimming and competitive jump rope during her athletic career. Her already-illustrious career is only set to grow in stature during her time in Nashville. She will join Lipscomb’s women’s cross country team as one of five incoming freshmen when she returns from Tokyo, and she is also on the women’s track and field roster and will compete alongside 10 other freshmen for the Bisons this spring. To qualify for the Paralympic Games, an athlete must hold an active World Para Athletics License, achieve a Minimum Entry Standard performance, and be internationally classified with a “confirmed” sport class...
by Danny Kotula | Jul 15, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb volleyball team is coming off one of their more impressive seasons in recent memory, rattling off 17 wins and reaching the NCAA national tournament in Omaha, Neb. last spring. Head coach Brandon Rosenthal’s side rarely rests on its laurels, however, the upcoming 2021-22 season is no exception. As the new season inches closer every day, what can Bisons volleyball fans expect this winter? One area to watch in particular will be how effectively Lipscomb fills the gaps left by graduating players. The Bisons lose the services of four fearsome seniors from their ASUN title-winning squad, including 2-time All-Conference selection and 2021 All-South Region honoree Megan Kuper. The outside hitter from Olathe, Kan. was undoubtedly the team’s strongest source of offense, averaging over 3.3 kills per set. Her attacking prowess will be missed, especially considering that 2.84 more kills per set are also departing with middle blocker Samantha Rubal. Rubal and Kuper often combined for a lethal 1-2 punch around the net, and their combined experience will not easily be replaced. Rubal, a native of Lewis Center, Ohio, also played in every single set for the Bisons last season. On defense, the losses to graduation are just as significant. Libero Alyssa Zwolensky and defensive specialist Ashley Maher combined for a whopping 6.28 digs per set, often keeping points alive with impressive displays of athleticism. Zwolensky’s 4 digs per set average led the team, as the Rockledge, Fla. native led the back line for the Bisons. All the departures paint a bleak picture for Lipscomb’s upcoming season, but don’t feel discouraged yet. For all the stars leaving, Coach Rosenthal...
