by Micah Kennedy | Mar 13, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lady Bisons took the first of back-to-back games against Kennesaw State in a dominating 3-0 sweep. Coming into the game, the Owls were undefeated with 10 wins, all in the ASUN. The Lady Bisons went into the game with 10-2 record, 7-1 record in the conference. The top two teams in the conference came out with speed and aggressiveness. They traded blows, but Lipscomb took an early lead 9-4 benefitting from two Samantha Rubal kills. The Owls upped the defensive intensity with a few consecutive blocks to cut it to 9-7. Lipscomb held the lead till the late part of the set until the teams found themselves tied at 23. Kennesaw State players Claire Parsons and Dani Ballou both scored two kills leading to the tie game. The set ended with a 25-23 score in the Lady Bisons favor after a Kamryn Bacus kill and a double touch on the Owls. In contrast, the second set was all Lipscomb from the first serve. The Lady Bisons started with a 4-0 burst including a Garrett Joiner kill and Megan Kuper ace. Throughout the set, the Lady Bisons’ offense was very effective, and the Owls struggled with errors. The Lady Bisons led by as many as 11 in this set and led by a score of 21-10 at one point, finishing the set in a dominant fashion by a score of 25-13. The biggest separating factor after two sets was hitting percentage, with the Lady Bisons at .273 and the Owls only at a .074 clip. After losing two sets for just the second time this...
by Micah Kennedy | Feb 6, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The end of a COVID-induced 441-day offseason began with disappointment for Lipscomb’s women’s soccer team. The Bisons fell to the Lee University Lady Flames 2-1 in a game that served as a huge boost to the D-II team in its eight-game virus-abbreviated season. In the early going of the first half, the Lady Bisons came out aggressive and on the attack. They applied pressure to the Lee defense and goalkeeper Jacqueline Burns rose to the occasion with five saves in the first six minutes of the half. The Lady Bisons defense was solid early as well, keeping Lee from attacking the final third of the field with only two shot attempts approaching the 40-minute mark. The complexion of the first half changed as Lee’s resilient bunch adjusted to Lipscomb’s high press and pieced enough productive touches to set up a Kelsey Yoder goal assisted by Mallory Hayden [40:57]. That 1-0 score would hold going into halftime with the Lady Bisons entering the half as the more aggressive team with very realistic hopes that later shot opportunities would score. As the second half progressed, Lee looked more poised and confident with the ball and the backline of their defense was stout as well. Lipscomb remained aggressive offensively with six more shot attempts by the 74-minute mark. However, many of those attempts were not challenging shots that led to a few flat-footed saves by Burns. The aggressive Lady Bison offense was able to capitalize off a corner kick [73:52] and kept the ball in striking distance until Evee Reeder was able to convert a goal for Lipscomb off the assist from Emily...
by Micah Kennedy | Feb 5, 2021 | News, News Slider, Sports
It feels like it’s been over a year since we’ve last seen the women’s soccer team take the field. Well, that’s because it has been over a year. “It’s been 441 days from our last competition against Louisville…,” said coach O’Brien. “For the players, it’s been a long haul. 2020 was a tough year mentally for them.” Everything about the offseason has been far from normal, from its length, the state of the world, and the uncertainty that it brought players and fans alike. While so much in the world has changed, the back-to-back ASUN champs have experienced some changes on their roster as well. The team graduated seven seniors last year, and the roster currently features nine freshmen. Along with the large freshman class, the team has brought in three transfers from other D-I programs with coach O’Brien highlighting Kelli Beiler, a midfielder from Penn State, as one of the captains coming into the season. The team expects solid production from the experienced transfer group this year. Among the 15 returning players, Molly Grant, Katia Hanger, Logan McFadden, and Cami Rogers were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team. With the combination of talented newcomers and promising returners, expectations for the team to have a legitimate shot at a third consecutive ASUN title are inevitable. The Bisons’ selection as the favorite to finish first in the preseason coaches’ poll is just one example of those high expectations. Naturally, the team also has to deal with the perennial “target” on their backs as long as “defending ASUN champions” precedes their name. Teams around the ASUN will have their matchups with...
