by Russell Vannozzi | Oct 28, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
For the last three years, the Lipscomb women’s soccer team advanced to the ASUN title game, only to lose to Florida Gulf Coast on each occasion. FGCU defeated Lipscomb 3-2 in double overtime in last year’s ASUN title match, following a 5-0 victory in 2015 and a 2-0 win in 2016. The stakes were similar in Sunday afternoon’s ASUN semifinal in Nashville, but history did not repeat itself. Lipscomb used a second-half goal from freshman defender Logan McFadden to top the Eagles 1-0 and finally get over the FGCU hump. “The proverbial monkey is off our back,” Lipscomb coach Kevin O’Brien said. “They’ve ended our season for three years running. To be able to end theirs feels better than walking home with our heads hanging low.” The Bisons (13-4-2) will host North Alabama for the ASUN championship next Saturday, November 9. However, Lipscomb has already clinched its first-ever bid to the NCAA tournament because North Alabama is not eligible for the postseason in its first year as an NCAA Division I school. FGCU (13-4-3) dominated much of the first half and had most of the game’s scoring chances. McFadden and the Lipscomb back line of Justis Bailey, Dominique Diller and Audrey Ann Beck held strong as the Eagles fired 13 total shots and seven on target. But the game-defining moment came in the 70th minute after Maycie McKay won the ball off an FGCU corner kick. McKay then slid a pass to McFadden, who raced upfield and caught FGCU goalie Melissa Weck out of the net. Defensive Player of the Year Logan McFadden takes matters into her own hands and...
by Russell Vannozzi | Oct 11, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
Alyssa Zwolensky was scrolling through Instagram to try to get some insight on her future Lipscomb volleyball teammates. She was, after all, about to make the 700-mile trip to Nashville from her home in Rockledge, Florida, to enroll at Lipscomb a semester early, which understandably caused some nerves. Then she came across the page of Megan Sullivan, who was set to transfer to Lipscomb from Houston for the Spring 2017 semester. Sullivan played sparingly for the Cougars in 2016 and wanted a chance to restart her college volleyball career in a new city. Zwolesnky eventually noticed a picture of Sullivan with her dad, who was sporting a scar on his head. After Zwolesnky did more digging and exchanged a few texts with Sullivan, things took a dark turn. “Also, what type of brain cancer does your Dad have?” Alyssa texted Megan. “I was like, “I don’t know, it’s some long name that starts with a ‘G’,’” said Sullivan, who checked with her stepmother to confirm the scientific name of her father’s disease, which was glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer that affects the brain or spine and currently has no cure. Zwolesnky was stunned. Her father, James, had passed away from the very same type of cancer in April 2016, just five months after his initial diagnosis. “We were just like ‘wow,’” Sullivan said. The connection formed an instant bond between the two girls. Finally, they each had someone who understood the pain glioblastoma can cause a family. “It’s an unreal story,” said Lipscomb volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal. “For Alyssa to have somebody like Megan, and Megan to have somebody like Alyssa…no...
by Russell Vannozzi | Oct 6, 2018 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Lipscomb students awoke to an unpleasant surprise Saturday morning. An apparent water main break on the south side of campus left several buildings without water access. Water was seen gushing from pipes on a grassy hill between Sewell and Johnson Hall, leaving Sewell’s parking lot partially flooded. Sewell, Johnson and High Rise Hall were all without water late into the afternoon. “No sinks, no showers, no drinking fountains and no toilets,” senior High Rise resident Nathienel Hipsley said. “Luckily I filled my water bottle up last night so I had some to brush my teeth and take my pills.” Lipscomb spokesperson Kim Chaudoin sent an email to all Lipscomb students and faculty detailing the University’s plans to fix the problem. Water service was eventually restored to all University buildings other than Sewell by 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening. “The Campus Service Operations team will be shutting down water services to that end of campus from 2-5 p.m. today to make a repair that will restore normal water operations,” Chaudoin said in the statement. During the 2-5 p.m. window, water service to Allen Arena, the Student Activities Center, McQuiddy Gym, Johnson Residence Hall, Sewell Residence Hall, High Rise Residence Hall, Bennett Campus Center, Swang Business Center and the Burton Health Sciences Center was unavailable. Buildings on the north side of campus, like Bison Hall and The Village, were among those unaffected by the water issue. Lipscomb Dining Services has also returned to its normal operating schedule. The incident occurred as many University students and parents gathered on campus for Family Weekend, highlighted by the annual Tau Phi Cowboy Show Saturday night. This...
by Russell Vannozzi | Oct 2, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
BALTIMORE – Caleb Joseph has never been one for moral victories, and a historically-bad MLB season did nothing to change his mind. Joseph’s Baltimore Orioles were inept from the outset and finished the year with a 47-115 record. The former Lipscomb standout refused to sugarcoat the franchise’s worst season since its inception in 1901. “It’s been a disappointment to say the least,” he said. “We lost a historical amount of games. It’s quite a different atmosphere [from what] I’ve been used to in Baltimore.” Joseph drew national media attention in mid-September when he spoke his mind to The Athletic’s Dan Connolly. By that point, Joseph’s frustrations had nearly boiled over. “I’ve never seen sports teams survive seasons like this without people losing jobs, period,” Joseph told Connolly. “Players, you name it. It’s a privilege to be here, but you don’t lose a record number of games and not expect some retribution. Everybody. Every single locker in here should be thinking, ‘You know, I should be fired because I sucked. Period.’” The 32-year-old catcher did not back down from his previous statements, but he emphasized that he’d like to be part of the team’s solution following a fire sale that included trading top players like Jonathan Schoop, Manny Machado, Kevin Gausman, Zach Britton and Brad Brach. “There was a lot that was on my mind that day,” Joseph said of his candid September remarks. “I feel strongly about this organization. This is the only organization I’ve known. I want to fight for it. I had some things to say that were potentially controversial, but I’m a hard worker, and I...
by Russell Vannozzi | Sep 24, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
Another baseball season has nearly come and gone. For Lipscomb’s nine former players in the professional ranks, 2018 was a mixed bag. Several players had outstanding seasons, while others struggled to stay healthy and find consistency. Caleb Joseph appeared in a few MLB games with his younger brother, while Michael Gigliotti tore his ACL and missed nearly the entire season. Meanwhile, Chris Nunn found success in the independent American Association after being released by the Houston Astros. Those are just a few of the storylines that can be found in the full breakdown below: MLB (1): Caleb Joseph, C, Baltimore Orioles: 77 GP, 251 AB, 25 R, 54 H, 17 RBI, 3 HR, 10 BB, .215 AVG* After batting .256 in 2017, Joseph’s performance at the plate regressed some this season. He spent one month with Triple-A Norfolk to get more regular playing time, but the Orioles brought Joseph back to Baltimore in June. The Franklin native then got the rare opportunity to pair with his younger brother, Corban, who briefly called up by the Orioles this summer. They are just one of nearly 100 sets of brothers to became MLB teammates. Baltimore (45-110) is set to finish with the worst record in baseball. Joseph has been outspoken about the team’s struggles and told The Athletic’s Dan Connolly that he understands why Camden Yards is mostly empty on game nights. “I don’t blame (the fans) at all,” Joseph said of the Oriole faithful. “I’ve been through really bad seasons in professional sports as a fan in Nashville. It’s not motivating. Of course, I don’t blame them at all (for not...
