by Erika Plunkett | Apr 4, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
After getting swept in their previous ASUN matchup, the Bisons came home with something to prove and behind a huge rally on Thursday night, a dominating performance from freshman outfielder Tiger Borom on Saturday and despite a loss on Friday afternoon Lipscomb took the series 2-1 from Bellarmine. Thursday afternoon, sophomore pitcher Scott Elgin got his first start of the season and fell behind the Knights 7-0 in the first four innings. Pitchers freshmen Patrick Williams and Ike Buxton came in in relief and did not allow another run from the Knights. Meanwhile an offensive 9-0 run by the Bisons from the fifth to the eight led by a five RBI performance from junior Chris Bashlor gave the Bisons the lead going into the ninth. Sophomore closer Tyler Guilfoil came for a 1-2-3 inning to clinch game one for the Bisons. Junior Max Habegger started Friday’s matchup and shutout the Knights until the fifth inning, when infielder Josh Finerty hit 2 RBI double to go ahead 2-0. Lipscomb cut Bellarmine’s lead in half with an RBI single from junior outfielder Maddux Houghton in the seventh and almost tied the game before sophomore Chaz Bertolani was called out at the plate. But the Knights were not done scoring, as they added five runs in the top of the ninth to extend their lead to six. The Bisons once again got their scoring going late in the game, but junior infielder Malik Williams’s RBI single and senior infielder Haddon Adams’s three run homer proved to be too little too late for the Lipscomb, who fell 7-5. Saturday afternoon, Coach Forehand switched...
by Spencer Boehme | Apr 4, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
On Saturday night, Lipscomb’s four seniors were just two consecutive FGCU points away from never seeing the NCAA tournament in their college careers. In the fifth set, FGCU’s Erin Shomaker gave the Eagles a 14-13 lead to set up match point. All the Eagles had to do was collect the next point, and that would have been ballgame. But then three of the Bisons’ seniors aided in a 3-0 run that ultimately gave the Bisons the win Saturday evening. Senior hitter Megan Kuper tied the game on kill, and senior blocker Sami Rubal assisted with a block after that. And then it was senior defensive specialist Ashley Maher who set the ball up for junior hitter Garret Joiner, who rocketed it past FGCU libero Dana Axner near the back endline for the game-winner. The ASUN named Rubal the tournament MVP, and Dilfer and senior libero Alyssa Zwolensky received All-Tournament team honors. It will be the eighth NCAA tournament appearance in Lipscomb history, all of which have come under 18-year head coach Brandon Rosenthal. Lipscomb first advanced to the tourney in 2007. The Bisons have won the ASUN championship seven times (they received an at-large bid in 2014). ESPNU will air the selection show at 3 p.m. CT. The Division I volleyball tournament will be played in Omaha, Nebraska. Rubal and Kuper led the way with 14 and 13 kills for Lipscomb, while Joiner followed up with 12. Freshman Delaney Dilfer once again had an impeccable evening setting the ball, as she accounted for 50 assists after garnering 53 the night before. For FGCU, the sophomore hitter Shomaker wreaked havoc...
by Erika Plunkett | Apr 2, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb stays undefeated in conference play with a dominating 7-0 win against North Alabama on Wednesday night. The seven goals for the Bisons are the most goals scored in an ASUN game for Lipscomb as well as their third-most in the NCAA era. Junior midfielders Cami Rogers and Kelli Beiler led the Bisons scoring two goals each, and sophomore, and forwards sophomore Kammy McGee, sophomore Grace Oliver, and freshman Haley Williams each added one to the Bisons scoring. Despite allowing seven goals, North Alabama goalkeeper Peyton Yates saved 12 goals, but the Bisons’ relentless attack was too much for the Lions to stop, as the Bisons finished with 24 shots including 19 on goal. Meanwhile, defensively for Lipscomb, the Bisons’ backline only allowed three shots total for the Lions, and the Bisons goalkeepers senior Melissa Gray and freshman CJ Graham split the work, each playing one half and stopping one of the two Lions’ shots on goal. Lipscomb is scheduled to play Bellarmine Saturday afternoon at home to finish out their regular season this spring before tournament play begins next week. Photo by Riley...
by Erika Plunkett | Mar 31, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
After getting swept by the North Alabama Lions on the road over the weekend, the Lipscomb Bisons took care of business Tuesday night against the Austin Peay Governors winning 14-7. Sophomore pitcher Caleb Williams got his first start of the season, and despite allowing two Govs batters on base to start the 1st inning, he did not allow any runs in his two innings of work and got the win for the Bisons. Williams was the first of eight Lipscomb pitchers on the afternoon, a rotation that included freshman pitcher Patrick Williams, junior pitcher Wyatt Folsom, freshman pitcher Bryce Einstein, freshman pitcher Tanner Morgan, sophomore pitcher Tyler Sills, freshman pitcher Ike Buxton, and junior pitcher Tyler Drabick. The Bisons started the scoring in the first inning with three runs from senior infielder Haddon Adams, freshman infielder Tiger Borom, and senior infielder Chris Bashlor. A two-RBI single from sophomore catcher Chaz Bertolani as well as a two-run home run from Bashlor extended Lipscomb’s lead to seven. A scoreless third inning finally put an end to Lipscomb’s scoring barrage, and Austin Peay responded in the fourth and fifth innings with a 6-0 scoring run to cut the Bisons’ lead to one. But, Lipscomb responded with a seven-run, 12-batter sixth inning to put the game out of reach for the Governors. Bashlor and Bertolani led the Bisons with four and three RBIs, respectively. With this win, the Bisons have improved their record to 8-11. Lipscomb returns to action Thursday at Dugan Field for their third conference series of the season against ASUN-newcomer Bellarmine in a three game series. All three games can...
by Spencer Boehme | Mar 28, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
Bellarmine’s volleyball program has talent. But it doesn’t hide the fact that it just joined Division I, and a Lipscomb squad that’s only lost two games all year wasn’t about to get upset on its home court Saturday night. Lipscomb (15-2, No. 1 ASUN North) played host to a Bellarmine team (4-13, No. 4 ASUN North) that posed some challenges. But the Bisons ultimately enjoyed set victories of 25-19, 25-18 and 25-16 and will play North Florida on Friday. Lipscomb dialed in a .361 hitting percentage, while the Knights only rang in a .176 mark. Bison seniors Megan Kuper and Sami Rubal combined for 26 kills on the night, with Rubal’s .667 hitting percentage leading both teams. Freshman Delaney Dilfer’s 40 assists paced Lipscomb. Bellarmine has a talented sophomore blocker in Hannah Brown, as her 14 kills and .423 hitting percentage caused the Bisons some headaches. Junior Sam Rickert assisted 30 times as well. Bellarmine led 3-1 and later tied at 10-10 in the first frame, setting up for what seemed to be a good game. But that’s what outmatched teams often do — the Bisons slowly widened the gap to 22-17 before the Knights had to call a timeout. Lipscomb won the first set 25-19. The Knights kept the second set close and were down 14-16 off a service error from Megan Kuper, but a 4-0 Lipscomb run put the frame out of reach and ultimately led to the 25-18 win. Lipscomb led the final set 24-13, and Bellarmine made a last-gasp effort with a 3-0 run before Lanie Wagner sent the ball to the right side of the court to...
by Erika Plunkett | Mar 27, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
Saturday evening, Lipscomb’s volleyball team will play host to their quarterfinal game of the ASUN volleyball tournament, after clinching their seventh regular-season title and first since 2016. The regular-season championship was clinched last weekend at Bellarmine, who the Bisons beat 3-1 on Friday and swept 3-0 on Saturday. From these performances against the Knights, Lipscomb freshman middle blocker Meg Mersman was awarded the ASUN defensive player of the week. The Bisons’ regular-season record finished at 14-2, with a nearly perfect 11-1 conference record. Due to the COVID-19 altered structure of the schedule, Lipscomb played at and hosted each team in the ASUN North, which includes North Alabama, Liberty, Kennesaw State, and Bellarmine, but has not yet faced any teams from the southern region of the ASUN. Each of the top four seeds from each region reached the tournament, with the top two seeds from each division hosting a quarterfinal matchup, and will continue to play in separate brackets until the brackets merge for the semifinal matchups and the championship game on April 2nd and 3rd hosted at Kennesaw State. For the Bisons to complete the ASUN championship sweep on the season and clinch a spot in the 2021 NCAA volleyball tournament, they will need to rely on players like Mersman, senior outside hitter Megan Kuper, freshman outside hitter Kamryn Bacus and freshman setter Delaney Dilfer. Bacus, Kuper and Mersman all average over three points per set, and Dilfer adds nearly 10 assists per set. Other key contributors to watch out for from the Bisons include junior outside hitters Lanie Wagner and Logan Gish. If the Bisons advance Saturday, they will...
