by Tim Ghianni | May 17, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
With the season said and done and exams winding down, the Lady Bisons bid farewell to two influential seniors, Kara Jackson and Julianne McMeen. “We are graduating two seniors who have laid a great foundation for our team,” women’s assistant coach Jamie Aid said. “I appreciate all the hard work they have put in for their teammates and for this program. I wish these two ladies all the success in the world.” Jackson spent four years as a Lady Bison, playing consistently at positions 1-4 throughout her career. Aid said Jackson’s willingness to compete and heart for the game were greatly respected by her coaches and teammates. “Kara is a strong-willed, determined individual,” Aid said. “Kara always did two things for me that I respected as a coach” 1) when it was time to play, she was out there on that court to compete; and 2) her heart was always in the right place. “She will be missed next year as a part of the Lady Bison tennis team; however, I am so happy for her as she is starting a new chapter in her life with marrying another Lipscomb grad and pursuing her passion for teaching. I have no doubt that she will be very successful” After graduation, Jackson, an education major from Dayton, Ohio, said she has big plans for the summer. “I’m getting married May 21st and have already begun the process of moving to our new home in Ohio and looking for a teaching position,” Jackson said. When looking back on her career as a Lady Bison, Jackson said she knows Lipscomb was where God...
by Vanessa Medina | Mar 22, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
Alex Kelly is the only Lipscomb student who can lay claim to spending a part of her winter playing professional volleyball in Germany. While she’s now back on campus getting ready for graduation, she got her chance to sample the world of professional volleyball over Christmas break after signing a contract with a team in Germany. It started when volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal called her about a team from Germany that needed a middle hitter. The trip got off to something of an uncomfortable start after the airlines lost her luggage and didn’t locate it for six days. “That was a struggle,” Kelly said. The team there was exactly what she expected from a pro team, with winning being their only focus. This was an entirely different mindset from college athletics in which homework, papers and GPA are all important. Kelly said she loved almost everything about Germany, from the culture to the freezing cold weather. She didn’t like the management of her team, though. “I didn’t feel like I was treated with the respect that you expect and deserve,” Kelly said. “The team was run like a business and the players were not looked at as important. I had so much going for me here at Lipscomb, it was too hard to give it up and be treated that way.” With all those things behind her, Kelly decided to come back to Lipscomb and finish up her studies. She plans on graduating in May with a degree in marketing and a minor in communications. Once she gets her diploma, Kelly plans on trying her hand at professional volleyball again in Europe. While she...
by Vanessa Medina | Mar 15, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
If you drive out to a Little League Ballpark and ask any little kid what they want to be when they grow up, most will answer “a professional baseball player.” Caleb Joseph, who was one of those kids before his time at Lipscomb, is living that dream, aiming for a roster spot with the Baltimore Orioles when spring training breaks. The former Bison star got the call to join the big league team in Florida when the Orioles opened camp this winter. Joseph is one of seven catchers in the rotation, meaning he will catch about every three games until the dust settles and the roster is filled. This will give him the opportunity to wear the official Baltimore Orioles jersey. He comes by his baseball love naturally. Mom and Dad both graduated from Lipscomb and were involved with athletics. His dad, Mark, played baseball for the Bisons during the NAIA days. Caleb’s sister, Carly, currently cheers at Lipscomb. Caleb’s younger brother, Corban, is also in the minor leagues and is working out with the New York Yankees. The young Joseph has been working with the major league stars after being called upon twice in the past week to play alongside Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. He also gets to learn from one of the best second basemen in the league, Robinson Cano. Corban was drafted out of Franklin High School and bypassed college ball to try his hand in the majors. While the Joseph brothers are both in the minor league stages, they work out together and push each other. Caleb finally got to see Corban in action on the field last summer. “It’s...
by Cooper Torrez | Mar 3, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
The Lady Bisons return to Draper Diamond on Friday for the first time since last season. They will face off against Butler to kick off the Lady Bison Classic. The Lady Bisons come in to the game after playing in the Georgia Tournament and the UAB Tournament. Compiling a 5-8 record in the two tournaments, the Lady Bisons look to get back on track. Whitney Kiihnl plans on using her leadership to help the Lady Bisons throughout the season and this weekend. “I hope the other girls see me as a leader, in that they see me more as a spiritual leader,” Kiinhl said. “God allowed me to be a part of the Lipscomb softball team for a reason, and so hopefully I am doing God’s will by being a good influence on my teammates.” “I just try to tell the younger girls to be confident and believe in themselves. I’ve learned that the mental game is a huge part of playing at the college level. Believing in yourself can go a long way.” As far as the Lady Bison Classic goes, Kiinhl says it’s simple and it will be good to play at home. “I like playing at home because it’s just a comforting feeling,” Kiinhl said. “We’re used to the training room, the locker room and the field. I enjoy seeing my friends and all our supporters at the games. “We just have to show up to play. Offensively and defensively, we have to be prepared and on our A-game.” Kiihnl’s goal for the season may be different than most teams or players, but she is sure...
by Cooper Torrez | Mar 2, 2011 | Sports
The Bisons opening round matchup in the A-Sun tournament is a familiar one– the host team, the Mercer Bears. Mercer comes off a season finale win over the Bisons 68-67, but the Bisons got the better of Mercer on Dec. 4 in Allen Arena with a 77-65 win. Each team won the regular season matchup on their home court, but Coach Sanderson knows there is much more to winning than just home court advantage. “It’s more about us,” Sanderson said. “It’s not necessarily about Mercer, it’s more about what we do. I think we have won the last four times at Mercer besides our last game in which we were only beat by 1, so I think it’s more about what we do and how we prepare. “We just have to be more focused and know that we have been successful down [at Mercer] before.” Seniors Josh Slater and Adnan Hodzic get much of the attention from opposing teams, and rightfully so. Adnan leads the team in points per game (18) and rebounds (7.5). While Slater leads the team in assists per game (4.7) and is second in points per game (16.5). A big key to the game and tournament is balance. “We just need to be more balanced,” Sanderson said. “If those two guys (Hodzic and Slater) have career nights there is a chance we still may not win, so we have to have balance throughout our roster. We have to have everyone step up and do the things we ask them to do, both offensively and defensively, to take the pressure off of Adnan and Josh as...
