by Aaron Schmelzer | Mar 12, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Bison volleyball players Lauren Ford and Jewell Dobson attended the U.S. Olympic Volleyball tryouts late last month and came home with memories and important lessons. The two juniors were selected to represent Lipscomb at the tryout and said the atmosphere was almost unreal. “It really didn’t hit me; it really didn’t set in with me until I walked in,” middle blocker Jewell Dobson said. The women said the tryouts were fast-paced and constant. Each session was two hours and consisted mostly of drills. “The style of play was just different. It was very intense. We were always running around playing [volleyball], so in a way that was fast paced,” Dobson said. “It seemed surreal to us that we were playing with the best of the best,”outside hitter Ford added. Through those drills, outside hitter Lauren Ford says she learned valuable lessons that she plans on taking into her senior year. “One thing I saw was just a passion from the defenders. They always had this ridiculous energy that you don’t normally see in a lot of defenders,” Ford said. She also explained that she wants to be more vocal with that passion as well. Dobson agreed saying she wants to carry that same passion into the aspects of her play and also highlighted the value of teamwork. “We both have more of this appreciation for our own team; more so than we even did before. The only way a team is great is if everyone’s connecting and working together,” Dobson said. Dobson and Ford also said that the presence of assistant coach Billy Ebel helped them stay comfortable at the...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Feb 19, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Junior volleyball players Lauren Ford and Jewell Dobson will represent Lipscomb University in the tryouts for the United States Volleyball Team, an honor given to only two other athletes in school history. The others, Jake Pease and Alex Kelly, played together from the 2007-08 season to the 2010-11 season. “I grew up looking up to Alex Kelly and Jake Pease, who have been in this position before,” outside hitter Lauren Ford said. “I would look up to [Pease and Kelly], hoping to be as good as them.” “They’re the type of players who have left a legacy at Lipscomb, and to be in the same position they have been in says a lot,” middle blocker Jewell Dobson said. “It just says a lot about our success and the success that the program has had.” The tryouts begin Feb. 21 and go until Feb. 23 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Volleyball head coach Brandon Rosenthal said that the difference between Pease and Kelly and Dobson and Ford is that the girls this year are going together. In the past, Pease and Kelly traveled separately to the tryouts. This time around, Dobson and Ford will travel together, although Rosenthal doesn’t know if they’ll room together. “I just want them to go and have a great time and just do their best,” Rosenthal said. Rosenthal also said that the only difference the girls will see at the tryouts is the increase in altitude. He mentioned that the ball flies through the air a bit differently, but it will not make a huge difference. The coach, who just finished his...
by Travis Byrd | Aug 29, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
The Lady Bisons have spent the last 265 days thinking about how their season ended short of their fourth straight Atlantic Sun Championship. This Lady Bisons team can’t wait for redemption. They are living this season by the team’s new motto, “Can’t Wait.” “After winning three championships in a row, we are in new territory this year with this idea of coming up short. ‘Can’t Wait’ came to me just in the sense of ‘I can’t wait to be with my teammates, can’t wait to practice, can’t wait to do weights, can’t wait to travel,’” said Coach Brandon Rosenthal. Last year was a different year for the Lady Bisons, as the team has claimed a seat in the NCAA tournament for four of the past six years. According to Rosenthal, there is something the team has to regain this season to get back to that level. “We have to get back that swagger. We had a tremendous year last year going 15-3 in conference, and then losing in the semi final. Some of the aura to playing us has diminished,” Rosenthal said. “There was a time we were untouchable. By no means is this a lesser team. I believe they need to find that swagger and believe in themselves.” “As a team we are definitely looking at winning the A-Sun,” said junior Lauren Ford. “Our main goal as a team is to win the Atlantic Sun conference and go farther into the NCAA tournament than we have before, which is past the first round.” Ford was one of three Lady Bisons named to the pre-season All-American team. According to Ford, she...
by Carter Sanderson | Jul 18, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
In early May, the Lipscomb volleyball team embarked on an 11-day mission trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Head coach Brandon Rosenthal said that the trip was an exciting time for the group. “There was a tremendous amount of excitement,” Rosenthal said. “It was the first mission trip for a lot of the players and for six of them it was their first time out of the country.” Rosenthal’s main goal for the trip was the get to know each of his players better, and the girls wanted the same thing from each other. “We are already a team,” Rosenthal said. “This is a close team, but I urged them to break down the walls and develop an even deeper relationship as a team.” Work at the church, a stop at the legendary Christ the Redeemer statue and a hike up the Sugarloaf Mountians all played huge roles into making this such an unforgettable trip for all who went. However, the deeper connections formed and lives changed throughout their time in Brazil made this a truly invigorating expedition. “I really had no expectations going into it,” teammate Lauren Ford said. “I wanted to grow in my relationships with the team more than anything.” Playing only one game while over there, the girls had ample time to grow both mentally and spiritually. “Experiencing another culture with my teammates while getting to serve the Lord was the best part of being gone,” teammate Jordan Huston said. “It was cool how we were able to get closer as a team while we were helping others,” teammate Jewell Dobson added. As the week...
