by Ashlan Williams | Feb 7, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
A complete transformation of the men’s tennis team could surprise those who put the Bisons at the bottom in the preseason poll – based on last year’s 4-14 record – into A-Sun contenders. “This team is certainly the deepest team we have had here at Lipscomb, and we are expecting some great things from this group,” head coach Andrew Harris said. “The challenge for this group of guys will be mixing in the new players as well as the returning players.” It’s a welcome challenge for the team that was bolstered with five top players in recent months. Over Christmas break, the Bisons strengthened their lineup with the addition of three new players to their roster. Combined with their two freshman recruits acquired in the fall, the Bisons now have a deeper roster and hopes of surprising foes with a seemingly brand-new team. One of the Bisons’ transfers is actually a familiar face to Lipscomb. Sophomore Colby Shaw came to Lipscomb for his freshman year but transferred to the University of Kentucky for the fall semester of his sophomore year. Shaw had an impressive freshman season with the Bisons, posting a 9-3 singles record. However, for five months of his freshman year, he sat out of tennis while recovering from mononucleosis. Shaw attributes much of his decision to transfer to UK to the impact the illness had on his experience at Lipscomb. After spending a semester at UK, Shaw says it was easy to reverse course and return to Lipscomb. “As soon as I decided to leave and stop playing tennis, I realized I was going to regret it,”...
by Ashlan Williams | Apr 20, 2010 | News Slider, Sports
A crowd gathered on the roof of the new Allen Arena west parking garage Saturday, April 17, for the dedication of the Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center. The beautiful 2,200-square-foot facility, which promises to be one of the nicest in the Atlantic Sun Conference, offers six state of the art tennis courts, a pro shop, common area, restrooms, and soon to be completed locker rooms for the men’s and women’s tennis teams. The facility also provides two stadium courts located at ground level on the south end. The Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center is the new home of the men’s and women’s tennis teams. In addition to hosting many collegiate tennis matches, the facility also houses the Lipscomb Racquet Club. The Racquet Club offers annual memberships for unlimited use of the courts, a pay-as-you-play option for walk-ins, and junior and adult instructional programs. The Lipscomb Racquet Club has also established a partnership with the Green Hills YMCA, offering special membership discounts for YMCA members. This long-awaited tennis center was generously funded by lead donors, Bill and Myra Huston. Bill Huston, CFO of Southern Care Inc., was a member of the men’s tennis team during his time at Lipscomb. Huston’s hope for the facility is that it would expand Lipscomb’s NCAA tennis program, bringing more competition to the school and adding a new sense of pride in the program. As the dedication ceremony began, Joe Ivey, Senior Vice President of Advancement, gave a welcome to the guests. Everyone was then lead in prayer by Bennie Harris, Vice President of Development. Scott McDowell, Vice President of Student Development, and Phillip Hutcheson, Director of Athletics, offered...
by Hunter Patterson | Apr 12, 2010 | Sports
The past week was successful for the Lipscomb athletic teams. The baseball team won its weekend series with Kennesaw State 2-1. Josh Smith and Davey Hackett were the winning pitchers on Saturday and Sunday. You can see the box scores here. Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 The Bisons dropped two games earlier in the week to Tennessee Tech. The Bisons record now stands at 12-21 overall and 4-5 in the Atlantic Sun. The Lady Bison softball team went 4-2 over the past week, winning games against TSU, Kennesaw State, and Mercer. Lipscomb lost one game each to Kennesaw and Mercer. The two losses were the teams first conference losses. The teams record is now 33-9 overall and 10-2 in the Atlantic Sun. The game story for the TSU games can be read here. Whitney Kiihnl was also named Atlantic Sun player of the week for the fourth time this past week. The press release can be read here. The golf team finished 24th in the Bluegrass Invitational this weekend in Kentucky. Brandon Farmer lead all Lipscomb golfers with a 29th place finish for the weekend. The men’s and women’s tennis teams dropped matches against Belmont this week. The men lost 4-3 and the women 5-2. In basketball news, Junior forward Adnan Hodzic declared for the NBA draft on Thursday. Hodzic finished second in the nation in scoring with 22.7 points. Hodzic did not hire an agent, therefore he has until May 8 to withdraw his name from the draft. Upon declaring for the draft, Hodzic will have the opportunity to work out for various NBA teams. Adnan was also named an...
by Ashlan Williams | Apr 7, 2010 | Sports
The Lady Bisons suffered a tough loss against Atlantic Sun rival, Belmont University, in the infamous Battle of the Boulevard on Tuesday, April 6. Although the final score says 5-2, the score does not accurately depict the match. The air is always thick when Lipscomb and Belmont compete head to head. Tuesday was no exception when both teams stepped onto the courts at Belmont’s Davis Tennis Complex. At the start of the match, both teams held 0-9 conference records. Needless to say, the teams were equally matched. As doubles play began, the Lady Bisons made a strong statement by taking an early lead over Belmont. Lipscomb secured wins at both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, allowing them to clinch the doubles point and capture a 1-0 lead over the Bruins. Freshman Mackenzie Bishop and sophomore Elizabeth Keevil downed Abby Leatherwood and Laura Stack by a score of 8-4 at the No. 1 spot. At the No. 2 position, junior Kara Jackson and sophomore Danielle Hansen overpowered Belmont’s Abigail Hogan and Natalia Nunes 8-2. Lipscomb’s lone doubles loss came at No. 3. Junior Julianne McMeen and freshman Carlina Jow were defeated by Lindsay Bennett and Lauren Irick 8-1. With a confident 1-0 lead, the Lady Bisons entered into singles play. Evening the score to 1-1, Bishop came off court first for the Bisons at No. 1. Facing Belmont’s A-Sun honoree for the 2008-2009 season, Bishop played a tight first set. After taking a 3-0 lead, Bishop fell to 6-6. Bishop lost in the first set tiebreaker 7-5. Leatherwood upped her game in the second set, giving the Bruins the...
by Ashlan Williams | Apr 7, 2010 | Sports
The Bisons faced Atlantic Sun rival, Belmont University, in the heated Battle of the Boulevard on Tuesday, April 6 at Belmont’s Davis Tennis Complex. As always, the tension rose as the two teams began the face off. The Bisons took an early lead when they clinched the doubles point, winning No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Daniel Hangstefer and Joe McArdle secured a win at No. 1, defeating Renato Antun and Rafael Matos 8-6. The Bisons lost their only doubles match at the No. 2 spot. Chad Pierron and Tanner Brown were defeated by Joao Paolielli and Filipe Cirne Lima 8-6. Mario Hernandez and Colby Shaw picked up another win at No. 3 to give the Bisons the doubles point. The duo beat Belmont’s Bruno Silva and Jonathan Murrell in a close tiebreaker, prevailing 9-8. With the doubles point under their belt, the Bisons took a 1-0 over the Bruins. Hangstefer earned another win for the Bisons with his victory at No. 1 singles. Hangstefer defeated Paolielli 6-7, 6-1, 6-2 in a three set battle. The Bruins fought back with a win at No. 2. Pierron was defeated by the Belmont’s Antun 6-2, 6-3, bringing the match score to 2-1. The score was evened at 2-2 when Lipscomb fell at the No. 3 spot. Hernandez fell to Amaral in a close three set match, losing 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. The Bisons battled back to take the lead once again, securing their third win at No. 4. Shaw easily glided past Lima, defeating him 6-2, 6-4. Once again, Belmont matched Lipscomb, taking a win at No. 5 to even the match...
