Liberty’s Quiz Bowl team defeats Ivy League competitor
October 7, 2014 : By - Office of Communications & Public Engagement
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| Liberty University’s Quiz Bowl team members from left to right: Greta Hanks, Kaity Shondelmyer (captain), Doug Stephens, and Jon Bateman. |
Liberty University’s seven-time Big South Championship-winning Quiz Bowl team earned four key wins at Virginia Commonwealth University’s tournament Saturday, Oct. 4, including its first-ever victory over an Ivy League opponent.
Liberty A, the varsity team, defeated University of Pennsylvania and Virginia Tech, while Liberty B (junior varsity) defeated University of Virginia and Virginia Tech.
“Since we had already gone to nationals last year, placing 20th in the country out of 103 schools, the one goal that I set for our varsity team this year was to beat an Ivy League opponent, and our varsity team did that at its very first tournament of the semester,” said Dr. Jim Nutter, Quiz Bowl coach and director of the university’s honors program.
Even without its three-time most valuable player, Catherine Hardee, who graduated in May and earned $97,201 in five episodes of ‘Jeopardy!’ last month, the Quiz Bowl team did especially well with senior team captain Kaity Shodelmyer at the helm. As a Pennsylvania native herself, the biochemistry student and National Merit Finalist took particular enjoyment in the victory.
Doug Stephens, a senior English major, led Liberty’s team with 425 points scored. Liberty had a distinct advantage in the tournament, according to Nutter, when the questions turned to biblical topics.
“I love it when our team is able to answer religion questions with lightning-quick accuracy,” Nutter said. “A frustrated UVa player remarked during the tournament, ‘Why does Liberty always get the Bible questions?’”
The games consisted of two 10-minute halves featuring questions regarding literature, history, geography, government, the sciences, math, art, popular culture, and sports.
All three levels of Liberty’s Quiz Bowl team will next compete at the ACT Sectional tournament at University of Maryland on Nov. 8.
Tournament results
- Liberty 215, Virginia Tech 100
- Liberty 125, University of Pennsylvania 105
- Liberty 140, University of Virginia 80
- Liberty 105, Virginia Tech 95
