Senior Lacrosse Star Prepares for Big South Tournament

Since joining the Liberty women’s Lacrosse team in 2014, senior defender Lindsey McNamara has become an anchor for the Lady Flames as a team captain. For the second year in a row, McNamara has earned Big South All-Conference honors after being voted Second Team Big South All-Conference.

 

With her final season coming to an end, McNamara hopes her hard work and dedication stay with the team after she leaves.

 

“The main thing I want to leave is just hard work and commitment,” McNamara said. “We have worked so hard this year and I want to leave with everyone still working that hard and still being committed to the program and wanting to go further and further each year.”

 

Growing up, McNamara competed in multiple sports. She did cheerleading up until the fourth grade, and she also played soccer and ran track. But after trying lacrosse in the fourth grade, she found her passion.

 

“My cheerleading coach told us to try (lacrosse) out,” McNamara said. “Then I fell in love with it in fourth grade.”

 

As she got older, the Florida native knew she wanted to attend an out-of-state school with a Christian foundation. When she found Liberty, she knew it would be a good fit.

 

“I really wanted to find a school that had really good morals and values and I wanted to get out of my home state,” McNamara said. “I was also looking at a different Christian college, but I’m glad this worked out because I fell in love with it and it was such a great experience to be here.”

 

McNamara is grateful for her opportunity to play lacrosse at Liberty, but she is even more thankful for the family she has developed while playing on the team.

 

“Just being around this group of girls, they all have different personalities that are very unique, but still awesome to be around,” McNamara said. “It’s a joy being around them every day and working with them and having new people come in every day can really help you grow in your faith and as a person and in your school work and as a player.”

 

McNamara has become an integral part of Liberty women’s lacrosse during her four-year career. During the Lady Flames record-breaking 13-4 season, McNamara was awarded with the defensive player of the week award.

 

“It is a team sport,” McNamara said. “But it was awesome getting that. But I’m just happy we got that win against Winthrop.”

 

As a captain, McNamara reaches out to the underclassmen and tries to make them feel as comfortable as possible with them going into the Big South tournament.

 

“I’ve been trying to work with them and talk with them,” McNamara said. “Just pour into them outside of practice for their school work and personal life and they are comfortable talking to me in their personal (lives) and comfortable on the field.”

 

Going into the Big South tournament the Lady Flames sit comfortably in second place, which earned them a first round

 

“We do have two weeks off, so it is just basically preparing our bodies and making sure we’re preparing at practice and going all out the entire time because that is what’s going to get us better prepared,” McNamara said. “Just making sure we eat right, we hydrate and just like mentally prepare as well because we do have two weeks off, it’s a good thing and a bad thing, but I think we are ready.”