Swimming and Diving start their season

The Liberty women’s swimming and diving team begins its 2022-23 season with a conference meet at Campbell University Oct. 1.

Searching for their fifth consecutive CCSA Championship, the Lady Flames will have to do so with a large number of newcomers, with 14 freshman and one transfer highlighting Liberty’s roster this season.

Typically, the team will split into stroke groups, individual medley (IM), distance and sprint groups. This year, however, they’ve been practicing together more than in the past to help bring the group together. 

The Flames will see two new opponents added to the ASUN Conference this season (James Madison and Queens University), making the conference even better and faster. 

Head Coach Jake Shellenberger said that coaches are free to make the schedules every year. They called up Arkansas and will be competing against the Razorbacks for the first time Nov. 4.

Every season, the team looks forward to the conference meet. After hosting it for the past two years, Shellenberger and the Lady Flames will get a break from hosting and travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, to compete for the conference crown.

“It is a lot of work to host the (CCSA Championship),” Shellenberger said. “That’ll be nice to head down to Tennessee this year and just get on a bus and show up at the pool and not have anything to do beforehand. Then, (we’re) looking forward to the flight trip to Arkansas… that’s a really special thing.”

While Shellenberger believes that he has a very well-rounded team, three names on the roster stick out.

Senior diver Olivia Robinson will use her COVID-19 year of eligibility to compete with the Flames for a fifth season. Robinson currently holds the Liberty program record in platform diving (229.58) and ranks third in program history in both one-meter (281.80) and three-meter (290.65). 

Shellenberger feels like Robinson’s the one that’s always been there, even being the last “90s kid” that there will ever be on the team. She’s battled some injuries in the past, but this year she’s healthy and ready to go.

Junior swimmer Abbie Shaw, however, may be the Flames most elite returner. Shaw qualified for USA Swimming Nationals last year and is the reigning CCSA champion in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. 

Following the Lady Flames season opener at Campbell, they will head to the Tar Heel State to take on East Carolina Oct. 8 for a nonconference matchup. 

Bruss is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion