Women’s Volleyball Dominates in first home series
The Lady Flames set themselves up for success Sept. 2-3, posting a perfect weekend in their home tournament to open the season.
Liberty defeated Winthrop, University of North Carolina Wilmington and Murray State to go 3-0 and win the tournament.
On Friday, The Lady Flames lost the first set to Winthrop, but bounced back to win the next three sets and take the win for the match. Junior Trinity Watts could feel the excitement in the arena as her team claimed victory.
“We had great fans,” Watts said. “Our chemistry was amazing, (and) even when we were down, it didn’t feel like we were down. I think at one point in the game, I forgot that we were losing. But I think overall we just really showed out.”
Despite entering the tournament 1-2, Head Coach Trevor Johnson was confident that his team’s culture would allow them to come back stronger.
“The culture is amazing,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter who’s playing or not playing. There’s no selfishness. They want what’s best for the team. If they’re not playing, they’re going to be the best teammate that they can.”
The Lady Flames played both UNCW and Murray State on Saturday, defeating both with 3-and-out finishes. Trinity Watts was named Tournament MVP, and Lydia Burts (Top Blocker), Delaney Dilfer (Top Setter) and Erica Lowery (Top Libero) also earned All-Tournament Team honors.
Johnson noted that Burts, the junior from Anderson, South Carolina, has the potential to be a break-out player for this squad.
“I think she can be an All-American,” Johnson said. “I’m just trying to get her to believe that. She’s 6 (feet) 3 (inches) and touches 10 (feet) 5 (inches), and no matter how big the block is, she can just go over the top. It was fun to see them (Winthrop) bounce the ball against us, and Lydia bounce the ball against them. It was a good response, and I’m really proud of her.”
The Lady Flames will take the court again at the UC San Diego Tournament in San Diego, California, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. The broadcast will air on ESPN+.
Bruss is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter
Photos by Brent Tyrrell. Follow him on Instagram @brenttyrrell
