The Liberty Women’s Beach Volleyball team went 4-0 at home in a series of games Feb. 28-March 1.
The Lady Flames kicked off the weekend Friday, Feb. 28 playing against Southern Virginia University and the University of Lynchburg. Saturday’s games wrapped up the events with games against Carson-Newman University and Richard Bland College.
The weekend tournament began early on Friday with an 8 a.m. match against Southern Virginia where the Lady Flames had a successful morning that resulted in wins across the board.
Senior duo Brooke Elliott and Grace Cropper found a successful start to the tournament. The pair won the first set 21-13 and the second set 21-17.
Sophomore Avaree Kellert and freshman Josephine Malone battled in their match to the end with their first set ending 21-11. Despite the second set ending in a loss for the Lady Flames 21-17, they managed to come back and close out the match with a 15-9 win.
The Lady Flames were back in the sand 10 hours later going head-to-head against the University of Lynchburg.
Junior Gabrielle Olson and sophomore Kinley Phillips fought in a difficult match against the University of Lynchburg; however, the game did not end in their favor. The first set resulted in a loss 21-10. The pair came back for the second set and beat University of Lynchburg 21-16. However, their momentum dissipated as they lost the third set 15-9.
Seniors Brenna Rae Bentley and Taylor Bates had a hard-fought victory in their match against the University of Lynchburg. The first set was a close game, but the Lady Flames could not overtake the Lady Hornets as they suffered a loss 25-23. They came back in the second set winning 21-17 and finished out the match winning set three 20-18.
The next day, the Lady Flames were up against the Carson-Newman Lady Talons.
Elliott and Cropper hit the sand against the Lady Talons to take the game all the way to the third set. The first set finished with a mere two-point win for the Lady Flames at 23-21 while they lost a close second set 21-17. The senior partners fought to the finish, winning the set 15-12 and taking the match overall.
Elliott and Cropper were not the only ones demonstrating endurance in a battle against Carson-Newman.
Bentley and Bates went all the way to the third set in a competitive, edge-of-your-seat game. The first set was won by the Lady Flames 21-19, but they lost 21-19 in the second. Finally, the Lady Flames took the victory in the third set 15-11.
“They went to three sets in a lot of their games,” Head Coach Payton Carter said. “They’re fighters for sure so I am proud of them.”
To close out the weekend of games, the Lady Flames went up against Richard Bland, finishing strong with a sweep.
Bentley and Bates had three long and competitive sets, ultimately winning the match. In the first set, the Lady Flames had dozens of rallies and points back and forth, but lost the set 32-30. Liberty came back in the second set, winning 21-15. The last set had the crowd cheering them on, leading to a win 15-11.
“Our 3s, Taylor and BR, fought till the end of all their games,” Carter said.
Olson and Phillips also had a competitive game, which resulted in a win for the Lady Flames. The first set was rocky, with Liberty losing 21-19. They came back with a dominating win for the second set, 21-11, and finished out the match with a 15-9 win.
Carter was pleased to see the team’s performance as they dominated the home tournament.
“Overall, I feel great about our play this weekend,” Carter said. “We went 4-0 at home. That’s awesome.”
The Lady Flames will head down to St. Petersburg, Florida as they take on Eckerd College March 14-15.
Clardy is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.