Liberty field hockey defender proud to share faith and sport during historic season

Liberty University sophomore field hockey defender Jodie Conolly always believed it was possible to prioritize her faith in Christ while competing at the highest level in her sport.

“I wanted to play for God and not get caught up thinking that any of my talent came from me,” she said. “And I wanted to go to a place where I could honor God but still have a really competitive environment. When you don’t have people around you who believe the same thing, it’s not as easy to remember or believe the importance of using what you’re playing to honor God.”

The South Africa native originally committed to play collegiate field hockey at the University of Boston, but after one season of playing for the Terriers in 2019, she decided to transfer to Liberty where two of her friends, Daniella Rhodes and Sophie McDonald were playing.

“I always wanted to play with fellow Christians,” she said. “I felt like I really needed that community in my life and wasn’t getting that at Boston. … It was really hard to leave Boston. To have a new start coming all the way over to America on your own was already pretty scary and to now have another new start was scary too.”

Conolly said that it was Liberty’s commitment to Training Champions for Christ that first served as the primary appeal for her to transfer. This season, she has been blown away by how seriously the field hockey team approaches honoring Christ in every area of life.

“It’s exceeded all my expectations,” she said. “It’s so cool to honor God in everything. I remember being mind-blown that we prayed after every practice. In the middle of practice, we’re having chats about different things we’re struggling with or what we read in Bible study that morning or in team Bible study which is amazing. It’s really cool to be able to share a faith and a sport.”

Soon after Connolly arrived in Lynchburg for the 2020 season, the team’s activities were put on hold due to COVID-19. But since returning to action this spring, Conolly has proven to be a valuable asset for the Lady Flames (12-2), who were recently recognized as the highest ranked NCAA team in Liberty Athletics history when they rose to No. 4 in the nation last month. Liberty has remained in the top 10 in the country, currently sitting at No. 6.

Conolly is currently tied for third on the Lady Flames in goals scored and has started all 14 games this season. On Sunday, Liberty will close out its regular season at home in a 2 p.m. matchup against Davidson at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Later this month, the Lady Flames will look to win their first BIG EAST Championships crown, April 22-24 in Conshohocken, Pa., before moving on to the 2021 NCAA Division I Field Hockey National Championship Tournament, which will begin April 30 at Villanova.

Conolly has come a long way from the 9-year-old girl who did not want anything to do with field hockey; she said strapping on the equipment was a chore. But she soon developed a love for the game and excelled throughout middle school and high school. She was named captain of her U18 provincial team in South Africa among her numerous other high school accomplishments. During her freshman season at Boston, Conolly ranked second on the team in goals and points while also finishing first on the team in goals scored against conference opponents.

As she looks back on her journey from growing up playing the sport she loves in South Africa to now playing at the NCAA Division I level at Liberty, Conolly is grateful for how she saw the Lord working in her life throughout that time.

“There were so many doors being opened and I knew it was God opening those doors and telling me that this was what I was supposed to do,” she said.