FIELD HOCKEY (9-4, 2-1 BIG EAST)
No. 17 Liberty overcame an early two-goal deficit Friday afternoon, scoring four unanswered goals to defeat Georgetown, 4-2, at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The Lady Flames extended their winning streak to three games and improved to 2-1 in Big East play.
Georgetown jumped in front with a pair of first-quarter goals, putting Liberty in an unfamiliar position against a conference opponent. The Lady Flames responded late in the second quarter when Julieta Tornati scored off a penalty corner, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at halftime. Avery Pollock tied the contest in the third quarter before Josefina Tomasi gave Liberty its first lead of the afternoon in the fourth. Clarisa Iudicello capped the comeback with another goal three minutes later, securing the 4-2 victory.
Liberty controlled much of the action, outshooting Georgetown 16-7 and holding a 9-4 advantage in shots on goal. Iudicello continued her impressive freshman campaign, leading the Lady Flames with nine goals and 20 points through 12 games. The victory also extended Liberty’s all-time winning streak against Georgetown to 13 games. The Hoyas scored multiple goals against the Lady Flames for the first time in the series, but Liberty’s second-half response proved decisive.
On a rainy Sunday in Lynchburg, Liberty earned its first top-10 win of the 2026 campaign, besting No. 9 North Carolina, 2-1, at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. It is Liberty’s first ever victory over UNC at home and third victory all time in the series. The Lady Flames have now won four straight matches behind first half goals from Josefina Tomasi and Liz Bustillo. The Flames struck first 51 seconds into the second quarter when Tomasi found the back of the cage. The second goal came at the 21:56 mark for a 2-0 lead. North Carolina added a goal in the 53rd minute but were unable to get any closer.
Liberty’s next game will be on the road Friday at Big East opponent Providence (9-4, 2-1 Big East). The match will commence at 2 p.m. at Lennon Family Field in Providence, R.I.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (11-2-1, 4-0 CUSA)
Liberty extended its winning streak to nine games with a 1-0 shutout victory at home over FIU as the Flames move into sole possession of first place in the CUSA standings.
Playing through dense rain and a soaked field, Liberty peppered FIU goalkeeper Valery Restrepo with 22 shots. She notched nine saves, keeping the Panthers in the game despite being outshoot 22-3. The Lady Flames and Avenley Monteith broke through in the 79th minute. Monteith sent a blister between outstretched limbs for the go ahead tally, her third of the season.
With a ninth consecutive win, it ties for the second longest winning streak in program history. The streak is also tied for the longest winning streak in Division I with Boise State and Southern Illinois. Liberty has a 19-game unbeaten streak against CUSA opponents with its last regular season loss against FIU all the way back in September 2024. The Flames also own a 10-game winning streak against conference opponents, including the postseason, which is currently the longest in Division I.
Liberty hits the t=road for a single game this weekend at Kennesaw State on Saturday. Kick off is set for 6 p.m. from Fifth Third Stadium on ESPN+.
Following the win, the team received a No. 23 ranking in the latest United Soccer Coaches/IWSOC Weekly Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in program history.
MEN’S SOCCER (4-5-2, 2-2 SOCON)
Liberty’s men’s soccer team saw its three-game unbeaten streak come to an end Saturday evening, falling 2-0 to East Tennessee State in a rainy Southern Conference matchup in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Despite the final score, the Flames generated plenty of offensive pressure early. Liberty outshot the Buccaneers 11-2 in the first half and finished the match with a 15-5 advantage in total shots. However, ETSU goalkeeper Noe Delmotte made seven saves to keep Liberty off the scoreboard. The Buccaneers capitalized on their limited opportunities, taking a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute on a goal by Gavin Dick. Dick struck again shortly after the hour mark to double the advantage and put Liberty in a difficult position. The Flames continued pressing but were unable to find a breakthrough. Liberty’s chances became more difficult after a red card in the 58th minute left the visitors playing a man down for the remainder of the contest.
The loss was Liberty’s first shutout defeat of the season and snapped a stretch in which the Flames had gone more than four hours of game time without allowing a goal. The result drops Liberty to 2-2 in SoCon play as the conference schedule continues.
The Flames will look to rebound Saturday when they travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to face Wofford at 6 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL (12-6, 4-2 CUSA)
Liberty split its two-match weekend series against New Mexico State at Liberty Arena, winning Friday’s contest in straight sets before falling to the Aggies in three sets Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Flames opened the weekend with a 25-16, 25-21, 25-22 victory, extending their winning streak to four matches. Liberty controlled the first two sets and responded to a third-set deficit to complete the sweep. The Lady Flames hit .288 for the match and held New Mexico State to a .069 hitting percentage.
Saturday’s rematch proved to be a different story. New Mexico State earned a 25-23, 25-19, 25-13 victory, using a strong offensive performance to halt Liberty’s winning streak at four matches. The Aggies outhit Liberty .314 to .181 and held the advantage in kills, assists, service aces and digs. After narrowly taking the opening set, New Mexico State pulled away in the second and dominated the third to secure the weekend split.
Despite Saturday’s setback, Liberty remains in the thick of the CUSA race with a 4-2 conference record. The Lady Flames have won several important matches during the opening stretch of league play but will look to regain consistency as the conference schedule progresses. Liberty’s next matches are scheduled for Oct. 16-17, when the Lady Flames travel to face Western Kentucky in a CUSA series. WKU is the seven-time defending CUSA regular-season champion.
CROSS COUNTRY
Liberty’s cross country teams did not have a competition scheduled during the past week after a strong showing at the Paul Short Run the previous week. The Lady Flames captured the women’s gold 6K team title for the first time in program history, while the men’s team finished eighth in the gold 8K race. Allie Zealand led the women’s squad with a fourth-place individual finish, the best placement by a Liberty runner in the meet’s history. Ethan Pedersen paced the men’s team with a 14th-place finish.
The Flames are scheduled to return to competition next weekend, with runners expected to compete at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Oct. 16 and the Roanoke XC Invitational in Salem, Virginia, on Oct. 17.
