Liberty’s fall sports are officially underway all over campus, and we will provide weekly updates on all of the teams throughout the semester.
CROSS COUNTRY
Facing their toughest competition of the young season and some hot weather, both Liberty teams delivered some strong performances. The men’s squad took runner-up honors at the adidas XC Challenge, while the Lady Flames came in fourth. No. 19 North Carolina prevented the men’s team from defending its adidas XC Challenge title from 2024. Liberty did outdistance everyone else in the 14-team field, including host NC State. Liberty was paced by top 20 showings by Nicholas Kiprotich, Edwin Kiprop, and Andrew Schultz.
Paced by Allie Zealand’s fifth-place individual showing, the Lady Flames finished fourth out of 14 women’s squads. Liberty trailed only No. 3 NC State, No. 15 North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Liberty will split the squad between two different meets on Oct. 3. A majority of the runners will compete in the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Indiana. The remainder of the Flames will head to Kernersville, North Carolina, for the Spartan Classic.
#6 FIELD HOCKEY (5-1, 1-0 Big East)
Liberty earned a 2-0 shutout win on the road at Quinnipiac in its Big East Conference opener, on Friday afternoon. The Lady Flames improve to 5-1 on the year after handing the Bobcats their first home loss of 2025. Liberty’s shutout is its second of the year and second in the last three games. Diane Saint Martin recorded her second clean sheet in cage. The Lady Flames received goals from Morena Giacosa and Luna Prieri in the triumph.
Liberty will be back in action on Friday against Big East preseason favorite UConn. Game time from Liberty Field Hockey Field is 6 p.m. The Lady Flames then step out of conference to play at William & Mary on Sunday at noon.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (5-3-3, 0-0-1 CUSA)
Liberty and Missouri State played to a scoreless draw on Friday afternoon in Lynchburg in the first ever matchup between the two programs and the CUSA opener this season for both. Missouri State secured the majority of high-level scoring chances while Liberty outshot the Bears, 13-10. Two Missouri State shots deflected off the crossbar, one in each half.
The Lady Flames continue conference play by hitting the road for two games this weekend. Liberty plays at UTEP on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and Sunday at New Mexico State at 3 p.m. ET.
MEN’S SOCCER (4-2-2, 0-0 OVC)
Two second half goals propelled the No. 21 UNCG Spartans past Liberty, 3-1, handing the Flames their first loss of the season on Friday evening at Osborne Stadium in Lynchburg. Liberty tied the game at 1 late in the first half as midfielder Aidan Morrison scored the team’s lone goal of the match during the 38th minute. In the second half, the visiting Spartans took a 2-1 advantage during the 60th minute. Later, UNCG upped its lead to 3-1 during the 71st minute. On Monday night, the Flames fell at No. 1 Wake Forest, 7-0.
This week, Liberty opens OVC play by hosting Southern Indiana to Osborne Stadium on Saturday at noon.
VOLLEYBALL (12-1, 0-0 CUSA)
Liberty swept McNeese before posting a 3-2 win over Houston on Friday at Houston’s Fertitta Center. The win over Houston marked the program’s first ever win over a Big 12 team. Earlier this season, the Lady Flames beat Rutgers in five sets for their first win over a Big 10 program. The win over McNeese came against Liberty head coach Jeremy White’s alma mater as he is a two-time graduate and was also an assistant at McNeese. On Saturday, Liberty rallied past North Alabama for a 3-2 victory, winning the team’s eighth match in a row, and going 3-0 in the Cougar Challenge. It marked Liberty’s third in-season tournament title this year (also Buffalo, William & Mary). The Lady Flames are 6-0 in five-set matches this season, the most five-set wins in a single season since winning six matches in five sets during the 2012 season.
This week, Liberty opens conference play at home taking on Louisiana Tech Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. from Liberty Arena.
