This spring is what many in college athletics have referred to as Super Spring. Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic and most sports shut down during the fall and winter, the spring has become home to most college teams’ seasons in 2021. For Liberty, 19 of the school’s 20 Division I programs are in competition this spring, and, if you include football going through spring practice, all of the 20 programs are in action.

We will provide weekly updates on all of Liberty’s NCAA Division I teams in action this spring, with the exception of football, men’s basketball, and baseball, as we cover those teams regularly.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (19-8, 12-4)

The Lady Flames have finished their season, falling to No. 1 seed FGCU in the ASUN Championship Game, 84-62. Liberty defeated No. 7 Bellarmine, 88-59, and No. 3 North Florida, 65-52, to advance to the program’s 22nd conference tournament final in the past 25 years. FGCU ended up with an 11 seed in the Women’s NCAA Tournament, losing in the First Round.

CROSS COUNTRY

After winning the ASUN Women’s Cross Country Championship, the Lady Flames advanced to the program’s first ever appearance at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Liberty posted a 27th place finish while Adelyn Ackley (66th place) and Calli Doan (85th place) each notched top 100 individual finishes.

#5 FIELD HOCKEY (13-2, 10-2)

The Lady Flames routed Davidson, 9-0, in its regular season finale on Sunday afternoon at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. Liberty closes out the regular season with a 13-2 overall record and a perfect 7-0 home record after their sixth shutout of the season. This is the first time in school history the program has finished a regular season unbeaten at home. The nine goals scored in the game are the most goals in a game since scoring 12 times against Appalachian State on Nov. 7, 2015.

Liberty will now turn their attention to the Big East Field Hockey Championship held at the Villanova Field Hockey Field in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania which begins Thursday, April 22 with the Semifinals and the Final on Saturday, April 24. The Lady Flames are in search of their first Big East title after finishing as the runner-up in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

#14 GOLF

No. 14 Liberty earned a 6-5 win during a two-day match play event against No. 41 Charlotte Monday and Tuesday at Poplar Grove Golf Club. The match play event also featured individual stroke play match-ups with golfers from Liberty, Charlotte, and No. 39 Virginia. The Flames will now turn their attention to the 2021 ASUN Men’s Golf Championship which begins Sunday in Athens, Georgia. The three-day event will be contested at the University of Georgia Golf Course, where Liberty finished in fifth place at the 2019 NCAA Athens Regional to advance to their second NCAA National Championship appearance.

LACROSSE (6-6)

Freshman Olivia Glaze scored the game-winning goal with 1:23 to play, lifting the Lady Flames to a 14-13 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday at the Liberty Lacrosse field. On Tuesday, in the first ever meeting between the Lady Flames and No. 8 Duke, Liberty fell 18-6. This week, Liberty hosts Kennesaw State on Friday at 1 pm in the ASUN Conference opener. The Lady Flames will also travel to take on High Point on Sunday.

WOMEN’S SOCCER (5-5-5, 2-3-3)

The Lady Flames defeated North Alabama, 4-1, in the first round of the ASUN Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at Osborne Stadium in Lynchburg. Liberty scored two goals in the first half for the first time this season after North Alabama scored within the first two minutes of the game. In the second half, the Lady Flames were able to control possession and two additional goals in the final six minutes of the game to secure the victory.

In the ASUN Quarterfinals, the No. 4 seed Liberty defeated the No. 1 seed in the North Division, 1-0, to advance to the semifinals. McKinley Burkett’s shot proved to be the game-winner in the 21st minute of the game. Lipscomb attempted 10 shots in the second half but were unable to scratch through.

Liberty will now head to Kennesaw, Georgia where the remainder of the ASUN Tournament will be held. The ASUN Championship Semifinals will be played on Thursday at 4 pm against the No. 1 seed from the South Division North Florida. If the Lady Flames advance, the ASUN Championship Match will be played on Saturday at 1 pm on ESPN+.

MEN’S SOCCER (6-3-2, 1-2-1)

The men’s soccer fell to Lipscomb in the ASUN Quarterfinal, 2-0, Saturday evening in Nashville. The Bisons scored in teh 57th minute to take a 1-0 lead and then tacked on another later in the match for the victory. This marked the first time this season that the Flames have lost in regulation. On Tuesday, a match was added to the schedule as Liberty will travel to take on Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

SOFTBALL (26-12, 7-2)

The Lady Flames swept North Alabama at home this past weekend, winning the three games by a combined score of 18-1. Autumn Bishop was named ASUN Softball player of the week for the second time in her career as she batted .500 with a double, two homers, five RBIs, six runs scored, two walks, a .643 on base percentage, and a 1.200 slugging percentage.

On Wednesday, Liberty was supposed to travel to Blacksburg to take on No. 13 Virginia Tech at 6 pm but the game has been cancelled due to forecasted rain. The Lady Flames will head to Jacksonville, Florida for four games against ASUN opponents. Liberty is scheduled for a double header on Saturday beginning at 2 pm. On Sunday, the Lady Flames are scheduled for a double header against North Florida beginning at 10 am.

SWIMMING & DIVING (3-0, 3-0)

Senior Payton Keiner placed 49th in the 200 backstroke at the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Keiner also finished 54th in the 100 backstroke. Freshman Maddie Freece placed 9th in the three-meter diving on day two of the NCAA Division I Women’s Diving Zone A Championships and Junior Lauren Chennault finished 22nd.

WOMEN’S TENNIS (17-5, 6-0)

The Lady Flames fell at home on Wednesday to VCU, 7-0, but rebounded on Saturday with a 7-0 triumph over Bellarmine to remain perfect in conference play this season. The regular season concludes on Wednesday when Liberty hosts Virginia Tech. The ASUN Quarterfinals will be played on Saturday in Lynchburg against Bellarmine.

#43 MEN’S TENNIS (17-7, 6-0)

Liberty finished conference play undefeated after defeating Bellarmine this past Saturday with a 7-0 win. On Sunday, the Flames defeated Charlotte, 5-2, to set a program record with wins in a season at 17. The No. 43 team in the nation, Liberty dropped its regular season finale at Clemson by a 6-1 score on Tuesday seeing a four match win streak come to an end. The ASUN Quarterfinals will be played on Saturday at 2pm in Lynchburg against the No. 4 seed in the North Division Bellarmine.

TRACK & FIELD

This past week, Liberty competed at the Aggie Invitational. Women’s throwers accounted for three of Liberty’s four victories Saturday at Irwin Belk Track, paced by Naomi Mojica’s record-breaking 53-0.75 shot put performance. Quinten Clay picked up a win thanks to a Liberty freshman record 24-3.5 long jump. Additional winners for the Flames included Kali Grayson in the javelin and Chelsea Igberaese in the discus. This week, the Flames will participate in the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Virginia and the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic in Lynchburg.

VOLLEYBALL (5-9, 5-7)

Liberty’s volleyball season came to an end at the KSU Convocation Center as the Lady Flames fell to defending ASUN champion Kennesaw State, 3-0, in the ASUN Quarterfinals. Liberty has been eliminated by Kennesaw State from the ASUN tournament for the second year in a row.