Nene's First Winter

Hey Everyone!

My name is Nene Johnson and I am a junior transfer from South Florida. I decided to leave my sunny state to come to Lynchburg, Virginia, because I felt that Liberty was the right place for me to be at this time. Florida will always be home, but I had to leave to pursue my dream of playing Division I basketball and receiving my bachelor’s degree. 

Florida is a place I will always call home simply because it’s where I’ve always lived and my entire family is there. A fun fact is that I have never even seen snow, because as we all know Florida does not have a winter season! Fall was also new to me; it was the first time I've seen leaves turning colors and falling off the trees. 

I enjoy spending most of my time here at Liberty working out and hanging with my teammates. Adjusting to the Lynchburg life was not easy, as it is so different from what I am used to, but change is always good and I am enjoying my new journey!

-Nene Johnson #3

Liberty's Favorite Croatian

Hi! My name is Iva Ilic and I am 19 years old. I'm from Croatia, Europe. Croatia is a beautiful little country with beautiful coast, interesting history and friendly people. Although Croatia is small, Croatian athletes are world famous.

I came to Liberty in July, as soon as I graduated from high school. Everyone keeps asking me how I can be so far from my family and friends and I always tell them that it is very hard, but I have to do it for a bigger purpose. I love my parents and sister more than anything in the world and I really can't wait to see them again, but I have to follow my dreams. 

I started playing basketball when I was only 8 years old and it was mostly because my dad talked me into it. I'm grateful for that now because basketball has become my biggest passion. My parents have been my number one fans and my biggest support through all these years. I would say my greatest basketball success was playing for Croatian national team during the European championship in Portugal. 

I also miss my friends from Croatia, but I have found friends for life here. My teammates are the best in the world and I wouldn't change them for anything. I mostly hang out with Lela, Kierra, and Keyen. Lela is the goofy one, Kierra is a great dancer, and Keyen is the smart one. Because of them, Liberty now seems like home.

-Iva Ilic #24

Keyen's Family Takes On College Athletics (and the World!)

Hey Everyone!

My name is Keyen Green - pronounced Key-en despite the many times you will probably hear Coach Green yelling Key-in...you know how that southern drawl of his throws off his pronunciation sometimes... 😂

I'm from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and I'm a freshman. One thing that I am constantly amazed by is God's hand in my family, specifically with my cousins and siblings. I come from a family of six and I am the second of four children. There's my older sister Sierra (20), me, my younger brother Rodney Jr. (16), and my younger sister Kayla (14). My cousin Cliff is 17 and my cousin Noah is my age. My cousin Micah is 20 like my older sister, and I have two cousins, Taylor and Godfrey, that are 22 and have graduated college.

What I think is so amazing is that:

• My older sister Sierra plays Division III basketball at the University of Valley Forge
• My cousins Micah and Noah both play Division III basketball at the Coastguard Academy
• My cousin Godfrey played Division I basketball at the Naval Academy
• My cousin Cliff just recently committed to play his next four years of basketball as a Division I Indiana Hoosier Class of 2021!
• On top of all of that, my cousin Taylor just ran the 4x4 in the 2016 Rio Olympics!

If all of that isn't awesome, then I don't know what is! 😃

So far my freshman year has been pretty great. Coming in early in the summer definitely helped with getting a feel for the campus and getting used to how things work regarding women's basketball here. I plan to major in Western Legal Traditions which is a fancy way of saying Pre- Law. I plan on becoming a bankruptcy lawyer after I finish playing basketball here at Liberty.

If I'm not playing basketball (which I basically always am), your best bet at finding me is in my bed. I loooooove to sleep and on weekends if we have an off day, I see how late I can sleep (my record is 1:37pm). In the event that I'm not playing basketball and not sleeping, I'll be hanging out with my friends or watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, or both!

-Keyen Green #21

Look for my family in the stands!

Hello to you reading this,

My name is M’caela Sellers, but everyone calls me Lela. [Lay-la] I got my nickname from my older sister, Rachael, who is only 13 months older than me. A year or so after I was born, Rachael would try to say M’caela but she couldn’t say it, and when she would try, it would come out "lela". After my family heard that, they started calling me Lela ever since.

I am originally from Lakeville, Minnesota, but the summer before my junior year of high school, I moved to Cedar Rapids Iowa. I will always claim Minnesota as my home, though, because it is where I was born and raised (for 16 years).

There are seven people in my family - my dad and mom are Rocky and Jodie. I am the second youngest of four siblings, Daniel, Sarah, Rachael, Me, and then Jesse. I am so grateful for them; they have supported me with basketball ever since third grade. They would always be the loudest fans at my game, and everyone knew when they were there because they don’t hold back when it comes to my games!

I am currently going to major in Journalism. I would like to be a sportscaster, and be the reporter that interviews athletes about their game. I think that would be an awesome job.

I love photography. I asked my parents to get me a camera for my birthday for about two years and eventually on my 18th birthday they got me one. Ever since I received my camera, I have fallen in love with taking photos. I mainly like going out with friends and taking portraits pictures of them. I also love editing them as well; it has really become a passion of mine.

A secret hobby that people may not know is that I like to watch an anime cartoon called “One Piece.” It takes place in the pirate era, and it is about a teenager boy who wants to become the king of pirates. This cartoon takes you on an adventure with him. I have to admit I have cried watching it because it is well put together. You have a personal connection to the characters and then you get attached to them. So if you like Marvel, Dragon Ball Z, Lord of the Rings, and other movies like those, then you will like One Piece!

-Lela Sellers #14

Getting to Know Me!

Hey Everybody,

My name is Kierra Nicole Johnson-Graham (yes I have two last names - IDK ask my parents). My teammates and coaches call me KeKe for short.

I’m from Atlanta, GA so moving seven hours away from home as a freshman in college was a challenge for me. I have two younger brothers Jamar (11) and Jajuan (7). Those two look up to me in everything that I do, so I do what I can to make sure they are happy and keep their heads on straight! My parents are Kisha and Jamil, and I’m so grateful for them, because without them I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in right now playing basketball for an NCAA Division I university.

A few more random facts about me.

• If I had to describe myself, I would say that I’m a tomboy and a girly girl.
• I LOVE Mexican food! Every time my teammates ask for food suggestions it's a proven fact that I will always say Chipotle. Sometimes if I’m lucky they’ll agree with me!
• My favorite color is pink, because in my opinion, it goes with everything no questions asked.
• When I have free time, there’s no doubt I’m chilling with my friends, online shopping, or sleeping. Trust me, when you’re in college you value sleep so much more than you ever thought you would!
• My current major is sports management; however, I’m thinking about changing it to criminal justice, so I can study to be a homicide detective. Did I mention I love to watch Law & Order SVU?

I thank the Lord so much for allowing me to play the sport that I love at Liberty. My teammates are a great group of women who all have bright futures ahead of them. They always push me to work hard and never give up. Like Coach Green always says, “Preparation Beats Determination”, and we’re preparing for a great season this year!

KJG #10

 

The Seniors' Legacy

Hi Everyone!

My name is Molly Reagan, and I’m a freshman from Massachusetts.

In honor of Senior Day last Saturday, I thought I would write this blog about the six fantastic seniors we have on our team this year. There are, of course, the Big Three™ (or Kate, Cat, and Ash), but also Sadalia, Jaymee, and our amazing manager, Jessi.

It was very nerve-wracking coming in as a freshman this past summer. I was going from high school basketball, where I was the oldest and knew everyone, to a team full of 21, 22, and 23 year olds. I can admit I was really nervous and almost intimated by the upperclassman at first. They were all so talented and seemed like legitimate adults, whereas I had never lived without my parents before. I had no reason to worry, however. Every single upperclassman, the seniors especially, were so welcoming and friendly.

They all went out of their way to make the incoming freshman feel like a part of the team. For example, Cat invited everyone over to her apartment and we just spent the evening watching movies and getting to know one another. Kate and Ash went on an adventure with Kaitlyn Stovall and myself to Panther Falls, and Sid and Jaymee were always there to offer rides or someone to talk to or eat with. Jessi is so easy to get along with and to talk to, and she most definitely helped with any of the many (and I mean many) questions that I feel like I always had. Every single one of them became such a good friend in such a short amount of time, and I am truly sad that I won’t be able to play with them again next year.

The other day in a team meeting we were talking about the word legacy, and what it means to leave one. I can, with the utmost confidence, say that these six seniors left a legacy of hard work, great effort, and success at Liberty University. The program won’t be the same without these faces, but I know that they will not be forgotten.  I just want to say thank you so much to the seniors; you made my freshman year so far unforgettable.

On to the Big South Tournament!

-Molly Reagan #40

             

Crazy Camp Memories

Hey y’all!! 

My name is Sheana Vega and I’m in my sophomore year here at Liberty. It is hard to believe that the season is almost over. I really enjoy being around my teammates and I am going to miss the seniors (The Big 3 - Kate, Cat, and Ashley - and Jaymee and Sid as well). I am looking forward to another Big South Championship this year. Last year we defeated High Point in the Big South Championship and it was an amazing experience. Coming in as a freshman, winning a championship, and making it to the NCAAs was a huge blessing because as a team we glorified God with the gifts and talents that He has blessed us with, and for that we were rewarded. It was also a great feeling knowing that all of the hard work and countless hours in the gym paid off.

This summer I had the privilege of working the Lady Flames Day Camp, which was one of my favorite memories so far. Although I aspire to pursue a career in law enforcement, I have a passion for kids and I love being around them. I was blessed to meet Mya and Cailyn who I coached on my team. They were two of my favorite campers because somehow they were stuck to me like glue and we literally did everything together. We ate lunch together, got up extra shots during free time, and they even helped me make up our team cheer for the last day of camp. Mya is a huge fan of our team and she comes to almost every home game. She made me a sign at one our games and it made my whole day! I loved all of my campers and I am so excited to work camp again this summer. I hope to see you all at camp (June 20-23...register at libertywbb.com now)!!!

See y’all at our game today!!

Sheana Vega #20

Redshirting

Hi!

My name is Kaitlyn Stovall and I play on the basketball team here at Liberty. I am #13, though you may not have noticed. This is because I am a redshirt. I sit on the bench with the rest of the team, but I do not get to wear my uniform.

This is because Coach Green has given me an extra year here at Liberty to get stronger, faster, and simply better than I am right now. A few people on the team have redshirted as well: Ashley, Cat, Kate, and Mikal. The Big Three redshirted due to injuries and Mikal was a transfer.

The term "redshirt" simply means that I can do everything with the team such as travel to away games, practice, workout, and sit on the bench with the team. The only thing I can’t do is play in games. Some people see being a redshirt a bad thing, but I see it as an opportunity to train with some of the best girls in the sport and get better everyday.

On occasion, it is difficult not to compete since I am working out, practicing, and watching film with the rest of the team, but my amazing teammates help me push through. For example, I have spoken to Kate about her redshirt year and she told me that the best thing to do is keep a positive attitude and remember that it is a good thing. I have been blessed with this opportunity to improve my game without wasting a year of eligibility doing so, and I’m glad I decided to redshirt because otherwise, I wouldn't have met my amazing teammates who always tell me what I need to hear on the tough days.

Go Flames!
-Kaitlyn, #13

Fish Bowl: Our Off the Court Competition

As many of you may know from watching our games, we are a competitive group of girls. This competitive nature is also true off the court. During the time before the season starts, we have the opportunity to try and add more players to our basketball family by hosting them for a weekend. To keep the weekend entertaining, we normally find different activities and events to go to. One event, though, that always remains the same is dinner at Coach Green’s house, which eventually turns into game night. This night is a sight for sore eyes!

One game that is a team favorite is game called Fish Bowl. This game was brought to our attention by the great Catherine Kearney who is a master of coming up with activities for us to do. This game is not only one of the favorites, but it is also one of the most intense and causes a lot of competitive yelling and friendly trash talk.

Fish Bowl consists of three rounds of play. To start the game off, every person that is playing writes people, songs/movies, or places on pieces of paper. After this, we all put our papers in a big bowl and shake it up.

At this point, we are split into teams. We try our hardest to split ourselves up onto teams that we think would win, but somehow it never works. After our teams are determined, the game begins. The first round is where someone from one team picks out a paper from the bowl and can say anything that describes what is on the paper other than the word on the paper. This round goes by the fastest, because normally we all pretty much know how to get someone on our team to think like us when its our turn.

Round two is normally the funniest round - its charades. The trick to this game is that the same papers are used so as the game goes on you have to remember what is in the pile. Normally, people start just yelling out random things. On our team, we have some people that are very good at charades and then there are some that don’t quite connect with what is on their card. So normally there is a ton of laughing and yelling at this point. It is quite the scene!

Round three is probably the hardest because you can only say one word and it has to describe what is on your paper. A ton of yelling happens at this point, because some of my teammates get stressed and say a word that is not related at all!

Whichever team has the most points at the end wins the game, and this normally is met with an eruption from the team that won and protest from the team that lost because they think the winning team cheated. This game is a classic for us, and no matter what you can always expect a ton of laughing, yelling, and good fun!

See you at the Vines tonight at 7!

-Mickayla Sanders, #1