KK's Greatest Motivation

Hey Y’all!

My name is KK Barbour and this is my junior year here as a member of the women’s basketball team. Time is certainly flying!! Over the past three years, I have gained so much knowledge and wisdom from the game of basketball, my peers, and most importantly, God. 

This year has certainly been a crazy and exciting one from our first annual team retreat in the woods (with no cellphones), to being stuck on a plane and airport for about five hours and having to drive thirteen hours to Missouri, and scoring 105 points in our last game ... but that’s just to name a few things. The team we have this year is so special due to the fact that we all get along so well and everyone shares the desire to win. Through the ups and downs of what a Division I basketball season entails, we all have each others' backs at the end of the day. Some incredible blessings and achievements are headed our way and 2018 is definitely our year.

Every year we are given the task to write a blog in order to share it with our friends, family, and fans to keep them updated and give them some inside scoop. This year’s blog is dedicated to my amazing family. My family is my greatest motivation that I carry out with me on the court. Growing up, I have always had a really close immediate family. My mom, Crystal, and my aunt, Kristie, raised me and my cousins basically as siblings.

We spend every holiday, vacation, and family gathering together. At home, I have my mom and my little brother, Malik. I also have an older brother named Kevin who is a quarterback at the University of Richmond. My aunt, uncle Caleb, and cousins Tical, Caylee, Laveah, and Gunnar make up the other part of my family. I can always count on seeing these faces in the crowd cheering on the Lady Flames at every home game and a few close away games. My family, especially my mom, has sacrificed so much for me to get where I am now. The money spent on gear, the hours spent in the gym, road trips to tournaments, making good grades to be eligible for the NCAA, college camps and visits, and a lot of other things would not be possible without my amazing mom and support of my loving family.

I am very blessed to have the family that I have. I am so grateful for them and everything that they do for me. They are who I look up to the most and rely on daily. In closing, I want to share a Bible verse that carries me along this crazy journey of being a Division I student athlete. In Deuteronomy 31:6 it says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” We live in a crazy, unpredictable world that can be so easy to fall into the hands of the devil. In trying times, we should always remember that God will never leave our side. God did not create us to be fearful and timid but instead He created us to be strong and powerful against those who are in opposition to what we are trying to achieve.

Go Flames!
-KK Barbour #30

The Princess of Turkey

Hello Everyone,

I’m Melis Ucar, a.k.a the princess of Turkey. I’m a junior, and I am currently majoring in Finance. Come next fall, I will have lived in America for 3 years. Within these 3 years, I have had great experiences and many irreplaceable memories that will last forever. I am thankful for the people who have made these memories so precious, and am excited for what is yet to come.

About me:

• One thing most people don’t know about me is that I used play chess… before I became serious about basketball.
•  I’m a sushi addict.
• I have a Pug named Demir, which means “Iron” in English.  I love listening to Jazz music, especially Amy Winehouse.
• I always wanted become a pilot, but I have a scar on my elbow, and in Turkey, pilots are not allow to have scars.
•  I’m planning to play basketball overseas, and then later on move to New York City.

I'm looking forward to the rest of this season, and I’m excited to see how the team grows on and off the court. Off the court, the team gets along very well which translates to positive team chemistry on the court.

Go Flames!

-Melis Ucar, #13

Adjusting to the College Game

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to my first ever blog!

My name is Bridgette Rettstatt. I'm a freshman from Galena, Ohio, which is about 25 minutes outside of Columbus. Now you may be thinking at this point "hmm Rettstatt ... that sounds familiar." Well, you're right. I am the younger and apparently more talkative sister of Audrey Rettstatt, who graduated from Liberty last year. While being four years younger than my sister, I had the great opportunity to spend a lot of time here at Liberty visiting her and watching her play.

When I came to Liberty in June for the summer term, I was so nervous. I was scared out of my pants to leave my family, my friends, and especially my dog behind. Initially, I wrestled a lot with knowing if I belonged here, or if I even deserved to be here. For most of preseason, my confidence on the court was shattered. In high school, I was a star. I was the best person on my team, but when you come to college everyone was the best person on their high school team. Also, I was the smallest person on the court, not in stature, but in strength. I was quite a bit weaker, as well as slower than all the other girls. I felt very out of place. Now don't get me wrong, I love my teammates so much. I would do anything for any one of them, but the first few months I really disliked basketball. I dreaded practice every day. I even contemplated quitting, but I am so thankful I didn't.

For weeks, I constantly prayed that God would reveal to me what my role was on this team. One night, I felt like God had finally answered my prayer. However, I couldn't shake this thought ... it kept coming back to me over and over again, "You aren't supposed to be a star, you're supposed to be a light." This is when I recognized that my priorities were misplaced. I realized that I cannot let basketball define me, but I must let my love for the Lord and His love for me be where I place my identity. Basketball is a very big part of my life, but it cannot be the central focal point of my life. From this point on, I have regained my love for basketball, because I have placed it in its rightful place in my life. Not to mention our strength coach, Solo, has definitely helped with my muscles. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to play, and the opportunity to get to know these amazing people on this team. Everyone has a unique story, and I cannot wait to get to know them all better. I'm excited to see where these next four years take me.

Go Flames!
-Bridgette Rettstatt #34

Molly's Homecoming

Hello Everyone!

            We’re five games into the 2017-2018 season, and so far things have been going great! This group of girls is really amazing, and everyone gets along really well, both on and off the court. The freshman and transfers bring a ton of energy to the team, and its fun to joke around with them when we’re traveling.

 We recently traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts for our Thanksgiving tournament at UMass Amherst. This trip was particularly exciting for me, as Massachusetts is my home state! I live about two hours from Amherst, but even being that close was awesome. A lot of people I went to high school with currently go to UMass Amherst, so it was cool to finally see the school. Since I’ve been at Liberty, the next closest place we’ve played at was probably either Villanova or Navy, and even then that's a pretty substantial drive from my home. Being in Massachusetts was great; my parents and sisters were able to come to the game on Saturday and it was so nice to be able to see them around Thanksgiving. My freshman year the team was at a tournament in Las Vegas, and then last year we were in Indiana to play Valparaiso, so this was a great treat. I was even able to eat a Thanksgiving meal with them on Saturday night, after our last game versus UMass.

Spending time with the team was super fun as well. Tatyana brought UNO cards, and games got pretty competitive in the hotel. Overall, although it would have been better to go home with two wins, the trip to Massachusetts was special. I hope all of you had an enjoyable holiday as well!

Thank you and Go Flames!!

-Molly Reagan, #40

Keyen the Foodie

Hey Everyone!

For those of you readers who don't know me, I'm Keyen Green and I'm a sophomore here at Liberty. I'm a forward on the team this year and I think it's gearing up to be a great season. The speed that we had come in this year with our point guard, Ashtyn Baker, is absolutely unmatched, so I'm super excited to be able to play that style of basketball.

On a non-basketball note, classes this year have been a lot tougher than I imagined they would be. I'm an accounting major hoping to go on to law school to become a bankruptcy lawyer. I'm not gonna lie, though, these accounting classes have been kicking my butt. Now that we have started traveling, things get even harder in terms of scheduling our time, but one you get a routine down, you're fine.

I think my favorite part of being in season, aside from being with my girls all the time, is the FOOD! Whenever we travel, we get to do pre-orders at the restaurants that we eat at and, although we have a lot of eating restrictions, what is better than free food? Am I right?? My go to meal is some type of steak, mashed potatoes, and either green beans or broccoli.

In the mornings, we always have breakfast at the hotel and breakfast is my absolute favorite meal. It's kind of ironic that I like breakfast the most since my favorite thing to do is sleep - and I normally sleep past breakfast hours. Regardless, my breakfast always consists of pancakes and either bacon or sausage. I swear I could eat that all day every day!

I'm pretty sure I could go on all day about A Day In the Life of Keyen, but you'll have to wait until next year's blog!

Love y'all always and FAN THE FLAMES!!

-Keyen Green, #21

Ashtyn's Summer Adventures

Hi! My name is Ashtyn Baker and I am a freshman on the team this year. I am from Nesbit, Mississippi, so going from a flat landscape to the mountains was awesome. I absolutely love the mountains here. 

When I first got to Liberty, I was definitely nervous and did not know anyone besides the coaches. But after meeting Bridgette and Apilyn during Summer Bridge, I shortly had two new best friends. 

Besides working out and going to class, we had a lot of fun doing tons of different things this summer. One of my favorite things we did was when we went cliff jumping (we made sure it was safe first). It was super scary, but once I jumped off the first time it was easy to do it again. Some of the people we went with were doing front and back flips but I wasn’t THAT brave. At the very end of that day it started pouring rain and we had to run all the way back to our cars and were soaking wet when we got there.

Another adventure we went on this summer was climbing Sharp Top Mountain. We went in the afternoon to watch the sunset from the top of the mountain. It took about 45 minutes for us to hike to the top, but that was with no stops, a lot of sweat, and burning legs. After getting to the top, the view was breathtaking - and watching the sunset over the valley was even better. It made us appreciate God’s creation and be thankful that He took His time to make nature a beautiful thing. After we finished watching the sunset we had to walk down the mountain in the pitch black. It was scary to look behind ourselves, because all we could see was blackness, but our flashlights helped us make it down the mountain safely.

Those were only a few of our adventures. We also did a ton of other things like going to the lake, going kayaking, and visiting the horses at the equestrian center. This summer was one of my favorites so far and I look forward to the next few summers with my new teammates!

Thanks for reading!!

-Ashtyn Baker, #12

Audrey's Letter to Future Lady Flames

A Letter to Future Lady Flames:

As my final days of being a Lady Flame quickly approach, it’s hard not to reflect on my time here at Liberty. A lot has happened throughout my four years here and I can honestly say I have learned and grown so much during this time.

Having been through the program start to (almost) finish, there are a couple things I think everyone should know before they join this Liberty family…

1. Coach Green can be a man of very few words (unless talking about fishing, hunting, or Jesus), so listen when he speaks. He is full of wisdom that goes beyond just basketball. He cares for his players like daughters and truly wants to see us succeed not only in basketball, but also in life. There may be times when his southern accent is too thick, his metaphor is too deep, or his story is too long to understand, but in those times trust that what he is saying is for your betterment because he really does care about you.
2. Be prepared to spend more time with your team than away from them. These girls will become your family. You will eat, sleep, travel, study, practice, play, and basically do everything with them. Of course, there will be days when you need a break from everyone, but any more than a day or two and you might start feeling like a part of you is missing. Undoubtedly, you will make friendships that will last a lifetime. There’s something about a bond over literal blood, sweat, and tears that runs deeper than most other relationships out there. Embrace it, and enjoy getting to know all the girls on the team, because each one is there for a reason. Each one has a story. Each one is beautiful in her own way. Each one is a critical piece to the puzzle that when put together makes an amazing, God-orchestrated picture.
3. It won’t be easy, but it’s worth it. College can be difficult, and it can be even more difficult as a college athlete. However, it is an incredible opportunity that not many get the chance to have, so take advantage of it. There will be days that are stressful, when classes get tough, practices get hard, and your body gets tired; but there will also be days that are great, when you ace an exam that you studied so hard for, you win a game against a team you weren’t supposed to beat, and you get cleared to return to play after being out for far too long. Those are the days that make it worth it. The rough days are the ones that make the sweet days even sweeter. Pushing through the hard times helps you learn to appreciate the blessings in life. 
4. God is going to take you on a crazy journey, just sit back and enjoy the ride. I hate to break it to you, but things will most likely not go as you envision them going. There will probably be hardships and setbacks, but there will also be great victories and triumphs that exceed all your expectations. If there is one thing that I have learned more than anything else over these last 4 years, it’s that God’s plans are far better than any of mine. When things don’t go as planned, don’t panic. You might not understand, but you don’t have to. All you have to do is trust in Him. God has the wheel and He’s taking you on a trip somewhere better than you could ever imagine.
5. Lastly, once a flame, always a flame. You will be involved is something that is much bigger than yourself. Once you enter this family, it will always be a part of you. The people met, the memories made, the lessons learned will shape the rest of your life. So be prepared to be changed forever.

Thanks for reading. God bless.

-Audrey Rettstatt #12

Stovall and Sign Language

Hi, my name is Kaitlyn Stovall and I am a redshirt freshman this year at Liberty.

So far, this has been my favorite year here, because I finally decided on a major! I have decided that I want to work with the deaf and help interpret for them in any way I can. I am a Sign Language/Interpreting major and with this major I can almost work anywhere.

Have you ever been to a play or a stand up comedian show and seen a small section of people sitting in front of someone making all kinds of different hand gestures? That section is for the deaf and the person standing in front of all of them is interpreting what the people are saying on stage. This is one of the many jobs I can do with my major.

How did Sign Language become a part of my life? When I was younger, my mother and father were youth pastors and every Wednesday night we would have praise and worship. My mom would learn the Sign Language for the songs we were singing and teach them to the teenagers. She did this because one of the girls in the group was deaf and my mom thought that it would be nice to sing in her language.

Another reason that I chose Sign Language to be my major was when we were volunteering at a middle school with the basketball team. We were helping with a fiesta party and the students started piling in. I noticed that three or four of the students had an adult with them and I realized that she was signing to them. I hung out with this group the reminder of the time I was there, because I thought it was so amazing that these kids could come to school and do regular activities with their friends. Another thing that touched my heart was that the kids who weren’t deaf had learned some of the signs so they could talk with their deaf friends. At that moment, all the memories of my mom signing during praise and worship and talking with the girl who was deaf in my youth group came flooding back to me and that is how I made my decision to become a sign language interpreter.

Go Flames!

-Kaitlyn Stovall #33

Steph's Anesthesia Stories

Hey guys!

My name is Stephanie Patton. I’m a sophomore at Liberty and I am from a small town called Hiawassee, Georgia! Most people have no idea where that is, so I always just say it’s two hours from Atlanta. I started high school at Towns County HS, and then transferred to Hayesville HS before my junior year.

You might have seen me play at the beginning of the year, but now you can catch me on the end of the bench in my street clothes and huge knee brace! I recently tore my ACL playing basketball and am, unfortunately, out for the rest of the season. It’s never fun to have a major injury like this, but I know that God is going to use this experience to help me grow in my relationship with Him and others! I will be able to learn from this journey and use it to minister to people who are going through similar incidents.

I had surgery a little over a week ago and I was super nervous about it. It was my first time ever being under anesthesia and I found out after surgery that I get REALLY loopy from it! Luckily, my dad video taped the whole thing and I have a bunch of hilarious videos of me singing loudly and acting crazy in the surgery center! You can see one of them on my instagram page... @steffip5

I am really excited to tackle this injury and get back on the court! Thanks for reading.

Go Flames!

-Stephanie Patton #5

Getting to Know Kaila

Hello Everyone!

My name is Kaila Ballard and I am a freshman from North Carolina. I left high school after my first semester of my senior year to join the Lady Flames last January. Having to leave before playing my final season in high school ever was the toughest decision I've ever made, but joining this outgoing squad made it all worth it!

North Carolina is not only home but to me it's the BEST place on earth! I was born and raised in Gates County. The girls, Tatyana to be specific, always make fun of the way I pronounce my hometown and now I've gained the nickname of "Gates County".

Transitioning to Liberty has been a life-changing experience - from being away from family, to missing certain big events, and leaving my friends for my final semester - but my teammates remind me that family is what you make it and that's what we are!

If I'm not in the gym somewhere I'm usually in the closest shoe store! I am a sneaker fanatic! I just loooovvveeee to buy shoes. I also enjoy spending quality time with my friends and family, because that is what means the most to me.

I am a Kinesiology major and I plan on becoming a health professor in the future. Liberty University has been a blessing to me and I'm so thankful to chasing my dreams!

Go Flames!

-Kaila Ballard #00

Molly's Dedicated Grandparents

Hey Everyone!

Throughout last year and this year, the Liberty Women’s Basketball team has gone to some pretty cool places to play. Last year we were able to go to Las Vegas, Nevada, and this year we have been able to travel to Indiana and San Antonio, Texas.

While it is always exciting and fun to see and experience theses new places, playing games so far away from Virginia can at times be difficult, or at the very least, quieter than playing close to home. Families aren’t often able to travel so far away, and the Liberty fan section can become pretty sparse. Luckily, however, I have a set of grandparents who were able to come to both the tournament in Vegas last year and the San Antonio tournament this year.

My grandparents, or as I call them, Nana and Papa, live near Austin, Texas, but are still very much enthusiastic and vocal supporters of Liberty Women’s Basketball. It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with last year at Thanksgiving in Nevada, and I was so glad to be able to see them this year in San Antonio. It is always great to see familiar faces in a crowd of strangers, and I am so grateful they are willing to travel so far to see their granddaughter play. While the games they watch might not always turn out in our favor, they are so positive and encouraging. I can’t wait to show them even better games in the future! Love you Nana and Papa!

Go Flames!

-Molly Reagan #40

Tatyana's Christmas Trips

Hi Everyone,

As many of you know from watching our games, I pride myself on being the loudest (Coach Green would agree) and most hyped person on our team. If you have not seen this in action, come out and watch a game or two, and check out the bench whenever Pre-Law Green gets an And-1 or when Iva-Eve knocks down a 3-ball. It is guaranteed that the entire team will go bananas and I like to lead them in the celebration. 

However, I'm going to share with you about more than basketball today. I'm going to tell you about the few days we have off around Christmas each year and the epic ways my family has allowed me to spend that time.

In November of 2015, my parents told me that we would be spending Christmas on the island of Curacao. It was crazy trying to quickly get a passport and find all the annoying necessary documents, but we finally got everything squared away and my passport came in the mail. Finally, there was nothing standing in the way of me and my first time being outside of the States! Curacao was absolutely beautiful. There is something so special about standing out on the sand and looking at the vastness of the ocean, even thinking of that right now kind of makes my palms sweaty. If you have been to the beach then you can sort of understand what I mean. 

Not only was it my first time out of the country, but I went snorkeling with my family and saw so many odd fish. Curacao is a Dutch Caribbean island and NONE of the road signs were in English, so it was very humorous watching my parents try and navigate through this foreign country. I made so many memories with my family and laughed until my stomach hurt. We said goodbye to Curacao, and I was thankful to travel over the Christmas holiday, but the traveling did not stop there.

This year my parents told us that we would spend the Christmas in Cancun. WHAT?!?! If you think that I am hype on the bench during the game, you should have seen me when they told me this news. I was excited to add another stamp to my passport. Waking up to 80 degree weather on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day does something weird to your mind because most of us expect cold weather; so driving around Cancun in the heat and seeing Christmas lights hung up was somewhat comical. Mexico was short and sweet. I only end up having 2 days in paradise due to flight troubles after our tournament in San Antonio, but the two days were needed. While in Cancun, I got my first ever massage and I drooled because it was just that relaxing.

Well, now you guys should know some interesting facts about how I spend my Christmas breaks and maybe on my next blog I will have visited about country - possibly Aruba!

Go Flames!

-Tatyana Crowder #4