Audrey's Journey to Her Dream School

My desire to go to Liberty started in the 6th grade when my homeschool basketball team went to watch the East Coast National Championship tournament hosted at Liberty University. Yes, I said to watch the tournament. My team was asked to come, watch the games, and be there in case one of the Varsity teams dropped out last minute. Every year after that we competed in the tournament and every year, we were on Liberty’s campus seeing the school’s growth. Being on a homeschool sports team can present a challenge to the recruiting process. Homeschool sports teams are typically assumed to be less competitive than public or private school teams. In reality, homeschool teams function more like a travel team. Homeschool teams can seek out their level of competition and can determine the number of games played per season. I had the opportunity to play on a homeschool team that played 40+ games a year from 6th-12th grade.

In the summer of my 8th grade year, two of my older sisters attended Oak Hill Academy’s summer camp and came back with workouts from college coaches. Seeing them chase their goals encouraged me to work out with them. I set my goals to be prepared athletically and academically for Liberty University. My academic goal was to get as many college credits as possible during high school. I went to work for my dad at a much younger age than my siblings had in order to make this a possibility financially.

While I had opportunities to play AAU basketball on the national level, one year was all it took for my parents to decide that it was not a good fit for our family. My mom and my dad (also my coaches) decided time and money could be better spent training and learning than in renting cars and staying in hotels. Sometimes being part of a big family means decisions are made for the good of the individual within the context of the whole family. We as a family chose to support the seasonal side of my dad's business working in the summer while competing on a local FCA travel team. I was introduced to PGC basketball, Jason Otter workouts, Camps for Christ and worked out with other college players from our town and surrounding counties all while cross-training on the local swim team.

While I was getting looks and offers from smaller colleges, my heart was set on Liberty. After speaking to my mentors, I was advised to go to the summer camp to meet the coaches and learn more about the school. After my second summer at camp, I was offered a spot on the team as a preferred walk-on. I was honored to get the offer but without a scholarship, I had doubts about being able to find a way to go to my “dream” school. While my parents advised me to visit other schools and consider other options, my heart was still set on Liberty. As I played out my senior year, I prayed that if I was meant to go to Liberty then God would work it out. One by one I let other schools know I was pursuing my dream to be a Lady Flame. In May, I let the coaches know I was coming to Liberty and began the process of the Freshman Athlete Program.

I have been so humbled by my opportunity to attend Liberty. Liberty is the only Christian university that has the major I am pursuing - a bachelor’s in Theology & Apologetics. I have coaches that interact uniquely and genuinely with each player. It has been great building relationships with the other girls on the team.

While I am open to whatever plans God has for me, I desire to be a writer and speaker in the area of ethics and apologetics. I believe the most important decision anyone can make in their life is the decision to become a disciple of Christ. While becoming a Christian is life-altering, it doesn't mean everything will be perfect and there will be questions. I want to be an effective communicator of the gospel who loves others for who they are as God's children. I want to be an encouragement for believers to run the race and fight the good fight. I want to open doors for non-believers to enter into the most important relationship they'll ever have - a relationship with the God of the universe who loves them unconditionally. I believe God is preparing me and using me here at Liberty.

Go Flames!

Audrey Clark #15

The Best Gifts Ever

Hello, my name is Mya McMillian and today I will be answering the question “what is the best gift you have received and given?

The best gift I was ever given that is non-material is having the opportunity to live with the Berkmans. I was is a rough situation my entire life and when the Berkmans accepted me into their home I finally felt loved and safe. Before my mom was my mom, she was my English teacher, and my dad was my basketball coach. Neither one of my parents planned on expanding their family, but God works in mysterious ways. On March 28, 2017, my life changed. My little sister and I started living with the Berkmans. They had different, more strict rules, but they taught me a lot. Although my sister now lives with my aunt, I still go home to them every chance I get. I don’t disown my real family; I just know what is best for me. I love the entire Berkman family and am so grateful to be a part of the family. On a side note, I have been thinking about changing my last name to Berkman, which would mean a lot to me to have to same last name as my parents.

The best material gift I was given was my car. Before I had my car, I was looking for an appropriate car for my price range. I constantly asked my parents for help, but they kept putting it off. One day, my dad came to my job (Chick-fil-A) and told me to come outside. My dad and I had an argument shortly before I left for work, so I was thinking he came to finish the argument. I walked outside, thinking about my rebuttal and then I saw it. I was so shocked and I started ugly crying. My car came with a note describing why I got the car. The catch is it wasn’t from my parents. It was from this girl named Karson, and at that time that’s about all I knew. She explained in the note that God told her to give me this car. I fully believed she was correct because I did not know her at all. You have to be extremely selfless to be 16 and buy someone else a car, knowing she probably is getting her license soon. She asked her parents to match what she had for the car they bought me. Although I totaled my car a couple months back, it is still the best gift. I am forever grateful for it and will never forget it.

My spiritual gift is giving. I love helping people, whether that means buying them a gift or giving them my time. I’ve bought like 4 pairs of air pods (about to be five) for people and countless of other things. The best gift I am going to give is to my little sister. I believe God is giving me the opportunity to adopt my little sister (the one who lives with my aunt) after I get out of college. I will be able to give her the life I wish I had. This gives her an opportunity to have a bright future and I am honored to be in the position to help her get that.

Overall, I am in a blessed situation and I wouldn’t change where I am for anything. I just have to trust in God to guide my life in the right direction. Thanks for reading!

Go Flames!

-Mya McMillian, #20

Nenna's Journey from Finland

Hey Everyone,

My name is Nenna Lindström and I’m a junior from Finland. I transferred from Western Wyoming Community College this summer. I want to tell you all a little bit more about my journey to the United States.

Finland is a small country in Northern Europe. A fun fact about Finland is that Lapland, which is located in the Northern part of Finland, is the home of Santa Claus 🎅🏼

Another fun fact is that my aunt graduated from the North Carolina State University in the early 1990’s. She was part of the track and field team for all 4 years of her college career.

 And now more about me. I started to play basketball when I was 7 years old on a very well known girl’s club team in Finland. I played on the same club team for almost 10 years. After that I switched to one the best Finnish junior club teams. During my time there we won two Finnish Championships in our age group.

I also used to play on the Finnish junior national team and that is how I got exposed to the coaches here in the States. I always had a dream to play at a D1 school in the US. I got an offer from Western Wyoming and a decided to take it. After I graduated from high school, I started my college career at WWCC. I knew that going to a junior college didn’t mean that I would never reach my goal. It might be a harder path and I would have to work a lot harder to reach it. But I knew God brought me to WWCC for a reason.

I played at Western these past two years and worked hard enough for Coach Green to offer me a spot here at Liberty. I had finally reached my goal to play at this level. However, this is not the time to stop working hard. Now is the time to work even harder.

I have loved my time here at Liberty. I have made some great friends in a short amount of time. I am blessed to call Liberty my second home. Thanks for reading about my journey.

Go Flames!

-Nenna Lindström, #4

Makaela's Journey

Hi, I am Makaela Kestner, and I wanted to write this blog about my reason behind playing basketball. But first I want to start this off by telling you my story and a little bit of my background, so you understand why I play the sport of basketball and why it is so important to me. I’m going to talk about things that a lot of people don’t know about me, and I want to talk about it because I believe it’s a good thing to talk about so people know about the things I’ve been through and how I learned to prosper through it all.

I am the youngest in my family with two older brothers, so growing up I always wanted to do the same things as my brothers, play the same sports as them, hang out with them and their friends, and just do whatever they did. But as we got older, things changed and my brothers found different interest and got into different things; things that wouldn’t take them down the right path in life. While being phenomenal athletes and still playing sports, they found other things to occupy their time with. My oldest brother, Tyler, started getting in trouble with the law. He was not in my life as much as an older brother should be, and that bothered me.

As I got older, I still stayed on the same path of playing the two sports I fell in love with when I was little. As I got into high school, I started to get recruited by different schools for basketball and for my family that was a first. Growing up, my whole family including me were diehard North Carolina fans, and it was always a dream of mine to go to that school. As time went on in my recruiting process, Sylvia Hatchell was the head coach at the time and reached out to me and offered me a full ride scholarship. A few days later I decided to commit to the University of North Carolina, as a junior in high school and I still had much more basketball to play before I got there.

When I committed, I felt as though nothing in my life could go wrong from there on out because I’d be going to my dream school and playing a sport that I loved, while my family and brothers got to experience the journey with me. I never really had a plan B from that point on because I knew what I wanted, and I had it. At the time I thought playing basketball and going to UNC would make my brother want to stay out of trouble so he could experience the journey with me, but it never happened that way. I made sure to stay on the right path and never made the same mistakes my brothers had because I thought it would make them want to do the same, but it never went that way.

As time went on, a lot of things changed with my decision with my college decision, I decommitted from North Carolina during my senior year and when that happened I found no reason to play basketball anymore because I didn’t have my best friend by my side for any of it and I had no idea where I wanted to go to next. I eventually gave up on hoping my brother would become his old self again, which broke my heart. As I was going through all of these things I eventually committed to another school and it was a very hard thing for me to do, because I felt like I lost my love for the game and had no reason to play it because the one I was doing it for couldn’t be there to pick me up when I needed him the most.

As I spent my first year at the University of South Florida, I struggled with a lot of things and at the time my family and I were going through a lot of things, and I started to become depressed. I couldn’t find the happiness in basketball that I once had before and hoped I’d find when I got there. I blamed the way I acted on my brother. I knew that wasn’t the right thing to do, but I just didn’t know how else to handle all the things I was going through and feeling at the time. I learned to despise him in every way and I had that feeling for a very long time.

I met some of my closest friends in Florida and I wanted to say there for them, but I knew I couldn’t remain in a place I was unhappy in. When I decided to transfer to Liberty, I prayed and hoped that I would find my love for basketball again and would be able to forgive myself for treating my brother the way I did. Since I’ve been at Liberty, I have come to find my happiness for basketball again and learned how to not give up on myself or my brother.

Since I have been at Liberty, I am a much happier person and I want to thank all my coaches and teammates for making Liberty a great place to be at. I look forward to playing and practicing with them every day. Thank you for listening to my story.

Go Flames!

-Makaela Kestner, #11

Asia's Opportunities at Liberty

When it came to choosing which school I was going to commit too, it really came down to the wire. I knew that deep down inside my heart that I was not going to go to a school if God did not send me some type of sign on where he wanted me to go. So during my recruiting process where it was the time where schools were wanting me to commit, I had to stay grounded on the fact that I was not going to commit anywhere unless God sent me a clear sign. Since I am a dreamer and I believe that God sends me dreams as a way of confirmation, I had asked God one night that if Liberty was the school that he wanted me to go to then for Him to send me a dream clear as day. That same night God had sent me a dream and in the dream I was walking in the mall where I saw KeKe and she was yelling my name to get my attention to tell me to come here. It was that dream where I knew that Liberty was the place that God wanted me to be.

Since then I have really enjoyed my time at Liberty. The people here are great and I love how my teammates and I are able to come together as sisters on and off of the court. The coaching staff is amazing and what I love most is that they care about you more than just as a basketball player but as a person.

There is such a sweet atmosphere at Liberty that allows you to grow stronger in your faith. Everyone treats each other like a family and it almost feels like home away from home. I have learned many different things since I have stepped foot on campus in the summer whether it’s on the court or in the classroom. There are so many opportunities that they give student-athletes here that help to set each and every one of us up for success. I am beyond grateful that God blessed me with this wonderful opportunity to call Liberty my second home.

Go Flames!

-Asia Todd, #14

Anjanae's Recruiting Process

Hi All,

It's crazy to think that at one point in time I wasn't aware of the existence of Liberty University. I'm a freshman this year and a city girl from Phoenix, Arizona, and no, Arizona isn't just made of dirt. I'm going to tell you a bit about how I ended up here at Liberty.

I played for a club team called the AZ Mavericks and during the entire 2018 club season, we traveled all over the East Coast so we could be scouted by college coaches. The summer was long and exhausting, but it was fun while it lasted. When the club season cooled down a little after the last big tournament, I received messages and calls from coaches.

I remember one evening, I got a call from Coach Alexis. He went on and on, talking about Liberty University and how great it was. I instantly took a liking for Liberty after the first three phone calls, though I started to have doubts because of its location in Virginia. But, between hearing how great Liberty University was and the rising temperatures in Arizona, I decided to go on an official visit.

Long story short, after I visited Liberty, I canceled all of the rest of my official visits at different universities. I don't really feel it's necessary to go in depth about the visit and how beautiful the experience was, because if you have taken a liking to Liberty enough to read this blog, then you know how different this school is. It took the basketball program one day to make me feel completely comfortable and three days to make me feel like I can take college head on. This team is my family now and I have never questioned my commitment here since.

Go Flames!

-Anjanae Mueck, #0

KK's Farewell Blog

Hello Everyone! It’s KK Barbour and this is my farewell blog. I would like to take this time to reflect back on my journey and extend a thank you to a few people.

During my four years at Liberty I was able to meet my two best friends, travel to Israel, win a championship (with another one coming), play some of the best teams in the country, move into my first house, play in two different conferences, experience Cameron Indoor Stadium, and many other incredible blessings basketball has provided for me. With all that, I have also experienced injuries, not starting, starting, winning, losing, tears, laughter, and God’s grace. My journey at Liberty has been far from perfect, but it has impacted my life significantly in the most positive way.

Thank you to my teammates for having my back and for always believing in me.

Thank you to the coaches for giving me the chance to play Division I basketball.

Thank you to Sarah Boruta for being one of the best people I know who does so much for us on and off the court that not many people see or know about.

Thank you to our athletic trainer, Ben Galley, for always looking out for me and taking care of my 80 year old body. 

Thank you to Solomon Tat, our strength coach, for being my voice of reason the last three years.

Thank you to the managers for all of the extra hours they spend at the gym for us cleaning, doing laundry, rebounding, and making sure we are fed.

Thank you to all the fans that have been a part of this journey for the last four years. Your support and encouragement have meant a lot to me.

Thank you to my family that has consistently supported me since the day I started playing basketball. Your love, support, and confidence in me has made me into the person and player I am today.

Thank you to God for blessing me with the ability to play basketball and allow me to flourish/grow in this short chapter of my life.

Now it’s time for me to begin the next chapter...

Go Flames!

KK Barbour #30

Bridgette's Many Dreams

Yep, folks, it’s true, I made it to my sophomore year. We all had our doubts, but I did it, still studying biology nonetheless. Thank you, thank you, but hold the applause, I’m only half way there. As I look toward my future, there is so much in the world that I want to do.

Right now, I am continuing to study biology in hopes to become a veterinarian. Since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. God had instilled that passion in me since what felt like birth, but in first grade my dad flew to the Central African Republic on a missionary trip. As a first grader, I thought this was the most spectacular thing. I remember thinking, “I like Jesus, I like Africa, I could do that,” so here God established in me another passion. As I struggled to decide whether I wanted to be a missionary, or continue in my veterinarian pursuits, my first grade-self decided I could just do both; become a veterinarian in Africa, duh easy fix. This is still a passion of mine, but as I continued to grow I decided a veterinarian in Africa might not be the most practical thing. So, I decided to stick to more domestic veterinarian endeavors.

This was my plan until about midway through senior year of high school when I realized I have a strong desire to make an impact on people. How I could do this? I wasn’t sure. So, the occupational search began once again. Don’t get me wrong, I have never given up on my veterinarian dream, rather, this is my pursuit after I have lived out that dream. As I thought about the many jobs that could allow me to pour into people, I realized I might like to teach one day. What better way to pour into people, than by spending every day with those who are just waiting to learn about life. This became my third dream. An aspect that makes teaching quite appealing to me is the fact that I would get summers off. My mom is a teacher and growing up having her around in the summer was one of the best things... and not just because I needed her to drive me places.

Lord willing, if I were to have a family of my own one day, I would love to be around for my kids just like my mom was for us. In addition, I realized since teachers get the summer off this could be the perfect opportunity to “scratch my missionary itch.” Having summers off would give me the freedom to travel and follow God wherever he desires me to be. Thus, the plan for my second and third dream.

Now hold on to your seats, because I have one last dream. Growing up my dad has always been in the restaurant business. I was an 8-year-old cookie arranger in his catering company, and the best one I might add, of course this is just a personal opinion. Some may have thought I was a nuisance, because I just ate the cookies and ran around, jumping on the food carts, but I was 8, what do you expect? Growing up so close to the food industry while watching my dad sparked a desire to own my own restaurant. Yep, now I’m an animal fixing, people impacting, traveling chef. Now this wouldn’t be any old restaurant, no, this would serve only the best of the best... breakfast and ice cream... come on people what could be better? Breakfast in the morning, and then ice cream in the afternoon. Perfection if you ask me. This aspiration of mine spurs from the desire to have an impact. The idea of having regular customers, and getting to genuinely know people excites me.

So, if I were to put a personal timeline on all these things, it would look a little like this. Graduate and practice veterinarian medicine for multiple years, then as I get older and wiser I would love to begin to teach, maybe even still doing a surgery or two on the weekends. Then, as I said before, I would work in the mission field in those summers. Lastly when I’m old and gray, I would love to open my restaurant. So, if you’ve read this far, I appreciate your dedication. Also, if you have any advice for me, in my many endeavors, feel free to send it my way, I’m going to need all the wisdom I can get.

Thanks for reading,

Bridgette Rettstatt

Rocking #34 in this Flames Family.

Freshman to Junior: The Transition

The season is close to its end, and I still cannot believe that I am a junior. It feels like just yesterday I was writing my blog about being a freshman.

So far, this season we have taken so many planes I’ve lost count, but I’m still enjoying the experiences. I also think it’s really cool that I get the chance to play in two different conferences over the course of my four years here. Not many people can say that.

When first arriving here on campus, I was still becoming comfortable with the college life and getting to know my surroundings. Among all of these things, I believe I was struggling to find my purpose for being at Liberty. There were times where I felt like things were too tough, or felt like giving up. However, I came across this verse that started to give me clear understanding. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. I knew that God brought me here for a reason, and that he would never put me in situations that he knew I could not handle.

For instance, in the middle of my sophomore year, I suffered a season ending injury. At the beginning of my rehab, I did not have a good mindset at all. So many emotions were going through my head. Sometimes I would be mad just because it happened to me, sad because I couldn’t get cleared to play before the tournament started, and helpless because I wanted to be out there with the rest of my team. One day as I was watching the team during shoot around before a home game, I had a talk with our strength coach, Soloman Tat. He told me of a time in college where he was in my same position, and felt the exact same way I did about not being able to play. After one of his games as he was leaving the locker room, he noticed a child in a wheelchair that was waiting for him in the stands. The young boy was so excited to see him, and told him that he loved watching him play and admired him so much.

The moral of Solo telling me this story was for me to look at the bright sides of things and have a positive mindset. Not everyone is granted the opportunity to play the game of basketball, let alone is able to walk. Having this conversation with him humbled me in the most positive way. I noticed myself becoming more intentional with my workouts and rehab, and well as finding the joy in cheering for my teammates on the sideline.

As the games go by, I notice that my senior year is approaching very soon, and before I know it my college career will come to a close. Colossians 2:7 says, “rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”. I will always be thankful for the talents that God has blessed me with, the teammates and coaches he has placed around me, and finding the light in situations that may seem dark.

Go Flames!

Kierra Johnson-Graham #10

Florida Fun

Hey guys,

My name is Ashtyn Baker and I’m from Nesbit, MS which is right outside of Memphis, TN, so I grew up going to the city all the time, playing basketball and hanging out there. My high school team’s conference actually played in Tennessee. Side note: All my friends get on me for saying that because technically I’m not from Memphis but it feels like I am. Fun fact: I actually played against Emily Lytle (#23) and her older sister in high school. A little bit more about me: I have two sisters, a cocker spaniel poodle mix, and a really annoying outdoor cat. Some things I enjoy are traveling, hiking, kayaking, and reading.

This year has been very different from last year because of the conference change to the ASUN. It has been a year of transition and learning, but it has been fun. Since the change in conference we have been in Florida a lot - which means usually it’s sunny and 75° even in December. This year we had a tournament right before Christmas break in Tampa, which was nice, but we did not really get to enjoy the weather so I was disappointed by that. However, after we got back from break our first two games were FGCU and Stetson. Since classes weren't in session, we left earlier than normal for FGCU and then stayed there and drove to Stetson. After the FGCU game, we had time to kill the next day so a lot of us went to the pool to lay out and swim. We had a football and everyone was face planting into the pool trying to catch the ball, which was hilarious. That week was definitely one of my favorite times of the season so far because of all the sun and time spent with my teammates laying out, getting sunburned in January, swimming, and playing board games.

Another thing about this year is that I finally figured out that pre-ordering my food is way better than forgetting to do so! When we are traveling, we order all of our food ahead of time so that when we arrive at restaurants, the food is ready and on the table. It eliminates all of the waiting, because we eat immediately and then leave. But if we forget to do our pre-orders, we have to eat whatever was ordered for us. Last year, I would forget to do it all the time, but now I get to eat what I want and it has been eye opening for me so much so that my favorite part about trips besides playing now is getting to eat!

Well if you didn’t know me, you now know that two of my favorite things are sun and food! Thanks for reading!

Go Flames!

Ashtyn Baker #12

Life Lessons from a Redshirt Year

Hi Everyone,

This year has taught me one huge lesson that I would not trade for anything. I learned that sometimes what we see as bad, God uses for good. I remember last November, we played in a Thanksgiving tournament against Houston at UMass. Even though we were only about a month into the season I was already tired, or weary, even. I was tired of long practices every day, of only being in class two days a week because we had away games, of exerting endless amounts of energy on the court and being exhausted all the time, and sometimes even just tired of flying. I prayed constantly for the Lord to give me rest, not just an off day, but true rest. Time where I could rest my body and let it recover, rest my mind from the daily toils of school and basketball, and rest my spirit.

We played Houston as the first game in the tournament and about halfway into the third quarter, I went up for a rebound and came down on someone’s foot. Ankle rolled. Immediately I knew that this was more than just a roll, the pain was agonizing and I winced with every step. I honestly thought that it was broken and that I’d be out for the rest of the season.

If you followed last season, then you know that that was not the case. I had about three days off before I was back on the court doing different exercises to test the strength of my ankle and it was a six day turnaround before I was back in practice. Unfortunately, that is just the nature of the game. Despite the pain that I played with for the remainder of the season the Lord still saw it fit to bless me with the Big South Player of the Year award. This would not have happened had I not continued to play.

Fast forward a few months after my MRI and it turns out that my injury was a lot more serious than we thought and actually required two surgeries to fix. After a lot of prayer and guidance I decided to have the surgeries and sit out this season. That might have been the best decision of my life. Through this journey I have learned so much about the game of basketball, my teammates, and even my coaches. I have started to see the game as coaches do, and am able to understand the “why” behind the instruction that they are giving. These types of things you only learn when you are removed from the game as a player.

The biggest lesson by far though, is that sometimes injuries are sent to give you the rest that you have been asking for. I never thought that when I asked for rest the Lord would give me a whole year but I will always be grateful that He did. I get a whole year without the pressure to have to perform day in and day out, and a year without constantly replaying the events of the game in my mind wishing I could go back and correct my mistakes. I honestly don’t know that I could have performed at as high of a level as I was performing for the next two years if I did not get this break. I have learned that college basketball is hard work, but it is so worth it and if you just trust Him, He will not lead you astray.

Go Flames!

-Keyen Green #21

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Tatyana's Love of Roanoke & Cereal

Hello, my name is Tatyana Crowder. I am a senior from the greatest city in the world, Roanoke. While planning to write my final blog, I was very conflicted on what I wanted my last words to the Liberty Women’s Basketball blog followers to be, but after much deliberation I have decided. So, half of this blog will be devoted to seeking to convince my readers of how great Roanoke is and the latter will focus on my love of cereal, which is something that most people are unaware of.

The reason that I love my hometown so much is simply because it is where the people who are occupy my heart live - my family. Growing up in Roanoke truly wasn't that great but as a child and even into my teenage years, I knew that I wanted to be different from what I saw in my community. I decided that I would come back into the brokenness and be a light for the Lord. Now, in my senior season and as I prepare to launch into the real world, I have been reflecting on these four years and I am convinced that God works despite our failures and inadequacies. I can confidently submit to whatever the Lord has next for me and trust that His plans far outweigh my best attempts; how else does one go from a walk-on to team captain and earn a scholarship? Yes, Roanoke is the best city in the world and please trust me on this one. Absolutely, I so badly want to move back to my community and be a cultural hero while loving people and sharing the Truth of Scripture. But for now, I am trusting in the One who has been writing my story.

Okay, now that the most serious part of this blog is over we can move to the milk and cereal. I am sure most of you guys were unaware of my deep affection for a medium size bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with 2% milk. Usually, I have at least one bowl of cereal a day because it is convenient and easy to make. I am not the best cook so I daily have cereal to boost my confidence for cooking bigger things, which will come after I enter the “real world”. Recently, I have tried Reese’s Puffs and boy oh boy is the peanut butter chocolate crunch worth every ounce of sugar.

Alright, this pretty much wraps up my blog. I consider it an honor to be member of this program and I cherish all the kind words of encouragement and prayer from our Flames Family. People will forget my name and my number, but it is my sincerest desire that people remember my Lord and that my short time on this team has pointed others to the Lord.

Go Flames!

-Tatyana Crowder #4

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Getting to Know Ria

My name is Ria Gulley and I am from San Antonio, Texas. I am a redshirt sophomore and my favorite food is the  fruit dip from McAlister’s Deli and strawberries. I have 7 brothers and sisters, a cavalier king charles spaniel, and a long haired chihuahua. We have a few cats as well but I don’t count them because they are mainly outside and sometimes they run away. Most of my brothers and sisters played basketball, so I was pretty much forced into it. I wanted to play soccer but my grandma didn’t want to sit outside in the Texas heat. I spent my freshman year of college playing at Indiana University. I decided to transfer to Liberty to learn more about Jesus and how to defend my faith in this world.

I spend every summer traveling. This past summer I was able to go to Miami, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos with some of my best friends. I met my very best friend in third grade when she moved to San Antonio from Miami. Ever since then, we clicked. She was musically gifted and I was book smart, but both of us loved athletics and were rather lazy. As we grew older, our schedules started to clash more often and we couldn’t be together as often. We also only had third grade, Spanish in seventh grade, and 1 semester of a health class senior year together. However, we did and still do, live in the same neighborhood, so I would always go on runs to her house. Now that we are both in college, we really only see each other for a little bit in May and for a couple of days around Christmas.

Fun Facts:

1.  I collect hotel pens.

2.  While I took a break from writing this, I was holding 2 cups of very hot water to make some hot chocolate with. I was trying to leave the elevator once it got to my floor, but I guess the door sensors didn’t sense me and the door continued to close on my left arm as I was slowly walking out, trying not to spill my hot water. The water from the left cup splashed onto my right arm and I screamed, set my cups down gently on the floor and ran down the hallway. My arm is now covered in burn marks, but the hot chocolate was good.

Go Flames!

-Ria Gulley #2

Moving Across the Country and Adjusting to College

Hello Everyone,

My name is Lizzie Moore. I am a freshman from San Jose, California. My experience moving across the country has been fun and exciting. There are a lot of differences between San Jose and Lynchburg.

Some things I like to do back home in California are shopping, going out to eat with my friends, going to the beach on sunny weekends, and hanging out with my family and pets. I also really love the coffee shops where I am from. My favorite coffee shop is Philz Coffee and my friends and I would go there to catch up and do homework.

At Liberty, I have enjoyed diving deeper into my spiritual life and developing a stronger relationship with Christ. I have developed strong bonds with my teammates all the while getting a college education. I have learned so many things since I arrived in Lynchburg just 6 months ago. I have learned that the most difficult things in life make you better in the long run. Learning to manage my time between school and basketball has been a huge part of being successful as a student-athlete here.

Being a part of the team is so much fun. I am #32 and I chose that number because that was the number I had in high school, so it has some sentimental value to it. Overall, Liberty has been a great choice for me not only as a basketball player but also academically and spiritually. I am so happy to be a part of the Flames Family!

Go Flames!

-Lizzie Moore #32

Brooke's Southwest Departure

Hi Everyone!!

I want to fill you in with what is going on in my life and how my path is starting to look a little bit different. I have decided to accept an internship position with Southwest Airlines for this spring semester. I will be moving to Dallas, Texas, this month to start my internship at the Southwest Headquarters. This was a very hard decision to make, but since my goal is to fly commercially, it is an amazing opportunity and I am super excited about it! Although basketball is ending sooner for me then I thought it was going to, I am excited to walk through the doors that the Lord is opening for me.

Wow, looking back over the past year and a half of being a part of the Liberty Women’s Basketball Team, a number of feelings rush to my head. The number one feeling is an overwhelming sense of thankfulness. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to be on the Liberty basketball team and to get to know some amazing girls and coaches. What a blessing and life changing opportunity it has been! I will never be able to repay those that allowed me to have this experience.

Before I go, I want to thank you.

So first off, thank you Jesus for the blessing you allowed me to have by putting me on this awesome team and thank you for the doors you are opening up for me.

To all of the fans and my family, thank you for how you have supported me and our team! We wouldn’t be where we are without you!!

To all of my teammates, thank you. Thank you for loving me endlessly, supporting me always, and always putting a smile on my face.

Finally, to Coach Green and his staff, thank you. Thank you for believing in me, allowing me to follow my dreams, and for pointing me to Christ in everything that I do.

I will always be a part of the LUWBB Family and I will be cheering and supporting the team on, now until forever. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, LIBERTY BASKETBALL FAMILY!!!

-Brooke Basinger #11