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