This spring is what many in college athletics have referred to as Super Spring. Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic and most sports shut down during the fall and winter, the spring has become home to most college teams’ seasons in 2021. For Liberty, 19 of the school’s 20 Division I programs are in competition this spring, and, if you include football going through spring practice, all of the 20 programs are in action.
We will provide weekly updates on all of Liberty’s NCAA Division I teams in action this spring, with the exception of football, men’s basketball, and baseball, as we cover those teams regularly. Here is our first ever Super Spring update.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (14-5, 10-2)
The Lady Flames are currently 14-5 on the season and 10-2 in ASUN play. Liberty picked up two road wins against Bellarmine this past weekend, 76-62 and 79-73, with an open date currently scheduled this coming weekend. The Flames are in 2nd place in the conference, just narrowly ahead of North Florida who is 8-2. The Lady Flames’ only two conference losses came at North Florida. FGCU is currently in first place at 10-0 in the conference standings. FGCU and Liberty are scheduled to meet in Fort Myers on March 5 and 6.
CROSS COUNTRY
The Men’s and Women’s cross country ASUN Championships are coming up on March 5th in Macon, Georgia. So far this season, the Men placed 3rd in the CSU Buccaneer Invitational, while the Women placed 1st. At the FSU Winter Cross Country Classic, the Men finished 17th while the Women finished 7th.
FIELD HOCKEY (1-0)
The Lady Flames got their season started on Sunday with a 3-1 win at Davidson. Liberty hosts Villanova this coming Saturday and Sunday for two games to begin Big East Conference play.
GOLF
The men’s golf team has gotten off to a strong start this spring. The Flames finished in a first place tie out of 11 teams in late January at the Timuquana Collegiate in Jacksonville, Florida. Liberty then finished tied for 2nd out of 12 teams at the Sea Best Inviational at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.This past weekend, Liberty finished 5th out of 21 teams at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Florida. The Flames are currently 5th among the others receiving votes in the Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Top 25 Poll.
LACROSSE (0-1)
The women’s lacrosse team lost its season opener on Friday to No. 18 Virginia Tech, 13-5, in a game that was played in the football Indoor Practice Facility. Liberty is scheduled to play at Robert Morris on Feb. 20.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (0-1)
The Lady Flames lost their season opener on Feb. 8 at VCU, 2-0. Liberty was scheduled to play at Longwood on Sunday, Feb. 14, but the game was postponed due to weather. Games are scheduled this weekend at Old Dominion Friday and at James Madison Sunday.
MEN’S SOCCER (2-0)
Liberty got its season started with a couple of shutout wins, first at home over Belmont Abbey, 4-0, on Feb. 6, and at Davidson, 1-0, on Feb. 10. Games are scheduled this week against Radford on Feb. 17 and at Elon on Feb. 21.
SOFTBALL (5-0)
The Lady Flames have gotten off to a tremendous start to the 2021 season, sweeping the five games in Leesburg, Florida as part of The Spring Games. Liberty defeated Pitt, 10-4, in the season opener on Feb. 12, followed by a win against Middle Tennessee, 8-0 later that afternoon. On Saturday, the Lady Flames defeated MTSU, 2-1, and picked up a pair of victories over New Mexico State on Monday, 7-2 and 11-2.
SWIMMING & DIVING (3-0, 3-0)
Liberty is currently competing in the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships this week, a three-day event taking place Monday-Wednesday. The two-time defending champion Lady Flames are looking for a third straight conference title, with the event being held at Liberty’s Natatorium.
WOMEN’S TENNIS (6-0)
A strong start this spring by the Lady Flames, defeating Georgia State, Mercer, Longwood (x2), Davidson and Towson. The last two came this weekend in the first ever matches at the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center. Liberty has matches scheduled this weekend at FGCU on Friday and at South Florida on Sunday.
MEN’S TENNIS (5-3)
The men’s tennis team has wins over Elon, Old Dominion, Georgia State, Charlotte, and William & Mary this season with losses at No. 22 Virginia, No. 6 Texas, and Arizona. Matches scheduled this weekend at Old Dominion on Friday and at William & Mary on Sunday.
TRACK & FIELD
Liberty’s men’s and women’s track & field teams have competed in several events this spring including the Liberty Elite Invitational, Bob Pollock Invitational, Brant Tolsma Invitational, and the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational. Both teams are scheduled to compete at the Virginia Tech Challenge this weekend. The ASUN Indoor Track Championships are being held in Lynchburg on Feb. 26 and 27. The outdoor season begins in late March.
VOLLEYBALL (2-3, 2-2)
The Lady Flames began the season with three straight losses, all at home, against VCU and twice against Lipscomb. Liberty was able to notch a couple of wins this past weekend at North Alabama, both 3-0 sweeps. The lady Flames are scheduled to face Kennesaw State this Friday and Saturday at Liberty Arena.
