Lipscomb softball defeats Southern Illinois 3-2

The Lipscomb softball team improved its record to 9-10 after winning against Southern Illinois 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium. Lipscomb started slow after having a long break between games. In the first inning, the Bisons had two wild pitches that were a big key to the two runs scored by the Salukis. “After having a long layoff you never really know how your team is going to react,” Lipscomb coach Kristin Ryman said. “We didn’t let the first inning dictate the whole game.” Lipscomb answered back with an RBI as a result of a sacrifice fly by senior Gracey Aguirre. The Bisons tied the game in the bottom of the second with another sacrifice fly by senior Paige Neely. It was not until the bottom of the sixth when junior Baylee Williams broke the tie with a solo home run. “I really want to win for my teammates,” Williams said. “I wasn’t going up there looking for a home run. I was just wanting to get a base hit.” Ryman said it was important to get clutch hits like Bailey’s on a regular basis. “As a team we try to go up to the plate and make something happen,” Ryman said. “I think if we do that consistently we are going to be okay.” Southern Illinois was aggressive in trying to score runs, but could only manage to pick them up in the first inning. The Salukis had an interesting way to deliver signs to batters at the plate. Ryman said Southern Illinois team looked at their wristbands every time they stepped out of the box. “It is a signal,” Ryman...

Bisons lose 72-60 to Missouri

Freshman guard Nathan Moran scored 17 points in the Bison’s 72-60 loss to Missouri this Saturday in Allen Arena.  Sophomore guard Josh Williams added 11 points and seven rebounds. Lipscomb led 35-33 at halftime.  The Bisons were unable to hit a basket in the final 9:33 of the game. Missouri’s Johnat Williams III scored 16, while Keith Shamburger added 15. Missouri’s record improved to 6-7 overall. This loss was the first the men’s basketball team in 2015. Lipscomb’s record fell to 5-9 overall. The Bisons will play Rhodes College in Allen Arena on Jan. 5 before they start conference...

Volleyball uses successful season as platform for A-Sun Tournament

With a 3-0 sweep of USC Upstate and 3-1 victory over Kennesaw State University last weekend, the lady Bisons clinched the regular season championship and with it secured the No. 1 seed heading into the Atlantic Sun Tournament. Head coach Brandon Rosenthal knew that something was different with the team this year with heir attitude towards the game and outlook on winning. “Going to Kansas and beating Kansas, going to Missouri and beating Missouri and Illinois State,” Rosenthal said, “It was just one of those years where everybody believed and it was special.” Injuries and illness plagued the team towards the start of the season, but they found a way to fight back and end conference play 13-1. Rosenthal said that it’s not necessarily about the talent but the character. Over a quarter of the team are seniors this year and their leadership was apparent in each and every game they played during the regular season. “We talked at the beginning of the year about leaving a legacy, and that has nothing to do with wins and losses, it has everything to do with who you are,” said Rosenthal. “These girls, led by our seniors have done that.” Rosenthal mentioned when you have a season like theirs you expect to win every match you go into and there’s definitely an expectation of going into the tournament and winning. “I don’t think there’s any surprise for us or for anyone else that we want to do this,” said Rosenthal. “We aren’t going to win every set 25-0, we know they’re going to push us.” The Lady Bisons went 20-7 overall...

The Postgame: Fall sports are in full swing

The fall sports teams are off to a great start this semester. Here is a recap on the games that have already been completed so far. Volleyball The Lipscomb volleyball team opened up the 2014 season with a 2-1 record at the Kansas Invitational. Friday Aug. 29 started with a disappointing season opener, losing 3-1 to No. 23 Creighton. Junior Brittany Estes recored her first career triple double in the match with 12 kills, 12 digs and 10 assists. Junior Bri McCombs led Lipscomb with 19 digs. Senior Lauren Ford added 18 digs. The big win came later that night against No. 22 Kansas. The Lady Bisons were down 2-0, but rallied back winning three sets in a row to get the 3-2 victory. The win was the first for the program over a ranked opponent. Lipscomb took set three 25-14, set four 26-24 and set five 15-12. Senior Jewell Dobson had a match-high 20 kills. Estes notched a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs. McCombs recorded a match-high 20 digs. Coach Brandon Rosenthal earned his 200th win after the Lady Bisons defeated Utah Valley 3-1 on Aug. 30. Lipscomb won the first set 25-23, third set 25-17 and fourth set 25-15. Estes had 10 kills in the match, and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for the invitational. Ford recorded a match high 15 kills. McCombs led the team with 14 digs. Junior Molly Spitznagle’s hitting percentage was .562 in the match with 10 kills. The Lady Bisons will travel to Missouri Sept. 5 for a weekend tournament in the Tiger Classic. Men’s soccer Men’s soccer...

Lipscomb volleyball remains focused despite high expectations

Lipscomb Volleyball is set to begin a highly anticipated season, and the Lady Bisons, despite a high preseason ranking, are looking beyond the honor to focus on the bigger task at hand, as coach Brandon Rosenthal said. “For us, the end goal is a championship,” said Rosenthal, who is entering his twelfth season as head coach of the Lady Bisons. He mentioned that while being voted as the top team in the Atlantic Sun conference is quite the honor, it is simply an honor. Lipscomb is returning six of seven starters from last year, and of those players, Bri McCombs, Jewell Dobson and Lauren Ford all won preseason awards. McCombs earned preseason Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year, Dobson was voted Atlantic Sun preseason Player of the Year and Ford received a place on the All-Conference team. The Lady Bisons will get an opportunity to cash in on the predictions, as they face four top 25 ranked teams during the season. Their schedule kicks off with back-to-back ranked opponents, Creighton and Kansas ranked 23 and 22 respectively, on the first day of the season. Matchups with no. 15 ranked Missouri and no. 19 ranked Kentucky will be happening on Sept. 5 and 19. When scheduling these matchups, Rosenthal is only thinking about one thing: winning. He has great confidence in the team and thinks highly of its capability. “We’re [playing top schools] because I feel like that’s the group that we’re in,” said Rosenthal. He also talked about the team being historically a “slower-starting team, so we’re always looking to buck the trend.” Slow start or no, Rosenthal...