2021-22 Athletics Excellence

YEAR IN REVIEW

The 2021-22 athletic year was another successful one for the Liberty Athletics department. The Flames captured eight conference titles, including six ASUN crowns (women’s cross country, softball, women’s indoor track & field, men’s tennis, men’s indoor track & field, and men’s outdoor track & field), a BIG EAST title (field hockey), and a CCSA championship (women’s swimming & diving). The field hockey team finished as the NCAA Division I national runner-up, achieving the best national finish ever by a Liberty squad at the NCAA Division I level.

FOOTBALL

The Flames finished 8-5, capped off by a 56-20 rout of Eastern Michigan in the LendingTree Bowl. Liberty became only the second team ever to win a bowl game in each of its first three seasons of bowl eligibility. QB Malik Willis was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round, becoming the second-highest NFL Draft pick in program history.

VOLLEYBALL

Kate Phillips became the Lady Flames’ third ASUN All-Freshman Team honoree in the last two seasons, while Aspen Thompson earned CoSIDA Academic All-District Team recognition.

MEN’S SOCCER

Liberty’s 7-9 mark featured a victory over NCAA Sweet Sixteen qualifier Wake Forest. Marko Mitrevski was named to the ASUN AllConference First Team for the second year in a row.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The Lady Flames went 11-7-1, recording their most wins in a season since 2016. Madison Ellis was an ASUN All-Conference First Team performer, while Kasey Jamieson repeated as ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

FIELD HOCKEY

The Lady Flames’ historic 20-3 season featured wins over defending national champion North Carolina and the team’s first-ever BIG East title (vs. UConn). Liberty defeated No. 11 Saint Joseph’s, No. 1 Rutgers, and No. 5 Maryland to reach its first NCAA national championship match, where the Lady Flames fell to Northwestern. Jill Bolton was named NFHCA Division I National Player of the Year and the Honda Sport Award winner for field hockey.

CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD

Liberty captured four ASUN Conference titles, including women’s cross country, men’s outdoor track & field, and a sweep of the men’s and women’s indoor track & field championships. The Flames’ conference championship streaks reached 25 in a row for men’s indoor track & field and 15 straight for men’s outdoor track & field. Liberty’s men’s 4 x 100 relay squad placed 12th nationally, becoming the first relay team in program history to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors. Freshman Kennedy Sauder (men’s high jump) was both an indoor and outdoor All-American.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Flames went 22-11, capturing the ASUN East Division title and posting their sixth consecutive 20-win season. Darius McGhee led the nation in total points (812/24.6 ppg) on his way to ASUN and VaSID Player of the Year honors.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Liberty finished 28-5, equaling the program record for victories. The Lady Flames’ final win of the season was their first-ever WNIT triumph. Carey Green, who picked up his 500th win during the year, was voted VaSID Coach of the Year.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

Hosting the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championship, Liberty defeated runner-up FGCU by more than 300 points to claim its fourth straight conference title. Maddie Freece earned her second CCSA Women’s Diver of the Year award in a row.

MEN’S TENNIS

The Flames finished 13-11, highlighted by a five-match winning streak that led to the team’s second straight ASUN title and Liberty’s first appearance in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Team Championship. ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year Josh Wilson won a program single-season record 29 singles matches.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

The Lady Flames tied the program record with 19 wins and reached their first ASUN Championship final, where they fell to Stetson. Maria Juliana Parra Romero won a programrecord 29 singles contests and was tabbed ASUN Freshman of the Year.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Liberty finished 11-8 and reached the ASUN Championship final for the third time in as many seasons. The Lady Flames, who recorded their first-ever win over Virginia Tech, saw 10 players earn ASUN postseason honors.

MEN’S GOLF

The Flames qualified for the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf National Championship for the third consecutive season, finishing in 26th place. First-year Flame Austin Duncan became the first CoSIDA Academic AllAmerican in program history.

BASEBALL

Liberty, which went 37-23 and advanced to the ASUN Championship title game, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship for the second consecutive season. It was the Flames’ third straight NCAA Regional appearance overall, something which Liberty had never achieved previously. Aaron Anderson was Liberty’s first CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in any sport.

SOFTBALL

The Lady Flames finished 44-18 overall, including the best conference record in ASUN history (23-1) and three victories over nationally ranked opponents. Liberty successfully defended its ASUN title, heading to an NCAA Regional for the fifth time in program history.