PTHR OWIT DOWN

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESERVING THE LEGACY

After losing sixseniors, the women's basketball team started fresh with many younger playersthis season They faced the challengeto preserve the legacy of12 Big South Championship titles and 12NCAA Division I Tournament appearances Theirfocus wasto createa new face fortheteam

"We areforming our own identityand we are continuing tobuild chemistry asateam,"Brittany Campbell, freshman guard, said The lonesenior, Amber Mays, was given a huge responsibility this year. She was the oldest player, leaderofthis team and determined tomake a good impact on herteammates,

"I have a lot ofresponsibility,"Mays said. "I have to be a positive rolemodel foreverybody, and it is my job tosettheexample."

Working with each other and meshing together was the number one priority and challenge according to Mays and juniorguard Dymond Morgan.

"We have tolearn towork asateam," Morgan said "Afterlosinga lot ofupperclassmen,we must relyon the new members and learnto trusteachother."

Every practiceand every game broughtthis team closertotheirgoal "We're getting better every day, but we have not even reached our peak,"Campbell said "I believewe will reach our peak astheseason progresses."

Despite the younger players, there was hope forthe women's basketball team "I havehigh hopes forthisnew team, and I want tocontinue the legacy ofwinning champions,"Mayssaid

"Myfavorite halftime performance is definitely the SOAR dunk team."

-David Brower,JR

"I likethe little blow upanimals; theydanced withmy friend and squirtedsilly stringall over him. Itwasquite entertaining."

-Paige Hedrick,SO

"I likethe game withthe little kids puttingon thebasketball uniforms I thinkthat it's reallycuteand it bringsthe communityinto thebasketball game."

-Kelly

Marvel,JR

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"Thisyearthe [women's] team looked reallygood. My favoritepart of thegame was how wellthey workedtogether toplayasa team Theydid anexcellentjob utilizing each others'strengths and weaknesses toplaytogether and tobeat whoeverthey playedagainst I reallyenjoy just watching theirskills."

-Liz Campbell,SR

"When I arrived 10yearsago, I was not a women's basketball fan, butthestudents heretold me thattheLady Flameswas the basketball team to watch I wenttoa coupleofgames andquickly was hooked Theirtenacious defense makes watchingthe gamesexciting."

-Dr Robert Lyster,Associate Professor, Communication Studies

"I go to the women's basketball games with my friends I also wearred in order toshowsupport totheteam.

A basketball game here is excitingbecause ofthestudent body and the special effects."

-LauraHahn,FR

SHORTESTONTHETEAM(AT5'6")

#21Amber Mays, SR

FARTHESTHOMETOWN (SKOPJE,MACEDONIA)

#11JelenaAntic, FR

By halftime, the Lady Flames led the gam e by 26 points "I like cheering on our team with all of the other students." Ambe r Cook, sophomore, said "Students bring energy and encouragement to the Vines." Junior Dymond Morgan looksforanopen teammate orlanetohelpwiden thelead. With encouragement from the fans and their teammates, our team wo n the gam e 73-27 against Presbyterian "During games everyone is encouraging and helping each other," Rachel McLeod junior, said "Our team has always been there for each other through the thick and thin." SeniorAmber Mayscapitalizesonamoment ofweak defenseand goes foralayup. Mays enjoyed the thrill of the game, but she admitted that winning was always a plus. "My favorite gam e was last year's Big South Championship game, because w e wo n and it was an important game," she said Sophomore Avery Warley takesasecond tofocusonthefoulshotsheisabouttomake Basketball players had to make time to concentrate on their gam e as well as their school work "Schoool is a priority, and I study a lot to stay on top of stuff," Warley said. "The coaches make sure w e can get all our school work done."

"I like Lacrosse becauseit isvery entertaining and intensetowatch It isdifferent than mostother sportsandit incorporatesa combination ofbasketball, soccerand hockey Anyone can play, bigor smalland it is fastpaced and I ofaction."

-Rachelle Melnichuk,JR

"I liketogo because my friends play and it'sa new team so it is funtowatch them improve go decked out in theschool's attire."

-Sam Pigsley, JR

"I played on theclubteam previouslyand I heard thatit was going Division 1. I playedlacrosse all through high schoolsoit was adream come trueforme to beabletoplay on a Dlteamin college." -Sierra Clearwater,SO

"I enjoythe teammates I haveand the relationships I'vedeveloped withthem I also appreciatethe factthatwe are abletoconnect on aspiritual level asa team, which I feel drawsuseven closertogether."

-Chloe Mcintosh,SO

Building tradition.Laying the groundwork. Leaving a legacy That was the theme for the firstever evangelical Christian Division Ilacrosse team

"This is a very special time inthe history ofthe team," head coach Regan Denham said

Although women's lacrosse existed as a club sportfor several years,2010 marked the firstseason as an NCAA Division Isport Returning players witnessed thetransition

"Moving to Division Ihas brought lacrosse to a whole new level,"Hillary Baker,sophomore defenseman,said "Instead ofjust playing to play, it's more competitive."

Denham struggled to find enough players committed to the team, because the team was new She recruited players from other sports who understood Division I athletics

"The transition was really hard at first," Blaire Barnhart,freshman goalie who switched to lacrosse from volleyball, said,"The majority of us [had not]played before,so all of us learned the basicstogether."

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ESophomore midfielder Chloe Mcintosh transitioned from basketball tojoin the team "It was frustrating at the beginning because I've played basketball for12years,"Mcintosh said "You work so hard at that specific sport and then you start a new sport and you're at the bottom again."

According to Baker,Denham was very patient with the new players and helped them relate lacrosse to the sports they already understood One of the vitalcomponents for Denham was building team dynamic,being able to work together

"If you listento how a lotofthe girlsended up on thisteam,you can tellthat God has hand-picked the girlsand put thisteam together,"Baker said "We get along very well on and off[thefield]."

Although they willstriveto win, the players said they were honored to be part of the team, no matter the outcome ofthe games.

"It'sone ofthose things that,when you look back on your college experience,you'llsay, 'That's something I'm proud of,'" Barnhart said.

Sophomores HillaryBaker,KristinCrowleyand ChloeMcintoshstrechtheirlacrossestickstowardtheball, Sophomore KristenCrowleycutsaroungheropponent hopingtobeatouttheirLynchburgCollegeopponent Beforetheirfirstofficialgame,thelacrosseteam headingtowardsthesideline Thelacrosseteam hadtheir' heldascnmageagainstLynchburgcollegetopracticetheirteamwork "Itisverysatisfyingtoseethe firstvictoryagainstHoward University, winningbyonepoint amount ofimprovement ineachoneofusthisyear,"KarenYates,senior,said "I'msoproudofthem "My favoritegame wastheHoward game becausewedidn't' andgladtobeapartofthefirstWomen'sLacrosseteamofourschool'shistory." giveup,and we setthestandardfortherestoftheseason tonevergiveup, notmatterhow many goalswe'redown," LaurenSee,freshman,said.

"I gotovolleyball gamestosupportthegirls, becausethegirls aresogoodat whattheydo, and because oftherushyou getwhen there isanincredible digorspike. I feelthatasafan we areessential becausewe give them arushand desirethatonly causesthem to lovewhatthey playevenmore."

-Jeff Sundheim, SO likegoingto sharethetime withfriendswho enjoythesport, and my roleas afanistosupporttheteam bycheering them on." -Ben Tobias,SR

"Ithinkthemost importantrole asafanisto raisethelevelof intimidationfor theopponent Thishappens simplybythe noise level providedbythe massofpeople cheeringfortheir team andcheeringagainstthe opponent." -Neil Durner,SR

"Igotothe volleyballgames togivethe volleyball girls encouragement, motivationand rootforthem to dowell I have beentoldthat thegirlsappreciate, andlove seeingfriends, familymembers, and fanstocheer forthem.I have gottento reallygettoknow some ofthem."

-Grace Ju,JR

"I know the athleteslove havingarowdy crowd inthe stands.A crowd cangetintothe opposingteam's players'and coaches'heads, whichpotentially couldaffectthe outcomeofthe game.Ultimately it'sjustnicefor ourathletesto knowthatthey havefansupport, andthat we appreciateall thetimethey putintomaking thisschool's sportsthevery best."

-Jameson Beckner,Grad Student

"I gotosupport thevolleyball team because it isanenjoyable sporttowatch withmy friends I used toplayvolleyballand enjoy thegame."

-Emily Stoepker, SR