tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89326211695810097592024-02-19T01:42:28.588-05:00Atlantic Sun InsiderA-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.comBlogger476125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-70209574327819672272015-01-24T11:22:00.000-05:002015-01-24T11:22:07.599-05:00Eagles Nesting in FGCU's Local Community<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Student-athletes from the Florida Gulf Coast University softball, women’s golf and men’s basketball teams continued to make an impact in the Fort Myers, Fla., community during the fall of 2014, reaching out to several local organizations and putting faces to the A-Sun’s mission of "Building Winners for Life."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /><b>ON BASE WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE</b><br />In September, FGCU softball kicked off the Eagles’ service at separate sites for different causes on two-consecutive weekends.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">September 13, the team aided in a Publix “Stuff the Bus” promotion that benefited the Harry Chapin Food Bank. The Eagles split into two teams, with one standing outside a Naples Publix passing out flyers to customers entering the grocery store. The flyers explained how anyone could easily donate and asked for their help. At checkout, customers had the option to donate a bag of food to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. The bags were used to fill a school bus with donations, which were in turn brought to the Harry Chapin Food Bank.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The second group of Green and Blue athletes was stationed at Harry Chapin Food Bank warehouse. Teammates worked together to unload incoming buses from various Publix locations, and loaded an incredible 16 pallets of donations which were then loaded onto trucks to be distributed to areas in need. JoAnna Bradshaw, wife of FGCU President Dr. Wilson G. Bradshaw and Chairman of the food bank, estimated that a total of 16,000 pounds of food were unloaded.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The following weekend, the team volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, tearing down parts of the home as the ‘demolition team.’ The team met at a house in Lehigh Acres, where its tasks including removal of all of the siding off the outside of the house, taking out two walls in the garage, removing old cabinets and light fixtures, removing wallpaper, taking out the screened-in front walkway and removing base boards.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The team’s proficiency in the demolition actually enabled an early finish, which opened doors for new opportunities. A portion of the team also visited another house in the area and spent time during renovation that included painting the ceiling and cleaning up the outside entrance, in turn making a difference for two families in Southwest Florida.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>GETTING INTO THE SWING OF SUPPORT </b><br />Eagles’ women's golf also invested in multiple local organizations in the fall of 2014, volunteering with the Salvation Army for the third-straight season along with teaming with a local golf event for children.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">At the Salvation Army, the Eagles sorted and prepared donated food that would be distributed for the holiday season.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"We were really happy to help out at the Salvation Army again this year," said senior Georgia Price. "They receive a tremendous amount of donations during the holidays. We were glad that we could help sort through them so they were ready for when families came to collect for Thanksgiving and Christmas."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The team also volunteered at the Junior Tee at the CME Titleholders course. In conjunction with CME Titleholders, the event hosted a clinic for boys and girls of all ages. The team, with Coach Trew, joined instructors from around the area to teach full swing, short game and putting.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"We had so much fun volunteering at Tiburon!" continued Price. "The First Tee and other junior golf organizations are so important to the growth of the game and it's vital that as collegiate golfers we serve as role models for young kids. We taught them ways to practice and why they should respect the game. It was clear that we had an impact on them and it felt amazing!"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>READING INTO LITERACY, ACADEMICS </b><br />Throughout the fall semester, the Men’s Basketball team also volunteered for “Eagle Reading” each week at Three Oaks Elementary and Pine Woods Elementary reading books to various classes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last but not least, the Eagles Club Board of Advisors began a Community Awareness initiative at local elementary schools where various student-athletes from each sport speak to kids about the importance of academics.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As you can see, the Eagles were flying high when it came to their investment into local organizations, helping student-athletes reach their potential not only in athletics and academics but as contributing members of their community as well – the third integral component of "Building Winners for Life." <br /></span></span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-1357461340816890592014-12-19T14:04:00.000-05:002014-12-19T14:04:25.572-05:00KSU's Vaughn Williams: Perspectives on Service, Success and More<style>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spend time with Kennesaw State
University Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams and you quickly discover how
key the role of servant leadership is to Williams’ mission for all involved
with KSU Athletics.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Williams’ most recent opportunity for such
leadership comes in his selection to the inaugural <a href="http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/division-i-board-looking-more-diversity-new-council" target="_blank">NCAA Division I Council</a> that
is set to convene for the first time on January 15, 2015, during the opening
day of the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Williams will represent the Atlantic Sun Conference on the
Council which is charged with conducting the day-to-day business of NCAA Division
I Athletics. Appointed at the recommendation of a Division I Board of
Directors’ subcommittee, the Council replaces the current Legislative and
Leadership councils. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Council consists of a diverse group of 40 individuals
comprised of athletics directors (AD), conference office delegates, faculty
athletic representatives (FAR), senior woman administrators (SWA) and two
student-athletes. The group’s first order of business will be to design the
subgroups that will assist in developing legislation, running championships and
performing other necessary functions within the operations of Division I
Athletics.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Williams’s selection is the latest news in what has been a
big year for Kennesaw State University Athletics. KSU reached new
heights particularly in during 2014 as three teams (baseball, men’s
indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field) captured Atlantic Sun
Conference titles. The baseball team’s championship was the first-ever at the
Division I level and vaulted the Owls to the Tallahassee Regional title and a
trip to the Super Regional in the program’s first NCAA Division I postseason
appearance and the A-Sun’s second Super Regional appearance in conference
history.<br />
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The postseason run by the baseball team, combined with the men’s golf program
advancing to the NCAA Championships and junior Kaew Preamchuen earning women’s
golf’s first-ever individual berth to an NCAA regional helped to bring well deserved
national exposure to KSU and the A-Sun. That national exposure continued
through the summer as two rising seniors on the men’s golf team, Jimmy Beck and
Austin Vick competed in the U.S. Amateur Championship that was held at the
Atlanta Athletic Club.<br />
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Kennesaw State student-athletes also excelled in the classroom as they combined
to record a 3.07 cumulative grade-point average and 154 individuals earned
A-Sun Conference all-academic honors.</span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: What are you
most proud of in your three years now at KSU?</b></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> I am
most proud of our student-athletes’ response to all of the demands on them and how they
go about handling their business. I can obviously point to their academics, as
they are consistently reaching the 3.0 threshold. I can point to their growth
in the community, and how they have really taken it upon themselves to
understand what service is and how to become servant leaders. We continue to
build on our hours in the community and we are really doing some good things
and that, I believe, is very valuable to their experience. Also I can point to
them buying into being representatives and taking full advantage of the
experience as student-athletes at Kennesaw State.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We have been able to put a
great team together here at KSU and the community has really gotten behind us. I
think our coaches have done a great job. We have a great group of coaches and I
am really excited about the future because it is through those coaches that we
can impact lives. We also continue to have success in competition, which really
makes it a lot of fun.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Adding women’s lacrosse and football to the arsenal has been
tremendous, because you don’t get to do that every day. Being able to add those
marquis programs is very important.</span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: What are
some obstacles that you and KSU Athletics have been able to overcome?</b></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> Really
it has been about educating people in our internal campus community along with
the external community as to what athletics is all about. It is about educating
them as to where we fit on this campus, and where we fit in in regards to being
a part of this great community in Cobb County/Northwest Georgia. We are always
educating about that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Obviously the football hurdle was huge. It was huge getting
that approved. First it was also important for our students, because if our
students didn’t support it then we would never have football. Then getting the
Board of Regents to support it, followed by the partners that gave us financial
support. I think that also speaks to this community. We had a certain timeline
that we had to operate within and obviously that was a huge hurdle to overcome.
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: You began
three years ago armed with a vision. Has that changed or adapted at all?</b></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> I think
it hasn’t changed, but rather it has become a part of us. It is about being
champions in the classroom, champions in the community and champions in
competition. I do believe that as far as champions in the classroom, we have
really begun to build that foundation. All of the coaches understand that is a
part of reaching our potential and everyone involved understands how important
it is to be at the 3.0 mark.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As far as champions in the community, it includes everything
that we have done athletically which has helped in so many ways. It is not just
about athletics, but the institution. We have really made it our business to go
out and be in the community, get to know people and to spread the “Black and
Gold Gospel” of KSU to the public. </span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: How nice is
it to have institutional administration that totally buys into your philosophy?</b></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> The quality
of leadership that we have at Kennesaw State definitely impacts my job. We
can’t do the things that we have done for the last three and half years without
the student support and without the support of our president and our board of
trustees. Dr. Papp has been monumental in his leadership in helping and
assisting us get things done in the right manner, which is what we want to do. I
would say that it is his leadership, his vision, and I carry out what he wants
me to do and how athletics will fit in to the master plan of how KSU reaches
excellence.</span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: What are
your expectations of and what do you bring to this newly created NCAA Division
I Council?</b></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> I go
into this committee with obviously an open mind. I do think, I hope that I can
bring my experience and background to contribute. From my time at Utah, Toledo,
Boston College, Connecticut and now at Kennesaw State, I have seen Division I
at many levels. I can bring that experience, that real-life understanding of
the issues and challenges that those campuses faced as we get ready to do what
is best for Division I in its entirety. I have never been as excited to serve on
a committee as I am now. This is a moment in our history in the NCAA and in
Division I, a juncture in time that we will look back and see “how were these
things developed?” As we move forward with all of the things that are happening
with the Big 5, I do think I will be able to represent the A-Sun, mid-major
conferences and other conferences in a very formal, just and educated way.</span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: KSU played a
role in a historic 2014 for the A-Sun, so talk about where you see the A-Sun
right now.</b></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> The
A-Sun has a lot of momentum in multiple areas, including in meeting our mission
of Building Winners for Life. You see it in the classroom, in what we are doing
in and for our communities and certainly on the playing field in multiple
sports. You can talk about volleyball, soccer, basketball, golf, tennis,
baseball and softball – you can talk about an array of sports in which the
momentum is building. Our brand is in a good place right now, and I am looking
forward to us continuing that momentum moving forward.</span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: How goes the
transition to life in the South?</b></span></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> This is
an unbelievable community. I couldn’t have dreamed my situation up any better.
I love the state of Georgia and this community in the Metro Atlanta area offers
a very diverse cultural experience. This community has embraced my family, and
me and we have embraced it, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else at this
time. I work for a great university and a great president and KSU is a member
of a great conference, many things are on the horizon, so the transition has
been very easy. There have been many facets of my experience that have made me
feel very fortunate to be here and I can’t wait to see what can be done as we
move forward.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Insider: What is
next?</b></span></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Williams:</b> We are
excited about basketball right now and are looking forward to another
successful spring season for KSU. We have a consolidation that is happening with
another institution that should be finalized over the next month or so, and we
will be a bigger and better institution. That is exciting for athletics because
it offers another array of educational outlets and opportunities for
student-athletes like computer science, architecture, engineering, and
construction management. Full-fledged educational opportunities will be
available in more disciplines and I can’t wait to see the day when we have
student-athletes graduating from the school of engineering or architecture or
the others that I mentioned. It opens up a whole new level of service with a
student population of 6,000 additional students. As we continue to create a
more robust program, that will lead to pride, energy and synergy among the
students, alumni and the community. It is a great and rewarding experience that
is continuously evolving for those who currently attend and who will attend in
the future. It is a great time to be at
Kennesaw State.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-52375462043110660342014-12-10T10:56:00.000-05:002014-12-10T10:56:11.879-05:00Community Service Looks Good on the Hatters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppbMN1rQr6lBXnDOdDUDXCnWU7xEYRFy2CpfgzMdRf8aN6uZZigUDKamZkK0MPH5mKY8eXUDKvHuvhbtIp1ff63zZRS69D9dEi5HRjylWbCMXpm59WZSNj__NifBnU3qMP5uGNqnet53E/s1600/Stetson+WLAX+beach+cleanup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppbMN1rQr6lBXnDOdDUDXCnWU7xEYRFy2CpfgzMdRf8aN6uZZigUDKamZkK0MPH5mKY8eXUDKvHuvhbtIp1ff63zZRS69D9dEi5HRjylWbCMXpm59WZSNj__NifBnU3qMP5uGNqnet53E/s1600/Stetson+WLAX+beach+cleanup.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spend a little time with many student-athletes from Stetson University and
you discover quickly the culture of community service and involvement that helps
define the Hatters’ programs.</span></span><br />
<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take women’s lacrosse for instance. Senior Samantha Akl has
participated in many projects and events with her team, from helping clean up a
local beach to helping out at the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“It is amazing to represent Stetson women’s lacrosse at something that
helps our community, because it gives us a chance to tell them who were are,
what we do and why we are there,” said Akl. “Because we are a sport not known
for its fan base, it is so much fun to get out and hopefully create new fans.
We have had some ask us back and said to be sure next time to bring our
sticks.”</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then there is women’s soccer, whose service ranges from volunteering
and teaching in local churches to working with the humane society and
participating in walks against domestic violence. One student-athlete, junior
Jenna Premo, also spent two weeks as a missionary in Guyana, working to provide
clothing and food to children and families.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“That was an incredible experience,” says Premo. “I was in the jungle
for a week and then in a very poor city for another week. It really put into
perspective the amount of things that we get as student-athletes. Plus,
watching the kids play soccer and playing with them really reinforced how much
I love the game.”</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmYrQDw1w1JLFzSKkoNpWX3QD07n6YCvRdH84iTomDRnzt0q2RR6fdxVPKk6gHnQdVhHXSiDa6KjA2YXhEaGlJlo7BdvbeuSM7Vttf2Y0zlwyNRpfaUMiFye2zKuy9uuo6FWobcQA5woS/s1600/Premo+missions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmYrQDw1w1JLFzSKkoNpWX3QD07n6YCvRdH84iTomDRnzt0q2RR6fdxVPKk6gHnQdVhHXSiDa6KjA2YXhEaGlJlo7BdvbeuSM7Vttf2Y0zlwyNRpfaUMiFye2zKuy9uuo6FWobcQA5woS/s1600/Premo+missions.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Along with participating in a certain amount of hours of service with
their teams, many Hatter student-athletes go above and beyond that time as well. Some will often discover needs and serve
for their own personal satisfaction, while others share the intentions to serve
on social media and are soon joined by a teammate or fellow student-athlete
or two, at the very least.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Being able to play a sport is great, and it is a privilege, but we
have great fans and being able to show them that we are supporting the
community in return is a big deal,” says Premo. “As student-athletes we have a
unique opportunity to serve as models for athletics and the university, and
that is important.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A board member in Stetson’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC),
Akl understands and praises the advantages of student-athlete involvement in
organizations such as SAAC.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I was a transfer to Stetson, and so beginning to participate in
different forms of community service made me feel like a part of the
community,” she said. “I had always wanted to be a part of SAAC, even to the
point of assuming a leadership role, and so once I decided to join I was ‘All
In.’"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Next up for Akl, Premo
and Stetson’s SAAC is the Me Strong 5K, an event organized to help raise money
for cancer research and to support families dealing with cancer. The Hatters’
SAAC will play major roles in the planning and execution of the event, in which
student-athletes are encouraged to participate either by running or
volunteering in some facet of the race.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last year’s event was
held in honor of a local resident and a supporter of Stetson athletics who was
in the third battle against cancer in her life.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“As a student-athlete and
a new member to SAAC, I am enjoying the time that we spend together, whether it
is learning personal facets of personal development through our meetings or
investing in our community,” said Premo. “Of course you always feel like your
efforts can be increased a bit, but the level of desire among our
student-athletes to do good and to get out there is high.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“The Me Strong 5K is the
biggest and most exciting community service event that SAAC in particular
participates in,” said Akl. “Along with the other community service projects
that we participate in throughout the year, this event provides such a good influence
on me and my teammates. Stetson is such a small school in a tight-knit
community, and so the results of this type of service is very satisfying.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-70750026232536929392014-12-04T11:07:00.002-05:002014-12-04T11:15:23.682-05:00Volleyball Adds to Atlantic Sun's Historic Year in 2014Earlier this week, Lipscomb and Jacksonville earned bids to the NCAA Volleyball Championship giving the Atlantic Sun multiple teams for the first time in conference history as the Bisons secured the A-Sun's first-ever at-large bid.<br />
<br />
The ground-breaking accomplishment by A-Sun Volleyball only adds to the best year in league history as conference student-athletes are performing at a record level when it comes to postseason play.<br />
<br />
Few other conferences can compete with the level of success A-Sun teams & student-athletes have produced over the past 12 months. In fact, only the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC can claim the postseason success of the A-Sun during 2014.<br />
<br />
This is only part of what the A-Sun has combined to accomplish since Jan. 2014;<br />
- Posted a victory in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament<br />
- Secured four postseason bids apiece in men's & women's basketball<br />
- Had a team appear in NCAA Baseball Super Regional (Kennesaw State)<br />
- Three softball teams earn victories in NCAA Regional play (Stetson, USC Upstate & Lipscomb)<br />
- Landed four teams in NCAA Men's Golf Regional Tournaments<br />
- Two teams in the 2014 NCAA Volleyball Championship<br />
<br />
Out of the 32 NCAA Division I conferences, only the above mentioned four conferences match or exceed the previous six accomplishments since the start of the 2014 calendar.<br />
<br />
In addition to the previously mentioned feats, A-Sun teams have achieved several other memorable moments this year;<br />
- FGCU became first A-Sun team to host an NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament match<br />
- North Florida's doubles team of Jack Findel-Hawkins and Norbert Nemcsek joined FGCU's Jordi Vives in winning a match in the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship<br />
- Lipscomb's Gemikal Prude and Kennesaw State's Andre Dorsey both earned NCAA Indoor Track & Field All-America status; first time in A-Sun history with multiple All-Americans in same year.<br />
- A conference-best three sand volleyball teams (Stetson, Jacksonville & North Florida) were represented at AVCA Championship.<br />
- Highest-ever individual finish by a women's golfer at the NCAA Championship as Gabriella Wahl tied for 50th.<br />
- Kennesaw State reached the NCAA Men's Golf Championship as the A-Sun has been represented at the last five national tournaments.<br />
<br />
With 2014 nearing its conclusion, A-Sun teams can look back at the historic year that was and continue to build for the year to come in 2015. Before the New Year begins, Jacksonville and Lipscomb try to expand the historic year with runs of their own in the NCAA Tournament.A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-85166823568452841722014-11-24T14:56:00.002-05:002014-11-24T14:56:43.322-05:00North Florida Making Community Service Consistently Meaningful
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2Ma3ot-_RNdWEvy8yaSC1Lu_-feC4ZOWZ62Z9tiTZd89ttfGKnc5IRBSBBHsAzOJg20d0mvEm_UKTcjpy26ImEoftrj5Hzg4ppl4hXXU0a0-c_tMWXe9y-LpjOxr55L__j2dax1MpL2j/s1600/UNF+Comm+Service+SAAC+feature+1114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2Ma3ot-_RNdWEvy8yaSC1Lu_-feC4ZOWZ62Z9tiTZd89ttfGKnc5IRBSBBHsAzOJg20d0mvEm_UKTcjpy26ImEoftrj5Hzg4ppl4hXXU0a0-c_tMWXe9y-LpjOxr55L__j2dax1MpL2j/s1600/UNF+Comm+Service+SAAC+feature+1114.jpg" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Last summer, University of North Florida
Director of Athletic Communication Brian Morgan and former UNF men’s Golfer
Joey Marino began discussing the impact of the Ospreys’ service to its
Jacksonville, Fla., community.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>What resulted was an understanding that while
the Ospreys’ student-athletes enjoyed community service, they weren’t
necessarily educated about the myriad of opportunities that were available to
them. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>“We have great student-athletes who want to be
involved in community service, but we found that they didn’t have the outlets
for that service,” said Morgan. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The discovery was one that prompted a regularly
monthly initiative through which all of North Florida’s student-athletes have
the opportunity to benefit others and themselves. This idea of regular monthly
service was also presented to all of North Florida’s coaches prior to the
beginning of the fall semester, and according to Morgan it was received with an
overwhelming show of support.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>“On the first Monday of every month an activity
is now scheduled, and so the week prior we send an email to our coaches and
also make sure to include the SAAC. Usually within an hour of the email going
out, the signup list is full.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>That was the case in one of the Ospreys’ most
special and recent activities, a visit to Wolfson Children’s Hospital. </span><span>The UNF student-athletes toured several
wings of the hospital visiting with patients of various ages ranging from five
to those in their teens. The student-athletes don’t focus on the illnesses of
the children they visit, but rather The North Florida Athletic Department has
partnered with Wolfson's for student-athletes to visit several times during the
2014-15 academic year, the next of which is scheduled for the first Monday in February.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>“Our student-athletes
get excited about going to see the kids at the hospital” said Morgan. “The
hospital has strict rules as to how many we can bring, so usually it ranges
from six to 12. Also we can only bring certain things to give them, like the
last time we took a plastic ball and had our student-athletes sign one for each
of the kids.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Matching the A-Sun’s
mission of helping student-athletes strike the proper balance between student
and athlete, North Florida’s new program of community service helps develop
what Morgan calls the “whole person.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>“We do a good job at
our institutions of developing the students in the classroom and the athletes
in the competitive arenas, but this gives them the chance to grow even more,”
Morgan said. “We are called to help them be a whole person, and to help them
discover for themselves what it means to give back and how that impacts
others.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Projects have also
included working at homeless shelters and participating in Habitat for
Humanity, and a hopeful future initiative has eyes set of the local Ronald
McDonald House that ministers to parents of seriously ill children. </span><span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-5034057261769907102014-11-22T23:23:00.001-05:002014-11-22T23:23:14.443-05:00Dolphins Come Together At Right Time<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong>Fort Myers, Fla. -</strong> When the defending A-Sun Volleyball Champions began practice for the 2014 season they had a new head coach and wondered how they would be able to duplicate last season's championship run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Despite being voted No. 2 in the preseason poll by the coaches, the Dolphins squad needed to find itself and learn how to become a new team in 2014. Head Coach Julie Darty, who began her first season as head coach, said that "early on in the season we needed to learn how to play together and we focused on teaching the game to our kids every day."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jacksonville struggled early on to find consistency as they started the season 2-4 and on defense Darty was looking to find a libero that could play the way she was looking for. A five-game winning streak in September was followed by a four-game losing streak in October as the Dolphins found themselves with a 1-4 record in conference play.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the mainstays from last season's success, Sammie Strausbaugh, was one of the players Darty could count on every night the Dolphins stepped on the court. Strausbaugh had 19 straight matches with 10 or more kills, and she also was a defensive standout leading the team in digs. She was voted A-Sun Player of the Year in the regular season and picked up Tournament MVP honors as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Through games played by November 19th, Strausbaugh was one of only a handful of players in the nation with 500 kills and 300 digs. With her defensive performance in the Championship, she now has over 400 digs to along with 550 total kills. Alongside her other players stepped up as the conference season progressed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Emily Laskelle, an academic all-conference selection, and Kelly Koop, a transfer from North Florida, showed tremendous improvement over the course of the season to help out Strausbaugh. Darty also highlighted another player saying, "Jizzy Gesualdo became more consistent as the season went on, and she really figured out how to run the offense and stepped up in the second half of the season."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Coach Darty noted that the win against Northern Kentucky on November 7th really gave the team confidence and began a run of six wins in seven matches, leading to the team's second A-Sun Championship in a row. Sophomore libero Rachel Miller played with more confidence and consistency giving the Dolphins great play along the back row defensively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After the final, Darty reflected on how far the team had come since September, "From our first match at Bethune I never thought we would be here. But we played our best volleyball in November and always trusted the process hitting our peak at the right moment."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That process has led the Dolphins back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. They will watch the selection show on November 30 at 8:30 p.m. on campus and look to continue this ride they are on.</span><br />
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<br />A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-77127419346341000962014-11-21T12:00:00.000-05:002014-11-21T12:00:23.923-05:00New Head Coaches Reach A-Sun Championship<div style="font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif;">
<strong>Fort Myers, Fla. -</strong> When the 2014 Atlantic Sun Volleyball Season began this fall, several new head coaches embarked on their first journey in the conference. For two of them the journey has led to the A-Sun Championship, while Northern Kentucky also makes its first appearance at this year's championship. </div>
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NKU head coach Liz Hart has guided the team to two winning seasons since joining the A-Sun, and this year the Norse were rewarded with a spot in the A-Sun Championship. Unfortunately Coach Hart is not able to join her squad in Fort Myers, Fla as she is expecting to deliver a baby any day now. Assistant Coach Randi Raff guided the Norse to their first A-Sun Championship victory on Thursday. The team now prepares for a showdown with perennial league power Lipscomb in the Semifinals today.</div>
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Defending Champions Jacksonville are back in the championship with a new head coach in Julie Darty. A former player in the A-Sun, Darty took over the squad and has led them to the No. 3 seed in this year's Championship. The Dolphins will try to become the fifth team in A-Sun history to win back-to-back titles, first since Lipscomb did it in 2010-11. They took down cross-town rivals North Florida in the first round on Thursday. Now the Dolphins face a tough test against the A-Sun Championship hosts FGCU. </div>
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The Eagles also feature a new head coach in Matt Botsford, who guided them to the No. 2 seed in his first year in the A-Sun. He coached a total of five All-Conference selections this season after taking over a squad with several seniors and upper classmen. The Eagles have bought into their new coaches philosophy and went 19-10 overall, including 11-3 in conference play. Being the two-seed represents the second highest seed for FGCU in the A-Sun Championship, they were No. 1 back in the 2012 Championship. </div>
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The A-Sun Championship Semifinals begin today at 5 p.m. All of this year's Volleyball Championship can be seen live on ESPN3. The winners will advance to tomorrow's Championship Final which is set for 3 p.m. also live on ESPN3. </div>
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A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-81185051498013431332014-11-14T23:49:00.001-05:002014-11-14T23:49:45.665-05:00Upper Classmen Shining In A-Sun Men's Soccer MACON, Ga. - The journey of a student-athlete can take many turns as you try to manage the balance of academics and athletics. Often you don't find the right balance until your final season. This year the A-Sun has seen many upper classmen step up for their teams and lead them to new heights.<br />
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In a league where teams shared the regular-season title and all teams remained alive for a Championship spot until the final whistle, coaches will lean on experience and seniors to guide their squads through the ups and downs. As teams face different obstacles throughout the season, its the seniors and juniors that keep a team on the path to the ultimate goal of winning a championship.<br />
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The top-seeded Lipscomb Bisons are led by senior captain Luke Gearin. Gearin, the 2014 Defender of the Year, has played and started along side fellow senior Robbie Johnson for a majority of the past three seasons. This year Gearin showed his leadership on both sides of the ball, scoring eight goals, many of them on set pieces.<br />
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Northern Kentucky is leaning on its senior class more than ever as the Norse find themselves in unfamiliar territory, the A-Sun Championship semifinals. Cian McDonald and fellow Irish senior Ian O'Reilly are two of seven seniors who committed to NKU when the Norse were still in Division-II. As the Norse moved up and entered the transition period, it was this senior class that helped guide the team to new heights. It was only fitting that McDonald and O'Reilly combined for the game-winner in the Norse' first ever A-Sun Championship match.<br />
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The quality of play has also improved tremendously due to players staying and growing with their teams. North Florida Head Coach Derek Marinatos believes the quality of upperclassmen is helping the conference strength, <span style="font-family: inherit;">"I attribute a lot of the parity to the talent
that returned to the league, especially among the top four teams. For example a team like Stetson had so much to overcome, and the seniors have taken them to the next level."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">FGCU continues to lean on the experienced players on its squad, including Henry Penagos. The redshirt-senior, is tied for the team league in goals (4) and points (8), He has scored some crucial game-winners this year to help give the Eagles a share of their fifth-straight A-Sun regular season title, a new conference record. </span><br />
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This year's group of upperclassmen has performed well on and off the field. FGCU's and North Florida's seniors now get the chance to cap off this season with a championship on Sunday.<br />
A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-85167788640102550992014-11-12T09:35:00.002-05:002014-11-12T09:35:49.304-05:00Men's Soccer Regular Season A Roller Coaster Ride <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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Ga. -</b> The 2014 Atlantic Sun Men's Soccer season can best be described as a
roller coaster ride you would see at an amusement park. With several twists and
turns as the season progressed, it was only fitting that every team was alive
until the final whistle of the regular season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Preseason co-favorites Lipscomb and FGCU embodied the ebb
and flow of this season, as both secured a share of the regular season title on
the final match day. For the Bisons, this title means taking the next step for Coach Charles Morrow and his
squad. They are hosting the A-Sun Men's Soccer Championship for the first time
in program history, and with a veteran squad the Bisons look to make more
history at home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the
Eagles, the
final result represented a share of their fifth straight regular-season title, after
leading the conference for the majority of the season. FGCU’s season showed
that with one match, the entire complexion of the league changed. All teams in
the tournament have recruited and developed players and the strength of the
league is showing this season. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Last
season’s A-Sun Championship finalist North Florida is back in the tournament
and head coach Derek Marinatos talked about the parity in the league saying
“"I attribute a lot of the parity to the talent that returned to
the league, especially among the top four teams.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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After
being the fifth-seed a year ago, the Ospreys will challenge for the title as
the fourth-seed. Coach Marinatos went on to say, “A year like this shows
that we, as a conference, keep getting stronger. Even some of the new coaches
in the league are already making the right steps to become a real force in this
league. “<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of those new head coaches is
the 2014 A-Sun Coach of the Year Ernie Yarborough at Stetson. After taking over
the team only weeks before the season, Yarborough guided the Hatters to their
best season since 2011. Yarborough came from Big Ten powerhouse Indiana to
Stetson, and he believes that the A-Sun as whole is becoming more competitive
due to tough scheduling, “The parity among
the teams in the Atlantic Sun conference also goes to show that the challenging
pre-conference schedules we are able to develop are going a long way to helping
us compete more favorably.”<i> <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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With the regular season title
decided on the final match day, Yarborough acknowledged the depth in the A-Sun, “It’s always
great to see a conference where there are
multiple teams in contention for the title throughout the regular season. It shows there is a depth of
quality among those teams competing for the conference
title.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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This year's
championship welcomes a newcomer as Northern Kentucky advanced as the sixth
seed to the postseason. In the first year of eligibility for conference
championships, the Norse earned their way with a victory over Stetson on the
second to last match day. For Norse head coach John Basalyga this means
everything, “It means a lot to NKU to be able to play in the conference
tournament. Through the transition, this opportunity is a big boost to our
program."<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Norse gaffer added about their
chances coming in as the sixth-seed into the championship, "The
excitement of conference tournaments is that anything can happen and whoever is
hot at the right time can be the one to advance.”<o:p></o:p></div>
A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-42951912259231511202014-11-09T16:18:00.001-05:002014-11-09T16:18:56.853-05:00Eagles Make Strong Case for NCAA Home MatchIt was all about redemption for Jim Blankenship’s women’s soccer squad. After a heart-breaking loss to Jacksonville on penalty kicks in last year’s Atlantic Sun Women’s Soccer Championship, the Eagles had something to prove.<br />
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Once conference play began, it was all business for FGCU. The Eagles went a perfect 7-0 against A-Sun competition – the sixth team in A-Sun history with an unblemished conference record – and earned the right to host the championship. Throughout the season, the idea of hosting an NCAA match transformed from a dream to a strong possibility.<br />
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“We all knew what to expect coming in to this season. Last year, it was my first A-Sun Championship, now we knew the intensity we had to bring all season,” stated sophomore Tabby Tindell – the 2014 A-Sun Player of the Year and Championship MVP.<br />
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After capturing the A-Sun Championship with a 3-1 victory against Kennesaw State, FGCU is excited for the opportunity to host the first NCAA Tournament match in A-Sun history. They carry a 17-3 record, a program-best winning streak of 13 matches and an RPI of 31 before the A-Sun Championship weekend began.<br />
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“We’re happy to do everything we needed to do to get back to the dance,” said head coach Jim Blankenship. “Last year, was a huge letdown. So this year, that was motivation for this whole team.”<br />
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The Eagles placed six student-athletes on the All-Conference First Team and claimed the Player of the Year (Tindell), Defensive Player of the Year (Emma Blackwell) and Coach of the Year (Jim Blankenship) superlative awards. Tindell has been the driving force behind FGCU’s offensive attack. She has 20 goals and 48 points for the Eagles, both tops in the A-Sun and high among the NCAA ranks.<br />
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“It would mean everything for this team. Playing in the NCAA Tournament was one of our goals,” said Tindell. “To come back here and get the support of our classmates and our fans, it would just be an amazing feeling.”<br />
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Blackwell led an FGCU back line that allowed just 13 goals in the season. The junior defender realized what it meant to the program, but knows it would also be great for the conference.<br />
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“This isn’t just for our school, it is for the Atlantic Sun. We want to get that recognition out there,” mentioned Blackwell. “For our team, it was a main goal. We play well at home and know having it here would be awesome for our program.”<br />
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For head coach Blankenship, a chance to host an NCAA match would mean much more than just one more match in 2014.<br />
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“It would put our program on a different level,” said Blankenship. “Based on our body of work with the schedule, opponents and results, these players deserve that chance to host.”<br />
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FGCU awaits its future destination during Monday’s NCAA Selection Show at 4:30 p.m. ET.<br />
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A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-79177623938083843312014-11-07T21:49:00.001-05:002014-11-07T21:52:16.227-05:00Brown's Focus Key to FGCU SuccessFGCU has been setting program records all throughout the 2014 season. Most of the program-bests involve offensive statistics and scoring milestones. That leaves FGCU goalkeeper Brittany Brown to have one of the best and quietest years of her collegiate career.<br />
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Brown, a junior, started the year with top honors as she was voted to the Preseason All-Conference Team and was the Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Brown has not disappointed, holding the best numbers in the conference for GAA and save percentage.<br />
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For Brown, she appreciates having the top-scoring offense and one of the best backlines in the A-Sun in front of her. <br />
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“It makes my job a lot easier,” joked Brown. “They are all great in front of me. You can’t ask for much more. My job is to stay on my toes and come through with the save.”<br />
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However, it does not change how she prepares mentally for each match. Her maturation at FGCU for Brown has been the key to her success.<br />
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“I would say when I was younger it was more difficult to prepare,” reminisced Brown. “I’ve grown so much here with the help of Erin (Switalski) and Jim (Blankenship). I just have to make sure I stay fully focused.”<br />
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Brown’s focus as FGCU’s keeper makes it easier for A-Sun Coach of the Year Jim Blankenship and he realizes how much a strong goalkeeper means to a team’s success.<br />
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“She’s been rock solid for us. There’s not a ton of opportunities she faces,” mentioned Blankenship. “She’s been more than up to the task. In the most crucial of moments, she can be counted on for this team.”<br />
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Brown continues to crawl up the A-Sun record books, posting multiple successful seasons with FGCU, but that does not mean this year is different.<br />
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“The maturity is the biggest thing,” stated Brown. “From the beginning in freshman year to now, I feel more confident, smarter about the game.”<br />
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FGCU takes on Kennesaw State in the A-Sun Championship Final at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Brown will be ready for anything and when asked about feeling any weight on her shoulders to perform, “I like the pressure. I really like it.”<br />
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A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-57477699298488552812014-11-07T20:12:00.003-05:002014-11-07T20:12:55.801-05:00The Comeback Kid; Nicole CalderNicole Calder came into the season with high expectations for Kennesaw State women’s soccer in 2014. She was named to the Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference Team and was the captain of a KSU squad that made the semis of the A-Sun Championship in 2013. <br />
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In a turn for the worse, the senior went down with an ACL injury early in the year and her final season as an Owl was in jeopardy.<br />
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“The first thing that ran through my head is I have to have surgery as soon as possible,” mentioned Calder of the injury. “The sooner I could get through the whole process, the sooner I could get back out there with my team.”<br />
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It was not an easy thing for head coach Rob King to deal with in such a young season. The Owls were young and looked to Calder for leadership.<br />
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“We have some great, talented kids on this team,” said King. “We don’t have anybody more mentally tough than Nicole, she is hardcore.”<br />
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Calder thought her season was over, but her progression in the recovery process opened up a door for her in the 2014 season, something that surprised Calder herself.<br />
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“The trainers asked, ‘How about you try playing on it’ and I thought that is a really stupid idea,” stated Calder, “but I worked hard in the weight room and was able to get back out there.”<br />
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Calder is also known for her work off the field. Her coach mentioned her dedication to being a great student and role model.<br />
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“Academically, she will be going to get her doctorate and is impressive in the classroom,” stated King. “It’s not just about team leadership with her. She makes sure to speak to each player individually and truly pays attention to each one.”<br />
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The senior is the driving force behind Kennesaw State’s high morale down the stretch of the 2014 campaign.<br />
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“My teammates get excited to see me out there and a few of the parents tell me I have a presence the team builds off of out on the field,” said Calder. “I guess it gives them something to look up to.”<br />
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Calder and the Owls went on to defeat Lipscomb in the semifinals in double overtime, 1-0, and now focus on the A-Sun Championship Final on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Fort Myers, Fla.A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-34117229246971081932014-11-01T15:33:00.001-04:002014-11-01T15:41:36.530-04:00The Rise of the Lipscomb Lady Bisons<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 12.15pt; margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt;">
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<span style="background-color: #073763;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">On</span><span style="color: #eeeeee;">e week before the start of the 2007 season, Bill Taylor took over as the head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country programs at Lipscomb. As the Bisons entered their fifth year in the Atlantic Sun back in 2007, Lipscomb’s best finish at an A-Sun Cross Country Championship came in 2005 with Lipscomb’s men placing fifth and women racing to sixth place from 2005-06.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">Nowadays, Lipscomb owns six A-Sun Cross Country titles (four women, two men) after the Bisons swept the league trophies in 2013 and 2014, while the women own four-straight championship titles dating back to 2011.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">The change didn’t occur overnight for the Nashville based program as Lipscomb’s first top-three performance didn’t come until 2010, when the women’s squad finished as the runner-up to North Florida at Spartanburg, S.C.’s Milliken Research Park.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">“It has been a group effort to really grow this program,” said Taylor. “There are plenty of runners who have stepped up for us over the years. Dani Walker has been huge. She was part of a class that really saw this program make a turnaround.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">Dani Walker was a member of the 2010 A-Sun Championship Runner-Up team as she earned Freshman of the Year honors by placing fourth as the Bisons set program records for best team & individual finish.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">“It’s amazing from when I came in the program. When Coach Taylor was recruiting me, he stressed that Lipscomb was so close to a Cinderella type story. He stressed how close we really were to being that top team,” Walker stated. “Now, Nationals is the true goal for our team.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">One year later, the 2011 A-Sun Championship headed to their home course, Vaughn’s Gap at Percy Warner Park, where the Lady Bisons placed seven runners among the top-21 competitors including All-Conference performances from Tessa Hoefle (5<sup>th</sup>), Ashley Lehman (6<sup>th</sup>) and Minna Fields (9<sup>th</sup>) to defeat the Ospreys by 14 points and capture the conference crown.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">“The first one is always special. It put us on the map and made the student-athletes believe,” reminisced Taylor of 2011. “This year, although completely different, is still truly special. We won and we ran our best race. I could not ask for anything more.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">Since that first title, the Lady Bisons haven’t looked back at the field as Lipscomb won the 2012 A-Sun Championship by 23 points and the 2013 meet by an impressive 52 points; tied for the largest margin of victory in conference history.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">Lipscomb’s 2014 edition has reached new levels with the Lady Bisons earning a third-place ranking in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCA) Division I South Region poll on Oct. 6<sup>th</sup> and nearly cracking the top-25 national poll.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;">“We want to be that top team in the region. That is the next goal for this program,” mentioned Taylor. “We are so close and that goal is in sight for this women’s team.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At this year’s A-Sun Cross Country Championship, Lipscomb became the third program in A-Sun history to win four-straight conference titles. The Lady Bisons dominance at the conference and regional level could continue for quite some time as Lipscomb’s roster features several talented juniors and underclassmen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Right now, when we’re all out there, it does not matter who is an upperclassman or underclassman,” said Walker. “The team is so close and that is what helps us compete with these teams.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Lipscomb and Walker head to the South Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla. In the latest Regional Poll, the Lady Bisons ranked No. 4.</span></div>
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A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-38305468739137886132014-11-01T14:48:00.000-04:002014-11-01T14:58:01.952-04:00Exceeding Expectations: J.J. Webber and Northern Kentucky<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Northern Kentucky has only been a
member of the Atlantic Sun Conference since 2012, but has had multiple
student-athletes push for top A-Sun honors. J.J. Webber of the Norse’s Men’s
Cross Country team is a prime example of NKU’s student-athletes using drive and
determination to reach the top of the A-Sun record books.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Compared to last year, I just feel
more experienced. The training has been harder and the benefits are showing by
running faster and longer,” mentioned Webber of his cross country season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Liberty Township, Ohio native was
not always the top runner for Northern Kentucky. Before coming into the
program, Webber did not stand out amongst his teammates. Many of them outran
Webber on the course.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Many of J.J.’s NKU teammates came
from the same areas, Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Southeast Indiana,
and were beating him or keeping up with him in high school,” said head coach
Steve Kruse. “J.J. was good in high school, but once he changed his training at
the college level, it has been miraculous.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Webber and his classmates stuck with
Northern Kentucky through the transition from D-II to D-I and Kruse saw a
transformation in Webber as the NKU Cross Country program made the divisional
jump in the NCAA.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“It has been fun to coach. To see J.J.
go from an All-Region runner at the Division II level to where he is today, it
is a great transition,” stated Kruse. “I take my hats off to not only J.J., but
the rest of the upperclassmen who stuck with the program. It has been a true
joy to watch this team grow.”</div>
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As a team, Northern Kentucky finished
second out of the eight teams in the 2014 A-Sun Championship, exceeding
everyone’s expectations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The team chemistry on this year’s
squad is amazing,” said Kruse. “I am truly proud of how far each runner has
come.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Webber ended his A-Sun Cross Country
career as the seventh student-athlete in A-Sun history to win back-to-back
individual championships. The last runner to complete the feat was USC
Upstate’s Gilbert Kemboi who won three years in a row between 2010 and 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“It went as planned, but the team
performed so well. It is a great feeling,” Webber said after the race. “I
wanted to keep pace in the first mile and then pull away after that.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Webber almost set a personal record at
the A-Sun Cross Country Championship, on a course many coaches deemed to be too
difficult to set any records. The NKU senior went out in winning fashion.<o:p></o:p></div>
A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-74799898539407215112014-10-17T10:48:00.000-04:002014-10-17T10:48:06.005-04:00FGCU Trio Keeps Eagles Soaring on Offense<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FGCU was
primed to be contenders in the Atlantic Sun for women’s soccer in 2014 in the
preseason, returning three of its top scorers, placing six players on the
Preseason All-Conference team and looking to bounce back from a 2013 A-Sun
Championship Final shootout loss to Jacksonville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Moving forward
to today, FGCU sits 5-0 in the conference standings and has already clinched a
spot in the 2014 A-Sun Championship, while owning a 12-3 overall mark for the
season. There is no shortage of offense for the Eagles, thanks to FGCU’s top
scoring trio.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sophomore
Tabby Tindell, 2013 A-Sun Freshman of the Year, already matched her goal total from
last year of 15 and leads the conference with 36 points. So what is the
difference between this year and the 2013?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I feel like
last year, my freshman year, I was still getting into the swing of things and
getting used to everything,” mentioned Tindell. “Coming in this year I’m
playing with mostly the same girls so it helps a lot to still have that
chemistry we had last year. It has been working really great and I just hope it
continues.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The chemistry
shows in Tindell’s numbers. The Ocala, Florida-native is tied for second in the
conference with six assists and leads the A-Sun with 15 goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We only lost
one starting senior off last year’s team so it’s mainly the same group of girls
and I think that’s helped a lot with the way we play on the field,” Tindell
explained about team chemistry and her comfort level on the field.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tindell is not
the only Eagle surpassing her 2013 numbers. Paulina Speckmaier has seen
improvements in the program ever since she transferred to FGCU from Florida. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Last year was
my first year here as well and coming from Florida and not playing, I kind of
had to get back in the groove a bit,” said Speckmaier about the transition.
“This year it’s just finding the love for it again and playing the way I know
how to play.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Speckmaier, third
in the A-Sun with 17 points and has six goals this year, also cites the
chemistry as a factor to her successful second season at FGCU. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I guess as
the season is progressing we’re learning how each other play and I can kind of
anticipate now where Tabby and [Shannen] Wacker are going to be before I even
pass the ball.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anticipation
is a key to Shannen Wacker’s contributions as well for the FGCU attack. One of
six total seniors on the squad, Wacker leads the conference with a season-high
10 assists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The
chemistry, especially between the three of us has gotten so much better now
that we have Paulina in the attacking third most of the time. It definitely
helps having that one extra person that you can find in the box.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wacker has no
issue being the one to set up the scoring chances for the Eagles. To her, it
all comes down to wins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“It’s cool
that I’ve got something that will help these two [Tindell and Speckmaier] get
goals and as long as it makes us better and helps us win games then it puts me
in a way happier place than just trying to be selfish about it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FGCU,
clinching a spot in the A-Sun Championship last Friday, has an opportunity to
stay at home for the A-Sun Championship if the Eagles remain as the No. 1 seed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We know that
we’re not going to let up just because we’ve achieved something,” stated Wacker
about the possibility of relaxing after clinching a spot for the postseason.
“That’s not good enough for us so we’re just going to keep playing our game and
getting better at it so that we can continue winning.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wacker,
playing in the final season of her collegiate career, wants to leave a
statement with this year’s FGCU squad by the end of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I want to go
out with a win and go as far as we can go because I know that we’re better than
the first round of the NCAA Tournament and we’ve had three years to prove
that,” said Wacker on her goals for the season. “I think this is finally going
to be the year that we’re going to exceed the goals we’ve had in the past.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FGCU closes
the conference season with matches against Jacksonville and Stetson at home and
then prepares for the A-Sun Championship.</span></div>
A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-17587277897119921922014-10-03T14:44:00.000-04:002014-10-03T14:45:16.171-04:00 Who's Hot in the A-Sun?<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In case you missed them, several players and teams have produced impressive performances as the A-Sun heads into its second full month of the season. This list of "Who's Hot" includes several performances from Lipscomb athletics along with a number of student-athletes and teams whose efforts place them among the best in the conference and in the natio<b>n.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b> </span></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lipscomb Men's Soccer/Luke Gearin</b></span></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Bisons are 7-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the A-Sun, beginning 1-0 in conference play for the first time since 2006. Luke Gearin scored game tying goal in A-Sun opener with USC Upstate and now has a total of six scores for the season to lead the conference in goals scored. Gearin was also a member of the Hyatt Place Select Lipscomb Invitational All-Tournament Team, which the Bisons won just over a week ago.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><u>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sammie Strausbaugh, Jacksonville Volleyball</b></span></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Strausbaugh continues to compete at the highest level for the Dolphins, as the junior now sits in sixth place on the NCAA kills per set list (4.98). She leads the A-Sun with 254 total kills and </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">enters this weekend first in the A-Sun and ranked among the
NCAA leaders in points per set (5th), kills per set (6th), total
kills (16th) and aces per set (17th). She </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">is also one of only three players in the country to have recorded at least 23
kills in more than one three-set match this season</span></span>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Strausbaugh is already a two-time A-Sun Player of the Week this season and helped </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">JU to an 8-4 record during the month of September. She </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">broke a 14 year-old school record by posting 24 kills in a
three-set match vs Dayton on Sept. 19, also </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">becoming just the fifth player in school history to record over
1,000 career kills in the same match. </span></span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lauren Ford/Lipscomb Volleyball</span></span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A perennial standout for the Lady Bisons, Ford has helped Lipscomb into the lead in the A-Sun overall in kills with 699, an average of
13.19 per set. The Lady Bisons also lead in conference matches only with 69 and an
average of 17 per set.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ford has double figures in kills in 11 of her 13 matches this season. Now with 1,341 kills, she is only the third Lipscomb player to pass 1,300
career kills and is also tied for seventh on the A-Sun all-time career
kills list. Currently </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ford is second overall in the conference in kills with 203 (3.83 per
set) and second in conference matches only with 23 (5.75 per set).</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She is also fourth in hitting percentage in conference play (.327) and eighth overall (.253).</span></span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lipscomb Women's Soccer</span></span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Outscoring all opponents 20-8 this season, Lipscomb ranks second in the A-Sun for shots (154) and goals (20) and sports a 0.667 shutout percentage, ranking the Lady Bisons 13th in the nation in shutout percentage.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With its win over Kennesaw State in the conference opener, Lipscomb added to its streak of
record-breaking performances, increasing the record for most shutouts in a
season to eight as well as breaking the record for most wins in a
season with seven. </span></span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tabby Tindell, FGCU Women's Soccer</span></span></b></u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Tabby Tindell certainly has the Eagles' wings up as her latest game-winner against La Salle brought her season total to six game-winning goals. The sophomore
forward now ranks tied for fourth in the A-Sun record books for
game-winners in a single season. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Nationally she ranks first in game-winning goals (6), third in points (28) and points per game (2.55), is tied for third in goals (12) and is tied for fourth in goals per game (1.091). </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With her dozen goals already this season, she is just three scores shy of
matching her own single-season record of 15 and has already matched her 2013 total of four assists. She leads the A-Sun with those 12
goals and 28 points.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Twice this season Tindell has been named the TopDrawerSoccer.com
National Team of the Week which recognizes the top performances of
players nationwide. Individuals from national powers, Notre Dame,
Tennessee, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Duke, UCLA, Florida, Penn State,
Boston College, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Kansas and Georgia are all
represented on the list alongside the A-Sun standout.</span></span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">J.J Webber, NKU Men's Cross Country</span></span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Running well and getting faster each week" is how NKU Cross Country Coach Steve Kruse described J.J. Webber's 2014 season thus far. Webber </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">won the Rhodes Invitational last week and also led the Norse to a first-place team finish at
the event. Webber turned in a time of 24:37.40, winning the 8K race by
margin of 36 seconds. He also claimed his third A-Sun Runner of the Week honor this season and eighth overall in his career at NKU.</span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></b><br /> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Daniel Garcia, </span></span></b>KSU Cross Country</span></span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Garcia joins Webber as one of the top men's cross country runners in the conference this season. </span><span style="font-size: small;">A two-time A-Sun Runner of the Week, Garcia most recently ran in the Mountain Dew Invitational hosted by the
University of Florida. The Owls' freshman stayed with the front of the
pack and finished in second (24:25.70), just eight
seconds behind the winner of the men's 8K. He outran 86 other
runners in a field that contained Florida, Georgia Tech and five A-Sun
teams. His 8K time ranks second in the A-Sun this season, behind J.J.
Webber's 24:14.55 at the Bluegrass Invitational.</span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anna Buhigas, Lipscomb Women's Soccer</span></span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In denying Kennesaw State
a goal in the Lady Bisons' conference opener, Buhigas dropped her season GAA to 0.67 and is now tied for eighth nationally for the lowest GAA in a single
season. The sophomore goalkeeper also has a 0.94 career GAA, putting her
sixth in the A-Sun record books. Buhigas has helped Lipscomb to eight shutouts thus far in 2014.</span></span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">UNF Men's Golf/Joey Petronio</span></span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Senior </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Joey Petronio fired a
career low of 66 (-6) in the final round and helped North Florida Men's Golf </span></span>overcome a six-shot final round deficit to capture the Shoal Creek Invitational hosted by Graeme
McDowell last week.<br />
<br />
The Ospreys fired the lowest score of the final round (287) to rally</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> past two-time defending national champion
Alabama</span></span> and finish with a 54-hole total of 859 (-5). Petronio claimed
the second individual medalist title of his career after blistering the
course for a three-round 205 (-11). The total bettered Petronio's
previous tournament best by three strokes while the tournament crown
marked the 45th team title in UNF program history. Two others, MJ Maguire and Taylor Hancock, joined Petronio with top-10 finishes.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fans can follow all of the A-Sun action at <a href="http://www.atlanticsun.org/">www.atlanticsun.org</a>, by selecting their favorite sports' twitter handles <a href="http://www.atlanticsun.org/sports/mxc/2014-15/releases/20140918qyf7xi" target="_blank">here</a>, or at the conference's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticSunConference" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-49148959668226778192014-09-09T10:42:00.001-04:002014-09-09T11:03:02.618-04:00Atlantic Sun Fall Teams Off to Historic StartOnly a few weeks into the 2014 Atlantic Sun fall season and already program record books are needing to be readjusted as several teams are off to a blistering start to the year.<br />
<br />
Overall, A-Sun men's soccer (10-6-6) and volleyball (29-23) teams have a combined winning records, while four women's soccer teams own winning records after three weeks of competition.<br />
<br />
Starting with volleyball and ending with women's soccer get a rundown of some of the hot starts for league teams in 2014.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Atlantic Sun Volleyball</u><br />Lipscomb (5-1): </b>With five wins in six matches, Lipscomb is tied for first in the A-Sun for wins with Northern Kentucky and Stetson. More impressive is all five victories have come away from Allen Arena including a road win at No. 22 Kansas and at SEC's Missouri. The 5-1 start is the best in the program's NCAA era. Lipscomb sits just outside the AVCA Top-25 in 27th place.<br />
<br />
<b>Stetson (5-1): </b>The Hatters fell in the third contest of the season, but have battled back to win three-straight games for the best start in program history dating back to 1980. Under first-year Head Coach Kristina Hernandez, Stetson has posted all of its victories on neutral or road courts.<br />
<b><br />Northern Kentucky (5-1): </b>After starting the season at 5-0 for the second time in the past three seasons, NKU finally dropped a match on Saturday against Eastern Michigan. The Norse remain undefeated on the road at 3-0. Three of NKU's victories have been sweeps.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Atlantic Sun Men's Soccer</u><br />FGCU (1-0-2): </b>The Eagles have battled a tough opening schedule to remain unscathed with an undefeated mark. FGCU began the year with a 2-0 victory vs. South Florida - a 2013 NCAA Tournament Participant - before adding ties vs. Akron and Portland. Akron reached the Second Round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Under Head Coach Bob Butehorn, the Eagles are off to their best three-game start in program history. The Eagles earned a national ranking this week at No. 24 in the Soccer America Top-25 Poll.<br />
<br />
<b>Lipscomb (3-0): </b>Not only has Lipscomb landed victories in its first three matches, but all three of them have come in true road games. The Bisons' 3-0 start is the best in program history. Now Lipscomb returns for six-straight home contests including its conference opener on Oct. 1st vs. USC Upstate.<br />
<b><br />Northern Kentucky (1-0-2): </b>One of three remaining undefeated teams in A-Sun men's soccer, NKU is off to its best start as a member of the A-Sun. The Norse have posted ties against Cincinnati and High Point, while landing a overtime victory vs. Detroit.<br />
<br />
<b>Stetson (2-1-1): </b>Under first-year head coach Ernie Yarborough, Stetson owns its best record after four matches since the 2010 season when they also began 2-1-1. The Hatters have yet to play at home but own wins vs. Elon and FIU with a tie at FAU.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Atlantic Sun Women's Soccer</u><br />FGCU (4-1): </b>Behind six goals and 14 points from Tabby Tindell, FGCU has matched the 2011 squad for best five-game start. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 10-3 and posted shutouts in their last two victories. FGCU already owns victories against Arizona, Miami (Fla.), FIU and Murray State.<br />
<br />
<b>Jacksonville (4-2-1): </b>Riding a two-game winning streak, the Dolphins are off to their fastest start since 2011 with an identical 4-2-1 mark. Before posting victories vs. UAB and College of Charleston this past weekend, Jacksonville had defeated Coastal Carolina and Lafayette with a tie vs. High Point. JU's two losses came by the smallest margin (1-0) to Boston College and Miami (Fla.).<br />
<br />
<b>Lipscomb (4-2-1): </b>In their past three games, the Lady Bisons have registered shutout victories to give Lipscomb three-straight wins for the first time in program history. To match that, Lipscomb's 4-2-1 start is the best in program history through seven games. The Bisons have victories vs. Austin Peay, Western Carolina, Chattanooga and Alabama A&M and tied Memphis on the road.<br />
<b><br />Northern Kentucky (2-1-1): </b>NKU joined the A-Sun for the 2012 women's soccer season, but this season marks the best start as a conference member as the Norse own a 2-1-1 record to begin the year. The Norse recently defeated IUPUI in overtime and opened the season 1-0-1 with a win vs. Eastern Illinois and tie vs. Morehead State.A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-10756125259100175952014-08-21T14:43:00.000-04:002014-08-21T14:43:12.011-04:00Norse Players & Coaches Thrilled For Postseason Possiblities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNExjLfzxC0Rxjo-Vol2_StMAlQzNOOzPnP2PEOv_rgsb_1usWnKUre0DjJEwn3DE9AQrHRcaMSv9bjIaJaCjAXMQPABeaQtspX3A63LUVdPfL5oY_NpLw5409_Pgppw90k1MaGe3e8Jr/s1600/asun-nku-feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNExjLfzxC0Rxjo-Vol2_StMAlQzNOOzPnP2PEOv_rgsb_1usWnKUre0DjJEwn3DE9AQrHRcaMSv9bjIaJaCjAXMQPABeaQtspX3A63LUVdPfL5oY_NpLw5409_Pgppw90k1MaGe3e8Jr/s1600/asun-nku-feature.jpg" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MACON, Ga. With the 2014 Atlantic Sun Fall Seasons starting over the next few days, Northern Kentucky University has been looking forward to this moment all summer long. The Norse are now eligible to compete in all A-Sun Championships beginning this fall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The entire athletic department has felt extra energy since the news was delivered on July 22nd as the fall sports of men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball will get the first chance to compete in the postseason. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Norse men's soccer team has won nine conference games over the past two seasons combined, and finished in the top half of the standings in each year including a second-place finish in 2014.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Head Coach John Basalyga, entering his 12th season at NKU, expressed what it means for his squad, "Anytime you can tell a player or recruit that you are eligible to play in the postseason it's a plus. The face that the A-Sun is doing this by letting us compete for the championship this year shows their commitment to NKU."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Katelyn Newton, a sophomore women's soccer player, had committed her playing future to NKU not knowing that her team would be eligible for postseason play this soon. The change in eligibility had a profound impact on her perspective as well as her team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"We could not be more excited to be eligible to participate in the A-Sun Tournament this season. Keeping this in mind will definitely raise the intensity as we go into every practice and game this year. Now, we as a team, have control over how far our season goes as we continue to compete for the A-Sun Championship title."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Head Coach Bob Sheehan echoed the sentiments of Newton, "This will provide our players with additional motivation in training and matches throughout the entire season."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Norse team has won 12 games over the past two seasons, and will now have a chance to push forward and become postseason eligible for the first time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">NKU's volleyball squad has seen high levels of success in two years as A-Sun members including a 25-win season in 2012. Head Coach Liz Hart is thrilled for the opportunity it provides for her student-athletes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I am happy our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in postseason play. The previous two seasons, our past and current student-athletes have represented our program and university with pride. They made the sacrifice of no postseason play."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Junior outside hitter Jayden Julian added, "The entire team was thrilled to hear we could participate! We all are so competitive in everything we do, so the opportunity of competing in the A-Sun Tournament added some fuel to our fire."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The fall sports are not the only ones to have seen the excitement level and energy raised around their teams. Men's Basketball Head Coach Dave Bezold, entering his 11th year with NKU, could feel that the announcement meant for his team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Every player dreams of playing in the postseason, and the opportunity to play in the conference tourney this year has added a little spring in the step of our players."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In recent seasons, the Norse women's basketball team has tasted some postseason play, as they have competed in the WBI tournament the last two year. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, the thrill of playing for your conference's championship is something Coach Dawn Plitzuweit relishes, "When we heard the great news, we were thrilled for our young ladies and for our fans! Playing for a conference championship is an incredible opportunity and we are very grateful to Commissioner Ted Gumbart and the entire A-Sun for bringing this to fruition."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Senior Kaitlyn Gerrety, who has been with the Norse through their transition from Division II to Division I, found out the news from her coaching staff.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"My teammates and I were so intrigued by "the big news" that our coaches said would be breaking soon. We couldn't wait until the "next day" to find out, so we texted Coach Dawn at midnight to see if she could tell us. Although she made us wait, it was worth it. Melody Doss and I are the only players who really know what it feels like to compete for NKU in a conference tournament and I couldn't be more excited to share that experience with my teammates."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On Friday, August 22nd, the Norse women's soccer team will kick-off the regular season with a match against Eastern Illinois. Men's soccer and volleyball begin their journey the following week with a renewed perspective and the hope of earning an Atlantic Sun Championship title.</span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-51384864496271086852014-08-08T15:57:00.000-04:002014-08-08T15:57:25.519-04:002014 Volleyball Preseason PreparationAtlantic Sun Conference volleyball teams began to prepare for the 2014 season this week. To stay up-to-date on everything A-Sun volleyball, be sure to follow @ASunVolleyball on Twitter.<br />
<br />
See how some teams get ready for the new season...<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
our first preseason practice at Alico is underway! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WingsUp?src=hash">#WingsUp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProtecttheNest?src=hash">#ProtecttheNest</a> <a href="http://t.co/8CbqT7rdlT">pic.twitter.com/8CbqT7rdlT</a><br />
— FGCU Volleyball (@FGCU_VB) <a href="https://twitter.com/FGCU_VB/statuses/497468033871667200">August 7, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The season opener is just three weeks away! Join us tomorrow as we begin to countdown the Top 20 moments from the 2013 season. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHatters?src=hash">#GoHatters</a><br />
— Stetson Volleyball (@StetsonVB) <a href="https://twitter.com/StetsonVB/statuses/497729005303255040">August 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Just a couple behind-the-scenes photos from this morning <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SWOOPLife?src=hash">#SWOOPLife</a> <a href="http://t.co/3d6JxcTbTT">pic.twitter.com/3d6JxcTbTT</a><br />
— OspreyVB (@OspreyVB) <a href="https://twitter.com/OspreyVB/statuses/497771906565963777">August 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Second day of practice underway! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoKSUOwls?src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="http://t.co/bmvxTpXUVt">pic.twitter.com/bmvxTpXUVt</a><br />
— KSU Volleyball (@KSUOWLSVB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOWLSVB/statuses/497755261571182592">August 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/buildthe?src=hash">#buildthe</a>'ship <a href="http://t.co/YzDqhMd6By">pic.twitter.com/YzDqhMd6By</a><br />
— Northern Kentucky VB (@NKUNorseVball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NKUNorseVball/statuses/497344836241207297">August 7, 2014</a></blockquote>
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It's report day at JU!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/nikki_pritchard">@nikki_pritchard</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/olgan04">@olgan04</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CarlsBarkley8">@CarlsBarkley8</a> are here!!!! #2014 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/newphins?src=hash">#newphins</a> <a href="http://t.co/lSdvHYC1li">pic.twitter.com/lSdvHYC1li</a><br />
— JU Volleyball (@JUVolleyball) <a href="https://twitter.com/JUVolleyball/statuses/497727395890487296">August 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Had a great practice this morning. Excited for this group and how hard they are competing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LUV?src=hash">#LUV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thecrazyones?src=hash">#thecrazyones</a><br />
— Lipscomb Volleyball (@Lipscombvball) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lipscombvball/statuses/497822924808916992">August 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-5192959767940093892014-08-06T15:09:00.002-04:002014-08-06T15:13:37.549-04:00Women's Soccer PreseasonToday, practices started for women's soccer, see how teams in the A-Sun teams are getting prepared for the start of the 2014 season...<br />
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Getting ready for the 2014 season with the first team meeting of the year. Gameday on Sunday at 7pm. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPSTWSOC?src=hash">#UPSTWSOC</a> <a href="http://t.co/9RqEMR3HBd">pic.twitter.com/9RqEMR3HBd</a><br />
— Upstate Spartans (@UpstateWSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/UpstateWSoccer/statuses/496751279474241536">August 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
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A full rainbow for good luck on the first day of preseason--off to a good start! <a href="http://t.co/MIjwvtl0Jf">pic.twitter.com/MIjwvtl0Jf</a><br />
— Stetson WSoccer (@StetsonWSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/StetsonWSoccer/statuses/496775923858157569">August 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Some early morning passing drills start out the day as the defending A-Sun champions open fall practice. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FearTheFin?src=hash">#FearTheFin</a> <a href="http://t.co/mMK4qmyobe">pic.twitter.com/mMK4qmyobe</a><br />
— JU Women's Soccer (@JU_WSOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JU_WSOC/statuses/496999490931687424">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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It's GO TIME. Starting the season off with a ManUnited fitness test. Let's go!! <a href="http://t.co/uuIp3V8wGD">pic.twitter.com/uuIp3V8wGD</a><br />
— KSU Soccer (@ksuOWLSsoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ksuOWLSsoccer/statuses/497004428927721473">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/RobinConfer">@RobinConfer</a> era has begun at UNF! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmbraceTheProcess?src=hash">#EmbraceTheProcess</a> <a href="http://t.co/cNjLmkaauA">pic.twitter.com/cNjLmkaauA</a><br />
— OspreyWSOC (@OspreyWSOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/OspreyWSOC/statuses/497038146266492929">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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First session of our 2014 preseason is complete! Off to a great start.<br />
— LipscombWSOC (@LipscombWSOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LipscombWSOC/statuses/497046620455059456">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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The first exhibition of the 2014 season is on Friday, August 8, where Northern Kentucky travels to take on Wright State at 7:30 p.m.A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-54628757024516227222014-07-30T13:57:00.000-04:002014-07-30T13:57:01.275-04:00Get to Know the A-Sun's New SAAC Officers for 2014-15
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Led by Northern
Kentucky’s Malika Glover, <span></span>a quartet of very
capable student-athletes is ready to lead the A-Sun Student Athlete Advisory
Committee as the 2014-15 academic year is just days away from beginning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Glover, a senior
guard for the Norse, joins Vice-Chair April Terry (Lipscomb women’s track &
field), Secretary Shannon Christian (Kennesaw State women’s track & field)
and A-Sun National SAAC Representative Brittney Reed (Kennesaw State women’s
soccer) in leadership this year. Read below for more about each of the A-Sun
SAAC leaders via their Q&A.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQm3Pi2ZvcKXTQcpzpFKiecUbUG7fNqcdSWP7KrM_xsbFpI5oq6BecohYqG7KnRiacJQ4qBmiq708zY07N8JU8vhFXiSjYQP2cyPfT5oEhyEC1xwfDoEhaZ60qUukB4oCP5Cc-PAmwZg4/s1600/Malika+promo+shot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQm3Pi2ZvcKXTQcpzpFKiecUbUG7fNqcdSWP7KrM_xsbFpI5oq6BecohYqG7KnRiacJQ4qBmiq708zY07N8JU8vhFXiSjYQP2cyPfT5oEhyEC1xwfDoEhaZ60qUukB4oCP5Cc-PAmwZg4/s1600/Malika+promo+shot.jpeg" height="130" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Chair – Malika Glover, NKU Women’s Basketball</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Athlete:</b> Serena Williams</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Team:</b> Detroit Lions</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CD in your car player right now: </b>India Arie - Voyage to India</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Band/Artist: </b>Hillsong Worship</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Social Media Outlet: </b>Twitter</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Movie: </b>Princess Diaries 2</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Actor/Actress:</b> Tina Fey</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Food:</b> Nachos (not the concessions kind)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWNEBNc2iVGBxowq8MZML2R-xhOuBtIAiJQoizejqGEK_u4BcnyXmrbxh1IsaNNRzWZKWFW2rTJ6Von38mYf9_MzO14cCvLQphaMEt07ELyKBDyK39rMIionTKd_eLxVWphxOXMw4_z1U/s1600/Terry_0395a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWNEBNc2iVGBxowq8MZML2R-xhOuBtIAiJQoizejqGEK_u4BcnyXmrbxh1IsaNNRzWZKWFW2rTJ6Von38mYf9_MzO14cCvLQphaMEt07ELyKBDyK39rMIionTKd_eLxVWphxOXMw4_z1U/s1600/Terry_0395a.jpeg" height="133" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWNEBNc2iVGBxowq8MZML2R-xhOuBtIAiJQoizejqGEK_u4BcnyXmrbxh1IsaNNRzWZKWFW2rTJ6Von38mYf9_MzO14cCvLQphaMEt07ELyKBDyK39rMIionTKd_eLxVWphxOXMw4_z1U/s1600/Terry_0395a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Vice-Chair – April Terry, Lipscomb Women’s
Track and Field</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hobbies Outside of Your Sport</b>: Exploring Nashville, going
to concerts, art, and annoying my little brother</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Athlete</b>: Serena Williams. She makes being strong
fabulous!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Team</b>: Team USA. I love watching the Olympics.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CD in your car player right now:</b> Booker T,
Sound the Alarm</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Band/Artist</b>: Justin Timberlake</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Social Media Outlet</b>: Facebook. I
refuse to get a Twitter or Instagram. I also like Vine, as my suitemate Ashley
Southern from Lady Bison Basketball and I will watch and laugh for hours. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Actor</b>: Matthew McConaughey</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Food</b>: Cold Watermelon</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1_laEyg6X7dInPD6A_WVcnI9U1292GySr8SQlP_bAnVa19MHnGeamQcOJfGGScigcLPHwF0jhYMR-cE0Oysiy_WaHqbDN8ajJozpXX2qU-00ioAKUSEvcEShK4VYS8vvmsp_AHEARFuU/s1600/Shannon+Christian+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1_laEyg6X7dInPD6A_WVcnI9U1292GySr8SQlP_bAnVa19MHnGeamQcOJfGGScigcLPHwF0jhYMR-cE0Oysiy_WaHqbDN8ajJozpXX2qU-00ioAKUSEvcEShK4VYS8vvmsp_AHEARFuU/s1600/Shannon+Christian+2.jpeg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Secretary
– Shannon Christian, Kennesaw State Women’s Track and Field</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hobbies
Outside of Your Sport:</b> Writing, listening to music, dancing</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Athlete:</b> Gabby Douglas</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Team:</b> Any team at KSU</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CD in your car player right now: </b>R&B channel on Sirius Radio</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Band/Artist:</b> Drake</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Social Media Outlet: </b>Instagram</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Movie: </b>Law Abiding Citizen</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Actor:</b> Denzell Washington</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Food:</b> Chips and Queso</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A-Sun Representative to the NCAA SAAC –
Brittney Reed, Kennesaw State Women’s Soccer</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTw_qCu61-8LyiLPtcUs7nxu7a-pJDFvQaj3IAPd1aXtfY96nrDjdLmwI_r8HGdZ1M59q4rl9C5Y3sIWX-wVwdLxyPWCKfk1prFGO2MPNc4z_n68i3WlKoBQCnCqhHV2T0Shbx521S7iG/s1600/Reed+700_6044.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTw_qCu61-8LyiLPtcUs7nxu7a-pJDFvQaj3IAPd1aXtfY96nrDjdLmwI_r8HGdZ1M59q4rl9C5Y3sIWX-wVwdLxyPWCKfk1prFGO2MPNc4z_n68i3WlKoBQCnCqhHV2T0Shbx521S7iG/s1600/Reed+700_6044.jpeg" height="133" width="200" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hobbies
Outside of Your Sport:</b> Going to the lake</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Athlete:</b> Abby Wambach</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Team:</b> US Women’s National Team</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CD in your car player right now:</b> Summer Jam Mix tape 2012</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Band/Artist:</b> Carrie Underwood</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Social Media Outlet:</b> Instagram </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Movie: </b>Bridesmaids</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Actor/Actress:</b> Sandra Bullock</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Food:</b> Mexican</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>If you could play any other sports besides
your own, what would it be and why?</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
The one other sport I wish I could play besides basketball would have to be
Tennis. I always grew up watching tennis on TV and I even went to a couple
camps when I was younger to learn. Sadly I was awful and never got the hang of
it. Now I resort to simply living through Serena Williams.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
Volleyball.
I played in middle and high school and actually dreamed of playing in college.
I love watching our team play, and probably get a little too excited when they
score points.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> Volleyball. I
love watching it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> I would play
football. I’ve always wanted to play football since I was a little girl since I
was a tomboy and loved competing against boys. My parents figured it was too
rough and chose to sign me up for soccer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Why is involvement in SAAC so important?</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
Being involved in SAAC for has been such a great experience. I love the fact
that the student athletes have a say. SAAC is a way for our voices to be heard
but also a way for us to reach back to our communities and stand united.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
While
the SAAC’s main goal is to hear the voices of student athletes, it is important
to me because it gives student-athletes leadership positions and opportunities
to contribute to the campus outside of the playing field. It helps
student athletes become, as the A-Sun motto says, not only just champions of
sport, but also winners for life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> It is important
that the student-athlete has a voice, and we represent not only ourselves but also
all of our student-athletes through our activity. Being a collegiate
student-athlete teaches your things about dedication, commitment and time
management and I believe that SAAC can assists our SAs with those things as
well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b>
As a
representative for SAAC at the institutional, Conference, or National level, I
feel it is important to be involved with SAAC to develop leadership skills and
express our opinions as Student athletes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>What is/are your goal(s) via your leadership
in SAAC this year?</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
My goals for SAAC would be to communicate clearly and to complete
current SAAC initiatives with both the A-Sun SAAC and NKU. I am
so thankful, for the leaders before who have led by example with their
leadership. I hope to continue in their footsteps.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
I would
love for SAAC members to get to know each other better this year. I look
forward to the A-SUN SAAC meetings and want the representatives to spend more
time with each other. No one knows about being a student athlete better than
our fellow student athletes, so having that fellowship time will be rewarding.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> We already have
a good presence in the community through current activities but I would like to
see even more community involvement from our student-athletes. It seems as
though we see the same people and I would like to get more teams represented in
the group.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> I would like to
become a more educated leader who efficiently represents the voices of student
athletes from Kennesaw State University and the Atlantic Sun Conference.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>If you could improve one thing about your
game, what would it be?</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
Definitely my outside shot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
I
think way too much. I would like to just go out there and throw without
dwelling on achieving perfect technique every time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> Improve my high
jump and shot put to join the stronger scorers since you get one combined score
from those</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> I would like to
be braver heading the ball. After I got a concussion in high school, I am
sometimes hesitant to head the ball.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>What is your best memory as a player?</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
My best memory in basketball at NKU comes from winning our first post-season
tournament game last year. Every year we continue to improve so I am really
excited for this upcoming year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
Participating
in the Costal Carolina University Invitational flight of the hammer throw with
Olympian Amber Campbell, and competing with women’s hammer <i>world recorder
holder</i>, Betty Heidler, at the University of Tennessee, all this season. I
have watched countless videos of those two throwing the hammer to help me with
my own technique, and I never would have guessed I would meet and compete with
my throwing heroes. Collegiate track and field is amazing because the meets are
open, meaning anyone can participate, and that gives us the chance to sometimes
see or compete with professional athletes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> Practicing in
snow was one of the coolest things that I can remember.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> Winning a Youth
Soccer National Championship</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>What is your game-day routine?</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
I honestly do not have much of a routine on game days. I go to shoot around/
pre game meal, I never take naps because I always feel like I will oversleep
and miss the game. Before the game I like to just relax listen to gospel
music and do some mental reps.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
I
always lay out my uniform the night before, listen to upbeat music, and say a prayer
on the way to the meet. I’m also superstitious-I won’t pick up a shot put until
it is time to compete and I always call or text my mom after a meet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> Go through the
neuromuscular wakeup early in the day to get the muscles warm, eat a good
breakfast about an hour and half before warm up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> I listen to
music as I am preparing for a game. Also, I wear white athletic tape on my left
wrist with a motivational quote.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>What is the best advice that you were ever
given?</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
To live in the present. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
My
mom asked me “how bad do you want it?” once when discussing some athletic
goals. Though it’s not “advice”, I always ask myself that question when I’m
trying to accomplish something as a reminder that I will have to work harder to
achieve what I want, as well as assess what I am willing to do to get there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> One thing that
stands out – If you are going to be your biggest critic, don’t forget to be
your biggest fan. You can always see a need to improve, and is easy to beat
yourself up if you don’t also remember to celebrate the victories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> Be confident and
brave.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Do you have a favorite quote/saying/mantra?</u></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
Bible Verse – Ephesians 1:11</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Furthermore,
because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,
for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his
plan.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
Today
I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t! </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span> </span>I’m too blessed to be
depressed.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> The pain of
discipline is sweeter than the pain of regret.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> “Hard work beats
talent when talent doesn’t work hard” –Tim Notke</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>How do you define a good teammate?</u></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
I think there can be many forms of a good teammate but I think
some of the main attributes are passion, selflessness,
and visionary commitment. These are just a few qualities, but there
is nothing better than having a teammate that you can trust, count
on, and know the whatever happens they are all about the team.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
Proverbs
says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of
adversity”. A good teammate is like the brother- there to love you when you
win, but more importantly, ready to support and encourage when you lose.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> A good teammate
is someone who is a hard worker, encouraging and honest. They set realistic
goals and keep the team in mind, with a servant leadership mindset. They are
someone who shows someone by helping them.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> A teammate who
is: passionate, committed, a friend, and self-disciplined.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>The best thing about my school is……</u></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
MY TEAM...... But I really do have some of the best professors. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
The
best thing about my school is the people. The supportive atmosphere is why I
chose to go there. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> Campus life as a
whole as KSU. There really is something for everyone so that you can get
plugged in and find community.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> The Soccer
Stadium</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>What does a “winner” look like?</u></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MG:</b>
I think that a winner is someone who never gives up, in
any circumstance. They are able to see the best in others
and themselves. Winners are people who have
a motivated mindset and expect greatness. To me the
most important characteristic of a winner is someone
who makes the best of every situation enjoying the little things
in life.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>AT:</b>
A
winner is someone who strives to be his or her best. They win, even if it’s not
<i>the best, </i>because they gave all of their effort.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SC:</b> A person who
through defeat ignores negativity and keeps trying. You are a winner in life
when you don’t let defeat, defeat you.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BR:</b> A true winner is
a person who can persevere and overcome adversity under pressure. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-5611242388121773952014-06-20T12:29:00.003-04:002014-06-20T12:30:07.485-04:00Jacksonville's "Coach Yo" Talks Bahamas, Recruiting, JU and more <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN59pDMnj-CviJQ0qsMMIXN3hyZBrPXX2a5RBbpo5Pg96Br5QIo-65x_VC0YmbzCUsXZI46PXuiQH5WyCADTmPf8_v-rC_qRMfDbR2fA79DZ_HzafgQwEU9eHkCJPhp3qqZfgqS-6bxpoS/s1600/Coach+Yo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN59pDMnj-CviJQ0qsMMIXN3hyZBrPXX2a5RBbpo5Pg96Br5QIo-65x_VC0YmbzCUsXZI46PXuiQH5WyCADTmPf8_v-rC_qRMfDbR2fA79DZ_HzafgQwEU9eHkCJPhp3qqZfgqS-6bxpoS/s1600/Coach+Yo.jpeg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>RELEVANT LINKS</b><br />
<a href="http://www.judolphins.com/wbasketball/default/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> JU Women's Basketball</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.tribune242.com/" target="_blank">Tribune242</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CoachYoJU" target="_blank">Coach Yo Twitter</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=ASUNWBB&src=typd" target="_blank">#ASUNWBB</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">First-year head women's basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin told the JU community in April of 2013 that there are "No Ceilings" to the program's potential. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Seven months later she and the Dolphins put their hard work into action, winning 10 conference games and recording their best A-Sun finish since 2008-09, along with the right to host a first-round quarterfinal game in the A-Sun Championship.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Now is time for her to work the same kind of magic at home in her beloved Bahamas, as she takes the reigns as head coach of the Bahamian Women's National Team.<br />
<br />
Basketball runs in Coach McCuin’s blood. The daughter of legendary
Bahamian coach Gladstone “Moon” McPhee and educator Daisy McPhee, she
has continued her storied basketball career by inspiring young women –
especially those from her home country of the Bahamas – to chase their
dreams. <br />
<br />
She was the first female Bahamian to sign a Letter of Intent for women’s
basketball at a Division I school, and is the first to coach at a
Division I program. As a player, she led the 18U Junior National Team to
a silver medal at the FIBA National Games and now as a coach has her
eyes set on the 2016 Olympics. <br />
<br />
Preparation for Brazil is underway as Coach McCuin prepares to go
back to the Bahamas to find the 12 best players to represent the
country at the games. <br />
<br />
The senior women’s championship begins on July 8th, with the Bahamas
suiting up against the Virgin Islands, Dominica and Barbados in the
preliminary rounds. Currently leading the Caribbean as the winningest
nation with nine medals, the Bahamas boasts six gold, one silver and two
bronze medals. <br />
<br />
If Coach McCuin’s expectations are anything like those she places on the
Dolphins, the Bahamas should get ready for some up-tempo,
defense-oriented, blue-collar basketball. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Following are a few of her thoughts on a number of topics ranging from the Bahamian national team to her family.</span><i><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></i>
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Q: Trailblazing runs in your family. You were the first Bahamian female to sign a Letter of Intent to a Division I school, and were also the first female from the Bahamas to coach at a Division I program. Now you are the Bahamian women's national team coach in March of 2013. What does all of that mean to you? </span></b></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Through hard work I have been blessed with opportunities to succeed not only individually, but also to help others to do the same. I am honored and humbled to be able to give back and
represent my country internationally. I was a part of our country's junior programs and played on the Junior National Team and that experience
is one I will never forget. This is a dream come true for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Coaching
and playing on the national team is an opportunity to do something that
is bigger than yourself. Nothing is bigger than your country. I was
born and raised in the Bahamas and so this means the world to me.
Bahamians are big sports lovers, and so getting this program and the
sport back on track with some success is a tremendous opportunity for
me.</span><br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Q: You have made a large impact in each of the communities in which you have been a part, including developing the foundation in the Bahamas called Back2Basics, which helps the development of children through education and athletics. Talk about your commitment to community service. </span></b></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I take
great pride in being involved in the community, and I learned that
importance from both of my parents. My Mom was also an educator and of
course my Dad was extremely involved in our community, so I have known
all of my life how important it is to give back. Even in the Bahamas I
had the opportunity to participate in a couple of initiatives while we
were down for the national team tryouts.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The most recent community service activity that has been rewarding to me was having the opportunity to visit Children's Hospital in April with our team. We had the chance to meet with several patients and spend time with me, which I believe was as good for our team as the kids.</span><br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Q: While you were at Clemson you were tagged as one of the top assistants in the nation by the National Women's Basketball Insider. In fact, in 2012 you helped assemble the 16th-ranked recruiting class in the country, landing five McDonald's All-American nominees for the Tigers. Talk about your approach to recruiting.</span></b></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I see recruiting as an opportunity to build relationships. My approach in my career has panned out to be true, and that is to be honest and transparent. It is extremely important to me that people are able to believe in what I say. Having that balance between convincing someone to buy in to what you are presenting while at the same time being completely transparent has helped make me a successful recruiter. Plus, I can still relate – I haven't been out of college too long to separate me from understanding what student-athletes are going through. </span><br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Q: Your father has been influential in Bahamian sports, particularly basketball, for years as one of the country's most passionate advocates, coaches, administrators, etc. How much has that affected your success?</span></b></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It is true that my Dad has been an integral part of the development of sports and youths at home, but it unfair to just single him out in talking about the impact that my family has had at home in our community and in sports. My Mom was also a pioneer in education and sports and they both instilled in me the importance of discipline, pride and focus. I was given opportunity to earn what I had the success that I accomplished, it was not given to me. So those disciplines became second nature to me. I would see something I wanted and I would work hard to get it. That is where our theme at JU of "No Ceiling" came from - there is no limit to what we want to accomplish. Sometimes I think our youths grow up and have put glass ceilings put in front of them, where they see what they want to accomplish but then they aren't provided the means to get there. I am living proof that hard work does pay off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: When you were hired at JU you talked immediately about changing the culture. You have said the same thing about the national team. What does that mean and how did that play out at JU in your first season?</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Any coach has aspirations to win championships. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I am encouraged by the steps we took as a
program this year, and </span>we are changing the culture at JU, putting down milestones that we can build upon. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">won 10 games in the Atlantic Sun and clinched the No. 4 seed in the championship, which was JU's highest finish since 2008-09. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We were picked to finish eighth and we finished fourth, and </span></span>earned the
right to host a home quarterfinal game in the conference championships. Obviously the last outing didn’t end the way we would have liked, but
our last game can in no way define our season. T</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">here is a lot to be celebrated and a lot that we can build on as far
as the future is concerned. Our end goal is still to win an A-Sun
Championship. Once we achieve that, we’ll set another goal for this
program. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: You have been back home once for initial tryouts and now head back for more practice beginning June 23rd. What are your thoughts on the team at this point?</b></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I expected to see athleticism and some terrific competition, and we got that. We will
be young, but talented and I look forward to working with the best
talent that we have to offer. One of the things that I expected was that we will need to be in better condition. Something that has hurt the Bahamas over the years has been that we are out of shape when we came overseas to compete. Everyone has been in a conditioning program since tryouts last month and I look forward to seeing the difference as we get back to work next week.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We tested them not only in conditioning but also in basketball and implemented some things to see how they would respond. They did a good job and I like the way that things are shaping up. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To be honest this is also a wonderful opportunity for me individually, because coaches don't get chances for reps during the offseason. It is challenging, however, because there really has been no time to relax since I joined JU last April. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My husband if a great support, and my daughter, while still very young, gets to experience another culture. They travel with me and so we get to experience all of this as a family.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Plus, this experience will allow me to work
among good coaches around the world, sharpen my craft, and build a
program that my fellow Bahamians will be proud of. </span> </span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-20195512230715572702014-05-25T14:03:00.001-04:002014-05-25T17:10:44.635-04:00#ASunBSB Championship Social; Owls vs. Bisons<P>
The 2014 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship Final between Kennesaw State and Lipscomb took place on Sunday from FGCU's Swanson Stadium. To highlight the last day of the conference tournament, we have put together some of the best moments from social media.
</p><P>
Here is your chance to relive the excitement in the tweets, pictures and videos of fans, coaches and staff members in our Social Media Timeline. Join the conversation by using the #ASunBSB hashtag on Twitter for a chance to be included in the recap.
</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> play for the championship today at 1 PM on espn3 <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ChampionshipSunday&src=hash">#ChampionshipSunday</a></p>— Michael Dutcher (@Michael_Dutcher) <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Dutcher/statuses/470541821316448256">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Wishing <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachForehand">@CoachForehand</a> and the@BisonBaseball team good luck. Go win the chip. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a></p>— Trey Miles (@3_miles) <a href="https://twitter.com/3_miles/statuses/470576011676221440">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Getting set for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Championship Final on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPN3">@ESPN3</a> between <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a>. <a href="http://t.co/xTl8PCXGxY">pic.twitter.com/xTl8PCXGxY</a></p>— Patrick McCoy (@ASun_Patrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASun_Patrick/statuses/470586531556511744">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Look at the teamwork! <a href="https://twitter.com/FGCU_Fac_Ops">@FGCU_Fac_Ops</a> making the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> look great. <a href="http://t.co/ioJMl05zXG">pic.twitter.com/ioJMl05zXG</a></p>— Olivia Walter (@ASun_Olivia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASun_Olivia/statuses/470587873360887808">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>The newest addition to the mound at the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Championship. <a href="http://t.co/T7NIkvH0Kb">pic.twitter.com/T7NIkvH0Kb</a></p>— Keith Hendrix (@KendrixTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrixTweets/statuses/470591591217123329">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a> just a double header away from the NCAAs! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> C'ship starts at noon CDT on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPN3">@ESPN3</a></p>— Philip Hutcheson (@philiphutcheson) <a href="https://twitter.com/philiphutcheson/statuses/470601542035595264">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Championship Sunday. Have not Tweeted that out in a while. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NCAA&src=hash">#NCAA</a></p>— Mike Foster (@michaelsfoster) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelsfoster/statuses/470606677704577024">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Can you feel it...I know I sure can. It's a great day for a SHIP. Good luck boys <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LipscombBisons">@LipscombBisons</a></p>— Brandon Rosenthal (@LU_rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/LU_rosenthal/statuses/470566639331987456">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>LET's PLAY TWO!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OurTeam&src=hash">#OurTeam</a></p>— Lipscomb Baseball (@BisonBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball/statuses/470607764650479617">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>All the 6:00 am lifts, all the practices, all the sprints, and all your dreams as a kid ... It's all about today! <a href="http://t.co/X8TAzfKqip">pic.twitter.com/X8TAzfKqip</a></p>— Lipscomb Baseball (@BisonBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball/statuses/470555283450638336">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> championship about to start! Let's go <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23KSUBaseball&src=hash">#KSUBaseball</a> and bring home a championship! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachSimmKSU">@CoachSimmKSU</a> <a href="http://t.co/vSLPkaJm43">pic.twitter.com/vSLPkaJm43</a></p>— Erin Simmons (@erinfsimmons13) <a href="https://twitter.com/erinfsimmons13/statuses/470608497999376385">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> championship on ESPN3. Good luck to both teams. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23represent&src=hash">#represent</a></p>— Brad Bohlen (@Brad_Bohlen23) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brad_Bohlen23/statuses/470613889491947520">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Good luck to both <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> as they play for the <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun">@AtlanticSun</a> baseball title today in Fort Myers.</p>— Stetson Baseball (@StetsonBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/StetsonBaseball/statuses/470609835999100928">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Let's go <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> ; Let's show them why we owls are in a league of our own! 😈</p>— Rea Beal (@ThatGuyRea) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThatGuyRea/statuses/470607597801074688">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Owls lined up for the national anthem prior to today's game. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="http://t.co/SqTn0tMPVP">pic.twitter.com/SqTn0tMPVP</a></p>— KSUOwlsBaseball (@KSUOwlsBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball/statuses/470610454038204416">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Are you ready for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ChampionshipSunday&src=hash">#ChampionshipSunday</a>???? <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23KSU&src=hash">#KSU</a> (3) v <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Lipscomb&src=hash">#Lipscomb</a> (4) <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> <a href="http://t.co/Z27AvDfAji">pic.twitter.com/Z27AvDfAji</a></p>— Melanie Newman (@MelanieLynneN) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelanieLynneN/statuses/470610236777431042">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Early lead thru two for <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a>. Bisons need two wins today vs Owls <a href="http://t.co/f4j8DsqaH5">http://t.co/f4j8DsqaH5</a> <a href="http://t.co/XXrbwnWlYr">pic.twitter.com/XXrbwnWlYr</a></p>— Atlantic Sun (@AtlanticSun) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun/statuses/470619503861460992">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Mötley with the catch in the 1st and now the solo homer in the 3rd!! Keep STRIVING! All tied at 1.<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="http://t.co/CYvUBUwV90">pic.twitter.com/CYvUBUwV90</a></p>— Vaughn Williams (@KennesawStateAD) <a href="https://twitter.com/KennesawStateAD/statuses/470623094155927552">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>After four innings and it's all tied up at 1-1 after a solo shot in the 3rd by Motley. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> <a href="http://t.co/i5Fk6PDWo3">pic.twitter.com/i5Fk6PDWo3</a></p>— Atlantic Sun (@AtlanticSun) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun/statuses/470628267553472512">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>If you're not watching the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Championship on ESPN3 you're missing out.</p>— A-Sun Compliance (@ASunCompliance) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASunCompliance/statuses/470634292079779840">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Action shots from <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Championship Sunday; <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a>. <a href="https://t.co/DDJeu5i2uF">https://t.co/DDJeu5i2uF</a> <a href="http://t.co/7ZEJxVEfef">pic.twitter.com/7ZEJxVEfef</a></p>— Atlantic Sun (@AtlanticSun) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun/statuses/470637559631327233">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Yes. Our catcher just led off the 7th inning with a perfect bunt hit. I hear scouts like him. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a></p>— Mike Foster (@michaelsfoster) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelsfoster/statuses/470641393145098240">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mcgowan's double off the wall scores all 3 runners on base and the Owls take a 7-1 lead in the bottom of the 8th. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a></p>— KSUOwlsBaseball (@KSUOwlsBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball/statuses/470651816150310913">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Put on your rally caps <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a> fans! Down 4-1 going into top of 8th in <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> C'ship. <a href="http://t.co/qsJmNDb1X4">http://t.co/qsJmNDb1X4</a></p>— Philip Hutcheson (@philiphutcheson) <a href="https://twitter.com/philiphutcheson/statuses/470646440277344257">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>1 out to go! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a></p>— Vaughn Williams (@KennesawStateAD) <a href="https://twitter.com/KennesawStateAD/statuses/470654441621041152">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Owls Win! Owls Win! Owls win! Final Score: Owls 7 and Stetson 1. Owls have won the A-Sun Tournament Championship! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a></p>— KSUOwlsBaseball (@KSUOwlsBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball/statuses/470655692249235456">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> capture program's 1st-ever <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Championship Title; Defeat Lipscomb, 7-1. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="http://t.co/w1lgQJnp8s">pic.twitter.com/w1lgQJnp8s</a></p>— Atlantic Sun (@AtlanticSun) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun/statuses/470655160474435584">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> best of luck next week in the NCAA regionals. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a></p>— Lipscomb Baseball (@BisonBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball/statuses/470655995803627520">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Kennesaw State: 3rd time's the charm <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> CHAMPS <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23roadToOmaha&src=hash">#roadToOmaha</a> <a href="http://t.co/Fp5M8QK6RN">pic.twitter.com/Fp5M8QK6RN</a></p>— Melanie Newman (@MelanieLynneN) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelanieLynneN/statuses/470657646454767616">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Congrats 2 my alma mater <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlNation">@KSUOwlNation</a> & especially <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> on their first <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> championship. Good luck in the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ncaa&src=hash">#ncaa</a> regional</p>— Anthony Schaaf (@AJSchaaf) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJSchaaf/statuses/470657895818739712">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>A big CONGRATS to our Bailey counterparts <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> on their <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun">@AtlanticSun</a> Tournament Championship!!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NCAAbound&src=hash">#NCAAbound</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a></p>— Kennesaw St Softball (@KSUOwlsSB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsSB/statuses/470658791600816128">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Welcome to the party! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23RoadToOmaha&src=hash">#RoadToOmaha</a> MT <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun">@AtlanticSun</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> capture program's 1st-ever A-Sun Championship. <a href="http://t.co/AqbgVDL6Ra">pic.twitter.com/AqbgVDL6Ra</a></p>— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAACWS/statuses/470658538004430848">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Wow. It is great to an Owl. Congrats <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeSansingksu">@MikeSansingksu</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> you did it! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NODOUBT&src=hash">#NODOUBT</a></p>— Peyton Hart (@PeytonHart20) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeytonHart20/statuses/470656313811169280">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Congratulations to your <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Champions, <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a>! <a href="http://t.co/EKFajtdJK9">pic.twitter.com/EKFajtdJK9</a></p>— Atlantic Sun (@AtlanticSun) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun/statuses/470661714393178112">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Brennan Morgan named Tournament MVP. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a></p>— KSUOwlsBaseball (@KSUOwlsBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball/statuses/470658593847779328">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a>. You guys earned it. Good luck on the#RoadToOmaha <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a></p>— Philip Hutcheson (@philiphutcheson) <a href="https://twitter.com/philiphutcheson/statuses/470662292900962304">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Action shots from the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Championship Final between <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BisonBaseball">@BisonBaseball</a> <a href="https://t.co/TGXexF084F">https://t.co/TGXexF084F</a> <a href="http://t.co/1yuELatUSi">pic.twitter.com/1yuELatUSi</a></p>— Patrick McCoy (@ASun_Patrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASun_Patrick/statuses/470668668150759424">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Coming home with the hardware!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="http://t.co/O6HtX06KuI">pic.twitter.com/O6HtX06KuI</a></p>— Vaughn Williams (@KennesawStateAD) <a href="https://twitter.com/KennesawStateAD/statuses/470657215851143168">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Congrats <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> on winning the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> championship. Well deserved. Good luck at the NCAA regionals!</p>— Robert Bruce (@R0BERT_BRUCE) <a href="https://twitter.com/R0BERT_BRUCE/statuses/470660268851081216">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Coming home with the hardware!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoKSUOwls&src=hash">#GoKSUOwls</a> <a href="http://t.co/O6HtX06KuI">pic.twitter.com/O6HtX06KuI</a></p>— Vaughn Williams (@KennesawStateAD) <a href="https://twitter.com/KennesawStateAD/statuses/470657215851143168">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Atlantic Sun Champion Selfie <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OwlsOnTop&src=hash">#OwlsOnTop</a> <a href="http://t.co/EPYq6T6ViY">pic.twitter.com/EPYq6T6ViY</a></p>— Derek Simmons (@CoachSimmKSU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachSimmKSU/statuses/470660151809409025">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>See how <a href="https://twitter.com/KSUOwlsBaseball">@KSUOwlsBaseball</a> took home the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ASunBSB&src=hash">#ASunBSB</a> Championship Crown with highlights to its 7-1 win: <a href="https://t.co/0MUE6pSB8u">https://t.co/0MUE6pSB8u</a></p>— Atlantic Sun (@AtlanticSun) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticSun/statuses/470673014435381248">May 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-39165496111742354572014-05-24T20:53:00.001-04:002014-05-24T20:53:38.177-04:00Pitching in the Shadows of MLB All-Star<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Michael Murray, a sophomore exercise science major,
walks into his home stadium in Fort Myers, Fla. a wall poster greets him
reminding him of the shoes he is filling at Swanson Stadium. Over the past
couple of years Florida Gulf Coast has become synonymous with #DunkCity, after
the basketball team’s run to the Sweet 16 in 2013. In baseball, Chris Sale
opened those eyes in 2010. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sale, the 13<sup>th</sup> pick in the 2010 draft by the
Chicago White Sox, was the National Player of the Year in 2010. He went 11-0 that
year with a 2.01 ERA. In 103 innings pitched Sale struck out 146 while only
surrendering 14 walks. Those numbers set a new standard at FGCU for starting
pitchers to follow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sale has also found success in the Major Leagues with the Chicago
White Sox. He won 17 games in 2012 and has made two All-Star appearances. Those
are some big shoes to fill, but fast forward to 2014 and once again Head Coach
Dave Tollett has a pitcher whose numbers look very similar to those of Sale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Murray sits at 13-1 with a 1.85 ERA entering this week’s
Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship. His command has been outstanding all season
long only allowing 14 walks. Opponents are only hitting .229 against him and he
has struck out 79 batters. Murray’s 13 wins, a FGCU school-record, lead the
nation and have helped the Eagles to the regular season title. Every Friday
night Murray takes the mound and fans come to the park to witness some
#MurrayMagic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The improvement this year for Murray has garnered him much
more attention than his freshman season. When asked what the biggest difference
is this year and Murray said “I’m more confident and last years’ experience has
really helped. I really enjoy the intensity and energy that Friday night
brings.” He is on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List and on the
College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Watch List. After four
Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week honors this season, which tied another one of Sale’s
records set in 2010, Murray was voted the 2014 A-Sun Pitcher of the Year, the
fourth Eagle to win the award. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FGCU's Head Coach Dave Tollett said “Mike’s weight room work and
commitment to improving his craft have made him the pitcher he is today. This
conference produces some great pitching talent and to be awarded Pitcher of the
Year is a great achievement.” Brady Anderson, FGCU’s number two pitcher, added “Mike
works hard and competes every day. He learned a lot last year from Ricky Knapp,
constantly picking his brain and it’s made him a better pitcher.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So is there any extra pressure in pitching with Chris Sale’s
wall poster hanging on Swanson Stadium you might ask. Murray doesn’t think so “I’ve
been pitching since I was eight years old. I don’t put extra pressure on
myself, just go out execute pitches and have fun. The guys who came before me
taught me a lot and have made me stay humble and continue to work hard.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At 13-1 it’s fair to say that Murray has been
having a lot of fun.</span></span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932621169581009759.post-42798579280361052572014-05-24T12:25:00.000-04:002014-05-24T12:52:57.406-04:00A-Sun Player of the Year Max Pentecost Takes Time for 20 Questions<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Tuesday Kennesaw State catcher Max Pentecost became the first Owl in program history to land A-Sun Player
of the Year honors as he batted .422 for the season with a league-best
97 hits and 54 RBI. The junior catcher tallied 21 doubles, eight homers
and 50 runs scored, while adding 15 stolen bases. <br /><br />"It's an overall blessing," said Pentecost. "All
the hard work we put in and the time and effort paid off. I'm glad I
could receive this award and it means a lot to me and the team."<br /><br />A
Winder, Georgia, native, Pentecost entered the A-Sun Championship with the nation's longest hitting streak at 35 and is in the top five in the
conference in hits, batting average, RBIs (55) and doubles (21) and is
named on every major award watch list in the nation.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On the day he was announced as the Player of the Year, Pentecost took some time to go one-on-one with the A-Sun Insider for 20 questions. Find out more about Pentecost below.<strong><br /></strong></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Hobbies Outside of Baseball</strong>:
Anything outdoors (hunting, fishing, riding four wheelers, etc)</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite Athlete</strong>: Buster
Posey</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite MLB Team</strong>: Atlanta
Braves</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite Song</strong>: Amarillo
by Morning</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite Band/Artist</strong>: George
Strait, Jamey Johnson</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite Website</strong>: I
don’t spend a lot of time online</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite Movie</strong>: The
Green Mile</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite Actor</strong>: Tom
Hanks</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Favorite Food</strong>: Country
Fried Steak</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: Of all the rankings that you are
a part of, which national ranking means the most to you?</strong><br />
A: Our 16-game win streak that tied the nation’s longest streak, because that
was really important to our team at that time.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: If you could improve one thing in
your game what would it be?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Keeping on weight and staying strong. I know that sounds kind of crazy,
but the season really wears on your body and it is a battle for me to stay
strong and healthy sometimes</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></br>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What does it take to win an A-Sun
Championship? </strong></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: We have to play like we have been playing. Our starting pitchers have
done their job, and we have been able to contribute timely hits, move runners
over, and play good all-around defense. We will have to continue that for sure
in the championship.</span></span></br>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: Any personal highlights from the
season?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: I guess a couple of things. First, I am proud I was able to experience the
35-game hitting streak. Then of course winning Player of the Year in a
conference with a lot of really good players means a lot, it makes all of the hard
work and sacrifice pay off.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: You are regarded as a probable
top 15-20 pick in the upcoming MLB draft. What does that mean to you?</strong><br />
A: I really haven’t let that sink in yet. I am still just playing my hardest
and living day-to-day. Making the majors has certainly been a goal and
definitely an opportunity that I am looking forward to, but right now I am not
worrying about it. I still have a few games left here at Kennesaw State and I
am going to enjoy those to the fullest.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: Who’s the toughest pitcher you’ve
had to face? How’d you do? </strong><b><br />
</b><br />
A: David Speer was a left-handed pitcher from Columbia. I think I had one hit
against him. He had a four-pitch mix and he could put it wherever he wanted it.
He definitely had all of the pitches and kept you off balance, really almost
made it to where you got yourself out!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: Who’s the best young player you
have played with, either in the A-Sun or in summer leagues? What stands out
about him?</strong> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
A: On our Cape team last summer there was a pitcher named Ryan Kellogg. He
plays for Arizona State and I really think he is going to be a great player.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What is your best memory as a
baseball player? At KSU?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: I have to go back to the 16-game win streak. We got off to a rough start
and actually ended a seven-game losing streak with the beginning of the win
streak. I am not really sure what happened, but something just got in us and it
became contagious. During that time I think there were several games in which
we were down three or four runs in the eighth or ninth innings and were able to
get some come-from-behind wins, It was almost indescribable how we were doing
it, but we did.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What kind of advice can you offer
to younger players out there who want to play college baseball?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Always play your hardest. Every day is another day that you get to play a
great game when others are not so fortunate, it is a privilege to do that. Also,
spend your off time doing things that make you a better person. And of course
stay strong with the Lord.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What is your personal game-day
routine? </strong><em>What is your
routine on the on-deck circle?</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: I don’t really have a routine per say, but I do get to the field early
with some of the other guys and we just have a good time. We show up early,
hang out, watch some tv, or go out on the field and toss around some other ball
like a football or nerf ball, and just have a good time. But when we start
stretching, we know that it is time to get in the mindset of getting ready to
play.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: If you could excel at another
position, what would it be?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Outfield. I played shortstop until I was about 11, then I began catching
and have ever since. I played outfield a little here and there but I would like
to give it more of a shot.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: Do you have a favorite saying or
motto?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Live every day to the fullest. I guess that stems from having an uncle
that passed away with Muscular Dystrophy and seeing the scenario of his life
and how it unfolded. It really opened my eyes to how much we are blessed to be
able to do and accomplish, and helped me realize not to take things for
granted.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What was the best advice that you
were ever given?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: My parents always told me that I could do whatever I put my mind to, and
I have always believed that. That started when I began playing baseball and I
have played all of my life and had some success with it, and I love playing. It
is just a part of my life now.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What about your
training/preparation makes you better than most baseball players?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: I try to stay in the weight room to stay healthy and strong. I know that
some players get tired and more sore as the season goes on, but for me I stay
in there because it keeps you healthy and helped protect from injury when you
are tired and worn down. Plus I try to get as much sleep as I can because the
season really wears on you, particularly on the body.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What is your favorite situation in
a game?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Any time there are runners in scoring position, hitting in the three-hole
it is my job to get them in. That may mean bunting and moving them over,
sacrificing on a long fly or driving one up the middle. That is one of the most
important things to do in my position.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: When you were a kid what was the
pretend situation in which you were the hero?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Actually this happened as late as my freshman year at KSU. We were in the
conference championship and we had already lost one game. We were playing
Stetson, it was the top of the ninth, and we were down three with two outs and
bases were loaded when I got up. I doubled and scored everyone to tie the game,
then we got another hit and ended up winning the game. That was my first big
memory at Kennesaw State. I was one of only a few freshmen in the lineup and we
ended up playing in the championship game, which we wouldn’t have if things
hadn’t worked out that way for me in that moment.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Q: What is the worst slump you can
recall? How did you come out of it?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Last season for the first 20 games I was hitting like .140. I was letting
bad days carry over into the next day and finally I just had to clear my mind
and adjust my attitude. I began playing how I know how to play and my attitude
got better and my game picked up.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Q:
How would you define a “good teammate”?</b><b><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: I think a good teammate is someone
that you find off the field. They are someone who picks you up on or off the
field when you are down, but yet they let you know what you should or should
not be doing because they are concerned with the best for you. It is someone
who you feel comfortable with just hanging out, so I think that person plays
just as important role off the field as on it.<span style="font-style: normal;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Q:
How do you deal with failure on the baseball field?</b><b><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: I will get back to dugout, maybe get a drink,
think about it some, pick up something or throw it back down on my bag and then
start clearing my mind. You can’t let it carry over.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Q:
How do you quiet your mind in the batters box?</b><b><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A: Walking up to the plate I often will
picture a time when I had a good at bat or got a solid hit and play that in my
mind. That gives me positive mental notes, remembering how the swing felt and
how I saw the pitches. <em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>A-Sunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429111106402683980noreply@blogger.com0