Women’s ultimate to test teamwork at this weekend’s Fusion Tourney in Axton

Saturday, September 28

Axton, VA

TBD

Liberty University Club Sports

Fusion - Ultimate Frisbee Tournament

Women’s ultimate to test teamwork at this weekend’s Fusion Tourney in Axton

9/27/2024 2:49:00 PM | Women's Ultimate

Liberty features a healthy balance of veteran players and newcomers on this year's team, under new leadership from former team captains.

Head Coach Bethany Weldy and Assistant Coach Mikayla DiSarle, who formerly served as captains on the team before graduating in 2021 and 2022, respectively, are strengthening the foundation created by former Head Coach Jonathan Mast and his wife, former Assistant Coach Ashley Mast.

"We're excited to build upon that base, to carry on the legacy of women's ultimate here … and to inspire other people to love it just as much as we do. We are super excited to coach this wonderful group of women," DiSarle said.

The Lady Flames will open their fall season at the Fusion Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at the Smith River Sports Complex in Axton, Va.

"I'm really excited to be back this year," Lady Flames graduate student Grace Wilson said. "We have a lot of returners this year, but we're actually outnumbered. We have a lot of new people, which is really exciting to grow them individually as players. It's kind of a fresh start and an opportunity to kind of build a new team."

Freshman Kate Lyle, who played ultimate in high school and opted to try out for the team at Liberty, said the environment is ideal for her to develop her all-around talent as a player.

"I'm really excited to be joining this team," she said. "The team chemistry is really good from what I've seen so far. All the girls are super nice. They all love each other and love the Lord and I think it's a beautiful thing. Everyone is super helpful and the coaches are amazing. I'm so excited to continue my skills and be able to share my love for the sport with the rest of the team."

The coaches and veteran players have been training the newcomers in the sport throughout preseason practices and they will collectively put their strategies and skills work, as well as their spiritual witness, to the test this weekend.

"It's really important that we are focusing on the little things as a team early on, throwing and cutting and just getting our fundamentals down," Wilson said. "Our motto is (from Luke 16:10) 'Being faithful in the little things,' and that applies to fundamentals, but it also applies to our ministry and what we do and our purpose and being Champions for Christ."

"We do a lot of conditioning in the fall, so we'll focus on teaching the sport of ultimate, working on throws, and getting those basic fundamentals that will carry over to the spring," DiSarle added. "(But) this is so much more than a sport. It's also a ministry. It's our opportunity to be a witness and a light to other teams that we interact with, and that is so much more important than the sport."

She said when players graduate, it is more rewarding to see them share their faith in their workplaces and circle of friends than to play professionally.

"We want people to leave our sport, leave our community knowing that we share the love of Christ wherever we go, whether it's within our team or with other teams that we get to interact with," DiSarle said.

Video edited by Reagan Underwood/Club Sports Video & Media Assistant