Beach volleyball ends season with sweep over UNC on Senior Night

Friday, April 11

Lynchburg, VA

4:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Liberty University Senior Night Tournament

Liberty celebrated five graduating seniors at Senior Night. (Photos by Ryan Anderson)

Beach volleyball ends season with sweep over UNC on Senior Night

4/15/2025 11:55:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball

Lady Flames best Tar Heels, honor seniors for their contributions

Gallery: (4-15-2025) beach volleyball

Liberty University's women's beach volleyball team closed out the 2025 campaign with a 5-0 victory over the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's club team on Friday's Senior Night at the Campus East Beach Volleyball Courts.

Prior to competition, all five Liberty seniors were honored for their contributions to the program, with family members and friends in attendance to witness their final collegiate competition. Head Coach Payton Carter credited the seniors with establishing a strong team culture and setting the standard for the younger players.

Carter said Brenna Rae Bentley and Grace Cropper, Liberty's only seniors who had previous experience on the team before this season, proved instrumental in helping Lady Flames recruits find their footing. She noted Bentley's servant leadership and Cropper's vocal presence as key aspects of the team.

For the other three seniors — Brooke Elliott, Taylor Bates, and Sydney Whitfield — the 2025 campaign meant transitioning to the sand from indoor volleyball.

"The three seniors who were in their first year ever playing beach, they were awesome," Carter said, noting her own transition from indoor to beach volleyball helped her relate to the newcomers. "They were game changers for our program. They stepped up in the weight room and skill-wise with volleyball, and they were very coachable with a want and willingness to learn the sport. They took it and soared. They're leadership is much appreciated as well."

In addition to their athletic contribution, the Lady Flames seniors also provided a strong relational and spiritual impact. This culminated with several players witnessing Elliot getting baptized on Sunday.

"There was a huge spiritual impact of the seniors and I think that shows in all aspects of life," Carter said. "It definitely helps on the court as well. I know the underclassman want the program to keep going in the direction that the seniors led. That's encouraging to me, and we had really good feedback from underclassmen about how they want to continue to improve skill-wise but also have that strong bond with the team."

The Lady Flames now enter the offseason with high hopes for the 2026 campaign. Carter, who will enter her second year at the helm of the program, hopes to build on the team foundation left by the senior class.

"I am so thankful for this opportunity," she said. "Assistant Coach Ethan (VanDePerre) and I were talking today about how much of a blessing this team has been. The women on this team are so respectful and coachable and encouraging toward each other. They always lift each other up. They made it a great experience. I'm really expectant for next season and looking forward to it."

Although competition has finished for this season, the Lady Flames plan to continue team bonding activities, including the end-of-the-year team banquet, for the rest of the semester.

Liberty 5, UNC Chapel Hill 0