2020-21 Athletics Excellence

The 2020-21 athletic year was one of the best in Liberty Athletics department history. The Flames tied a department record with 10 conference titles, including ASUN championships in softball, women’s soccer, women’s cross country, women’s outdoor track & field, men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s indoor track & field, men’s outdoor track & field and men’s tennis and a CCSA title in women’s swimming & diving.

The Flames finished 10-1, matching the program record for victories in a season. Liberty recorded its first-ever win over an ACC program (Syracuse), its first win over Virginia Tech and its first triumph over an FBS Top 25 opponent (No. 9/11 Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl). As a result, the Flames finished the season ranked No. 17 nationally.

A youthful Lady Flames team placed two players (Lydia Burts and Trinity Watts) on the ASUN All-Freshman Team. Burts, a second team All-ASUN honoree, was the first Liberty freshman since 2016 to earn all-conference honors.

Liberty finished 7-3-2, headlined by its firstever win over North Carolina, a victory over No. 21 Coastal Carolina and a defeat of Big South champion High Point. The Flames earned their first-ever national ranking, reaching as high as No. 15 during the season.

The Lady Flames used an improbable run of four wins in 11 days, including victories over both No. 1 seeds (Lipscomb and North Florida), to capture their first ASUN title. As a result, Liberty made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.

The Lady Flames finished 13-3, highlighted by their first-ever victories over NCAA Tournament qualifier UConn and No. 12 Duke. Liberty was ranked No. 4 nationally on March 23, representing the highest national ranking by any Liberty program at the NCAA Division I level.

The women’s cross country team qualified for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships for the first time, placing 26th nationally. Liberty captured four ASUN Conference titles, including women’s cross country, men’s indoor track & field and a sweep of the men’s and women’s outdoor track & field championships.

The Flames finished 23-6, capturing their first outright ASUN regular-season title and cutting down the nets as ASUN Tournament champions for the third year in a row. Liberty extended its home winning streak to 36 games and also posted victories over Mississippi State and South Carolina away from Lynchburg.

The 19-8 Lady Flames posted their best ASUN regular-season record (12-4) and qualified for the ASUN Tournament title game for the third consecutive year. The Lady Flames went 12-0 during their inaugural season at Liberty Arena, pushing their overall home winning streak to 17.

Hosting the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championship, Liberty finished in a first-place tie with FGCU to capture its third consecutive conference title. Payton Keiner qualified for the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship for the third time in her career.

The Flames enjoyed a history-making season, winning a program-record 20 matches capped off by a victory in the ASUN title match for their first-ever conference title. Liberty also achieved its first national ranking, reaching No. 39 in the year-end listing.

The Lady Flames went 18-7, tying for the second most victories in program history. Liberty went a perfect 6-0 in conference play, earning the ASUN North Division’s top seed. Individually, Esther Lovato finished the season with a 23-1 singles record.

Liberty reached the ASUN Championship final for the second time in as many seasons. The Lady Flames went 10-9 against a schedule that included seven nationally ranked opponents and boasted a league-high 14 AllASUN honorees.

The Flames qualified for the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf National Championship for the third time in program history, finishing in 21st place. Liberty also claimed its first ASUN championship in record fashion, posting the lowest 54-hole team score (20-under par 832) in tournament history.

Liberty finished the season at 41-16, capturing the ASUN North Division title with a 19-2 conference record and advancing to the ASUN Championship title game. The Flames earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, where they advanced to the regional final for the second time in program history.

The Lady Flames claimed their first ASUN Championship title to qualify for their fourth NCAA Division I Softball Championship appearance in program history. For the second time, the Lady Flames advanced to the NCAA regional final round. Liberty also cracked the national Top 25 polls for the first time ever, topping out at No. 24.

During the 2021-22 academic year, Flames fans can catch all the action on the Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN), which is comprised of Liberty’s radio and television networks and has covered Flames athletics since 1981. The flagship radio station for Liberty Football is The Journey 88.3 FM in Lynchburg, Va. The 50,000-watt station is part of The Journey FM Radio Network, which has 19 affiliates that cover Virginia and much of North Carolina. Alan York returns for his 12th season calling Flames Athletics. York is the radio play-byplay voice of football and men’s basketball. Additionally, York is the television voice for Liberty Baseball and Softball. Nick Pierce handles radio play-by-play duties for baseball and the football sidelines. Fans may also follow Liberty Athletics on WFFP Channel 24, the flagship television station of LFSN. The station airs football as well as baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball games. The station can be viewed on all satellite and cable systems throughout Southwestern and Central Virginia. Liberty sporting events have been broadcast on outlets across the nation, including the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), ESPN+, ESPN3, Cox Television Network, American Sports Network (ASN), The Walk, and various independent stations, representing more than 40 million households coast-to-coast. LFSN’s television broadcast team consists of trained professionals who have worked for most of the major sports networks in the United States, including ESPN, ABC Sports, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, NASCAR, SportSouth, Comcast, and Fox Sports.

The Liberty Flames Sports Network from Van Wagner is the best way to follow Liberty Flames Football on the radio at home and on the road. The tailgate show begins 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Hosted by Nick Pierce and guests, the show provides the most in-depth pregame radio coverage of Liberty Football. Fans will hear commentary from coaches and players, along with exclusive pregame thoughts from Head Coach Hugh Freeze. Alan York and Paul Rutigliano team up for their 12th season together in the radio booth. During the live radio play-by-play broadcast, Nick Pierce reports from the sideline, and live studio reports keep you up-to-date on scores from across the country. At the conclusion of the game, listen to the Postgame Show for a complete recap, including interviews with the Flames and Head Coach Hugh Freeze.

The Liberty Flames Sports Hotline is broadcast live each Monday night during the football season. The “Voice of the Flames” Alan York hosts the hour-long show that takes you inside Liberty Athletics. Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze joins York each week, along with Liberty Athletics administrators, student-athletes, and other coaches. The show is carried on the regional ESPN family of stations: 93.3 FM (Lynchburg), 1320 AM (Lynchburg), 1240 AM (Roanoke), 106.3 FM (Danville), and 1250 AM (Bedford).