BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Campbell completes its three-game road trip as it meets former conference-foe Liberty in Lynchburg Va. Sunday. Kickoff from Osborne Stadium is set for 2:00 p.m. with the game set to broadcast on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT: Campbell fell at NC State on Thursday after surrendering a goal with less than 10 seconds left. Campbell finished the first half strong owning a 7-4 edge in shots and limiting the Wolfpack to just one shot on frame. NC State netted the game-winner in the final seconds following a Campbell corner as Joseph received a long pass on the counter and beat a lone CU defender to score. Elyssa Nowowieski and Jackie Richards provided the best opportunities to score as both recorded shots on frame.
SERIES HISTORY: The Camels and Lady Flames meet for the 16th time and first since 2018. Liberty leads the all-time series 10-4-1. Campbell's last win against Liberty came on Oct. 15, 2011, a 2-1 victory for CU in Lynchburg.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Liberty owns a 1-1-1 record featuring a 4-0 win over ETSU and a recent 1-0 loss to UNCG. The Lady Flames were voted 3rd in the ASUN preseason poll while Meredith King was voted to the preseason all-conference team. Liberty is led by head coach Lang Wedemeyer who has a 45-39-12 record in six seasons with the Lady Flames.
WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE: The Fighting Camels return nine starters and 70% of its seventh-ranked scoring offense from last season. Campbell welcomes back four of its top five point scorers from 2021 inlcuding Jessica Donald (9 goals, 8 assists), Jackie Richards (7 goals, 7 assists), Elyssa Nowowieski (6 goals, 3 assists) and Reagan Baiotto (5 goals, 4 assists). Last season's backline, which helped earned five shutouts, of Delaney Baumbick, Cazzi Norgren, Laney Peabody and Mary Tierney all return as well. Overall more than half of the team is made up of upperclassmen including 12 seniors and four juniors.
PRESEASON HONORS: Jessica Donald and Delaney Baumbick both earned Big South preseason honors after being named the conference's offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively. A two-time All-South region and Big South first team selection, Donald finished second among Big South leaders with a career-high 26 points (9 goals, 8 assists) in 18 games in 2021. Baumbick, a Big South second team selection in 2019 and all-tournament team honoree in 2020-21, started in 17 games last season. Her 1,534 minutes ranked fourth-most on the team as she helped the backline to five shutouts and the third-fewest goals (22) in the Big South last year.
BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL: 1. Campbell (7 first-place votes) - 97 points... 2. High Point (3) - 90... 3. Radford - 79... 4. Longwood - 72... 5. Gardner-Webb - 54... 6. Charleston Southern - 53... 7. UNC Asheville - 40... 8. Winthrop - 33... 9. USC Upstate - 20... 10. Presbyterian - 12
HEAD COACH JEFF GROSS (UMBC '93) is in his first season at Campbell and as a head coach. Gross spent the last eight seasons, including the last two as associate head coach, on the staff at UNC Greensboro. While at UNCG, Gross helped guide the Spartans to back-to-back Southern Conference championships and NCAA College Cup appearances in 2017 and 2018. Gross takes over a program that is coming off consecutive trips to the Big South Conference championship game as well as an appearance in the 2020-21 NCAA tournament.
