Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/18/17
From Press Release
The Liberty women’s lacrosse program has announced the addition of 10 student-athletes for the 2018-19 season.
The 10-player recruiting class – Maggie Anderson, Andrea Colavito, Anna DiRita, Alexa Evernham, Hope Flack, Emma Kendrick, Morgan Learn, Meg Lieberman, Leah Ruby and Jennifer Soriero – reside from six states, including three from Pennsylvania, two each from New Jersey and Georgia and one each from Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
Cardinal O’Hara’s Anna DiRita
“I am very excited to add these 10 young women to our program,” stated Liberty Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Kelly Nangle. “They are exceptional athletes and even better people. They will be an integral part in the growth of our program.”
Anna DeRita (M/A – Drexel Hill, Pa./ Cardinal O’Hara HS/Philly Blast)
DeRita joins the Lady Flames from Drexel Hill, Pa., a suburb just outside of Philadelphia. During her three years at Cardinal O’Hara High School, DeRita has tallied 73 goals and 24 assists. As a junior, she served as a team captain, leading her team to a District 12 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) 2A title. She earned All-Catholic and All-Delco honorable mention accolades while tallying 38 goals, 13 assists and 68 draw controls.
As a sophomore for the Cardinal O’Hara Lions, DeRita garnered All-Catholic second team honors and All-Delco honorable mention. The midfielder/attacker, who was also considering attending Mercer, Catholic, University of Scranton and Pittsburgh, is looking forward to her future at Liberty.
“My first visit at Liberty I knew this was the right fit for me,” she said. “I am very excited to be making my decision official, and I can’t wait to finally call Liberty my home.”
Alexa Evernham (M – Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional HS)
Evernham is one of two New Jersey natives to be joining the Lady Flames. In three seasons with the Kingsway Regional High School Dragons, she has 35 goals and 15 assists. As a junior, the midfielder guided her squad to a 10-win season and a berth in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJIAA) playoffs. A three-year varsity letterwinner, Evernham earned second team all-conference honors as a junior as well.
Evernham, who was also considering VCU, St. Bonaventure, Shippensburg and Ithaca, says her favorite lacrosse memory to date was recording a hat trick in the closing minutes of a game as a sophomore. The Swedesboro, N.J., native is ready for her Liberty career to start.
“I am so excited to become a part of the Liberty lacrosse program,” Evernham said. “Playing lacrosse for the next four years is one of the greatest opportunities of my life, and I cannot wait to officially become a Flame!”
Hope Flack (M – Montgomery County, Pa./Upper Perkiomen HS)
Flack, a prolific scorer at the high school level, will be joining Liberty after she wraps up her time at Upper Perkiomen High School in Pennsburg, Pa., just under 50 miles north of Philadelphia. In her three seasons with the Indians, the midfielder has amassed 146 goals, 27 assists, 191 draw controls and 154 ground balls.
Flack co-captained her team as a junior and has guided the Indians to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. She garnered first team all-conference recognition as a junior and second team honors as a sophomore. Flack, who plays at the club level for Dynamite Lacrosse 2018, also considered attending Coastal Carolina and Temple before choosing Liberty.
“Ever since my first visit to Liberty, I knew this was where I wanted to go,” she stated. “I love all of the coaches and my future teammates, and I am so excited to start my future here at Liberty University.”
Maggie Anderson (A/M – Davidsonville, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School)
Anderson, a native of Davidsonville, Md., will be coming to Liberty from Annapolis Area Christian School. In her three years with the Annapolis Eagles, Anderson has compiled 55 goals, 42 assists, 79 ground balls and 94 draw controls. As a junior, she put together her best season yet with 30 goals, 17 assists, 35 ground balls and 50 draw controls.
“From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew it was home. I am beyond excited to be starting this new chapter of my life at Liberty,” Anderson stated.
Anderson, an attacker/midfielder, is a two-time all-conference selection (2016-2017) and an all-county honoree (2017) who was named a team captain during her junior season. During her sophomore year, her team went 16-0 and won a championship as well as the Team of the Year award from Touchdown Club in Annapolis. The attacker/midfielder, who chose Liberty over Mount St. Mary’s, says her most memorable moment was winning the lacrosse championship in the rain as a sophomore.
“It was my honor to have coached Maggie Anderson for the 2017 women’s high school lacrosse season at Annapolis Area Christian School. Throughout our season, her leadership role as a captain was exemplified through her skills, discipline and willingness to lead by example in every aspect of the game. Maggie’s tenacity and drive was evident on the field of play. I can say that she is a young woman of integrity, probity and passion.”
Ualani Schmitt, Annapolis Area Christian School
Andrea Colavito (M – Johns Creek, Ga./Johns Creek HS)
Colavito is one of two Johns Creek, Ga. natives to join the Liberty lacrosse program. The midfielder has compiled 67 goals, 74 assists and 126 ground balls in her three years with the Johns Creek Cardinals. Colavito was a varsity captain as a sophomore in 2016 and earned honorable mention all-state as a junior.
Colavito has accumulated other accolades, including: Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, scholar-athlete as a sophomore and junior and selection to the region all-star team as a junior.
Colavito, who was also considering attending UConn, James Madison and Furman, has guided her high school team to the second round of the region playoffs in each of the last two seasons. She also has played club lacrosse from Eagle Stix from 2015-17.
Emma Kendrick (GK – Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge HS)
Kendrick comes to Liberty from Marvin Ridge High School in Waxhaw, N.C., about 20 miles south of Charlotte. The goalkeeper has been named an all-conference player in each of her first three seasons for the Marvin Ridge Mavericks, earning first team all-conference honors as a freshman (2015) and junior (2017).
Kendrick, who served as a team captain in 2017 and will be a team captain for the Mavericks’ spring 2018 season, has guided her tem to two conference titles (2015, 2016). She has posted save percentages of .500, .470 and .430, respectively, thus far at Marvin Ridge High School. Kendrick, who was also considering attending Furman, says her top lacrosse memory was upsetting Charlotte Catholic High School as a sophomore.
“I am signing with Liberty because I think it is a perfect fit for me. I love the camaraderie of the team and the Christian aspect of the school,” Kendrick said. “I’m so excited for my freshman year, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has planned for me here.”
Morgan Learn (M – Goode, Va./Jefferson Forest HS)
Learn, a midfielder from Goode, Va., just west of Lynchburg, has played her high school lacrosse at nearby Jefferson Forest High School. Learn eclipsed the 100-goal mark with 101 goals, to go along with 30 assists and 148 draw controls, in spring 2017 for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers won the Virginia National Conference title and reached the semifinals of the 2017 3A West Regional. Learn is a two-time US Lacrosse All-American, two-time Virginia all-state honoree, two-time Virginia National Conference Player of the Year and two-time all-region selection, having amassed 177 goals, 85 assists and 262 points during the past two seasons.
Learn, who was also considering High Point, George Mason, and Mount St. Mary’s, says her favorite lacrosse moment to date was a come-from-behind 15-14 win over Hidden Valley High School, last spring.
“Signing with Liberty is a true blessing, and I am so very, very grateful to God for this amazing opportunity,” she stated.
“Morgan has been an integral part of Jefferson Forest’s transition from varsity club to varsity VHSL status and has carried us deep into the playoffs. She doesn’t aspire to be the best on the team but rather, aspires to do what’s best for the team. She contributes from the first draw to the last whistle, from end line to end line and sideline to sideline as a playmaker and a play finisher.”
Jefferson Forest High School Head Coach Ava Rupert
Meg Lieberman (D – Pittsburgh, Pa./Pine-Richland HS)
Lieberman joins the Liberty lacrosse program from Pine-Richland High School, just north of Pittsburgh. The Steel City native, a defender, received all-section recognition as a junior. During her junior year with the Pine-Richland Rams, the team won the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) title, along with a sectional title. The Rams also captured a sectional title during Lieberman’s sophomore campaign (2016).
Lieberman, who was also considering Jacksonville, says winning the WPIAL championship last spring ranks at the top of her lacrosse memories.
“Signing with Liberty has given me the ability to further my lacrosse career, and that is something I will forever be grateful for,” Lieberman said.
Leah Ruby (A – Johns Creek, Ga./Northview HS)
Ruby, an attacker, will be joining the Lady Flames from Northview High School in Johns Creek, Ga. In her three years thus far with the Northview Titans, she has compiled 119 goals, 42 assists, 84 ground balls and 48 draw controls. Ruby and the Titans advanced to the elite eight of the state playoffs during her sophomore campaign and the sweet 16 during her junior year while totaling 38 wins over the last three seasons.
Ruby says her top lacrosse moment was scoring the game-winning goal against previously-unbeaten North Gwinnett on Senior Night, last spring. The Johns Creek, Ga., native, who was also considering attending Navy, Penn and Kennesaw State, is looking forward to the opportunity to attend Liberty.
“I am honored and blessed to be given the opportunity to go a school like Liberty,” Ruby stated. “I am so excited to meet new people, make teammates for life and be pushed far outside my comfort zone to grow and mature in huge ways. I am excited for this new adventure and journey ahead into a future I believe I have been made for!”
“Leah is best described as inspirational. As an athlete, Leah works hard every day and holds herself accountable for her successes and failures. As a teammate, she always finds the time to support, assist and motivate others. As an individual, Leah has strong values and beliefs that she proudly honors in her everyday actions.”
Northview High School Lacrosse Coach Jen McConnell
Jennifer Soriero (GK – Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Township HS)
Soriero, a New Jersey native, has played for the last three years for the Pequannock Township High School Golden Panthers. The goalkeeper has notched 530 saves so far in a Pequannock uniform in three seasons. Soriero is a two-time all-conference and two-time all-county honoree.
As a junior, she notched her 500th career save in a game and earned Freedom North Conference first team all-league inclusion. Soriero describes the pregame camaraderie with her defensive unit as her most fond lacrosse memories. Sorierio, who also plays club lacrosse for Tri-State Lacrosse 2018 Black, is eager to start her time at Liberty.
“I am so excited to play for such an awesome school! I cannot wait to learn from the coaching staff and my future teammates,” Soriero stated. “I’m not really sure what to be expecting, but I know that these years will be the best years of my life, playing my favorite sport for my dream school.”