FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University softball standout pitcher Libby Morris/Dillwyn has been named the Longwood Female Athlete of the Week. She stepped up as the Lancers' defensive backbone for the Big South Championship, leading the squad to the title with several great performances in the circle. After entering the team’s game against Liberty on May 9 in relief, she started the next five games, pitching 36.2 of the team's 40 total innings at the tournament. The righty allowed just 14 runs, while striking out 20 batters last week. Morris, who has a 2.90 ERA for the season, boasts a 1.72 ERA in postseason play, as well as a 5-1 record so far. She was also named the Big South Tournament MVP following the championship game.
Question and Answer Session with Libby Morris and Ashley Robbins
AR: Talk a little about the Big South Tournament, getting named MVP and what it meant to you.
LM: Everything just finally came together. The work, the practices, the lifting and everything just finally fit into place. It was honestly the best feeling I’ve ever had. We all worked together and it was just one person who did it for us. Everyone was on their top game and playing really well. It was amazing that everything we did just paid off. It’s just indescribable how great it was.
AR: What you looking forward to most heading into the NCAA Tournament?
LM: I’m really excited that it’s our first time going to Regionals. I know it’s going to be a new experience, but the good thing is, we’ve played all of these teams. We’ve played NC State, we’ve played Tennessee and we’ve played JMU, so the teams won’t be new, but the atmosphere will be different to us. I think we need to set some goals so we can achieve those, but I think we’ll be alright.
AR: Did you find yourself giving advice to the freshman this year since you were one last year?
LM: At first I thought I had to go through my freshman year, so let them find their own way, but then as the year went on, we really bonded together. All of the sophomores have their own really good talents. Casey (Lifsey) is great at giving advice. Megan (Baltzell) and I kind of lead by example on the field. Everyone that’s older plays a different role with the freshman and they kind of know that, so they come to different people for different things.
AR: Do you still get advice from your older teammates?
LM: I do. Jordan (Cox) has really stepped up big time and has a really good calming effect on the field. Sometimes I get out of breathe on the mound because I’m going too fast, and Jordan will notice and will come over and calm me down. Brooke is also a great person to look up to, as far as pitching and just being an athlete, and how to handle things. [Ashley Cornell] has been a great supporter, too, in the dugout and in the bullpen. She’s really creative with her pitches and will tell me to try some things, and some of them will work.
AR: Why did you choose Longwood?
LM: I chose Longwood because it was close to home. At first I didn’t know if I wanted to go close, though. Also, Coach Riley is just a great coach. She has a great reputation and when I was being recruited she really cared. She was one of the only coaches I met that genuinely cared about how I was doing and she had a great softball program, as well. They also had a great group of seniors, so coming in, I knew had some big shoes to fill, but they really set a great example of what a team is supposed to be like. That’s what I saw when I was looking at schools and there was no comparison. This was it. This was the right place.
AR: What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from Coach Riley?
LM: I would have to say keep your composure. Also be confident and keep the same air on the mound. Don’t ever let them see you sweat, just stay within yourself and don’t try to overdo it. She’ll see me starting to rush and always just tell me to calm down. She’s helped me keep my confidence throughout the season, even through the highs and lows.
AR: Do you have any role models athletically or life in general?
LM: I really looked up to the senior class that graduated in 2011 with Briana Wells and Brittany Matthews. Our class is kind of the same as far as numbers, and my goal is for us to kind of be like them, to have the same bond and work ethic. Coach Riley always refers to that class and they did a great job here. I think we have the capability to do the same thing. If we have the same connection that they did, it would help us even more.
AR: Do you have any superstitions or pregame rituals?
LM: When we get in the circle on the field on one knee before the game, Chelsea Sciacca and I always say “Longwood, we smash the homies,” but that’s really it.
AR: Who is your favorite pro athlete and what is your favorite team?
LM: My favorite team is the Atlanta Braves. I grew up watching them. My favorite player was always Chipper Jones, but he’s gone now. I really like him though.
AR: What’s your favorite thing about the Longwood softball program in general?
LM: We are just a big family. I have some friends at bigger schools and they’ll say “you do that.” It’s just so close-knit. Even though Coach Riley and Coach Steele are our coaches, they are also like mother figures, too. If I had a problem, I could come to them, or if I was sick, I could call Coach Riley and she would take me to the hospital. I don’t think I would get that anywhere else but here. The girls all genuinely care, too. Before I got here, I would always look out for myself, but being on a team like this, you worry about the other girls. You feel like you have a responsibility to the other girls to protect each other and love each other.
