Head Coach Dawn Simmons. Simmons has led the University of Lynchburg Women’s Softball program for 23 years and has guided them to numerous NCAA tournament appearances.
William Masselli ~ Sports Columnist
The University of Lynchburg Women’s Softball Team is currently enjoying a great season, but the team is looking to obtain key victories against Roanoke, Guilford, and Emory and Henry to increase the team’s chances of hosting the ODAC championship.
Head Coach Dawn Simmons expressed the immense amount of pride she has for all her players, stating, “I am immensely proud because I am impressed with how well this young team is playing. We have one graduate student who returned from last year, a couple of seniors, a couple of juniors, and the rest are freshmen and sophomores. I am extremely proud about how they are learning to play together. Everyone has grown throughout the season.”
Simmons explained how the team is currently excelling at maintaining consistency and why this is important. “Consistency involves doing the little things and continuing to work together,” she said. “This will help us have a more successful season which will increase our chances of winning the competitive ODAC conference this year. As we maintain consistency, I believe we can beat anyone as long as we have the right concept and execution.”
Kayley Cox, a senior pitcher, expressed how she wants her teammates to approach this challenging stretch of games, stating, “I want everyone to communicate with each other in an honest manner as we play these challenging ODAC opponents. We play Roanoke, Guilford, and Emory and Henry. These games are ODAC games which means they will play a role in determining who the top seeds in the conference are. This year being a top seed is immensely important because top seeds receive the opportunity to host tournament games. Also, I would like to add that beating Emory and Henry is significant to our program because this team is a nationally ranked team.”
Michelle Lehan, a senior pitcher, acknowledged the importance of positivity. She said, “The key to winning the ODAC championship involves approaching each game with a positive mindset. We do not pay attention to the records of our opponents. We choose to play at our level, instead of allowing other teams to dictate what level we play at. My teammates need to remain positive as they continue ODAC play because they should not let small errors define them. I want for all my teammates to have fun because we can work on the small issues together.”
