SAC Student-Athlete Insider: Softball

With SAC softball season set to kick off next week, several student-athletes recently discussed the upcoming year with theSAC.com.

What most excites you about the upcoming season?

Brittany Jones, Brevard: "This upcoming season, I am excited for the chance to achieve new goals that we made as a team and beating the goals that we accomplished last year."

Alli Justice, Catawba: "As a senior, I am excited about pretty much everything this season. On a personal level, I am anxious to play Shippensburg University because my younger sister plays there. Also, I'm excited to play some of the schools that my past teammates now coach at-Allie Marshall at Pfeiffer University and Kathryn Geouge at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Lastly, I'm excited for conference play and getting back to the SAC Tournament championship this year."

What was the most challenging aspect of your offseason preparations, and how will that benefit you once the season gets underway?

Brittany Jones, Brevard: "The most challenging aspect of my offseason preparations was pushing myself to get better than I was last year and the year before -- getting a better timed mile, getting a throw on the correct path to hit my cut, to have my feet set up before catching a pop-up, getting my hands through to get the ball better, things like that. I feel that my preparations will help me in the season because I worked hard to get to where I am today and to prepare for every game."

Alli Justice, Catawba: "During the offseason and throughout the season, our strength and conditioning program is very challenging. We push ourselves in the weight room to get bigger, faster and stronger, which in turn carries over to our game play. Although no college student is a fan of waking up at 5:30 in the morning, the result is worth the work."

What are the keys for your team to achieve its goals this season?

Brittany Jones, Brevard: "The keys for my team to achieve its goals this season would have to be communicating with each other, stepping up to the challenge when a big game calls for it, wanting the win more than the other team, and pushing each other as teammates to be the best we all can be."

Alli Justice Catawba: "Consistency from the get-go is going to be the key to our squad achieving its goals this season. Last year, we came together late in the season and made a run in the SAC Tournament, and despite finishing third overall in our conference and runner up in tournament, we fell short of securing a bid to regionals. Thus, this year we are looking for success early on and consistency throughout the entire season."

In what ways do you try to serve as a leader on your team and on your campus?

Abby Child, Anderson: "Both through example by giving 100-percent on each play and encouraging the other players to do the same. On campus we try to support other sports in hopes they will do the same for our softball team."

Brittany Jones, Brevard: "I try to be a leader to my teammates by being there for them when they need someone to talk to or by helping them out with classes. I also try to be a person who they look up to for responsibility, leadership and courage. I try to be a role model."

Alli Justice, Catawba: "To lead has always been an instinct of mine. On the field, I push myself to be the best that I can be while holding my teammates responsible for their play as well. I look out for my teammates both on and off the field. Whether it's lending them some help with their homework or organizing a fundraiser to pay for our sweats, I think of my teammates as family, and so that's how I treat them."

What comes to mind when you think of the level of competition and the overall experience of being a student-athlete in the South Atlantic Conference?

Laura Jansky, Anderson: "The competition in the SAC is one of the highest out there and Anderson University hopes to not only compete at that level but also to be successful. The rewards of being a student athlete are uniquely gratifying and definitely worth the hard work and time put into it."

Brittany Jones, Brevard: "The SAC is improving rapidly in athletic competitiveness. Also, the conference is getting a lot larger and more diverse than it was my first two years as a student-athlete. Being a student-athlete, I feel like my overall experience is improving throughout my years at Brevard with not only the challenges I have had to face for myself but also challenges that I face with my teammates and my coaches."

Alli Justice, Catawba: I've seen and played a lot of softball at many different levels, and in my eyes, the South Atlantic Conference is without a doubt one of the most competitive conference at the Division II level. Every year the South Atlantic Conference is represented at the Regional level, usually by more than one institution, which is a testament to the level of competition within our conference."