Former UCF softball player Ashley Van Ryn spent thousands of hours throughout her life practicing and playing the game she loved from childhood. However, it was a mere two hours of watching television this summer that ultimately changed her life as an athlete.

"I had a tremendous time during my four years with UCF softball, but there really are not many professional outlets for softball athletes like myself," said Van Ryn, who shined as a starting outfielder for the Knights from 2005-08. "My time at UCF was pivotal to my growth as a person and an athlete. As I stopped playing softball and transitioned into a working professional role, I managed to keep myself in good shape as far as strength and conditioning goes. But I didn't have too many possibilities for team sports outside of rec league type stuff."  

Like countless other Americans, Van Ryn discovered team handball by watching the 2012 London Olympics.  She thought it looked really interesting and fun but was shocked and disappointed to learn that Team USA hadn't qualified for the event. 

A quick Google search later, she uncovered the Georgia Handball Club based out of her hometown of Atlanta, Ga., and shortly thereafter, she attended her first practice in August 2012.  

"I fell in love with the sport almost immediately," Van Ryn explained. "The sport is a blast to play, and the people I have met in the handball community make the experience even more fun.  All of the players and coaches involved in handball on both the club and national level have been so welcoming and helpful in my progress in the sport. The more I play, the more I love it."

Handball is perhaps best described as an eclectic mix of basketball, hockey and lacrosse. Each team plays with six athletes per side plus goalies. Players can move the ball via dribbling and passing similar to basketball. You can take three steps without dribbling and can only hold the ball for three seconds without giving it up. Substitutions and penalties are similar to hockey as teams can swap players in and out on the fly and infractions are enforced with a one player advantage much like a hockey power play.

The game plays at a very fast pace with scores routinely in the 20s sometimes into the 30s. Defenders are allowed to use physical contact to stop attackers from approaching the goal, but only when the defensive player is completely in front of the offensive player. Particularly egregious penalties can result in penalty shots similar to hockey.

"I really had no idea about the rules, strategy or anything, but my home club (Georgia Handball Club) partnered up with the Chicago Inter Handball Club to form a co-team and they invited me to join their team," Van Ryn said. "They taught me all the ins and outs out the game. Because I was an outfielder for so many years, the overhand throw for handball was a natural transition for me."

Less than two months after her first practice, Van Ryn and her club team placed first in a pair of handball tournaments in October. The more experience she gained in both club matches and practices caught the attention of the USA Team Handball National Committee.

Van Ryn was invited to an exclusive Women's National Team Training and Selection Camp in early January at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Team USA training camp was intense as prospective athletes were put through a series of rigorous drills that tested various aspects of their athletic ability, such as their strength, speed, agility, stamina and hand-eye coordination. The ones that made the cut athletically were then dropped into live scrimmages against other prospective team members as well as current Team USA roster players.

On Jan. 17, Van Ryn got the incredible news. She earned a spot on Team USA and would be travelling with the team to Mexico City, Mexico, in April for the Pan American Championships qualifying tournament in April.

"I feel so incredibly blessed and excited for the opportunity to represent Team USA," Van Ryn finished.  "This is an athletic dream come true, and I believe that through hard work, dedication, and the support of the community, we can establish the USA as a fierce competitor on the international team handball stage.  While I know the road to success won't be easy, I am honored to take part in the journey and optimistic about the future for team handball in America."

2013 Team USA Senior Women Handball Team

Borg, Anja
Borg, Caroline
Darling, Kathy
Dunn, Lisa
Ebuwei, Tomuke
Ernst, Toni
Fasold, Sophie
Gascon, Sarah
Hardison, Tabitha
Hesser, Stephanie
Lewis, Latrice
Morrison Elise
Self, Stacy
Stilwell, Gabriela
Van Ryn, Ashley
Whitley, Sarah

Alternates:
Elder, Marilyn
Hoddersen, Lynn
Strohl, Sarah
Thorkelsdottir, Morgan

The UCF softball team wrapped up its fall schedule as it defeated Florida State College of Jacksonville, 15-2, at the UCF Softball Complex. The Knights impressed as completed their fall slate at a perfect 5-0.

With several upperclassmen missing the game due to scheduling conflicts with night classes, the Knights were able to play several of their new freshmen and get their young players valuable experience. UCF started an all-freshman infield as Brittanne Gasser played first, Taylor Wagner was at second, Kalyn Cenal took short and Sam McCloskey manned third.

"With most of our seniors and sophomores not here, we leaned on a lot of our freshmen tonight," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said after the game. "I thought Sam, Brittanne and Shelby (Turnier) all did some nice things at the plate."

Freshman Shelby Turnier got the nod in the circle for the Knights and she earned the victory after going three innings, allowing no runs on one hit and four walks while striking out four. Turnier was once again impressive at the plate as well as she went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. 

Sophomore Maddy Schroeder led the way offensively with three RBI as she was 2-for-4 at the plate. Schroeder, who started 42 games for the Knights last season, is battling for a starting role in both center and left field. 

"Maddy just has that element of speed that this team needs," Luers-Gillispie continued. "You saw how she was able to track down that screaming line drive to centerfield late in the game. If she's not out there, that play almost certainly goes to the wall."

Another player who showed off impressive speed was sophomore Hayley Barrow. Barrow, who is entrenched as the Knights' starting catcher, smoked a line drive into the gap in right-center and turned on the jets to reach third base standing up with an RBI triple.

With Mackenzie Audas and Alex Hartshorn missing the game, freshmen Mackenzie Huhn and Lauren Dannelley tossed a combined five innings of relief. Huhn and Dannelley should provide valuable depth for a UCF pitching staff that only had three pitchers last season.

Freshman Shelby Turnier pulled off a unique double-dip on Wednesday night at the UCF Softball Complex. The highly-touted freshman from Palm Beach Gardens got the start in the circle and earned the victory after allowing just two hits and no earned runs in four innings of work as the Knights defeated Seminole State College, 8-3, in a 10-inning contest.

The UCF softball team got a stiffer challenge in its doubleheader against Hillsborough Community College and Rollins, but for the second and third times this fall the Knights' pitching staff rose to the occasion and combined to not allow a run.

UCF shutout the Lady Hawks 2-0 in game one and came back with a second shutout, 4-0, in the nightcap over the Tars. Over the course of 14 innings, Knights' pitchers only allowed four hits and two walks while striking out an incredible 23.

For more exclusive pictures from UCF softball's fall ball outings, check our Facebook page

Sophomore Mackenzie Audas has been flat out dominant during the fall season. Audas threw eight combined innings in the two games and allowed one hit, one walk while striking out an incredible 17 batters. The battle for the No. 2 starter job continues to be intense as senior Alex Hartshorn allowed two hits over four scoreless innings with five strikeouts and freshman Shelby Turner also tossed two innings of one hit ball.

"We're going to be a team that relies on our pitching all year long," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said after the games. "We really feel we've got one of the best No. 1 starters in the country in Mac. She's going to be our workhorse, but behind her we have total confidence in Shelby and Alex. Shelby came in with a lot of hype, but Alex has really stepped her game up. She's not conceding that spot easily."

Offensively, the star of camp continues to be sophomore Kahley Novak. Novak combined to go 5-for-6 with a run scored and two RBI in the doubleheader. She appears more confident and comfortable at the plate than she was during her freshman season when she hit .278 and stole 17 bases while starting every game.

"You really can't say enough of how good Kahley's been this so far this fall," Luers-Gillispie continued. "I don't see any reason why she can't be a force at the top of the lineup both in terms of hitting for average and on the base paths. She has been our best hitter by far thus far."

The battles for starting spots continue to be fierce with as many as five positions in the lineup still up for grabs with multiple players battling it out for playing time. With just two fall ball games remaining before the UCF World Series on Tuesday Oct. 30 to Thursday Nov. 1, players are doing whatever it takes to show off the kind of versatility and skills necessary to force the coaching staff's hand for playing time.

"This year more than many other years we've had in the past, the competition has just been outstanding," Luers-Gillispie concluded. "We are trying out ladies at many different positions just to see who can handle which spot the best. By the time February rolls around, we think the cream will rise to the top and we'll have the best nine players out there." 

After two weeks of team workouts and three intra-squad scrimmages, the UCF softball team was chomping at the bit to play a live game against another team. The Knights got their first chance on Wednesday night as they defeated Brevard Community College 14-0 in a no-time limit 10 inning game.

The Knights out-hit the Titans, 19-5, and showed off some improved defense by not making a single error.

Box Score 

Pitching has reigned supreme throughout fall camp and Wednesday was no exception. UCF's No. 1 pitcher Mackenzie Audas got the start and struck out six in two innings. Later in the game, when Brevard's hurlers reached their pitch limits, Audas switched teams and threw a pair of scoreless innings for the Titans, much to the chagrin of her teammates.  All total, the dominant sophomore allowed two hits and one walk in four innings while striking out 10.

With senior Alex Hartshorn missing the game because of class, the Knights' three freshman pitchers all made their claims to the No. 2 starting spot. Shelby Turnier and Lauren Dannelley each pitched three scoreless innings. Lefty Mackenzie Huhn also tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

"It was great to see our entire group of young pitchers step up and perform well with Alex not here," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "The competition to be the No. 2 starter behind Mac is very intense right now."

Offensively, three returning players shined as Kahley Novak, Farrah Sullivan and Hayley Barrow all had quality efforts at the plate. Novak

"Kahley, Farrah and Hayley are three of our top returning players and all three of them have a spot in the lineup right now," Luers-Gillispie continued. "Farrah and Hayley are going to play third and catch for us and be right there in the middle of the lineup. Kahley's going to hit leadoff and could be our starter at second or she could be in centerfield, it's going to depend on what shakes out with the rest of the team."

Novak went 4-for-6 with four RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases as she continues to thrive in the leadoff spot. Hitting third, Sullivan was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles while knocking in a pair. Batting right behind Sullivan in the cleanup spot, Barrow picked up a pair of RBI while going 2-for-5. 

The UCF softball team returned to action on Wednesday as it played its second intra-squad scrimmage of the fall. The Black squad defeated the Gold, 12-2, in six innings at the UCF Softball Complex.

Pitching dominated early as sophomore Mackenzie Audas and senior Alex Hartshorn both registered quality starts for their respective sides. Audas was overpowering for the Gold squad as she did not allow a hit and struck out seven in three scoreless innings of work. Hartshorn earned the victory for the Black as she kept hitters off balance all morning as she also did not allow a hit or an earned run in four innings.

Offensively, freshman outfielder Mariah Garcia shined as she went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Garcia has caught the eye of head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie in the early parts of fall camp

"Mariah has been putting a nice and smooth swing on the ball in camp so far," Luers-Gillispie said. "She's probably one of three players that I'm comfortable penciling into the batting order right now."

Senior Lauren Aldridge went 2-for-3 and scored a team-high four runs for the Black squad. Aldridge, who was used last season primarily as a pinch runner, also was a perfect 2-for-2 in stolen bases as she tries to stake her claim to one of the starting corner outfield spots.

Freshman pitcher Shelby Turnier allowed one unearned run in two relief innings of Hartshorn. Turnier showed that she's not just a pitcher as she went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles and two runs scored. Turnier, who has arguably the strongest throwing arm on the team, is the only Knights' pitcher that also hits.

UCF has its final intra-squad scrimmage on Friday at 9 a.m. at the UCF Softball Complex.  

Coming off a 39-win season and an NCAA tournament appearance in the 2011, the UCF softball team reloaded with the biggest recruiting class in program history. Head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie brought in 12 freshmen athletes that are eager to continue the program's recent success.

The first opportunity to meet the new players and get reacquainted with the players that made last season a success came on photo day. 

This was an inside look into the personalities of the athletes as freshman Brittanne Gasser, who is a vegan, showed off her love for carrots and broccoli in one of her poses.  Sophomore Mackenzie Audas, affectionately nicknamed Princess by her teammates, wore a crown.

You can check out more poses and behind-the-scenes looks from photo day on our official Facebook team page: Don't forget to "like" us if you haven't already.

Seniors Hailey Barraco, Alena Murgatroyd and Alex Hartshorn spoke to UCFAthletics.com about the challenges of making sure every player looks their best and could decide on exactly what kind of pose they wanted to do for the camera.

Tomorrow is a big day for the Knights as the team will play a fall ball doubleheader. The action kicks off Friday at 3 p.m. as UCF takes on Rollins. The Black and Gold returns to action at 7 p.m. against Hillsborough. All fall ball games and intra-squad scrimmages will take place at the UCF Softball Complex and are open to the public.

The UCF softball team kicked off fall camp with the first of four scheduled intra-squad scrimmages as the Gold team defeated the Black team 11-5.

Sophomore second baseman/centerfielder Kahley Novak stole the show on the base paths as she swiped five bags, including taking home on a well-executed double steal, and scored two runs. Novak, who finished with the second-highest stolen base total for a freshman in program history last season, is expected to be the Knights leadoff hitter when the season begins.

Reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Year Mackenzie Audas showed no signs of a sophomore slump as she struck out three in three perfect innings. Fellow sophomore Hayley Barrow with 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Freshman Shelby Turnier was the winning pitcher for the Gold as she threw three innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out three. Turnier is competing for the Knights No. 2 starter spot with senior Alex Hartshorn who earned the save as she allowed no earned runs and just two hits in four relief innings. Freshman Mackenzie Huhn was tagged with the loss as she allowed five hits and five runs (three earned) with three walks in two innings of work.

Check out the exclusive intra-squad scrimmage photo gallery on Facebook

The Knights will practice each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday throughout fall camp with scrimmages and fall ball games taking place on Wednesday's and Friday's.

FULL SCHEDULE
Friday, Oct 5: UCF vs. Hillsborough - 3:00 p.m./UCF vs. Rollins - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct 10: Team Scrimmage
Friday, Oct 12: Team Scrimmage
Wednesday Oct 17: Brevard State College - 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct 19: Team Scrimmage
Wednesday, Oct 24: vs. Seminole State College - 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct 26: FSCJ - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday: Oct, 30 - Nov 1: UCF Softball World Series (Three Games) - 10 a.m.

All practices, scrimmages and fall ball games are open to the public.

After the game, head coach Renee Luers Gillispie broke down what she enjoyed seeing and what she hopes to improve upon as the fall progresses. Sophomore third baseman Farrah Sullivan also spoke about her new teammates and improving as a leader in her second season.

"Sometimes when we volunteer and participate in community service and outreach we expect to be the ones giving and teaching and we end up coming away with a new found sense of appreciation and respect for the lives we live," senior catcher Alena Murgatroyd explained. "We learn more than we could have ever imagined thanks to these amazing kids."

To help the athletes, the Miracle League uses "Angels in the Outfield,"  a buddy system pairing each player with an able-bodied volunteer. The UCF softball team routinely takes part and volunteers to be helpers for the children. What results is a bond that cannot be described. 

"We are all so blessed to be among such a great group of girls, teammates and sisters, and for the opportunity to be a part of something so much bigger than just ourselves," Murgatroyd continued.

For more information on the Central Florida Miracle League, please use any of the following channels listed below. 

Website: http://www.cflmiracleleague.com 

UCF's all-time leader in sacrifice flies, Hillary Barrow returned home and joined the Knights as an assistant coach this past week.

Dreams of gold ended for the USA Baseball Women's National Team as they were defeated 3-0 by Japan in the championship game of the IBAF World Cup. Despite the loss, the U.S. and two Knights returned home with a silver medal.

"Silver is obviously not what we wanted, but our team played hard and we just could not put a small rally together and score a few runs," USA head coach and UCF assistant coach Ruben Felix said.

The title game was dominated by pitching as each team got strong efforts from their starting pitchers. However, it was Japan who came through with a two-out hit in the third inning to take a lead it would never relinquish.

"They (Japan) caught a big break with two outs. We got a strikeout to end the inning, but the ball got away from the catcher and the runner reached," Felix explained. "Then they had two hits and a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to score a run and then a blooper single scored two more runs."

Former UCF shortstop Natalie Land was very productive throughout the tournament as the team's leadoff hitter. Land led Team USA in walks and finished second on the team in runs scored. Land also showed off her trademark speed by leading all tournament players with eight stolen bases.

"I'm proud of our team and proud of Natalie. She was great for us at the top of the lineup," Felix concluded. "Japan just played better defense, pitched better and had some timely hits to beat us."

The Women's National Team finished World Cup play with a 6-3 record. It kept its streak of medaling alive, finishing on the podium in all five IBAF Women's World Cups.

After taking a month off from pitching following the end of the Knights' 2012 season in May, Conference USA Freshman and Pitcher of the Year Mackenzie Audas traveled to Virginia to play in the USSSA Women's Fast-Pitch Softball World Series in Botetourt County, near Roanoke.

Audas pitched for the Virginia Legends during the event and added two more accolades to her ever-growing resume as her squad dominated the 12-team field en route to winning the championship. On top of the team's success, Audas was named the Pitching MVP of the tournament after pitching four perfect innings in the championship game.

"Considering she was not in mid-season form she was exceptional," head coach Bobby Willis explained. "She was perfect in the championship game and she pitched real well in our scrimmage, pool play and the double elimination. UCF usually has good pitchers but Mackenzie is special."

Each of the 12 teams in the event were allowed to field players with ages ranging from 18 to 32. The Legends featured former professional softball players Trena Peel and Amber Jackson, with Peel taking offensive MVP honors for the event, as well as former Florida Gator and current Missouri Tiger Sami Fagan earning the overall tournament MVP.

The Legends dominated the 12-team field en route to the championship. The team went 7-1 overall and outscored their opponents' 55-3.

"We appreciate coach Willis giving Mackenzie the opportunity to play summer ball in such a quality tournament, UCF softball head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "We hope she can pitch in the event again next summer as well. I am thrilled at how well she pitched."

UCF Softball assistant coach Ruben Felix is having an action-packed summer coming off a 39-win campaign and NCAA tournament appearance with the Knights. Felix was tabbed to lead the USA Baseball Women's National Team as they competed for the IBA World Cup in Edmonton, Alberta.

"I am really excited about this team we put together," commented Felix. "This is a gold-medal winning team and there is no reason we can't bring home the gold."

After three rounds of intense tryouts in San Francisco, Calif., New Lenox, Ill. and Cary, N.C.,  Felix and his staff finalized a 20-woman roster earlier this month. Appearing on the roster is one very familiar name to UCF Softball fans, former shortstop and all-time steals leader, Natalie Land.

Three other names that Knights supporters might recognize are three athletes from Conference USA rival Tulsa; Jill Barrett, Samantha Cobb and Caitlin Everett.

You can check out more behind-the-scenes looks from Team USA on our official Facebook team page: Don't forget to "like" us if you haven't already.

Team USA is currently 4-1 in pool play with victories over The Netherlands, Australia, Japan and Cuba. The U.S. will take on Chinese Taipei on Thursday and Venezuela on Friday with the medal rounds commencing on Saturday.

"We've gotten better every day," remarked Felix. "We feel like our pitchers are throwing a lot more strikes and are in the zone more. The hitters are staying back and really driving some balls. Defensively, we've made some good plays in the outfield and diving plays on the infield. Overall execution on the bases, we are a lot better. It has been a great positive week."

Check back to our KnightLines blog later this week as we recap the medal rounds and hope that Coach Felix and Natalie bring home the gold!