Herd Media
Sports

ASUN rings and next year’s promise with Johnson and Carapazza

When it comes to sports, Lipscomb University boasts 17 D1 teams. And when it comes to kicking the fall semester off, eyes turn to Lipscomb’s men’s and women’s soccer teams.

With no football team to stage a large homecoming for, Lipscomb’s first sports teams to take to a court or field are the two soccer teams. As a matter of fact, the teams start competing before students even come to campus.

The 2024-25 school year started off strong in the sports sphere with a large crowd of the Lippy Lunatics – Lipscomb’s student fan section – attending the women’s soccer Battle of the Boulevard. (Click this link to read the article about it.) The momentum established by that game, with nearly 600 fans in attendance, continued to build throughout the rest of the women’s soccer season. By the end of the season, the girls had not only won the ASUN tournament championship, but made their way to the NCAA Tournament as well.

After the close of their 2025 spring season, Herd Media sat down with women’s soccer then-sophomore Midfielders, Bella Carapazza and Hailey Johnson, to hear their thoughts on the 2024 season.

Both girls had a strong season. Carapazza, the younger sister of senior Midfielder Alivia Carapazza, made 45 shots with 18 on goal, logged the second-highest points on the season with 16 and was named to both the Preseason All-ASUN Team and the 2024 First Team All-ASUN. She also played for a total of 1256 minutes, more than double the 606 from her freshman season.

Sophomore Midfielder Bella Carapazza races to move the ball down the field. Photo by Micah Barkley.

Johnson logged 1,309 minutes on the pitch, playing in all 22 games for the Bisons and starting 17 times. She recorded 37 shots, for 16 on the frame, and five goals – four of which were game-winners. Johnson was the one to score the final, game-winning goal against Bellarmine while tied in Double Overtime during the ASUN Championship Quarterfinal matchup. She was also named to the 2024 ASUN Women’s Soccer All-Tournament Team.

Sophomore Midfielder Hailey Johnson runs with the ball during a regular season game against Bellarmine. Photo by Micah Barkley.

Despite their accolades, at the start of the season, neither had been sure what the season would hold.

“We went into it with no idea what the season was gonna look like,” Johnson said. “It was a super young, new team. Lots of freshmen, lots of transfers,” she explained.

“I think [we went] into a season of the unknown,” Carapazza said. “Obviously everyone’s goal was to win, but it was really a lot more difficult than watching it from an outside perspective.”

Even with an unsure start, both girls said that when they got to the postseason, the whole team began to realize they truly had a shot at the ring.

“Winning was just what we talked about every day, that we wanted to win the ASUN,” Carapazza said. “I remember we were beating Gulf Coast and… when we went into our huddle we were kind of like this is the sniff of a ring.”

Johnson agreed. “[We got] to the postseason and [were] like okay, this could actually happen. We could actually do this… I think coming off a semifinal where you win 7-0, you go wait, we’re good, we’re capable of doing this.”

Getting through that ASUN postseason play wasn’t easy, however, and the team nearly saw the journey end in the ASUN Quarterfinal. Regular Play ended with the Bisons tied 1-1 with the Bellarmine Knights, and the first Overtime period began.

“I was really nerve wracked,” Carapazza laughed slightly, talking about when the team was down 0-1 against the Knights. “I was almost disappointed in the sense that no, we still have more left in us. The tank’s not empty yet. And so when we were down I was really nervous, and when we were tied I [realized], we’ve got this. And then I remember we were tied and we went into the first overtime and there was a penalty check and [I thought] there’s no way we go out like this – I’m not doing this again for another year.”

The Bisons did not “go out like this,” though. Instead, they pushed their way through the First Overtime Period, and in the second, Johnson scored the game-winning goal.

“I remember feeling so many moments of this could be it, this literally could be it,” Johnson said. “Then we went into the last Overtime and it was like this is all or nothing, and I feel like everyone was just giving everything that they had, and the energy was just so high when we won. I watched the videos back and we were treating it like we’d just won the National Championship and it was literally Bellarmine, but it was like we all recognized how much everyone poured into that game and it was really special.”

When asked how it felt to score the winning goal, Johnson let out a laugh. “It was weird. I watched videos back and I was just like what am I even doing? But I was so happy, and so happy for the team, because that wasn’t just a me moment, that was the whole team giving everything they had, so I think like, to be able to do that for the team was really special… I felt like that was what I needed to do… and to be able to go to the next round, that was really special. I’ll remember that for a long time.”

Sophomore Midfielder Hailey Johnson comes in to score the winning goal during the Bellarmine matchup. Photo by Micah Barkley.
Sophomore Midfielder Bella Carapazza picks up Sophomore Midfielder Hailey Johnson amidst purple smoke during the post-game celebration. Photo by Micah Barkley.

The Bisons swept the Central Arkansas Bears 7-0 in the Semifinal matchup, and headed into the Finals against EKU, who’d just beaten Florida Gulf Coast.

“We watched [EKU] play Florida Gulf Coast, and we watched them win and I kind of looked around and I was like ‘oh my god, we’re winning. There’s no way that we don’t win the ASUN.'” Carapazza laughed, recalling how her sister had told her to calm down.

“It was a weird day,” Carapazza said, referring to the Final matchup. “But I think the lesson of that was the team that worked hard the entire year and the team that deserved it, won, and I think that was us. They played a great game, I don’t think we played our best, and I think they even knew that. I don’t think that was like the best our team has done, especially coming off [our last game] – I know that they were intimidated knowing we’d just beaten Central Arkansas 7-0, which was insane. So it was a tight game, but I think that the better team, the more deserving team, came out on top.”

“I think it also came down to who wanted it more,” Johnson added. “I think EKU’s so talented and they were very technical, but we just had people who were like ‘I’m gonna run until we win this game,’ and ‘I’m gonna push this girl.'”

“We fought together and we fought hard, and we wanted it more than them, and I think it came less to who’s the more talented skill team in this game but more of who wanted it more and what team was working hard together the most, and I think that ended up being us.”

Hailey Johnson, Sophomore Midfielder

Coming into this next season, the Bisons are looking at a rather new team. A lot of seniors graduated, and a lot of new faces are joining the roster, both freshman and transfers. Despite yet another season where the team didn’t necessarily know what the season might look like, both Carapazza and Johnson said they were excited about it.

“Honestly I think with what we have coming in and what we’re building, it’s super cool just because we’re so young,” Carapazza said. “But I think it will be really good for us, going into conference with a new team, because we graduated seniors who’ve been with the team for five years, six years, and at that point our style of play is pretty predictable, so I think that bringing in new talent that can do new things and bring another version of Lipscomb soccer to the table is gonna be super important.”

“Yeah I think it’s exciting, because we have no idea what it’s going to look like but we were kind of in the same boat last year,” Johnson grinned. “I think knowing we have a target on our backs from all the teams is going to make us more competitive, make us want that even more. To get two championships back to back would be awesome, especially with two new teams, two young teams in a row. I think we all have that drive and that goal to win again, because we know what that feels like.”

Adding to the excitement coming off the ASUN win was the team’s NCAA appearance.

“I think that the NCAA definitely put our program on the map…,” Carapazza said. “I think that was really cool, opening people’s eyes to [the fact] that Lipscomb can do that too, we’re not just like a mid-major that doesn’t win anything, we win championships too and we go and we play against big schools and we beat big schools.”

The Lipscomb Women’s Soccer team with awards, bracket and trophy after winning the ASUN Championship. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics.

Yet, in spite of all the upcoming possibilities for another ring and more championships, what both girls said they were most excited for was continuing to be a part of the team. They both said that there was something especially unique about Lipscomb’s women’s soccer program, something even other teams noticed.

“Culture’s a big part of our team, so just being able to maintain that with the amount of new people we have coming in in the fall is a big personal goal for us,” Johnson said. “I think it’s really cool when you play teams and they come up to you afterward to say, ‘there’s something different about your program.'”

Members of the Lipscomb Bisons stand for the National Anthem along with girls from a local scouting group. Photo by Micah Barkley.

“It’s hard to pinpoint it, because it’s kind of something you don’t really feel until you get here, but there’s so many schools that are faith-based and that are good at soccer, but can you find one that does both?” Carapazza asked. “It’s a small school, it’s a small group but it’s like, the way that we bring faith into everything and it genuinely is that way.”

They explained that the team carries out their faith in tangible ways, that they took it beyond just words. The team makes a point to love on the other teams, writing personal letters to every member of the opposing team before every game. They also pray with the other teams after the games, among other things.

The Lipscomb Women’s Soccer team prays together before one of their games. Photo by Micah Barkley.

“I remember after Central Arkansas, we prayed with them and they wanted to be around us. Most teams you’re gonna find them like no, get away,” Carapazza said. “I think what’s so unique is the way we’re able to fully surrender ourselves to the Lord and also be such strong teammates to each other and mentor each other and walk with each other.”

“I think the cliche answer is Jesus, but I think everyone [here] is so in love with soccer and so in love with Jesus and I think that’s so evident in how we play,” Johnson said with a smile. “We’re not a team who’s gonna cuss out the ref or cuss out the other team. We really do compete really hard, but I think that reflects the Lord. I think there’s so many things that are unique about our program, but I think whenever other teams are coming up to you and being like ‘hey, as hard a team as you are to play, there’s something different about y’all.’ That’s really special, when people can see that just on a soccer field.”

“Overall it’s just surreal,” Carapazza laughed. “I still think it’s – you know they say oh you get over wins and you get over whatever, but I’m still not over [the championship win], because I think it was such an awesome part of our career.” She grinned. “We’re goin’ back. We’re gonna win again.”

Continue scrolling for a short gallery with a few more photos from the Lipscomb Women’s Soccer season.

Featured image taken by Micah Barkley.