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

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

Like countless other Americans, Van Ryn discovered team handball bywatching the 2012 London Olympics.  She thought it looked reallyinteresting and fun but was shocked and disappointed to learn that Team USAhadn't qualified for the event. 

Aquick Google search later, she uncovered the Georgia Handball Club based out ofher hometown of Atlanta, Ga., and shortly thereafter, she attended her first practicein August 2012.  

"I fell in love with the sport almost immediately," Van Rynexplained. "The sport is a blast to play, and the people I have met in the handballcommunity make the experience even more fun. All of the players and coaches involved in handball on both the club andnational 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 ofbasketball, hockey and lacrosse. Each team plays with six athletes per sideplus goalies. Players can move the ball via dribbling and passing similar tobasketball. You can take three steps without dribbling and can only hold theball for three seconds without giving it up. Substitutions and penalties aresimilar to hockey as teams can swap players in and out on the fly andinfractions are enforced with a one player advantage much like a hockey powerplay.

The game plays at a very fast pace with scores routinely inthe 20s sometimes into the 30s. Defenders are allowed to use physical contactto stop attackers from approaching the goal, but only when the defensive playeris completely in front of the offensive player. Particularly egregiouspenalties 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 InterHandball Club to form a co-team and they invited me to join their team," VanRyn said. "They taught me all the ins and outs out the game. Because I was anoutfielder for so many years, the overhand throw for handball was a naturaltransition for me."

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

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

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

On Jan. 17, Van Ryn got the incredible news. She earned aspot 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 opportunityto represent Team USA," Van Ryn finished. "This is an athletic dream come true, and I believe that through hardwork, dedication, and the support of the community, we can establish the USA asa 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 forteam handball in America."

2013 Team USASenior 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 Wednesdaynight at the UCF Softball Complex. The highly-touted freshman from Palm BeachGardens got the start in the circle and earned the victory after allowing justtwo hits and no earned runs in four innings of work as the Knights defeatedSeminole State College, 8-3, in a 10-inning contest.

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

UCF shutout the Lady Hawks 2-0 in game one and came backwith a second shutout, 4-0, in the nightcap over the Tars. Over the course of14 innings, Knights' pitchers only allowed four hits and two walks whilestriking 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 duringthe fall season. Audas threw eight combined innings in the two games andallowed one hit, one walk while striking out an incredible 17 batters. Thebattle for the No. 2 starter job continues to be intense as senior AlexHartshorn allowed two hits over four scoreless innings with five strikeouts andfreshman Shelby Turner also tossed two innings of one hit ball.

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

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

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

The battles for starting spots continue to be fierce with asmany as five positions in the lineup still up for grabs with multiple playersbattling it out for playing time. With just two fall ball games remainingbefore the UCF World Series on Tuesday Oct. 30 to Thursday Nov. 1, players aredoing whatever it takes to show off the kind of versatility and skills necessaryto 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 aretrying out ladies at many different positions just to see who can handle whichspot the best. By the time February rolls around, we think the cream will riseto the top and we'll have the best nine players out there." 

After two weeks of team workouts and three intra-squadscrimmages, the UCF softball team was chomping at the bit to play a live gameagainst another team. The Knights got their first chance on Wednesday night asthey 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 someimproved defense by not making a single error.

Box Score 

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

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

"It was great to see our entire group of young pitchers stepup 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 returningplayers 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 catchfor us and be right there in the middle of the lineup. Kahley's going to hitleadoff and could be our starter at second or she could be in centerfield, it'sgoing to depend on what shakes out with the rest of the team."

Novak went 4-for-6 with four RBI, two runs scored and twostolen 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. Battingright behind Sullivan in the cleanup spot, Barrow picked up a pair of RBI whilegoing 2-for-5. 

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

Pitching dominated early as sophomore Mackenzie Audas andsenior Alex Hartshorn both registered quality starts for their respectivesides. Audas was overpowering for the Gold squad as she did not allow a hit andstruck out seven in three scoreless innings of work. Hartshorn earned thevictory for the Black as she kept hitters off balance all morning as she alsodid not allow a hit or an earned run in four innings.

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

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

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

Freshman pitcher Shelby Turnier allowed one unearned run intwo relief innings of Hartshorn. Turnier showed that she's not just a pitcheras 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 appearancein the 2011, the UCF softball team reloaded with the biggest recruiting classin program history. Head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie brought in 12 freshmenathletes that are eager to continue the program's recent success.

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

This wasan inside look into the personalities of the athletes as freshman BrittanneGasser, who is a vegan, showed off her love for carrots andbroccoli in one of her poses.  SophomoreMackenzie Audas, affectionately nicknamed Princess by her teammates, wore acrown.

You can check out more poses and behind-the-sceneslooks 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 afall 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 fallball games and intra-squad scrimmages will take place at the UCF SoftballComplex and are open to the public.

The UCF softball team kicked off fall camp with the first offour scheduled intra-squad scrimmages as the Gold team defeated the Black team11-5.

Sophomore second baseman/centerfielder Kahley Novak stolethe show on the base paths as she swiped five bags, including taking home on awell-executed double steal, and scored two runs. Novak, who finished with thesecond-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 Audasshowed no signs of a sophomore slump as she struck out three in three perfectinnings. Fellow sophomore Hayley Barrow with 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runsscored.

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

Check out the exclusive intra-squad scrimmage photo galleryon Facebook

The Knights will practice each Monday, Tuesday and Thursdaythroughout fall camp with scrimmages and fall ball games taking place onWednesday'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 WorldSeries (Three Games) - 10 a.m.

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

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

The Central Florida Miracle League is a baseball league forphysically and mentally disabled children. But the league is not just about playing baseball and softball. It'sabout building self-esteem, making new friends and making dreams cometrue. 

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

To help the athletes, the Miracle League uses "Angels in theOutfield,"  a buddy system pairing eachplayer with an able-bodied volunteer. The UCF softball team routinely takespart and volunteers to be helpers for the children. What results is a bond thatcannot be described. 

"We are all so blessed to be among such a great group ofgirls, teammates and sisters, and for the opportunity to be a part of somethingso 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 returnedhome and joined the Knights as an assistant coach this past week.

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

"Silver is obviously not what we wanted, but our team playedhard 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 strongefforts from their starting pitchers. However, it was Japan who came through with a two-out hit in the third inningto take a lead it would never relinquish.

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

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

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

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

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

Audas pitched for the Virginia Legends during the event and addedtwo more accolades to her ever-growing resume as her squad dominated the12-team field en route to winning the championship. On top of the team'ssuccess, Audas was named the Pitching MVP of the tournament after pitching fourperfect innings in the championship game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

After three rounds of intense tryoutsin San Francisco, Calif., New Lenox, Ill. and Cary, N.C.,  Felix and his staff finalized a 20-woman rosterearlier this month. Appearing on the roster is one very familiar name to UCFSoftball 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; JillBarrett, Samantha Cobb and Caitlin Everett.

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

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

"We've gotten better everyday," remarked Felix. "We feel like our pitchers are throwing a lot morestrikes and are in the zone more. The hitters are staying back and really drivingsome balls. Defensively, we've made some good plays in the outfield and divingplays on the infield. Overall execution on the bases, we are a lot better. It hasbeen a great positive week."

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