Story and Photo by Rusty Ellis
Livingston Academy Senior Alexis Phipps signed the dotted line on Friday to continue her academic and athletic at Cumberland University.
This comes on the heels of a senior season that saw Phipps help lead the Lady Wildcats to a 25-7 record and a berth in the region tournament semifinals.
For Phipps, Friday’s signing was a moment that she’s been working towards for a long time and it was incredibly gratifying for her.
“That was an awesome experience for me, I’ve spent so much time in the gym,” Phipps said. “Putting in that extra time and seeing how it all played out, it paid off and it was a rewarding experience.”
The recruiting process for Phipps was a much more hands-on experience, as she says she sent out film and spoke to several schools before eventually settling on Cumberland as her number one choice.
“I spoke with Milligan, Freed-Hardeman, Sewanee and of course, Cumberland,” Phipps said. “They offered me on a visit. I went there and we talked about everything, I met the coaches and some of the players. I fell in love with the campus, and I just knew that it was where I was supposed to be.”
Phipps also says that the small-town feel and family-type atmosphere were other things that drew her in as well.
“It’s kind of a small-town feel, but it’s right by Nashville,” Phipps said. “It’s like Livingston, but it’s also close to all of the big stuff…that’s another thing that really drew me to it.”
As far as what she’ll miss about playing at Livingston, Phipps says the bond that she’s created with her teammates is at the top of the list.
“I’m going to miss playing with my girls,” Phipps said. “I love my senior girls, they’re some of my best friends. We’ve made the best memories these four years, and not playing with them will be (tough), but I will definitely miss that part of it.”