Sarah Liberatore Shares Journey from Hills of PA and WV to the Sunshine in Florida

Sometimes in life, even if it may be through photographs or phone calls, you can feel or see a change in a person. For Hempfield Area graduate, Sarah Liberatore, I had a sense that her well being had changed and her love for basketball had returned. All it took was a change from the mountains of West Virginia to the beach in Melbourne, Florida.

(Photos courtesy of Josianne Keenan)

After a standout career at Hempfield that included scoring 1,225 career points, the Westmoreland County native headed to Marshall University in Huntingdon, West Virginia. She had accomplished a dream of playing Division I hoops, but this was during one of the darkest periods in recent memory.

Her senior year of high school, beginning in March, was moved from in-person to online. Her college experience in her first year included quarantine periods and carving out a new role for herself as a first year college athlete. Though in her second season there was improvement in her time on the floor and less restrictions with COVID-19, there was still something missing.

As someone with various interests in art, business, and culture, Division I basketball became more of a chore than she ever thought it could. She was used to playing hoops all year long, but this was different. It became her identity and not a part of her identity.

“I don’t regret anything,” she said. There were a lot of good moments and I met a lot of good people. But I am a lot happier here (at Florida Tech) for sure.”

Looking for a fresh start, Liberatore decided that she wanted to leave Pennsylvania and West Virginia all together even if many Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Mountain East Conference programs were heavily interested in her. Instead, she decided she wanted to live in either California or Florida.

She heard from some schools in Florida initially when she hit the transfer portal, but with her mind set on the Sunshine State, she decided to take a chance and email all the programs in the Sunshine State Conference, one of Division II’s premiere conferences. Luckily for her, legendary head coach, John Reynolds, was interested and wanted to bring Liberatore to Florida Tech.

Having Liberatore join the program is exactly what happened to begin a new chapter in Florida Tech women’s basketball. Coach Reynolds has been with the program since the very beginning and viewed Liberatore as a player that could help bring the program back to one of the top teams in the conference in the coming years. The 2022-23 team was one that went through some growing pains as a predominantly young team, but is one that should be on the rise in the coming years.

For the former Thundering Herd guard, she carved out a solid role in her first year with the Florida Tech Panthers. She averaged 9.8 points per game and scored a college career high 28 points against Embry Riddle. This game and her 15 points against Alderson Broaddus while at Marshall have reinforced that the game of basketball was something she was meant to do.

“These games made me feel like all the hard work was coming into something,” she noted. “I have enjoyed every game I’ve played, but the Embry Riddle game was special because it was my best as a college player so far.”

All the hours on the AAU circuit with Drill For Skill and working out with the Western PA Bruins have led to these moments on the court in college doing what she loves. However, they’ve also earned her the flexibility to be an artist and enjoy time at the beach.

You see, hard work, something her parents Ellen and Craig instilled in her at an early age, does not always have to be dedicated just to one thing. Growing up in a family with a rich athletic history, it was natural, however, to exhaust a great amount of time and energy into athletics. They will always be a huge part of her life, but they are not her entire life.

She hopes basketball may be her ticket to the chance to live abroad and take on Europe in the coming years. The chance to play basketball for a living while enjoying the culture and fashion from other parts of the world would be something that warms her heart and brings her the joy she deserves.

From a high school career that saw her become a four-time All-Section All-Star, a four-time Big 56 All-Star, a four-year starter, a two-time Tribune Review Terrific 10 All-Star, a two-time Team MVP, and a two-time captain to a college career that’s been filled with a lot of self discovery and more recent success so far, it’s been a ride filled with some ups and downs. Though her college career did not begin the way she hoped, these next two seasons are sure to be enjoyable both on and off the floor.

No matter what happens in the rest of her days as a college athlete, it’s important to recognize that playing high level sports is what she and her family have always done. With a father, two brothers, and a grandfather who played Division I baseball, a mother, aunts, and cousins who swam in college, and other members of her family who have played basketball and tennis in college, it’s Sarah’s time to carry the torch. While there may be some pressure in some ways, the principles of hard work her parents and family have taught her have prepared her for these moments.

“My dad always joked that he was from Missouri which was the Show-Me state. He always wanted me to prove it out on the court and made sure I was working hard to achieve my goals. All of us are super competitive and I think that’s what’s helped me and all of us be successful in sports,” she said.

If you have the chance, compare the headshots of Sarah Liberatore from her days at Marshall and days at Florida Tech. There’s no question her smile is more genuine, her skin glows more, and her passion for basketball has returned. In an age where so many dislike what the transfer portal has become, it’s important to recognize that stories like hers exist and sometimes, making changes in life are truly what people need to thrive.