Women\u2019s basketball head coach Jenny Posey<\/strong><\/a> noted that in general, fewer practices \u201cgave the players the opportunity to not only learn our individual team cultures a little bit more, but learn the new culture on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She and her staff focused on creating safe spaces for the teammates to be together, she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve used the term, not \u2018socially distancing,\u2019 but \u2018physically distancing,\u2019 because we want our kids to be socially connected still, so we were really intentional about finding the opportunities for them to do that this semester.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Casey Steinbrecher<\/strong><\/a><\/strong>, who took over the women\u2019s volleyball program just days before things were shut down in March, said he saw a real desire to spend time together and connect, which made practice times and other interactions especially valuable to creating a new team culture. \u201cWe talked about culture every single day. We talked about \u2018we over me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCOVID has taught us there are a lot of different connections we can make,\u201d said women\u2019s lacrosse coach Katie Russo<\/a><\/strong>. \u201c(We put) a big emphasis on the team chemistry. They were all physically distanced and they had masks on, but we still had a great time and we were able to really connect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with athletes and coaching staff, King is looking forward to the promise of a return to competition for all sports. \u201cI am very proud of the student-athletes and their cooperation with the safety protocols in place during practices this fall,\u201d he said. \u201cThis gives me hope for the spring when we will need to be extra vigilant in our safety efforts in following EMU, ODAC and NCAA protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jared Oyer<\/strong>, a senior visual and communications arts major, interned with EMU\u2019s marketing and communications department this semester and spent much of his time documenting the athletics teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This photoessay captures practices and the intrasquad scrimmages that some teams were able to play at the end of the semester. We supplemented Oyer\u2019s photos with others taken for media purposes in order to showcase all of our teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even the masks don\u2019t obscure the intensity of effort and the devotion of our Royals student-athletes, who persevered under significant challenges and uncertainty this semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To keep up with our EMU Royals, visit emuroyals.com<\/a> for schedules, rosters and updated information. Also follow EMU Royals on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two-time ODAC All-Academic Team honoree Bethany Shultz<\/a> <\/strong>(Harrisonburg, Va.\/Eastern Mennonite School) warms up. She’s entering her junior season under new coach Casey Steinbrecher<\/strong><\/a>. Sarah East <\/strong><\/a>(Washington, Va. \/ Rappahannock County) is in the background. (Photo by Jared Oyer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n From left: Jacob Durren<\/strong><\/a> (Gloucester, Va.\/Gloucester); Ben Childers<\/a> <\/strong>(attacking) (Chesterfield, Va. \/ Matoaca); #14 David Ward<\/strong><\/a> (Gloucester, Va.\/ Gloucester); #4 Josh White<\/strong><\/a> (Chesapeake, Va.\/Bishop Sullivan), and Nick Rodgers<\/strong><\/a> (blocking) (Mechanicsville, Va.\/Mechanicsville). For more on the team, which competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference, read the Season Check-in<\/strong><\/a>. (Photo by Becca Boone)<\/p>\n\n\n\n From left: Ben Shenk<\/a> <\/strong>(Elkton, Va.\/Page County), Chris Fenn<\/strong><\/a> (Glen Allen, Va.\/Glen Allen) and Simon Pa<\/strong><\/a>r<\/strong><\/a>mer<\/strong><\/a> (Harrisonburg, Va. \/ Spotswood). Shenk and Fenn are seniors and Parmer a first-year. More on the team here.<\/a> (Photo by Scott Eyre)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assistant coach Sheldon Rice<\/a><\/strong> with first-year athletes (from left) Rebecca Arias<\/a><\/strong> (Lorton, Va. \/ South County), Kayla Atwood<\/a><\/strong> (Broadway, Va. \/ Broadway), and Maria Bettilyon<\/a><\/strong> (Virginia Beach, Va. \/ Ocean Lakes), who goes on to complete the drill in the photo below. (Photos by Jared Oyer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jordan Jones<\/a><\/strong> (Saxe, Va.\/Randolph Henry), who played all 19 games during the shortened 2020 season, takes a swing during the annual fall tradition, the “Blue-Black World Series.” Matthew Harding<\/a><\/strong> is catching. (Photo by Jared Oyer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Softball players Emily Davis<\/a> <\/strong>(King George, Va. \/ Fredericksburg Christian), Emily Campbell<\/a> <\/strong>(Broadway, Va. \/ Broadway), and Korenn Paige<\/a><\/strong> (Winchester, Va. \/ Sherando). For more on the team, check out this article<\/a>. (Photo by Scott Eyre)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tim Jones<\/a><\/strong> (Forestville, Md. \/ Central), a senior point guard, brings the ball down the court during an intrasquad scrimmage this fall. The business adminstration major earned two academic honors last season as a member of the ODAC All-Academic Team and the NABC Honors Court<\/a>. (Photo by Jared Oyer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sophomore goalkeeper Micah Buckwalter<\/strong><\/a> (Fulks Run, Va. \/ Broadway) was an ODAC All-Academic Team honoree last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From left: Vanessa Gardiner <\/strong><\/a>(Springfield, Va.\/John R. Lewis), <\/strong>Constance Komara<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(Harrisonburg, Va.\/Harrisonburg), May Wadman<\/a><\/strong> (Purcellville, Va.\/ Homeschool) in an intrasquad scrimmage. (Photo by Jared Oyer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women’s track and field team member Kendra Oguamena<\/a><\/strong> (Alexandria, Va. \/ T.C. Williams) works out with a weight ball at the outdoor track. (Photo by Kyle Dickinson)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alijah Johnson<\/a><\/strong> (Upper Marlboro, Md.\/Frederick Douglass) works out on the track. (Photo by Kyle Dickinson)<\/p>\n\n\n\n From left: Rachel Breslin<\/a> <\/strong>(Lititz, Pa. \/ Lancaster Mennonite) and Ashley Maldonado<\/a><\/strong> (Warrenton, Va. \/ Fauquier) at field hockey practice. (Photo by Jared Oyer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cross country runners headed to Highland Retreat for a time trial. Haley Corbin<\/a><\/strong> (Waynesboro, Va.\/Waynesboro) (left) and Clay Kauffman<\/a><\/strong> (Broadway, Va.\/Broadway) are in the front.(Photo by Allison Shelly)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Special thanks to our intern Jared Oyer (above, in February 2020) for his work over a challenging fall semester. (Photo by Rachel Holderman)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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