As we come to a close on the school year, sports also begin to wrap up. Whether it was walk-off home runs, stunning moments, record-breaking performances, and young athletes shining, this sports year for EMU featured many different moments. I asked all coaches four questions- What are your thoughts on the season? What are your goals for next season? What would you like to see improved next season? Use one word to describe your team.
Sports at EMU are growing more and more every year, with young teams, superstar athletes, and many electric personalities, we recap what could be the starting point for great teams at EMU!
I compiled their quotes, wrote a brief recap of their season, and named the Weather Vane MVP as we head into the summer! There are also predictions for who I believe will take away awards Thursday night at the athletic banquet ceremony!
Baseball- Record: 8-28. Team MVP: Nick Arnold.
The largest team on campus, with 46 players, 10 of them seniors. The team has a massive freshman class, featuring 18 freshmen. With another large batch of recruits likely coming in, this team has a chance to grow under head coach Adam Posey, and have immense depth the next few seasons.
Men’s Basketball- Record: 7-18. Team MVP: Aviwe Mahlong.
They are a very young team. Had 12 combined freshmen and sophomores compared to only four combined juniors and seniors. With another batch of recruits coming in, and some star players getting more and more experienced, the team will look to go back to the ODAC Tournament, which they made the previous season.
Coaches Comments: Melvin Felix- “This season was full of ups and downs and we stuck together through it all. We continued to work hard daily and we closed the season with a big win and our best game of the season.”
“Looking towards next season our target is to get back into the ODAC tournament and to be playing our best basketball that time of the year.”
“Next season we will have to improve our rebounding, this year we were inconsistent. For our team to be the best it can be, rebounding must be a strength next year.”
One word to describe team: Resilient
Men’s Soccer- Record: 1-10-6. Team MVP: Ford DeVault.
The first season under new head coach Justin Carey after the end of the Roger Mast era. The team featured four seniors Carey’s first batch of incoming recruits featured 10 freshman, and also featured six sophomores from Mast’s last recruits. Another team at EMU that will add more and more recruits, and grow under a new head coach over the next few years.
Men’s Volleyball- Record: 11-14. Team MVP: Nate McGhee.
At the beginning of the season, the Men’s Volleyball team was voted to finish last in the Continental Volleyball Conference. The team used that as fuel to add to the fire, and stunned many, but not themselves, finishing in seventh place. Players bought into first year head coach Omar Hoyos Aliff’s coaching, and achieved the most success the team has had since the 2018 season. The team only had two seniors, and four juniors. With another season with Hoyos Aliff at the helm, a strong recruiting class, and returning players, this team could make a run in the CVC.
Coaches Comments: Omar Hoyos Aliff- “It was a challenging season. The team had to adjust to a new coaching style, structure, culture and discipline. It was a learning process both ways and once the team bought into it the results started showing. They had to adjust their losing mindset to one of winning and believing. From winning 9 games in the previous 4 seasons to winning 11 games this season it was a huge step to our future goals for next season and the program.”
Hoyos Aliff said he has enjoyed the challenge that comes with rebuilding a program in his first season at EMU. He also noted that the people on campus are “friendly and always supportive.”
Hoyos Aliff believes the team can improve on their “mental toughness and closing games.”
One word to describe the team: Resilient
Women’s Basketball- Record: 9-17. Team MVP: Mya Hamlet.
This year’s team was extremely young, with only one senior and no juniors. Struggled with some nagging injuries to key players. Mya Hamlet led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in scoring. The team made the ODAC tournament for the first time since the 2018-2019 season. Had another strong freshman class with possibly another strong class next season.
Coaches comments: Jenny Posey- “Our team took big strides forward this season. We won 3 more games than the previous season and made the ODAC tournament. We still had a relatively young team out on the court.”
“Next season we are excited to return the majority of our roster as well as add another talented recruiting class to the mix. We want to continue to showcase our speed and athleticism by continuing to play aggressively on defense and push the pace on offense. We are aiming for another big jump in our win total and a deeper run in the playoffs.”
One word to describe the team: Extraordinary.
Field Hockey- Record: 10-7. Team MVP: Brandy Troutman.
The team’s first season over .500 since 2010. Went 7-4 at home. Averaged three goals a game. Losing star player Brandy Troutman is now a graduate assistant for the team. Losing five seniors but have a deep team, fielding 20 players last season. Look to improve on a great season with a strong recruiting class.
Lacrosse- Record: 3-9. Team MVP: Grace Hughes.
Losing 6/14 players next season, including senior Grace Hughes, who broke her own EMU record in the team’s last game, scoring eight goals. Star freshman Alex Palizzi finished second in goals for the team, with 23. The team will look to add depth, and build off a very strong freshman class next season.
Coaches Comments: Mikaela Brooks- “This season has been a great step forward for EMU women’s lacrosse. This year we competed against higher caliber teams to help us acclimate for the re-introduction into the ODAC next year. A goal for this season was to compete and be in a better place than last year, though the scores do not really show. We battled during every game this season.”
Brooks hopes “to continue the progress that we have started and find ways to take the team to the next level,” next season, as they build off of a promising look this season.
Brooks would “love to see more hustle and the ability to finish at the cage next year. Growing the roster with more knowledge and skill.”
One word to describe the team: Relentless.
Women’s Soccer- Record: 2-13-3. Team MVP: Aja Laun.
Head coach Ted Erickson stepped down after the season after nine years at the helm. The team hired new head coach Anna Hardin, who spent the last five seasons at Union University as an assistant. In an interview with WHSV, Hardin said, “I know how big of an impact I’m able to have as a female coach for them. Through my playing career, I barely had any female coaches.” Hardin wants to celebrate “all the small moments of success,” but also plans for the team to remain competitive. This year’s team only had one senior, a grad student, and five juniors. Hardin will have a deep, young team along with her first incoming recruiting class.
Softball- Record: 10-21-1. Team MVP: Samantha Hensley.
Another very young team, featuring only four combined juniors and seniors, having 11 freshman and sophomores this season. This season, the team battled injuries, and a smaller than usual roster. However, the team still competed at a high level despite setbacks. As the team continues to grow around head coach J.D. McCurdy, the most successful coach in program history, in his 20th year at the helm of EMU Softball, the team is poised to make a big swing next year. With an incoming class and the growth of the freshman and sophomores, the sky’s the limit
Coaches Comments: J.D. McCurdy- This season was quite the challenge with our shortened roster and injuries. We felt our team continued to compete and never gave up while working through our challenges. Our #1 goal next year will be to compete to position ourselves during the regular season to make a strong run to win a championship!! #2 Goal to improve overall consistency of play and build on our team chemistry. We have a large class for 2023-24 coming in and mixed with our young but experienced returners is the ingredients for an exciting season.
One word to describe the team: Sedulous.
Women’s Volleyball- Record: 8-14. Team MVP: Lizzy Kirkton
The team made their first ODAC Tournament appearance since 2017. Rostered nine freshmen, six sophomores, and three juniors with no seniors. Won the most games in the conference any EMU Women’s Volleyball team has this decade with 4 conference wins. With how young this team is, and even more freshmen incoming, I think this team can make a good run next season.
Coaches Comments: Casey Steinbrecher: “Despite our youth we had good leadership. While I think we did a good job battling some adversity, I still think we underachieved a little. We did have a couple great matches where we really battled. I hope to see that more next fall.”
“For next season we want to show that we have matured as a group. We have a great senior class and we want to win more matches for them. We want to battle our way into the top 5 of the ODAC. And we want to have some fun while doing it! We also want to get more fans in our stands and create an environment that they want are proud to be a part of!”
“[Need to improve] Offense. We need more kills. We have a good foundation in other areas of the game. But we let rallies go on too long and we need to terminate them instead of giving our opponents as many chances as we did last fall.”
One word to describe the team: Invested- “They have put in a lot of mental and physical work this spring. They want to be good and they are investing into themselves and their teammates to make that happen.”
Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country. Team MVP (Sprints and Distance): Alijah Johnson/Jansen Miller. Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country. Team MVP (Sprints and Distance): Ray Ray Taylor/Jenna Weaver.
The ground has been broken on the new track, and so begins a new era for the program. The greatest track and field athlete in EMU’s history records-wise, Alijah Johnson, is wrapping up his stellar career. Distance runner Jansen Miller was also nominated for Male Athlete of the Year award alongside Johnson. Miller was also nominated for the President’s Award. Transfers Bryson Hunter (Liberty) and Ray Ray Taylor (Penn State-Harrisburg) provided even more depth to the team. Taylor had recording breaking performances in almost every event she competed in for the Royals. Taylor and Jenna Weaver were both nominated for the Female Athlete of the Year award. Freshman Elili Asefa was nominated for the Female Freshman of the Year award. Damon Morgan continued to build on his Freshman of the Year season. With even more depth incoming, the Royals will look to make a run at an ODAC title, along with a brand new track to bring in even more runners.
Coaches Comments: Bob Hepler: Lots of surprises this year. So many athletes came into the year as under-the-radar athletes. They have emerged as stars. We expected Ray Ray Taylor and Alijah Johnson to lead the team. They have! To see so many other athletes improve through hard work is very encouraging.
With the beginning of the construction of EMU’s new track, we have a great opportunity to grow our 24-25 roster by focusing on recruiting in 2023. Having the promise of a new track puts us in the recruiting game as we compete with other colleges for top student-athletes. We will continue to increase the size and quality of our teams. With so many younger athletes stepping up, the future looks good.
Something Helper wants to see be improved is decision making. Whether that be training more, or getting more sleep
One word to describe the team: Joy.
