Spectators and players alike are familiar with the staples of any sporting event: the scoreboards, the bleachers, the concessions. All of these components work together in order to create the iconic sporting event experience. But what most people do not see, however, is the hours of hard wor…

While I was on the air for 95.1 FM WVUR earlier this week, me and my co-host stumbled upon an article done by ESPN.com on who would be the best team to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

After five innings of being shut out, a late game offensive push by intramural wiffle ball team, Chi O 1, gave them the 5-0 win over the opposing team, Biffle Wall.

The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) canceled the Valparaiso’s match Volleyball team game versus the Bradley due to a positive Covid-19 result in Valpo’s Tier I personnel on April 1. 

Before the game against Missouri State, players from Valparaiso’s women’s soccer team created a tunnel for their seniors to run through. 

In their home opening series against Indiana State, Valparaiso was swept 13-3, 10-0, and 8-2 against the Sycamores. 

It is not often that a Pioneer League Football team beats Butler twice in one season. However, Valpo achieved this feat during a rainy fourth quarter 28-25. 

This past weekend, a goal in the 41st minute by Loyola Chicago resulted in a 0-1 match loss for the Valpo women’s soccer team.

Much like the last Hoops in the Heartland tournament, Valparaiso was stopped again in the quarterfinals. 

The Missouri Valley Conference was able to get all of their conference season games in for all 10 teams. 

I’m Natalia Roder and I’m a junior here at VU. This is my third year on the cheerleading team and it has been nothing but unexpected. 

Valparaiso University women’s tennis team completed its weekend of wins over Illinois opponents with a 7-0 defeat over Chicago State. 

Healing from a fractured foot that was injured mid-game was the first hurdle senior defender Keegan Maris had to deal with. 

#1: Valpo vs University of Illinois – 62-59

The standings, matchups and records mentioned in this article are based on the standings as of March 3, 2021. The Torch was printed prior to last weekend's games.

When senior forward Ella Ellenson isn’t making three-point shots on the court, she is making lesson plans for her students as a physical education student-teacher.

Fifth year senior forward Caitlin Morrison has learned a lot during her time on the Women’s Basketball program here at Valpo. Morrison was recruited as a freshman and has been a member of the team since. 

The beginning of March marks the approach of the midway point of the spring semester. While this past year has been very atypical from its start, many Valpo seniors are still finding ways to leave their mark on the university. 

When the starters couldn’t produce, three of Valpo’s bench players combined for 46 of Valpo’s 49 points to beat Indiana State in game two, 70-58. 

#1: Valpo vs #25 Drake: 74-57A game to defy the Lottich era and one to go down as one of the best in Valpo history. During game one of the series, Valpo took on an undefeated Bulldogs team and had a lead at halftime, but fell short by three points in that game, giving Drake an 18-0 record. V…

The standings and records mentioned in this article are based on the standings as of Feb. 25. The Torch was printed prior to last weekend's games. 

On his first day at Valpo, fifth year Zion Morgan went to Hilltop Gym to start off his career for Valparaiso’s basketball team. As he was getting his shots up, he described how he looked up at all the former successful Valpo basketball players on the walls. 

As graduation looms on the near horizon for the Class of 2021, many seniors are reflecting on both the last year as well as on their time at Valpo as a whole. The past year has been completely unprecedented and presented many new challenges as a result. 

For fifth year senior Eron Gordon, his journey as a basketball player has always been surrounded by a high level of consistency. 

This past Valentine’s day, the Valpo women's volleyball team fell just short of victory against Southern Illinois with a final match score of 3-2. 

With a second left on the clock, a foul called on Valparaiso sealed the victory for nationally ranked Loyola Chicago 52-54. 

After winning in double overtime in late January, Valpo split the series against the defending Arch Madness champions 76-52. 

Under the new reality of playing back-to-back games, Valpo has had to fight to win back-to-back consistently. Valpo defeated Bradley during the first game 71-66, but dropped the second game 61-51. 

I began running in high school after reading some running literature. After running for four years in high school, though, I took a two year break from running to focus on studying. 

There should be no doubt that after Super Bowl LV Tom Brady is now the greatest quarterback of all time. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the amount of fans at numerous sporting events, fans can still catch the action on ESPN and they have Valparaiso students to thank for it. 

Valparaiso did what 13 other teams could not do before them this season-- defeat an 18-0, No. 25 Drake team.

For the past 30 years, Todd Ickow has been the voice of the Valparaiso University basketball games, announcing hundreds of games across his career. 

Bradley ended Valparaiso’s season in the Arch Madness championship game in March 2020. Many of the veteran players knew that this home reunion in the ARC was a revenge game. 

2020 has been quite an experience, to say the least, but I wouldn’t want to go through this pandemic with anyone other than the Valpo Women’s Golf Team and the friends I’ve made since I’ve been here. I am proud to be a part of such an amazing group of student-athletes. As a freshman, I wasn’…

It is no secret that Valpo has a highly successful basketball program as its athletes and coaches are widely known for their skills and talents. There are several individuals in the program, however, whose skills and contributions are less obviously on display, but are still crucial to its s…

Last-minute lineup additions were but one of the challenges for the How I Set Your Mother Co-Rec Volleyball team. Facing scrappy athletic opposition and early miscommunication, the team was able to come back and secure the best of five championships 3-1 against the Empire Strikes Back team. …

Thinking back to three years ago, I would have never thought I would be where I am today. As a junior in high school, I was approached by friends who were on my high school cheer team and asked if I would be interested in joining the team and now three years later, I’m cheering at the colleg…

The Phi Kappa Psi (Phi Psi) 1 team dominated this year’s volleyball tournament, winning all seven games of the season. The fraternity men were tied with Sigma Pi/Phi Delta Theta after the regular-season games with a record of 4-0, sharing first place.

Sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) was undefeated before walking into the women’s intramural kickball championship. They walked out winners again against Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi) 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning with a walk-off single. 

As the social justice movements happened during the summer, former men’s soccer head coach Mike Avery began to get calls from many different coaches, athletic departments, and international groups about the #oneVALPO story.  

After being down by two runs for three innings, a short-staffed Pi Beta Phi kicked down the door to rally three runs in the fourth inning to come back against Chi Omega in the women’s kickball league. The team won 4-2. 

I was back in Valpo and the team was at the Grand Canyon’s tournament. The day before the tournament I texted in our team chat, “good luck tomorrow boys” and I got a response back that during their practice rounds, the tournament was canceled and then shortly after, our season was canceled, …

The COVID-19 pandemic has halted the scheduling of sports and as a result, games, practices, and non-conference matches have been delayed. The men’s swim team has had multiple swim meets canceled. Fortunately, the team looks ahead to the conference meet in Feb.

The Valpo Women’s Bowling Team is confident and motivated to go into their toughest year yet. The key to this year's team is unity and execution. Shon Washington enters his fifth season as head coach of the team and has big expectations for this group. 

As the sun began to set, a championship dawned for Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi) who took the win against Chi Omega in the women’s sand volleyball league. Pi Phi was able to take the “best of five” set championship and walk away with an overall record of 4-1. 

When I first heard about the news about the season coming to an end I was very upset. I was at home this summer with my family. Over winter break last year I had surgery to repair my labrum and rotator cuff in my shoulder. Our swim season had just ended for the year and to hear that next sea…

As a redshirt junior, Kyle Zobeck played every second for the Crusaders as a goalkeeper. In 2011, he was named the Horizon League Goalkeeper of the year and a First Team All-League honoree. During his time at Valparaiso, Zobeck set a new single-season record with 11 total shutouts and a 0.66…

The Valpo Women’s Basketball team is back and more motivated than ever. The team made the largest RPI, rating percentage index, jump of any Division-I program in the nation and posted seventeen overall victories last season. The Crusaders ended up with a 9-9 conference record last season and…