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…

Making every moment count has been the message for the Valpo basketball team that went from playing together in the MVC conference tournament to being separated after having to quarantine separately for months on end. 

This year has been an interesting experience with school and sports. I have had a bit of a hard time adjusting to online school since I am a very visual and hands-on learner. I’m trying to make the best of it as much as I can.

The Intramural Kickball League is back. The first game kicked off on Sept. 21 with Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) securing a 6-4 victory over Chi Omega (Chi O). 

In sports, having depth on your roster could be the deciding factor for winning a game. For the Phi Psi 1 team, having only three players had it come down to the wire, but it allowed them to win 2-1 in the match against the Disciples of Cayde in the Men’s Sand Volleyball Intramural League. 

From the moment they stepped on the sand court, the competitiveness of the Goon Squad Gamma Phi-Psi (Goon Squad) team did not seem to skip a beat after the success of their previous season. The defending volleyball champions from last year were able to capture the first win of the season wit…

Intramural sports began its season on Sept. 3, opening up the semester with the Men’s Softball season. The season opener ended with a Sigma Phi Epsilon comeback 6-5 win against Phi Sigma Kappa.

In a sport where growth happens through set schedules and consistent practice routines, football head coach Landon Fox’s creativity has become his asset during this time of uncertainty. Whether the focus is on the past, present, or future, Fox has been critical with his players on adaptation…

Much has changed in just about every corner of the world over the course of the past few months. The COVID-19 pandemic ripped the structure away from just about every aspect of life as we know it. For many, the new school year promised beginnings in the wake of uncertainty and chaos, and the…

Year two for the Valparaiso University Esports program is underway, and the gaming community on campus is steaming full-speed ahead, even through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This year has been an interesting experience for us all, especially us college athletes. 

Fall sports postponed, hoping for a 2021 spring season

I should first state that I was one of the very few that was lucky to finish their season before the pandemic started. I was glad that I (at least) had the chance to compete in the swimming conference, but having to hear that many other teams and college sports ending their seasons because o…

Katherine Germann, recent 2020 graduate, graduated with majors in Spanish, biology and humanities and a minor in chemistry. She not only achieved this with a 4.0 GPA but while also being a member of the women’s cross country team.

On Tuesday, sophomore guard Javon Freeman-Liberty made the announcement that he was pulling his name from the NBA draft and instead entered his name in the transfer portal. He took to Twitter to announce his departure. 

I still remember where I was when I was made aware that our season had been cancelled for the rest of the year. For some of us, the rest of our lives.

On Wednesday afternoon, sophomore guard Javon Freeman-Liberty announced on Twitter that he will be declaring for the 2020 National Basketball Association Draft. He is one of four Valpo players to declare for the draft, joining former players Alec Peters, Tevonn Walker, and Derrik Smitts. 

I lost a lot of games at Valpo and it was frustrating. Coming off a high school career of winning four straight sectional basketball titles and four volleyball ones, I had to become used to winning. I knew when committing to Valpo it would be a growing process. I was told that I could be a p…

48 hours was all that it took for COVID-19 to stall the realm of sports and all of those participating in it. As the news of different collegiate conferences and professional sports suspending their seasons became public, a domino effect unfolded, and Valpo was just one of the many dominos t…

The Valpo men’s basketball team made history in the Missouri Valley Conference this past weekend during the Arch Madness tournament in St Louis, MO. While they ultimately fell short to Bradley for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the team played four games straight, becoming the first team in …

Injury is no stranger to fifth year senior forward Ryan Fazekas and neither is the adversity to get back up and continuing to be tough. Winning tough has been all the business he’s focused on, and his execution to deliver on his side of the bargain is what made him great on the court. 

Maya Meredith came to Valpo from Indianapolis, Ind., during the 2016-17 basketball season, where she appeared in 28 games as a freshman. 

Determined, passionate and self-driven are all words that best describe senior forward Marlee Profitt. While her career has been held back due to injury, Profitt has not been held back to wanting to come out with a positive attitude and be the best teammate and friend around her coaches, tea…

With the 2019-20 athletic season slowly winding to a close, the women’s basketball team is nearing the time of their season when they honor their senior players. This year, the team is honoring four players in their upcoming senior game; Alexis Cowan, Grace Hales, Marlee Profit and Maya Meredith.

If any fan knew much about senior guard Grace Hales, they’d know her to be one of the most competitive and prolific shooters in the women’s basketball program. But to her teammates, coaches, family and friends, they know her to be so much more; a hardworking student, a kind friend, and an ov…

If there were a story about a young player climbing through impossible feats and being rewarded for his hard work, that would be the story of senior guard John Kiser. 

Emma: 

When people go to basketball games, they see well-dressed student managers in gold or brown polos handing out waters, towels and being present for players’ needs during games. But a manager’s job is far more than just handing out water, towels, and doing laundry. 

Ever since Mary Evans took over as Head Coach for Valparaiso Women’s Basketball, one of the main pillars of her philosophy has been to develop them into the best overall basketball player possible. This season, redshirt-junior Addison Stoller has embodied that philosophy perfectly. 

In a season filled with ups and downs for the Crusaders, players’ performances have also followed the sine wave of output. With starting the season on an immediate high with taking down a top MAC team in Toledo, the Crusaders experienced an immediate low with the injury to Ryan Fazekas. 

Valpo vs Southern Illinois - 55-38

Valpo vs Indiana State - 61-45

For Valparaiso’s basketball culture, there has been constants and there has been change. As fans of the student section, seniors Ethan Hennessy and Jacob Nordbrock have been constant home fans for the last four years. Whether it be them yelling at the opponents, cheering on the basketball te…

Valpo’s fan section helps to support the team and cheer them on as they face off against their opponents. One constant sight at the games is fan Al Billets who attends the majority of both home and away games.