At 91����Ƶ, Ygarza developed into a versatile post player who became the only woman in program history to capture All-ODAC First Team honors three times, earning the distinction in 2012, 2013 and 2014; she received VaSID All-State Second Team honors those same three years. During her sophomore and senior years, Ygarza made the D3hoops.com All-South Region Third Team and won the 91����Ƶ Female Athlete of the Year award. She still remembers pulling out an exciting win against rival Bridgewater in “the kind of moment athletes dream of” to spark a 22-4 record for the 2011-2012 season—a season she shot 58 percent from the field, an 91����Ƶ record that stands today. Ygarza also ranks seventh all-time in scoring with 1,215 points and eighth in career rebounds with 671.

Ygarza played the last two of her four seasons with her sister. Ygarza currently works as a nurse at UPMC Lititz hospital, close to where the two grew up. She also serves as an adjutant general officer for human resources in the Army Reserve with her unit in Waldorf, Maryland. She still plays basketball regularly and looks forward to introducing her four-year-old son, Jace, to the game.

Preseason polling ranked the and the in the (ODAC).

The men play their first conference game Nov. 29 at Randolph and the women host Lynchburg Nov. 24.

A for men’s only, women’s only or a combo of all men’s and women’s home games are offered. 91����Ƶ’s home games routinely host large crowds, with an average of 393 fans for the women’s games, a statistic that leading the ODAC and puts 91����Ƶ 39th in the nation among D-III teams. The men averaged 757 for their games, third in the ODAC and 28th out of 417 D-III team s in the nation.

Fans will definitely want to cheer the women on at home:  the Royals (88-22 over the past four years) also take a 30-game home winning streak into this season, with a 54-49 setback against Elizabethtown on Jan. 7, 2013, standing as their last loss in Yoder Arena.

Rheinheimer back for senior campaign

Despite the loss of five seniors, the ODAC’s coaches aren’t expecting much of a fall off for 91����Ƶ’s women.

Eastern Mennonite, riding a string of three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, received three first-place votes and totaled 106 points in the voting.  Lynchburg College earned six first-place votes and 114 total points to claim the top spot.

The Royals had a nice postseason run in 2014-15, earning a thrilling win over LaRoche in the NCAA First Round before falling to eventual national champion Thomas More. Coach claimed his third straight and fourth overall ODAC Coach of the Year award

The Royals return three starters, including the ODAC Player of the Year and All-America forward (Manheim, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite).  A 5-10 senior, Rheinheimer scored 20.0 points with 7.8 rebounds per game last year. She was named ODAC Player of the Year and was a D3hoops.com All-America Fourth Team honoree. She was recently named to the D3hoops.com Preseason All-America First Team.

The women also return senior point guard (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) (2.3ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.2apg) and sophomore guard/forward (Covington, Va./Covington) (6.3ppg, 2.0rpg).

Jones twins lead young squad

As could be expected, the ODAC coaches see that 91����Ƶ’s basketball men have some rebuilding to do.  A year after finishing fourth in the standings, the Runnin Royals were tabbed to finish eighth in the nation’s toughest conference.

“Our goal is to improve every game no matter what happens,” said coach , the 2010 ODAC Coach of the Year.  “Our kids are mature enough to understand that we’re in a really, really tough league, but if we can keep everyone together, we can be one of the best teams in the league again, and probably sooner rather than later.”

Eastern Mennonite returns just six men from last year’s roster, all sophomores.  Including All-ODAC performers David Falk and Marcel Crump, the men lost six seniors from a 17-10 squad.  Five of them started during the postseason run into the ODAC Semifinals.

(Charles Town, W.V./Washington) started 14 games as a freshman in 2014-15, and was fifth on the team with a 7.6 scoring average.  He shot 36.2% from three-point range and scored in double figures in ten games.  His twin brother, (Charles Town, W.V./Washington), expects to elevate after being the backup point guard last year.  (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run) shot a team-best 40.0% from outside and averaged 3.8 points per game.

The Runnin’ Royals open the new year Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg 30 minutes following the completion of the women’s game, or approximately 6:30 p.m.  The men play just two games in Yoder Arena over the first semester.  They also play at D-I James Madison University on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Having her family there helped Alicia recover from a tough loss after a standout season when the team posted a 15-1 conference record and a 23-5 overall record (After the loss, the Royals received an NCAA tournament bid, where they lost to undefeated Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, in the second round).

“I cried. It was so heartbreaking,” said her mother, Joyce Ygarza, referring to the family’s emotions in their hotel room following the semi-final loss. Joyce and her husband, who live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, have been loyal fans since the girls began playing at age 4.

It was easier to get to games when the girls were playing at , than when they opted to attend a university more than three hours from home. The trips south to Harrisonburg meant many hotel rooms and late nights. And the rigorous schedule of basketball kept Bianca and Alicia away from home for the majority of the holidays.

Despite these challenges, Joyce said 91����Ƶ has been a great choice for both daughters: “It’s helped them grow up.”

Coach , a 10-year veteran with the program, has played a large role in this, making coaching and mentoring the whole student-athlete a priority.

The elder sister

Bianca graduated from 91����Ƶ with a degree in . It is one of the most demanding majors 91����Ƶ offers. Many late nights are spent with a head crammed in an anatomy textbook. And when nursing students have their clinicals (the nursing equivalent of an internship), they often awake and leave for the hospital before the sun rises.

“There were times I cried because I thought I would fail out of nursing school,” Bianca recalls. She has one more hurdle to cross. Now back in Lancaster, she spends her time studying for the NCLEX, an exam that aspiring nurses must pass in order to receive their nursing license.

While in school, Coach “Griff,” as he is called by his players, gave Bianca his support, giving advice when she confided troubling life situations, she says. Griffin says he likes his players to be exemplary role models, both on and off the court.

“Two of the hardest working kids I have ever coached,” Griffin says of the Ygarza sisters.

The artistic sister

Alicia’s hard work shows off the court. A digital media major with a talent for singing, Alicia often finds herself after practice in the lab working on a project, or in a practice room in the basement of Lehman Auditorium with a cup of tea practicing her vocals.

Alicia started singing around the age of 6, mostly in church. She performs in the gospel choir, and at chapels and banquets. She recently gave two riveting performances at a campus event featuring .

Since her freshman year, she has developed increased confidence in her artistic expression, says her academic advisor, , a professor in the . He says that, above all, he has seen Alicia’s maturity of thought develop.

The digital media major, Holsopple says, is very public – students’ productions often find themselves under critique, which means students’ progress is often witnessed, and supported, by the campus community.

On the court, Alicia is not afraid to make suggestions to the coaches during time-outs. She plays the point, a role that does not always make for a glamorous stat-line. She directs the offense, sees the court, and gets players involved in the game.

Bianca, during her time at 91����Ƶ, was a versatile post player. She earned first-team all-ODAC honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and she was the 91����Ƶ Women’s Athlete of the Year in her sophomore and senior years. She joined 91����Ƶ’s 1,000 point club as a senior, finishing her career with 1,215 points. This placed her sixth in the program’s history.

The two sisters grew up playing basketball together, but they are more than teammates. During the two years that they overlapped at 91����Ƶ, Bianca says that they would hang out nearly every day. They aren’t just sisters, they’re best friends.

The two teams went back and forth with each other for most of the first, with Hollins still holding a 24-22 lead with 4:30 to go in the frame. Eastern Mennonite then owned the final minutes of the half, forcing four turnovers during the span and closing on a 14-2 tear. With a 36-26 lead at the break, the Royals were ready to roll in the second.

91����Ƶ scored the first seven points after halftime to build up a 43-26 cushion and they never looked back. The closest they let Hollins the rest of the way was 14 points as the Royals out-scored their hosts 48-31 over the final 20 minutes.

Although shooting percentages were fairly close, Eastern Mennonite won the game on the glass and with defense. The women had 20 offensive rebounds and a 48-37 domination of the boards. They also picked out 13 steals and forced 22 Hollins turnovers for a +11 turnover margin.

 (Manheim, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) led the charge with 23 points, seven rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists.  (Dumfries, Va./Forest Park) racked up her fifth double double of the year with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three steals.

 (Goshen, Ind./Bethany Christian) hit four triples and finished with 12 points. (Dumfries, Va./Forest Park) had eight points, five assists and three steals.  (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) did all the little things and came up with nine rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Jewellanna Parfitt and Britney Campbell each scored 17 for Hollins.

The Royals come back home to host Washington and Lee Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Yoder Arena. The surprising Generals are also 10-2 overall with a 3-1 ODAC record.

Her previous high had been 29 points, which she set in Tuesday’s win at Christopher Newport.  The program record for points in a game is 58, set by recent Hall of Honor inductee  in 2001. Rheinheimer also picked up her fourth double double of the season with 10 rebounds.

The Shorewomen (4-7) caused fits for 91����Ƶ’s offense when the two teams met last year in Chestertown, Maryland. They held the Royals to 34 percent shooting in that game, although Eastern Mennonite still snuck out with a 58-55 win. It looked like the same story was unfolding Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg as the teams were locked in a low-scoring first half.

But defense and Rheinheimer changed the tide in the final minute of the frame. The Royals forced two turnovers and scored the final six to push the lead to 33-25, which was the biggest of the game at that point. Rheinheimer was front and center, hitting a jumper with 26 seconds left before stealing the ball on the defensive end, dribbling across half court and drilling a buzzer-beating three pointer from 40 feet.

The momentum carried into the second as Rheinheimer put on a show. The junior hit 10 of her 11 shots in the final half, including a trio of threes, and she dumped in 26 of 91����Ƶ’s 39 points. Rheinheimer was so dominant that her teammates didn’t score consecutive points until she left the game in the final minutes.

The women had a modest 41-to-30 percent advantage in shooting, but picked out a huge edge with 12 steals. Washington had 19 turnovers compared to just eight for 91����Ƶ.

Along with her double double, Rheinheimer tied for the team high with three steals and added two blocked shots.  (Dumfries, Va./Forest Park) scored 11 in the first half and finished with 14 points, seven boards and three steals.  (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) added six rebounds, four assists and three steals.  (Dumfries, Va./Forest Park) also had four assists.

Emily Hubley led the Shorewomen with 20 points, including 16 of the team’s 22 in the second half. Kelly Sugalski had nine rebounds and six points.

After extending their home winning streak to 23 games, the Royals hit the road for two games next week. First up is a Wednesday date at Old Dominion Athletic Conference rival Guilford College. The Quakers have beaten 91����Ƶ in theconference tournament the past three years. Game time in Greensboro, North Carolina is 6 p.m.

After scoring just three points over the first three minutes, the women went on a 35-6 run to open up a 38-9 lead.  91����Ƶ led 51-21 at halftime and only played their starting five less than five minutes in the second half.

The Royals controlled the game and connected on 39-of-76 shots for 51.3%.  They were also 6-19 from three-point range and 9-16 from the free throw line.  91����Ƶ held Cairn to just 26% shooting and had a massive 46-25 advantage in rebounding.  The women also forced 32 turnovers, compared to just 16 of their own.

 (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park) led the way off the bench with her first double double.  The sophomore charted 13 points and 13 rebounds, with the rebound total being a career high.   (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) canned four triples and tallied 15 points.

 (Myerstown, PA/Eastern Lebanon County) and  (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) each finished with 12 points, while Yoders added nine boards.   (Bristow, VA/Brentsville District) had a game-high five assists.   (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) added four helpers.

The Eastern Mennonite women improve to 5-4 with the road win.  They return to Yoder Arena for a date with St. Mary’s (MD) on Wednesday.  Game time is 7:00pm.

The under-sized Maroons came out in a zone defense and frustrated 91����Ƶ early on, leading 14-12 at the 10-minute mark.  But a (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) three pointer gave the women the lead and turned the momentum.  A quick 8-0 run turned into a lead the Royals would never relinquish, as they closed the half on a 25-11 run.

The streak continued in the second half, with a (Bristow, VA/Brentsville District) layup at 8:02 creating the largest lead of the game at 67-39.  The bench players finished on the floor, as the women coasted to an impressive 24-point ODAC win.

Roanoke limited 91����Ƶ’s inside game with the zone, but the outside players picked up the slack.  The Royals, who shot 48% from the floor including 7-for-16 from long range, had three players finish in double figures.  (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park) put in 13 points in the first half and finished with 15 and three steals.  (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) shot 6-of-8 from the floor and added 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Steph Rheinheimer was good for 13 points with five boards and a two blocked shots.  Freshman (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) also had three steals, while Baltimore dished out a team high four assists.

Eastern Mennonite had a dominating 48-24 edge in rebounding, including 17 offensive boards.  (Pulaski, VA/Pulaski County) led the strong team effort with six rebounds.  She added six points, three assists and two steals.

The Royals have a week off for exams before their next game on Dec. 15, playing at Delaware Valley at 3:00pm.

Coach Kevin Griffin knew he had a talented crew last winter, but with just three upperclassmen on the roster, Griffin didn’t expect the explosion of wins his team earned.

“I was very surprised considering how young we were and what we had lost,” he said.  “Things just sort of fell into place.”

This year the eighth-year mentor returns his top six players, including all five starters.  Griffin acknowledges that returning core triggers an extra layer of pressure.

“It means that expectations are high from ourselves and from others,” said Griffin.  “And it means that we do have experience, which is why those expectations are so high.  I think everybody expects we’re going to be good and so there’s a pressure.  Our schedule is a lot tougher this year, but I think that pressure and schedule can be a good motivator.  At the end of the day it’s basketball and we just need to go play, try to improve and see what happens.”

The Royals return three All-ODAC performers, each of who are entering their junior seasons this year.  Forward (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) exploded to a team-best 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds, all the while coming off the bench.  She was named All-ODAC First Team and All-South Region Third Team by D3hoops.com.

Whether or not Ygarza starts this year doesn’t appear to be an issue to either the player or the head coach.

“The only planned change is that Bianca plays more,” Griffin said of his dynamic player who averaged 22.9 minutes last year.  “It’s hard to define her role.  She just finds a way to score, and finds the ball and rebounds.  We need to find more ways to get her the ball and more minutes without wearing her down.”

(Myerstown, PA/Eastern Lebanon County), the ODAC Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, landed on the All-ODAC Second Team as a sophomore, averaging 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds.  Small forward (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) hit 39% of her three-point shots and earned Third Team honors with 11.3 points per game.

Starting guards (Bristow, VA/Brentsville District) and (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park) return, as does (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park).  Baltimore transferred to 91����Ƶ last year after one season at Bluefield and ended up among national leaders with a 2.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.  Brown scored 6.7 a game and became a harassing defender, while Sykes contributed 6.2 points and 4.8 boards in her first season.

(Bassett, VA/Bassett) will be the lone senior on the team this time around and is joined by sophomores (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) and (Pulaski, VA/Pulaski County).  Osei had 3.7 rebounds a game as a reserve frontliner, while Patterson tantalized fans with flashy offense and defense in just eight games early in the season.  Sharpshooting (Goshen, IN/Bethany Christian) hurt her knee in the offseason and will spend this year out of uniform as a student assistant.

Griffin said the experience of his returners is evident.

“Hopefully they are smarter and are more confident and more skilled and realize the opportunity that is in front of them,” he said.  “I do think we’re in better shape and the confidence of some of the kids that played a lot last year is a lot higher, either because they put in a lot of work (in the offseason) or because they played a lot last year.  So it’s made a difference in how they’ve played at the start of practices.”

Adding to the returning core, Griffin brought in another athletic recruiting class to give his team much-needed depth for their up-tempo style.  Two of the newcomers are younger sisters of All-ODAC honorees for the Royals.

“I think that (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) will help us athletically,” Griffin said, “with her ability to defend and her strength.  (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) will help as an athlete and can really shoot the ball.  And (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) does a lot of things well.  She can score and has a very high basketball IQ.”

Other new players include: (Fishersville, VA/Wilson Memorial), (Stuarts Draft, VA/Stuarts Draft), (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) and sophomore Belmont Abbey-transfer (Dale City, VA/Forest Park).

Griffin said that new wave of faces will pay dividends throughout the year.

“I hope we can just play faster,” he said.  “We should have someone to provide relief at every position so some of those kids aren’t playing as many minutes, which will be really helpful come January and February.”

Despite all the returners and talented newcomers, Griffin still needs to replace one key aspect – leadership, which had been provided by now-graduated Marla Young.

“I don’t think we’re going to (replace Young’s leadership),” said Griffin.  “It will be by committee.  What Marla brought you can’t measure in terms of statistics.  In terms of a person and vocal leader, we’re sorely going to miss her.  Just her work ethic was an example for everyone.  I’m hoping some of our returners will step up and be a little more vocal.  I think they will lead by example in terms of work ethic and recognize the value of what Marla brought and fill that void.”

That leadership void will be tested early, as the Royals start the year with a very tough stretch of six games, including contests against tradition powers Kean and Ferrum, nationally-ranked Mary Washington and potentially Messiah, as well as at ODAC heavy weights Virginia Wesleyan and Guilford.  The Marlins tied 91����Ƶ with an ODAC-best record of 17-3 last year, while Guilford finished third before winning the ODAC Tournament.

Both Eastern Mennonite and the Quakers received votes in the two “official” preseason national polls from D3hoops.com and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Griffin said the impressive non-conference slate should benefit his women.

“I’m hoping what takes place there is that we find ourselves,” he said, “and that we are tested but not crushed, so that when we hit the rest of our league schedule we are prepared.  We have talked a lot about preparation this year, so the point is that 1) we needed games and 2) we needed to be better prepared.”

The Eastern Mennonite women open the year at the Messiah Tip-Off Classic, taking on Kean on Nov. 16, followed by either Messiah or Methodist the following day.  The Royals host Ferrum on Nov. 24 for their home opener.