A pioneering coach, co-athletic director, and professor at 91����Ƶ in the 1960s and ’70s—and the youngest daughter of John R. Mumaw, 91����Ƶ’s fourth president from 1948-65—Miriam “Mim” Mumaw ’61, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away on Dec. 5, 2025.

During her tenure at 91����Ƶ (then known as Eastern Mennonite College or EMC), Mumaw coached the school’s first women’s basketball (1966-75), women’s volleyball (1968-79), and field hockey (1970) teams. She achieved the most success with the volleyball team, winning a state championship over James Madison University in 1973 and posting a perfect 21-0 season in 1976. Her overall record with the squad stands at 151-99. Mumaw was inducted into the in 2002. Only three other coaches share that distinction.

Those who were fortunate enough to cross paths with Mumaw, either on 91����Ƶ’s campus or at Washington Community Fellowship (WCF), describe her as a people person who greeted everyone she met with warmth. They speak highly of her meticulous attention to detail, which shone brightly in her volunteer service to WCF and in her career at Gammon & Grange Law Offices, where she worked for more than 40 years. They also remember her for her love of baseball, particularly the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, and her generosity in sharing her season tickets with others.

Mumaw was a beloved mentor, leader, and friend, known by many for her deep commitment to 91����Ƶ and her congregation.

“She was a titan, a fierce advocate for women in athletics and for 91����Ƶ in general,” said Carrie S Bert, the first woman to serve as 91����Ƶ athletics director.

Dave King ’76, 91����Ƶ’s athletics director for 17 years before Bert, agreed. 

“Mim advocated for the expansion of women’s sports at a time when that wasn’t supported by many in the institution, including her father who had been president of the college,” said King. 

During one of her visits to the 91����Ƶ Athletics Suite, Bert recalled, Mumaw had shared with her how her father, likely reflecting the feelings of the wider church, had opposed the growth in women’s physical activities at 91����Ƶ. “Mim just laughed and said, ‘Well, that wasn’t going to stop me … we just had to agree not to talk about it,’” shared Bert. 

“Mim was always so encouraging of me, both in words of affirmation and in the wonderful way she would squeeze my hand while we chatted,” Bert said. “I could feel her positivity and enduring support in those moments.”

King told the that he first met Mumaw when he arrived as a student in 1972, but “had no idea of the trailblazer she was and the impact she had on women’s sports” until he returned as director of athletics in 2005. “Besides coaching women’s sports and teaching PE classes, her involvement with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) exposed EMC athletics to the broader collegiate athletic community and elevated the EMC sports programs,” King said.

Growing up in a glass bowl

Mumaw was born on Jan. 14, 1938, in Harrisonburg, the youngest of five daughters, to John R. and Esther Mosemann Mumaw. She was 10 years old when her father, a professor and ordained minister, took office as president, succeeding John L. Stauffer. He would serve in that role for the next 17 years.

“That was an important part of her growing up,” said Byron Peachey, a nephew of Mumaw and longtime 91����Ƶ staff member. “She lived down the road on College Avenue and EMC was an even smaller community than it is now. Everybody knew everybody else’s business. And so for her and her four older sisters, there was a spotlight on them and a set of higher expectations for what they did and how they conducted themselves.”

Mumaw graduated from 91����Ƶ in 1961 with a degree in business education. She then taught business education classes at Iowa Mennonite School for four years.

“That would’ve been an opportunity for her to spread her wings, outside of this glass bowl at 91����Ƶ where everybody knew her,” Peachey said.

In 1964, while Mumaw was in Iowa, her mother died “very suddenly,” Peachey said. She returned to Harrisonburg to care for her father (in 1965, he married Evelyn King, former dean of women for 91����Ƶ, and resigned as president).

Hired by 91����Ƶ’s fifth president (1965-80) Myron S. Augsburger, Mumaw coached the school’s first women’s intercollegiate athletic teams, including women’s basketball, volleyball, and field hockey. 

“That was groundbreaking for EMC,” Peachey said. “She was a real innovator. ‘Trailblazer’ is an overused word, but she truly was one.”

In 1968, after completing her master’s degree at the University of Iowa, Mumaw began teaching accounting and physical education courses at 91����Ƶ. She also served as co-athletic director and co-chair of the physical education department.

Sandy Brownscombe, coach of 91����Ƶ women’s basketball (1978-89), field hockey (1978-93), and men’s volleyball (1991-98) also in the Hall of Honor, said that Mumaw held significant roles at the state, regional, and national levels within the AIAW, which governed women’s college athletics before the NCAA took over in the 1980s.

“Mim was a foundational figure for women’s athletics in Virginia through the AIAW,” Brownscombe said. “She started volleyball in the state of Virginia.”

A life of balance

Brownscombe was finishing her master’s degree coursework at Washington State University in 1978 when she was hired to teach physical education classes and coach the field hockey and women’s basketball teams at 91����Ƶ. Mumaw interviewed her for the job, and was tasked with finding a place for her to live.

“There weren’t any apartments available,” said Brownscombe, “and so that’s how I ended up sharing her house with her that first year I was here.”

“That was, in my opinion, probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” she added, “because we spent many nights talking with each other, and she would explain to me what it meant to be a Mennonite female athlete. At that point, I was the first non-Mennonite full-time faculty member at 91����Ƶ, so it really was my introduction to Mennonites and to EMC, and she shared that whole faith experience with me. She was like a big sister to me.”

Less than a full year later, in 1979, Mumaw left for a sabbatical year in D.C. at The Fellowship Foundation. It led to her permanent move to the area.

“She felt like she had taken 91����Ƶ athletics to the next stage,” Brownscombe said.

“91����Ƶ women’s sports experienced much success in the 1980s, which I believe was a direct result of Mim’s commitment to developing and expanding sports activities for women,” said King.

Mumaw was a founding member of , a Christ-centered faith community started by President Emeritus Augsburger (its first pastor) and his wife, Esther, in 1981 and affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Mumaw was an active member of WCF for 43 years and served in many roles, including as presiding deacon, elder, and on the Finance, Human Resources, and Building committees.

“Any time students from WCF were attending 91����Ƶ, Mim always made sure I knew about it,” said Tim Swartzendruber, senior regional advancement director for 91����Ƶ. “She was an admissions ambassador for us, no question.”

In 1982, Mumaw began a long career at Gammon & Grange Law Offices in Tyson’s Corner, where she served as accountant, office manager, and assistant to senior partner. She worked at the firm for more than 40 years.

She often returned to 91����Ƶ and continued to love and support the university. She served on the 91����Ƶ Board of Trustees from 1988-96.

“When I think of Mim, I think of balance,” Brownscombe said. “Her whole life was balanced. She was great as a coach, administrator, teacher, and yet she was so involved in the church, in leadership there, and in her care for people. She was one of those well-rounded people who had it all together.”

“She was always positive, always optimistic,” shared Peachey. “She wanted sports to be fun for young women and for it to be a team experience. I think that was an important value she cultivated, that student-athletes experience team success rather than individual excellence.”

Clockwise from front center: Miriam “Mim” Mumaw ’61, Liz Chase Driver ’86, David Driver ’85, former Orioles player Larry Sheets ’83, and Stephanie Rheinheimer ’13 attend an Orioles baseball game in August 2022. Sheets told writer David Driver for the Augusta Free Press: “Mim was, first and foremost, a wonderful Christian woman, a huge fan of 91����Ƶ, and a huge supporter of my career and then my son’s (Gavin Sheets’) career.” (Photo courtesy of David Driver/AFP)

A connector of people

A devoted fan of the Orioles and Nationals, Mumaw was known to invite family, friends, and anyone else within her orbit to baseball games. While there, she recorded the action with a pencil and paper scorecard. “It was in her DNA to keep track of details,” Peachey said.

As a student, David Driver ’85, former Weather Vane sports editor, narrowly missed the window when Mumaw was on campus. But he and his family became acquainted with her as longtime members of WCF beginning in the late 1980s.

“She was never one to talk about the role she played as a pioneer for women’s athletics at 91����Ƶ, but her love of sports was contagious,” said Driver. “I’m happy to say she made WCF a church with a lot of baseball fans.”

“I know that Carrie Bert benefited greatly from having Mim as a mentor,” Driver added. “Without Mim, there may not have been a Carrie as the first woman to serve as 91����Ƶ athletics director.”

Long after leaving 91����Ƶ, Mumaw continued to invest in its mission and its students. According to Swartzendruber, Mumaw included 91����Ƶ in her estate plans, directing support to two funds established by her parents: the Esther Mosemann Mumaw Memorial Endowed Scholarship, which benefits upperclasswomen of any major, and the John R. Mumaw Endowed Scholarship, which benefits teacher education students.

In 2018, Mumaw coordinated a fundraising effort among past and present members of WCF to increase the ongoing student impact of the Myron S. and Esther K. Augsburger Endowed Scholarship for Urban Ministry. The scholarship, valued at more than $400,000, benefits students at Eastern Mennonite Seminary who plan to serve in an urban setting. 

“Mim tried her hardest to attend every alumni gathering, homecoming, you name it,” Swartzendruber said. “She adored 91����Ƶ. I always got the impression that 91����Ƶ felt like home to her.”

In addition to her parents, Mumaw was preceded in death by her four sisters: Helen Peachey, Grace Mumaw, Catherine Mumaw, and Lois Martin. She is survived by six nieces and nephews, and many beloved great-nieces and great-nephews. 

“She was a single woman, never had children, never married, and so she created a community around her,” Peachey said. “She knew lots of people in lots of different walks of life. When she went to baseball games, people noticed how all the attendants knew her. She knew them all by name. She was always looking for ways to connect people together.”

Thanks to Simone Horst, special collections librarian, for providing the archival images of Mumaw included in this story.

The event, held at the north end of the parking lot beside University Commons, drew students, athletes, faculty, staff, members of the press, and officials from Varsity Travel. It included remarks from Buck Smith, associate athletics director of operations; Adam Posey, head baseball coach; Sophia Armato, senior field hockey player; and Carrie S Bert, director of athletics. 

After their remarks and a brief countdown, the plain white bus that had been blocking the crowd’s view pulled forward to reveal the new 91����Ƶ athletics bus. As attendees got their first look at the bus’s bold new design, six pyrotechnic machines fired fountains of sparks into the air, cannons launched a flurry of blue and silver streamers overhead, and a snippet of Rascal Flatts’ “Life is a Highway” played through the speakers.

The bus wrap proudly proclaims “91����Ƶ ROYALS” and “HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA” lettering next to an image of the Royals’ lion mascot, which spans the full height of the bus from its tires to its roof. The design is set in front of a silhouette of Massanutten Mountain in varying shades of blue. The bus will serve as a moving billboard for 91����Ƶ, promoting the values of the university wherever it goes.

“This bus is going to draw attention. It already did on our road trip to North Carolina this weekend,” said Armato, referencing her team’s recent travels to Meredith College in Raleigh. “It will create conversations and carry a Royal spirit wherever it goes.”

“91����Ƶ has a history of doing amazing, awesome work, of putting out tremendous people, graduates, staff, faculty, very quietly,” Bert said. “Well, guess what? It’s time for 91����Ƶ to make a statement, to be recognized and remembered. As our teams travel, we won’t just arrive at our destinations, we will make an entrance.”

The bus is fully owned and operated by Winchester-based , and the new wrap is a generous perk of the university’s partnership with the charter service. According to its website, Varsity Travel also provides transportation for Shenandoah University Athletics, Hood College, and Hagerstown Community College Athletics.

91����Ƶ alumna and staff member Hannah Beck, senior admissions counselor, said the new bus will also be used to bring groups of local high school students to visit the campus. “I’m really excited for this,” she said. “It’s great to get more name recognition out there.”  

View the moment the bus was revealed in our video below:

There’s a new morning talk show host in town, and she’s here to celebrate.

As a special Mornings with the Mayor edition of Convocation on Wednesday, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections at 91����Ƶ, stepped into the role of host as she interviewed several trailblazing women leaders making their mark on campus. The one-of-a-kind program, held at the Student Union, celebrated Women’s History Month and paid tribute to departing 91����Ƶ President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman.

Reed steered the show with her trademark candor and panache, holding court over the “live studio audience”—one student could be seen regularly holding up an “Applause” sign—while she posed fascinating questions to 91����Ƶ students, staff, and alumnae. “It’s the show where we bring you big energy, great conversations, and way too much coffee,” quipped Reed.

The first guests to grace the stage were a pair of 91����Ƶ students, Arelys Martinez Fabian and Meredith Lehman, and a recent alumna, Ray Ray Taylor MS ’24. Fabian, co-president of Student Government Association, highlighted the increased representation of women in campus leadership roles. Taylor, a lab instructor who was a track and field team, called for erasing negative stereotypes and for supporting women in sports. When asked about which woman in history she would share a meal with, Lehman, a Rhodes Scholar studying at Washington Community Scholars’ Center, answered that she had recently heard about Zheng Yi Sao, a pirate leader active in the South China Sea from 1801 to 1810. “She was one of the most successful pirates in a time where you don’t really hear about female pirates,” Lehman said. “I would ask her where she pulls from to gain confidence and belief in herself”

Another panel discussion featured three powerhouse administrative leaders who are “changing the game in education and beyond”: Carrie Bert, Dr. Shannon Dycus, and Dr. Tynisha Willingham. Asked to provide her younger self advice, Bert, 91����Ƶ athletic director, said she would’ve told her to pause and breathe to appreciate the moment. Dycus, vice president for Student Affairs, Equity and Belonging, shared some tough conversations she had when starting in her role about fighting hard to be heard. Willingham spoke about unique challenges she’s faced as a woman provost. “I think we often still see that even when women are in leadership roles, they are expected to be nurturing and can’t be as direct,” she said.

Clad in her signature royal blue pantsuit, Huxman, the featured headliner for Reed’s morning show, bounded down the aisle and shined in the spotlight. Huxman is 91����Ƶ’s ninth president, the first woman to lead in the role, and is retiring this summer after nine years of service. She joked about some unexpected lessons learned over those years. “I started with a closet that had five blue outfits,” she said. “It’s half my closet now, skirts and outfits like this, and even shoes.”

She also spoke about forming closer connections between the university and city, colloquially known as the “town and gown relationship,” during her time at 91����Ƶ. Early on, she said, she had visited with elected officials, educators and business leaders who told her they had never stepped foot on 91����Ƶ’s campus. “I tried to work, especially in that first year, to get folks to campus,” she said. “I brought the delegates and our elected representatives up to my office. And, again, they said, ‘Well, I’ve been an elected representative for 12, 15 years, and I’ve never been in the president’s office.’”

At a time when many colleges across the nation are shuttering their DEI programs, 91����Ƶ is doubling down on its commitment to the initiatives that bolster diversity, equity and inclusion and make all students on campus feel welcome. Huxman spoke about initiatives she’s witnessed over her two terms, including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration started by Celeste Thomas during her second year as president, the Black Lives Matter mural—the only city in Virginia with a BLM street mural, Reed said—the establishment of the Office of DEI, the start of the Lavender Graduation, and the institutional statement on land acknowledgement. “It is 91����Ƶ’s time to lean into DEI,” Huxman said. “It’s wrapped into our mission, it’s wrapped into our vision and values, it’s wrapped into the Sermon on the Mount. And this is who we are as a faith-based institution.”

Asked about which woman she would share a meal with, Huxman answered Ida B. Wells, a journalist and co-founder of the NAACP. “Every time I reread her biography, I just think, how did somebody walk the earth of this magnitude?” said Huxman, regaling the crowd with tales of Wells’ accomplishments. “…I always think that, in a very real sense, the graduates from our university at 91����Ƶ are well-prepared to be peace and justice advocates like Ida B. Wells.”

A special treat honoring the president was free for those attending the event. Baristas at Common Grounds Coffeehouse whipped up mugs of the “Hux Deluxe,” a vanilla latte with a little cinnamon sugar on top. “I love that it’s a latte and it has cinnamon on it,” Huxman said. “Somebody knows I like that.” 

The interviews were interspersed with video segments documenting powerful 91����Ƶ alumnae who are shaping the world. These included Khadija O. Ali MA ’01, who became the first female state minister of the Somalian government and serves as an ambassador for the country, and Najla El Mangoush MA ’15, who was the first female foreign minister of Libya. Another video showcased the legacy of the late Sadie Hartzler, 91����Ƶ’s first full-time librarian whose name graces the library today.

Mukarabe, a student at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding who fled genocide in Burundi in 1993, read from a poem and led the crowd in a moment of silence for women persecuted around the world. She was joined by her husband Makinto, a student at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, as they performed music to cap off the event. Together, they shared “Amahoro,” a Kirundi cultural expression conveying peace and God’s blessings, through song.

Braydon Hoover, vice president for enrollment, served as sidekick/announcer for “Mornings with the Mayor.”

91����Ƶ’s cross-city neighbor James Madison University is celebrating a string of sports successes on the national stage.

Its football team finished the season ranked in the top 25 and will play in its first-ever bowl game. The men’s basketball team remains undefeated and is ranked No. 18. And the volleyball team competed as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Championship before losing its first-round match. Much of the success can be traced back to the work of the at JMU, which caters to the needs of its athletes and teams. 

Fortunately for 91����Ƶ, between the two Harrisonburg, Virginia, universities provides 91����Ƶ Athletics with many of those same resources at no cost. JMU doctoral students from the McMillin Center are working with athletes, teams and coaches in counseling sessions and mental performance workshops at 91����Ƶ while earning hours of valuable practicum experience for their graduate studies.

The McMillin Center, led by Director Dr. Bob Harmison, offers programs on how mental skills can increase performance both on and off the field. Some of its workshops teach athletes how to prepare for competitions, manage performance anxiety, enhance focus and maintain motivation.

Casey Steinbrecher, head coach of women’s volleyball at 91����Ƶ, lauded Harmison as “one of the most prominent people in the nation for what he does.”

“To have him and the McMillin Center just down the road as a resource, we are super lucky to have that, and we’re grateful,” he said.

Steinbrecher, former associate head volleyball coach at JMU, left the Dukes to join 91����Ƶ in 2020. He said his volleyball players meet with JMU doctoral student Tahlia Wilson-Nealy every other week during the season. They work together on building confidence and being relentless as well as on in-match strategies for performing better, Steinbrecher said.

“They just love having someone to talk to,” he said. “Having someone teach us and work with us on mental performance is huge. And, at the end of the season, I was a little upset because we were still improving, we hadn’t peaked yet, and it was exciting to watch how we were performing better in bigger matches.”

For the past several years, graduate students from the McMillin Center have offered sports psychology services to 91����Ƶ Athletics through a team-by-team partnership. But, this is the first time a student from the program is fully embedded on campus in 91����Ƶ Counseling Services and is available to all student-athletes. The partnership officially began on Oct. 27 and is set to run through the end of the academic year.

Lauren Shoss, a first-year JMU doctoral student in the program, said the McMillin Center has worked with other colleges, but not to the same degree as 91����Ƶ.

91����Ƶ Director of Athletics Carrie Bert agreed: “I know that, at least within our ODAC colleagues, having free access to sports psychology services does not seem to be the norm.”

Shoss meets with athletes and teams for about 10 hours each week. She conducts workshops for teams on topics such as bouncing back quickly from mistakes, setting goals and preparing for performance.

“Let’s say a team has a big competition or tournament that weekend,” she said. “We can cater our discussions to getting them in the right headspace to perform their best.”

Shoss has a space in the counseling center where she can meet one-on-one with athletes and coaches. She can also meet with them virtually through Zoom. Some of her work with individual athletes might focus on achieving their performance-related goals or tackling their stress, anxiety or mood fluctations.

“Maybe an athlete is having trouble feeling like they can’t focus when they’re in a game,” Shoss said. “So, we do a lot of work around attentional control.”

Throughout the past month, Shoss has worked with 91����Ƶ softball players to help them process their grief after the loss of teammate Sara Monger, Bert said. Monger, a first-year student from Elkton, Virginia, died in a car accident in October.

Bert, head coach of the 91����Ƶ women’s volleyball team from 2015 to 2019, recalled her players meeting with someone from the McMillin Center about once a week during the last two seasons she was coach. 

Over a couple years, she said, they continued to get better, win more and finish games in ways they had not been able to before.

“I think what it did, most concretely and immediately, was help with the way the team interacted with each other in our communication both on and off the court,” Bert said.

She expressed gratitude for JMU and the McMillin Center for their role in the partnership.

“It’s an extra resource for us to make sure that we’re doing everything we can for student-athletes here to find success in a variety of ways,” she said.

After five successful seasons, Bert recently stepped down as the Royals’ women’s volleyball coach. This part-time position keeps her on staff in an administrative role and retains her role as Senior Woman Administrator.

Bert will assist in the operations of the 91����Ƶ Athletic Department, specifically overseeing the academic support program for athletes, the graduate assistant program, orientation and educational programming for staff and athletes, and program evaluation.

“I’m grateful to 91����Ƶ for the opportunity to continue serving the campus community, even in a part-time role,” Bert said. “I loved my time coaching women’s volleyball at my alma mater, but the team’s athletic needs had surpassed my abilities and I wanted to be more present for my own family. While coaching, I had added the role of Senior Woman Administrator and became a member of the Athletic Leadership Team, which allowed me to stretch and find growth edges that proved challenging but life giving. Athletics colleagues and other campus peers have been so supportive of my move to an administrative position. I feel so lucky to be able to continue to support the amazing Athletics staff as well as remain engaged with student-athletes at a place I love.”

Under Bert, the women’s volleyball program was re-establishing itself, including a 13-13 record last fall. It was the program’s first .500 mark since 2001.

Director of Athletics Dave King said the same abilities that made Bert successful as a coach will now benefit all of the 91����Ƶ programs.

“I am grateful to the administration for their support in the creation of this Assistant Director of Athletics position,” King said. “It came at just the right time. As Carrie was planning her transition from the head coaching position, she wanted to continue her role as SWA. I have seen firsthand the strength of her organizational and administrative skills during her years of coaching. And her role as SWA and our Leadership Team seemed to spark an interest in a broader athletic administration experience. I believe Carrie is a natural fit for this position. I am excited to work with her in ways that allow her gifts to benefit the athletic department and the student-athletes we serve; along with giving her the opportunity to give back to a place she is passionate about, her alma mater.”

Bert began her duties on July 1.

“I would like to extend a big thanks to President Susan Huxman, Director of Athletics David King, and the members of the search committee for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the 91����Ƶ family,” Steinbrecher said. “I am beyond excited to begin this new chapter of life for me and my family. This is a university that deeply values maintaining a culture that cares just as much for the people who work here as they do for the young people we are brought here to grow.”

During his time at crosstown JMU, the Dukes have amassed a record of 193-106, winning two Colonial Athletic Association Championships and earning two trips to the NCAA National Championships. The team has 20 or more wins in each of the past five seasons.

Steinbrecher takes over for Carrie Bert, who resigned after 10 seasons on the staff at Eastern Mennonite, the last five as head coach.

“This is a very exciting time for our women’s volleyball program,” explained King. “Coming from a program that has a very similar culture to what Carrie has developed makes Casey the ideal candidate to take over where Carrie left off and move the program to the next competitive level. His knowledge, experience and passion for volleyball stood out to the committee, along with his commitment to Division III and seeking a better work/life balance for his family than is possible at Division I.”

“I am thrilled to embark on my head coaching journey here at 91����Ƶ,” Steinbrecher added. “Carrie Bert has done a great job establishing a successful culture here and I hope to be able to build off of that. I am walking into a great situation!”

The Royals finished 13-13 last fall, earning their best finish and first .500 record since 2001. That team graduates four seniors but returns many of their statistical leaders.

After a playing career at Ball State University and coaching on the 2009 NAIA national runner-up Georgetown (Ken.) team, Steinbrecher joined the JMU staff in 2010 to assist his wife, Lauren Steinbrecher.

“There are very few coaching positions that would cause me to consider leaving JMU,” he explained. “But to me this opportunity is the perfect balance of work and family life while still having the potential to be extremely successful on the court.”

Steinbrecher also has been a High Performance coach for USA Volleyball since 2013 and recently joined the Horizons Edge Sports Campus as the youth volleyball program coordinator.

“Casey’s connections, networks and involvements with the highest levels of women’s volleyball will be an asset in his recruiting efforts,” said King. “I am confident that he can make the adjustments necessary in moving from Division I to Division III and by using his skills in teaching, motivating and match planning, he can lead the 91����Ƶ program to the next step.”

“This year, we decided to focus on the ways that athletics help 91����Ƶ fulfill its mission and their many contributions to our community,” said Director of Athletics Dave King.

A panel on peacemaking and intercollegiate athletics featured women’s volleyball coach Carrie Bert, men’s soccer coach Roger Mast, senior volleyball player Maria Yoder, and senior basketball player Josh Good.

King moderated a second evening discussion on the topic of sustainability and intercollegiate athletics.

Athletes volunteered to help move rugs for a Ten Thousand Villages sales event. Women’s lacrosse coach Katie Russo said the time also involved some learning about the rugs themselves, “beautiful creations that can take up to two years for Pakistani rug artisans to develop.” Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit organization specializing in fairly traded goods from around the world.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes hosted their weekly huddle on Thursday evening. The leaders include Bailey Hall (baseball), Laurie Serrell (track and cross country), Brittany Viands (softball), Megan Breidigan (soccer), Austin Sachs (golf), Lindsey Krisak (basketball), Justin Odom (track and field), and assistant baseball coach Adam Posey.

Among the notable athletic events scheduled during the week, 91����Ƶ softball hosted a StrikeOut Cancer doubleheader, splitting with crosstown rival Bridgewater. On Saturday, the track and field team hosted the first home meet since 2008 and the baseball team played in a doubleheader against nationally-ranked Randolph-Macon.

Yoder was also named Academic All-District in 2017, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She is now eligible for CoSIDA’s Academic All-America voting.

“It’s an honor to be recognized among other fantastic scholar-athletes,” Yoder said. “I’m so appreciative of the support I’ve received from the athletic department in making academics a priority, as well as the flexibility and support from professors when volleyball interferes with coursework. I’ve been pushed and had wonderful role models in both academics and athletics these past four years.”

In her fourth year as a starter for the Royals, Yoder finished with 158 kills, 60 blocks and 36 aces. She was first or second on the team in all three categories. Additionally, Yoder came in 12th in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in both aces and blocks, while her 12 solo stuffs were seventh in the league.

She ended her career with 123 aces, helping the Royals lead the ODAC in aces each of her final two seasons. Yoder stands No. 8 in 91����Ƶ Career Sets Played, and narrowly missed the Top 10 in career blocks, kills and aces.

Academically, the Yoder Scholar holds a 3.98 GPA, majoring in biology with minors of honors and psychology. She studied in Guatemala and Columbia in the spring of 2017 as part of 91����Ƶ’s cross cultural study program. On campus, Yoder is a member of 91����Ƶ’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Pre-Professional Health Club, and also plays cello in the Chamber Orchestra.

Coach Carrie Bert said her two-year captain had high expectations for herself every time she stepped on the court, noting that the strategy and gamesmanship of volleyball intrigued and inspired her.

That same drive bubbled over into Yoder’s life off the court.

“As a student, Maria is energized rather than discouraged, by challenging course work,” Coach Bert explained. “After completing her cross cultural, Maria returned to Guatemala over her next spring break to conduct medical research that considered structural barriers to health care. She spent half of this past summer in Peru researching their health care system. Maria has carried a heavy course load, even in season, which required many hours of studying on the bus. While her future aspirations have changed recently, Maria will undoubtedly do important and meaningful work. She has modeled this commitment and drive for excellence during her four years as a Royal.”

The criteria for the All-District program states that a player must be of sophomore academic standing, be a starter or important reserve and claim a GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. Eastern Mennonite is a member of District 5, which includes players from NCAA D-III institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Yoder was one of three women from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference honored on the seven-woman team from District 5.

“It was like we made this small impact on the school and athletics,” reflected senior and co-captain  (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee), “and it was just an overall awesome feeling and thing to experience.”

The team got into the eight-team tournament after coming out on top of a four-way tie. It was a nail-biter until the very end.

“I had sort of written off the chance of us getting in,” said head coach Carrie Bert. “We didn’t know for sure until the very last Friday of conference season.”

Junior and co-captain  (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) highlighted all of the behind-the-scenes work that went into her team’s success this season.

“Our team put in a ton of work in the offseason to prepare for the season, and many of the girls on the team would go to extra skill sessions with our assistant coach that weren’t required or show up early to get more reps before practice,” Yoder said.

“We had to figure out how to win,” said Bert, “after years of 91����Ƶ being in kind of the assumed bottom of the ODAC.”

This year’s seniors played a big role in overcoming that mental block.

“[They] have taught the rest of us that they have fight and they’re competitive enough, and some of the girls that I’ve recruited since have bought into that,” Bert explained. “And so this particular group collectively has a great desire to win and doesn’t think it’s worth playing if they’re not trying their hardest.”

“With every sport and season, it is always a crazy roller coaster ride,” Johnson said. “There were many different highs and lows for this season. Some highs were taking Roanoke and Virginia Wesleyan to five games. Even though we lost both, it still showed the potential of our team and how amazing we could be.”

Bert said she is proud of how much the team’s athletes have grown over the course of this season and their years at 91����Ƶ.

“The end of the season proved that they found a spot where they had confidence in themselves,” she said. “Trusting each other and having confidence in each other and the seniors and some of the juniors leading [was essential].”

The Royals were knocked out in the first round of the ODAC Tournament, losing to top-seeded and eventual champion Randolph-Macon.

“And yet, how exciting to have that opportunity,” she said. “And that’s what I told them [the team] at the end. I said, we need to think about this in terms of winning and learning, not winning and losing, because we’ve been given the opportunity to be in this place … and we need to thank the seniors for building this program into something where this is the expectation now.”

“I hope that we don’t lose our desire to improve,” Yoder added. “The seniors on our team this year have encouraged the rest of the team both vocally and by example to expect more from ourselves. I hope this attitude is continued by the juniors and underclassmen next year.”

Johnson is excited for the team’s future as well.

“I have such high hopes for these remaining players and players coming in,” she said. “They have such an amazing foundation and team chemistry. I’m really excited to see what they can do next year. I think they can do amazing things with this program and help create a name for 91����Ƶ women’s volleyball.”

“They’re smart, they’re athletic, they’re competitive,” Bert said. “We were often outsized [this year], and yet we didn’t always let that stop us.”

Johnson is graduating this year, but she will take her experiences with her team with her when she goes.

“I don’t know where these four years have gone, but playing volleyball has been the highlight and light of those years,” she said. “Four years ago, I would tell myself to enjoy and cherish every moment I had on the court and to remember the amazing relationships I’ve made in the volleyball world. I couldn’t imagine my life without volleyball, and it has helped shape me into the person I am today.”

Bert is graduating five seniors, each a four-year member of the team.

“Yeah, this is a group I’m really going to miss,” she said.

“I’ve loved playing with this group of people,” Johnson said. “I’m very excited to see where they take this program in the coming years.”

����Ծ��ǰ��� (Harrisonburg, Va/Harrisonburg) played an important role in those wins. Skyler, a libero, contributed 29 digs in the four-set match against Emory & Henry, a season best which she has since surpassed. Earlier this week in a match against Virginia Wesleyan, she racked up a career best 36 digs.

Skyler felt very proud of her team following the win at Emory & Henry.

“Each player really stepped up and played their position well,” she explained. “Throughout the game everyone maintained a relaxed demeanor which really helped us and our ability to remain calm throughout each set. Everyone was confident with one another and gave it their all.”

Coach Carrie Bert felt the same way.

“It’s a pleasure working with this team and I’m grateful they are receiving some recognition!” she said. “Skyler is a true utility player. As a junior, we moved her to the libero position, keeping her on the court more consistently and allowing her to lead the defense. She has continued as the libero as a senior and is a true menace to our opposition.”

Earlier this season, Skyler became just the 11th 91����Ƶ volleyball player in program history to have 1,000 career digs. In �±��Ա���岹��’s match against Virginia Wesleyan, she moved into sixth place in 91����Ƶ Career Digs, taking 1,144 digs into this weekend’s trip to Lancaster, Pa.

Coach Bert said Skyler’s willingness to play in the back row only exemplifies her selfless attitude.

“I’m certain that Skyler prefers swinging out of the front row,” said Coach Bert, “but she always puts the team first and is starting to understand her invaluable play as our libero. Skyler, with a deep desire to keep getting better, is a great example to our team.”

Skyler is grateful for her years of collegiate play.

“I have really grown mentally in the game of volleyball,” she said. “Additionally, I feel as though being a student athlete has helped with my time management and has taught me how to work better with others. It provides me with connections that I would not have had otherwise.”

Volleyball has been a part of Skyler’s life for a long time.

“I started my 8th grade year, in middle school,” she said. “I wanted to start something different since I had only ever played softball. I fell in love with it after that.”

Over the summer, Skyler played some doubles grass league so she could come into her senior season ready for her best year yet.

“I think grass league helped me to really grow my mental game,” Skyler reflected. “I was able to better read the ball and become a faster player.”

Skyler is a biology major with a minor in psychology.

“After graduation, I plan on moving to South Carolina with my family and eventually attend graduate school,” Skyler said.

Skyler likes to spend her free time with the important people in her life.

“I enjoy spending time with my family,” she said. “I also love hiking, laughing, and relaxing with my roommates.”

“You really can’t do enough,” he added. “I feel good today, but I want to do more. Look at Puerto Rico. We are all in pretty much a blessed and privileged position and I want us to pass it off to people who need it. I’d like to see us consider a long-term sustained effort because the problems associated with these events aren’t going away any time soon. People are going to need help for a long time.”

A succession of recent natural disasters — from Hurricane Harvey, hitting the Texas coast Aug. 25, to Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean in early September and most recently Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico — left many 91����Ƶ students wanting to help those in need. The result was a relief effort sponsored and supported by a coalition of groups, from to Campus Ministries to the and individuals such as Faraci, who comes from a suburb of Tampa, Florida, and has experienced firsthand the devastation of several hurricanes.

Sophomore volleyball players Meredith Stinnette and Beck Hoskins also wanted to help. Hoskins, a graduate of Westover Christian Academy in Danville, Virginia, had packed relief kits before with a Danville organization called God’s Pit Crew, while Stinnette learned of a water bottle collection for Texas residents in her hometown of Altavista. The roommates visited 91����Ƶ Campus Ministries and asked “What are we doing to help?”

From there, the effort spread, coordinated by Pastoral Assistant Alexa Weeks, says Brian Martin Burkholder, campus pastor. “Alexa is also on the volleyball team, so there was this synergy that helped to move things forward. We held a campus meeting to determine where our efforts would go, and we decided to work primarily through .”

Weeks circulated a list of items to donate, and gifts from the community began to pour in, including a large donation from 91����Ƶ Y-Serve to build 100 kits. The kits, packed in a bucket, include towels, bath and laundry soap, toothbrushes, combs and fingernail clippers, bandages and sanitary pads.

“The bucket has many uses, from carrying water to storing important papers, and the standardized list of supplies simplifies the packing process,” says Luke Schrock-Hurst, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) representative to 91����Ƶ.

More than $700 was raised in a few short days by the volleyball team, galvanized by a challenge from Coach Carrie Bert that tied team improvement to service work. Pledging to improve their hitting percentage, the players also agreed to donate the same number of items to hurricane relief. But their efforts soon grew to much more beyond a $5 personal donation.

Bert’s family donated to the project, and then her church offered more than $200. A donor later contacted Bert to offer a matching amount to whatever the team could bring in. The team of 17 players rallied family and friends, eventually helping to raise $728 in 48 hours. On the team’s shopping trip to Walmart, the store manager donated a $50 gift card.

“I’m pretty pleased with how much we’ve brought in and the efforts that went into this,” said Hoskins, who came to the Sept. 25 packing event with her teammates on a break during practice. “We really came together for this.”

A large shipment of relief items was sent on Friday, Sept. 22 to the Oceola Council on Aging in Kissimmee, Florida, through a local Vietnam veteran’s group – a connection made after Burkholder saw the project announced in the local newspaper. Schrock-Hurst said he would be taking the remaining 100 kits and leftover supplies to the Gift and Thrift less than a mile away. From there, the buckets would be moved to the nearby Hinton-based Mennonite Disaster Relief headquarters, where they would join the next shipment south.

Burkholder says those wanting to continue donating to relief efforts can visit the MCC website for suggestions. The , this weekend at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds, provides yet another opportunity, he added.