On a day’s notice from administration, the SJSU football team spends a week and a half in Humboldt practicing because their county did not allow it. Students react to their presence on campus in the midst of a pandemic.
Directed and produced by Dakota Cox.
Contributors: Skylar Gaven & Thomas Lal
All photos by Thomas Lal
Justin Turner didn’t need to be the story in the wake of the Dodgers’ first World Series victory in 32 years. Instead here we are, wondering what sort of, if any, punishment Major League Baseball will decide to hand down to Turner after he decided to run out onto the field to celebrate with his teammates and their families after he learned he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Putting aside my own feeling about the Dodgers as a Giants supporter, this is simply not fair to LA fans who have been waiting for this day for so long. When the Major League Baseball Players Association made the decision to work with the MLB to host the playoffs at neutral sites in a partial bubble, all players became responsible for trying to maintain that bubble.
Turner was removed from the game at the start of the eighth inning after a previously inconclusive test result returned back as a positive. He remained in isolation until the game ended, even tweeting and acknowledging that he had COVID-19.
Turner still returned to the field, however against MLB regulations, and hugged his teammates and their family members. He even sat down next to Dave Roberts, the Dodgers general manager, who has survived Hodgkin lymphoma in the past, to pose for a team photo with the trophy while neither of them were wearing masks.
It’s not unreasonable to expect an adult to follow guidelines they agreed to. Turner’s actions were selfish and unreasoned. It is one thing to be among teammates who you’ve been in close contact with for months, but Turner could have also exposed several people to COVID-19 who may not have even known that he tested positive.
It’s more disappointing to see Turner take these actions after having previously served on the MLBPA executive board. Prior to the Dodgers beginning their postseason run, Turner even spoke about how responsible players were taking safety precautions and how that allowed this whole postseason to even happen.
It is understandable that Turner wanted to celebrate with his teammates. Those guys participated in a tough season with no fans and came out on top together. Turner is an everyday player, and it would have been doubtlessly hard for him to not be on that field with his teammates. But at the end of the day, that is what every one of those guys signed up for.
His teammates will likely support him always in this matter but Turner’s actions have cast all of baseball in a bad light. For two consecutive seasons now the attention will be placed on the MLB to see what decision they make, this time regarding any potential punishment for Turner following their investigation.
***Editor’s note: SJSU football program was tested in congruence with Mountain West conference guidelines***
The Humboldt State Athletics Department was notified that the San Jose State football team was coming to HSU the same time the general student and staff population of campus were told.
With the notice coming late on Sept. 29, the first chance that the department had to discuss matters was the following day with the Spartans roughly 24 hours away.
“I got the same information at the same time that everybody else got the information on campus,” HSU Athletics Director Jane Teixeira said.
SJSU anticipates spending $100,000 to $150,000 in total while at HSU. This includes meals, housing, use of Humboldt State’s facilities and round trip bus fare per San Jose State’s media relations.
It is currently unclear as to how much of this estimated budget belongs to Humboldt State or how that money will be distributed.
On Tues. Oct. 13, Santa Clara County moved into the orange tier from the red tier, meaning that COVID-19 guidelines will be loosened.
According to San Jose State football social media and Humboldt State University, the team will be leaving the HSU campus on Oct. 14 following the announcement that Santa Clara County will allow the Spartans to hold practices on their own campus once again.
According to an email sent out to HSU students on Tuesday Oct. 13 if conditions do get worse in Santa Clara County again.
“Should Santa Clara County return to the red tier, HSU will consult with Humboldt County Public Health and SJSU about the viability of the team’s return to HSU to proceed safely for practice and/or competition.” Humboldt State said in the email.
Teixeria explained that she has not been involved with any contract negotiations between HSU and SJSU, but believes the arrangement is similar to any rental of the Redwood Bowl.
“I believe that they are renting our facilities and paying for them like any other outside group would be able to do,” Teixeira said.
Student concerns surrounding a large group of people coming onto campus was addressed by Emergency Management Coordinator Cris Jones Koczera. Koczera said that since the team arrived, the Athletics department has been working with local county health officials.
Koczera believes the chances of the SJSU bringing COVID-19 with them is very low considering the team is subject to mandatory testing once per week before the Mountain West season begins, and three times per week when competition starts.
“Because of the frequency of testing that was required both by the state and by local county public health, they are by far the most tested individuals, probably in our entire county right now,” Koczera said.
The Athletics Department became aware of frustration coming from the rec sports organizations on campus which prompted Teixeira to hold a meeting with members of those groups on Sept. 30.
For Division 1 athletes, there is immense pressure to perform well and do whatever they are told to do as part of their respective athletic programs. Teixeria pointed out that while the SJSU football team is on our campus, they did not directly make the decision to come here themselves as individuals.
“It’s really important to know that the student athletes and the coaches and the student workers and the people that are up here from San Jose State are just following the lead of their leadership,” Teixeira said. “Just like we’re just following the lead of our leadership and I think it’s important that our individuals or people who are out in the community understand that this is by no fault of their own.”
***Editor’s note: SJSU football program was tested in congruence with Mountain West conference guidelines***
The Spartans have arrived and this time they’re not carrying spears or shields. Instead the San Jose State football team stepped onto the Humboldt State campus on Oct. 2 with bags full of clothes, televisions, gaming consoles and plenty of padding. As 141 players, coaches and trainers streamed out of the six buses into a school that hasn’t seen college football since 2018.
Humboldt State students received an email on Sept. 30 that the San Jose State football team would be arriving within the week. Initial reports suggested that the Spartan football program would be at HSU for one week per the Spartan Daily student newspaper from SJSU. The duration of their stay is not confirmed and could be longer.
According to the Humboldt State Athletics Department, the length of the Spartan football team’s stay at HSU depends on the regulations set forth by Santa Clara County where SJSU is located.
“It’s uncertain at this point as it depends on the needs of SJSU and how quickly they may be able to return to their campus to practice and play games,” the HSU Athletics Department said in an email. “They are working with Santa Clara County Health to get approval for that as soon as possible.”
SJSU Head Coach Brent Brennan said in a press conference on Oct. 5 that the arrangement between San Jose State and HSU came quickly with the need to start full contact practices soon.
“I think it probably came together in about a week, maybe a little less than that,” Brennan said. “President Jackson here and their Athletic Director Jane Teixeira and our Athletic Director Marie Tuite, our CFO Charlie Faas, Dr. Papazian, it was just a mad dash that way.”
As of Oct. 5, Santa Clara County has announced that they are moving into the third tier of COVID-19 classification after seeing an decrease in new cases each day. While there is still no official time set for the Spartan football team to be on the HSU campus, this development could mean that the team may return to San Jose sooner rather than later.
“It was a slap to the face on rec sports. Because we really didn’t know what the hell was going on. We thought it was Athletics. We were like ‘Athletics, what the heck?’ and then Humboldt County was like ‘Yo, what the heck?’ But it wasn’t really Athletics’ fault.”
Martin Gordillo
While the team is on campus, they will be responsible for testing their athletes and personnel using their own testing resources. In an email sent out on Oct. 1, Humboldt State told students that will be tested once per week. This runs contrary to Mountain West conference protocol who state on their website that athletes will be tested three times each week. It is unclear whether this testing will apply to the preseason training that the Spartans are currently participating in.
While the Spartans are on campus, Humboldt State’s own NCAA teams will still have access to facilities during their scheduled times in order to continue their preparation for hopeful upcoming seasons.
“HSU sport programs are still using Redwood Bowl during their regularly scheduled and reserved time periods,” HSU Athletics said in an email.
Even as the San Jose State team was arriving on campus HSU students and athletes alike were confused and upset that more context had not been provided for the team’s arrival. One of the loudest voices that could be heard across social media was that of the club sports on campus that have been unable to hold practices since COVID-19 shut down the majority of sports. President of HSU Club Baseball Martin Gordillo was upset that the communication between the administration and recreational sports teams was not more clear.
“It was a slap to the face on rec sports,” Gordillo said. “Because we really didn’t know what the hell was going on. We thought it was Athletics. We were like ‘Athletics, what the heck?’ and then Humboldt County was like ‘Yo, what the heck?’ But it wasn’t really Athletics’ fault.”
According to Gordillo, there was a miscommunication between Athletics and recreational sports which was clarified in a meeting with several of the club sports and the Athletics Department.
“In reality it wasn’t Athletics,” Gordillo said. “It was mainly more towards the Chancellor’s Office who made that decision on whether or not to allow athletics to continue to practice but not rec sports.”
Gordillo stressed that while he feels that communication can be improved between rec sports and athletics, there is a disconnect with how the Chancellor’s Office views rec sports in comparison to NCAA athletics.
“I believe the Chancellor’s Office has made it seem like they really don’t care about rec sports that much,” Gordillo said. “They don’t see us and [NCAA] Athletics as equal. Not Athletics in general. Athletics wants to work with us. They really want to have our voices heard.”
Peaceful protesters gathered in Arcata on June 1 to continue their demonstrations against police brutality and racism across the nation. People gathered around Arcata City Hall, bringing signs and wearing facemasks while listening to members of the community speak.
Demonstrators spilled off of the lawn and into the streets, taking a moment of silence in remembrance of George Floyd and Black lives that have been unfairly and unjustly taken in police custody.
As demonstrators marched toward the plaza, they chanted in unison, “no justice, no peace,” which quickly became a rallying cry across the country.
There was no police present at the gathering which encouraged community members to stand up and share their stories in the center of the plaza where the President McKinley statue used to be. Community members rallied together and demanded for better education on racial issues and systemic injustices. Allies were called upon to do more than simply showing up to rallies and to exercise their rights to reinforce just advocacy.
Hundreds of community members gathered in the rain outside of the Humboldt County Courthouse, Sat. May 30, to protest the death of George Floyd who was murdered while in police custody in Minneapolis, MN. From 3 to 10:30 p.m. demonstrators marched through Eureka up to the Slough Bridge, back through town and then down Broadway. Law enforcement was largely cooperative with demonstrators, blocking intersections as people made their way through traffic. Chants could be heard the entire way even as groups split up and went to various parts of the city.
As the group returned to the courthouse tensions flared at the sight of several police vehicles, which were soon removed from the scene. Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson was present at the protest and spoke with demonstrators as the crowd dispersed and headed away from the courthouse. These demonstrations in Humboldt are some of countless that have sprung up across the nation following Floyd’s murder.
Humboldt State has a new permanent athletic director for the first time since 2016 in Jane Teixeira, who officially started the job April 6. With COVID-19 ending all sports at HSU for the semester, Teixeira has been adjusting to the area and the position as much as she can.
“I’ve enjoyed my time exploring as much as I can under the circumstances,” Teixeira said. “It was an interesting drive up here to try to make the change in location in these unprecedented times. Beautiful landscape coming up here, and I’m really happy to be here. Every morning it’s nice to hear the chickens that are across the street and be a part of this great community.”
Even without the luxury of meeting people in person, Teixeira has hit the ground running and is doing her best to make connections with people and learn more about the athletics department and where it fits into the university.
“I’m willing to listen, I may not have the answers, I may not be able to give them what they want right away or at all, but I’m willing to listen.”
Jane Teixeira
“A lot of my two weeks have been built upon building relationships,” Teixeira said. “Getting to know what the staff needs, what they want. Where our gaps are, where we stand financially—obviously in these times things are difficult—and how can athletics contribute to getting better under the circumstances with the university as a whole.”
With the loss of football still recent in people’s memories and budget management on the horizon, Teixeira said interacting with the community around Humboldt State and listening to what they have to say will be important for her.
“I’m willing to listen,” Teixeira said. “I may not have the answers, I may not be able to give them what they want right away or at all, but I’m willing to listen. And I’m willing to take their points and understand them and say, ‘Hey, have you thought about this?’ or, ‘That’s a great point. I’ve never thought about that, let me see what we can figure out with that.’ We’re looking forward to working hand in hand and side by side with the Humboldt County community and all of our alumni.”
Teixeira also aims to focus on bringing in more quality student-athletes and using athletics as a way to bring more students to Humboldt State and give them opportunities.
“It’s all about opportunity,” Teixeira said. “Because you never know when that one opportunity happens for a student that may change their life forever. It can happen just like that. And that’s why I’m in this business.”
For Teixeira, the roster expansions would be a chance for student athletes who may get overlooked to have a chance to showcase themselves.
“You never know when you get that one student who the lightbulb goes off for them and it changes their whole entire world. So giving them an opportunity if we expand our rosters a little bit, you never know. You may get that diamond in the rough.”
Life and Arts Editor Grace Caswell
What I’m watching:
Just finished “Tiger King.” It’s the most ridiculous and unbelievable show I’ve seen yet with a surprising amount of depth.
What I’m reading:
“Noam Chomsky” by John Lyons.
What I’m playing:
None :/
What I’m listening to:
Lots of new music is being released but right now Toro y Moi and Jhene Aiko.
What else I’m doing:
Yoga and meditation has been a go to as well as cooking healthy foods. Anything to keep my mind at ease and health immunity high.
Managing Editor Chelsea Wood
What I’m watching:
I’ve been watching the final season of “Schitt’s Creek” which has been a bittersweet reflection of the last five seasons.
What I’m reading:
I’ve been reading more of a book I started last summer. It’s called “The Spaceship Next Door” and it about a teenager who grew up in a small town where a spacecraft crashed years ago but never left.
What I’m playing:
Minecraft. I trash talked this game as a teen, but it’s amazing and I love creating things on it. It’s extremely entertaining and relaxing.
What I’m listening to:
I’m listening to lots of downbeat songs—music that soothes the soul with catchy beats. Just stuff to satisfy this melancholy phase I’m swimming through.
What else I’m doing:
I picked up an old hobby, basket weaving. It’s a relaxing and simple task that yields a useful item. And no that’s not a BS excuse, basket weaving is the shit.
Editor-in-Chief James Wilde
What I’m watching:
I just finished season three of “Ozark.” It’s a crime drama with superb characters and writing that had an unexpected depiction of mental illness that probably hit a little too close to home and (full disclosure) made me tear up.
What I’m reading:
I just finished “Why Time Flies,” by Alan Burdick, a fun little foray into the way we think about time. Next up: “The Glass Hotel,” by Emily St. John Mandel.
What I’m playing:
Call of Duty: Warzone with my brother and some friends. I hate the premise of Call of Duty and, you know, shooting people, but as long as I ignore that it’s lots of fun.
What I’m listening to:
Kind of all over the place, which isn’t out of the ordinary. Indie stuff to hip hop to alt rock to electronic stuff to jazz to whatever else. Oh, and random Tiny Desk Concerts.
What else I’m doing:
Walking or going on runs to get out of the house. Drowning in schoolwork. Lying on the floor.
Opinion Editor Alexis Parra
What I’m watching:
“Gentrified”- A show that hits home for people of color. “Tiger King”- A cult war in the world of big cats.
What I’m reading:
“Z: The Beginning of Everything”- the untold story of Zelda Fitzgerald and beautifying her life.
What I’m playing:
None.
What I’m listening to:
My playlist on LJ- All of my favorites songs and energy that I carry into one playlist. “La Platica”- A bilingual podcast where the host is funny and talks about dumb shit and real shit.
What else I’m doing:
Painting. Make-up. Face masks. Talking to my family. Getting creative while also taking care of my skin and keeping in touch with my loved ones.
Sports Editor Thomas Lal
What I’m watching:
“Drive To Survive,” a super fun look into the 2019 F1 season with the dramatic thrills and spills to match!
What I’m reading:
“Permanent Record” by Edward Snowden. An intriguing and somewhat terrifying read.
What I’m playing:
The Witcher 3. This game has consumed my life. Loving the story and exploring the world.
What I’m listening to:
So much music, mostly ska, punk and jazz along with the “Every Little Thing” podcast.
What else I’m doing:
Being sad without any sports to watch.
Web Editor Seth Finnegan
What I’m watching:
“Community.” The always funny comedy about students at a community college.
What I’m reading:
None.
What I’m playing:
Dead Rising and MLB The Show 19. Filling the sports void with hitting baseballs and zombies with baseball bats.
What I’m listening to:
The “Adventure Zone” podcast. Three brothers and their dad play D&D together.
What else I’m doing:
Learning to play darts. It’s very frustrating but very fun!
Video Editor Benjamin Zawilski
What I’m watching:
The filmography of David Fincher and Hayao Miyazaki, and “The Good Place” on Netflix.
What I’m reading:
Rereading “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, which was one of my favorite book series as a child
What I’m playing:
Overhearing my sister play Animal Crossing.
What I’m listening to:
The film scores of Mark Mancina, Alexandre Desplat, and James Newton Howard.
What else I’m doing:
Hiking at least five miles a day, sometimes up to seven, and have done a considerable amount of housecleaning.
Reporter Deion Alston
What I’m watching:
“Coffee & Kareem.” Cop dates kid’s mother and him and kid (Kareem) uncover a conspiracy of dirty cops.
What I’m reading:
Haven’t been reading books tbh, but a lot of news article pertinent to sports, COVID-19, crimes etc.
What I’m playing:
Fortnite and NBA 2K 20. Fortnite is a shooting game and 2K is professional basketball at your finger tips.
What I’m listening to:
For podcasts, I listen to “Up in Smoke” hosted by two former NBA players, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. It’s very interesting—great interviews and guests as well. For music I’m listening to a lot of Lil Uzi, G Herbo, Tory Lanez. So basically rap, hip-hop and R&B.
What else I’m doing:
I’m cooking a lot more—takes time up in the day. Do my 250 push-ups everyday and step-ups for some cardio. And occasionally throw the football in the drive way.
Reporter Dakota Cox
What I’m watching:
“Seinfeld” & “Empire.” “Seinfeld” is a wonderful waste of time. “Empire” is a must-binge, cutthroat musical.
What I’m reading:
“Hurricanes” by Rick Ross is a fairly generic success story in terms of rapper autobiographies. “The Alchemist” is an extraordinary journey of the body, mind and soul.
What I’m playing:
Animal Crossing; don’t ask questions, go pick up the game!
What I’m listening to:
Going back and forth between oldies and hip-hop, gotta keep the serotonin up. Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and The Beatles are timeless, go listen! Gambino got the best album of 2020, @ me!
What else I’m doing:
Slipping out of sanity; would not recommend. Get a mask-on walk in when the sun shows it’s face; I like to play a little game called guess the gang members.
Reporter Sarah Blunt
What I’m watching:
I just finished “I am not okay with this.” It was a really good show with short episodes that have a lot going on in them. 10/10. I also just recently watched “Freedom Writers.” That one was really good and empowering, also took place in Long Beach (where I’m from) so that was relatable (kind of).
What I’m reading:
“Looking for Alaska.” I’ve already seen the show on Hulu but I realized I had the book. So far it’s really good and John Green (the author) writes really descriptively so I never feel bored when I’m reading it.
What I’m playing:
None.
What I’m listening to:
Tons of music. Nothing in particular just going through my music apps and looking for things I haven’t heard before, or even music from shows i’ve watched that I liked the soundtrack. That’s most of what I spend my free time doing.
What else I’m doing:
Lately I’ve been taking bike rides alone just to get fresh air and not be stuck in the same surroundings. I never ride bikes but lately it’s just been a really nice way to get out the house but also keep my social distance from others. 10/10
Reporter Ivan Ramirez
What I’m watching:
“Castlevania,” the show. “Mewtwo Strikes Back: EVOLUTION,” the movie.
What I’m reading:
Marcy Burstiner’s Investigative Reporting Book.
What I’m playing:
None.
What I’m listening to:
Psytrance, Electronic Dance Music, Drum & Bass, Electronic Rock.
What else I’m doing:
Meditating, talking to people on Discord, Instagram.
Reporter Alberto Muro
What I’m watching:
I have started watching the Amazon Prime series “The Boys.” It has an interesting take on superheroes proving that not all of them are super. It’s a world where super heroes exist, now imagine their lack of empathy for saving people.
What I’m reading:
Currently reading through my textbooks so that I don’t fall behind on homework.
What I’m playing:
I am currently playing the remake of Resident Evil 3 which has updated graphics and character development.
What I’m listening to:
I am listening to the “Tinfoil Hat” podcasts since conspiracies take my mind on a wild ride
What else I’m doing:
I have transitioned from a student using critical thinking to an essential asset during a global pandemic thus turning me into a critical drinker.
Photographer and Sports Editor Thomas Lal captured these scenes from around Arcata on March 21 at the end of spring break at the beginning of Humboldt County’s shelter in place order.
The Lumberjack won 14 California College Media Association Excellence in Student Media awards for a variety of work in 2019. The Lumberjack took home four first place awards, seven second place awards and three third place awards at the CCMA awards banquet Feb. 29 in San Francisco.
Deija Zavala won Best Photo Series, Phoebe Hughes won Best Cartoon Illustration, Megan Bender won Best Illustration and Chelsea Wood won Best Non-News Video.
Megan Bender took second in Best Newspaper Front Page Design and Best Photo Illustration, Jose Herrera took second in Best Arts and Entertainment Story, Jett Williams took second in Best Newspaper Column, Liam Warner took second in Best Sports Story and Thomas Lal took second in Best News Photograph. James Wilde, Chelsea Wood and Collin Slavey took second in Best News Video.
Freddy Brewster came third in Best Headline Portfolio for three different headlines and third in Best Breaking News Story, while Tony Wallin took third in Best Feature Story.
HSU’s bilingual, monthly student-run newspaper, El Leñador, won 12 awards, including three first place awards. HSU’s student-run semesterly magazine, Osprey, won three awards, with a first place award to Megan Bender for Best Magazine Inside Page/Spread Design.
The Lumberjack is the independent, student-run online media publication and newspaper established in 1929 at Humboldt State University.
View the full list of HSU student award winners below:
| CCMA Winners 2020: | ||
| FIRST PLACE | PUBLICATION | STUDENT(S) |
| Best Photo Series | The Lumberjack | Deija Zavala |
| Best Editorial Cartoon | The Lumberjack | Phoebe Hughes |
| Best Illustration | The Lumberjack | Megan Bender |
| Best Non-News Video | The Lumberjack | Chelsea Wood |
| Best Newspaper Inside Page/Spread Design | El Leñador | Celeste Alvarez, Jose Herrera |
| Best Newspaper Front Page Design | El Leñador | Kylee Conriquez, Jose Herrera |
| Best Non-Breaking News Story | El Leñador | Jose Herrera |
| Best Magazine Inside Page/Spread Design | Osprey | Megan Bender |
| SECOND PLACE | ||
| Best Newspaper Front Page Design | The Lumberjack | Megan Bender |
| Best Arts and Entertainment Story | The Lumberjack | Jose Herrera |
| Best Photo Illustration | The Lumberjack | Megan Bender |
| Best News Video | The Lumberjack | James Wilde, Chelsea Wood, Collin Slavey |
| Best Newspaper Column | The Lumberjack | Jett Williams |
| Best Sports Story | The Lumberjack | Liam Warner |
| Best News Photograph | The Lumberjack | Thomas Lal |
| Best Illustration | El Leñador | Kylee Conriquez |
| Best Editorial | El Leñador | Brenda Estrella |
| Best Special Issue/Section | El Leñador | Jose Herrera, Vanessa Flores |
| Best Overall Newspaper Design | El Leñador | Jose Herrera, Celeste Alvarez, Cara Peters, Ash Ramirez |
| Best Social Media Reporting | El Leñador | Vanessa Flores |
| Best Magazine Cover Design | Osprey | Megan Bender |
| THIRD PLACE | ||
| Best Headline Portfolio | The Lumberjack | Freddy Brewster |
| Best Feature Story | The Lumberjack | Tony William Wallin |
| Best Breaking News Story | The Lumberjack | Freddy Brewster |
| Best Newspaper | El Leñador | Staff |
| Best Interactive Graphic | El Leñador | Celeste Alvarez |
| Best Infographic | El Leñador | Cara Peters |
| Best Arts and Entertainment Story | El Leñador | Lora Neshovska |
| Best Magazine Photo Series | Osprey | Jett Williams, Megan Bender |
When Evelyn Andrews came to Humboldt State University, she had already beaten cancer once. In her senior year of high school, Andrews successfully fought off lymphoma and made the decision to redshirt her freshman year to recover fully. She expected to be back on the field for her sophomore season.
Things changed in late September when a bad hop at practice hit Andrews in the face, causing continuous bleeding. After spending time at Mad River Hospital, Andrews went to University of California, Davis, where she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia.
Andrews underwent chemo treatment and beat leukemia. Following the treatment, she went back to the hospital for 10 days due to a blood infection that caused additional blood clots throughout her body. Andrews died after being taken off life support Feb. 17.
Roommate and teammate Morgan Brant took Andrews to the hospital after the injury at practice and knew her since they were both 12 years old.
“She would just go into a room and light it up.”
Morgan Brant
“It crushed her to redshirt her freshman year,” Brant said. “She was just the type of person to put her head down and work and to get the job done. She was always there. She gave you the brutal truth even if you didn’t want to hear it. But you then found out that it was coming from a place of love and a place of compassion. She wanted the best for everybody.”
Brant said that this was even more clear knowing Andrews off the field.
“She would just go into a room and light it up,” Brant said. “She had the best sense of humor. She had the best smile and she was just like everybody has said, like a ray of sunshine. She really held a lot of love for everybody in her heart.”
One thing Andrews brought to the team that has been embraced by the whole organization has been a ‘Don’t Suck’ mentality. Brant said this is something that originally came from Andrews’ family and spread to the rest of the team.
“It was kind of like a thing that they said when she was struggling at bat,” Brant said. “She said it to Shelli one time and it just kind of became her thing. It was her thing since she was little kid and it just kind of stuck with the team and it showed that brutal honesty. Don’t suck as a person, don’t suck as a player and then you’re going to be successful.”
Head Softball Coach Shelli Sarchett said the ‘Don’t Suck’ mentality has really been accepted by the whole team, especially when Andrews began cancer treatment for the second time.
“Once this happened to her we adopted it as a team,” Sarchett said. “It doesn’t mean don’t suck, don’t be afraid to lose. It just means go out there and give your best. And even if your best isn’t good enough at that time, doesn’t mean that you did wrong.”
As her coach, Sarchett also observed Andrew’s ability to be caring and honest with people as she interacted with her teammates.
“She was the first person to hug you when you were down and the first person to kick you in the ass when you needed it,” Sarchett said. “She was a role model pretty much and she’s a superhero in our books. She’s a fighter and I think we could all take a little bit from Evelyn and learn about her spirit and use it to our advantage and to help us be better people.”
Another thing that stood out to Sarchett was how much Andrews cared for the people around her, whether that was her parents and brother or her teammates.
“It’s been amazing. The outpouring of support from not only the community but the softball community in general.”
Shelli Sarchett
“She loved her family,” Sarchett said. “It was all about family for her. Whether it be her actual family or her softball family. She defines that sense of family, that culture that we want here when it comes to family and she’s the daughter that everybody should want. If my daughters have half the heart she does, I’ve done pretty well.”
Sarchett also said she had never been through anything like this before, but the support from Humboldt State Athletics and the softball community as a whole has been fantastic as herself and the team work through this hard time.
“It’s been amazing. The outpouring of support from not only the community but the softball community in general,” Sarchett said. “How many coaching colleagues of mine reached out to me and to my assistants. And former coaches of my players reached out and her story has gone a long way, and we can only hope that it’s a lesson in just how to fight for things.”
Andrews never got the chance to take the field for the Lumberjacks for a game, but her memory will remain with the people she played with and interacted with during her time among the redwoods. Brant was confident that she would remember Andrews for the rest of her life on and off the field.
“I think we should remember Evelyn as a ray of sunshine,” Brant said. “We were saying it all last weekend when we played Chico. We were playing home games in February. We don’t do that here with the rain. So we really knew that she brought out that sunshine for us and she’s just this positive light and this big ball of energy. She had this beautiful smile and a beautiful mind and she was just always happy. I want people to remember that.”
Brant pointed out that Andrews wouldn’t have wanted to be remembered as a patient.
“She wasn’t a cancer patient,” Brant said. “She was someone who just fought cancer. So separating that from who she was as a person was very important to her. She was a ball of life, a ball of sunshine.”
Marcus Manning is the second of three candidates for Humboldt State’s athletic director position. Manning, who began his athletics department work in recreation at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, said he saw the opportunity for HSU to excel in intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports.
“The vision that I have for Humboldt State athletics and recreation is to be a premiere program both in intercollegiate athletics and recreation,” Manning said. “Providing opportunities for our students that involve personal development, academic success and competitive excellence.”
Manning has also had experience at University of California, Irvine, Indiana University South Bend, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in Kansas City, Missouri. Manning also has experience at Maryville University, the BASE Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri and Centenary College.
Manning was confident that the future of sports has great potential at HSU. He said the department should look toward students for what direction to take. One example he gave was the possibility of backing esports on campus.
“Young people have led us to competitive gaming,” Manning said. “They’ve shown us the way and so that’s an opportunity for us to look at that and say, ‘Okay, can competitive gaming—can esports—happen at Humboldt State University?’”
Manning said it would be a collective effort to involve student athletes in the campus and make sure they are an active part of the community.
“I was charged with adding programs to help increase enrollment and doing that with strategic speed. Also from a fundraising standpoint, taking our fundraising budget from a negative $11,800 to making sure we were in a surplus of $1.3 million.”
Marcus Manning
“That means everyone within the campus community all-in in terms of that type of experience,” Manning said. “Our alumni base and surrounding community also playing a part in that student experience.”
When asked why he thought he would be the best candidate for the job, Manning pointed to his years of experience with athletics as a base for his merit.
“Seventeen years of broad-based experience,” Manning said. “I got a chance to work at University of California, Irvine in recreation, but it was under athletics. So I was director of club sports and specialty events. When you look at this unique opportunity at Humboldt, it includes recreation. I cut my teeth on rec sports and I had a blast.”
He also mentioned that he’s added programs for universities in the past and that he could do that for HSU too.
“I was charged with adding programs to help increase enrollment and doing that with strategic speed,” Manning said. “Also from a fundraising standpoint, taking our fundraising budget from a negative $11,800 to making sure we were in a surplus of $1.3 million.”
Manning said the signs he saw while researching the Humboldt area pointed to potential.
“Just doing homework. I’ve seen some of the new things that occurred in terms of partnership with local schools and scholarship opportunities,” Manning said. “Seeing those opportunities that Dr. Jackson has talked about, so that really put me on notice to say, ‘Okay, these are some potential opportunities that we can really take advantage of.’”
There are nail biters in sports, and then there are blowouts. For the Humboldt State University women’s basketball team, Saturday was one of those blowouts where the Jacks found themselves on the right side of the scoresheet. Decked out in their black road uniforms for blackout night, the Jacks stormed their way to an early lead and never looked back as they took a convincing 107-62 win over the visiting San Bernardino Coyotes.
The Jacks were led in scoring by Alexia Thrower, who put up her eighth double-double of the season, putting up 26 points to go along with her 12 rebounds. Another standout performer for the Jacks was Sandin Kidder, who put up a double-double of her own with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Madeline Hatch and Gabrielle Carbajal also scored in the double digits along with Emily Packham, who had a career night with 11 points.
The Jacks established themselves quickly, finding reliable 3-point shots from up and down the roster. Hatch struck first from beyond the arc, setting the tone for the night as the senior guard went 5-12 on her 3-point shots. Carbajal put up three 3-point shots of her own while Kidder hit both of her two 3-point attempts.
Head Coach Michelle Bento-Jackson was very pleased with her team’s performance, pointing to the offense’s ability to keep driving the play with a lead.
“I know for the fans and everybody it just seems like 100 is the magic number. I don’t even know when we hit 100 tonight. I was just so focused on just making sure we were still doing what we needed to do.”
Michelle Bento-Jackson
“It’s great when the shots go in,” Bento-Jackson said. “But more importantly I really was focusing on the shot selection and making sure that we got good ball movement. Not just settling for an early shot against the zone.”
Even with such a scoring effort from her team, Bento-Jackson kept the team working hard through the full game.
“I know for the fans and everybody it just seems like 100 is the magic number,” Bento-Jackson said. “I don’t even know when we hit 100 tonight. I was just so focused on just making sure we were still doing what we needed to do.”
Carbajal was happy to see contributions from the whole team, saying that it made for a good experience out on the court.
“It was really nice being able to play with everyone,” Carbajal said. “And everyone contributing out there, and scoring and sharing the ball. It was just a great game.”
Carbajal was also confident that the team could use this game to push them forward going into their upcoming road trip to San Francisco and Sonoma.
“Just using this game as momentum and building confidence for the next game, especially San Francisco,” Carbajal said. “I know that we’ve been struggling on the road but just coming into this next game, we just have to have a different mindset.”
For the future, Bento-Jackson is focused on maintaining a high level of performance even when the team will play three out of their last four regular season games on the road as they aim for the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in March.
“We have three games here on the road and this is going down the stretch,” Bento-Jackson said. “Playing with that same type of energy when we’re not in front of our own fans. And as we say, it requires a lot of mental toughness to go on the road and to get a victory. And that’s something that we need to do for these next two weeks.”
Allan Jones is one of three candidates in the running for Humboldt State University’s next athletic director. While speaking to open forum attendees, Jones said investing in the community and working with the community members are some of the keys to making a successful athletics program.
“We’re going to be heavily involved in this community asking for support,” Jones said. “But in order to do that we need to be invested as well. Not just our student athletes, but our coaches, our administrators, our staff.”
Jones, originally from a small community in Conyers, Georgia, pointed to his additional work in the Waco, Texas area as an example of what he would hope to bring to HSU.
“There’s a reason why I’m on the Rotary Club of Waco,” Jones said. “Why I’m on the little league board for baseball and softball in Waco and why I’m on the Museum Association Board of Waco, and it’s because I need people to know that when I’m out in the community asking for their support, that there’s a return on that investment.”
“I want to bring those best-in-class practices and successes we’ve seen and measure those to scale here with Lumberjack athletics.”
Allan Jones
Jones comes to the table with 20 years of experience in college athletics, most recently working with the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco as the president and CEO. Jones has also held positions at Arizona State University, University of North Texas, University of Louisville, University of Maryland and Georgia Institute of Technology.
Coming to HSU having held positions at several major universities, Jones was confident that his experience there and at smaller schools would help him improve the programs at HSU.
“I want to bring those best-in-class practices and successes we’ve seen and measure those to scale here with Lumberjack athletics,” Jones said. “So I think those experiences at the bigger schools and bigger institutions mesh with having been at places that were smaller, that were rural as well my background having grown up in the second smallest county in the state of Georgia.”
“Let’s figure out, is there a Band-Aid approach that gets us through this next three to four months? And then let’s have the best softball complex between San Francisco and Portland.”
Allan Jones
On the subject of HSU football, which was cut under the previous administration, Jones was open to having the conversation of a return in the future, but he stressed being able to support athletes as a whole.
“I’m comfortable having a conversation down the road about football,” Jones said. “But what it needs to be is a very open, honest, transparent discussion as someone who’s actually brought a sport to a full time NCAA status, understanding not just the scholarship cost, but recruiting, travel budget—all the other things that go in.”
In regard to existing programs on campus, one big facilities issue that Jones sees at HSU is the condition of the softball field, which often becomes unusable when it rains. He said the softball field would be at the top of his list of things to address if he is hired.
“As I understand, left field has got an issue four feet down that it won’t drain,” Jones said. “Well, why would we put $1 million into that when we’re going to have to go back four years later and build a brand new stadium? Let’s be strategic. Let’s figure out, is there a Band-Aid approach that gets us through this next three to four months? And then let’s have the best softball complex between San Francisco and Portland.”
The Humboldt State men’s soccer team defeated San Francisco State 3-1 on Saturday. It was another strong offensive outing for a Humboldt State team that has found the back of the net often this season.
The Lumberjacks impressed in the second half with goals from Isaiah Dairo, Marco Silveira and Dalton Rice. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak, bringing their overall record to 7-8, and two more games to play in the regular season.
The first half of the game was tightly contested, with both teams taking most of the time to feel out the opposing defense. The Gators’ midfield play provided a challenge for the Jacks’ offensive players as they were unable to break through the center of the field.
However, Humboldt State was able to find their rhythm as they quickly moved the ball upfield to create more space between SF State’s defenders and cut to the net. As a result, the Jacks outshot the Gators 6-4.
Despite the Jacks’ progressive play, the Gators were able to get a shot over the head of HSU goalkeeper Tab Heinz. With just over three minutes left in the half, the Gators grabbed a 1-0 lead just before halftime.
Coming out of halftime, the already physical match ramped up as the Jacks looked to make a comeback. Just a couple of minutes into the half, Humboldt State thought they tied up the game as Dairo chipped the ball in from short-range. But, a whistle from the line ref called the play offsides.
This setback didn’t appear to have a lasting effect on the Jacks, as Dairo once again found the back of the net, putting the ball over the Gators’ goalkeeper from the penalty box. Th Jacks tied the game 1-1. The goal was Dairo’s 10th of the season as he leads the Jacks in scoring.
“They give me a lot of support and they give me a lot of energy to keep going,” Dairo said. “That’s something that made me want to stand back up and keep pushing this game. It’s up to you if you want to mentally and physically stand up and my team definitely helped me through that challenge.”
The Jacks went on to score shortly after Dairo returned to play. Silveira netted his third goal of the season by firing the ball from the right-wing and banking it in off of a Gators defender.
The sudden change in direction took both the defenders and the goalkeeper by surprise and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Just seven minutes later, Humboldt State followed with another goal off of a second chance rebound as Rice rocketed the ball past the off-balance goalkeeper.
At the end of the game, Head Coach Fred Jungemann talked about how pleased he was with his team’s performance. He was particularly pleased with how the Jacks limited their defensive errors and were able to stay strong in their own zone.
“Today we really focused on minimizing our mistakes and managing the game a little bit better,” Jungemann said. “I think it showed in the result as well in only giving up only one goal.”
On Wednesday night, Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a structure fire on the corner of 8th & H streets in Eureka.
The structure in question appeared to be an abandoned Victorian house, with the damage contained to just the single building. Following calls, officials were on scene quickly, but were unsure how long the house had been burning before they arrived.
Public Information Officer for HBF Amy Conlin was on scene and confirmed that there was no humans, animals or pets found in the building when they arrived and that the fire had been burning for some time before they got the call.
“By the time the first truck 8181 was to the scene, there was black smoke pushing through the roof,” Conlin said. “So it had been going for a little bit.”
Conlin also noted that while the cause of the fire would likely remain unknown until HBF concluded their investigation into the matter, the blaze could have been the result of people staying in the vacant property in an attempt to stay out of the colder nights.
“It looks like it was a vacant building,” Conlin said. “So it could have been some kind of spontaneous accident with the building itself or it could have been that there were squatters inside.”
The fire was largely under control at the time of Conlin’s comments with firefighters on the roof cutting holes in order to vent the heated gases out of the structure. Given the late hour, a more thorough investigation into a cause for the fire is expected to be carried out in the morning. However, due to the extent of the damage, any evidence may be inconclusive.
On Saturday morning hundreds of runners prepared to toe the line for a California Collegiate Athletic Association cross country conference meet. Despite the impending power outage, the best of California’s Division II runners descended on the Baywood Golf & Country Club as Humboldt State hosted their first conference championship.
The women’s race was six-kilometers long, contested by 12 teams and the men’s race was eight kilometers long as ten teams aimed for the top spot.
The women’s race set off at 9 a.m. Humboldt State’s Cessair McKinney took an early lead for the Jacks but slowly slipped behind teammate Rosa Granados who ended as Humboldt’s top finishing runner in 16th, with a time of 22:49. McKinney finished the race in 30th with a time of 23:16.
The women’s race was six-kilometers long, contested by 12 teams and the men’s race was eight kilometers long as ten teams aimed for the top spot.
Another standout in the women’s race was the Jacks’ Yuliana Garibay who was able to work her way up the highly competitive field to cross the line in 40th, just behind teammates Rosie Melville and Saedy Williamson.
HSU Coach Jamey Harris was impressed with Granados’ run Saturday, mentioning that as one of the highlights of the meet for him.
“Rosa was a little bit of a pleasant surprise,” Harris said. “I thought top 15 was possible for her but I thought that was going to take a really, really good day and she had a really good day. Almost got top 15.”
Chico State claimed top honors in the women’s race by placing eight of their runners in the top 15 to finish with 23 points compared to second-place Cal State East Bay who finished with 81 points. The HSU women’s team placed seventh overall with 152 points beating Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Bernardino.
A thirty-minute gap between events allowed the men to warm-up before starting their race. While the athletes were ready to get things underway, complications with the starting gun resulted in several false starts.
When things finally got moving, the race was packed up for much of the first two kilometers. Humboldt’s Daniel Tull has been the team’s leader since the start of the season and continued to stick with the front pack through the early and middle stages of the competition, even taking the lead for a brief time. As the race continued, Chico once again held control in the championship race.
Tull led the Jacks in tenth followed by the Jacks’ Elliot Portillo in 43rd, and the rest of his teammates took sixth as a team. Tull was the only Jack to finish in the top 15 Saturday, but that did not stop him from pointing out that he could have finished stronger had he not led early on in the race.
“I was feeling really strong and I was with the front group for the first 6K or 7K,” Tull said. “I kind of moved up from fourth or fifth to first. The guys that I passed made a really strong move that I couldn’t really cover, so I kind of faded. Once I lost my momentum I kind of paid for that. I’m still happy with it, that’s my best race yet. But I know I could have done better.”
Portillo felt that the team’s performance was where things were expected to be, but he thinks there could be better performances up ahead for himself and his teammates.
“I got out pretty quick, kind of found myself slipping into a back pack,” Portillo said. “As the race strung out, some moves were made. And then definitely within the last 400 yards, my body kind of shut down on me and it was just a struggle to finish. I think as a team we had a few guys that had bad days, that didn’t quite do what they wanted. We still finished about where we were expected to so that’s a healthy sign.”
Wiyot Tribal members and Eureka community members were joyful, yet solemn, at the Eureka City Council meeting to officially return Tuluwat Island to the Wiyot people.
Wiyot tribal elder Cheryl A. Seidner blessed the room in a prayer of welcome. In the prayer, Seidner welcomed people from the East and from all directions as she turned in a circle, speaking in her native language. The crowd was silent and respectful, and tribal members let out emotional “ho’s.” Seidner thanked everybody in the audience and asked them to rise.
“This is something I’ve always wanted since I was a kid,” Seidner said. “I thought the island was always ours, not anybody else’s. So we came together and said, ‘Let’s do this, let’s make it ours.’ So I decided to be bold and ask the new mayor to give us the island they owned.”
In 2004, 40 acres of Tuluwat were returned to the Wiyot Tribe. Oct. 21 marked the return of the remaining 202 acres. The tribe has been working with the City of Eureka for the last five years to make this happen, and this action marks the first step to repairing the damage caused to the tribe that began 100 years ago.
Cutcha Risling Baldy, Ph.D, the Native American Studies department chair at Humboldt State University, delivered one of many moving speeches to the hundreds of assembled community members. Baldy talked about the future of the Wiyot people and how she knew, one day, they would come back.
“I realized that native people were always making plans for our future and that we never gave up on our land or where we came from,” Baldy said. “That is the story I want people to know. I know that the story of Tuluwat, which people often refer to as Indian Island, has been one of a massacre for most people, but for me it has only been a place for world renewal.”
Baldy once read a book about stories gathered from people about Tuluwat. One particular story was about a woman who was stuck in the mud after the violence on the island. While it may be a story of sadness, Baldy said it was a moment of strength and hope. The woman sang a mourning song because she knew she had to send her tribe off properly. Her strength showed she knew her kin would one day return to Tuluwat.
HSU anthropology professor Gordon Ulmer acknowledged the significance of the day. Ulmer said the day should be a celebration of time immemorial, and that it displayed the vibrancy of the Wiyot tribe, despite the dark history.
“What we see here is a very vibrant thriving community that lives in the shadow of genocide,” Ulmer said. “People remember the genocide, but what is rarely acknowledged -or at least to a much lesser extent- is that people are still here, the Wiyot are thriving. There’s a lot to celebrate here.”
Eureka Mayor Susan Seaman began official proceedings by declaring the day as a moment in time that should forge strong bonds going into the future to create a long sought-after vision. Seaman prepared to take a vote from the council people while tension in the air grew as the crowd waited.
“I move to authorize the transfer of Tuluwat Island to the Wiyot Tribe and I authorize the vote,” Seaman said.
The Eureka City Council spoke on behalf of the motion, each member contributing a unique perspective to the magnanimity of the event. HSU Lecturer and Eureka City Council Member Natalie Arroyo wasn’t physically present, but she FaceTimed in and a representative shared a letter penned by her about Tuluwat.
“This is the first known transfer of land from a city to a tribe of this kind,” Arroyo said. “We are all responsible to do what we can to actively participate in healing. I will be so bold to say under current conditions Eureka owns the land, but it was never truly ours.”
The tension began to ease as Seaman’s voice fell over the crowd.
“The vote to return the Tuluwat island to the Wiyot Tribe was unanimous and the motion passed,” Seaman said.
Applause erupted from the audience. The crowd stood on their feet to clap and shout in joy.
Seidner invited her family to the front of the auditorium to sing a song to the people gathered in the room. Seidner welcomed everyone in the audience and invited them to sing the song “Coming Home.”
“I know that our ancestors knew this day would come,” Baldy said. “I think that we need to consider it an opportunity to think about our next steps in the future. People stand up and ask me, ‘What can I do?’ And I have one answer for them: you can start by giving all the land back. And now we know it’s possible.”
The signing of the deed marked the end of the meeting. Seidner placed a quilt representing all who could not be present on the table, and the council people huddled around to officially return Tuluwat to its ancient owners.
Baldy concluded her address with honest praise. With the Wiyot land reparation, the people in the room could now envision a radical future.
“A future with no dams, a future with salmon that are healthy, a future with our children that are singing, a future where we are dancing all the time,” Baldy said. “I know we’ve seen it and I know we’ve felt it, and I look forward to how amazing that is going to be. And I know that we can do it, and I look forward to how everyone in this room is going to make that happen.”
The Humboldt State men’s soccer team lost to Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday, dropping the match 1-2. Despite the loss, the Jacks outshot Monterey 16-6 and held a majority of the possession throughout the second half. Humboldt is now 2-5 in conference play, which puts them at No. 11 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings.
The first half snuck away from the Jacks as CSUMB scored a goal on junior goalkeeper Tab Heinz just under seven minutes into the match.
Humboldt was unable to respond as Monterey consistently pressured with a high defensive line and controlled offensive possession. Despite being able to make offensive pushes in the first 25 minutes, the Jacks were unable to establish themselves in the attacking area for a significant amount of time. It wasn’t long before Monterey scored again, keeping their lead with a new score of 2-0.
On the offensive side, Isaiah Dairo provided the spark needed to the Jacks on the board. Throughout the match Dairo constantly drove the play along the right wing as well as in Monterey’s goal box.
Senior defender Gus Baxter stepped up to take the kick for the Jacks and didn’t hesitate, striking it past CSUMB’s goalkeeper Daniel Lomeli to score his fifth goal of the season. With the score now 2-1, the Jacks’ offense seemed reinvigorated and pushed Monterey hard until the end of the half.
In the second half, Humboldt’s offense outshot CSUMB 13-2 and took four corner kicks but didn’t have any luck finding the back of the net. Monterey managed the clock very well, playing a possession focused game and continuing to challenge the Jacks.
The pacing of the half was slow as both teams committed nine fouls, but neither of them were able to capitalize on the reoccurring opportunity. This was a trend throughout the match as Monterey committed 22 fouls in total and Humboldt committed 12.
Humboldt State defender Martin Calderon was confident in the defensive side of the Jacks’ game even after the loss.
“The last few games have been pretty solid on the back,” Calderon said. “I think it’s just been the little mistakes that have cost us the games. Last game we gave up two headers, this game it was just a deflection that we kind of messed up and the other teams don’t let those goals go.”
Head Coach Fred Jungemann was disappointed to not come out of the match with a win but saw positives from the Jacks’ offensive opportunities that they were able to generate.
“I think even before the penalty kick our guys kind of regrouped and managed the game really well,” Jungemann said. “The last 75 minutes of the game we dominated, played the game we wanted to play. We created chances, just couldn’t hit the back of the net.”
The Jacks lost their sixth consecutive game Saturday night. With the 1-3 loss, Humboldt State moves to 1-6 in conference play which leaves them second to last in the CCAA standings as they approach the halfway point of conference competition.
Summer Hansen led the team with 12 kills for the night while Lenox Loving found herself in the double digits again with 10. Odelia Ryan pulled out 30 digs during the match, followed by Loving who had 22.
Humboldt State put themselves behind early on in the first set, giving up six straight points to the visitors allowing the score to stretch out to 12-7.
Throughout the remainder of the set, the Jacks never managed to string together consecutive points. San Francisco took the opening set with a score of 25-13 as Humboldt did not respond fast enough to their defense.
Not much changed for the Jacks as they started slow in the second set and conceded the first four points. Humboldt found their offensive groove result in an impressive eight-point run and the Jacks took the second set 25-21.
Humboldt changed things up and came out swinging hard at the start of the third set. The Jacks were able to hold their lead for much of the set. It wasn’t long before the Gators tied it up at 20-20.
What followed was a blistering back and forth that saw the score at 24-23 in favor of the visitors with 25 points needed to take the set. In a moment that stunned the Humboldt State athletes and fans alike, outside hitter Lexi Riggs hit the ball over the net and was initially awarded a kill before the referee reversed the decision, calling the ball out of bounds and allowing San Francisco to take 2-1 lead over a now frustrated Jacks team.
The fourth and final set of the night saw an agitated Humboldt team consistently outplayed as the Gators capitalized on the home squad’s frustration to a much higher degree. In a quick series of plays, San Francisco built themselves an 11 point buffer that almost entirely neutralized any momentum that Humboldt may have established in the previous set. The Jacks only managed a few scoring runs, and the Gators finished off the set 25-14 and took their first win on the road for the season.
After the game, Head Coach Kelly Wood was frustrated with her team’s performance, indicating that there wasn’t enough grit in their play during the match.
“Overall, our team does not have enough of a competitive spirit,” Wood said. “We don’t play with toughness. We’re too nice out there on the court. Great group of girls, but we get out there, and we are just allowing teams to manhandle us basically, and I’m very frustrated right now with our performance.”
Watching the Humboldt State volleyball team this season, it’s impossible not to notice the Jacks’ breakout performer Lenox Loving.
Standing at 5’9″, the sophomore from Fair Oaks, California isn’t the tallest player on her team in a sport that is often dominated by height. Loving makes up for that with pure athleticism and an unrelenting work effort noted by her teammates and coaches. In her second season at the collegiate level, Loving has found a regular home in the Jacks’ rotation and seems poised to solidify her place as one of the team’s top scorers.
While fans of Humboldt State volleyball may find it difficult to imagine the women’s team without the offensive powerhouse of Loving, her decision to play the game in college wasn’t made easily. Her interest in the sport initially came from watching her sister play in tournaments, which made her want to try it out for herself.
“I also did soccer and track growing up,” Loving said. “So I didn’t know what sport I wanted to play in college. It wasn’t really until my sophomore year in high school that I really decided that I wanted to play in college.”
Loving began establishing herself in a hitting role during her junior and senior year with Zara Budenbender, her coach at Bella Vista High School. Budenbender coached Loving from the time that she made varsity as a freshman and knew her from coaching Loving’s sister. Budenbender believes that Loving’s ability to adapt to the game situation and be effective from all areas of the court is what put her ahead in a highly competitive club volleyball environment.
“Her senior year we also worked more on her hitting out of the back row,” Budenbender said. “So she was an attack front row or back row. She was just someone who was consistently putting the ball in the court and putting it away. So not just hitting it in, but with force that other teams couldn’t return.”
“She’s a skilled player already. But she’s making big strides because of a combination of being very coachable and having a good skill set and great athletic ability.”
Kelly Wood, Head Coach for HSU’s Volleyball Team
Despite a freshman season for Loving which saw her with only 54 kills, she bounced back and worked hard over the summer and the weeks leading into the preseason. At the time of writing this article, Loving had 104 kills in just 29 sets played. Much of her work in the spring and summer revolved around playing doubles outdoors. Head Coach Kelly Wood feels that this is one area in particular that has proven to be a strength for Loving and allowed her to elevate her game.
“She’s a skilled player already,” Wood said. “But she’s making big strides because of a combination of being very coachable and having a good skill set and great athletic ability.”
Loving acknowledges that her opening season for Humboldt State was not the most successful. But she doesn’t seem overly concerned in hindsight now that she has more experience at the collegiate level.
“I think last season just being a freshman,” Loving said. “I played like a typical freshman. I was just really nervous and I didn’t get a lot of exposure, so I wasn’t really confident in my play.”
First-year struggles behind her, Loving has emerged this year as one of the key pieces for Jacks’ volleyball success in the early stages of the season. Even with the attention directed at her individual effort, Loving often refers to the team as a whole when it comes to finding ways to score. This has not gone unnoticed by teammates who share this sentiment and have nothing but good things to say about Loving.
Junior Lexi Riggs has played with Loving the last two seasons and sees having her on the team as a benefit both in performance and in personality.
“I think her athleticism is a huge advantage for our team,” Riggs said. “She just has a really good attitude and presence on the court. You never are down playing next to Lenox. She always is positive, good energy and she is just super athletic.”
This sentiment is echoed by Loving’s teammate and roommate Juliana Bertolucci, who points to the difficult nature of the outside hitter position and how well Loving can handle the ball in tough situations.
“She does well at bettering the ball,” Bertolucci said. “If there is someone that makes maybe not that great of a set or if there’s not that great of a pass she’s always ready to help out, and she’s always ready to make a better decision on the ball.”
For Riggs, Loving’s athletic success this season is just one more reason why she’s special to the team.
“I think she’s just such a great person,” Riggs said. “Everyone who knows Lenox knows she’s an awesome person and I think she’s a great athlete too. I mean, I can’t say enough. I love Lenox, she’s awesome. And we all do, It makes me super proud watching Lenox out there doing as great as she is.”
For her coach and teammates, Loving’s current performance is one more step in what is possible for the sophomore with two full years of competition still ahead of her. With opponents beginning to try and lock her down more frequently, Wood remains confident that she will be able to grow even further as a player.
“I’m so optimistic and hopeful to see what she’s able to do in these next couple of years,” Wood said. “Right now just all of a sudden, her confidence has appeared because she’s having the success she’s having, early on in our season.”
With the team as such a big part of her life on and off the court, Loving attributes much of her personal achievement to the whole group showing how confidence in her teammates has allowed her to achieve such high point production on an individual level.
“I wouldn’t have as many kills if weren’t for our defense and our setters,” Loving said. “Everyone on our team is so encouraging and I know that when I’m hitting, I feel confident that my back row can cover me. I’m confident that my setter is going to set me the sets that I need. It’s really nice having a team that I can just rely on so much and that has helped me succeed.”