The sports scene on campus has looked bare since all fall Division I sports at DU had their seasons delayed due to COVID-19. However, preparations for the eventual start of competition have not let up. Teams have continued with intensive practice, workout regimens and team gatherings, all with modified safety and cleanliness protocol. The volleyball team—like every other fall sport in the Summit League—would have normally begun play in August but will now have to wait until the spring for competition to commence.
Head coach Tom Hogan told the Clarion what a typical practice session looks like in the middle of a pandemic.
“We currently train in two separate cohorts of eight student-athletes each,” Hogan said. “We have split our staff into two groups and essentially run two practices separate from each other. When we have meetings, we do them over Zoom.”
Other safety protocols the team has implemented include temperature and symptom checks, volleyballs being sanitized every half-hour and masks being worn the entire time. Simple contacts that are common for athletes such as high-fives and fist bumps are not permitted.
The team organizes drills and practices to allow for the lowest risk of transmission and most amount of separation and space. According to Hogan, once practice is completed, student-athletes immediately go from the gym back to their dorms, apartments or houses.
Beyond practices and games, another big part of the success of any NCAA Division I sports team is their recruiting efforts to keep the talent coming in from all over the world. The team now utilizes technology such as Zoom, FaceTime and WhatsApp to interact with recruits in a more personal way.
“Campus tours and skill evaluations are all done over video now, but we’ve had good success engaging with amazing people and players. We have been able to convey to them why the University of Denver is such a special place,” Hogan said.
Senior middle blocker Tina Boe (Plymouth, Minn.) is in her final year with the team and is not getting the senior season she expected. However, Boe is grateful to still be getting to play a full season, even if it got delayed.
“A lot of my friends that were seniors last year didn’t get that same luxury [of a full season],” Boe explained.
Despite an unusual end to her academic and athletic career at DU, Boe does hope to continue her volleyball career after graduation.
“So far, the restrictions this year have not hindered my [post-grad plans] much. We can still practice and train, and we will just keep doing our best to improve as much as we possibly can given the circumstances,” Boe said.
The team is entering their sixth season under Hogan’s direction, who boasts a 96-27 record with the team. In his first three years at DU, he led the team to three consecutive Summit League regular-season titles and NCAA Tournament berths. Hogan has also been a two-time Summit League Coach of the Year. He believes that despite the circumstances surrounding this season, players, coaches and fans can expect the “most competitive season the Summit League has seen in over a decade.”
Hogan is confident that the team will be able to perform at a higher level than ever before this season, which currently does not have a set schedule.
“This season, we will have one of the deepest and most talented volleyball teams ever to take the court at the University of Denver,” Hogan said. “We have the ability to make history and achieve something truly special.”
