Author: Stasya Hopp

By Stasya Hopp | ReporterIn not so high spirits, sports seasons have been cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and not only are those athletes struggling to deal with the effects of the virus, but the men and women who cheer them on are too.The Baylor spirit squads have a long-established presence on the sidelines of football, volleyball and basketball games, but also partake in competitions of their own. The Baylor Songleaders regularly compete in the National Championship in Las Vegas held by Dance Team Union.But not this year. Nationals were canceled. On top of that, the cancellation of…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterNo. 27 Baylor men’s tennis increased their winning record to 12-3 with a 7-0 sweep of Valparaiso Wednesday at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. The Baylor victory brings their home win record to 10-0 and marks the first time the Bears and the Crusaders have faced off in school history.Associate head coach Michael Woodson was able to watch his alma mater compete against the Bears. Woodson is a former Crusader letterwinner and was an assistant coach for the Crusaders before he came to Baylor. Both teams celebrated Valpo head coach Jim Daugherty prior to the match.…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterTrack, but on water. This is how Baylor Crew president Megan Baniewicz would describe crew to a person who had no knowledge of the sport. Baylor Crew is a unique team — everyone may row individually, but working together is imperative to their success. Crew is currently a club sport, but Aveiro, Portugal, native Lucas Jorge, who was appointed crew head coach in the fall of 2019, said Baylor Crew could be on its way to becoming a Division I Baylor team. There are currently only two Division I rowing teams in Texas: Southern Methodist University…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterEvery year Texas has performed poorly in the national ranking of developmental disability services called the Case for Inclusion report annually released by United Cerebral Palsy and the ANCOR Foundation.In 2019, Texas ranked 49th among states in efforts to serve individuals with disabilities. ANCOR Foundation’s press release addressing the issue said, “Texas has taken no significant steps to improve policies that help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities lead more independent and productive lives, resulting in a continued poor showing in state rankings.”My sister has intellectual and developmental disabilities, and my family has struggled to find…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterNo. 9 Baylor equestrian (4-6, 2-3) achieved an 11-8 upset win over No. 4 Fresno State (6-5, 2-2) Saturday at the Willis Family Equestrian Center. After last week’s loss to No. 1 Auburn, the Bears maintained their undefeated 9-0 home record with their win over the Bulldogs.Head coach Casie Maxwell said the team played really well the past two weekends they spent on the road at TCU and Auburn. “It’s hard to play on the road, to be confident and to be bold, lay out some good scores, and we did that in both of those…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterBehind the success of Baylor athletics lie the people who keep athletes healthy both physically and mentally. Baylor’s athletic training staff has a direct hand in the success of the teams they are responsible for, but what they do is so much more than what fans see on game day. Each sports team has a team of athletic trainers who cover their treatment, practices and games. But Carrie Shearer, assistant athletic director for athletic medicine and director for rehabilitation services, said what Baylor trainers do is more than run across the football field with a medical…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterBaylor women’s tennis gave Nebraska (4-1) their first loss Saturday at Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center, bringing their own winning record up to 6-0 after defeating the Cornhuskers 6-1. Head coach Joey Scrivano said the team has good depth and was excited about the many positions that have winning streaks. “I think right now we have a unique team,” Scrivano said. “It’s fun, it’s just fun to have depth. In this sport, it’s a unique situation when you have nine really good players and you have options, so we’re going to enjoy every second of it.” Senior…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterWith incredibly busy schedules full of practices, games, workouts, classes, tutoring, volunteering and the need to sleep and socialize, balancing faith and athletics is no easy task. But keeping that balance is one of the elements that defines Baylor’s volleyball program. Senior setter/defensive specialist Braya Hunt said the Baylor volleyball team made it easy to make faith a priority because of the love they have shown her, and the faith of the players is something that sets them apart from other programs. “The team chemistry that we have far exceeds us being friends,” Hunt said. “We…

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By Stasya Hopp | ReporterNo. 5 Baylor men’s tennis (5-0) earned another win in the ITA Kick-Off championship match, defeating Louisville (5-1) 4-1 Sunday at Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. This win secures Baylor a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships next month in Madison, Wis.“Louisville’s a highly competitive team and they came ready to compete,” head coach Brian Boland said. “It was a hard-fought match, which we expected.” Sophomore Finn Bass and freshman Sebastian Nothhaft achieved a 6-0 victory in their doubles match over Cardinals sophomores David Mizrahi and Alex Wesbrooks. Senior Constantin Frantzen and junior Sven Lah,…

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