Ladies overcome losses

Photo by Wayne Gehman

Amanda Renalds, junior, was named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 10-16. This marks the second straight week she has been honored by the ODAC, and the fifth basketball Player of the Week award for EMU this season.

Even after losing the top two scorers from a year ago, including one team captain, the women's basketball team is pulling together.

Starting off the year without Carrie Granstaff--the 2003-2004 leading scorer--was only the first battle the Lady Royals had to face. Early on in the season, returning player and second leading scorer Laura Ludholtz suffered a knee injury. Ludholtz took some time off during the preseason to recover, but apparently did not fully heal.

"She (Ludholtz) started off wearing a small knee strap, then a brace, and then the braces kept getting bigger and bigger," said Junior Deanna Brubaker, a Hesston College transfer. "You could tell that she was hurt physically, but she was still there as an emotional leader," Brubaker commented.

Coach McElwee has been moving forward since the loss of Ludholtz . "I don't know a whole lot of details on Laura leaving, but we definitely miss her. We have been taking steps forward since Christmas break and haven't really addressed the reasons for her absence." Ludholtz ultimately made the decision not to return to EMU this semester based on her knee injury and academic standing.

Granstaff did not return this year after getting married during the summer of 2004. "I miss the girls more than anything, but it is good not to have the stress and pressure," said Granstaff when asked what it was like to be in the stands instead of on the court.

Not only did losing Ludholtz weaken the team on the court, but her off-court leadership will be missed as well. The loss of these two key players from last season did change the team, but according to Coach McElwee, "Someone different has stepped it up every game. It has been a privilege to coach them."

The Lady Royals still have four returning players, including two-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Week Mandy Reynolds and some new players which have contributed both offensively and defensively. "Mandy is stepping it up. She is drawing the fouls and is a strong post player," said junior Regina Sours. "We still have our heads up."

Brubaker, who has been an asset on defense, said, "We have become more of a team. There are not as many individual standouts, and we play as a whole."

Currently the Lady Royals are second in the ODAC behind Randolph-Macon. They are 12-3 overall and 8-2 in conference play. A tough conference loss on Saturday to Guilford gave the team its second conference loss but "I can't fault our effort," says McElwee.

Sunday's 66-41 win at home against Emory and Henry College left the Lady Royals in second place in the ODAC.

Sours says, "We are out to prove a point. We are still here, and we are still playing."