On Wednesday, March 11, WKU Softball spent the off day of its spring break trip in Dallas, Texas. The day culminated with a trip to the American Airlines Center to catch former Hilltopper Basketball player Courtney Lee in action as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. No one could have imagined by the time the Tops would exit the arena that night, they had attended what could have been the final NBA game of the season.
The next day, suspensions and cancelations filled social media as conference after conference made the necessary announcements due to COVID-19.
"When we were in Texas, it was really difficult because we knew that other schools and teams were shutting down and having to move out," senior pitcher Kelsey Aikey shared. "I was talking with a lot of my friends from other teams as it was happening to them but just not Conference USA yet."
With C-USA yet to make any announcements, the Hilltoppers headed over to Denton and practiced as scheduled to prepare for its weekend series at North Texas. News didn't stop rolling in while the Tops were at practice with the suspension of all spring sports taking place during that period.
"It was something that was definitely unexpected," head coach Amy Tudor said. "I felt like figuring out the best way to tell the team was probably the most difficult thing for me. There's not an easy way to lighten the blow of 'you're suspended' and 'actually, the whole season is canceled'. We were at practice at North Texas, we'd just finished watching the Mavericks play [the night before]. When I let the team know, a lot of tears were shed; a lot of shock. Moving forward, I feel like everyone on the team has adapted and are doing the best they can with everything."
The team would finally make its way back to Bowling Green Friday evening. Tudor's squad would be the final WKU Athletics team back to campus, concluding travel for the 2019-20 seasons. WKU Softball would soon be dispersed across the country attempting to acclimate to what seemed like an ever-changing new normal with many questions left unanswered.
Over two weeks later, some of those questions began to be resolved.
On March 30, the NCAA Division I Council voted to allow schools to provide spring-sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility. WKU opted to honor that additional season of eligibility.
"People were excited to get that year back, freshmen through seniors," Tudor added. "I think that was a big scare for not only the seniors with it being their last year but also for the underclassmen."
For Aikey, the decision was easy once it was in her hands.
"I was super excited to hear that vote passed," the Cedar Falls, Iowa, native said. "I don't think it was much of a decision honestly, my life pretty much revolves around softball."
Sophomore Kennedy Sullivan and junior Jordan Thomas both echoed their senior teammate.
"I think it's so exciting," Sullivan said. "I know that for the seniors it was a really big decision because we didn't know that UT-Arlington was going to be their last game. But for everyone else, we would have lost out on a year of our eligibility too. The season was going really well for everybody and we really felt something special. I think it's great that we get another opportunity to go out and show what we can do as we get this group – minus Mac – back together and see what we could've done this season."
"I'm happy that a lot of seniors now get to leave the game on their own terms," Thomas added. "I didn't want their college careers to end like that. For them to be able to decide if they come back is amazing. I know it won't be the same without Mac, but life doesn't stop for anybody and I'm glad that we do get Aikey and Paige Carter back because they help us tremendously. What we're going to be able to accomplish next year is going to be awesome and I can't wait to see what we can do when we get back."
While Aikey and Carter plan to return, WKU Softball's third senior, Morgan McElroy will not utilize her fifth-year option.
"Our whole goal in our program is to see our student-athletes graduate and move on and become leaders in whatever field they choose," Tudor stated. "For Morgan McElroy, that plan was already in place. She's done so much for our program and we're so grateful for her but understanding where she's going and what her plans look like, we don't want to deter someone away from pursuing what they've been trying to do the entire time they've been here. Softball is only a piece of the puzzle in their lives. I think she's pretty comfortable with her decision while it's hard.
"I think the other two (Aikey and Carter), with their paths, they can still manage to do it and I think they're excited to return. Whatever path our players choose, we really want to make that possible for them."
"We didn't really get a chance to come together and talk about it when the vote passed but we know that Mac takes her work seriously and she had a really good job lined up so that made sense for her," Aikey shared. "For everyone else, when we heard that everything was suspended and shutdown, we knew that if we got another chance we were going to take it."
Before the remainder of the 2020 season was canceled, WKU Softball was off to a 20-5 start, owning a 3-0 record in C-USA play after sweeping Middle Tennessee and an RPI of 31. The Tops had been predicted to finish second in the Conference USA Preseason Poll and were scheduled to host the 2020 C-USA Tournament on The Hill in May.
"I felt the team did have a great start this season," Tudor added. "There was obviously room for improvement and areas that I think we need to focus on a little bit more. We talk about every season is a new season and I always told this team that 'every game could be your last' and I don't know if they believed me but now that's really hit home. You should play every day like it's your last…We're going to build on what we accomplished though. I think we have a good core returning."
Thomas shared the impact that Aikey and Carter will have as they return for their fifth seasons with the program.
"The great thing about returning the majority of our team will be the leadership and experience," Thomas continued. "Carter and Aikey have been around college softball the most and they'll be able to bring back a lot of leadership and experience because they've been in a lot of those conference games, the close games, the 1-1 ball games in the top of the seventh; Aikey lives for those moments. We'll be back with a lot of fire and passion to get after it because we knew what we could do this year."
Until the team can reunite on campus, in addition to joining forces with its most recent signees, Kennedy Foote and Kelsie Houchens, Tudor's squad will continue to operate under a new normal.
"Softball aside, now it's really just being there for the team and listening," Tudor said. "We've used Zoom a lot. We try to keep the mood light, sharing stories of what they're doing, some fun stories and what they're watching on TV. There really is no softball instruction as of now. I feel like now is a time where they needed to spend time with family and friends in this isolation time period that's been so difficult."
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