When Nate McGhee ’24, MBA ’26, arrived at ����Vlog in the fall of 2020, it wasn’t his first time giving college the old college try. The marketing and business administration major, a key contributor to the Royals men’s volleyball team during his four seasons on the squad, had enrolled at Randolph-Macon College a couple years prior. But a string of personal hardships, combined with a lack of preparation and a limited support system, led him to flunk out after his first year.

He said the private liberal arts school, which competes with ����Vlog in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), might have been a good fit had he applied himself more. But he hadn’t yet developed strong study habits and, as he struggled with self-doubt, he didn’t know how or where to ask for help.

“I was keeping it all to myself, which was probably the worst thing to do,” he said.

When he returned home to Newport News after being dismissed from the school, he felt lost.

“I was stuck,” McGhee said. “I was like, ‘OK, everything you worked for isn’t coming to fruition, so what are you going to do?’”

He took his first full-time job, bussing tables and working the raw bar at a seafood and oyster restaurant near his home, while attending night classes at Thomas Nelson Community College (now known as Virginia Peninsula Community College). Though he continued playing recreational volleyball to stay sharp, the former high school standout had all but given up on competing at the collegiate level.

During a trip to Richmond to cheer on his friends and former coaches at a volleyball tournament in early 2020, opportunity came knocking. Less than 10 minutes after arriving, McGhee felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Danielle Lickey, ����Vlog’s head men’s volleyball coach at the time.

After hearing how his volleyball career had stalled, Lickey invited him to visit campus. “We could use someone like you,” he recalled her saying.

McGhee toured campus over spring break and quickly fell in love with its picturesque mountain setting and close-knit feel. “This is my second chance,” he remembered thinking. “I have to take it.”

That fall, he transferred to ����Vlog as a sophomore. Over his (2021-24), he ranks 11th all-time in career kills and earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023. In the summer of 2023, he represented the United States on a team in Italy.

“I thought volleyball was over for me, but that’s how I got back into it,” he said. “If she hadn’t tapped me on the shoulder that one day, I probably wouldn’t be here [at ����Vlog] right now.”

Nate McGhee ranks 11th all-time in career kills over his four seasons with the ����Vlog men’s volleyball team (2021-24). He earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023 and represented the United States on a team in Italy that summer.

Learning to lead

Off the volleyball court, McGhee found a firm footing in ����Vlog’s classrooms and campus community. He earned a spot on the Dean’s List, an honor given to students with a semester GPA of at least 3.75. He grew more comfortable opening up to others on campus and seeking help when needed. He credited his advisor, Dr. Jim Leaman, associate professor of business, with helping keep him on track.

“I probably wouldn’t have graduated without him,” McGhee said. “He became a mentor to me and was with me every step of the way.”

He said his parents’ love and support also helped him persevere when times were tough. 

“For a while, I felt like I was letting them down and failing at life,” he said. “But they told me it’s what you do after failing that makes it a failure. If you stay down and give up, then you’ve failed. But if you get up and learn from your mistakes, then the mistake is history.”

After graduating with a degree in business administration and marketing in spring 2024, McGhee stayed at ����Vlog as a graduate assistant coach for head men’s volleyball coach Omar Hoyos Aliff while pursuing his MBA, which he completed this past spring.

McGhee plans to use his degrees to build a career in sports marketing. He’s applied for positions with professional athletic organizations such as League One Volleyball.

“That’s really what I have a passion for,” he said. “Eventually, maybe five years down the line, I would love to open my own business sponsoring athletes and getting them more exposure.”

While coaching was never a career path he considered as a player, his experience as a graduate assistant has shown him that he has a knack for it and genuinely enjoys it. “I like seeing player growth,” he said. “I look at volleyball as an art. You can always build on it and learn something new.”

McGhee said that multitasking, time management, and resilience are all skills he learned while at ����Vlog. “I’ve definitely developed a lot of confidence in my craft,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence before I came here in anything I did, and at ����Vlog I’ve learned how to lead with confidence.”

When the Royals men’s volleyball team traveled to Ashland in April for the 2026 ODAC Championship match against Randolph-Macon, it was a full-circle moment for McGhee. The Yellow Jackets ultimately prevailed in the , but the match reminded him of the many times he had faced his former team, including a conference quarterfinal at Randolph-Macon during his senior year when the Royals swept the Yellow Jackets.

“That was unreal,” McGhee said. “Whenever I played games there, I always did poorly because I felt there was something hanging over me. But that game, and this last game we played, really showed me how much I’ve grown.”

Watch Nate talk about the close-knit community and support he found at ����Vlog.

This story appears in the summer 2026 issue of Crossroads magazine.

Royals Freshman Athlete of the Year

Female Freshman of the Year:����(���Ǵڳٲ�������)

Judd had an outstanding season for the Royals softball team and was one of just four players to start all 34 games. She hit .304, third-best on the team, while totaling 35 hits, second-most on the roster. In 115 at-bats, she struck out only nine times. Defensively, Judd posted a .985 fielding percentage with just two errors in 132 chances while playing first base, catcher, and the outfield.

“Aliza Judd … great attitude, and she brings it every day,” said head softball coach JD McCurdy. “She was our leadoff hitter and an immediate impact player. If you ever come to see her play, you’ll never know whether she’s 0-for-5 or 5-for-5; she’s ice cold. She checks all the boxes as a great player and a great leader.”��

Male Freshman of the Year:����(men’s track and field)

Rucker burst onto the scene for ����Vlog, placing ninth in the shot put and 12th in the weight throw at his first collegiate meet, the Liberty Kickoff, which featured many Division I and II programs. The following weekend, he won the shot put and finished second in the weight throw, beginning a dominant indoor season in which he consistently won events while climbing the ����Vlog track and field record books. He set the program record in the indoor weight throw, ranks second in the indoor shot put, set the outdoor discus record, and ranks second in the outdoor hammer throw.

At the indoor ODAC Championships, Rucker earned Second Team All-ODAC honors in the shot put, and at season’s end he was named USTFCCCA All-South Region in both the shot put and weight throw. He followed with a stellar outdoor season, winning ODAC titles in the hammer throw and discus while finishing second in the shot put. He currently ranks 29th in Division III in the hammer throw and 50th in the shot put.

“I think one of the most impressive things about Koran is that, for the last couple of months, the throwers have had to pretty much coach themselves,” said Director of Cross Country, Track & Field and Triathlon Bob Hepler. “He’s shown a lot of character through his work ethic, and we are very blessed to have him.

Royals Athlete of the Year

Female Athlete of the Year:�� ’26��(women’s soccer)

Beachy was named Female Athlete of the Year following arguably her best season as a Royal. She scored 10 goals in her senior campaign, including a two-goal performance in a 4–1 home win over Hollins on Senior Day. Beachy finished the season ranked seventh in the ODAC in goals, third in game-winning goals (5), and 11th in points (20), earning Third Team All-ODAC honors—the first All-ODAC selection for ����Vlog women’s soccer since 2017.

Her on-field production and leadership helped guide ����Vlog Women’s Soccer to one of its strongest seasons in recent years. The Royals finished 6–11–1 in 2025, recording their highest win total since 2019 and qualifying for the ODAC Women’s Soccer Tournament for the first time since that same year.

“It’s an honor to recognize Leah,” said Royals head coach Leo Alcoreza. “Her impact on our program goes far beyond stats. Come game day, Leah consistently delivered in the biggest moments, stepping up time and time again when we needed her most. As a team captain, she led by example every day. She’s not just an incredible athlete, she’s an even better teammate, person, and leader, and ����Vlog is better because of her.”

Male Athlete of the Year:�� ’26��(���������������)

A four-year starter for the Royals, Miller played in and started 38 games this season and delivered one of the best individual campaigns in ����Vlog baseball history. He led the team with a .427 batting average, which ranked third in the ODAC for the 2026 season. Miller also paced the Royals and ranked second in the ODAC with 61 hits, the sixth-most in a single season in program history. On the bases, he stole 25 bags, leading the ODAC and tying the ����Vlog single-season record.

He helped guide ����Vlog to 14 regular-season wins, the program’s highest total since the 2019 season.

“Aidan should be getting his second All-Conference award later this month, and he’ll finish in the top 10 in multiple categories in our record book, but that stuff is really irrelevant to what he’s meant to our program,” said Royals head coach Adam Posey. “If you guys listen, his nickname right now is ‘Skip,’ as in skipper of the team. He’s very passionate about what he does and very loyal, and we’ll miss all of those things next year.”

President’s Award

Female President’s Award:�� ’26��(women’s soccer)

Beachy is from Grants Pass, Oregon, and is a nursing graduate who achieved a 4.00 GPA during her time at ����Vlog. She plans to work as a nurse on a medical-surgical floor and join an adult soccer league.

A four-year member of the women’s soccer team, Beachy was named Third Team All-ODAC in 2025. During her career at ����Vlog, she played 5,391 minutes across 72 games. She led or co-led the team in scoring for three seasons, totaling 21 goals and eight assists. Beachy is the co-record holder for most single-game assists and points and ranks fifth all-time in career points (50) and sixth in career goals (21).

She was a four-year member of the Dean’s List and the All-ODAC Academic Team, a two-time VaSID Academic All-State selection, and a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree. She was also a member of the Honors Program. Off the field, Beachy served as a Royal Ambassador, tour guide, peer tutor, and member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing and the Nursing Student Association. She also served as a student-faculty representative for the nursing program and as an Honors Program facilitator.

“����Vlog Athletics gave me the rare opportunity to play soccer while receiving a phenomenal nursing education, providing an outlet to exist purely as a competitor amid the demands of college,” Beachy said. “The joys and challenges of athletics expanded my capacity to serve and lead not only as a teammate, but also as a nurse, friend, and community member. I leave ����Vlog Athletics with precious relationships, lasting memories, and a deeper love for the game. It has been a true privilege.”��

Male President’s Award:�� ’26 (baseball)

Hall is from Chesapeake, Virginia, and is a health and physical education graduate with minors in kinesiology, exercise science, and coaching. He achieved a 3.74 GPA during his time at ����Vlog and plans to pursue a career in physical education.

A four-year member of the baseball program, Hall played in 103 games for the Royals. He holds a career batting average of .278 with 87 hits, 17 doubles, and 46 RBI. In 2024, he was hit by a pitch 25 times, and he has been hit 47 times in his career, both ����Vlog baseball records.

Academically, he was named to the Dean’s List five times, the All-ODAC Academic Team four times, and is a CSC Academic All-District honoree. Off the field, he was a member of Every Nation Campus.

“����Vlog Athletics is more than a season, more than a game, more than a practice, more than a result, and more than a feeling,” Hall said. “It is an outlet, it is a community, it is cherished moments and friendships that will last a lifetime. I felt at one point that I was defined by results. Coach Posey has helped me find my identity—not in results, not in statistics, but in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ����Vlog Athletics has been a place where myself and others can grow in our faith and develop our foundation on a Kingdom that is everlasting.”

Stay up to date with ����Vlog Athletics through its�������Ի� ��accounts or visit its��.

����Vlog welcomed hundreds of student-athletes, coaches, and spectators from schools across the Old Dominion Athletic Conference on Friday and Saturday, April 24-25, for the 2026 ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

As part of the university’s two-year agreement to host the annual event, this marked the second consecutive year the championships have been held at ����Vlog. Last year was the first time ����Vlog had hosted them since 2005.

The two-day event provided an exciting opportunity for ����Vlog to showcase its campus and state-of-the-art track and field complex, which opened in October 2024. The facility is one of only a few in the ODAC that meets NCAA certification standards and can be configured to allow athletes to run, jump, and throw with the tailwind.

More than 120 volunteers assisted with events in rain, wind, sun, and changing temperatures. ����Vlog faculty and staff from across departments, along with students, alumni, community members, and the athletics department, all contributed to making the meet a success.

Filipo Toelau competes in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2026 ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Ahsan Abul-Qasim (left) placed third in the men’s long jump, while Josh Joseph (right) earned All-ODAC honors.

Two ����Vlog student-athletes won medals at the championships.

Koran Rucker, ����Vlog Athletics Male Freshman of the Year, was named ODAC champion in the men’s discus throw and hammer throw and placed second in the shot put. He became the first men’s track and field athlete to win multiple events in the same ODAC outdoor championship meet since Michael Allen ’13 claimed both the long jump and triple jump in 2011.

Ahsan Abul-Qasim placed third in both the men’s 200-meter dash and the men’s long jump.

They were two of five Royals to earn All-ODAC honors in at least one event, along with Nick Arnold, Josh Joseph, and Da’Shawn Winters.

Three women student-athletes contributed point-scoring performances at the championships: Elili Asefa in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Lauren Kauffman in the 10,000 meters, and Faith Schultz in the high jump.

Read recaps of the championships from ����Vlog Athletics below:

Friday

• Koran Rucker wins hammer throw to lead Royal men on Day 1 of ODAC Championships ()
• Three athletes score points for women’s track and field on Day 1 of ODAC Championships ()

Saturday

• Men’s track and field finishes fifth at ODAC Outdoor Championships ()

Patterson is a special agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). She was one of more than 50 special agents assigned to protect America’s athletes and teams as they trained, competed, and traveled to media appearances.

The writing studies grad, who excelled as a cross-country and track athlete at ����Vlog, worked as a field liaison officer at the ice rinks in Milan, where she safeguarded USA’s figure skaters, hockey teams, and speed skaters, including gold medalists Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu, and Jordan Stolz.

“Part of being there is taking time to observe the crowd and ensure everything’s secure and all set-up,” said Patterson. “But it’s also a lot of sport-watching and cheering on Team USA and hoping the athletes you’ve been with do well.”

“Figure skating was phenomenal. I was in awe of what they’re able to do. But the crowd with the biggest atmosphere, I think, was probably men’s and women’s hockey. It was a very exhilarating environment. It was hard not to get caught up and feel the roar of the crowd cheering on the teams.” 

Hannah Patterson ’14, a special agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, worked a “pretty intense schedule” at the 2026 Winter Olympics, often starting her workday at 7 a.m. to protect athletes while they trained and working well past midnight for competitions that ended late.

‘It’s just one big adventure’

Born in Singapore to parents involved in community development work, Patterson moved with her family to Indonesia when she was 12. She attended Mountainview International Christian School. It was there she learned one of her classmates, nursing grad David Jantzi ’13, whose parents were alumni, had his sights set on attending ����Vlog.

“I ended up applying on a whim,” said Patterson, “and I’m so grateful I did.”

She said one of the major draws to ����Vlog was that its financial aid office was “so proactive” in telling her which grants and awards were available. “����Vlog was such an obviously tight-knit community that cared, even before I showed up, and that just followed through over the next four years,” she said. “Looking back now, I wouldn’t have done as well at a big state school where I would’ve felt like just a number. My professors were always there for me, and I loved that about ����Vlog.”

Another draw was its intercultural programs. Patterson immersed herself in the cultures of South Africa and Lesotho for a semester and said she treasures ����Vlog’s global focus.

“I love the sense of adventure that ����Vlog carries with it,” she said. “That’s something I feel almost every day on the job. It’s just one big adventure, and every day is a cross-cultural experience.”

Hannah Patterson ’14 (pictured third from left), a cross-country and track athlete at ����Vlog, said her coaches ensured she was growing and finding her place in the world. “I loved being on a team that was incredibly supportive, and I think my teammates, coaches, and track and cross-country teams really shaped me as a person, pushed me, and helped me grow. In a school that is so community-focused, it was nice to have an even tighter group to grow and dream with.”

Patterson graduated with a writing studies degree in 2014 (right photo). She said her intercultural experiences in South Africa (left photo) and Lesotho, along with the mentorship she received from professors, helped shape her love of adventure. “It’s a huge thing to be able to travel as much as I do and I am very grateful for it,” she said.

Landing the job

After graduating in 2014, Patterson was working at Black Sheep Coffee in Harrisonburg when she mentioned to a coworker she was seeking a career change. Unbeknownst to her, that coworker’s husband was a DSS agent working at a training center in West Virginia, and she suggested that Patterson would be a good fit for the job, based on her experience growing up overseas and her love of adventure.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted it to be relational,” Patterson said. “Along with the daily problem-solving and micro-challenges I enjoy, I’m very grateful this job exists, that I’m able to do it, and that I had a lot of good mentors at ����Vlog along the way to encourage me.”

Patterson worked at the training center (now known as the ) for a half-decade, before applying and landing a job as a . She began training in July 2021 and, after a rigorous training process, officially became an agent in April 2022.

Since then, she’s built up an impressive foreign service career. She worked in Kyiv, Ukraine, for three months during the war. She also served at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for one year.

Last year, Patterson interviewed for her current role as an agent at the Major Events Coordination Office, which secures international events such as the G7 and G20 summits, Pan American Games, and FIFA World Cup, in addition to the Olympics and Paralympics. When she learned she had been selected to join the office, she said she was “out-of-this-world thrilled.”

“It can be quite competitive, and I was very excited that I get to do this for the next two years (DSS agents typically switch offices every one to three years),” said Patterson. “Next year, we’ll have the Pan American Games and the Women’s World Cup, which will be in Brazil.”

This month, Hannah Patterson ’14 will help protect Team USA’s athletes as they train and compete at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, held in Milan and Cortina, Italy, from March 6-15.

Patterson, who has been in Italy since Jan. 27, will also keep watch over America’s athletes during the 2026 Winter Paralympics, held in Milan and Cortina from March 6-15. She’ll serve as one of the special agents staffing a DSS Joint Operations Center at the U.S. Consulate in Milan.

She took advantage of the four-day break in between training for the Olympics and Paralympics to explore the mountains of northern Italy. Inspired by the athletes she watched during the Olympics, she learned to ski for the first time.

“I never thought of this as a career option when I was going to school,” said Patterson. “I remember telling my poetry professor, Michael Ann Courtney, ‘I’m going to be a starving artist for the rest of my life,’ and she told me, ‘No, Hannah, don’t worry. The world is so much bigger than that.’ And it turns out she was right.”

When JD McCurdy decided to move from the high school coaching ranks up to college, that was the headline from the July 1, 2003, issue of the Daily News-Record. But McCurdy, who had already found immense success at Turner Ashby as its softball coach, was ready to take that next step.

“It was the challenge,” McCurdy explained. “We (TA) were dominating everything and I just wanted a new challenge. I always wanted to coach at the college level, and there weren’t many of those available in Virginia and I didn’t want to move. So ����Vlog was the opportunity.”

And meet that challenge he has.

Now, 400+ wins, three ODAC Coach of the Year honors, one NCAA Tournament appearance, three ����Vlog Hall of Honor inductees, and countless All-ODAC award winners later, McCurdy is ready for another challenge…one that he’s never quite faced before: retirement. McCurdy has announced that the 2026 season, his 23rd at ����Vlog, will be his last.

“It is time,” he explained. “I’ve had other coaches tell me, ‘You will know when it’s time,’ and I knew last year it was time for me to make a move and it’s time to give the game up and move on and do something else. I appreciate and am grateful for the opportunity that I got here, and I’m very humbled with what happened. We did really well, but I knew it was time to move on and I feel really good with that.”

When McCurdy applied for the position at ����Vlog, he immediately became an attractive candidate to then-Director of Athletics, Larry R. Martin, because of his track record as a head coach and his knowledge of the softball scene in the Shenandoah Valley.

“I hired him because of his success at the high school level,” Martin said. “And because of him knowing the area players for recruiting, because that’s where most of our people got recruited from, was locally.”

One of those aforementioned local players was Mariah Foltz ’17. Foltz was a standout for the Broadway High School Gobblers softball team and made the decision to come play for McCurdy after her graduation in 2013. She also came back as an assistant coach with the Royals for the 2024 season. She explained that it was his drive to win that drew her to ����Vlog.

“I’ve always loved the way Coach McCurdy governs a team,” Foltz said. “He coaches with authority and wants to win. I chose ����Vlog because I wanted to continue to be a disciplined athlete, held to a high standard, and pushed to succeed. I’m grateful to JD for pushing me to be stronger, resilient, and more accountable.”

McCurdy’s first season was in 2004 and, in just his first season, more than doubled the Royals’ win total from the previous year. The number of wins continued to climb each year until, in 2007 and 2008, McCurdy’s stamp on the team was starting to be seen. In 2007, the Royals went 25-14, 10-8 in the ODAC, and McCurdy was named the ODAC Co-Coach of the Year with Randolph Macon’s Kevin Proffitt. He followed that up in 2008 with a record of 30-13, 13-5 in the ODAC, before falling in the ODAC semifinals.

Over the next two years, ����Vlog had sub-.500 records in conference play, but made it to back-to-back ODAC Championship series. They fell to Lynchburg in 2009 but made it to the mountaintop in 2010, when they knocked off Virginia Wesleyan 5-1 to win ����Vlog’s second ODAC softball championship, their first since 1990, and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. McCurdy was rewarded for that season, as he was named, once again, the ODAC Coach of the Year.    

“JD had a knack for always having his team ready for the playoffs, regardless of what the regular season was,” said former Director of Athletics Dave King. “I didn’t hear this necessarily, but it was sort of conveyed to me several ways that nobody really wanted to draw ����Vlog in the first round of the ODAC tournament, and that one of his championships comes from having ranked eighth and come all the way through to the championship. And I never could figure out what it was about his coaching that did that. Again, I wasn’t there at every practice and all that, but he had a knack. His teams played well in the ODAC tournament, and to me that says something.”

Despite winning an ODAC championship, and not having another losing season until 2019, McCurdy explained that in his 23 years at the helm, he’s had to adapt his coaching style to meet the needs of his players over the years.

“I felt like I could adjust to any situation with that,” he said. “But kids 10 years ago were different than they are now, obviously. And I always felt that I could find a way, a button, that motivated them in some way. And even early on, I was hard. I was really a hard coach early on. I pushed my players, I pushed those kids, but whatever happened within the team, I never let that bother the focus of what we wanted to do for the team and as a team.”

Aislinn Bowen ’16 said it was that pushing and the drive that made McCurdy the successful coach that he was.

“JD succeeds because he is consistent, detail-driven, and genuinely invested in his players,” she said. “He prepares harder than anyone, whether it is breaking down film, adjusting game strategies, or finding the right way to motivate his athletes. But what really sets him apart is his ability to build relationships. He doesn’t just coach players; he develops people. When you are playing for someone who truly invests in you, you naturally want to give everything you have. That culture of commitment and accountability is why his teams win.”

While his teams haven’t seen quite the same success in recent years as at the start of his career, his drive to develop players, and people, has never wavered.

“Coach McCurdy has been a consistent support in my life since an early age,” said Grace Fravel ’25. “He was committed to getting me to ����Vlog, and I felt confident in my decision because I knew that he truly cared, not only about my athletic career, but also my academic journey and personal well-being. Not only was he a coach of mine, but he is also someone I knew I could always count on to help me navigate challenging times throughout my four years at ����Vlog. His love for the game and his players is well-known on and off the field. I feel extremely grateful to have had him as my coach, and I know that he has impacted many ladies’ lives far beyond just my own.”

But now, the time has come. After the season comes to an end, whenever that may be, McCurdy isn’t planning on just riding off into the sunset…that’s not who he is. He’s just planning on looking for that next challenge, even if it’s not on the softball field.

“I’m not quite sure what that next challenge is, but I can guarantee it’ll be something,” McCurdy explained. “I’m definitely going to be involved with my grandkids and their baseball. I’ll spend time with my wife and do some traveling. But outside of that, it’s up in the air.”

And while he may not be at ����Vlog anymore after this season, the impact he’s made will continue to be felt long after a new coach is hired.

“JD’s impact on ����Vlog Softball is significant and lasting,” said Carrie S. Bert ’97, ����Vlog’s Director of Athletics. “Over the course of his career, he elevated the program, highlighted by an ODAC championship and more than 400 career wins. These milestones reflect both longevity and competitive excellence. He has been widely respected by local coaches, colleagues across the ODAC, and peers from all levels of the game for his knowledge, competitiveness, and long-standing commitment to softball. JD invested deeply in the sport and in this institution, and his commitment to recruiting and developing local student-athletes strengthened our connection to the surrounding community. We are grateful for the many years he dedicated to ����Vlog and for the role he played in advancing our softball program during his tenure. JD has certainly earned a well-deserved retirement and we wish him all the best in this next chapter.”

����Vlog will conduct a national search for McCurdy’s replacement, beginning later this month. Interested candidates may visit emu.edu/careers-at-emu for more information once the position is posted.  

����Vlog’s final ODAC Hall of Famer, Lehman had a standout volleyball career for the Royals. She was an AVCA South Regional All-American in 1986. She was a three-time ODAC Player of the Year (1984, 1985, and 1986) and was a four-time All-ODAC First Team honoree.

While at ����Vlog, her teams won four straight ODAC Championships from 1983-86. At the time of her graduation, she was ����Vlog’s all-time leader in career service aces with 203, and set the single-season service aces record with 108. After her graduation in 1987, she became the first woman to have her jersey retired. She was also inducted into the ����Vlog Hall of Honor immediately following her graduation, as a part of the class of 1987.

After leaving ����Vlog, Lehman had a strong career on the sidelines as a women’s volleyball coach at the Division I and Division III levels. At DI Campbell University, she patrolled the sidelines from 1994-97. In her four seasons, she coached the Camels to 69 wins, and is second all-time in career coaching wins at the school.

Lehman then earned her doctoral degree in exercise science from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and returned to coaching at DIII Goshen College. She was the head coach of the Maple Leafs women’s volleyball team from 2004 to 2008. She is also a professor and department chair of kinesiology at Goshen.

Lehman, along with ����Vlog’s three other ODAC Hall of Fame inductees, will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the men’s basketball game against Roanoke inside Yoder Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.��

It could be argued that Kratz is the most successful athlete to come out of ����Vlog. A four-year member of the Diamond Royals, Kratz was an NCAA Second Team All-American in 2002 and a First Team All-South Region honoree in 2001 and 2002. Those two seasons also saw Kratz named the ODAC Player of the Year and All-ODAC First Team. He was named All-ODAC Second Team during the 2000 season.

He holds the ODAC and ����Vlog career record in doubles (77), hits (220), and putouts (1019), and the ����Vlog record in runs scored (147), home runs (33), RBIs (159), batting average (.415), slugging percentage (.762), total bases (404), and games played (155). Kratz had his jersey retired after his final game in 2002, and was inducted into the ����Vlog Hall of Honor in 2012. ��

He was drafted in the 2002 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, and made his MLB debut in 2010 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his 11-year MLB career, he played for the Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, and the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2019, he was selected for Team USA in the 2019 WBSC Premier12, in which he was named the best catcher of the tournament.

Kratz is now the head varsity baseball coach at Dock Mennonite Academy, where he graduated from in 1998. He is also a co-host of the YouTube podcast Foul Territory.��

Kratz, along with ����Vlog’s three other ODAC Hall of Fame inductees, will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the men’s basketball game against Roanoke inside Yoder Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.����

Hensley had one of the best women’s basketball careers in ODAC history. A four-year standout for ����Vlog, she played in Harrisonburg from 1988-92. During that time, she was named a Kodak All-American Honorable Mention (1992) and a Kodak Regional All-American (1992). At the time of her graduation, she was the ODAC’s all-time leading scorer and would hold that honor for six years. She currently sits fourth all-time in the ODAC for total points with 2,163. That number is also tops in the ����Vlog record book, along with being the Royals’ all-time leader in scoring average at 22.5 points per game. She led all of Division III in scoring when she averaged 29.8 points per game during the 1992 season.

She was a two-time All-ODAC First Team member and a two-time All-ODAC Second Teamer. She was also named to the VaSID All-State First Team in 1992. Hensley had her jersey retired in 1992, becoming the first women’s basketball player to have that honor. She was also inducted into the ����Vlog Hall of Honor in 1992.

After leaving ����Vlog, she earned her master’s degree from James Madison University. She was an administrator in Shenandoah County for 15 years, including serving as the principal at Central High School from 2012-19. During that time, she was named the 2016 Virginia Secondary Principal of the Year and Central was named a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School. In 2019, Hensley was named the principal at Harrisonburg High School.��

Hensley, along with ����Vlog’s three other ODAC Hall of Fame inductees, will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the men’s basketball game against Roanoke inside Yoder Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.����

A pioneering coach, co-athletic director, and professor at ����Vlog in the 1960s and ’70s—and the youngest daughter of John R. Mumaw, ����Vlog’s fourth president from 1948-65—Miriam “Mim” Mumaw ’61, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away on Dec. 5, 2025.

During her tenure at ����Vlog (then known as Eastern Mennonite College or EMC), Mumaw coached the school’s first women’s basketball (1966-75), women’s volleyball (1968-79), and field hockey (1970) teams. She achieved the most success with the volleyball team, winning a state championship over James Madison University in 1973 and posting a perfect 21-0 season in 1976. Her overall record with the squad stands at 151-99. Mumaw was inducted into the in 2002. Only three other coaches share that distinction.

Those who were fortunate enough to cross paths with Mumaw, either on ����Vlog’s campus or at Washington Community Fellowship (WCF), describe her as a people person who greeted everyone she met with warmth. They speak highly of her meticulous attention to detail, which shone brightly in her volunteer service to WCF and in her career at Gammon & Grange Law Offices, where she worked for more than 40 years. They also remember her for her love of baseball, particularly the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, and her generosity in sharing her season tickets with others.

Mumaw was a beloved mentor, leader, and friend, known by many for her deep commitment to ����Vlog and her congregation.

“She was a titan, a fierce advocate for women in athletics and for ����Vlog in general,” said Carrie S Bert, the first woman to serve as ����Vlog athletics director.

Dave King ’76, ����Vlog’s athletics director for 17 years before Bert, agreed. 

“Mim advocated for the expansion of women’s sports at a time when that wasn’t supported by many in the institution, including her father who had been president of the college,” said King. 

During one of her visits to the ����Vlog Athletics Suite, Bert recalled, Mumaw had shared with her how her father, likely reflecting the feelings of the wider church, had opposed the growth in women’s physical activities at ����Vlog. “Mim just laughed and said, ‘Well, that wasn’t going to stop me … we just had to agree not to talk about it,’” shared Bert. 

“Mim was always so encouraging of me, both in words of affirmation and in the wonderful way she would squeeze my hand while we chatted,” Bert said. “I could feel her positivity and enduring support in those moments.”

King told the that he first met Mumaw when he arrived as a student in 1972, but “had no idea of the trailblazer she was and the impact she had on women’s sports” until he returned as director of athletics in 2005. “Besides coaching women’s sports and teaching PE classes, her involvement with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) exposed EMC athletics to the broader collegiate athletic community and elevated the EMC sports programs,” King said.

Growing up in a glass bowl

Mumaw was born on Jan. 14, 1938, in Harrisonburg, the youngest of five daughters, to John R. and Esther Mosemann Mumaw. She was 10 years old when her father, a professor and ordained minister, took office as president, succeeding John L. Stauffer. He would serve in that role for the next 17 years.

“That was an important part of her growing up,” said Byron Peachey, a nephew of Mumaw and longtime ����Vlog staff member. “She lived down the road on College Avenue and EMC was an even smaller community than it is now. Everybody knew everybody else’s business. And so for her and her four older sisters, there was a spotlight on them and a set of higher expectations for what they did and how they conducted themselves.”

Mumaw graduated from ����Vlog in 1961 with a degree in business education. She then taught business education classes at Iowa Mennonite School for four years.

“That would’ve been an opportunity for her to spread her wings, outside of this glass bowl at ����Vlog where everybody knew her,” Peachey said.

In 1964, while Mumaw was in Iowa, her mother died “very suddenly,” Peachey said. She returned to Harrisonburg to care for her father (in 1965, he married Evelyn King, former dean of women for ����Vlog, and resigned as president).

Hired by ����Vlog’s fifth president (1965-80) Myron S. Augsburger, Mumaw coached the school’s first women’s intercollegiate athletic teams, including women’s basketball, volleyball, and field hockey. 

“That was groundbreaking for EMC,” Peachey said. “She was a real innovator. ‘Trailblazer’ is an overused word, but she truly was one.”

In 1968, after completing her master’s degree at the University of Iowa, Mumaw began teaching accounting and physical education courses at ����Vlog. She also served as co-athletic director and co-chair of the physical education department.

Sandy Brownscombe, coach of ����Vlog women’s basketball (1978-89), field hockey (1978-93), and men’s volleyball (1991-98) also in the Hall of Honor, said that Mumaw held significant roles at the state, regional, and national levels within the AIAW, which governed women’s college athletics before the NCAA took over in the 1980s.

“Mim was a foundational figure for women’s athletics in Virginia through the AIAW,” Brownscombe said. “She started volleyball in the state of Virginia.”

A life of balance

Brownscombe was finishing her master’s degree coursework at Washington State University in 1978 when she was hired to teach physical education classes and coach the field hockey and women’s basketball teams at ����Vlog. Mumaw interviewed her for the job, and was tasked with finding a place for her to live.

“There weren’t any apartments available,” said Brownscombe, “and so that’s how I ended up sharing her house with her that first year I was here.”

“That was, in my opinion, probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” she added, “because we spent many nights talking with each other, and she would explain to me what it meant to be a Mennonite female athlete. At that point, I was the first non-Mennonite full-time faculty member at ����Vlog, so it really was my introduction to Mennonites and to EMC, and she shared that whole faith experience with me. She was like a big sister to me.”

Less than a full year later, in 1979, Mumaw left for a sabbatical year in D.C. at The Fellowship Foundation. It led to her permanent move to the area.

“She felt like she had taken ����Vlog athletics to the next stage,” Brownscombe said.

“����Vlog women’s sports experienced much success in the 1980s, which I believe was a direct result of Mim’s commitment to developing and expanding sports activities for women,” said King.

Mumaw was a founding member of , a Christ-centered faith community started by President Emeritus Augsburger (its first pastor) and his wife, Esther, in 1981 and affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Mumaw was an active member of WCF for 43 years and served in many roles, including as presiding deacon, elder, and on the Finance, Human Resources, and Building committees.

“Any time students from WCF were attending ����Vlog, Mim always made sure I knew about it,” said Tim Swartzendruber, senior regional advancement director for ����Vlog. “She was an admissions ambassador for us, no question.”

In 1982, Mumaw began a long career at Gammon & Grange Law Offices in Tyson’s Corner, where she served as accountant, office manager, and assistant to senior partner. She worked at the firm for more than 40 years.

She often returned to ����Vlog and continued to love and support the university. She served on the ����Vlog Board of Trustees from 1988-96.

“When I think of Mim, I think of balance,” Brownscombe said. “Her whole life was balanced. She was great as a coach, administrator, teacher, and yet she was so involved in the church, in leadership there, and in her care for people. She was one of those well-rounded people who had it all together.”

“She was always positive, always optimistic,” shared Peachey. “She wanted sports to be fun for young women and for it to be a team experience. I think that was an important value she cultivated, that student-athletes experience team success rather than individual excellence.”

Clockwise from front center: Miriam “Mim” Mumaw ’61, Liz Chase Driver ’86, David Driver ’85, former Orioles player Larry Sheets ’83, and Stephanie Rheinheimer ’13 attend an Orioles baseball game in August 2022. Sheets told writer David Driver for the Augusta Free Press: “Mim was, first and foremost, a wonderful Christian woman, a huge fan of ����Vlog, and a huge supporter of my career and then my son’s (Gavin Sheets’) career.” (Photo courtesy of David Driver/AFP)

A connector of people

A devoted fan of the Orioles and Nationals, Mumaw was known to invite family, friends, and anyone else within her orbit to baseball games. While there, she recorded the action with a pencil and paper scorecard. “It was in her DNA to keep track of details,” Peachey said.

As a student, David Driver ’85, former Weather Vane sports editor, narrowly missed the window when Mumaw was on campus. But he and his family became acquainted with her as longtime members of WCF beginning in the late 1980s.

“She was never one to talk about the role she played as a pioneer for women’s athletics at ����Vlog, but her love of sports was contagious,” said Driver. “I’m happy to say she made WCF a church with a lot of baseball fans.”

“I know that Carrie Bert benefited greatly from having Mim as a mentor,” Driver added. “Without Mim, there may not have been a Carrie as the first woman to serve as ����Vlog athletics director.”

Long after leaving ����Vlog, Mumaw continued to invest in its mission and its students. According to Swartzendruber, Mumaw included ����Vlog in her estate plans, directing support to two funds established by her parents: the Esther Mosemann Mumaw Memorial Endowed Scholarship, which benefits upperclasswomen of any major, and the John R. Mumaw Endowed Scholarship, which benefits teacher education students.

In 2018, Mumaw coordinated a fundraising effort among past and present members of WCF to increase the ongoing student impact of the Myron S. and Esther K. Augsburger Endowed Scholarship for Urban Ministry. The scholarship, valued at more than $400,000, benefits students at Eastern Mennonite Seminary who plan to serve in an urban setting. 

“Mim tried her hardest to attend every alumni gathering, homecoming, you name it,” Swartzendruber said. “She adored ����Vlog. I always got the impression that ����Vlog felt like home to her.”

In addition to her parents, Mumaw was preceded in death by her four sisters: Helen Peachey, Grace Mumaw, Catherine Mumaw, and Lois Martin. She is survived by six nieces and nephews, and many beloved great-nieces and great-nephews. 

“She was a single woman, never had children, never married, and so she created a community around her,” Peachey said. “She knew lots of people in lots of different walks of life. When she went to baseball games, people noticed how all the attendants knew her. She knew them all by name. She was always looking for ways to connect people together.”

Thanks to Simone Horst, special collections librarian, for providing the archival images of Mumaw included in this story.

Dow was a standout on the basketball court for the Royals from 1983 to 1986. In 1985, he was named the ODAC Player of the Year. He was a four-time All-ODAC First Team and etched his name in the record books as the all-time career leader in points (2,192), rebounds (1,102), and scoring average (20.4 points per game). He also set the record for most points in a season by a first-year when he scored 534 points in his first season. His jersey was retired in 1986 and he was inducted into the in 1987.

A giant on the basketball court, Dow has been an even bigger force when it comes to his faith during the 40 years since his graduation from ����Vlog. He was a founder of the Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association in Philadelphia, and for nearly 20 years was a pastor at Oxford Circle Mennonite Church. In 2017, he left the church to become the vice president of community and church development for Everence, leading the effort to serve emerging diverse communities and churches that historically have been underserved.

He also serves on the board of directors for The City School, Missio Seminary, The Brooklyn Peace Center, and The Common Place.

Dow, along with ����Vlog’s three other ODAC Hall of Fame inductees, will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the men’s basketball game against Roanoke inside Yoder Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.��

“My faith is extremely important to me and was the biggest deciding factor in choosing a college,” said Fitton, a member of Divine Unity Community Church in Harrisonburg. “I didn’t want to go to a big party school, but instead wanted to grow in my faith and use my testimony to inspire others.”

Fitton, who enjoys leading Bible studies, praying over people, and bringing others to Christ, said she’s excited to become a part of ����Vlog campus ministries this fall. “����Vlog offers campus worship, Bible studies, and more opportunities that you can’t find on other campuses,” she said. “Many players on the volleyball team also openly express their passion for Christ, which is important to me.”

The volleyball star was named Region 1B Player of the Year and received honors as a first team selection at the All-District, All-Region, and All-State levels this past season. She will play for the Royals this fall and said Coach Casey Steinbrecher was another major reason for her choosing ����Vlog. 

“I remember one of my first conversations with him, he just wanted to get to know me outside of volleyball,” Fitton said. “Other coaches wanted to know my interests and that kind of thing, but Casey stuck out to me by wanting to get to know what my family was like, my background, and more before getting to know me as a player.”

When she’s not on the court, she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business management. She said she will graduate high school with a cosmetology license and plans to earn her esthetician license either during or after college. Eventually, she said, she hopes to own and manage her own spa. 

A ‘life-changing’ opportunity

Fitton said her decision to attend ����Vlog “felt right.” When she visited the campus early last year, she was struck by everyone’s friendliness toward her. “Everyone I walked past asked me how I was, without even knowing me,” she said. “The atmosphere on campus is refreshing. It’s quiet and peaceful while also being welcoming.”

She said she looks forward to forming close connections with classmates and professors and taking advantage of ����Vlog’s distinctive intercultural program. “I love to travel and expand my understanding of the world,” Fitton said. “I believe an experience to study abroad is life-changing and opens doors for opportunity. When I visited, I knew ����Vlog was a place I could see myself for the next four years.”

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The event, held at the north end of the parking lot beside University Commons, drew students, athletes, faculty, staff, members of the press, and officials from Varsity Travel. It included remarks from Buck Smith, associate athletics director of operations; Adam Posey, head baseball coach; Sophia Armato, senior field hockey player; and Carrie S Bert, director of athletics. 

After their remarks and a brief countdown, the plain white bus that had been blocking the crowd’s view pulled forward to reveal the new ����Vlog athletics bus. As attendees got their first look at the bus’s bold new design, six pyrotechnic machines fired fountains of sparks into the air, cannons launched a flurry of blue and silver streamers overhead, and a snippet of Rascal Flatts’ “Life is a Highway” played through the speakers.

The bus wrap proudly proclaims “����Vlog ROYALS” and “HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA” lettering next to an image of the Royals’ lion mascot, which spans the full height of the bus from its tires to its roof. The design is set in front of a silhouette of Massanutten Mountain in varying shades of blue. The bus will serve as a moving billboard for ����Vlog, promoting the values of the university wherever it goes.

“This bus is going to draw attention. It already did on our road trip to North Carolina this weekend,” said Armato, referencing her team’s recent travels to Meredith College in Raleigh. “It will create conversations and carry a Royal spirit wherever it goes.”

“����Vlog has a history of doing amazing, awesome work, of putting out tremendous people, graduates, staff, faculty, very quietly,” Bert said. “Well, guess what? It’s time for ����Vlog to make a statement, to be recognized and remembered. As our teams travel, we won’t just arrive at our destinations, we will make an entrance.”

The bus is fully owned and operated by Winchester-based , and the new wrap is a generous perk of the university’s partnership with the charter service. According to its website, Varsity Travel also provides transportation for Shenandoah University Athletics, Hood College, and Hagerstown Community College Athletics.

����Vlog alumna and staff member Hannah Beck, senior admissions counselor, said the new bus will also be used to bring groups of local high school students to visit the campus. “I’m really excited for this,” she said. “It’s great to get more name recognition out there.”  

View the moment the bus was revealed in our video below: