Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 15 No. 4 | February 2023

Drue Hackenberg and Emma Lemley ready to return to the diamond PlayBall! The Official Publication of Virginia Tech Athletics Vol. 15 No. 4, February 2023

A P A R T M E N T S

Published by the Virginia Tech Athletics Department • Inside Hokie Sports (ISSN 8750-9148, periodical postage paid at Blacksburg, VA 24060 and additional mailing offices) covers Virginia Tech athletics and is published six times annually. The publisher is the Virginia Tech Athletics Department, 21 Beamer Way, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Mail all address changes, written inquiries and complaints to Virginia Tech Athletic Fund, P.O. Box 10307, Blacksburg, VA 24062-0307 or call 540-231-6618. Inside Hokie Sports assumes no responsibility for companies and persons who advertise in this publication. Reproduction of contents in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Publisher does not guarantee accuracy of information contained in any advertisement. ATTN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Virginia Tech Athletic Fund, P.O. Box 10307, Blacksburg, VA 24062-0307. Printed by Worth Higgins & Associates of Richmond, Virginia. Bailey Angle Editor John Sours Designer Dave Knachel Photographer Contributor Clay Brunner Virginia Tech Sports Properties February 2023 Vol. 15, No. 4 inside.hokiesports.com *To advertise with Virginia Tech athletics or Inside Hokie Sports, contact Kyler Pilling at Virginia Tech Sports Properties—540-418-6307 contents 2 A Word from Whit 4 Kristen Skiera: Locked in for 2023 Lacrosse head coach focused on growth in second year 7 Roth Report 8 Kelsey Bennett: Softball senior ready for future, appreciative of past 12 After Injury-Riddled 2022 Campaign, Tech’s Matthew Siverling Ready To Bring Full Package In 2023 15 CAMP staff leads Suicide Prevention Workshops: Counselors start impactful series for student-athletes and staff 17 Virginia Tech Athletics, Hokie Club announce Elevate Her campaign in support of women’s athletics 18 Julia Fixsen: America’s Next Great Pole Vaulter 21 Back on the Rubber: Sophomore pitchers Hackenberg and Lemley return to lead staffs 25 Scholarship Impact: Alvaro Saez-Royuela Ariza 28 Monogram Club News 4 4 8 17 2 18 25 21 12 18

2 Inside Hokie Sports A WORD FROM WHIT Dear Hokie Nation, We hope your new year has gotten off to a tremendous start and that you are enjoying the exciting close to the winter sports season. This year is filled with optimism for our 22 varsity programs, and we are excited to have you along with us for our promising future. The spring sports season is finally here! Baseball and softball begin their seasons ranked in the top 25 nationally. Coaches John Szefc and Pete D’Amour are reigning ACC Coaches of the Year, and we are excited to see what their squads can bring to their respective diamonds this year. At Thompson Field, coach Kristen Skiera is equipped for a successful second season at the helm of our lacrosse program. They turned some heads nationally with big wins over JMU and Notre Dame a season ago, and we are confident they can achieve even more in 2023. Over at Rector Field House, coach Dave Cianelli and track & field are ready to turn another successful indoor season into a triumphant outdoor campaign. Finally, at Burrows-Burleson, Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren and Jim Thompson have their tennis teams primed for another year of competition. Their rosters are filled with student-athletes with the potential to develop into top ACC talent. We are also concluding another successful year of fundraising, backed by the incredible passion of Hokie Nation. While the final numbers are being crunched, we will once again surpass 25,000 donors for the second consecutive year. This is a testament to the commitment of our fans to advancing the future of our department and ensuring the best possible experience for over 600 studentathletes in Blacksburg. On that same token, football and basketball season ticket renewal rates have been extremely promising. Cassell and Lane will continue to be challenging places to play in 2023 and 2024 with the help of the loudest fans in collegiate athletics! We hope to see you at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park, Tech Softball Park, Thompson Field, and Burrows-Burleson as the weather continues to heat up for spring 2023. In the meantime, let’s close out the winter sports seasons on a strong note! Go Hokies! Whit Babcock Director of Athletics

THANK YOU! ® On behalf of Virginia Tech Athletics and the Hokie Club, we would like to thank you for your support of our student-athletes. As we close drive year 2023 and look towards drive year 2024, we are so appreciative of your efforts to help over 600 Hokies pursue an incredible experience at one of the country’s best universities. You are a part of what makes Hokie Nation so great!

KRISTEN Locked in for 2023 4 Inside Hokie Sports

Seated in her inviting office, next to a basket of snacks for her visitors, lacrosse coach Kristen Skiera explains her journey to professional coaching. “I was the product of a coach’s kid through and through, my dad never played lacrosse, but he coached my club team and stayed very involved.” A Maryland native, Skiera took up lacrosse at the age of 10. She grew up watching her brother play, but women’s lacrosse was not an organized sport until she reached middle school. She played throughout high school, and worked hard enough to earn a collegiate spot on Duke’s women’s lacrosse roster. During her time at Duke, the squad won the ACC tournament and went to the final four on three separate occasions. “I never saw myself coaching, but I lost in three final fours by a goal. Ending my career on that note left some unfinished business. That’s what got my foot in the door with coaching, I felt like there was something still left for me.” Skiera’s competitive drive is what brought her to coaching, and is what continues to push her. This idea was solidified during her time at service academies. Of her 16 years as a professional lacrosse coach, 11 of which were at Army West Point and the Naval Academy. Prior to her job at Virginia Tech, Skiera spent seven years at Army, transitioning the program from a club team to a competitive varsity team. While Skiera did not have any plans to coach at a service academy, her time there shaped who she is as a coach. Service academies are male dominated, Skieras’ job was to surround her athletes with strong female influences. When describing the role that she wants to play in the lives of her athletes, the word Skiera chose was mentor. She considers her college coaches as sisters, her first calls, and the women she counts on. Those women laid the blueprint for Skiera as both a coach and a mentor. During her time at West Point, the team went 48-40 and competed in their first ever league-tournament. During her time at Navy, the team went 13-4 and 13-5. Having winning seasons early in her assistant coaching career were what propelled Skiera to jump into full time professional coaching. An addiction to winning is one that many coaches possess, and Skiera is among them. However, this hunger for a championship win does not affect the relationship she has with her players. “The opportunity to work with 18-22 year olds and play a small part in one of the biggest journeys of their life, I just love it… This environment is just so college, this is exactly the environment I had as a college athlete. It allows me to sympathize with them and put myself in their shoes.” This is Skieras’ second season coaching at Tech, and one she is ecstatic about. She strives for firsts every season, as a way to never let her team be satisfied and to always push for more. The 2022 campaign saw the first time ever that the Hokies beat James Madison. The Dukes were No.13 in the country at the time, and Tech took them down on their campus in Harrisonburg. Tech also edged No. 15 Notre Dame later in the year 13-12 in Blacksburg at Thompson Field, giving the Hokies their second only win ever against the Fighting Irish. As expected for any elite competitor, these moments are not enough for Skiera. She aims to do things that no one has done before. “Every day that I am here, I am getting closer and closer to my personal goal of a National Championship.” The Hokies have many opportunities for firsts this season. This year’s team is much younger than last season and they have an opportunity to take the ACC by storm. Having young student-athletes is a grab bag and unpredictable, but Skiera is confident that the examples set by her seniors will push these girls to be the best they can. In two of their most competitive inner-conference games last season, the Hokies battled their competitors tight for the first half, and struggled to keep that competitive play up for the full campaign. Tech had No. 7 Duke on the ropes at home, going into half all knotted up at 7-7, but unfortunately dropped a 15-14 heartbreaker after storming back in the 4th quarter. This theme occurred again at home vs. No. 16 Virginia. The SKIERA LACROSSE HEAD COACH FOCUSED ON GROWTH IN SECOND YEAR By Lucy West inside.hokiesports.com 5 Continued on page 6

6 Inside Hokie Sports ©2022 Martin Travel Agency, LLC 22_1383263c2 GOING PLACES? Martin Travel specializes in customizing group travel experiences for Virginia Tech alumni and sports fans. What do you need to have the best trip? Martin knows. C o n t a c t a M a r t i n T r a v e l A d v i s o r T o d a y Ma r t i nTr av e l . com/ Hok i e s | 540 - 343 - 5400 | I n f o@Ma r t i nTr av e l . com The Hokies hung tough to keep the game close at a 9-6 deficit at half, but the Cavaliers blasted back in the second half to win 18-11. Using those instances as motivation, this team is training to be an equal threat throughout the entirety of their games. The work that these athletes do extends far off of the field, Skiera has built a family of these young women and is committed to making them feel uplifted. This welcoming energy extends through all Skiera does, and trickles down the totem pole of her team. “The upperclassmen do an unbelievable job welcoming the freshman into the program. They’re welcomed onto a team where they are empowered and loved, Hokie Nation will see that in the spring.” Kristen Skiera is leading her team down a path which she describes as “the best one.” Her positive, yet competitive energy drives her team and they’re respect for their coach pushes them to work harder. The family that she leads counts on her and trusts her with all of their needs, snacks included. KRISTEN SKIERA Continued from page 5

inside.hokiesports.com 7 Hokies’ ’23 football schedule has Big Ten and “Atlantic Division” flavor. By Bill Roth We finally got a look at the 2023 Virginia Tech football schedule which includes six home games, highlighted by a Thursday night home game against Syracuse. Some observations: • Tech has only played seven games against Big Ten teams. But the Hokies will play back-to-back games against Big Ten conference members Purdue and Rutgers this fall. • It will be nearly two full years between VT-UVA games when the teams meet in Charlottesville. • A bevy of new coaches and coordinators all over the place among Tech’s ’23 opponents. Purdue’s coach went to Louisville (VT plays both this fall.) Syracuse’s OC and UVa’s QB went to NC State, BC’s QB is now at Pitt, and three former Penn State offensive coaches will be coaching against the Hokies this fall! Got it? GAME 1: ODU 2022 Record: 3-9 (7th in Sun Belt East) Last Meeting: ODU won 20-17 in 2022 in Norfolk. Famous Alum: Justin Verlander Notable: Monarchs delivered an opening night shocker in ’22. They’ll try again this year at Lane. GAME 2: Purdue 2022 Record: 8-6 (1st in BIG TEN West) Last Meeting: Hokies won at Purdue 51-24 in only previous meeting in 2015. Famous Alum: Neil Armstrong Notable: Ryan Walters replaced Jeff Brohm who is now head coach at Louisville. He comes from Illinois where he built that team’s incredible defense last year. Graham Harrell was calling plays for WVU last year, and now moves to Purdue. Harrell will look to build around Texas transfer Hudson Card at QB. GAME 3: at Rutgers 2022 Record: 4-8 (7th in BIG TEN East) Last Meeting: Hokies beat Scarlet Knights 13-10 in Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, Dec. 2012. Famous Alum: James Gandolfini Notable: Rutgers was awful on offense last year, scoring less than 12 points per game in conference play, but Greg Schiano hired Minnesota’s Kirk Cirarocca as new Offensive Coordinator. Kirk was Penn State’s OC in 2020 when Brent Pry as the Lions’ Defensive Coordinator. GAME 4: at Marshall 2022 Record: 9-4 (3rd in Sun Belt East) Last Meeting: Hokies beat Marshall 41-20 in Dec. 2018. Famous Alum: Billy Crystal Notable: Marshall won 9 games last year including a bowl game and won at Notre Dame. The Herd plays every P5 team tough. Get ready for a true battle here. GAME 5: Pittsburgh 2022 Record: 9-4 (2nd in ACC Coastal) Last Meeting: Pitt beat VT 45-29 in 2022 in Pittsburgh. Famous Alum: Mr. Rogers Notable: Pat Narduzzi welcomes former Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec to town. Pitt lost a ton of talent, including running back Izzy Abanikanda (1,805 all-purpose yards, 21 TDs). GAME 6: at Florida State 2022 Record: 10-3 (2nd in ACC Atlantic) Last Meeting: Hokies won 24-3 in Tallahassee in 2018. Famous Alum: Coach Prime Notable: ’Noles will be the favorite to win the new-look, one-division ACC in ’23 and for good reason. They’ve got the most talent overall in the league, something that hasn’t been true for a while since Clemson’s rise. GAME 7: Wake Forest 2022 Record: 8-5 (6th in ACC Atlantic) Last Meeting: Wake beat VT 23-16 in Winston-Salem in 2020. Famous Alum: Arnold Palmer Notable: QB Sam Hartman is gone, but the s-l-o-w m-e-s-h is back. GAME 8: Syracuse 2022 Record: 7-6 (tied for 3rd in ACC Atlantic) Last Meeting: SU won 41-36 at Lane Stadium in 2021. Famous Alum: Joe Biden Notable: Thursday nights at Lane Stadium are incredible. A lateOctober setting should be magical. GAME 9: at Louisville 2022 Record: 8-5 (3rd in ACC Atlantic) Last Meeting: Hokies beat Cards 42-35 at Louisville in 2020. Famous Alum: Mitch McConnell Notable: Jeff Brohm returns to his alma mater and essentially brought his entire Purdue coaching staff with him. Scott Satterfield is a terrific coach—that’s why Cincinnati hired him away from UL—but for some reason he never fit at Louisville. That won’t be the case now with Jeff Brohm who returns to his hometown. GAME 10: at Boston College 2022 Record: 3-9 (7th in ACC Atlantic) Last Meeting: Hokies beat BC 27-10 in Blacksburg in 2022. Famous Alum: Leonard Nimoy Notable: Tech’s lone ACC win in ’22 was against BC. This is a huge year for Jeff Hafley and his Eagles who slid to 3-9 last year. GAME 11: N.C. State 2022 Record: 8-5 (tied for 3rd in ACC Atlantic) Last Meeting: State won 22-21 at Raleigh in 2022. Famous Alum: Zach Galifianakas Notable: Former UVa QB Brennan Armstrong and Cavalier’s offensive coordinator Robert Anai join the Wolfpack for ’23. Between two ferns, or at Carter Finley Stadium, NCSU should have an explosive offense. GAME 12: at Virginia 2022 Record: 3-7 (6th in ACC Coastal) Last Meeting: Hokies won 29-24 at Charlottesville in 2021. Famous Alum: Tina Fey Notable: Almost a two year wait for this one! After last year’s game was cancelled due to the tragedy at UVa, Brent Pry and Tony Elliott will finally coach against each other for the first time, nearly 23 months after both were hired at their respective schools in December of ’21.

Kelsey Bennett first stepped onto campus as a freshman in 2018. In the time since then, the infielder from Buford, Ga. has been a strong mainstay in the lineup for Virginia Tech softball, excelling at the plate and the left side of the infield. Still, Bennett knows there is plenty more to achieve in her final season at Tech Softball Park. “I’m excited to see us come together,” said Bennett, who is ready to begin another season as the Hokies infielder. “Obviously we lost three up the middle in Keely (Rochard), Darby (Trull), and Mack (Lawter), but it will be interesting to see what happens when people get their names called upon to just do their thing.” The rising fifth-year senior never hesitates to mention the contributions of her teammates not only in the recent success of the team, but also the value of her overall experience in Blacksburg. Bennett can’t help but smile when mentioning her fellow recruiting classmates Jayme Bailey, Grace Chavez, and Meredith Slaw, as well as two fifth-year former transfers in Morgan Overaitis and Kelsey Brown. “It’s been cool to see us grow not only as softball players, but as people. It’s been great to see what everyone’s career paths are and meet their parents and grandparents,” Bennett claimed. It’s almost impossible to look back on Bennett’s career in Blacksburg without evoking a great amount of nostalgia. Before she officially suited up in maroon and orange, she originally committed to Virginia Tech her freshman year of high school, a not uncommon practice for softball student-athletes in the mid 2010s. Between the time she committed and her enrollment, Virginia Tech softball underwent a regime change, bringing in Pete D’Amour to lead the Hokies. That could have added an extra curveball to Bennett’s path to Blacksburg. Fortunately, though, as the former head coach of Kennesaw State, D’Amour was already familiar with Bennett’s softball acumen since her hometown was only an hour away from his former employer. “He had been to some of my high school games,” recalled Bennett, who was the Georgia AAAAA State Player of the Year in 2018. “He had seen my style of play, and that kind of put my mind at ease.” Her mind certainly seemed at ease when she erupted onto the collegiate softball scene in 2019. Bennett started every game at third base for the freshly supercharged Hokies, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors after breaking the freshman program record for home runs with 14, slugging percentage at .725 and total bases with 116. The Hokies won the ACC Coastal and punched a ticket to NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2015. In addition to the team’s success, Bennett felt like her mental approach to the game grew, thanks to the example of upperclassmen leaders Emma Strouth, Caitlin Nolan and Kinsey Johnson. ‘If they would strike out, it wouldn’t ruin their entire game. For me, my freshman year, when I struck out you couldn’t talk to me for a while. But then my sophomore year, I struck out and would think ‘Dude, it’s not the end all be all.’ You can still have a competitive at-bat and a competitive game. We play a game of failure, so it’s ok to make mistakes.” Unfortunately, that sophomore year Bennett mentioned was cut short due to the pandemic. At the time of the abrupt end of the season, she was humming at a .368 batting average, 7 HR and 25 RBIs. The halt of her stellar individual start to her sophomore year was not the first thing on Bennett’s mind when looking back on 2020. “I think we were on track to being way better than my freshman year,” Bennett remembered, as the Hokies ended the season at the COVID pause with a record of 21-4. “Everyone was gelling and clicking at the same time.” Still, even with the disappointing temporary pause to her studentathlete experience, she was pleasantly surprised by how strong the team returned for the 2020 fall season. As the calendar turned to 2021, the Hokies picked up where they left off from the year before. Tech blazed to the NCAA Regionals for another season, earning a bid to the Tempe Regional for a chance to get the program to a Super Regional for the first time in over a decade. Bennett shined in the big moments for the Hokies on the campus of Arizona State, going an incredible 9-for-11 at the plate over the course of the regional. Four of those nine hits came in one game against the Sun Devils, leading the Hokies to an 8-2 win over the hosts. “I hadn’t had that kind of confidence since my freshman year,” the infielder remembered. “I was actually watching those games for fun just the other day.” Tech would eventually earn a trip to the Los Angeles Super Regional to take on UCLA, where the Hokies dropped the final two games of the series. Although the end was unfortunate, Bennett and her teammates established a place in the collegiate softball sphere as a legitimate contender. The greater New River Valley community also took notice, with more and more new fans cramming into Tech Softball Park in 2022. Bennett started nearly every game of the 2022 campaign at shortstop, serving as one of the leaders of the ACC Regular Season Champions. The All-ACC Third Team selection had her best year defensively commanding the middle of the infield, while the Hokies earned their first ever regional hosting bid in program history. Ticket availability for the Blacksburg Regional evaporated as thousands of KelseyBenn Softball senior ready for future, appreciative of past Continued on page 10 8 Inside Hokie Sports

ett inside.hokiesports.com 9 By Bailey Angle

10 Inside Hokie Sports @PrestonsRestaurant @InnVirginiaTech 540.231.0120 | www.InnatVirginiaTech.com 901 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (inside The Inn at Virginia Tech) Reservations recommended. A delicious game-day tradition. BEFORE THE GAME OR AFTER, Preston’s Restaurant is a delicious place for a new game-day tradition. Start with our fresh breakfast. Order lunch or dinner from our mouth-watering menu of seasonal cuisine. Sip on hand-cra ed cocktails or a selection from our award-winning wine list. And don’t forget the Valley’s best brunch, every Sunday at Preston’s. Make Preston’s Restaurant your game-day tradition. Hokie fans migrated to Tech Softball Park, filling both the permanent stands and temporary bleachers brought in to increase capacity. Walking out in front of the largest home crowd in program history was a culmination of the hard work Bennett and her teammates put in their entire careers. However, after an early loss to Kentucky, the Tech faithful thought this experience would be too brief. Bennett wasn’t too worried. “We lost the first game to Kentucky and said ‘Dude, we’re fine,’” Bennett recalled, thinking back on the 5-4 loss to the Wildcats. “I think we had some of the managers go get us some Red Bull before we hung out in the indoor facility. We knew it was going to be a long night, and we found out there we were playing Miami of Ohio.” A substantial rain delay pushed the elimination game back to 10:40 PM, and the RedHawks jumped out to a 4-1 lead on the Hokies early. That same confidence after losing to Kentucky dwindled slightly, but Bennett remembered a rousing speech from Mackenzie Lawter and Keely Rochard while the Hokies trailed. “Both of them said, ‘I don’t want my career to be over,’” Bennett said. “We were hyped up after they gave us a speech, and then Jayme hit a double off the wall. We won after that rally, but we didn’t get much sleep after that because we had to be back there that next morning.” In one of the biggest marathons ever in Virginia Tech Athletics’ history, the Hokies stormed back on the final day to host a winner take all game Sunday evening against Kentucky. Tech led 5-4 with two outs with the tying runner on second. After keeping her cool through a heartbreaking loss earlier in the tournament to Kentucky, frustrating weather delays, and a shocking early deficit to Miami, it only seemed right that Bennett would maintain that level of focus on a ground ball bounced to her at short. She fielded the ball cleanly, rifled a throw, and the Hokies were moving on. The crowd, understandably so, erupted. “It was an unreal experience,” Bennett reminisced. “We looked up at the crowd and I thought, ‘They’ve got our backs, and we got their backs.” Unfortunately, for the second straight year, Virginia Tech’s hopes of qualifying for a trip to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series ended just a game shy. Bennett collided with Kelsey Brown in the first inning of the final game, rendering her out for the remainder of the game. Bennett admitted that she thinks about the close to the last two seasons a good amount. “We’ve been one game away from OKC the past two years. We are right there with every team when we get to the postseason. We have to find that one extra inning or that one extra base hit to get us that win.” The Hokies reload for the 2023 season with most of the big bats in the lineup returning to Tech Softball Park. The difference for the Hokies this year? Bennett said they are up for the huge challenges. “Everybody is comfortable with where they’re at, and we’re not going to let the moment get too big for us. We’ve had everyone in the lineup except the freshman go to regionals and super regionals. The game hasn’t changed from the fall when we beat all the teams we played. It’s just keeping an even keel.” Continued from page 9

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AFTER INJURY-RIDDLED 2022 CAMPAIGN, TECH’S MATTHEW SIVERLING Ready To Bring FULL PACKAGE In 2023 By Carter Hill 12 Inside Hokie Sports

Matthew Siverling had recently returned from his summer suiting up in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, when his career on the baseball diamond took a tumultuous turn. Having tossed 10.2 solid innings across five appearances with a 1.68 ERA for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks during the summer of 2021, the left-handed reliever arrived back on campus with his sights set on a successful 2022 campaign. He was determined to build off what was already a strong start to his collegiate career, having already donned Tech’s maroon and orange for two seasons. “I felt really good,” Siverling said, describing the start of fall camp. “Coming into the fall, I felt like I was throwing better than I had at the beginning of the year. [The] 2022 [season], I was like ‘Okay, we’re going to get things going. [We’re] going to establish a good role this year. We’re going to have a good team.’ “I threw probably just two or three times in the fall. And then, my arm just blew up.” What now? Siverling had been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a set of disorders that occur when blood vessels or nerves in the space between one’s collarbone and first rib are compressed, eventually leading to blood clots. Instantly, the cadence on what was supposed to be a promising 2022 season quickly shifted gears for the junior southpaw out of the Charlotte suburbs. His first sign of warning took place during an early October scrimmage on the Hokies’ home turf at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. “My second inning of work, something just felt a little off,” Siverling recalled. “It was like I just couldn’t feel my fingers like I used to. I wasn’t able to throw the ball as well.” After small improvements the next couple of days, he then proceeded to take it upon himself to see if his discomfort was merely a false alarm, with the Matthews, North Carolina, native attempting to take advantage of a more subdued environment in the confines of his home ballpark. Settling in down the third base line for some Saturday work on the weekend of fall break, Siverling quickly realized he may have a greater situation on his hands than he had originally anticipated, with a hint of confusion added on as well. “My arm was swollen about two to three sizes larger than it usually is. [Just] all these kinds of colors that it’s not supposed to be. “At that point, I sent a couple of pictures to our trainer and was like, ‘Should I be concerned? What should I do about this?’ So, we just set up an appointment with the doctor, went to an ultrasound immediately after, and after that, they were like ‘Okay, you have a blood clot in your shoulder.’ And that’s all I heard.” A blood clot? Certainly, these two words had to be alarming to hear for someone who’s pitching at the collegiate ranks. For Siverling, though, it was all about taking the first step in the road to recovery. “Immediately, I started taking blood thinners, just to get the blood clot out of there and get my arm to stop swelling. A couple of weeks into that, we’re not getting much from the blood thinners, so I go to another doctor. He’s like, ‘You probably have thoracic outlet syndrome.’” As it turns out, Siverling did. Consumed with the desire to quickly find his way back onto the field, the lefty hurler’s mindset was glued onto getting over the hump and working his way back to the mound. Siverling’s urge to toe the rubber during the 2022 season was overwhelming, leaving him one simple thought upon receiving the initial diagnosis. “My first thought was, ‘What the heck is this?’ I had never heard of it before,” Siverling admitted. “After that, my first thought was, ‘How do I fix it? How can I try and be ready for the season?’ “The first thing the doctor told me when I had gone was, ‘Okay, we think we can get you ready for the season.’ So, I said, ‘Okay, what do I need to do in order to try and contribute for the team this year?’” Siverling was provided two options. The first: merely leave it be. How about the second? To have the first rib removed, the highly-recommended option between the two. Siverling chose the latter, and to surgery he went. From there on out, the third-year member of the maroon and orange was committed to the rehab process with Siverling still determined to return and contribute at some point for Virginia Tech in 2022. “The first week [after surgery], I had to stay home. I couldn’t turn my head. I couldn’t drive. I couldn’t do anything,” Siverling said. “After that, I came back to campus and it was a lot of bodyweight lifting and then just moving around again; just kind of the grind of day-to-day rehab.” As anyone who has taken the road to recovery would express, progress is a patient process. For a competitor like Siverling, that can introduce a small element of anxiety. “Just in the sense of I want to be out there playing and this is what I’m doing instead,” he said. “Obviously very important stuff, but it’s not exactly what I came here to do. [It was a] slow process, but it was exciting to see the [progress] along the way.” Progress made, indeed. By the month of January, Siverling was already back to throwing from 60 feet out and was starting to ramp up just in time for a potential mid-season debut. Though the left-hander would end up only making two appearances when it was all said and done, the Hokies would put together arguably their most decorated season in program history. Tech went on to finish with its impressive 45-14 overall record, secured its first-ever ACC Coastal Division championship, drew the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, hosted its first NCAA Regional since 2013 and advanced to its first NCAA Super Regional (its first in its home ballpark). A pretty decorated season, no doubt. inside.hokiesports.com 13 Continued on page 14

14 Inside Hokie Sports So with Siverling’s 2022 season largely compromised due to injury, could it have been tough in the slightest for him to watch history unfold without the satisfaction of pitching the Hokies to victory during the course of the spring? According to him, not in the least. Could it have potentially fueled him to come back as strong as ever and be a major piece of what could be another special run for the highly-regarded Hokies in 2023? No doubt. But one thing’s for sure, whatever role Siverling plays in the upcoming season will be one he’ll surely make an effort to embrace. “I’m really excited to get back out there,” Siverling said. “Obviously, [I’m] wanting to compete for a job and [I’m] wanting to compete for a role and be a big contributor on the team. “But, I also realize that maybe my role won’t be on my mound, but maybe my role is leading a small group on the team and being a guy on the sideline picking them up and being the one that brings them together in ways they’ve never seen before.” That’s not exactly a trait just learned, but rather enhanced after unexpectedly spending a season’s length in the dugout. Sure, Siverling eyes returning to his 2021 form in which he amassed nearly 30 innings pitched for the Hokies across a team-best 22 appearances. But he takes so much more with him as he embarks on yet another chapter in his Virginia Tech career. “I just want to be the best teammate I can be, in every way,” Siverling said. “I know whether I’m on the field or off the field, I can have an impact either way. My wealth is in the cross, and my identity is in Jesus. Not in the field. “So, if I can bring that to the team, to my teammates, to my friends on that team, in addition to what I bring to the field every day … that’s kind of my expectation. I’m just looking at it like I’d love to contribute any way I can.” MATTHEW SIVERLING Continued from page 13

inside.hokiesports.com 15 Spearheaded by the Sport Psychology department and the Counseling and Athletic Mental Performance (CAMP) staff, Virginia Tech Athletics recently completed a series of impactful suicide prevention workshops for all varsity programs. These sessions are designed for student-athletes, coaches, and staff members to identify the warning signs of suicide and be vigilant in the pursuit of getting help for those in need. “The content is really geared towards being able to recognize warning signs that somebody may be having thoughts of harming themselves,” said Dr. Gary Bennett, Associate Athletics Director, Clinical and Sport Psychologist. “In addition to being educated about warning signs among their friends and teammates, there are likely people in the room who have had those thoughts themselves.” The workshops began in the fall of 2021 as a response to an array of shocking student-athlete suicides throughout the country. As the program evolved in fall 2022, each team scheduled a time to attend one seminar hosted by Bennett and fellow CAMP staff counselors Lauren Naldo and Paul Knackstedt. Danny White, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Student-Athlete Services/Student Affairs, oversees the workings of the CAMP staff and credits Dr. Bennett, Knackstedt and Naldo for their important progress of instilling awareness in student-athletes and staff members. White, along with Director of Athletics, Whit Babcock, helped lead the charge for these workshops to become a reality. “What people don’t know is our CAMP staff is helping our studentathletes 24 hours a day,” White said. “Credit our staff for what they do in these sessions. These sessions are about ‘Let us tell you how you can walk alongside somebody or intervene should a teammate or friend really need you.’” The “How to Save a Life” seminars start off with the CAMP staff sharing alarming, yet important statistics about the prevalence of suicide. It is the second highest cause of death amongst college-age adults, leading Dr. Bennett and his staff to share the warning signs of someone who is considering self-harm to each student-athlete as a preventative measure. “For most people who die by suicide, they leave clues,” Bennett stated. “So if we know how to recognize those clues beforehand and that leads to the last part and that’s, you know, what do you do with that? How do you ask somebody the right kind of question to determine if you need to make a referral? If you need to walk them down to our offices or let somebody know about your concern? These are all questions that we want to answer for our student-athletes.” White does not hesitate to acknowledge the impact of the sessions’ content on Hokie student-athletes. “The CAMP staff begin the sessions with a question: ‘How many of you have been impacted by suicide?’ and very few don’t raise their hand,” White recalled. “Our student-athletes have busy lives, they have class, practice, study halls and other things they need to get to. When you observe these sessions, they’re all engaged, you can see the impact of what the CAMP staff is doing.” The CAMP staff completed 18 seminars over the course of the fall and beginning of the winter sports seasons, with sometimes multiple teams attending the session in the Merryman football meeting room together. Although this was originally done as a result of schedule restraints for the student-athletes, Dr. Bennett and White thought that intermixing the teams for the suicide prevention workshops has displayed a greater impact. CAMP staff leads Suicide Prevention Workshops Counselors start impactful series for student-athletes and staff Continued on page 16 Dr. Gary Bennett converses with attendee at workshop.

16 Inside Hokie Sports “It’s really like a brotherhood, a sisterhood. All of them being in the same room and raising their hand, it’s an unfortunate connecting point, but it is a connecting point,” White said. “I think that is a good outcome. These student-athletes know that they are connected, we care about this topic, and they can reach out to our staff for support.” Dr. Bennett, a former student-athlete himself, realizes the importance the suicide prevention worshops play in creating a comfortable environment for Hokie student-athletes to be vulnerable and seek help when they need it. “The thing with someone who reaches a point where they consider suicide as an option is that they have reached a point of hopelessness. But with teammates and staff members intervening, we start to give them a glimmer of hope. I have no doubt that we’re gonna see in the future some amazing stories of people who are on the brink of dying by suicide and have gone on to impact the lives of a lot of people. Our hope is to help build an environment where individuals feel supported and cared for, especially during times where their struggles are very real.” CAMP staff leads Suicide Prevention Workshops Continued from page 15 Bennett alongside CAMP counselors Lauren Naldo and Paul Knackstedt.

17 In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Virginia Tech Athletics and the Hokie Club have announced their comprehensive campaign to uplift women’s athletics, Elevate Her. This initiative helps to meet the most pressing needs for each of Virginia Tech’s 11 women’s sport programs, and will assist in generating leadership development programming specifically targeted to more than 240 women student-athletes. Elevate Her is built to empower Hokie women to become all that they can be both during their time in Blacksburg and beyond. The campaign is aimed at achieving three major goals for our women student-athletes and teams: Championships, Leadership, and Equity. “It’s important that our women who are competing feel like they have just as good of an experience as our male student-athletes,” said Reyna Gilbert-Lowry, who serves as Tech’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for Inclusive Excellence and Alumni Engagement and Senior Woman Administrator. “Looking into the future, I would love to see more opportunities and exposure for our young women and I look forward to seeing this become possible with Elevate Her.” It’s been more than half a century since Title IX further opened the doors for opportunities for women in sports and education. And now, Hokie Nation, it’s time to Elevate Her for The Next 50. To learn more, visit hokieclub.com/elevateher. Virginia Tech Athletics, Hokie Club announce Elevate Her campaign in support of women’s athletics

VIRGINIA TECH pole vaulter JULIA FIXSEN has developed a knack for hurdling over towering heights. She’s become one of the best collegiate pole vaulters in the country over the past four years, earning All-American status four times. Fixsen’s first big jump came much earlier in her life, however, when she was deciding what to do after stopping gymnastics. “I started out doing gymnastics when I was really young and fell in love with it,” Fixsen said. “I loved doing flips and tricks. I loved challenging myself to get something right and get something perfect. However, I am 5’11” tall, so for gymnasts that’s a little abnormal and it ended up not working in my favor, of course.” After doing gymnastics for about seven years, Fixsen searched for another sport where she could utilize her athletics gifts—that’s when she found pole vaulting. “After [gymnastics] I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Fixsen said. “I had so much skill and so much love for the sport. I wasn’t really interested in doing anything else. Then one of my neighbors who was also a gymnast and got me into gymnastics said she was doing track and she wanted to do pole vault. I initially was like ‘I’m not doing that. That sounds stupid. Like you have to wear a helmet. That doesn’t sound fun.’ But she dragged me into it and ever since the first day I fell in love because it’s very similar to gymnastics and it came really natural for me.” Fixsen’s college career didn’t start at Virginia Tech, however. The talented pole vaulter spent two seasons at Georgia before transferring after a head coaching change. The new head coach wanted to put more of an emphasis on sprinting and hurdling rather than a multi-event team, leading to Fixsen’s decision to transfer. When it was time to look for a new school, Virginia Tech quickly caught her attention because of the high-caliber pole vaulters and wellrespected coaches in the program. “Bob Phillips, the pole vaulting coach here at Tech, is very wellknown in the NCAA for pole vault coaches,” Fixsen said. “He’s just very experienced. A lot of people know who he is and he’s had a lot of success throughout the years and I just heard so many good things about him. I also knew Rachel Baxter and Deakin Volz, so I figured since I know those people, I feel like I can trust the program. It just felt like the best fit for me, in all regards.” Fixsen, Baxter and Volz have all earned All-American status multiple times at Virginia Tech, speaking to the strength of VT’s pole vaulting room. The performances that the three, among others, have put together on a national stage have helped Tech become one of the top destinations for pole vaulters in the nation. “I think Rachel has really helped with that momentum, same with Deakin,” Fixsen said. “I’m sure other vaulters came before Bob and attracted him to Virginia Tech, but those two come to mind as being kind of the trailblazers and have created a legacy for great vaulters to come on as well as Kenna Stimmel coming on to the team this year and Journey Gurley. We’re starting to attract really, really good pole vaulters and that’s all to do with Bob.” With talented upperclassmen like Fixsen setting an elite standard, in combination with high-end recruits coming in, Virginia Tech’s pole vaulting room is developing a special culture. 18 Inside Hokie Sports Continued on page 20

FIXSEN JULIA By Jack Brizendine inside.hokiesports.com 19 AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT POLE VAULTER

20 Inside Hokie Sports “It feels like almost a lifestyle,” Fixen described the closeness of the group. “It’s a community that is fully passionate about pole vault and that just makes you fully immersed. “It just motivates me more.” Fixsen’s other sources of motivation come from within. “I think my why in sports has always been to bring glory to God, one-hundred percent,” Fixsen said. “He’s the reason why I’m here and that I breathe and that I’m alive and that I have these gifts and talents. On top of that I also just want to spread love and positivity and encouragement and what it means to be an athlete and to be a teammate and to have sportsmanship. I don’t think sports has to be all about like ‘I want to beat you and I’m better than you’ kind of mindset. I like personally to go for goals and to achieve those goals, but to also support the people around you because everyone’s trying to do the same thing. I think that’s what’s special about pole vault because it is an individual sport, it’s not so much about the team. For me, it’s both the individual and the team more than just the Virginia Tech team. It’s the whole pole vault community as a team.” The camaraderie in the pole vault room and the tutelage of coach Phillips have allowed Fixsen to develop into one of the top pole vaulters in the nation, earning bronze at the 2022 indoor NCAA championships and fifth place at the outdoor championships. TheMinnesota native has bigger goals for the future, however—both physically and mentally. “I always want to jump as high as I possibly can, that’s always the goal,” Fixsen said. “I think 15 feet would be the mark that I want to get this year. But I don’t want to place so much pressure on myself just to get to that mark, because a lot of times when you have been thinking ‘oh I want 15 feet’ over and over again and then you’re about to attempt it—you kind of psych yourself out a little bit. I don’t want to focus so much on the number more than I want to focus on my confidence, where my confidence is at, the goal of continuing growing my confidence as an athlete.” While Fixsen aims to put up career-record numbers and continue to develop her confidence as an athlete in the future, she hopes to achieve something outside of competition as well. “I just hope that people, when they think of my name and think of the things that they’ve done, that it brings a smile on their face and lights their day.” Continued from page 18 1290 Roanoke Street , Christiansburg, VA 24073 • 540-382-7500 • www.gandhappliance.com Find us at G&H Appliance G&H bringing you the best sauce and rub vendors on the market! Get yours today!! I S R I G H T A R O U N D T H E C O R N E R ! SEASON GRILLING

BACKon theRubber Sophomore pitchers Hackenberg and Lemley return to lead staffs By Will Locklin

22 Inside Hokie Sports After yielding impressive freshman seasons, sophomore pitchers Emma Lemley and Drue Hackenberg are ready to take on all the challenges that 2023 presents to Hokie softball and baseball. At this time a year ago, Lemley had the talent, and was ready to gain experience in the circle at the collegiate level. After a fantastic freshman season, her comfortability and experience level have developed ten-fold which led Lemley to establish herself as one of the faces of the program. “I’m way more comfortable. As a freshman you don’t know how anything works until you get into the season and establish a routine,” Lemley said. “Now after playing some of the best teams in the country I’m in a better position with my confidence of knowing the process.” Hackenberg also felt the tremendous growth both physically and mentally that comes from an offseason following established early success. “I definitely feel more comfortable as a leader and the new class of freshman pitchers will look up to me,” Hackenberg said. “I’m ready to show those guys how we uphold our standards, what the culture is here and instill that mentality into them.” Lemley underwent the process of adjusting to the college level like any freshman. An All-American pitcher out of Jefferson Forest High School, Lemley came in with loads of accomplishments and accolades, but just as many expectations. “I know my coaches had high expectations for me and so did I but at the same time I was a freshman and nobody knew who I was. I used that to my advantage by going out there and doing what I know how to do.” Lemley said. The young pitcher lived up to those lofty expectations. Lemley went 16-6 over her 23 starts, while recording a stellar 2.12 ERA. She limited opponents to a .186 BA, and fanned 212 batters across the 139 innings she pitched in her 30 appearances. In a similar way, Hackenberg too was a pitcher with plenty of pedigree. Hackenberg authored an incredible opening season to his college career, going 10-2 on the year and registering a 3.30 ERA with 87 strikeouts over 92.2 innings pitched. The headliner of his season was the second game vs No. 2 Miami, where Hackenberg pitched through a season-best eight innings, surrendering one earned run and punching out seven batters. “The Miami series was amazing because that was my first time I’ve pitched in front of that big of a crowd and it was the farthest game going through eight innings with so many pitches thrown” Hackenberg said. “We wanted to stick with the approach of Griffin on Friday and me on Saturday because the whole team was excited about that,” Hackenberg said. “Griffin would usually do his job and get a win so the next day we all felt confident in sending myself out there to win the series.” Certainly the series win Tech earned over the then second ranked Hurricanes was the biggest statement in the 2022 campaign. The Hokies relied on their veteran pitcher in the clubhouse, Griffin Green, in game one to set up Hackenberg to clinch the series win. Having a couple years under his belt already in Blacksburg, Green offered a model of success for Hackenberg to follow, which helped him get used to the program and find his path early. “Picking from Griffin Green as an older guy who’s been around and understands how the rotation goes and the weekly schedule is ,” Hackenberg said. “Picking the minds of other guys on our staff but our hitters as well was a huge benefit all of last season.” To that end, Lemley had a source of guidance her freshman season in former ACC Pitcher of the Year Keely Rochard paving the way forward. Rochard’s calm demeanor under pressure was a trait Lemley wanted to emulate. “Keely shows no emotion when she’s out there, nothing bothers her,” Lemley said. “I took that mentality myself and matured a lot this past year coming into this season.” That focus on maturity truly has been a focal point for Lemley. “I’m trying to become a more mature player by growing my own confidence this past offseason. Keeping my emotions in check and staying in the present moment so I can be a better teammate,” Lemley said. BACKon theRubber

inside.hokiesports.com 23 99 Bradley Drive Christiansburg NRV Mall 540-381-8100 www.holidayinn.com/cburgnorth Full Service Restaurant Bar & Grill Game Day Catering. Dine in or Room Service Welcome Back HOKIES! Both softball and baseball etched their names into the Hokie history books by hosting regionals and super regionals in four consecutive weekends from May to early June 2022. Lemley and Hackenberg were pivotal in each program’s regional success. Emma Lemley had the tall task of leading the charge versus Kentucky, and performed admirably in the circle. Lemley threw 10.2 innings and struck out eight batters across back-to-back matinee matches to help declaw the Wildcats. Two weeks later, Hackenberg got the starting nod vs. Wright State, tossing 4.0 IP in the eventual 15-9 win for the Hokies. Both freshmen were amazed by the support of Tech fans. “Our fans are awesome, they come to every game they can and are so loud and supportive,” Lemley said. “One of my favorite parts about Virginia Tech is our great and loyal fanbase.” “You can’t beat the culture here, everybody loves and supports each other. The fans will especially come out and support us no matter what.” Hackenberg said. The two pitchers can’t reflect on the successes of their inaugural seasons for long, though. Their unbroken focus is now on being strong leaders in 2023. “I’m certainly trying to help my teammates in any way to slow the game down for them,” Hackenberg said. “I told them it comes down to slowing yourself down, keeping your composure and trusting your stuff out on the mound.” “In my exit meeting after the season last spring, the coaches let me know I’ll have to step up leadership wise and help guide the new freshman to show them what we’re all about,” Lemley said. “Guiding them in bullpen sessions and in games. I’m trying to help wherever I can.”

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