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SWEETER KIND OF SERVE
Part of the culture change that
began in spring 2014 was not just about
kindness and character, but about
looking beyond the team to actively
bless others. Players made dozens
of cookies and wrote notes to each
academic department and student
organization on campus. The goal? To
give back the love they received from
professors and peers.
According to Shelton, it was
Becker and Krikke who spurred that
movement, which has reaped deeper
relationships across campus.
“We are brothers and sisters in
Christ, and that’s what we’re about,”
said Shelton. “It wasn’t about getting
them to come to games. It wasn’t about
us. Who are we that we get to be a part
of this?”
ELEVATING THEIR GAME
That question was certainly on
the Lady Jackets’ minds when they
received their first-ever bid to the NCAA
National Tournament after winning
their fourth Great Midwest Athletic
Conference Tournament in the last five
years. They finished the regular season
with a strong 26-8 record.
Krikke sensed a higher purpose for
the team during the tournament. “I just
don’t think God’s done using us yet this
season,” she told Shelton.
For each member of the team,
it wasn’t about winning the match,
though that was one goal; it was about
expanding their mission field. That
opportunity came in the win-or-go-
home fourth set against in-state rival
University of Findlay. Down by four
and losing momentum early in the set,
junior captain Krissy Pratt ’18
gashed her shin diving into
the bench for a ball. When
the tournament director
approached her to ask how he
could help, Pratt didn’t miss
a beat.
“Have the people in the
stands pray for me,” she said.
“You want me to do what?”
the director replied.
“Go ask my team’s parents
to say a quick prayer for me,”
Pratt repeated.
From her own team, word spread.
What happened next was nothing short
of a “God thing,” according to Walters:
a gym full of people — including the
opposing team and their parents —
talking to the Lord together. It was just
one of many practical manifestations
of the Lady Jackets’ unabashed Gospel
mindset.
VOLLEYS OF GOSPEL
CONVERSATION
Take, for example, the practice of
each team member praying for one or
two members of that week’s opposing
team. After spending the week in
prayer, then praying as a group after
the game, each Lady Jacket sought out
her player(s) and, after offering a quick
prayer and often a Gospel conversation,
gave her a New Testament and a note
with contact information.
“While a lot of times we do get shut
down,” Krikke said, “we build some
amazing relationships.”
Several years ago, a Lady Jacket
received a text from a recent Hillsdale
College opponent explaining how
attendance at Hillsdale’s team Bible
study had increased after playing
Cedarville, and that team members
were coming with their gifted New
Testaments.
Ultimately, that’s the kind of long-
term impact Walters hopes his team
continues to have. “This team is very
Kingdom- and Christ-centered, which
will always be our goal,” he said.
LEGACY WITH ETERNAL
IMPLICATIONS
A s Sh e l t on a nd h e r s e n i o r
teammates reflect on their four years
and ponder the legacy they’re leaving
behind, they return to a familiar refrain.
“Our heart is that Cedarville
volleyball will always be a family on
mission, and that everyone gets invited
in,” she explained. “It’s been so fun to
witness what God’s doing here. We’ve
gotten to know Him through this sport,
to know and share His character, and to
see how great He really is.
“Who are we that we get to be a part
of that?”
Stephen Port ’13
is Digital and Social Media
Manager for Cedarville University.
Cedarville Magazine
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