By, DACODA MCDOWELL WAHPEKECHE, Sports Editor
Great American Conference officials said the Council of Presidents voted unanimously on Jan. 29 to allow spectators to attend games effective Feb. 1.
Prior to the vote on Jan. 29, Great American Conference officials announced in Dec. 2020 that fans were not allowed to attend sporting events.
The Council of Presidents was scheduled to meet on Jan. 16 to reconsider the restrictions. That day, the council met and decided to continue the restrictions on fans attending the games.
Instead of watching events in-person, Northwestern fans have watched games through livestreams on the athletic department’s YouTube channel. The university’s volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams all had fans in attendance during the week of Feb. 1.
Student-athletes and coaches are given three tickets each to give away to people who would like to attend their games, Great American Conference officials said in a Jan. 29 article about allowing fans to attend games.
Visiting teams are not allowed spectators.
Four dozen students, parents and faculty attended the Feb. 3 volleyball game between Northwestern and the Drovers of University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Before the game against the Drovers, Northwestern’s volleyball team played two games without fans in attendance.
Lauren Lagos, a Northwestern freshman from Burlington, said that she came to support Avery Osburg and Carmae Jones, players on the volleyball team.
“It was really exciting to get to support the team,” Lagos said. “Obviously, we have not been able to do a bunch of stuff together, it feels like, but it was really cool to be able to come and be able to show them that we’re all in this together.”
Lagos said she had never been to a volleyball game before and that it was exciting to watch.
Jessica Thompson, a sophomore middle hitter for the volleyball team, was one of the players who saw the court during the win against the Drovers.
“It was fun,” Thompson said. “It was nice to have a crowd again. Not just like, being in a gym by ourselves — to actually have people supporting us was nice.”
Northwestern’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have been playing without fans in attendance since New Year’s Day.
Both teams played in front of fans during their game against the Oklahoma Baptist University Bison on Feb. 3.
Angel Marshall, a Northwestern student-athlete, sat in the bleachers for most of the women’s basketball game and watched the entire men’s game.
“It was really exciting to be back in the gym,” Marshall said. “After over a year, it was just exciting to feel the energy inside Percefull.”
The Rangers and the Lady Rangers lost their games against Oklahoma Baptist.
Northwestern’s volleyball team will play Oklahoma Baptist inside Percefull Fieldhouse on Feb. 12.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams will play their next home game on Feb. 11.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR RANGER SPORTS:
BASKETBALL:
Feb. 11
— MBB, NWOSU (2 – 6) vs. SOSU (5 – 7) in Alva
— WBB, NWOSU (4 – 9) vs. SOSU (8 – 5) in Alva
Feb. 13
— MBB, NWOSU (2 – 6) vs. ECU (6 – 6) in Ada
— WBB, NWOSU (4 – 9) vs. ECU (8 – 4) in Ada
VOLLEYBALL:
Feb. 12
— VB, NWOSU (3 – 0) vs. OBU (1 – 0) in Alva
Feb. 16
— VB, NWOSU (3 – 0) vs. SNU (2 – 0) in Alva
Feb. 17
— VB, NWOSU (3 – 0) vs. OC (2 – 4) in Edmond
SOFTBALL:
Feb. 17
— SB, NWOSU (0 – 0) vs. NU (2 – 4) in Wichita, KS
(Doubleheader)
Livestreams of NWOSU home games available here:
