Sticking Together
A new rule allows for an extra year of play—and learning
Over the past two years, UMass students have had to adapt to remote learning, rearrange their lives around COVID protocols, and reimagine their college experience. For student-athletes, those changes have affected far more than their academic and social lives, with seasons of their sports interrupted or canceled. Fortunately, the NCAA has amended its rules, allowing students to play an additional year as long as they are enrolled in a program of study.
Seven members of the 2021 A10 Champion UMass Women’s Lacrosse team have taken the opportunity to continue studying—and competing. Enrolling in a master’s or certificate program is also helping many of them reach their career goals. It’s a chance for this tight-knit team to stay together and fight for another championship title.
We asked these players about the team, their studies, the future, and how they feel about staying at UMass.
Photos: Jon Asgeirsson (Murphy, Muscella), Judith Gibson-Okunieff (Anderson, Barrett, Connaughton), Katherine Mayo (Marra), for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian; Thom Kendall (Smith) for UMass Athletics.