One Year Ago, The Game Changed

Mariana Brambilla, Volleyball, Outside Hitter #13

Q: What has this season been like for you?

This new phase of training was very challenging at the beginning when we first got back. We had to adapt to mask training and testing daily. In addition, the team committed to comply with all protocols and take all possible care outside the home, just staying in our bubble. In volleyball, we usually do high fives after every point, and we reunite in small circles. We always had a lot of contact and closeness during the game, but now we have to be careful. However, it is still possible to look into each other’s eyes and convey confidence even with your mouth and nose covered.

Q: What did it mean to you to play this season even with these challenges?

I recognize that it is a privilege to keep playing and practicing safely during this pandemic. In my family, my dad and my brother are part of the group at risk for Covid and have been at home for almost a year now, going out only for supermarkets and essential needs, just like thousands of other people. Being able to practice this sport that I love and have a chance to play in the NCAA Championship with this huge structure to allow us to play safe makes me very grateful.

Q: What did you and your teammates do to maintain your team bond?

During the quarantine back in July, we made regular Zoom calls and FaceTime calls. Now that we are back at practice, we see each other during practice and after school, so we try to make our time as productive as possible. However, during the weekends we try to do some walks around the city or watch and cheer for other Tech sports.

Ryan Johnson, Football, Offensive Lineman #70

Q: How did your training change last year?

One of the biggest differences was the loss of our spring and part of our summer training. As lockdown orders took effect, we were sent home in the middle of spring practice. For the next few months, training continued on our own with virtual meetings and virtual school. When we returned to campus, we were still far from normal as Covid tests, temperature checks, and modified, socially distant workouts moved to the main stage. Over the season, we would work out in our indoor facility, where weight platforms have been moved so that we had adequate space to be socially distanced from those working out next to us. Masks, splash guards, and other precautions were taken to keep us safe.

Q: What did it mean to you to play even with these challenges?

Throughout the off-season, the ominous question of whether or not we would be playing a season weighed heavily on everyone. However, our team did an amazing job of putting our heads down and not focusing on whether we would play. We just focused on the next day and how to get better and prepare for the chance to play in the fall. To be able to play this season was an amazing feeling. After lockdowns, after the threat of not having a season, and after countless Covid tests, we were allowed to play the game that many of us have trained our whole lives for. While the season didn’t look like any in the past, it was a testament to our ability to adapt and persevere. For me, this year was beyond special. God has given me the ability to play a game that I love at a level very few people have the chance to experience. I had the opportunity to play in front of millions of people and bring them together in a time of struggle and uncertainty in our country. To me, that’s what football is all about.

Q: What did you and your teammates do to maintain your team bond?

Daily Zoom meetings consisted of not just football and academics but everything in-between. We would do everything from virtual yoga together to seeing who would be the first one to make his bed in the morning and making sure everyone else followed suit.

Q: You decided to take the extra year of competitive eligibility offered to student-athletes by the NCAA due to the pandemic. How did you come to that decision?

At the end of the season, after much thought and prayer and consultation with family, friends, and coaches, I decided not to enter the NFL draft this year to stay and to play another year at Georgia Tech. While playing in the NFL has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, I believe that staying at Georgia Tech while I’m part of this very special team can give me the opportunity to improve myself with the help of Coach Key, Coach Lew, and Coach Collins.

Kenya Jones, Women's Tennis

Q: What has this season been like for you, including some of the differences as a result of the pandemic? 

I feel like me and a lot of my teammates are just more grateful to be on the court because we had the opportunity taken away from us for six months. I think we are all just super excited and there is a more positive energy whenever we step out onto the court now.

Q: What did you and your teammates do to maintain your team bond?

Since we couldn’t go to restaurants and we couldn’t really go anywhere, we decided to have a lot of game nights at our apartment or in the dorms just so we could get to know the new freshmen a little better. Bonding as a team is always super important because you want to have a good culture.

Q: You decided to take the extra year of competitive eligibility offered to student-athletes by the NCAA due to the pandemic. How did you come to that decision? 

I always imagined my senior year to look a certain way and I was completely heartbroken when I didn’t have the opportunity to have a Senior Day and to know that it was going to be the last time I was going to play on these courts. To have that taken away from me, and then for them to say, “no, you can actually have that back,” was important to me. I decided this would be the smartest decision since I want to play professionally, and during that time, there weren’t a lot of pro tournaments to play. And also, I felt like, it was a good decision for the team with so many young people being on the team. I know Vicky [ teammate Victoria Flores] is happy to still have me here.