CEDARVILLE, Ohio - Last spring, athletes lost their season due to COVID-19. Seniors lost the chance to play the sport they love for the last time.

Unfortunately, that heartbreak is not over.

For senior volleyball player Sierra Schuitema, the G-MAC's decision to push volleyball season to the spring marked the end of her career. She's graduating in December and therefore will not be able to play with the team this year.

Her coaches had attempted to prepare her for the possibility of the move, but it didn't hit Schuitema until it was made official.

She feels as though the Lord has been preparing her for this for a long time now. At the end of last season she was out with a concussion, which forced her to recognize the fragility of life before the pandemic even hit.

"I just remember I got to spend a lot of time with the Lord because I couldn't do anything," Schuitema said. "Just being reminded of who I am and what volleyball's for - it's to honor and glorify Him.

"That was a really sweet time to just be reminded that, 'God You could just take this away in a moment and it would be okay, because ultimately it's for you.'"

A lot of aspects of Schuitema's life have been uprooted during this season. Her last semester of college is during a global pandemic, her last season of volleyball was stripped from her, she's about to graduate, and her wedding, scheduled for December, has been immensely affected by COVID-19.

"I've been feeling the weight of it for sure," she said. "Anything that I could've held my identity to has kind of been stripped from me."
 

---

   

---

Being from Michigan, Schuitema is unable to have her wedding at a venue if she wants more than ten people to be able to attend. Thankfully, she lives near an old Christian camp that is letting her use their mess hall for the wedding.

Despite the changes, Schuitema is just excited to be married.

After graduation, she is planning on staying in the area and using her education degree to substitute teach until she can find a permanent teaching job.

It all started for Schuitema when her mom found Cedarville while she was searching for schools. She knew she wanted a school that had a volleyball program invested in her spiritual growth as well as the school. She found that in Cedarville.

"I loved it so much that when we got done, I was like, 'I don't want to come here.' And my mom was like, 'What!? That was awesome,'" Schuitema said. "I was like, if I don't come here, I'll be really sad, so I'm just going to tell myself I don't want to come here."

Reminiscing about her first interaction with the team, she said it's a miracle she got an offer.

"I practiced with the team and it was so bad," she laughed.

Regardless, her time at Cedarville has been so fruitful. 

On the court, Schuitema, a setter, has led the Jackets well. She was a captain last season, ranked fourth in the G-MAC with 9.99 assists per set, and ended her career fourth on Cedarville's all-time list at 7.91.

Off the court, she wants to leave her team with truth she has learned through her time with Cedarville volleyball.

"I want them to know their worth," she said. "When I know who I am, now I can do this task well."

She still has some time to instill this into her team. The coaches have allowed her to continue to be involved with the team this semester, so she selflessly serves them in practices and workouts.

She doesn't set in practice since she won't be setting in matches, completely changing her role from what she expected.

"It's been mostly just filling in where there's a need. It's been really sweet and really fun, just definitely really different," she said.

She doesn't mind though. She says she's made her forever friends on the team, and they will most certainly be what she misses most. She'll even miss the ice baths and the early morning workouts.

"Doing something terrible with people you love makes it kind of fun," Schuitema said.

The transition is tough for Schuitema, but Cedarville has taught her how to handle change and give it all to the Lord.

"It's been hard, I don't want to pretend like it's not," she said. "But I've also been blown away by how the Lord has leaned in and continued to pursue me and remind me that Jesus is better than being a volleyball player and Jesus is better than having a normal semester and Jesus is better than my dream wedding."

Schuitema and fellow senior Lindsey (Bray) Milby will be honored prior to the team's intrasquad scrimmage this Friday at 10:00 p.m.

@CUJackets  |  Fans can also follow Cedarville University Athletics on Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook