First Person: Elena Shklyar

Rising junior Elena Shklyar is a journalism major on the volleyball team. She will be chronicling her thoughts as she and her teammates navigate the departure from and return to campus in the world of the novel coronavirus - beginning from when the volleyball team first learned that their spring semester would drastically change due to the the threat to public health. In her second entry, she shares with us the process of the team returning to campus for the voluntary workouts.

June 30, 2020 - Two Weeks Back

On Sunday, June 14^th, I left my house in Hinsdale, Illinois will a full car full of stuff to move back in my apartment in East Lansing. We were finally allowed back on campus! A short three-and-a-half-hour drive and I would be back at school, with all my teammates, living a normal life again.

Except we all know times right now are anything but normal. Being back at campus was refreshing, I loved being home and spending time with my parents and brother, but being back in East Lansing immediately made me happy.

I moved into my apartment and it took me about all day. I was able to go to the grocery store that same day as well before knocking out in my bed from exhaustion (I hate moving.)

It started getting exciting the next day, Monday, June 15th, when my whole team got tested for COVID-19. We all went at specific times with our "pods" - a group of about six girls on the team. These pods were arranged based off who you live with, to limit exposure as much as possible.

My pod went to The Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center to get tested at our assigned time. As soon as we got there, we got to see our amazing athletic trainer Kelly [Moriarty], who handed us our very own Michigan State masks!

Everything in the building was labeled, to help the flow of people going smoothly. I walked into the doors and up to a table where I was asked questions about if I had any symptoms by a trainer sitting behind a screen. They then took my temperature and gave me hand sanitizer before sending me on my way to the indoor turf field to get tested.

Swartz Shklyar

Here is a little shout out to any athletic trainers, staff or anyone involved in the process of allowing us to come back. Everything has been set up so smoothly for us and clearly explained and I have not doubted my safety from COVID at all while I have been back.

The test itself occurred in Duffy, the indoor football turf field. To be honest, it was not anywhere as bad as I expected. It was much quicker than I thought it would take! I heard some mixed opinions from my teammates, but that's my thoughts about it. Once we got tested, we were free to go home.

This is where the hard part begins. We went three months without seeing our teammates, and now we are told we can only see a few of them, only the ones in our pods.

The next week we were basically supposed to self-quarantine as much as possible. We got our test results back on Wednesday, and our entire team tested negative. We were informed we would be tested again on Monday, June 22^nd and would all have to test negative again before we are allowed to work out in the facilities.

This week where I was quarantined was pretty tough for me. Every day I basically woke up, went to find somewhere to work out with the girls in my pod, then came home and did homework before spending the rest of the afternoon hanging out – again, just with the girls in my pod.

The workouts had to get creative! Everyone has been doing home workouts the past three months and my team has been doing zoom workouts so finally being able to get together and run with a teammate or do a circuit with a teammate was refreshing.

We got tested again the next Monday, and everyone tested negative yet again - GREAT news!! That means we can finally get back into the gym!! One step closer to normalcy.

On Wednesday, June 24^th, we were allowed into the Breslin Center along with the men's and women's basketball teams. We all had separate, scheduled times to work out to avoid mixing together. Volleyball's   time slot is from 3:30-6:30 pm, and we rotate between three stations within our pods. We have three, 50-minute sessions which include time with a net, time in the weight room, and time on a practice court with no net. This is very different than the usual summer training we do. Typically, we do open gyms as a full team, with more flexibility on times. This is a very different situation. Everything is so much more structured.

So this is our new process. We enter the building (staggered 10 minutes between pods) and immediately get our temperatures taken before heading to the court. We are allowed 50 minutes per station with 10 minutes to clean in between. Cleaning includes wiping down every single volleyball, every box or target we touch, and every weight we touch in the weight room. It seemed crazy at first, but it is the new normal for now to stay healthy!

We are doing our best to stay six feet apart when playing on the court, so that eliminates a few drills. The practices have been great so far! All the groups have really stepped up to plan and take everything incredibly seriously because we all know how lucky and blessed we are to be given the privilege to be allowed back in the gym.

I have LOVED being back in the gym. Sprinting to chase down a ball to set? LOVE it. Seeing my teammate get a kill of my set? LOVE it!! Being back in the gym playing the sport I love with the people I love? LOVE. IT.

We are just starting our first full week of being back in the gym and everyone is starting to get a hang of things. Bringing in our dirty practice clothes to get our laundry done, social distancing where we put our backpacks, asking a trainer to fill up our water bottles, getting snack packs because the fuel station is closed and more. It is slowly becoming more natural.

I feel like our entire team is on the same page when it comes to these new rules. Whatever it takes to have a season. We have a goal that we all crave to accomplish, and we must have a season to be able to do that. If that means individually washing each volleyball we touch? Done deal.

Personally, being back on the volleyball court has been something I have been dreaming about the past few months. I was craving the soreness I feel after a good lift or a tough practice. Being back with my teammates is an indescribable feeling. We are usually together 24/7. Living together, practicing together, going to class together, traveling together and more. Even though we are still a little split up into our pods, I am so glad I don't have to resort to only seeing their faces over zoom calls anymore.

I have loved being back on campus and adjusting to this new normal way of life for me and my teammates. I can't wait until we can be allowed to be together as a full team practicing together and with our coaches, but patience is key and health and safety is the priority. I am looking forward to seeing things progress soon I hope!





June 9, 2020 - A look back at the first three months

On Wednesday, March 11, MSU sent out an email that classes would be online until April 20th. I found out with my teammates on the MSU Volleyball team right after our practice, right before lift. We were all pretty happy about it, due to our ignorance of the actual severity of the situation. It's horrible to say now but we were all even celebrating a little bit about now having to go to class. That mood changed quickly.

On Thursday, March 12, we practiced in the morning, another usual spring volleyball practice for us. At the end of it, our team doctor told us that we would be suspended from practice for the weekend while they figure out what is going to happen. We were all shocked and had millions of questions.

On Friday, March 13, we had a team facetime in which my coach told us all to go home, leave campus for an unknown amount of time since we won't be allowed in the facilities. This was when I really started to get worried. How long am I going to be home? When can we come back?

So many questions came to mind. I was still pretty unaware of how severe this situation was, and was mainly thinking about just how sad I was that my spring season was on a halt.
Elena Shklyar

Fast forward to today, (Tuesday, June 9th) and I have been home for almost three straight months.

My world has been completely turned upside down. I haven't seen my teammates, who I live with and usually see every day, in months. I haven't played volleyball (in an actual gym, not just against my garage), in months.

I finished off my sophomore year from the comfort of my bedroom at my parents' house, instead of on campus in a traditional classroom. The adjustment to online classes was weird for sure. It was hard to stay focused at times but I am so proud of myself and my team for finishing the semester strong with our grades despite everything going on around us.

Last week, we found out that we are allowed to return to campus on June 15th along with Football, Men's basketball and Women's basketball. This was the best thing I could have heard. I was finally able to go back to campus and see my teammates and start training again!! Right?

Well not yet, we get to go back to campus but obviously, it's not going to be normal for a while. Lots of different health and safety measuring are going to take place on campus by our incredible staff to keep us safe. But hey, we get to be back! That's a start. I can't wait.

The past three months being home have been brutal. I mean don't get me wrong, I have been loving having home cooked meals every night with my family but being away from my teammates and the sport I love for this long has been draining. As a Division I student-athlete, my life and schedule often revolves around my sport. This is the longest I have gone without being in a volleyball gym since I was 11.

The fear of not having a season in the fall haunts me. The fear that all of my constant hard work with my team won't be able to pay off makes me lose sleep at night. The thought of not having any crowds at my games in the fall is a huge fear of mine.

I am still extremely unaware of the future, and how my season will change and life will continue to change.

While I have been home, I have dedicated myself to my sport more than I thought was possible. I didn't want any of this time to go to waste.
I have been dedicated to waking up, and working out at the same times (or close to at least, sometimes I like to sleep in a little) I would be if I was at school.

My team has been doing team zoom workouts together multiple times a week as a way to hold each other accountable as well as see everyone faces as much as we can. We have been having team zoom meetings four times a week with coaches to watch film and scout for the fall.

My life has been completely uprooted without actually being able to play the sport I love.

I have gained an extreme focus while I have been home for improving my fitness level as well as health. I have been working out non-stop, training outdoors with my trainer, eating healthy every meal and working on my mental health. I feel great and confident in myself and am trying to be in the best shape I can be to help my team when we get back on the court together.

The fear of not being able to play volleyball right now is terrifying, as I don't want to lose my skill on the court. It was heartbreaking at first to be sent home because of the fear of my team taking 10 steps back from where we were. Over this time, I have learned that every single girl on my team, every coach, every person working with this team, is not going to let that happen. We have a goal to come back better, even if that means in our volleyball IQ or physical shape in general if we can't be on the court together yet.

My life without sports these past three months has still revolved around sports. I am preparing to be better than my competition, and I've had the time to do that.

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