Evan Markworth ’21 has been patiently waiting to get back on the court. In the long offseason he’s been scrimmaging, working with teammates and staying prepared for the season. Even with all the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, Markworth has been getting ready to compete again.

“The pandemic definitely wasn’t ideal for me and the boys volleyball community,” Markworth said. “But I am very anxious for the season and getting back to something close to normal.”

In the offseason, Markworth has been working heavily on his physicality in hopes of becoming a stronger volleyball player, he said. When not at practice, Markworth lifts three to four times a week to develop a stronger swing and higher jump. 

“The most important thing at the moment is getting stronger in general,” Markworth said. “I need to put in the work off the court.”

Last year, Markworth’s club team, Future Volleyball Club, qualified three times for the national tournament in Reno, Nevada. To his dismay, they were unable to compete as COVID-19 ended up cancelling the tournament, he said.

“It was deflating to see our work as a team that year go down the drain,” Markworth said. “However I was only a junior and had another full year to play whereas all my teammates had finished their club careers.”

Although there have been many changes that Markworth and his team have had to adapt to, contact days for LT ran smoothly and players are looking good, Head Varsity Coach Brad Skendzel said.

“Contact days have been great because it has allowed us to welcome back new and returning volleyball players.” Skendzel said. “Evan is one of the first players to congratulate another teammate after a great play and pick someone up after an error.”

With the volleyball season on track to move forward in the spring, Markworth is eager to put his biggest improvements on display. Although early on it took some time to set his mind on volleyball, Markworth knew it was what he’d wanted to do since he was young.

“I was always told to play basketball because of my height,” he said. “However as I got older and made varsity as a sophomore, I think that really proved my case for my choice of volleyball.”

Another very hardworking player for LT’s program this year is Jack Siepman ’21. Siepman is competing alongside Markworth in hopes of dominating on the court when the season comes, he said.

“To prepare, we’ve been working mostly with our club teams,” Siepman said. “LT has also had contact days for us to work together and improve.”

Teammates of Markworth value his intelligence and hard work, Siepman said.

“Evan is one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with,” Siepman said. “He’s always trying to help himself and his teammates get better.”

As an overall player and person, Markworth has been around the game since he was a kid, he said. His mom being an early coach and teacher to him, volleyball has always been there for him. To his coach, he is a motivated and passionate team leader, Skendzel said. 

“Evan will be missed like many of our seniors after this year,” he said. “They have been an integral component of success and all of them put forth a great amount of effort.” 

Markworth officially signed his commitment agreement on Nov. 11 and will continue his journey onto the Loyola Men’s Volleyball team. For the fifth consecutive year Loyola has assembled a top five recruiting class, nationwide, and Markworth being one of those players