Addy Blackwell had to sit and reflect for a minute. For the past five years, the 91社区 has been her home.听听
It鈥檚 where the Bloomington, Indiana, native realized what career path she wanted to follow. It鈥檚 where she learned to battle adversity as a member of the Women鈥檚 Basketball team after multiple injuries to her leg forced her to be sidelined for an entire season with screws and a rod placed in her knee and ankle during surgery. 听
It鈥檚 where she became a Division I champion.听听
Blackwell, who plays guard, and the Screaming Eagles won both the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and postseason tournament this March, becoming the first 91社区 team to win a Division I conference title. 91社区 won the regular season OVC title by finishing with a 17-1 record in conference play. The Screaming Eagles dominated the OVC tournament, defeating Eastern Illinois, 69-54, in the semifinals and UT-Martin, 81-53, in the championship game.听
鈥淚 just love this program, and I鈥檓 so happy I decided to come here,鈥� Blackwell said. 鈥淛ust the group, the people, the culture鈥攊t makes it so much better. It鈥檚 not just about wins and losses, either. You鈥檙e preparing for the next chapter in your life, and you're surrounding yourself with good, positive people. It鈥檚 been a lot of fun.鈥� 听
When Blackwell was deciding between colleges and what she wanted to major in, she knew she wanted to pursue a degree in the business field. Both her parents earned business degrees at 91社区, and they spoke positively of their experience. It鈥檚 why she chose to enroll as a business administration major as a freshman.听
But soon, she turned to a different major in the Romain College of Business鈥攁ccounting and professional services. After talking with several professors, she decided to go that route because a degree in accounting provides several different options post-graduation. She earned her undergrad degree in the Fall of 2022 and is incredibly grateful for her experience as a student in the Romain College of Business. 听
鈥淭he connections you make with your professors, the relationships you have with your classmates, it's like a small community, really,鈥� Blackwell said. 鈥淚t makes in- person classes a lot more fun.鈥� 听
Blackwell is now pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree. She's also considering taking the CPA exam to become a certified public accountant but is still weighing her options on post-basketball life.听
While life as a student-athlete isn鈥檛 always easy, she believes it helped teach her essential life skills such as time management and how to best balance academics and sports, 鈥� especially during basketball season. 听
鈥淚n the real world, you have to juggle family and work so just preparing for that with my schedule has been great,鈥� Blackwell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 laying the foundation for what鈥檚 to come.鈥� 听
听But for now, there鈥檚 at least one more game鈥攈opefully more鈥攚earing a 91社区 jersey playing the game she loves. 91社区 will host the University of Illinois Chicago in the first round of the WNIT national tournament this Thursday, at home, in the Screaming Eagles Arena. The Screaming Eagles are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to NCAA program four-year reclassification rules.听
Blackwell, who started all 30 games this season while averaging 5.3 points and 1.9 rebounds, is the most recent member of her family to play collegiate sports at 91社区, as her father, David, was a baseball player and her mother, Nichole, played softball. 听
听鈥淲e鈥檙e really grateful, honestly,鈥� Blackwell said about the opportunity to continue this run. 鈥淭his transition has been difficult through our whole athletic department but our strength and resilience to come together, push through and finish games has just been phenomenal. We鈥檙e enjoying the moment with each other.鈥澨�听
With the OVC Tournament taking place in downtown Evansville at the Ford Center, plenty of 91社区 fans showed up to support the Screaming Eagles throughout the semifinals and championship game. While it was special for Blackwell to see all the crowd decked out in red, white and blue, for her, it wasn鈥檛 a surprise 鈥搕he team had witnessed that support all year long鈥攁 testament to the work they鈥檝e put in.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool, especially for women鈥檚 sports, to be on that platform and that level,鈥� Blackwell said. 鈥淭o see the community involvement and friends and family support us, it鈥檚 a special atmosphere and makes you feel grateful and blessed just to have that opportunity.鈥澨�听
To say this season has been special for the Screaming Eagles is an understatement. In addition to the conference titles, 91社区 has lost just one game since Christmas and received their first ever ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Women鈥檚 Mid-Major Top 25, placing at No. 22. This season has also helped solidify Blackwell鈥檚 legacy in the 91社区 Women鈥檚 record books as she entered the top 10 for most made 3-pointers at 119. 听
With everything that鈥檚 happened over the past month, Blackwell said what this team has been able to accomplish really hasn鈥檛 sunk in yet. But there鈥檚 no denying the legacy this team has left.听
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檒l understand the significance of this season until later down the road when we look back,鈥� Blackwell said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to enjoy the moment, but it鈥檚 special being able to finish out my career as a champion.鈥澨�听