For the Unofficial Anderson University Curing Team, Serving is About More Than Just Mopping Floors. It’s a Way to Reveal the Kingdom of God.

The fog of years blurs memories. 

But what’s clear to Jonathan Barbaree is that Alexis Dillard, a star player on the 2016-2017 Anderson University women’s basketball team, was announcing herself to the world. In a star-making moment, Dillard had a career-high in points (28), rebounds (18) and blocks (7.) 

It was only the third quarter.  “I was thinking, ‘oh my gosh, she’s going to get a triple-double,’” Barbaree recalled. “What she was doing out on the court was just unbelievable.” What happened next almost defied belief, too. Not that such things can’t happen—basketball can be a cruel sport. One minute you’re on top of the world; the next, you’re looking up from where you just stood.  That was Alexis Dillard on November 16, 2016. 

Who can say what happened for sure? Again, details get fuzzy over time. But the basic story goes like this: Dillard jumped up for yet another rebound—and an opponent from Erskine did, too. The two ladies tumbled to the floor. The crowd fell silent. All that could be heard was Alexis Dillard’s scream.

Dr. Howard Murphy is, among many other things, a paramedic. He remembers hearing a “pop” as Dillard fell. He suspected what that sound meant. Her scream confirmed it. Dillard had suffered the injury every athlete dreads: a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Her senior season was over. Her career was in jeopardy.

How it happened is, again, up for debate. Coach Barbaree thinks the player from Erskine slipped on a damp spot, falling into Dillard’s legs. For her part, Dillard remembers it being the result of coming down awkwardly, her knee buckling under the strain. Eight years later, it probably doesn’t matter all that much. A slip or an awkward landing…who knows? What’s important now is what happened afterward. 

Dr. Murphy is an associate professor of homeland security and emergency services with the Anderson University School of Public Service and Administration and a trained paramedic. “There was not much I could do for her at that point,” he said. Instead, thinking it could have been the result of a damp spot on the court, he turned his thoughts to making sure it would never happen again. And that’s how the Anderson University Curling Team was born.

Pardon the digression, but you’ve heard about the sport of curling, right? It only re-enters public consciousness every four years, specifically during the Winter Olympic Games. Here’s a refresher: to play, one person pushes a heavy stone across a sheet of ice toward a target. As it slides, teammates use brooms to direct the stone toward a target. Need it to go farther? You sweep rapidly. Need it to slow down? You stop sweeping. That’s it, really. That’s the game.   

Howard Murphy wasn’t thinking about curling during that November game back in 2016. But he was thinking about brooms—specifically the microfiber tools used to mop sweat from the floor of basketball courts. So, for the last several years, Dr. Murphy and a cast of volunteers have given themselves the job of mopping the Abney Athletic Center court during basketball games.   

“It was (Anderson University First Lady) Diane Whitaker who came up with the name ‘the AU Curling Team,’” Dr. Murphy said. “The name just stuck.”

Back to Dillard’s injury. It didn’t create the AU Curling Team. In fact, Dillard isn’t sure the team is even necessary; it’s not like athletic staff ignore safety hazards. To this day, she’s adamant that her injury is no one’s fault. It’s just the nature of athletics. Things happen. 

No, what matters is what the Curling Team represents. Slip or not, the actions of faculty and staff revealed the true character of the University for which she’d chosen to play. And that started long before Dr. Murphy helped organize his team of volunteers.   

“The University was super supportive,” Dillard said. “(They) always kept me in high spirits any time I saw them. The (Trojan Transit) drivers were always present and patient whenever I needed them to give me lifts. My professors were very understanding if I was late to class and helped me in any way with my studies. I was even offered lifts by my peers and staff to the gym if someone saw me walking to Abney. FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) sent me an abundance of letters and prayers to lift my spirit and to keep me encouraged. 

“I still have them on my wall to this day. It was absolutely heartwarming to feel the amount of love I received from the University and I will always remember that.”

Ask anyone around campus to name someone who embodies Great Hospitality and, chances are, they’ll tell you about Scott Taylor. His day job is as director of the AU post office, but it might be more accurate to call him the University’s chief morale officer. He’s a member of the AU Curling Team.   

But here’s the thing: it’s not about curling. Sure, it’s a fun name, a way to brand this unheralded group of volunteers. Nor is it about sweeping floors.   

It’s about guiding…   

“It’s a way to give something back to the University, to serve the student-athletes and help keep them safe,” he said. “Plus, it’s just a fun thing to do. We get to go down there and help, but also, we get to see the game up close and personal.” 

“We want to prevent injuries; we’re a preventative medicine team,” Dr. Murphy said. “All of us enjoy athletics and all of us want our players to do well, but ultimately it comes down to just loving our players.” 

And that’s the key. It’s Great Hospitality in action. It’s part of what sets Anderson University apart from other colleges and universities. 

“I call it a ‘thin space.’ That’s an Irish term meaning ‘where heaven touches earth.’ It’s why I’m here; Anderson University is a ‘thin space’ for me, a Christ-centered place where you have intentional hospitality and friendliness among not only the faculty and staff but also the students and their parents,” Dr. Murphy said. “I just can’t think of a better place to be.” 

Coach Barbaree seconds that motion, in part because he witnesses first-hand the AU Curling Team—and the impact loving and supportive staff members across campus have on the lives of students. 

“They know every player’s name (and) they always speak to them on- and off-campus. It just shows again that they’re willing to put the needs of the students on campus first,” he said. “It gives our players another connection… and it’s just a blessing. We know we can always count on them. It’s one less stress for the athletic department and, for me as a head coach, having somebody out there to make sure nobody gets hurt is so helpful.”

Alexis’ story didn’t end on that November evening at Abney. 

After a career that is among the most storied in Anderson University history—her name can be found all over the Trojan record books—Dillard turned pro and played for teams in Africa, Australia and Ireland. Today, she’s an assistant coach at her high school alma mater (Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, South Carolina.)

She accomplished that because of her own immense talent and hard work. The AU Curling Team couldn’t save her from the pain of injury, but it demonstrates why Anderson University is such a special place.   

“I don’t wish any injuries for any athletes but I’m thankful that, when I had mine, I was at Anderson University. Not only was my body well taken care of, my spirit was, too.”

Members of the Anderson University Curling Team: Past & Present

• Dr. Howard Murphy: Associate Professor of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
• Scott Taylor: Anderson University Director of Postal Operations
• Cheryl Bequette: Anderson University Campus Safety Officer
• Louis Ross: Friend & Supporter of Anderson University
• Dr. Traci Carter: Lecturer of Mathematics
• Dr. Tracy Jessup: Anderson University Vice President for Christian Life & Senior Campus Minister

Written by Andrew J. Beckner