Seymour volleyball team in quarantine

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Positive results from COVID-19 precautionary tests have halted the Seymour High School volleyball team’s practices and will push back the start of the season from the original opening day of Aug. 15.

Athletic Director Kirk Manns said Wednesday the quarantine took effect “as of this morning” and the team cannot practice again until Aug. 17, then will need eight additional practices before starting the regular season.

The match against Jeffersonville is off, he said, and it is unknown if it will be possible to reschedule.

Seymour now will not be able to play an official match until Aug. 27.

“We have to have 10 practices in,” Manns said of the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s rules prior to playing contests that count. “Most of the kids have two practices.”

Manns would not say if the 14-day quarantine for the team is the result of one positive test for the coronavirus or if there was more than one.

“It’s personal for the children and the family,” Manns said. “What everyone needs to know is we’re quarantined.”

Manns said the school is consulting with medical professionals about the protocols to follow to keep players and coaches safe and believes the two-week isolation policy “is pretty much nationwide.”

Indiana high schools were able to begin conditioning workouts and ease into more demanding practices gradually since early July. Seymour followed the detailed guidelines, and while being watchful, Manns said more than once he was hopeful the fall sports teams would be able to start their seasons on time.

“It’s frustrating,” he said of the volleyball team’s setback. “It’s disappointing to the kids. We’ve followed the recommendations.”

The Seymour golf team began its season Monday in a tournament in Bloomington and Wednesday hosted its own tournament, the first high school sports competition in town since March when Indiana school sports shuttered in response to the virus.

No high school sports were contested during the spring season.

The volleyball team had four matches scheduled between Aug. 15, the opener versus Jeffersonville, and Aug. 27. The schedule included Columbus North at home Aug. 18, playing at Madison on Aug. 22 and hosting Columbus East on Aug. 25.

The quarantine, coupled with delayed practice, means the first date the Owls can play is Aug. 27. Seymour is scheduled to be at home against Bloomington North that day.

Affecting more than 18.8 million people worldwide and causing more than 707,000 deaths, the volatile virus has continued a virulent spread and halted or interrupted innumerable activities.

“One day at a time,” Manns said. “That’s just where we are today. We will take every situation individually.”

Earlier this summer, Brownstown Central’s football team had to retreat from practice for a period due to a positive result. No other Jackson County sports teams have had players with positive test results and been forced to stop practicing.

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