Some may only know sophomore Emmi Denovellis for her prowess on the pitch but, there’s a lot more to the talented wingback than just tearing it up for the Red Hawks.
As a player though, Denovellis has been excellent through almost two full seasons. Last season, as a freshman, she led the team in assists with six and was named second-team All-NJAC.
Her second season as a Red Hawk has been arguably better, not statistically but Denovellis has solidified herself as one of the best wingbacks in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
Denovellis looks to kick the ball down the field. Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion
Denovellis, who is a sports communication major, is building quite the diverse resume. However, her true passion comes from her father.
“I like to be involved on campus, I like to keep myself busy,” Denovellis said. “But most importantly I really want to follow in my dad’s footsteps. He was a sportscaster at News 12. So I kind of want to pursue down that road, so I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone recently and trying to get involved a lot this year.”
It’s clear Denovellis has a strong passion for sports and she has even got involved with some of the on-campus media organizations such as The Montclarion, Red Hawk Sports Network and WMSC radio.
“I just started getting involved in the radio station so that’s kind of what I want to focus on and get involved in,” Denovellis said. “So I’m trying to step out of my comfort zone and kind of pursue that with commentating.”
For The Montclarion, Denovellis has covered Montclair State University lacrosse as she has three published stories.
Getting involved with sports media this semester has made Denovellis respect the craft of it more.
“It makes me have a lot more respect for the commentators and it makes me understand their preparation and the amount of work that they put in to do that,” Denovellis said. “And I pay attention a lot more to the commentating and their preparation with like all the facts and knowledge and background that they know behind it so I respect it a lot more.”
Another passion Denovellis has is wanting to help others and by being a University Fellow, she is able to do that in many different ways. At Montclair State, University Fellows are student leaders who provide guidance and help to first-year students.
As a fellow, her main priority is to help mostly freshmen students find exactly what they want to latch on to and pursue.
“[I] just like helping them pursue what they love and what they want to do,” Denovellis said. “It’s okay to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life so just for them to pursue their passion and what they like and kind of drive them down that road of choosing their major.”
Lana Kalapodakis has gotten the chance to work alongside Denovellis as she’s also a University Fellow and she believes that Denovellis has some strong qualities to her that make her great for the position.
“I think honestly she seems really passionate about what she’s doing,” Kalapodakis said. “She’s a good role model for them and I think with her busy schedule she balances her time really well.”
Denovellis kicks the ball past a defender to her teammate.
Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion
Denovellis is someone who looks out for others and the head coach of the Montclair State women’s soccer team, Patrick Naughter, would agree.
“She’s always looking out for everybody else,” Naughter said. “She’s the kind of kid who wants to make sure everybody’s okay whether it’s everybody that’s on the team or everybody else at the school, she’s just got a big heart.”
Denovellis is on the sideline looking to throw the ball in.
Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion
It can be very difficult for athletes to manage their time and balance their life. However, for Denovellis, it has been relatively easy because of all of the supportive people around her.
“It’s definitely a lot to handle in season,” Denovellis said. “But [the] professors are so supportive and understanding of everything and [the] girls are too. And just like adjusting to it, it’s really easy.”
