On April 16, eleven IUP Women’s Club Volleyball team members boarded a plane traveling to Phoenix, Arizona, to compete in the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation’s national tournament against teams nationwide. The team left behind the colder weather of western Pennsylvania for three days of competing in sunny Phoenix and cinched a national title.
The trip was a first for a handful of players, as some had never been on a plane. For most students, it marked the first time they’d ever traveled without their parents. Anxieties aside, the team had a wonderful experience at Nationals, which proved to be an opportunity to soak up some sun and grow as individuals. To boot, the team brought home a national championship win: the Division II-AA Silver Championship. Last year, the Club attended the Nationals. Still, it wasn’t successful in winning a title, but this year, the team adopted a new mantra of “leaving it all on the court.”
Back row, from left: Maycie Lorelli, OH; Alexea Frontz, OH; Madison Kim, MH; Kaitlyn Weitzel, S; Riley Treser, OH; Maya Sugra, RS
Front row, from left: Molly Yauch, DS; Lauren Brocious, DS; Megan Brocious, L; Camryn Dumm, S; Rylee Estermyer, MH
(OH, outside hitter; MH, middle hitter; S, setter; RS, right side hitter; DS, defensive specialist; L, libero)
The realization that this year would be the last time many of the members would play together (due to many members graduating) motivated the team to work hard to bring home the national win, which they were awarded after three days of gameplay. After the tournament, the Club’s record was 6-1, which earned them a Silver Bracket win. The Club returned home on April 19.
IUP Women’s Club Volleyball started as a recognized student organization in 2017. As with other student organizations at IUP, the Club is student-led. The team has no coach, and that role falls to the club president. For the past few years, that position has been held by student Camryn Dumm, who is now a senior. The Club’s advisor, Liz Weigner, assists students when they ask. Still, the organization’s day-to-day operations are in its members’ hands.
“The club volleyball team is an entirely student-run organization that allows students to continue playing competitively without the significant time commitment of playing for the university’s official volleyball team,” Dumm said. “We host tryouts at the beginning of the fall semester and form two teams. We compete in multiple tournaments throughout the year against other collegiate club teams. We have traveled to West Virginia, Penn State, Clarion, Slippery Rock, and the University of Pittsburgh for tournaments this year. We also hosted a home tournament in the fall at IUP.”
The Club generally practices twice a week in Zink Gymnasium, which is also led by the group’s members. Additionally, any funds needed to compete fall on the responsibility of the members.
“At the start of each year, members pay dues, and the team does a lot of fundraising, like T-shirt sales and concessions at games,” Dumm said. “Fundraising throughout the year is done with the main intention of qualifying for nationals and paying for the tournament’s cost. For this year’s national championships, members paid for their own tickets, and the Club paid the tournament fees and expenses of the hotel stay. The team fundraises all year. For the 11 or 12 players who go to nationals, the Club does its best to compensate students who attend.”
So, not only does the Club have the skills on the court, but it also has the drive off the court to push itself to attend tournaments and fund those endeavors.
“The dedication and commitment to their love of volleyball and for their team is evident in all of the hard work the students put into this year’s season,” Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Segar said. “We are incredibly proud of our Club Sports teams at IUP and wish them every success in future seasons. And a special congratulations goes out to Women’s Club Volleyball. Thank you for bringing this prestigious win back to Indiana.”
Teams are selected through a number of metrics to qualify for the national championship; the NCVF holds several national qualifier tournaments, which provide teams with a ranking. Teams are also invited to attend the national championship based on their previous year’s experience and record.
Taken from the NCVF website, “The crown jewel of the NCVF is the season-ending NCVF National Championship Tournament. This event draws over five thousand NCVF registered participants from across America each year and is widely recognized as the largest intercollegiate volleyball tournament in the world. Following its incorporation in 2008, the NCVF contracted with USA Volleyball to help NCVF produce this amazing event. USA Volleyball is a non-profit organization which is recognized as the national governing body of volleyball in the United States by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball and the United States Olympic Committee.”
For students interested in joining Women’s Club Volleyball, tryouts occur over two days in the fall. The first day focuses on basic skill work, like serve-receive drills, hitting lines, and mini-games. If asked back for the second day of tryouts, potential members will be evaluated on their attitude, communication skills, and ability to work together.
Though Club Volleyball is less of a commitment when compared to IUP’s NCAA Volleyball team, it is no less competitive.
Unlike intramurals, Club Volleyball is more likened to “travel volleyball” in that students don’t compete against players from within their university but instead go against players at other universities. There is less time commitment for Club Volleyball compared to an NCAA team, though passion for the game still runs high. In fact, Women’s Club Volleyball often pairs up with Men’s Club Volleyball to work as one to perfect their skills and offer an outside perspective. The effort and time that Club Volleyball puts into their sport truly is focused on the team’s success.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the Women’s Club Volleyball team,” Weigner said. “The team’s hard work and dedication is evident in their success! Their commitment to the sport and each other has brought them together and taken them to the top. They have represented IUP well.”