By Kelly Morgan (Staff Writer)
Team Williams, intramural volleyball champions
Intramural volleyball began Oct. 9 as teams bumped, set, and spiked from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Wesley West.
At the end of a three-week season, Team Williams defeated Los Frijolito for the championship on Nov. 8.
Amanda Kinkade, the coordinator of Intramural Sports, expressed excitement about the season from the very first game.
“Intramural Volleyball is off to a great start,” she said after the first match. “We are very excited that 17 teams, and nearly 160 students, are participating. All of the teams were spirited, and the staff is working hard to keep the competition friendly and fun.”
An important aspect that determines if an intramural sport is successful is the consistency of good sportsmanship.
“I was very surprised with the level of sportsmanship shown by the teams,” said Paul Huber, a junior and head official of the intramural volleyball staff. “All questions about calls from players were discussed in an appropriate way and there were no outbreaks or scenes on the court.â€
The games can get passionate.
“The competitive levels are high, especially with talented players from Wesley’s volleyballteam participating in the league,” Huber said.
School officials say intramural sports may breed new rivalries.
“Opposing teams enjoy the competition and ‘rivals’ will make Intramural volleyball very fun,” said Kinkade. “Everyone overwhelmingly treats one another with respect.”
The student players showed confidence in their teams.
“I feel like we have a great team,” said Marcus Wilson, a member of Los Frijolito. “I feel this is the team to win it all because we have great athletes playing.”
Teammate Sophie Reed agrees.
“I think we work well together,” Reed said. “We are all athletic people and we have good chemistry. Our strategy is to beat everybody. Pass first, then run our offensive plays.”
With six years of volleyball under her belt, freshman Liz Wallace helped her team, The Spikes, learn the fundamentals of volleyball.
“I need to teach my teammates about volleyball so they understand the rules better,” she said. “What’s in, what’s out, and what they can and can’t hit.”
Wallace is confident her team grew because of its strong points.
“We have power when it comes to [spiking] the ball over the net,” she said. “I provide a powerful over-hand serve and can play the back very well.”
Junior Matthew Robertson, an intramural referee, knows the qualities of a well-rounded volleyball player.
“Sound volleyball players have to think cognitively about where they want to set the ball and be aware of where their teammates are at all times,” he said. “They also need to show good sportsmanship for everyone on their team, for the referees, and their opponents.”
Freshman Alexander Sadowski, another referee, also talked about the qualities of a successful player.
“Good volleyball players are knowledgeable of rules, competitive and are great friends to their teammates,” he said.
