There is a void on both ends of the spectrum. Arizona State’s women’s volleyball, Division I team is without a title and is seeking one, and as for the club team, they are without a coach in general. As far as looking for one, President Nicole Frederick has to make due for now.
“The SCA [Student Club Association] is doing a really good job, they’re trying really hard,” says Frederick, a sophomore pursuing an Accounting major. “We literally ask every coach in the area but no one wants to do it. They’ll go to high school jobs before us because they want a certain amount of money and we can’t afford it.”
Fundraising is a must when pennies don’t roll as far as they used to, but still, to this club, every penny counts. With expenses for out of state tournaments outbalancing the funds given through ASU, the team must be self-productive off the court to have the ability to play on the court. According to Frederick, the ASU team must pay six hundred dollars worth of dues while her sister, Lindsey, only has to pay three hundred; Lindsey is on Purdue University’s club volleyball team.
“Yes, at times we need to charge a little more. We need to make sure we have enough,” Frederick says.
Fundraising consists of car washes and “percentage night”—a sponsored restaurant gives a certain percent of the bill to the club if they receive promotion in return. Frederick has organized these “nights” with California Pizza Kitchen, Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebee’s in the past; the club received twenty percent with each bill. Now, the team needs to come through on the “make-do” budget this season.
“We want to have fun and we are very competitive. Its people that could play NCAA but do not want that commitment,” says Frederick.
The women’s volleyball club separates their players by skill level—the Gold team and Maroon team. Depending on performance level, players can move up to the “varsity” team or back down to the “junior varsity” level; movement based on performance is the structure for the team.
“Defense wins games. If you’re at this level you should have the fundamentals and techniques down. If you work hard you’ll move. Volleyball is repetition and listening to your teammates. There’s a lot of communication on the court and we have strong personalities on the team,” Frederick says. The players, on either team, must commit in more ways than just skill level alone. That is the difference between the levels of play.
The team looks to pursue a National Club Championship. Placing fifth last year in Houston, Texas, the club looks to improve, capitalizing on mistakes made by other players. According to Frederick, “volleyball is a game of mistakes.”
In November, the club will be hosting the ASU Volleyball Invitational in Tempe; no set location has been submitted. What is a definite, and as far as the team is concerned, they must block-out the disadvantages and score on the qualities that have the potential to carry them.
