Women’s club volleyball is beginning this year, creating a new opportunity on campus for women to compete and build community.
The team was created after years of discussion among students who noticed there was only a men’s club volleyball team.
Lily Welch, the president of women’s club volleyball, said interest in a women’s team had existed for a long time but had taken time to organize.
“This year, we finally had enough girls who wanted to do it,” she said.
For many players, the team represents more than just volleyball. Welch, a junior graphic design major from San Antonio, said she was inspired by the opportunity to play with athletes at a similar skill level.
“It’s fun to play with girls who are good; it creates a more competitive atmosphere,” she said.
Women’s club volleyball differs from intramural sports and ACU’s Div. I volleyball.
Paige Jones, junior psychology major from Odessa, described it as a low-pressure opportunity that is easier to balance with everything else.
“It’s a fun outlet to travel and build community while being a part of a team,” she said. “Playing with the same team every week is a different feeling.”
Angel Guerrero, a sophomore liberal studies major, is serving as the team’s coach and said the process took nearly two years of talk and a year to make the club official. Tryouts drew about 19 players, resulting in a 15-member roster.
“The tryouts went smoothly, and we were able to see what the girls were capable of,” he said.
The team will focus on fundraising and playing in tournaments this year, practicing only a few times a month. The league will not start until the second semester of next year, when the team will be a part of the Southern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, playing against schools such as LSU, Texas A&M, the University of Texas, and the University of North Texas.
The team provides a space on campus for women to build community – to connect students from different majors and interests through a shared passion, said Ashley Hall, vice president of women’s club volleyball.
“It is like a second home for girls,” Hall said.
