2008 Woodie Awards
European tour energizes volleyball team for new season
Melissa Cook / Staff Writer
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Hurricane Ivan may have bumped Argonaut volleyball into disarray last season, but team members say that playing matches in Europe during the month of May energized the team's returning upperclassmen.
After Ivan's havoc on Pensacola last September, the team was practicing in local church gymnasiums; but the remainder of their season was canceled. Playing in tournaments throughout Europe allowed the Argos to reconnect and focus on the game, while also serving as a replacement to their lost season, said Carly Moyers, a junior from Eden Prairie, Minn.
"The NCAA considered last year a hardship year, so our whole team got red-shirted, and most of our seniors stayed for a second year," Moyers said.
After last year's season was terminated, the volleyball team raised funds at Albertson's by having drawings, and received donations from within the community to help fund their European tour. In total, the group consisted of 11 team members, head coach Melissa Wolter and assistant coach Leah Dugan. While in Europe, the team went to Prague and Brno in the Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; Maribor, Ljubljana, Isola, and Koper in Slovenia; and Venice, Italy.
The Argos played five club teams with players between the ages of 16 and 25, one national team, and their record for the six matches was 3-3. Moyers said club teams play in the off-seasons and are generally the best non-professional teams in Europe.
"The teams we played focused on different aspects of the game, and had members that started playing volleyball at a much younger age then in America," said Moyers.
Kali Kalache, a senior from Campo Largo, Brazil said that the Argos saw a different style of volleyball while in Europe.
"They had a lot more power hitters on their teams, and good energy levels," said Kalache. "Even when we lost matches, we learned the value of effort."
Jessica Bragion, a senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, said that the most valuable thing the Argos will take away from this trip is team unity.
"We got to know each other better because we were in real-life situations beyond just playing volleyball, and because of this, we formed stronger bonds," said Bragion.
The most important game the Argos played was against Club Valsped in Maribor, Slovenia. The team from Maribor had never played an American team before, so the event was televised.
"Many of the women we played had never met an American before," said Moyers. "The experience was unique for both teams because it was something new for all of us."
Because the event was televised, they had a large Slovenian crowd, and the Argos ended up losing in three very close sets. For fun, the teams ended up playing an extra set, and the Argos won. After the match, the Argos ate dinner with club Valsped, even though their team spoke little English.
Though the Argonauts went to Europe to play volleyball, for some of them, it was their first time being outside the United States. To experience culture in the Czech Republic, the women went to a castle and cathedral in Prague, and viewed mummies in Brno's Krypt Capachin.
In Austria, the team saw old ruins from the Roman Empire, and the historical monument where Hitler made his famous speech. They then went to Maribor, and participated in a mountain ropes course, where it proceeded to snow, and later toured the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana, which was overtaken by Mussolini in 1943.
In the small town of Isola, which lies along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, the team shopped at markets by the sea, and ate at cafes that lined the coast. The team's last destination was the city of Venice, which was built above water.
"As a team, we have learned a lot about ourselves both as individuals and as a whole. We went through ups and downs, and learned our strengths and weaknesses throughout the tour, said senior Jenny Lass, from Memphis, Tenn., in her online diary. "This experience has made our team stronger as a group, and each individual is closer to reaching her fullest potential as a player."
Since their return, the team has been waiting eagerly to play volleyball in the 2005 season, and is in high hopes for better weather. Their next home match is the Argonaut Regional Cross-over on Sept. 9 and 10 where they will take on Benedict College, Arkansas Tech University, Albany State University, and the University of Central Arkansas.