The Boise State men’s club volleyball team took first place in their very first tournament in Walla Walla, Washington, on Nov. 13-14.
For many players, this was their first collegiate club game, let alone their first tournament. The tournament consisted of 10 teams, including the University of Washington, University of Idaho, Central Washington and more.
“This tournament was a power statement. There’s ten of us; we’re the only team there with no coach or manager and prior to this journey. We really only had ten days of practice as a team,” said sophomore libero Trevor Hart. “Going in I thought we would finish in the 50th percentile, but I didn’t expect to win this thing. All I wanted to do was go in there and try our best.”
Many new people on the team had never experienced the stress of being in a live tournament but overall the team had a lot of fun. For a lot of the players, the best part of the tournament was the final match.
Photo courtesy of Trevor Hart
“Probably the championship match against the University of Washington,” said senior server specialist Dylan Werlinger when asked about his favorite part of the tournament. “We played three sets. The third set was supposed to go to 15 points, but we ended up going 20-18 for the win. Overall, the tournament was a blast, great competition and even more fun hanging out with the boys all weekend.”
The majority of the team agreed that junior outside hitter Jack Collins was the tournament MVP over the weekend. Collins has been playing for over seven years and consistently came in clutch come tournament time.
“It’s been super fun so far, and it’s a much better team than I expected,” Collins said. “It’s also a really young team which means we can keep building this team to get better.”
This men’s club volleyball team ranges in skill all across the board, with some athletes playing for over eight years while others started playing just a few months ago. There is no prior experience needed to join the team.
However, to play on the traveling team, Hart will need to approve players’ skills. Anyone can come to practice as long as they sign up to join the club online or contact the president.
A typical practice consists of meeting at Bronco Gym, where the team starts with hitting drills, practicing their spikes, then doing some serve receive. Finally, they end practice with 6-on-6 scrimmage matches.
The Broncos’ next tournament is a home tournament from Jan. 22-23. Though the teams are not yet confirmed, Hart still has plans for this tournament.
“I’m currently in talks to set up a 16-team tourney here for guys and girls. It’ll be in the Recreational Center and the Bronco Gymnasium. Anyone is welcome to watch and it’ll be free of course for all attendees,” Hart said.
The team may be young, but they are ready to take on any challenge that may present itself. The team believes this, as well as their president.
“I envision our club to be seen more and more popular with the amount of success we are having. I hope we get more people to come watch,” Hart said. “The fact that we won our very first tournament comes to show how serious we are and how much better we will be in just a few months.”
