The University of Alabama volleyball team is temporarily abandoning its traditional colors – one of them, that is.
The team is trading in crimson for pink on Friday for its fifth annual “Power of Pink” match. The initiative was started in 2004 by gymnastics head coach Sarah Patterson to spread breast cancer awareness.
“I’m proud to be a part of a schoolwide event along with a lot of other teams who are having pink events to raise awareness, and it’s just a fun way to give everyone more information on how to see the signs early and really to get checked,” sophomore Sierra Wilson said. “It’s a good way to keep a little more lighthearted on what the subject is.”
The volleyball team started participating in the Power of Pink in 2009. This weekend, it isn’t the only team involved; cross-country and soccer are also hosting pink events.
“I think anytime that you can bring recognition to a worthy cause, which clearly supporting breast cancer, supporting a cancer cause period, whether it’s male, female, whatever it may be, and the opportunity to bring awareness to probably a disease that’s killing more Americans than any other disease, I think is important,” coach Ed Allen said. “The ability to do that through a passion that you have makes it even easier, and so we’re just glad that we can be a part of an event like that.”
Senior Andrea McQuaid said aside from supporting the cause, the events create a postivie atmosphere.
“Really, the special part of the match is kind of the whole gameday experience,” McQuaid said. “We get to wear the pink jerseys … and our fans get to dress up in pink, and it’s just a really neat environment to be involved in because it’s something special, and it’s for a great cause.”
The match comes after a weekend on the road during which Alabama split its matches against Arkansas and a then-No. 25 ranked Missouri. The atmosphere of the match is a needed break for the team, McQuaid said.
“[The jerseys] are pink so it’s fun,” McQuaid said. “It’s good for the team because it’s something light and fun, and it’s a little break in what we’ve been used to so it’s just something that we all get to be a part of together, and it’s different so it’s neat.”
The team is not just excited for the pink match, but also the chance to improve on the season, Wilson said.
“Two very big games for us,” Wilson said. “We’re moving up in RPI. We want to continue to so Texas A&M and LSU are going to be challenging matches that we can take; we just have to work hard in practice this week. I’m excited. I know the team is too.”
