The Alabama women’s volleyball club, although one of the younger clubs on campus, has struck a great balance of being competitive and having fun at the same time.
The team is improving its overall quality of competition, including notching a big win against Stillman College and is trying to schedule a match with the Mississippi State club team.
Also, the team will travel to Atlanta to play in a tournament hosted by Georgia Tech and possibly another one in Nashville, Tenn., if the funding is right.
“We don’t get any money from UA,” club president Courtney Kronenberger said. “So, we have to fundraise all the money we get.”
Fundraising can be tough for them, but they recently accrued enough money to get a better ball cart and some new jerseys. However, some bad luck fell upon the team when the jerseys came in.
“They didn’t match the jerseys we already have,” Kronenberger said. “So, we’re selling them for $25. $25 for a pretty legit volleyball jersey. It’s a good deal.”
The fun-loving nature of the team came through when Jessica “Shrimpy” Saputo showcased the jersey she had on and said, “We’re pretty much the hottest girls on campus.”
If you want to support the women’s volleyball club by buying a jersey or a T-shirt from one of these “hottest girls on campus,” feel free to contact Kronenberger at [email protected].
The team is not limited to apparel sales, either.
“The local Texaco station paid us to hand out gas cards one day,” Kronenberger said.
A final measure of fundraising includes bringing a tournament to Tuscaloosa on Nov. 6.
“The home tournament would be a really big deal for us,” Kronenberger said. “Not only do we get to play more matches, but we get to raise a lot of money for the club from the entrance fees and stuff like that.”
The team hopes for student involvement in the tournament, especially from those supporting the team.
“I hope students come and watch the tournament,” Kronenberger said. “It’s free volleyball.”
She then laughed and said, “What else are you going to do on the weekend?”
The team is open to walk-in tryouts, held at the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters.
“We hold them in August and in January,” Kronenberger said. “Anyone interested can e-mail me and I can offer the official dates to come try out. At our last tryout, we had somewhere from 64 to 69 girls show up, and 20 make the team.”
The women’s volleyball club is encouraging students to try out for the team and to support the team in home events. Kronenberger can supply more information to those interested in being part of the team.
