Men's club volleyball continues to stay strong 21 years later
Kyle Anderson
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Sports
By Kyle Anderson
Staff Writer
If any Loyola fans were in attendance, no one could see or hear them. As visiting Loyola College faced Salisbury University in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Championship in March 2009, the Salisbury crowd filled the gym with cheers, chants and genuine chaos.
But when the ball pounded the gym floor and the final point went to Loyola, a deafening silence fell among the crowd as the Loyola players dove into a pile at center court.
The score of the third and final game: Loyola 15, Salisbury 10.
Hard to imagine that just 21 years earlier, men's volleyball championships weren't possible at Loyola.
When Pete Wolf started his freshman year at Loyola College in the fall of 1988, no men's volleyball team existed. But that was something he wanted to change immediately.
"When I visited Loyola, I really liked it, but I was still deciding between here and Springfield College, where I could have walked on the volleyball team," remembered Wolf.
"I had always played sports in high school and needed some way to stay active."
When the frigid New England weather drove Wolf away from Springfield, he decided he would start a volleyball club team at Loyola.
With the help of the women's coach and the support of the club sports directors, Wolf was off to a fast start.
When approximately 50 students showed up for the tryouts however, Wolf knew he would need some help. So he enlisted the assistance of two women's varsity players, Laura McCall and Vicky Stickney, to aide in coaching.
After whittling the roster down to 15 students, the work really became complicated.
"The most difficult thing back then was scheduling," Wolf said. "This was before email, so everything had to be done over the phone. I was always calling other schools trying to find the people in charge, trying to set up matches. A lot of logistics were involved."
Despite the hardships, Wolf was able to assemble a 13 game schedule in Loyola's inaugural season. So naturally with the talented players and Wolf's dedication the team breezed through the first season, right?
Staff Writer
If any Loyola fans were in attendance, no one could see or hear them. As visiting Loyola College faced Salisbury University in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Championship in March 2009, the Salisbury crowd filled the gym with cheers, chants and genuine chaos.
But when the ball pounded the gym floor and the final point went to Loyola, a deafening silence fell among the crowd as the Loyola players dove into a pile at center court.
The score of the third and final game: Loyola 15, Salisbury 10.
Hard to imagine that just 21 years earlier, men's volleyball championships weren't possible at Loyola.
When Pete Wolf started his freshman year at Loyola College in the fall of 1988, no men's volleyball team existed. But that was something he wanted to change immediately.
"When I visited Loyola, I really liked it, but I was still deciding between here and Springfield College, where I could have walked on the volleyball team," remembered Wolf.
"I had always played sports in high school and needed some way to stay active."
When the frigid New England weather drove Wolf away from Springfield, he decided he would start a volleyball club team at Loyola.
With the help of the women's coach and the support of the club sports directors, Wolf was off to a fast start.
When approximately 50 students showed up for the tryouts however, Wolf knew he would need some help. So he enlisted the assistance of two women's varsity players, Laura McCall and Vicky Stickney, to aide in coaching.
After whittling the roster down to 15 students, the work really became complicated.
"The most difficult thing back then was scheduling," Wolf said. "This was before email, so everything had to be done over the phone. I was always calling other schools trying to find the people in charge, trying to set up matches. A lot of logistics were involved."
Despite the hardships, Wolf was able to assemble a 13 game schedule in Loyola's inaugural season. So naturally with the talented players and Wolf's dedication the team breezed through the first season, right?
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
David Angeluzzi
posted 11/17/09 @ 9:06 PM EST
I never thought I would see the Men's Club Volleyball team get any recognition. I enjoyed my time, from 2000-2004, and I am glad the tradition continues. (Continued…)
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