PHOTO CREDIT: @uriwomensclubvb
After its formation in 2018, the University of Rhode Island Women’s Club Volleyball team now can officially call themselves a club sports team.
Before being recognized as an official club volleyball team at URI, the team was recognized by Student Senate. In order to become a recognized club sport, they had to be voted in, which they were unanimously during the voting process last spring.
Being voted into club sports was not only an accomplishment, but it has also brought its benefits.
Originally, they were a self-funded team that would raise money to cover expenses in a variety of ways. This would include holding fundraisers and asking for donations. Now that they are under the umbrella of club sports, they have a budget that they use to plan out expenses such as traveling for games and tournaments.
The team is a part of the Northeast Women Club Volleyball League (NWCVL) and they compete against teams around the region, including Providence College, Quinnipiac University and Sacred Heart University.
During this fall semester, the team held one tournament which occurred last weekend. Their hope is to hold more in the spring according to team secretary Michelle Frenkel.
Junior Gabrielle Andrade, the team’s president, has been a part of the squad since her freshman year. She enjoys being on the team and said not having a coach this season hasn’t stopped the team from competing.
“Most of us are friends from previous years, being on the team and having a coach previously,” Andrade said. “I think it helps to still have that team orientation and still have a goal of improving, especially having a lot of new blood on the team.”
Andrade added that the mix of experience and youth on the team has been refreshing and has injected a new energy on the team.
“It is very energetic,”Andrade said. “We have mostly freshmen and sophomores on the team so it is a lot of youngblood and young energy just adapting to college life. It is very refreshing coming out of COVID, being one of the older people on the team, so it is very energetic and fun.”
Tournaments for the team have been interesting so far because they currently don’t have a coach. All practices and tournaments organized by the players and their team leadership have helped to overcome this problem, according to Andrade and Frenkel.
Andrade was surprised to learn that the team was not an official club sports team despite the interest that was shown for the team this year.
“I am actually surprised that we did not have one before, just because of how many people were at tryouts this year,” Andrade said. “Even my freshman year, there were almost 70 people that tried out so there was a lot of interest.”
She also encouraged those who have an interest in volleyball or simply want to make friends to consider joining the club volleyball team next year.
“If someone was looking for a competitive volleyball team to be a part of, or that wanted to get better skill-wise, make friends, compete against other schools we would be a perfect fit for them,” Andrade said.
For more information about the team, please visit their website or follow the team on Instagram.