Not only does DePauw University have 23 varsity sports teams, it also has 13 intramural teams along with club sports teams such as volleyball, basketball and soccer. These teams offer an opportunity for students who want to continue to play sports in college but not at the level of demand that accompanies varsity sports. Club volleyball is one of the many clubs on campus that students can participate in.
For first-year Thomas Curdt, the club volleyball team has been a way for him to get involved on campus, meet new people and stay active. “So far it has been a ton of fun and the team is actually pretty good,” Curdt said.
Although Curdt played for his high school volleyball team, no experience is necessary to get involved with the club team. “It’s nice how low pressure it is,” Curdt said “You don’t have to have played previously and can still have just as much fun as someone who played club all through high school.”
While it may be low pressure and fun, that does not mean it is not demanding. The team practices two to three times a week, sometimes more depending on everyone’s schedule. “Whenever someone wants to play they just ask in the GroupMe,” senior Courtney Oliver said. “Usually there’s enough people willing to play to fill two courts”
Practice is anywhere from an hour to four hours in Lilly’s main gym or the auxiliary gym, but it is typically two and a half hours. Currently the team tries to get together whenever it is possible for everyone to scrimmage.
Senior Noah Long has played club volleyball for the past three years, becoming the president of the team his junior year. According to Long, the team plans to become a more structured club team because there is a lot of talent in the group.
“We do have talent within our group,” Long said. “With people who want to play a bit more competitively, whenever we finalize the two teams for club and travel, we will have more structured practices that involve other things than just scrimmaging.”
Despite the time that this club team demands, it has around 40 people in the club with 16 regulars.
“The thing I love most about club volleyball is that you can see the progression of people as they continue to show up,” Long said. “We all have positive attitudes and don't mind helping each other out. Also, it's a great way to make new friends with a lot of laughs!”
This year the team is planning on going to more off-campus tournaments. Last year they travelled to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which was the first time since Long was a first-year that they travelled to play other teams.
Unlike other athletic options at DePauw, “You don’t have to be skilled to play or know anything about the sport,” Long said. ” You just have to show up.”