Club on to nationals

The women’s volleyball club won the Pacific Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (PIVA) conference championships and is on the way to nationals.

The club steamrolled the competition, defeating University of Washington 2-0, University of Idaho 2-0, Boise State University 2-0, Washington State University 2-0, and Seattle University 2-0 before the championship match.

EWU played Gonzaga University in the finals, a team who had not lost prior to the tournament. GU had a rough outing, playing in a loser bracket all day, but they defeated EWU in the first of two matches, 21-12. EWU stormed back during the second match to defeat GU 25-14 for the opportunity to hold up the trophy.

“[Gonzaga] beat us in Walla Walla the weekend before, so it was our turn to win,” said Club Treasurer Monique Hildebrandt. “It feels really good, and we’ve been working really hard. The girls deserved it.”

Japanese exchange student and senior Aiko Nagabuchi won league MVP for the season.

“She’s our outside hitter and always has a smile on her face,” said Club President Amanda Gilman. “She has amazing jumping ability. She can jump out of the gym.”

Freshman Sydney Austin was also honored in PIVA. She was voted onto the first team.
The club just recently joined PIVA at the start of winter quarter.

“We didn’t really know what to expect playing in PIVA, so we didn’t really have any goals. We just wanted to win,” Hildebrandt said.

For winning the conference championships, the club was awarded $1,000. The money will be put in savings for next season.

Three years ago, the core members first joined the club. Today, they are all great friends and welcome new members with open arms. Every Friday night, the girls get together to have a movie night where they can relax before a match.

Next on the club’s to-do list is to attend the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Tournament in Dallas April 1 to 3. They will be paying money out-of-pocket for airline tickets, and money gathered from fundraisers this year will help pay for other aspects of the trip.

The tournament is separated into three divisions: bronze, silver and gold. Two years ago, the club was in the bronze division. Last year they were silver. And this year, they have their sights set a little higher.

“We’re hoping for gold this year. Though we won’t know until we get there,” Hildebrandt said.

The club has been around for more than 12 years and is always ready to welcome a new face to the squad. Most members have volleyball experience in high school, but it is not necessary to join. If you would like to receive more information on the club or are interested in joining, contact them at ewuwvbc@hotmail.com or visit their Web site sites.google.com/site/ewuvolleyballclub.