UAF Volleyball Club Hosts First Tournament: Letter from the Club Officers
Dear UAF Community,
The UAF Volleyball Club Tournament went off without a hitch on Saturday, March 30th. We dreamed of it when we started getting back into volleyball in the fall.
Thanks to the graceful work of fellow club officers and friends Marcelo Ketzler, Elise Wood, Emma Pflughoeft, Nuu Alaelua, and Lewis Martin, we could reserve the Patty Center two weeks in advance.
A big thanks to Assistant Director Ryan Lahr from Nanook Athletics, who gave us the go-ahead and kicked off our relationship with Nanook Athletics.
It was a blessing in disguise to have this tournament, and we feel that we made a difference in the lives of our club members. Having that sense of belonging and bringing together a group of remarkable people is a rare feat only felt once or twice in a lifetime. The energy at the tournament was riveting as students and staff from across campus descended upon the Patty Center. With forty-eight participants and a crowd of audience members, the buzz in the Patty Center was filled with anxiety, excitement, and competitiveness. To ensure fair play, the tournament leaders decided upon a pool play and bracket play with teams randomly generated for the maximum amount of fun. With participants setting the ball, spiking it, serving it, and receiving it, it was a fun-filled six-hour tournament.
A note from Club President Jacob:
I’m truly honored to be the President of the UAF Volleyball Club; I didn’t want to be president, to be honest. I just wanted to play the game for what it was. The club needed direction and guidance, so I became president after former president Lewis Martin appointed me. From there, the rest is history. Another special thanks to Nanook Athletics, Ryan Lahr, and the Athletics Department for the memories we made and the community that we share. Expect to see more volleyball events hosted at the SRC and, possibly, the Patty Center again. If you want to join the UAF Volleyball Club, please contact us. We play weekly on Wednesday from 5-7 PM and Saturday from 3-5 PM.
Best regards, Jacob Iya (Club President) and Kevin Huo (Officer)
Photo by Joseph Cholok and Jesse Starnes