Last year was disappointing for Oregon’s Club volleyball team after it won back-to-back national championships in 2001 and 2002.
“We had lots of talent, but not a lot of heart and desire,” Club coordinator Jessica Mae Van Ourkerk said. “It seemed like people just did not want to be there.”
Van Ourkerk predicts 2004 will be a different year with a better outcome, however.
“I have a really good feeling about this year and so I think all of us are really excited,” Van Ourkerk said. “Right now we just need to work some kinks out because a lot of us haven’t played together for very long.”
Oregon’s first chance to compete as a team came Sunday when the Ducks challenged women’s teams from around the Northwest. Oregon competed against teams composed of ex-collegiate players and alumni from different schools. The Ducks lost in the first round, but Van Ourkerk stressed that the experience, instead of the outcome, was what the team cared about most.
Oregon returns only four players from last year’s squad. Ten players were chosen to join the team in the fall after more than 30 women participated in tryouts.
“Most of the new girls are freshmen and sophomores, so we are a young team,” Van Ourkerk said. “Even though we are a bit inexperienced, we seem to have lots of drive, heart and talent, which is always a big plus.”
Oregon will continue to play in a variety of different tournaments in Portland throughout January. The Ducks will then travel to UC Davis on Feb. 13 to compete in the Far Western Tournament. Last year, the Ducks finished in second place at the tournament and in first place in 2001.
Oregon hopes to use the Far Western Tournament to gauge their improvement and to fine-tune their skills for Nationals, which will be held in Charlotte, N.C., from April 2-4.
In the meantime, the Ducks will continue to practice three times a week and will focus not only on improving but on bringing a national championship back to Oregon.

Let it snow
Oregon’s snowboarding club eagerly awaits snow each year, and this year the snow came early and in large amounts. As of now, it looks as if it will be around for quite some time, at least on nearby mountains.
The snowboarding club provides students transportation to the mountains. For a one-time fee of $30, University students are provided with transportation to and from Willamette Pass, Mt. Bachelor or Mt. Hood Meadows. Snowboarders pay for their own lift ticket, however. The fee covers all transportation costs from the first week of winter term until the slopes close in the spring.
“It is a really good way to meet local riders who like to have fun with snowboarding,” Club coordinator Derek Shirk said. “We compete, but we also want to have fun and want to promote snowboarding in the local Northwest in a positive way.”
The snowboarding club provides free jump and rail clinics, discounts to local board shops and other benefits and opportunities for becoming an active member.
For more information, visit the Club Sports office, which is located on the ground floor of the EMU.