A year after finishing 52nd at its national tournament, the men’s Oregon Club Volleyball Team started taking advice from coaches who know a thing or two about the sport.
Smart thinking.
Behind the tutelage of ex-Oregon volleyball players Lindsay Closs and Sydney Chute, the Ducks improved to a 25th place finish at this year’s National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Tournament.
“We improved 180 degrees,” junior club Coordinator Levi McClain said. “We came together as a team and started to trust each other on the court.”
McClain said having coaches like Closs and Chute, who have competed at the varsity level, share their knowledge with the team improved the Ducks immensely.
“We really value their insight to competitive college volleyball,” McClain said. “Their experience boosted overall team morale.”
Closs said coaching the men, rather than playing, had its advantages and its challenges.
“You get to have fun when you travel instead of resting,” Closs said. “You’re giving information instead of receiving it, but it’s hard being a girl coaching guys.”
One challenge Closs faced was the difference between men’s and women’s volleyball. The main difference is the pace of the game. The men’s game puts less emphasis on long volley exchanges, and more focus on intense net play. In a sense, it’s a race to the kill.
Kills were plentiful for the Ducks on the weekend of March 14, when they won the Northwest Collegiate Classic. It was the first tournament the Ducks ever hosted and they didn’t disappoint. Rising above the likes of Washington, Washington State, Western Washington, Oregon State and Lane Community College, the Ducks eventually defeated the Titans 25-17 and 25-19 in the championship match.
“Winning our tournament at home gave us the confidence to compete at a national level,” McClain said. “Washington State and Washington are some of our biggest rivals.”
Leadership from returning players like McClain, seniors Bryant Griffiths and Steve Childers, mixed with contributions from newcomers like Tony Fuller, Brent Crouch and Kyle Sinner, led to a third-place finish in a tournament at Washington State and a second place finish at a tournament in Walla Walla, Wash. The Ducks also placed third in their regional tournament on April 15 in Seattle.
At the national tournament, Milwaukee Area Technical College was eventually crowned Division II national champion, the prize the Ducks were after. Arizona, a hotbed for men’s volleyball, won the Division I championship.
With the season over, the Ducks look to boost offseason commitment from players who look to return next year. Experience can only help build on the achievements of a team that had only three players on the roster return from the previous year. Commitment will be especially important if the Ducks want to make a run deep into the national tournament.
“The national tournament is definitely overwhelming,” McClain said. “Once you walk in and see 30 or 40 different courts being played at once, it’s definitely intimidating.”
With an improved work ethic and some thick skin, McClain vows to come back strong next season.
“It takes commitment,” McClain said. “You have to be able to take critical comments and always be able to improve.”
And it never hurts to listen to people who know what they’re talking about.