“It’s over!” “Watch back!” “Out!” The court echoed with the rallies of teammates and the squeak of shoes against the court floor as the two teams volleyed the ball over the net. Cheers from the spectators urged on the players as they put in all their effort to get that final point.
During the past couple weeks, students from around the campus have come together to form teams to participate in the annual intramural volleyball tournament at Andrews. While these games are normally played during the week, on Saturday, Mar. 6, the gym was open to not only players, but also fans. Due to COVID-19, the games have been limited to only players during the week. This weekend, Student Activities and athletics worked together to be able to allow students to come and support their friends and watch the games.
Ashley Neu, director of Student Activities and Involvement, said, “We haven’t been able to do a lot of athletic events because of COVID, and we know that students love athletics on this campus so it’s nice to be able to have this event for students to be able to come and watch and support their friends.”
To make the event as safe as possible, students were required to sign up in advance to reserve a seat for the game that they wished to attend. There were only a certain amount of seats per game, and each seat was also kept 6 feet apart to maintain social distancing. Finally, students were also required to present their campus clear at the front door before entering the gym. However, despite these restrictions, students were just happy to be able to participate and to support their friends.
Hope Bollin (sophomore, physical therapy) commented, “It’s really nice that they are actually letting us come watch the games. I’m glad that I was able to support my friends, and it was nice to be able to take a break from homework.”
Students who participated in the games were happy that intramurals were still happening and that they were still able to play. Volleyball and sports in general are a big part of our lives and the community here at Andrews, so being able to have this event when many other programs have been cancelled was a big morale booster. Especially during the games this weekend, the community was able to come out and participate by supporting their favorite teams. The players were a little nervous, but overall excited that they were able to have their friends come out to watch and support them.
Aryana Robinson (junior, architecture) shared, “It’s definitely a little nerve wracking but it is also super encouraging to have people cheering for you and just watching you improve on your skills. It’s a little scary but mostly it's empowering. Also, keep an eye out because I am trying to start a volleyball club at Andrews and hopefully, eventually even a volleyball team!”
The intramural game for basketball will be on March 29. For more information on how to register and participate you can visit http://www.aucardinals.com/team-registration. Also, look out for sign ups to watch the basketball intramurals on April 17th!
Originally published on March 9, 2021.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.