After having endured scrapes, bruises, a forfeit and the loss of its captain after four games due to surgery, it seems like the only thing on this intramural volleyball squad’s mind is working toward redemption and first place during the spring indoor season. The Beastys had a rough start with a few bumps in its path; however the team never gave up this fall.
The indoor volleyball season usually consists of a four-week league with two divisions (co-ed and girls) and there are five games per day, though in this season only one tournament was set.
Sixteen teams signed up to participate in a double elimination tournament, which was eventually won by team Rage on October 30th, 2009. The Beastys finished 4-2, practicing when members could find the time, and that was a challenge this season.
“Our challenge was we never practiced because everyone had class at different times,” said Victor Saenz, a senior finance major from Edcouch-Elsa. “All our girls weren’t able to meet on certain days or make the game day. We would really get upset because the rest of us took time to practice and with them not showing up, we had no choice but to forfeit.”
The team suffered minor injuries and it seemed like misfortune was at every game. Captain Cassandra Lozano, a senior business management major, was pulled out going into game four of their season due to a laproscrapic surgery. When she went down, the team struggled to have enough players to compete.
Lozano states she tried helping the team as much as her body was able to handle but her laproscrapic surgery didn’t allow it, therefore teammate Victor Saenz had to fill in. Losing their former Captain on game four, the team also had difficulty upholding the ‘two girls on the court rule.’
According to current National Federation of State High School Associations volleyball rules and UTPA rules, section 11.i states, “Teams playing with five players may play three men and two women or three women and two men.”
Throughout the season the team was forced to forfeit two times due to the lack of participation. However, they still qualified for the tournament following the season. Though it was a tough year for The Beastys, with losing members due to classes, work or injuries, their dedication and hard work paid off.
Art Cabrera, assistant director for intramural sports said that in the double elimination tournament, the crew would put the names of the teams into the EZ software, a software which randomly spits out the order the teams will play and with whom.
Breezing through the end of the tournament, ‘The Beastys,’ were ready to make the title their own after winning four games. But luck was nowhere in sight on October 30th, as they were forced to forfeit their championship game when they did not have the required two girls for the co-ed team.
However, the team hopes to be at full strength in the spring for the next season. With three out of the five members finishing up their semester, Saenz is looking forward as taking the leading role of captain for the spring league. Saenz first priority as a returning veteran for the team is making sure to recruit members willing to dedicate themselves. Also joining Saenz for the spring will be Anthony Cedillo, a freshman engineering major from Donna, who has been playing volleyball for a year.
In the spring, volleyball will be joined by other sports on campus, including flag football and basketball. Cabrera is trying to set up a regional tourney for volleyball and invite area schools to attend.
