Rec. Sports sets up 9 teams for volleyball playoffs

Students find relaxing alternative to studying through funny team names, spikes, kills

With finals quickly approaching, many Cardinals can be found doing one thing in their spare time: playing co-ed volleyball.

NIC Rec. Sports has been hosting a volleyball league since Nov. 8 to provide a much need break from homework for many students around campus.

The league started with 11 teams but has since dwindled down to nine before going into the playoffs, which will be held on Dec. 6. Players were given some creative freedom on choosing their team name and it shows from the roster.

The remaining teams are Car Ram Rod, Kinky Sets, Valley Rally, Always Get Up, Blue Balls, Swamp Donkeys, Get the Block, Good Luck and Free Agents.

All the teams except the Free Agents and Blue Balls have received first round byes into the quarterfinal round giving incentive to those teams that competed well over the month of competition.

Thomas Leo, 19, criminology/psychology, was a co-creator of the team Blue Balls. His team gained some notoriety around campus with the attention grabbing posters they posted in an effort to recruit some players.

He said that they chose the “cheesiest” name they could because of the innuendo it carried with it.

Many teams are comprised of athletes from the NIC athletics program. Always Get Up has a few softball players mixed in and Car Ram Rod contains some wrestlers, like Gabe Kruse who wrestles at the 133-pound bracket.

“When you get to do a sport that isn’t serious or your job all the time, like with wrestling, it is fun,” Kruse said.

Tanner Robert, 19, nursing, works for Rec. Sports and said he wants to encourage as many students to come out and watch the playoffs.

“On the first night, we had a lot of people come and watch, which is cool,” Robert said. “Many of the teams came dressed up and were in bright colors. We want to host events that many people can come and have fun at.”