| UMR to gain volleyball as women’s sport |
|
|
| Written by Michele Martin | |
|
Volleyball is the second most popular women’s varsity sport, according to Mark Mullin, UMR’s athletic director. Due to a change in conference UMR athletics is in (now the Great Lakes Valley Conference, or GLVC), they are being mandated to add volleyball to their varsity women’s sports program by the 2007-2008 school year. “Volleyball is something that we’ve been approached more about by prospective students and current students,” Mullin says. “The addition of volleyball will give our campus another ‘marquee sport’ for women and will assist us in compliance efforts in regard to Title IX and gender equality,” says Mullin, who feels that adding volleyball makes a strong positive statement to women on campus. Currently, approximately 95 percent of the members of NCAA Division II sponsor volleyball. Volleyball is second only to basketball as a women’s sport in NCAA Division II, and the secondmost overall in the NCAA. Mullin adds that in reviewing some of the NCAA Division II conferences, it is clear that volleyball is an important addition to the sports program at UMR, even without a directive from the conference. He says that excluding UMR, 13 out of the other 13 institutions in the GLVC already sponsor volleyball. “It is widely recognized that volleyball and basketball are major collegiate sports for women, much the same way football and basketball are for men,” says Mullin. “The sponsorship numbers support that.” Mullin also says that women’s volleyball will be an excellent recruiting tool that will serve to support UMR’s long term strategic plan due to the fact that it will attract additional women to campus. “Student athletes tend to do very well in school,” says Mullin. “Campus is excited.” According to Mullin, providing another sport will give the campus an exciting game to watch; plus it will bring in revenue. Volleyball games will take place in the Gale-Bullman main gym. In the next year, there will be lots of planning and work that needs to happen in regards to the volleyball team. The program will be funded through student fees, endowments, gifts, the athletic fund, and a few other places. One large part has already been taken care of: finding a coach. On June 23, Jason Holt was named UMR’s new volleyball coach. In his professional career, Jason Holt has assisted one collegiate volleyball program to a huge turnaround and another to its first post-season appearances. Now, he will get the opportunity to put his own stamp on a program right from the beginning. Holt began his duties in June, and will spend much of the upcoming year on the recruiting trail, putting together the Lady Miner volleyball squad that will take the floor 11 months from now. “Because we are starting from scratch, this is going to allow us to build something that will be unique to UMR," Holt said. “Volleyball is a sport that we feel can get a lot of community support right away and allow us a chance to have success.” “We are not only planning the program, but we are also recruiting an entire team,” says Mullin. “There are already prospective students interested.” Mullin, who says the bulk of the team will be recruited, feels that this high level competitive sport will be a successful program. Reprinted with permission from Rolla Daily News |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|