Every Monday when I enter Owl Radio for my show, I’m bombarded by Kiprel Johnson’s accounts of the past weekend’s women’s volleyball game. He gives his own play-by-play of what the women did and how they looked doing it and tells me “Yo Jim, you’ve gotta check it out.” So a few Saturday nights ago, I decided to head over to The Burrow and “check it out.”
As soon as I walk in the gym, I notice the FAU women’s volleyball team running what I like to call a “kill drill.” Kills are a cool name for a spike. Anyway, they are running this kill drill while North Texas looks on. Immediately, I thought this is interesting, women spiking the ball trying to intimidate the other team.
When the game started I noticed that FAU’s team is loaded with talent, starting with Justine Petry, who was recently named Sun Belt player of the week. The game was a flashback to everything that is good about sports.
The women played with unrelenting effort, teamwork, athleticism and grace. Players like Iana Andonaova, Katie Arvidson and Kaila Janssen were towering above the net blocking and spiking with a perfect mix of power and finesse. These women also play with a fire and intensity that is normally reserved for the gridiron.
Freshman Nikki Hartman, small in size but not fire, flashed a pretty intimidating glare towards the official when a crucial call went against the Owls. Katie Ditscheit, from Wisconsin (and we all know that great people come from Wisconsin) posted a career high 23 digs (saves) in the game.
Watching this amazing display of athleticism, I’m sitting in the stands wondering where the hell everyone is. The only notable student fans there were “The Prowlers,” who are an SAA organization that start chants, throw t-shirts and basically try to get crunk at FAU sporting events.
My point is, get out and watch these women play and join what Coach Jody Brown calls a “well informed and appreciated” fan base. Volleyball is a game of energy and momentum, so help your school team win. As FAU marketing major Bri Bragg stated, “More fans equal more energy.” The women’s volleyball team’s final two home games are Nov. 10 and 11 at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
