Sand Volleyball Intrigues NCAA Coaches, But Questions Remain
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Coach Believes Most Schools Will Wait For
More Details, Especially With Current Economy |
In the wake of the NCAA earlier this week adding sand volleyball to its list of emerging sports for women with an eye toward debuting it as a varsity sport during the '10-11 school year, Univ. of Nebraska women's indoor volleyball coach John Cook said that he is "intrigued by the potential for the sand game to further grow volleyball's participation and attendance numbers," according to Chad Purcell of the OMAHA WORLD-HERALD. However, Cook also "believes that most schools -- Nebraska included -- will wait to buy in until the NCAA offers more specifics, especially during the current economic climate." Purcell noted the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) the last three years has "sponsored a made-for-TV Collegiate Beach Championship, played over a single weekend," and "about 40 colleges compete in some form of sand volleyball during the spring." But that number "pales in comparison to the 992 NCAA member schools that field indoor volleyball teams." AVCA Exec Dir Kathy DeBoer said that "exactly what time of year the sand season might be played ... remains up for debate." But DeBoer added that how the incorporation of sand volleyball might impact women's volleyball's spring season -- "both for schools that field teams and those that don't -- is one of the 'many, many issues' that still need to be debated and hashed out" (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 4/23). In S.F., Tom FitzGerald noted the women's indoor season runs in the fall, but recruiting is "done during the spring, in what would be the middle of the sand volleyball season." Also, "not everybody is sold on the idea of adding a varsity sport when schools are facing budget shortfalls because of the recession. Univ. of California women's volleyball coach Rich Feller: "More volleyball is good, but I'm pretty skeptical right now because there's not really a plan in place to make this work." But AVP CEO Jason Hodell said, "In the big scheme, sand volleyball is not an expensive sport. In terms of starting up a program, the equipment costs would be minimal" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/23).
SCHOOL REACTIONS: Univ. of Hawaii (UH) AD Jim Donovan said the school is "looking at" adding sand volleyball if it becomes a varsity sport. In Honolulu, Ferd Lewis noted the sport "would be UH's 20th sport and 12th for women." UH officials earlier this year "discussed for the first time publicly the down-the-road possibility of cutting a sport if budget projections didn't improve," but Donovan said that adding sand volleyball "would allow UH to expand its opportunities for women ... with the possibility of minimal additional investment." Lewis noted athletes who have indoor volleyball scholarships and also play sand volleyball "could be multi-counted for opportunity purposes" (HONOLULU ADVERTISER, 4/23). Univ. of Colorado Associate AD/SID David Plati Wednesday said that the school "would maintain a wait-and-see approach" on the possibility of implementing a sand volleyball program "given the uncertainty of rules and regulations." In Denver, Mike Chambers noted the Univ. of Denver "echoed" that thought, while Air Force is "not interested" (DENVER POST, 4/23).
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