Volleyball Heads South for SEC Beach Volleyball Championships
4/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
April 9, 2008
By Scott Latta
UA Media Relations
Alabama head volleyball coach Judy Green and the Crimson Tide volleyball team will head to Gainesville, Fla. this Friday and Saturday, April 11-12, for the inaugural SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships, held on the University of Florida campus.
The Championships, which will feature two-person teams from 11 SEC schools, are the first of their kind to be held on sand in the SEC.
"It is my hope that as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Southeastern Conference, we look to the future... a future that will include beach volleyball as a sanctioned intercollegiate sport," said Tom Collett, the tournament's co-director.
The tournament will feature four pools of play, each named after a former SEC Commissioner: Roy Kramer (Level 1), Harvey Schiller (Level 2), Boyd McWhorter (Level 3) and Bernie Moore (Level 4). Each school will enter a two-person team in each pool for tournament play on Saturday. The top two teams from each group in pool play will move on to a final pool championship match. The winners of each pool will then move on to the Gold and Bronze Medal Matches to determine the finish of the top four schools.
Coach Green said that despite moving the game from the gym to the beach, the quality of competition from some of the nation's best volleyball players likely will not be affected.
"I think it's going to be an interesting competition, needless to say," Green said. "I think we're all going to surprise ourselves with how good we're going to be in the sand. I think one of the concerns right off the bat was how good the quality of play was going to be, and honestly it's not about how good the quality of play will be when it's the first time you do something like this. I feel so honored that the SEC coaches wanted to be pioneers in opening a door to a different avenue for volleyball."
In preparation for the tournament, Green has taken her team each week to sand courts at Rock Quarry Elementary School in Tuscaloosa. In addition to providing an opportunity to add a break into the monotony of the in-the-gym spring practices, transferring to the beach, she said, can also have a positive affect on the Tide's play indoors.
"I've always believed that playing doubles is a great way to improve your indoor game," Green said. "You learn how to read, how to make shots, and I've seen that happen in our players through our training so far this spring."
In addition to the overall champion, the SEC will also award the Commissioner's Cup to the school with the highest number of overall points in Pool Play. Each team will earn points for its respective school based on its finish within its Pool. The school with the highest number of points at the end of play will receive the trophy.
"I think the SEC is looking to be a frontrunner here, and to put something on the table that's different and exciting for collegiate athletes," coach Green said. "I think it brings a breath of fresh air and the atmosphere's going to be incredible. People really enjoy it because they can be outside, and because it's a different game. We're all excited. I think it's going to be a ton of fun."
Alabama will round out its spring competition in New Orleans, La. at the Tulane Invitational, Saturday, April 19.
