Volleyball is a sport not often on people’s radar. Students are rarely exposed to it in high school or through their community besides a few loose-ruled games in gym class. At Northern Vermont University – Lyndon, however, volleyball is more than a gym class unit. It is a varsity sport with a proud team and energetic fans.
Last week on Wednesday, September 12, the Lyndon campus hosted a match against our sister school Northern Vermont University – Johnson. It was the Johnson Badgers that won in the end, cinching the victory with three set victories in a row, but Lyndon fought hard.
Johnson served first in the first set. The scores and control of the ball went back and forth, both teams volleying at a fast rate. Many of the points were earned by the opposing team dropping the ball before getting over the net. There was lots of communication between teammates on both sides of the court, but Johnson picked up the pace and ended the set with a score of 6-25.
Lyndon served first for the second set after the teams switched sides of the court. Johnson took advantage of the Deadman’s Zone, but Lyndon kept pace with their opponents. Many serves and hits were going out of bounds on both sides. This set also ended in Johnson’s favor, 12-25, but Lyndon was able to double their score.
Once again, the teams switched sides of the court in possibly the final set. Somehow, there was even more energy on the court from the teams. No one had given up or underestimated each other. Many volleys were sent to the announcer’s table during this set, but the score could have gone either way. The third set ended with a score of 11-25, Johnson clenching the victory.
One thing I will note about the night was the energy the players were radiating on and off the court. This was my first volleyball match to ever attend and I was pretty clueless through most of it. I knew who was in the lead, and that was about it. However, the players were so energetic. Lyndon’s team was full of smiles despite the loss—they laughed when someone did something silly, they shrugged off a bad play, and they kept having fun.
The environment at a volleyball game at Lyndon is nothing I have ever experienced before. It’s definitely something you couldn’t write a normal, third-person point-of-view article about. Volleyball is very intimate and personable. And I’m not the only one who enjoyed it; another Lyndon freshman, Luke Young, is quoted, “The longer I’ve sat here, the more I’m energized.”
I strongly urge all other Lyndon students, faculty, and community members to attend the next home volleyball match or go to an away game. Our team is one that you want to watch. The next home contest will be another match against NVU – Johnson on Sunday, September 30 at 10:00 in the morning. The sets take place in the Stannard Gym. I look forward to seeing you all there!