Men’s club volleyball team preps for tourney

Senior Jonathan Grzesik might not be a varsity athlete, but he sill knows the commitment it takes to balance sports and school.

As president of the men’s volleyball club, Grzesik said he has one goal in mind: “Contend and improve upon lasts year’s performance.”

Even though this past season the team was a few games shy of the chance to play for the national championship, Grzesik said their performance earned them ninth place in the country, making this ranking their highest since 2003.

“Due to the fact that NCAA men’s volleyball is very limited, the club level is extremely competitive,” Grzesik said.

This year the team has 12 new members, including freshman Kyle Cook.

“We had to play our best during tryouts,” Cook said, adding he had to adjust to a playing environment that is faster paced than what he was used to in high school.

The team might not have a coach, but its four leaders — president, vice president, treasurer and secretary — are able to manage the club and run practices. With this set-up, Grzesik said the team not only saves money by not paying a coach, but it also helps them bond on a more personal level.

“We are all united by a great passion to play volleyball at the highest level we can,” Grzesik said.  “We’re all willing to help the person next to us do it.”

Senior co-captain Steven Gorski said they all give each other good feedback and help each other in what they need to work on. He also explained the commitment it takes to be on the team.

“You have to dedicate many hours every week,” Gorski said. “You have to be committed to travel and make accommodations in school for the team.”

Grzesik said members need to commit six hours every week for practice.

“Three hours every Tuesday and Thursday night,” he said. “Then, an additional number of weekends to travel to tournaments. We also expect a good amount of participation in fundraisers.”

This year the club hopes to raise money by selling a catalogue of men’s club volleyball gear to parents and alumni.

Meanwhile, the team is preparing to compete and host the Hoosier Fall Classic on Oct. 9.

The team’s rival is Illinois, and Grzesik said the team is “working toward being as well prepared for a team of their caliber as we can.”

Gorski said this year, the team’s goal is to be champions. He said they have gotten better since last year, and now they have a lot of young talent.

Cook said he is looking forward to the season and feels confident the team has a lot of potential.

Grzesik said he is excited for the upcoming tournament and feels positive about the team they have this year.

“We have a great group of core guys who are very open to share their experiences with the club and use that to lead the way for the newer guys,” he said.