Club volleyball team serves it up
Playing a sport they love helps these Tar Heel women relieve stress and make new friends.
The Tar Heels serving, blocking and hitting in Carmichael Arena aren’t the only volleyball players representing Carolina on the court.
The Carolina women’s club volleyball team also gives students the chance to play the sport they love and create friendships that will last beyond college.
“Volleyball has been my comfort and my escape. If I ever had a bad day I could just go play and relieve my stress,” says Olivia Stone, a junior and outside hitter for the team. “I have gained so many friends through volleyball and they have become my support when I need it.”
UNC-Chapel Hill Club Volleyball practice in Fetzer Gym. November 1, 2023. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Twenty-nine Tar Heels play for the women’s club, including 14 new players this year. They are divided into three teams based on performance at tryouts, and all three teams compete regionally and nationally.
The club team plays from September to May. The players practice twice a week and play in six to eight tournaments a year, including a few at Carolina.
The team competes in the Carolina Women’s Club Volleyball League and the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation.
UNC-Chapel Hill Club Volleyball practice in Fetter Gym. November 1, 2023. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Other local teams in the league include NC State University, UNC Greensboro and UNC Wilmington.
“Volleyball is a great sport and a great way to meet other people who care about the sport. I have met so many great people while also being able to continue to play the sport I love,” said Audra Nelson, the team co-president.
The other co-president is Olivia Leshnock, a business administration major and one of the team’s setters.
Since the team is completely student run, the players are charged with making the plays for practices and tournaments themselves, a favorite part of the game for Nelson.
“It is so exciting to create a play that fits in the strengths of the team and have the chance to showcase that in a game,” says Nelson, a psychology and political science major.
Many members played volleyball growing up and wanted to continue playing in college.
“Volleyball is just a part of me, it has been a part of my life since I was little and I just love playing and being able to play with my friends,” says Stone, a biology major.
The players say they have created friendships that will last beyond their years at Carolina.
“My favorite aspect is the friendships. When you are on a team you not only have to look out for yourself but for your teammates,” says Stone. “In a team sport not one person can win by themselves, it is a group effort, so being responsible for teammates bonds the team together and it creates so many friendships.”
