Volleyball has set the net high for sport at Stirling, after a thrilling year for one of the University’s smaller sports clubs.
The men and women’s teams have each had successful seasons, finishing top of their respective leagues, and in doing so, gaining promotion into the top volleyball division in BUCS for next season.
Both sides also won the BUCS conference cup, on March 27, with the women’s team beating Robert Gordon University 1st team 3-1 in a tightly contested match. The men then won 3-0 against Strathclyde University 2nd team. This capped off what has been a remarkable 12 months for the sport at Stirling.
The woman’s team have been particularly impressive recently, having not lost a match since 2017. VP Rowan Johnston said “we have had a really good year.”
“Not to pat ourselves on the back, but we are doing quite well,” she laughed, alongside her teammates Silene Ten Seldom and Laura Barilaro.
The highlight of the past year for the team was the 2018 conference cup where they beat Dundee University, the only side to have defeated them last season. “That was a good win”, said Johnston with a beaming smile.
Both the men’s and women’s sides have bonded off-court, with trips to Nando’s and Bowling, as well as various socials, which they say have created a team spirit and winning atmosphere. This has given them the grounding for what has been a superb season.
The club wants to use its sporting success in the past year to inspire more people to play sport at university, targeting groups which are often less likely to participate.
Welfare officer for the club, Silene, was keen to promote the importance of inclusivity in their team, with an emphasis on making it easier for anyone to get involved. She said “we did a lot with the green ribbon campaign, which promotes positive mental health.”
The team have also had rainbow training days in which they wear multi-coloured clothing to support the LGBTQ+ community at Stirling, showing just how welcoming the club is.
The Volleyball team have also furthered links with other clubs this year by collaborating with other sports teams in fun events, for example a game of volleyball with the Clansmen.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, this ended in a 5-0 defeat for the University’s American Football team. They hope to continue these activities into the next season.
After such a successful year, the standard has been set, but Rowan and her teammates are hoping to improve further next season. “To stay in division one after promotion is the goal for both teams.”
“The difference between the divisions is mental, so it will be interesting to see if we can keep the progression going.”
We’re bringing you season summary pieces for sports teams all across the university, so check back at 2PM every day for another edition of Bleed Green Round-Up.
4th Year Journalism Studies and Politics Student at Stirling University. Sports Editor. Bylines in Brig Newspaper and The Oban Times
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