SDSU has recently added a new club to its wide variety of existing clubs. The club is a competitive traveling intramural team that is open for men and women.

    They will be having their first information sessions Sept. 30 in the Crest Room at 6 p.m. and again on Oct. 1 in Clark at 7 p.m. There are 10 spots on the team that will be filled on a tryout basis. 

    “We are an organization that is open to all students and all skill levels interested in learning and/or continuing learning of volleyball as well as representing SDSU in volleyball competition,” said Nathaniel Condelli, a junior sport, recreation and park management major.

The team has received 63 signatures of students who are interested and 20 of those signatures being women.

  This club has been in the works for quite some time now. 

“I have always had one to two students approach me and ask to get a team started for the past five years,” men’s volleyball head coach Chris Perkins said. 

 According to Perkins, the main reason it has been such a long process was because students were not able to dedicate the time and energy to get the club started.   

Nathan Condelli, Cooper Kemnitz, Elliot Johnson and Patrick Watchorn were the students that wanted to start the club.

  “We will be comprised of both men and women but currently will only have a men’s traveling team,” Condelli said. If they do happen to get enough women to try out, they will help them to start a women’s traveling team. 

  The men’s volleyball team will be competing in the Northern Intercollegiate Volleyball Conference (NIVC). Other teams in their conference include: Bethel University, Michigan Technological University, Minnesota State University- Mankota, NDSU and Providence – Canada.

“I have spoken with the four boys about what their expectations are of me as coach. We have come up with a tentative plan for what we think should happen,” Perkins said. “I’m hoping to build a strong relationship within the NIVC and be a competitive team.”

 Students that participate in the club will pay dues that will cover the costs of traveling. The team is working on finding other ways to raise funding for travel including possible T-shirt sales, concessions or working with local businesses on fundraisers.

 “The hopeful plan is they will be a team that is traveling and competing against other universities in the Northern Intercollegiate Volleyball Conference,” Perkins said.

  The team differs from an intramural team because the new men’s competitive volleyball team requires tryouts. Intramurals do not require tryouts because they are more for enjoyment.

Perkins will be coaching and he will be able to give advice from his personal experience; he played four years at NDSU.

 “Chris is going to be very helpful to our organization due to the fact that he participated in NDSU’s club team for four years as the libero and is very familiar with the NIVC,” Condelli said.

   Perkins is preparing to take on his new role in volleyball. After playing the sport, he has an idea on how to coach. 

“I am planning to provide guidance and direction for the team. Overall, my plans are ultimately to help the students with their skills and passion with this game. I am excited to see what they will end up accomplishing for this year.”