By Shi Davidi
The women’s volleyball team is proving a 3-28 season can be very rewarding.
After finishing with a miserable 0-12 league record and a woeful 3-16 in tournament play, Ryerson’s female volleyballers will get to spend this Christmas in tropical Cuba.
Financial details have not yet been determined, but early estimates indicate 40 per cent of the trip’s cost will come from the team’s $23,500 budget. The rest will come from fundraisers and the athletes.
“The players will be paying for this trip through fundraising and other efforts, and a portion will come from the team’s funds though the exact breakdown hasn’t been determined yet,” said Chuck Mathies.
Coach Arif Nathoo feels with the addition of three new recruits his team will improve this season.
“I picked up three quality recruits who should make the starting line-up,” he said. “The calibre of the team has risen.”
Ryerson coaches often have trouble recruiting elite athletes. Coaches will use such trips to persuade players during recruiting.
“A trip like Cuba training is an attraction for any athlete to come to a university, those things are kind of enticements,” said Mathies, of Ryerson’s athletics department.
But according to Nathoo, that’s not the case with his new athletes. “Cuba wasn’t a determining factor when getting these players. The trip wasn’t definitely on when they chose to come here.”
Mathies doesn’t believe the trip is extravagant for a team that finished so poorly last season. Instead, he feels it shows their commitment to the program.
“Our program is still growing and developing,” said Mathies. “This will help us get better.”
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