The UW-Platteville Women’s Volleyball Club started in the spring of 2007 when Kari Durst, club president, had a great idea for more competitive, less time- consuming volleyball play on campus.

“Our club currently has 15 members on the roster,” Kimberly Carroll, club secretary, said. “That is a big improvement from last year when we started off with nine members.”

The club practices from 10 p.m. to midnight on Monday and Thursday nights, the same time as the Men’s Volleyball Club.

“When you get a lot of girls coming together from different backgrounds, it is sometimes hard to get a good team mix down, so that’s probably what we work on the most in practice,” Leah Thelen, the club’s vice president, said.

The club attends three to five tournaments each semester. The club had a tournament in Madison on Oct. 13, and their next tournament is on Nov. 3 at DePaul University. Tentative tournaments are also scheduled for Nov. 10, Nov. 17 and Dec. 1.

The women’s volleyball club has traveled to different universities in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois for tournaments.

There are other tournaments offered in North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas and Kentucky that the club has not attended yet.

“When tournaments are scheduled, they allow enough time between matches for three games,” Danielle Perry, club treasurer, said. “In our club tournament play, whoever wins two out of three wins the match.”

“To prepare for tournaments, we practice fundamental drills, game-like situations and scrimmaging,” Durst said. “Each club member is encouraged to have input in practice and game play.”

Last year, the dues to be in club were $125; however, this year the dues decreased to $75 because of fundraising. The club has previously done brat sales and Pampered Chef fundraisers.

Women interested in the volleyball club are encouraged to join at the beginning of the spring semester.

“The club offers members the chance to get a great workout,” Perry said. “Once you are in college, it’s hard to find time for things that you made time for in high school. It’s a great way to stay in shape and maintain the workout that was provided in K-12 schools.”

“I would recommend the volleyball club to UW-P women because it’s more competitive than intramural play and much less-time consuming than collegiate play,” Thelen said. “It’s also a great way to make friends on campus, and a great way to stay involved in a sport you love to compete in.”