Pacific's First Annual Women's Volleyball Community Night A Success

Sept. 20, 2007

Stockton, Calif. - Over 90 members of the Stockton community filled the Alex G. Spanos Center flow for the first annual women's volleyball community night on Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The clinic was open to children between the ages of 5 to 12 years old. The clinic allowed young Tiger fans a chance to interact with their favorite women's volleyball players in a variety of volleyball drills and activities. Pacific women's volleyball players also autographed team pictures at the event.

"Just wanted to let you know what a great time we had at the [Pacific women's] volleyball clinic ... The University of Pacific women's volleyball team players were always smiling and made the children feel comfortable when they got separated into four different areas, separate from their friends they arrived with. The children were taught the basic drills of offensive and defensive plays, which included serving, passing and blocking. They would rotate areas every 15-20 minutes, so they could experience all aspects of the training modules," noted Jose Abarca of the Northeast Community Center.

"This was a great opportunity to intetract with the fans that support our teams, but it was also just a lot of fun to help show younger fans more about volleyball," said Pacific sophomore Masha Vaysburg.

"All the children were given free t-shirts and stickers, as well as a free membership to Wells Fargo's Tiger Cubs Club, which enables the kids 12 and under to attend all Pacific Athletic Events for free and the opportunity to attend members-only clinics. The children also enjoyed an autograph session with the players, who gave the children an autographed team photograph and also autographed their other memorabilia. Some of the children have been asking me if they can attend a Pacific women's volleyball game, so I will most likely take them to a game in the coming weeks," concluded Abarca.

"Holding a community night allows our athletes to connect with the fans. That connection is great for the sport today and drives the future of women's volleyball," said Pacific head coach Charlie Wade.