Adam Smith
Dr. Rosner
GEN 1033: Life of the Mind
11/17/15
Stockton University vs. Montclair State University Volleyball Game
As I swiped my Stockton ID and walked into the gymnasium in Big Blue at 2:00 pm on the 7th of November, I looked eagerly at the volleyball nets as this would be the first college level volleyball game I would watch. I took my seat next to my friends and waited for the National Anthem to play. Everyone removed their hats and faced the flag as the song played over the sound system. I glanced towards the players they all seemed to glow with excitement. As the song finished, Stockton’s women’s volleyball team walked towards center court to meet their opponents, Montclair State University. After shaking hands, the referees told the players to take their positions. The match was about to begin.
The referee blew his whistle to start the match and immediately cheers from the stands commenced. “Go Stockton!”, “Let’s go Ospreys!”, “Beat Montclair!”, all rang throughout the stands as the Stockton served the ball. After a short rally, Stockton’s Stephanie Kovacs spiked the ball down to win the point. It became clear that Stockton would lead this match. As the match progressed on, I soon learned that a college level game of volley is won by the team who wins best three out of five matches. A match is won by whichever team wins 25 points first. Stockton quickly accumulated 25 points, beating MSU, with 16 points.
Although the attendance was only 233, the enthusiasm of the Stockton fan base made up for the lack of people. Everyone was wearing their osprey apparel as they cheered their team on. The second match soon began and MSU ran on to the court with more excitement than before. MSU took the lead with two aces and a spike. An ace is a term used for when the player serves the ball and wins the point without the opposing team returning it. Stockton took a timeout and rotated in new players. They stepped back on the court with confidence and started the clock again. The new players quickly regained the lead and won the set. The MSU players bowed their heads as they lost the second set 18 to 25 and walked toward the bench to receive a pep talk.
After a five minute break filled with osprey cheer and support, the two teams took their places on the court and began the match. It was evident that MSU’s defense was slowly crumbling as Stockton continuously scored point after point. “Choke! Choke!” screamed a few Stockton fans to the right of me. MSU served the ball only to be spiked back down by Stockton’s Macy Schwartz. It was 24 to 10. Stockton was in the lead and only needed one point to win the final match. Lindsay Schuele served the ball, but MSU took possession and set themselves up for a spike. The audience stared at the ball, eager for the match to end as a MSU player smacked the ball down towards the ground, but just as it was about to hit the floor Kovacs saved the ball and gently bumped it over the net. MSU stared in disbelief as the ball fell into their court and hit the ground. “We won!” cheered the crowded as the women’s team rushed the court and hugged each other. After a few minutes of celebration, the stands cleared and I walked outside with my friends. The women’s team’s win over MSU invigorated me and left me wanting to attend more athletic events at Stockton to support the Ospreys.