By Desmond Ford
Jambar Contributor
From sports like basketball and arena football, students can build the bond of a strong friendships and a winning mindset by signing up and participating in intramural sports at Youngstown State University.
One intramural team has been on a hot streak for the past few years. It has won back to back championships and definitely enjoys winning.
The Guiners, a intramural volleyball team that has been established for three years and has won back-to-back championships, now is looking for a third.
Madison Johns, a member of the Guiners, had some good things to say about the team and her teammates.
“The best part of playing this sport is getting away from early reality for however long it may be, sometimes an hour, sometimes a whole day worth of games,” she said.
Johns has played volleyball for eight years and was nominated player of the year and number one in Division I Ohio volleyball for blocking and hitting.
She said she really enjoys playing intramural sports because it’s an activity through the school that she can get away from the classroom to relieve stress.
Intramural volleyball begins in spring for all teams that want to sign up. Laura Roch and Brandon Terlecky are the co-founders of the winning squad and said the team’s goal is about just having fun and winning.
Roch, second-year graduate student, said she has played volleyball since middle school.
“I enjoy volleyball. I’ve been playing since seventh grade, so it’s cool to be able to continue in college, especially while in a master’s program,” Roch said.
She loves the competitiveness and the feeling of winning.
“It’s cool to play on a successful team that has won two seasons in a row because winning is fun,” Roch said.
The Guiners have seven players on the team, and they all have that winning mentality. The season began Feb. 4 and will last until March 21. Each player pays a $25 fee to be a part of a team.
Hallie Duarte, a senior biology major, said the team plays purely for fun, something she believes is the key to the team’s success.
“We are all super competitive personalities, but we genuinely enjoy the sport together as a unit,” Duarte said.
She also discussed what it is like to play for an intramural team.
“Playing in the intramural league has been a great experience, especially for me, since I had not played until later in my college career. I think it’s an amazing opportunity to get out and meet people as well as keep that work/health balance in college,” Duarte said.
As the new season for the intramural volleyball season kicks, the Guiners will be looking for that three-peat to become champions once again.
