The University of Tennessee openly welcomes students to participate in athletic competition through offering, operating and funding a vast array of club sports on campus.  From soccer to wrestling, students are given the opportunity to partake in competition that best suit their interests and abilities.  One UT club team in particular sets a high standard of competition and continues to strive toward their main goal, this year's national tournament.

The UT women's club volleyball team practices year round and attends tournaments taking place during both the fall and spring semesters.  On any given Tuesday or Thursday evening the girls can be found inside the historical bubble sweating, hustling and focusing on fundamentals.  Club president and team member, Robyn Conner, has great enthusiasm for her teammates and speaks highly of their skills and competitive drive. 

Last semester the team traveled to South Carolina to play in a tournament hosted by Clemson University.  The girls competed against a number of schools including: the University of Georgia, the University of South Carolina, Clemson University and Appalachian State.  At the end of pool play the team advanced to tournament play undefeated.  After two grueling hours and over four matches, the women claimed their victory, returning home to Knoxville with a championship title. 

Shortly after returning to campus back in January, the girls hit the court to work on their game plan and to prepare for a series of five tournaments scheduled for the spring semester.  Anne Koupal, the team's coach, took on the challenge of getting the team ready to face Vanderbilt in less than two weeks time.  On Feb. 8 the team headed to Nashville, Tenn. to take on teams such as Georgia Tech, MTSU, USC, UGA and Vanderbilt.  While at Vanderbilt the team won out in pool play, placing them in the playoffs in good standing.  After a tough loss against Vanderbilt, the girls traveled back to campus deeply unsatisfied with their third place results. 

I'm really excited about this team we have this year. All the pieces seem to be there to have an all around solid team; we have the height, skill level, and the dedication. I think there is a very good chance that this team competes well on the national level for club sports. Robyn Conner, Club volleyball president With only one tournament down and three to go before nationals, the team has more than enough time to reconcile.  Coach Anne Koupal will choose only nine of the 14 team members to accompany her to the Division I Club Volleyball Nationals in Dallas, Texas this April.  Team members like Kim Klienaitis and Christen Aldridge, who have a long history of competitive volleyball experience, will aid the team in their journey to Dallas.  Klienaitis, a Memphis native, has played for Germantown High School in addition to year round clubs such as Metro MJVA and Memphis Extreme.  Aldridge, also a Memphis native and a junior at UT, has played for Cordova High School as well as Memphis Metro. 

A few of the team's upcoming tournaments are as follows: Ohio State on March 1, Cincinnati Ohio on March 8, a home tournament TBA and nationals in Dallas April 10-12.   President Robyn Conner said the NIRSA National Championships in Dallas, Texas will be a five-day trip for the team.  Team members will participate in three days of tournament play alongside over one hundred men and women's club teams. 

"The tournament culture is like a big volleyball social," says Conner, " Teams trade school t-shirts and take part in nighttime activities too." 

 For more information on UT women's club volleyball contact Robyn Conner at rconner4@utk.edu or Kelly Isham at kisham@utk.edu.