Wallyball gives students change of pace

Monday, August 24, 2009

Similar to volleyball but played in a racquetball court, wallyball offers some students an intramural sport that is more than just a funny name.

“I didn’t know anything about wallyball until the first game, and it even took a couple of weeks before we got the rules down,” said Brad Jones, Topeka graduate student. Jones’ team, Afternoon Delight, advanced to the finals in Spring 2009.

Tiffany Wambsganss, Fredonia graduate student, also played on Afternoon Delight and hadn’t even heard of the sport before signing up.

“When I signed up, all I knew was that you could hit the ball off the wall,” Wambsganss said.

Many rules to wallyball are similar to indoor volleyball, but there are a few differences. One key difference is that in wallyball, using the wall to bounce the ball — which is similar in size to a volleyball and made of rubber — is the main strategy that keeps the pace and excitement of the game going. For Jones, who has played a lot of volleyball in the past, the decision to play wallyball came because he thought it would be similar to volleyball and a lot of fun to play on racquetball courts.

Wambsganss also played volleyball in high school, and thought this variation of it would be fun to try.

“I thought since I had played volleyball before, I might be decent at it,” Wambsganss said.

As for why he decided to take part in a sport less commonly known than intramurals such as flag football or ultimate frisbee, Jones said that less conventional sports were usually just as fun as the more popular sports.

“Nobody else really knows how the sports are played so it’s equal competition and you might have a good chance of winning,” Wambsganss said. “You never know what you’re good at and it’s not as competitive because it’s everyone’s first time to play.”

Matt Beck, coordinator of intramurals and special events, said that the way teams were set up was conducive to easy communication through the sport’s registration Web site. Beck also said intramural sports offered a nice social environment for those wishing to unwind after class.

“It’s also a great form of stress relief and a great way for people who played sports in high school to continue a competitive atmosphere and keep those competitive fires burning,” Beck said.

— —Edited by Amanda Thompson

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