If you ask Braden Zamore to describe his teams passion for volleyball, he’ll tell you they live and breathe it. Zamore teamed up with Recreations Coordinator Robert Prince to help plan and organize the intramural volleyball club that exists at USM today.
“It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve been able to do it,” said Zamore. “I haven’t known any other way. I’ve always been busy, running around like crazy and if I didn’t have it that way I think I’d be bored.”
Athletic Director Al Bean said, “He’s the one that organized it. He’s a lot of what’s behind it.”
In the club’s first year there were nine people who played for fun. Now there are 16 dedicated players who practice regularly and compete in four to five tournaments a year throughout New England.
“I had to recruit people through flyers and word of mouth to get people interested,” said Zamore. “It was a slow start, but each year it kept getting bigger and bigger.”
The volleyball team participates in matches, but doesn’t regularly host. The athletic department is currently looking into hosting other men’s volleyball teams at USM.
“We’ve been exploring what the differences were and whether or not we wanted to move up so we can host,” Bean said. “We’ve hosted in the past, but it was a few years ago.”
The men’s volleyball team is part of the NECVL, made up of more than 40 teams from colleges across the Northeast. They became full-time members for the first time last year. Being part of the league has allowed the volleyball team to play other teams outside of the USM community, including schools as far away as Rhode Island and New York.
“Club volleyball is much more competitive,” Zamore said. “It’s almost as competitive as a varsity sport.”
Each year the NECVL organizes a championship weekend to determine which team takes first place. Zamore said that although his team hasn’t made it to the championships yet, the team is young and he is, “hoping we can do that this year.”
Much of the men’s volleyball club is funded through the athletic department. In order for the team to compete in the NECVL, the department must pay dues each year. Last year the team paid upwards of $650. The club has recently requested funding from the student senate for equipment, balls and transportation.
This year Zamore is the men’s volleyball coach and a player on the team, as well as the Gorham High School girl’s varsity volleyball coach. He will graduate in May with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business.
The introduction of the league at USM is appreciated by students and administrators alike.
“Nationally men’s volleyball is huge,” Bean said. “It’s a great game, and it’s another very good opportunity for students to play at the college level.” u