JMBoulden

UNCW Volleyball Hits the Beach for the First Time

Sarah Kelly, UNCW Sophomore, at the UNCW home tournament, April 2nd 2016.

UNCW added beach volleyball this year; its tenth women’s sport. This was the first season for the brand new program, and despite a record of 10-15, the Seahawks’ inaugural season was a great success. Any new NCAA athletic program is going to struggle at first and take time to develop.

“I knew the challenge we were going to face with so many of our girls learning beach volleyball, there was going to be a learning curve. The main challenge was converting indoor players, which were the bulk of our roster, into beach players,” commented new beach volleyball coach, David Fischer.

When asked about how he thought the season went overall Coach Fischer said, “I like the fact that we competed, I mean we didn’t always get the results we wanted, but we competed well against some established programs.”

UNCW faced a difficult schedule having to go against four top ten ranked teams, including a match against the number one ranked Pepperdine.

“All the people we played against said we didn’t look like a first year program,” says Freshman Courtney Mullinax.

Courtney grew up in Wilmington and was a fan of the indoor team. She was excited to be apart of something new and go to her favorite school in her hometown.

When asked about her favorite part of the first year, Courtney said,”The high point was definitely when we were in Siesta Key Florida and we play University of Louisiana Monroe which is where Coach David had coached for the past three years. We really wanted to get that win for David. It was great to take them, this would be their fourth year, and us in our first year to beat them was awesome.”

After cutting the women’s indoor and outdoor track teams due to budget concerns, UNCW officials looked to add another women’s sport to comply with Title IX requirements. Beach volleyball was an emerging NCAA women’s sport and seemed like a perfect fit for the coastal school.

Beach volleyball first appeared in the United States on the beaches of California in the 1920’s. Through the 50’s and 60’s, the sport spread across the beaches of the country. The game’s popularity was due to how easy it could be learned, combined with the challenge it provided.

Beach volleyball is one of the most popular women’s sports in the NCAA and the fastest growing NCAA sport ever. In 2012, the first year as a NCAA sport, there were just 16 programs. This year the season began with 41 programs and more on the way. Many schools find beach volleyball an attractive sport because it increases female participation and has very low costs associated with building a program. It is a great way to show the athletic prowess and skill of the women involved.

Any discussion of the rise of beach volleyball’s popularity would not be complete without mentioning the role of USA women’s beach volleyball in the Olympics. Beach volleyball has seen a recent rise in popularity. The sport really gained momentum in the United States after the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. That was the game’s first year as an Olympic sport and America’s first chance to see the sport on a large scale. This exposure every four years is a major reason for the sport’s growth. The USA women’s team of Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor have had three gold medal finishes in a row. The USA has dominated the women’s sand game and been an inspiration for a whole generation of young women to get involved with the sport.

Beach volleyball is very popular in the Wilmington coastal area and always seemed like a great fit for UNCW athletics. UNCW has joined the now nearly 50 schools that have a beach volleyball program. UNCW is the first NCAA Division 1 school in North Carolina to offer beach volleyball. The majority of beach programs reside in California and Florida.

*Infographic created by Jeffrey Boulden using Google Maps. All data retrieved from www.collegesand.org

The first ever NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship was held this year at Gulf Shores, Alabama, where USC defeated Florida State in three sets. The tournament consisted of the top eight teams in a double elimination format. The teams had five pairs of players with the win going to the best three out of five games. UNCW hopes to compete in the championship tournament in the years to come and has brought in two coaches that should help them get there.

Coaches Amy Bambenek, David Fischer, and assistant Brittany Fennell all bring a wealth of playing and coaching experience at all levels of play. Coach Bambenek also coaches the indoor team where she resurrected the team from one of the league’s worst to an NCAA tournament bid and a CAA championship. That same success should be in store for the beach program. Coach Bambenek began her playing career at Coastal Carolina where she was a four-year starter and help lead the team to a conference title. She also ranks in the top five in several all time stats for the team. She began her coaching career as an assistant for Florida State where they won an ACC conference title. Next, she took a job as Assistant at George Washington University, where she coached several players to all-conference level status.

Coach Fischer comes to UNCW after several successful seasons as the head coach of The University of Louisiana Monroe. While at ULM, Coach Fischer helped several players become All-Americans. He started his playing career at Stanford University where he led the team to the NCAA finals. After his collegiate career, Coach Fischer played professional beach volleyball on the AVP tour. He also finished fourth in the 2003 Pan Am games.

Assistant Brittany Fennell comes to UNCW after coaching the Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Her playing career began at Clemson University in 2008 where she won the team’s rookie of the year award. She helped lead Clemson to two NCAA Tournament appearances. She has also played for a USA Development Team in international competition.

The coaching staff agrees that having a successful indoor program will help to build the beach program. Some have questioned whether the top players will play beach volleyball.

“With indoor volleyball, you have more teammates for support, but you also have multiple players in each position that you have to compete with for playing time. I feel like when it comes down to it, the players are going to go where they will get the most playing time and where the scholarship money is,” says former UNCW volleyball player Kelli Clear.

Kelli played for UNCW from 2007 to 2010 as a defensive specialist. Indoor and sand volleyball are very different and require different sets of skills and different types of players.

Kelli compares the two this way; “The main difference is that indoor volleyball is played consisting of a team of six players and beach competes with two players. Also, the speed of indoor volleyball is much quicker than beach. Since you only have two players in beach volleyball, the court is smaller but the net is the same height. In beach volleyball, you have to change the way you play in order to be more efficient.”

Kristen Powell gets ready to serve at the UNCW home tournament, April 2nd, 2016.

Having a beach volleyball program gives some girls that don’t have the prototypical Division 1 Volleyball game a chance to play and earn a scholarship. UNCW suited up six full-time beach players for their first year and filled the rest of the roster with indoor players. In the future, the program should be able to recruit more players specifically for the beach game. The proximity of the UNCW campus to area beaches should help to attract top-level recruits. The sand program could help attract indoor players by giving them another way to play and compete in their off-season. The two programs should be mutually beneficial with each bringing a different perspective to the game.

“It was a really big factor for me because through the recruiting process I was mostly looking for schools that have both, just so I could have the opportunity to play both,” says Halle Hunt, a Freshman from Greensboro, North Carolina.

With the first season in the books, Coach Fischer now sets his sights on the recruiting trail to try to upgrade the talent. The first year was a great success with 10 wins. Coach Bambenek and coach Fischer have been successful everywhere they have been. The future looks bright and with a few years of recruiting and coaching, the program should be very competitive.

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UNCW Freshman Gives Thoughts on Inaugural Season

UNCW has just finished its inaugural season in beach volleyball. A 10-15 record may seem disappointing but considering the challenges a new program faces, this year was a success. The team saw great improvement as the season progressed and remained competitive throughout.

The addition of freshmen like Courtney Mullinax showcased the future of the program. Courtney is from the Wilmington area and is an example of the strong recruiting that UNCW is doing in the state. Coach Bambenek has recently announced the addition of seven new recruits for the beach program starting next year. A great example of UNCW’s growing recruiting strength is the addition of freshman Hayley Caputo. Hayley comes from one of the top high school beach programs in California.

These recruits prove UNCW is heading in the right direction and next year should see continued improvement.

Alcohol Related Drowning PSA

ALCOHOL AND WATER RECREATION DON’T MIX

What can’t Baking Soda do?

Summer time is quickly approaching here in Wilmington. The beach will be calling us back very soon. When you are grabbing your sun block, towel, and surf board, you may want to grab one more item before you hit the road. Baking Soda.

Arm & Hammer Baking soda boxes are shown in this undated photo. The distinctive yellow boxes deodorizing most American refrigerators and freezers. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Everyone knows baking soda has hundreds of uses, but most would be surprised to know that it can help with a common problem we face at the beach. Here in North Carolina, jellyfish can be quite a nuisance. And if you have ever been stung by one, you know why. Baking soda can actually help to deactivate the sting of these floating hazards. According to the Mayo Clinic if you are stung by a jellyfish you should first scrape the tentacles off with a credit card then rinse the area with sea water. Next, mix baking soda with sea water into a paste and apply to the affected area. This should help to alleviate most of the pain caused by the sting.

A Moon jellyfish is shown, Saturday, July 30, 2011 off the shores of Pompano Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Fortunately, North Carolina is not home to many dangerous jellyfish. Most jellyfish in our area pose little threat and only produce mild venom. Don’t let fear of jellyfish stings ruin your summer fun. Throw some baking soda in your beach bag this summer and catch a wave.

Dig & Dive To Host Benefit Volleyball Tournament

Everyone in Wilmington knows that the best place to go for fun and food is Dig & Dive. Dig & Dive is known for its exciting volleyball action, corn hole, great food and drinks, and friendly staff. Dig & Dive is also known for it’s strong connection to the local community and it’s charitable contributions.

Andria Leonard photo retrieved from www.diganddive.com by Jeffrey Boulden — Andria Leonard
photo retrieved from www.diganddive.com by Jeffrey Boulden

On April 9th, Dig & Dive is hosting a four-man coed volleyball tournament to benefit Andria Leonard. Andria is a local 24 year old girl that has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. All proceeds from the event will go towards helping Andria with her medical and personal bills. There will also be corn hole and raffles as well. Donations will be accepted for those who are not playing in the tournament but still wish to help.

Map of Dig and Dive Infographic created by Jeffrey Boulden using Google Maps — Map of Dig and Dive
Infographic created by Jeffrey Boulden using Google Maps

Andria will be in attendance the day of the tournament and everyone in the community is encouraged to come out and support her in this battle. Dig & Dive is located at 3525 Lancelot Lane in Wilmington, NC. Please call 910-202-9350 for more information about the event or how to donate.

A New Way To Have Fun On The Water

Carolina Flyboard owner Matthew Neal, top, demonstrates flyboarding while Jonathan Bundy drives the jetski at a private lake in Rock Point, N.C. The company was started last June and are the only one of its kind in Southeastern North Carolina. (AP Photo/The Star-News, Matt Born)

Wilmington has always been know for its numerous outdoor recreation possibilities. The area beaches and warm weather provide the perfect playground for area residents. Water sports are a big part of the outdoor recreation scene as surfing, fishing, swimming, boating, and jet skiing are all very popular. A new water sport is now gaining popularity for the unique feeling of flight that it can provide.

Man has always looked to the sky and envied the birds. Now there is a way to mimic this sensation and have an experience like no other. Carolina Flyboard was started in 2013 by two Wilmington natives as a water sport adventure company. What is fly boarding? Good question. Flyboarding is like a water jet pack attached to your feet that creates lift and propels the rider up to thirty feet in the air. The jet pack attached to your feet is connected to a jet ski through a fire hose. The rider has a remote control connected to the jet ski that activates the throttle. Carolina Flyboard asserts that most riders can become proficient in as little as ten to twenty minutes of instruction. Carolina Flyboard is the only company in southeastern North Carolina that provides this unique experience. One look at the company’s Instagram account shows how thrilling the new sport can be for riders.

In order to enjoy flyboarding the main requirement is a large, deep, body of water. The Wilmington area is perfectly suited for the sport being near so many fresh water lakes and beach communities. One of the main drawing points for riders is the safety factor. Skateboarding and snowboarding require much of the same skills and balance as flyboarding. But flyboarding is much safer due to the fact that riders can bail on a trick and land in water. Flyboarding is truly a unique experience that has been described as getting big air on a snowboard or skate board. The horse power of the jet ski that is powering the flyboard determines how high and how fast riders can go. Most can experience speeds of up to twenty miles per hour.

Infographic created by Jeffrey Boulden using Google Maps, data retrieved from www.carolina-flyboard.com

Carolina Flyboard is headquartered in Boiling Springs Lake and has rental operations in Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Topsail Beach. There are several packages available with the basic being 160 dollars for a twenty minute flight and ten minutes of instruction. Surfing, wake boarding, and skiing will always be popular for summertime fun, but flyboarding has arrived as an extreme alternative for adventurous souls looking for more excitement from their water sports. Carolina Flyboard is here in Wilmington to supply that excitement. Are you ready to fly?

First Year Outlook And Beyond For UNCW Beach Volleyball

The inaugural season for the UNCW beach volleyball program is proving to be a challenge. The team has had trouble early and gotten off to a 3 – 7 start. With this being the first year, some growing pains are expected. The schedule has not made things any easier with UNCW having faced three top ten teams already. Despite a disappointing start to this season, the future looks bright for the program.

Head coach Amy Bambenek has done an excellent job with the indoor program and looks to have the same success with beach volleyball. Upon coming to UNCW she did not have any experience with the sand game so she wisely brought in David Fischer to help.

UNCW beach volleyball coach David Fischer. Image retrieved from www.uncw.edu by Jeffrey Boulden

Coach Fischer brings over twenty years of experience in beach volleyball to UNCW. He is a graduate of Stanford University where as a player he led his team to the NCAA finals. After graduation Fischer played professional beach volleyball on the AVP tour. His professional career lasted for fifteen years where he played in tournaments worldwide. Fischer comes to UNCW from The University of Louisiana at Monroe where he led them to a trip to the NCAA tournament in his first year. He also coached several players to All-American seasons.

The sand game is very different from the indoor game. On the sand, skill and finesse are more important than physical characteristics. This gives players who don’t have that prototype volleyball body a chance to be a division one athlete and earn a scholarship. The team has signed six full time beach players and filled out the rest of the roster with indoor players. In future years the program should be able to recruit more players specifically for the beach game. The location of the UNCW campus near the beach should help attract some top level recruits.

Both the sand and indoor programs should be mutually beneficial. With each coach bringing a different perspective to the game, the teams should both gain valuable insights. The indoor players that also play sand should also benefit. The games a very different and could help attract indoor players to UNCW because they can play sand volleyball in the off-season. Besides keeping in shape, playing both sports could help them develop skills and gain perspective that could help them with their indoor game.

The first season for any program will be tough as this year is proving to be for UNCW. Coach Bambenek and coach Fischer have been successful everywhere they have been. There is no reason to think that they won’t with the UNCW beach volleyball program. The future looks bright and with a few years of recruiting and coaching, the program should be very competitive.

Meet The UNCW Beach Volleyball Coaches

This is the innagural season for the UNCW beach volleyball team. Considering this is the first season for the new team, their 3 and 4 start can be looked at as a success. The schedule runs from March until the end of April. Guiding the team this year will be coaches Amy Bambenek, David Fischer and assistant Brittany Fennell. Each bring a wealth of playing and coaching experience at all levels to the team.

Coach Bambenek also coaches the UNCW indoor team. She has resurrected the team from one of the league’s worst to a NCAA tournament bid and a CAA championship. Fans hope that she can bring the same success to the beach program.

Photo retrieved from http://www.uncwsports.com by Jeffrey Boulden

Bambenek’s resume is quite extraordinary. She began her playing career at Coastal Carolina where she was a four year starter and led the team to a conference title and a NCAA tournament bid. She also ranks in the top five in several all-time stats for the team. She began her coaching career in 1998 at Florida State as an assistant. There she helped the team win an ACC title and another tournament bid. After three years at FSU Bambenek took an assistant job at George Washington university where she was primarily in charge of recruiting and practicing coordination. In here eight years at GW she coached several players to All-Conference level seasons. Coach Bambenek is also CAP level 1 certified through USA Volleyball. She also holds a Masters of Science in Sports Administration from FSU.

Coach Fischer comes to UNCW after three successful seasons as the University of Louisiana at Monroe head coach. At ULM he coached several pairs of players to All-American honors. Fischer started his playing career at Stanford University where he led the team all the way to the finals of the NCAA tournament. He has also played professional beach volleyball on the AVP tour. He finished fourth in the 2003 Pan Am games. His vast professional and collegiate experience should give the Seahawks an edge against the competition this year.

Coach Fischer's Professional Career Stats. Data retrieved from www.bvbinfo.com by Jeffrey Boulden — Coach Fischer’s Professional Career Stats. Data retrieved from www.bvbinfo.com by Jeffrey Boulden

Brittany Fennell will assist the coaching staff this season with recruiting and administrative needs. Brittany was head coach for Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville, NC leading them to a winning record in 2013. Her playing career began at Clemson university where she earned the team’s rookie of the year honors. Fennell helped Clemson to two NCAA tournament appearances. She has also played for a USA volleyball development team in international competition.

The combined experience and expertise of the coaching staff looks to give UNCW beach volleyball a bright future. The team looks to be competitive right away and hopes to make the NCAA tournament within the first few years of competition.

A Different Take on Beach Volleyball

As the 2016 Summer Olympics quickly approaches, all eyes will be on the beaches of Rio. Beach volleyball is one of the Summer Olympics newest and most anticipated events. While Brazil is one of the world’s best volleyball countries, they are mostly known for their skill in soccer. So it should come as no surprise that Brazil was the birthplace of a little known sport that combines the two.

Futevolei, or footvolley in english, is a hybrid of soccer and volleyball. Like in soccer, players cannot use their hands but instead use their heads, knees, chest, and feet to pass the ball over the net. Games are played on a regulation beach volleyball court on the sand with the same size net but using a soccer ball. Serves are kicked from the ground over the net to the other team. Many of the scoring rules are the same as volleyball except no hands are allowed. Matches are two vs two style. The sport takes great skill and produces some amazing physical feats. Players are forced to bend, twist, and jump in all directions to keep the ball alive. The most exciting shot is the footvolley version of the “spike.” Players leap in the air after being set up by a high pass and smash the ball down with their foot. This play known as a “shark attack,” can be very dangerous due to the fact that players will often land on their backs.

Footvolley was created on the beaches of Copacabana in Brazil in the 1960’s. Since then the sport has gained popularity all over the world. International competitions have grown to include a world cup competition. The U.S. has formed a professional tour and national championships. The sport is truly global with major competitions being held from Paraguay to Israel. This map shows the major hot spots for the sport as well as the birthplace in Copacabana Brazil.

Information retrieved from http://footvolley.com by Jeffrey Boulden. Map created using Google Maps.

The game is growing in popularity partly because it is cheap and accessible. Soccer is already the world’s most popular sport so it stands to reason that footvolley would be logical extension. The sport also offers a unique and fun way for soccer players to train and hone their skills. Many soccer players actually prefer footvolley because of the constant action, there are no dull moments and the ball is always moving.

Who Controls The North Carolina Fisheries?

John Michael waiting for the fish to bite

Fishing has always been an integral part of eastern North Carolina culture. Whether fishing for sport or for commercial, everyone can agree that our fisheries are a valuable resource for our State. The only question is who gets to control this resource. Commercial fishermen and sport fishermen both contribute large amounts of revenue to the state economy. There is an ongoing debate as to how the fishing should be regulated to insure the healthiness of the fishery while at the same time provide food and sport for our residents. One controversial aspect of this struggle is the regulations on catch size and limits.

“Some of the limits are one per person per day, and when you get into a school of hundreds of fish, it makes you wonder why. A lot of the limits don’t seem fair,” says John Michael Scott, local off shore recreational fisherman.

Another hotly debated policy is the regulations on which species can be caught by commercial fishermen. NC house bill H.B. 353, seeks to take red drum, spotted sea trout, and stripped bass off the list making them purely for sport. They would only be able to be caught on hook and line and not sold. Proponents of the bill claim that this change would help to increase statewide recreational fishing revenue from a 3.7 billion dollar industry to a 10 billion dollar a year industry. Captain Rusty Barnard is a former commercial fisherman and now charters for sport fish.

John Michael shows off his catch after a long day.

“I doubt by making a few more fish available for sportsmen that the money would change very much. There are better ways to solve the problem,” said Barnard.

The rods are about to go into the water off the Cape Fear coast

With improved flash freezing technology, more seafood is being imported from abroad than ever before. Concerns over the health and safety of seafood from other countries has brought about a higher demand for fresh local catches. This will only increase the strain between the recreational and commercial fishermen. This struggle doesn’t look to be going away any time soon.