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 Debbie Pederson, back, and Sarah Loney reject a spike attempt by BSU in Memorial Gym during the volleyball game Nov. 10, 2007. File Photo
Sarah Loney, University of Idaho volleyball’s outside hitter, loves Memorial Gym and she hopes a raucous crowd can help the team claim victory over rival Boise State when they host a breast cancer charity event, “Dig for the Cure.”
“It’s my favorite place to play in the conference,” Loney said. “It is home. We could have 100 fans in the stands, but it feels packed. People hang over the railings during games.”
“Dig for the Cure” is similar to last year’s “Think Pink” basketball game. The game will take place during Homecoming weekend when the team plays Boise State. Loney wants to reassure Vandal fans that the Broncos will not be leaving Memorial Gym victorious.
“Oh yeah,” Loney said. “We don’t lose to BSU.”
The way the chairty works is fans, families and local businesses donate a certain amount of money for every dig the Vandals make. A dig is a forearm pass used to control the ball and pass it to the setter at the net.
It is usually the first contact by the team and an effective shot to use in defense, normally when receiving a spike.
The Vandals currently rank No. 72 in the nation and No. 1 in the Western Athletic Conference for digs at 15.13 per set and have tallied between 45 and 93 digs in each match.
Pink shirts will be sold before and during the event for $5, but fans won’t be the only pink wearers in the gym.
“We’re going to wear pink socks and headbands,” Loney said. “We’re going to give BSU pink socks, too.”
The proceeds of the event will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Other schools across the nation are hosting similar “Dig for the Cure” events with their volleyball teams, including University of New Hampshire, Clemson, Notre Dame, Louisiana State University and others.
“(Breast cancer) affects everybody,” Loney said. “This is a good thing to give back to the community.”
Loney said the team wanted to break the school’s record for attendance at an athletic event. She said it would be hard to equate attendance — a packed Kibbie Dome vs. a packed Memorial Gym — but to reach the gym’s maximum capacity would be exciting. It’s a goal to open eyes both on the team and on campus, she said.
Loney said the team has been growing closer and bonding during the year, and it has helped contribute to the teams success.
“We have a bond,” Loney said. “We’re tight knit and we trust each other. This is the
closest team we’ve had in three solid years.”
Loney said Idaho is looking to break records and catch peoples’ attention.
“We’re proving Idaho can’t be taken lightly but seriously,” Loney said. “Word is getting out and we’re having more promotions to help us.”
This season won’t be judged on the Boise State game alone as both Loney and Idaho coach Debbie Buchanan said every athlete and their coaches have something they’d like to say their team accomplished at the end of a season. Loney said without hesitation she would like to take her team to the NCAA Championship in December and is working hard all season to get there.
“(I’d like to be able to say) we pushed as far as we could,” Loney said. “That no one got in our way and we gave it our all.” Coach Buchanan agrees.
“(I’d like to say) we played to our potential,” Buchanan said. “To end on top of the WAC and have a large bid for the NCAA Championship. To finish things.”
Buchanan said these aren’t lofty goals by any means, but attainable as the team is consistently “getting better” and even though the schedule may be demanding, the Vandals have been stepping up their game, one set at a time.
“Defense is a big part,” Buchanan said. “Our blocking kept us in (some) games. Our offense is increasing and we’re holding the opposition. Our team is playing better and holding our spot in the rankings.”
Idaho is currently ranked third in the WAC, giving the team “a fairly good cushion,” Buchanan said. Hawai’i is currently first in the WAC, 16th in the NCAA, followed by New Mexico State, 42nd in the NCAA. Buchanan is confident the Vandals can hold their own against
the teams and other non-conference teams.
“(They) all have improved,” she said. “At a steady rate in one area or another.”
Loney expects good things when the team plays Boise State but wants to remind fans to remain somewhat under control.
“Last year the staff actually had to tell fans to stop talking to the players,” Loney said. “Fans sit so close to the court, players can hear everything they’re saying. Some of them were getting mean.”
The Vandal volleyball squad matches up against Louisiana Tech October 18, and Boise State on October 25.
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