Though there are no elevators in the house of success, Northeastern Illinois University’s Campus Recreation department is slowly building the stairway to a triumphant and prideful semester. This season, the Men’s Club Volleyball team has rebuilt, reconstructed and remodeled its team to bring a winning atmosphere at NEIU.
The volleyball team holds open practice at the P.E. Complex every Thursday night from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and every Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Opening day was a success. Students, faculty, and community members walked in to watch a competitive match up amongst visiting Olivet Nazarene and the Golden Eagles.
“It’s definitely a great environment and I’m really happy to be a part of it, says Tyler Heidtke, sports club specialist for Campus Recreation.”
The team has many newcomers this semester including freshmen co-captains Adrian Macedo and Gabe Villamil. Returning players include Matt Madia, Eric Truong, Matt Masaganda and Karlo Silva. NEIU beat Olivet Nazarene 25-16, 19-25, 25-21 and 25-23. Gabe Villamil had a consistent 15 kills and 15 digs. Eric Truong had 13 exciting kills and 20 digs while Ryan Zyks had an impressive 29 digs. The experience they gained last year is showing this season as they continue to build as a team.
Winning is infectious. After an impressive game one, the Golden Eagles won a thrilling game 2 against Illinois Institute of Technology because of the support of the fans and a winning attitude. Mark Mocarski, head coach of the Golden Eagles sat down for an interview and here is what he had to say.
What made you interested in coaching club volleyball, what’s your background?
I began playing volleyball in grade school and continued through high school. Following high school I was asked to be an assistant coach and I have been coaching since then. I have coached for the past 6 years at the high school level in which my teams have gone on to win two city championships and a final 4 finish in state playoffs. I am also a certified coach for Junior Olympic USA volleyball. What is the short term and long term goals for the NEIU Men’s Volleyball Club?
This year our goal is to establish ourselves among the Chicago area universities as a strong and respectable team. We have done so this year so far by beating Olivet Nazarene and South Side powerhouse IIT. Our long term goal is to make it to the National Intramural-Recreational Sport Association National Tournament and place in the top of our region. NEIU does not have an athletics program, but volleyball has created excitement. What do you have to say about the buzz that you and your team have created at NEIU? We’re glad to see that students are getting excited about athletics at NEIU again. Clubs sometimes get a bad reputation but we are showing that we can be successful among other local universities. All it takes is hard work, determination and most importantly dedicated student athletes.
The Men’s Volleyball Club has been given an opportunity to succeed. As the author Sun Tzu said, opportunities multiply as they are seized. That is what they have done. To follow up on your Eagles team, you can find information on their facebook fan page at NEIU Men’s Volleyball Club; or you can visit www.neiu.edu/~campusrec for schedules and updates.