A fierce battle between friends. That was the scene Sunday when the defending champions, Hug It Out, took on the new powerhouse, Mandingo Warriors, for the intramural volleyball championship in the co-rec orange division.
Compliments and jokes flew across the net nearly as often as one of the players smashed the ball into the floor.
These intramural veterans were no strangers to a championship game, and the lead tossed back and forth in what turned out to be a three game struggle for the championship.
Last year, Hug It Out claimed the volleyball championship in both the co-rec orange and men’s divisions. This year it was the Mandingo Warriors turn to do the same, winning twice in the championship games against the defending champions.
The men’s team stormed through the bracket, not losing a game the entire season. The co-rec team faced a tougher battle, in the end able to rise above challenges from Hug It Out and Pink Elephants who were able to able to take a game but not the match from the eventual champions.
Jan Zahradnik played for the Mandingo Warriors and was excited about winning with her friends.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Zahradnik said. “We’ve been friends for awhile; we have that chemistry on and off the court.”
In the women’s orange division the Hard Hitters didn’t seem to be in contention for the title. In league play they lost to both the number one seed Pink Elephants, and number two seed and defending champion Big Ballers.
The two top seeds seemed like a lock to battle it out in for the championship. However, Hard Hitters pulled off two three game upsets in a row by beating the defending champs in the semifinals and the number one seed in the finals to claim the championship.
The white, or non competitive, league championships were also determined. In the woman’s division Sigma Sigma Sigma defeated Kats for Christ for the championship and in the co-rec division the seventh seeded Spikers upset the number one seed Lutron.
Volleyball is the first of the “major sports” to be completed in the competition for the Bearkat Cup. This means that the winning teams of volleyball will receive most possible points for the competition.
Soccer and football, other major sports, are underway.