So the University finally managed to spill out some more information about the fire and the damage caused. The bottom line is that the gym is scheduled to re-open on 5 January 2009. We hope that we will be able to resume regular trainings as soon as possible after that date, exams and all permitting. In any case, we’ll keep you posted!

Best regards,

Floz

Florian and myself are going to take pictures of our new facilities on Monday at 5pm. We have the whole place booked until 7 (after that, it shall be invaded by a flock of Italians), so there will also be time if you want to baptize the new court in the small sports hall (oh yeah, if you come and don’t see anybody, remember that we may be in the small sports hall…). As for myself, I guess I’ll hang around to blow the whistle, maybe.

I hope I’ll see you on monday, then. Take care,

Matthew

Update: Some of the photos from the photoshoot can be found here.

The sports hall will close on Wednesday the 7th for the exam set up, and shall not re-open until the begining of June.
That leaves us with three week-time trainings only. But for these, we are going to begin at 8pm instead of 8.30, as the club that was before us is not running anymore.

I’ll see you on tuesday, 8pm, then, or even tomorrow, 11am, if you’re around!
Matthew

Of all non-league-players, only Mina showed up yesterday (!). Well, we didn’t waste any time, and had a good practice, yet I rather have a few more people show up for trainings!

To avoid such situation reapeating itself, all members are welcome now to Tuesday trainings (at least until the end of the semester). Yet, Thursday trainings are still only for league players , as we still need to deal with competition-oriented practice and tactics.
Which means I’ll only see some of you tomorrow, and hopefully, most of you next Tuesday.

Take care,

Matthew

We were supposed to play the Dublin City University team (good standard, there) on Wednesday. Although we did not get any reply from them, and resultingly still do not know whether they are going to show or not, we have the sports hall booked for us that day from 4 to 5.30 pm.

I invite as many of you as there could be to put yourselves together in sportswear and join us for that occasion. If DCU doesn’t show, we’ll play matches between ourselves anyway.

This event is pretty much celebrated here at NUI Maynooth, and a buffet (!) is provided for those taking part in the event. As a result, it would be great if you could send us an e-mail if you are interested in coming, so that we can notify the catering department!

Cheers, I’ll see you around,

Matthew

There will be a meeting for all members of the Volleyball Club before training tomorrow (16 Oct), at

8:00 pm sharp

in the Sports Complex’s entrance hall (just outside the hall we practice in).

Your presence will allow us to:

• Organize the inner working of the club, registering the level of each of you as:

  Beginner

  … if you have little experience and you want to level your basic individual skills (service, digging, overhead pass and attack hit).

  Advanced

  … if you think your basic skills good enough for you to take part in tactics development, in addition to more advanced individual skills practice.;/dd>

• Register volunteers to take part in competitions: the Univesity League on the first hand, for it lasts all year, and begins the week from the 5th to the 9th of November (which leaves us with 3, maybe 4 weeks training), but also the Belfast Intervarsities I keep telling you about.

Remember, we need all of you, whether “Advanced” or not!

Take care and see you tomorrow,

Matthew

All right, that was awfully crowded yesterday, and that was bound to reduce the time of play of each, so appologies if you felt a bit frustrated not playing as much as you would have liked to. Bear with us, though, as it is likely that we get the whole hall (and therefore two nets) for one, or even both week training schedules. I guess I will find that out tomorrow.

Now, here a details about the Volleyball Intervarsities 2007. Check whether you could be interested, give it a thinking:

Venue and dates:

• University of Ulster, Jordanstown (nothern edge of Belfast).
• Matches are Thursday 22nd — Saturday 24th of November
• We would probably leave on Wednesday late afternoon, and return Sunday evening.

Travel and accomodation:

• Bus to Belfast (18 euros way and return).
• Youth hostel for 4 nights, 15 euros per night.
• That makes 78 euros (we’ll probably ask for 80).

Note that:

• The tournament-hosting campus is a bit less than 15km to the city center, where we would be staying. Very straightforward to get from one to another.
• The International Society is likely to have a trip there that very week-end. In fact, we would be in the same hostel for the nigths of Friday and Saturday!
• Belfast Christmas Market that week-end (which made the International Society choose it). People could visit it on Sunday.
• Saturday night, you’ll have the choice to go down town or to attend the Intervarsities Night, the cost of which is included in the competition’s entry fee (which the club will pay for you).

Conditions to enter the competition:

• At least on team (either sex), and maximum two teams (one of each sex).
• Each team a minimum of 7, and a maximum of 12 players.

So as to keep things simple and allow participants to concentrate
easier on the competition, we will not take extra members who would
just like to enjoy the trip. These can go there with the International Society instead.

Player selection:
It is bad that we loose, but it is even worse that we do not attend what we have matriculated for. Therefore:

• Those who want to attend will have to give Simone (the Treasurer) a 40 EUR deposit by Tuesday evening.
• If more than 12 men or 12 women result on the list, us members of the executive will select those we deem the most competitive.
• If we don’t get enough players for one or both teams, the players will be refunded (of course!)

Lecture attendance:
All universities encourage students to take part in Intervarsity competitions. Therefore, NUIM has set up on its website an
Inter-Varsity Representation Confirmation Form, that you can find and print off from here. It makes the excuse official.

About all that, do not hesitate to ask us questions sending us an e-mail, or at training tomorrow.

All right, and before I leave you, here is a little YouTube volleyball video I find especially exciting!

Enjoy!

Matthew

just a quick (but important ) update: The training times for the new semester have been confirmed. They are the same as last year:

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8:30 to 10:00 pm

Catch you then,

Floz