Construction of new courts marks new era for sand volleyball

Jeffery Sodusta/ Contributing Writer

It was not long ago that FIU added women’s Sand Volleyball as part of Division I. In January of this year, sand volleyball was introduced to FIU and it was announced that it would become a sport for the school in spring 2013. In anticipation of the sport, new courts are being built near the FIU tennis courts just west of the Panther garage adjacent to the U.S. Century Bank Arena.

Kenneth Jessell, chief financial officer and senior vice president of Finance and Administration, explained the process of construction of the sand volleyball court. Construction began on Aug. 14 after the addition of women’s sand volleyball. The project should be completed by the end of September.

According to Jessell, Athletics asked FIU Facilities Management to assist with the design and construction. The cost of the new sand volleyball court is $99,387 and is paid for by Athletics. The court is 11,213 square feet and runs north to south to minimize the sun glare. Athletics hired four contractors for the project.

The first step was to dig up a pit inside the perimeter area, and then covered the pit with a layer of gravel. The next step was to install the drainage pipe in a winding pattern to allow water to flow and exit.

An edge guard was installed to keep dirt or grass from mixing with the court and help prevent injuries. The last step was to lay the sand.

Seating is not included in the project, but bleachers will be built before the start of the sand volleyball season.  Other universities have sand volleyball courts. In fact, there are 38 sand volleyball teams in Florida.

“We are very excited about the new courts,” said Rita Buck-Crockett, head sand volleyball coach. “It’s our home.”

Currently, the team is practicing at Tamiami Park.

The sand volleyball team trains eight hours a week, but in October will begin training for up to 20 hours a week.

The team will have a Blue vs. Gold scrimmage in their new court on Nov. 30. The team will practice from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The first game of sand volleyball will begin in the spring 2013 season.

Going into the inaugural season, the team has one goal in mind and that is to win. They want to bring a national title to FIU.

sports@fiusm.com

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