Sports Odds and Ends
I have covered college volleyball for over 40 years, and seeing no more than a couple of Blacks playing is still commonplace, whether it’s spring ball or the regular season in the fall. According to the latest NCAA demographics, there are 2,041 Blacks females playing D1, D2, D3 volleyball, down five from 2022, compared to 12,648 white female players.
The April 13 spring exhibition between Minnesota and Marquette at Maturi Pavilion featured two sistahs on each side of the net: Phoebe Awoleye and Calissa Minatee (Gophers), and Carsen Murray and Eagan graduate Sienna Ifill for Marquette.
“I think it has been growing,” Murray said of the sport’s diversity. The 6-4 middle blocker is one of four All-Big East players returning for the Golden Eagles.
The 6-1 right side hitter Ifill added, “I think when I was younger there were a lot of times where I was the only one. I think you see a lot more diverse kids joining, so that’s been really cool to see.”
“I think that a lot of different communities are starting to get more opportunities, not just specifically Black athletes but all athletes of color,” observed Murray.
Ifill made the Big East All-Academic team in 2022-23. The St. Paul native plans to major in computer science.
Before coming to Marquette, she set the Eagan school track and field record in the triple jump—36 feet, 1.5 inches. Her school volleyball team went 62-6, a conference title and sectional runner-up finish in her final three seasons. She also was a 2021 Minnesota Ms. Volleyball finalist, three time all-league, first team All-State and All-Metro, and East Metro Volleyball Player of the Year.
Murray was a unanimous All-Big East last season and two-time All-Academic. A native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, as a high school senior she was ranked fourth-best volleyball player in Missouri. She hopes to pursue a career in sports law.
The Minnesota exhibition, one of five scheduled for the Marquette team, along with the others help prepare her and her teammates for the upcoming fall campaign, Murray said. “I think that these spring matches give us a different perspective on how we’re playing as a team, how we stack up against other teams.”
“Spring volleyball matches are really helpful in getting us prepared for that next step,” noted Ifill.
Like most Gopher matches, whether it’s spring or fall, it’s not unusual seeing very few or any Blacks in attendance. When asked about the Marquette home matches, Murray said seeing Blacks in the stands is improving.
“We are starting to see a lot more young Black girls” at Golden Eagles matches, reported Murray. “I’ve seen a lot more than I have in my first few years, which is awesome.”
The two Marquette teammates—Murray is going into her fifth year using her Covid extra year, and Ifill is going into her junior year—both predict that in a few years they will see a marked growth in Blacks playing volleyball.
“Volleyball is growing,” concluded Ifill.
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