NIU’s deaf volleyball team scores big in tournament

by Mark McGowan

Not all of NIU’s sports stars are playing in the official Huskies cardinal and black.

The 11 members of NIU/PHI (Program for Hearing Impaired) Deaf Volleyball Team are the champions of the Third Annual Harper College Deaf Volleyball Tournament held last month in Palatine.

Players Marie Kluss and Adam Wasilewski were named tournament “All-Stars” while Rebecca “Becca” Janssen and Dan Ujwary took MVP honors.

Sapphire Cage, Jeffrey Domaleczny, Helen “Hannah” Handschuh, LaShawn Morris, Alyce Robinson, Devin Rosentreter and Ryan Ruble rounded out the victorious squad.

Jenifer Montag, coordinator of services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing at NIU’s Center for Access-Ability Resources, and Maggie Cormier, counselor for the Program for Hearing Impaired, served as co-coaches.

“It was great. They did amazingly well,” Montag said. “The students like to have a good time, get together and spend time with classmates and fellow students in activities. Winning the tournament was just icing on the cake.”

The students practiced two hours every Sunday from the fall semester until the April 21 tournament, learning basic drills, practicing and running scrimmages. Cormier, who had been a member of the team during her college days, taught many of the drills.

Most of the students played in high school – the tournament also has a high school section – and already know the visual communication inherent in deaf volleyball, Montag said.

“Besides an audible ‘mine’ or ‘got it,’ they also do a broad hand movement to show they’re getting it,” she said. “When the ref calls foul, he either shakes the net or throws the white towel to stop the play.”

The tournament pitted NIU in a double-elimination round robin against Moraine Valley Community College, the University of Iowa and host Harper.

NIU split its match with MVCC, won both games over Iowa, split with Harper, took two games from Moraine Valley, split with Harper again and finally claimed victory in a tie-breaker.

A huge crowd was on hand to see NIU’s success.

“It’s a deaf community event. We saw alumni and friends of friends. Most of the volunteers are part of the deaf community. It’s very inclusive,” Montag said. “I love to see the students getting together, having fun and doing something as a team, and they achieved so much this year.”

Now a new challenge looms: NIU teams were tournament champions three straight years in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

5-7-07