This is an interesting story for a couple reasons. I'm curious what the reaction is from some posters here who are passionate fans of both sports, which I am as well.
I am curious to know if the writer of this story, Vicki L. Friedman, started her reporting with the mindset that basketball's physicality doesn't appeal to certain female athletes or if that developed during the course of her interviews. Regardless of how it happened, I was surprised to read this theme throughout the story, and articulated this way by Washington's Hayley McCorkle:
"I wanted to compete against someone, but I didn't want that physical contact," she said. "Volleyball allows you to be a little more of a girl."
Also, here is the part of the story involving Stanford's Kathryn Plummer:
Likewise, Kathryn Plummer, a key freshman in Stanford's run to the 2016 NCAA volleyball championship, was drawn to its versatility.
"For some girls, the bows and uniforms matter when they're younger, but at the higher levels, you don't necessarily want to wear spandex," she said. "You might wear sweats when you're practicing. At the higher level, athletes are athletes. It's all about the sport."
At 6-foot-6, Plummer would be a godsend to Tara VanDerveer, whose Cardinal basketball team lacks significant size. Plummer played basketball as a youngster but decided against pursuing it in high school.
"I love basketball -- to watch," she said. "I love to play volleyball. In basketball, I could post up and score. In volleyball, you have to be good at everything. You have to work together more. [In basketball, you can own the court. It can be your show. For volleyball, you need everybody."
A couple of quibbles: Plummer wasn't just a "key" freshman. She was AVCA Freshman of the Year. Second, VanDerveer's team lacks significant size? Maybe in comparison to the women's volleyball team, but the national championship Stanford squad was the tallest in the country.
http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/ar...king-volleyball-not-basketball-record-numbers
I am curious to know if the writer of this story, Vicki L. Friedman, started her reporting with the mindset that basketball's physicality doesn't appeal to certain female athletes or if that developed during the course of her interviews. Regardless of how it happened, I was surprised to read this theme throughout the story, and articulated this way by Washington's Hayley McCorkle:
"I wanted to compete against someone, but I didn't want that physical contact," she said. "Volleyball allows you to be a little more of a girl."
Also, here is the part of the story involving Stanford's Kathryn Plummer:
Likewise, Kathryn Plummer, a key freshman in Stanford's run to the 2016 NCAA volleyball championship, was drawn to its versatility.
"For some girls, the bows and uniforms matter when they're younger, but at the higher levels, you don't necessarily want to wear spandex," she said. "You might wear sweats when you're practicing. At the higher level, athletes are athletes. It's all about the sport."
At 6-foot-6, Plummer would be a godsend to Tara VanDerveer, whose Cardinal basketball team lacks significant size. Plummer played basketball as a youngster but decided against pursuing it in high school.
"I love basketball -- to watch," she said. "I love to play volleyball. In basketball, I could post up and score. In volleyball, you have to be good at everything. You have to work together more. [In basketball, you can own the court. It can be your show. For volleyball, you need everybody."
A couple of quibbles: Plummer wasn't just a "key" freshman. She was AVCA Freshman of the Year. Second, VanDerveer's team lacks significant size? Maybe in comparison to the women's volleyball team, but the national championship Stanford squad was the tallest in the country.
http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/ar...king-volleyball-not-basketball-record-numbers
Last edited:
