Beulah Volleyball can only play away games due to gym construction
Posted 2:00 pm Wednesday, September 7, 2022
The Beulah varsity volleyball team has been forced to play their entire away games this season due to Beulah’s construction of a new gym.
The Bobcats are currently 1-2, and the fact that they don’t have home games has proven difficult for head coach Allison Aikens.
“It’s been a bit of a challenge,” Aikens said.
“We have been practicing in our old gym. It’s doable, but it’s just not set up for gaming.”
Beulah’s old gym has rubber flooring that works for practice, but is not in good condition for playing.
“We’ve left tape for different reasons, so there’s tape residue,” Aikens said.
“Certain parts of the floor below have a dip, so it’s not a level floor. If you bounce a ball in a certain area, it’s not going to bounce the way you expect.”
The Bobcats had to cancel some games, but will play some opponents twice on the road.
“We had to cancel some games because it wasn’t feasible,” Aikens said.
Aikens also feels that playing only on the road is a huge disadvantage for his team.
“We played close teams like Lanett and Valley, but our area changed as well,” Aikens said.
“We play in Dadeville, which is a good 45 minutes to an hour away. We played Alabama Christian and Prattville, which are a good hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half away.”
The trip not only affects the way her team plays, but it also affects the girls as students.
“They spend a lot of time on the road and come back very late,” Aikens said.
“I feel like it’s affecting us more than a regular season would. I get dizzy. I couldn’t do homework on a bus.”
As for when the new gym will be ready, Aikens isn’t sure. She is optimistic that it will be ready by the end of the month.
“I haven’t been told a specific date when it will be done,” Aikens said.
“I’m hopeful that we can have our last games maybe at the end of September or in October, but that’s hopeful. Our principal, Adam Johnson, has been excellent. He keeps looking for us, but some things are even out of his control.”
Aikens mentioned that certain things, like weather and backorders, have disrupted construction.
Despite all the challenges his team has faced, Aikens praised the fans and his team for their support this season.
“We have great support from parents and fans who travel and support our girls,” Aikens said.
“It gets tough when we’re not playing in front of a home crowd. When they are close games, our student section is well attended. If we travel an hour or so, we don’t get support from other teams as well.”
Beulah will travel to Prattville Christian on Thursday, which is an hour and 20-minute drive away.
