The shouts of ecstatic winners rang throughout the Seaton Center gym on Sunday as the UK men’s club volleyball team hosted its annual Snowman Smash volleyball tournament. 

Every year, the men’s club volleyball puts on several smash tournaments to help raise money for the volleyball club. Justin Lotz, the tournament director, said “it’s more of a fundraiser event for our clubs.”

“We can raise money for tournaments and jerseys,” Lotz said. “But mostly nationals coming up in April.”

Lotz explained that the tournament was split into two sections. The Open tournament was more competitive and the C tournament, which was split into silver and gold, was more easy going.

“It felt pretty great! It’s really exciting,” said Melinda Shay, a member of the team that won the tournament. “We actually didn’t know that we were in the running for winning.”

Shay said the tournament was all about fun. She enjoyed having quality play time with people who also enjoyed the sport.

“You don’t always see a lot of people who go all out for it,” she said.

Each player paid $25 to play, and each team that signed up before the deadline got short-sleeve t-shirts. The winning team got long-sleeved shirts.  

Some teams were randomly picked; other teams were full of people who knew each other.

“They just find some people and we have sign-ups on our Facebook,” said Dane Schweinzger, the president of the Men’s Club Volleyball. “They just figure it out themselves.”

Shay said that her team plays together in Georgetown. They meet up a few times a week at the Pavilion in Georgetown. She said it’s “just a rec team.”

The men’s volleyball club hosts many smash tournaments throughout the year. Schweinzger said.

Their next smash tournament is Spring Smash. Spring Smash will be hosted at the end of April or the beginning of May. Invites for the Spring Smash tournament will be sent out at the end of February.