Open Mike
Sports Column
By: Michael Wilson

In Valdosta, winning is a custom, tradition is a way of life, and excellence is always expected. That in mind, the anticipation of good things to come on the football field and the volleyball court are far from unusual. While the Valdosta football Blazers have a history of solid play and winning record, the volleyball team is poised to take a strong shot at the Gulf South Conference, an unfamiliar position.
The football Blazers field five All-Conference players, three on the offense. The addition of newly named starter Kellen Lewis, the Indiana transfer, will greatly ease the loss of Chris Hart, the one hit wonder.
While the schedule should prove to be more than a little exciting, with televised games against Delta State and the Bowden-lead, DI-laden North Alabama, it still has its share of lackluster moments, Edward Waters.
Other than that, the football team should enjoy the pleasures of national television exposure, the redemption of an unbearable overtime home loss to Delta State, and a brand new location to show West Georgia that they are still in the wrong league.
The volleyball team has one All-Conference player in junior outside hitter, Irene Hannan, and high expectations for the newbies, freshman Tania Tauiliili and junior transfer Katie Onushko. With the grouping of experience and new talented players, the team has an excellent chance to continue to improve on the ground gained last year.
The team finished last season with a 5-7 conference record, a big step forward from the ’08 season’s winless record. The team should be able to build on the improvement from last season and win possible 8 or 9 games in GSC.
The volleyball team is not just getting it done on the court, but also in the classroom as five, yes five, players were named to the GSC all-academic team. Even if the team is not able to make a mark on the post-season, it can take solace in being the smartest team in the conference. Knowing that, it is up to Head Coach Sia Poyer to prevent VSU from becoming the Vanderbilt of the GSC volleyball world. Good luck coach.
Both teams have the makings of typical, successful VSU teams. The coming months will reveal whether or not the football team can stand the test of being on national television, or whether the volleyball team can beat the old mantra that smart teams can’t figure out of to win. So we’ll just have to sit back and let these two well coached and talented teams can live up to that old Valdosta expectation of excellence, tradition, and winning.