Letters to the Editor

Letter: UAA volleyball’s stolen moment

Our University of Alaska Anchorage volleyball team earned the right to host the NCAA Division II West Regional volleyball tournament. But, because of a huge scheduling mistake by our athletic department, we did not host, despite the fact that we were ranked fourth in the nation, first in the West Region and had a 27-2 record!

The athletic department planned a mini-Shootout for the same weekend as the volleyball tournament. Either our own athletic department didn’t believe our volleyball team could do it, or they didn’t care. Either one is inexcusable. The department failed in its job to schedule correctly and give our teams the best possible chance to win. They did neither. In fact, their actions took this away from our volleyball team. Traditionally, the Shootout is Thanksgiving week. Why not this year?

Once that mistake was made, it was the job of our athletic director to do what ever it took to allow our volleyball team to host. Instead, he disrespected one of our best and winningest programs and coaches, and sent the message that a preseason basketball tournament was more important than a postseason volleyball tournament.

Next came the resignation of coach Chris Green. He is, without a doubt, one of the best Division II coaches in the nation. That is a huge loss to the volleyball program. Coach Green was disrespected; he deserved to be treated so much better by UAA.

Instead of enjoying an incredible 27-3 season, it has been ruined by the way the AD treated the team, the coaches and the fans — all because of their own administration, which is supposed to be there to support them! Their “one shining moment” was stolen by their own administration.

— Beth Scott

Anchorage

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