Ohio Christian Volleyball claims RSC Women's Team of Character Award
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The Ohio Christian University volleyball team has been selected as the River States Conference Women's Team of Character Award winner for 2021-22. The Trailblazers' volleyball team was chosen after a vote from the RSC Champions of Character Committee.
The RSC Team of Character awards honor one men's and one women's team each year for their exemplary character and sportsmanship on the field, on campus and in the community. A deserving team demonstrates the NAIA's five core character values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship and Servant Leadership. The award is patterned after the national team of character award presented by the NAIA.
"I could not be more proud of my team," said Ohio Christian volleyball head coach Ally Coyle. "They all chose to buy into our core values this past year, and they truly were an amazing examples of how to love, serve and encourage others."
The Trailblazers were involved in many community service projects during the 2021-22 year. The team decided to do a service project each month of the year. The core values developed by the team are excellence, respect, intensity, family and servant leadership. Each project embodied those values but most importantly servant leadership to the campus and the community.
OCU volleyball hosted a "Yellow-Out" game in October 2021 in support of Mason Roese, a cancer patient. The event brought in over $2,000 in support of Mason and rasied awareness for Ewing's Sarcoma. Mason passed away Nov. 29, 2021, but the team plans another game in his honor this coming year.
In January, the team partnered with a local coffee shop decorating over 500 coffee sleeves with encouraging statements. In February, they decorated encouragement cards and to be left at chapel seats for students.
In March, OCU partnered with a community center for an arts and crafts night with elementary kids. The month of April had the team spend an evening at a Christ-centered, transitional living home for women and children. The team heard the stories and spent time building relationships with the residents.
The team did other activities like hosting kids from the community on campus for an afternoon of activities and made goody bags for members of the campus during the last week of classes. The team GPA was 3.43 in the fall and 3.74 in the spring.