ISU women’s club volleyball team is preparing for the National Collegiate Volleyball Foundation’s National Tournament in April.

“I first met the girls at the fall festival, and they were very welcoming. It’s a really laid back club so there was still time for school,” Lauren Klenn, club president, said.

The Redbirds have competed in three tournaments this year and have placed in the top five at all.

“We are split up into the A team and the B team and placed into a pool of four teams, who all play against each other at first,” Klenn said.  

After the pool play, the tournament follows a single elimination pattern until there is one winner.

“There are eight or more teams at each tournament and out of those, only about two teams have coaches,” vice President Tessa Mattila said.

The players are in charge of referring, coaching and scoring their own games.

Although the team does not have a coach, it is able to organize practices and tournaments all on its own.    

“It’s hard not having a coach … but we are all responsible and mature enough to not need a coach,” Mattila said. “We have been playing with each other long enough to know what we’re doing.”

Both Klenn and Mattila emphasized the importance of communication among their teammates.  

“Almost the whole two’s team is new so that changed our dynamics.” Klenn said.  

“You feel more comfortable telling someone something when you know them more, and communication definitely helps with that,” Mattila said.

The Redbirds hope that upcoming team-building activities and continued team dinners will improve their communication enough to propel them through to Nationals.

 “There is definitely a ton of competition because the sport is growing so much and so many schools have competitive teams,” Klenn said.

The past two years, the Redbirds have been in the top 16 of their division.

“There are over one hundred teams competing at Nationals … it’s a lot of fun,” Mattila said.