Courtesy: Katie Kane/Western Illinois Athletics The Western Illinois volleyball team will play all Summit League home matches on the brand new Sport Court in Brophy Hall this season.

MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois volleyball program unveils Sport Court flooring, the NCAA official volleyball playing surface, in Brophy Hall, Friday.

“This is a significant day for the volleyball program and women’s athletics at Western Illinois. We are bringing volleyball back to Brophy Hall and doing it in style. This enhancement could not have happened without the cooperation from Dr. Miriam Satern and Greg Beck’s physical plant staff,” Western Illinois head volleyball coach Kym McKay said. “It has been a joint effort to make this floor a reality. Dr. Satern shared in our vision to bring volleyball back to Brophy Hall and has been vital to the project.”

“Western Illinois head baseball coach Stan Hyman always went out of his way to comment on the quality and home court advantage of our matches in Brophy Hall,” McKay continued. “After this past season’s matches against Oral Roberts and North Dakota State, that were played in Brophy Hall, Stan really planted a seed in the coaching staff’s brains. He questioned why we didn’t play all of our matches over there to benefit from the amazing crowds. This got us thinking and we started putting together a plan to make this happen.”

“John Biernbaum and Greg Beck have also spent time joining efforts with the Athletic and Kinesiology Departments. Physical Plant is one of the most vital components as they will be setting up and taking down the floor. Their staff’s willingness to take on these tasks has been imperative to the implementation of the flooring. We would not be celebrating this wonderful day in Western Illinois volleyball if it was not for Dr. Satern, JB, Greg, and their staff. This project is a perfect example of university departments and employees working together,” McKay stated.

Western Illinois becomes the only volleyball program in The Summit League to have the playing surface and is only one of two Illinois Division I Athletic programs with Sport Court, with Northwestern being the other. For the 2008-09 season, the Westerwinds will play all conferences matches in Brophy Hall and all non-conference opponents in Western Hall.

“I am very pleased with this new floor as it clearly enhances our volleyball program and we hope it will separate us from our competition.” Western Illinois Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine said. “Moreover, this is another indication of our commitment to advancing women’s programs. Kym has done a great job building our volleyball program into a perennial contender in The Summit League and our program deserves this enhancement.”

“I also want to thank Dr. Garry Johnson and Dr. Tim Van Alstine for supporting the vision that the coaching staff had,” McKay said. “They have been supportive throughout the process and the coaching staff appreciates having an administration that is open to enhancing the student-athlete experience and the facilities. Dr. Johnson and Dr. Van Alstine are truly and honestly committed to women’s athletics at Western Illinois and this is evidence of that.”

The newly added Sport Court is a total of 5,000 square feet with the actual court containing 1,800 square feet and the outside playing surface occupying the final 3,200 square feet. The volleyball court playing area is a simulated maple with the surrounding floor in purple with gold court lines. It is made of a polypropylene copolymer and has a locking system to integrate the tiles together. Each square tile is 9.8 inches, a half inch thick and weighs .62 pounds. The court was funded through private sources.

“Nancy Sprout, Business Manager of the Athletic Department, also served a primary role in getting the floor,” McKay said. “She had to put in many behind-the-scenes hours to get the flooring materials to successfully work its way through the purchasing process. It was a tedious task and she did a fantastic job of ensuring that all of the steps were followed. I was limited in my experience with a purchase this large and without Nancy’s expertise and efforts, this would have never happened.”
In the past seasons the Western Illinois volleyball team has named Western Hall as its home court, but has also found success in competition at Brophy Hall.

“The floor will serve two major functions,” McKay said. “First and foremost, it will reduce the physical wear and tear on the players’ bodies. In the past, we preferred to play matches in Western Hall due to the quality of the floor and its ability to absorb lateral and vertical shock. The floor in Brophy Hall does not provide this and the players shins, ankles, knees, and backs endure higher levels of stress and discomfort. The Sport Court will provide more lateral and vertical forgiveness on a player’s body, so this issue is now resolved. The other function that the floor will provide is an aesthetic one. As you can see in the pictures, the floor dresses up Brophy Hall. It makes a statement.”

Western Hall has a crowd capacity of over 5,000, whereas the court in Brophy Hall holds roughly 800 with fans tightly surrounding the court sides.

“The crowd’s impact in Brophy Hall creates a home court advantage for the team that is unmatched at most Division I schools,” McKay said. “The smaller venue makes the facility extremely loud and is a major intimidating factor for opponents. We are creating an atmosphere that will be feared by most opponents. All fans will be a vital part of the match experience and should be able to truly impact the positive outcomes.”

The ‘positive outcomes’ that have been most prevalent in the past four seasons for the Western Illinois volleyball program relate with the 21-7 home conference record they hold. Having at least five home conference wins and two or less losses in the conference at home each year has earned the Westerwinds a spot at The Summit League Tournament for four straight years.

“The level of volleyball being played in The Summit League is increasing in quality and mixed with the extensive travel, winning at home becomes of the utmost importance when attempting to earn a bid to the conference tournament,” McKay stated. “This enhancement to Brophy will help the team continue to have a solid home record.”