Just as they do every year, hundreds of Longwood students jumped into a giant mud pit to compete in one of the world's most quirky college traditions: Oozeball, an annual event held every Spring Weekend by the Longwood Ambassadors.
Over 70 teams of six to eight students signed up for the two-day single elimination tournament, which had three brackets: men, women, and co-eds. At $5 per player, it was a very successful fundraiser for the Longwood Ambassadors, who are considering donating some of the money to a worthy cause.
Only Longwood students get the honor of competing in Oozeball, so their IDs were taken at a registration tent by the court. Even with something as free-spirited as mud volleyball, there have to be safety regulations: students had to sign waivers and wear shoes in the mud pit.
Freshman Victoria Greene said, "The weather could have been nicer." It was rather chilly outside and the muddy water that filled the volleyball court in front of Stubbs Hall was freezing. Students shivered as they stepped, or leaped in.
But the rules and the bad weather didn't put a damper on students' enthusiasm. Students played intense rounds, even diving into the icy mud water in hopes of keeping the other team from scoring.
"It was cold, sandy and very competitive but it was a lot of fun. The teams got along very well; we were high-fiving and goofing off before the game," said Jessie Page, who played for Team Botlock. Even though her team lost in the first round, Page pointed out that that wasn't what really mattered, explaining that her team had a really great time. "Since it was so close we didn't really leave feeling like losers. We were just glad to go back and take hot showers."
It wasn't just the competitors who enjoyed the Oozeball tournament. All sorts of people came out to watch the games. "It was fun to watch and I think the freezing water made it more intense," said Emily Miller. Spectators cheered on their friends and members of their favorite organizations as they fought for Oozeball glory.
In the end, three teams held the coveted title of Oozeball champion: In the men's bracket, the men's club soccer team; in the women's bracket, not surprisingly, the women's club volleyball team; and in the co-ed bracket, Team Vida Joven. This is the third year in a row that Vida Joven has taken the title. The seniors on the team said it was the best and last thing that they wanted to walk away with from their last Spring Weekend Oozeball competition.
Oozeball is a tradition that will continue to live on at Longwood - not even Mother Nature can keep Lancers out of the mud during Spring Weekend, and with this year behind them, Longwood students are looking forward to competing and observing again next year, when the Ambassadors hope that even more people will get involved in Longwood's favorite game.
