CU from the Volleyball Match

Me in front of the court

What’s up Buffs fans?! Welcome back to another day in my life blog post! This time, it’s Volleyball edition.

Working in multiple sports provides me with the unique opportunity to learn about the differences in how each type of event operates and how to market different sports accordingly. Although women’s sports are often run the exact same way as men’s sports, the number of people in attendance is still lacking in comparison. Despite this, Women’s Volleyball is still one of my favorite sports to work because of the dedication of the fans who do attend and the incredible efforts of the team playing.

Case in point: We swept BOTH Arizona and Arizona State during last weekend’s matches!!

In this blog post, follow along with my perspective of Friday night’s match against Arizona to see what goes on behind the scenes of a typical Volleyball match.

PREGAME - 5:30 pm MST

If you read my blog post from a few weeks ago, you would be able to recognize the massive difference in call time between Football and Volleyball. Where I usually get to Football games four hours before kickoff, I typically only need to get to Volleyball an hour and a half early. However, a lot of what I do in both pregames is very similar.

Volleyball match staffing sheet

When I arrived at the CU Events Center, I met up with my boss and the other two interns working the game for a briefing on what was going to happen throughout the match. Just like Football, I usually get a staffing sheet that includes who is in charge of doing what and at what time different promotions need to run.

After we met, the other interns and I went to the loading dock to get all of the materials we needed to set up the marketing table. This table is typically set up near the front gates of the Events Center and is your one-stop shop for all things free. If you haven’t been to this table, the marketing team almost always has team posters, match posters, rosters, and fun giveaways for fans that a lot of people don’t know about. At this match, we also had fun BINGO cards to hand out where fans could fill out different Volleyball skills they see throughout the match and return them to the marketing table for a special prize!

Before the National Anthem and starting lineups, we also searched for a pair of lucky fans to give a seat upgrade to as a part of CU’s partnership with Great Clips! This promotion happens at every game and requires us to look for two fans typically sitting further away from the court so that we can upgrade their seats to courtside. This is my favorite activation to run during the Volleyball season because we are usually able to find some pretty excited fans who get to experience the game in a way they never have before.

FIRST SET - 7:04 pm MST

CU Volleyball BINGO

After the first serve, things typically start to slow down and the other interns and I trade off on who is running timeout promotions and who stays at the marketing table to greet fans. During the first set, I stayed on the concourse to meet fans wanting to claim their prize after winning BINGO. At this game, we got a lot of winners who were smaller kids and it was so fun to see their reaction to getting a brand-new pair of Ralphie Socks!

While I handed out prizes, the other interns prepared for the second half of the Great Clips Seat Upgrade promotion where the winning fans were featured on the jumbotron during one of the first set timeouts. This required us to connect with the mobile camera staff member and bring them to the Seat Upgrade location in order to make sure they were in the right place to film the fans on screen. We also typically stay with the fans as the promotion runs so we can make sure they are ready and let them know when to smile and wave.

SECOND SET

Breast Cancer Awareness Match Graphic

During the second set, the interns and I were in charge of finding a fan who was willing to participate in a game that would be played during the break between Set 2 and Set 3. The 15-second challenge involves a different theme at each match where the chosen participant has to name as many things as they can think of within a certain category in fifteen seconds. Their score is then compared to the score of one of the Volleyball players given the same category in a video on the screen. If they beat the score, they win bragging rights and a gift card!

After selecting a fan, we escort them down to the court and make sure they are in the right place along with a cameraman before the second set ends. This matches category required the fan to name as many musical instruments as he could think of in fifteen seconds. Although he didn’t beat the Volleyball player featured on the screen, we still gave him a gift card for his effort!

The Marketing Table

THIRD SET

After the Buffs won the first two sets, we were able to rest at the Marketing table for the remainder of the game. During this time, we kept an eye on the score and handed out posters to the remaining fans who wanted them. When it became clear that the Buffs were going to sweep the Wildcats in three sets, we were able to clean up the Marketing Table and call it a night!

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Women’s sporting events can be just as fun as men’s if you only give it a chance! After Friday night’s match, the Buffs went on to sweep No. 17 ASU on Sunday, making a great game and the defeat of big rival. Next time you're looking for something to do, look at the CU Volleyball schedule and cheer on this super successful team!

Make sure you’re following my social media to be the first to know when a new blog post comes out! Stay tuned for next week’s post following more behind-the-scenes content of my experience at CU Athletics. Until then, Sko Buffs and I hope to CU from the sidelines!

Works Cited

All images were taken by me