At the beginning of the game, they called themselves the Rambearables, but by the end of the game, they had changed their name to the Swiffer Wet Jets, because we swept the floor with them.
It was the sports battle of the century. Our official Fordham Ram intramural volleyball team was facing off against the other, unofficial Fordham volleyball team, in a game that was sure to be one for the record books.
Let me backtrack, though.
In the spring of 2022, The Fordham Ram formed its first-ever official intramural volleyball team. We touted ourselves as the greatest thing to happen to Fordham sports since the seven blocks of granite. The fact that some of our members had never touched a volleyball before our first game, and that we didn’t win a single game during our first semester, did nothing to deter our enthusiasm. See, there are two kinds of intramural volleyball teams: those that win, and those that have fun. The Fordham Ram’s team proudly considered themselves a member of the latter.
Over my three years of writing for the Ram, I’ve never written an article for the sports section. This is mainly because my interest in sports is, much like the Rambearables’ score at the end of our game, near zero.
But despite my lack of athletic prowess and general sports knowledge, attending our biweekly intramural volleyball games has consistently been one of the best parts of my Fordham experience.
Any incredible sports team is defined by their rivals, however, and our team is no exception. In the autumn of 2023, other members of The Fordham Ram formed their own volleyball team, the Rambearables, to counter our own. At first, we were supportive of our younger colleagues, and proud of their athletic prowess. Soon, however, their negative attitude toward our own team grew into a rivalry we could no longer ignore. So two weeks ago, we challenged them to a formal scrimmage.
And what a game it was. Our adoring fans turned out in multitudes (well, adoring fan: thanks, Lauren). The game was going well at first— until Rambearables team captain Grace Galbreath decided we should keep score.
I’d like to say that it was a tough battle, that both teams did equally well and that the Rambearables proved themselves to be a worthy rival. I’d like to say those things, but I’m writing as a journalist, and we’re dedicated to truth. So I’ll just say the Rambearables were an enthusiastic group.
It would have ended there, with their resounding defeat, but unfortunately the Rambearables refused to take their loss graciously. Instead, a column penned by Galbreath accused us of unsportsmanlike behavior, and slandered me by insisting our scorekeeping was dishonest. I am here to set the record straight: we won. They lost. Anything else is libel of the highest form.
That’s not the main point of this article, however. My main point is that intramural volleyball has honestly been one of the most fun parts of my Fordham experience. Even if you’re not good at volleyball, don’t stress about it. Even if you’ve never touched a volleyball in your life, you can still have an amazing experience with your friends. Even from a non-athlete, it’s an experience I highly recommend.
While Galbreath and I may not agree on much, we can both agree on two things. One, intramural volleyball is a great experience, regardless of your skill level. Two, IMLeagues is an awful website. They should fix that.
