VOLLEYBALL’S XX NEW FLOOR xxby Brian Hansen, Athletics Communications Associate
Coach Steinbrecher and the administration decided to move to a new playing surface after doing research When the James Madison volleyball team takes on the amount of impact injuries the team has sustained the court for its home opener on Sept. 6, Sinclair over the three years she’s been coaching at JMU. Gymnasium will have an Olympic feel to it. That’s Steinbrecher added, “For the last couple of years, because this August, JMU installed a state-of-art court and actually it probably goes back a decade or so having surface called Taraflex. talked to other people, we’ve had quite a few injuries in Specifically, the product is the Taraflex Sport M our program where the players come in healthy and by Performance and it the time they get to be was installed on all juniors and seniors they five volleyball courts have a lot of impactinside Godwin Hall. It related injuries. We went is the same court that to the administration has been used in the and they were wonderful last 10 Olympic Games, about putting our including 10 courts student-athletes and their installed for the 2012 welfare first. They said London Olympics, as they would do whatever well as being the official it took to get a safe exclusive flooring playing environment for for the Federation of our girls.” International Volleyball The safety is a big (FIVB). selling point for Gerflor, “We could not be with Corbett saying, more excited about the new floor,” JMU Head Volleyball “safety of these courts is the number one concern” Coach Lauren Steinbrecher said. “Taraflex is the best according to his conversations with coaches. In addition volleyball surface in the world to play on. They play on it to absorbing shock from the constant jumping and in the Olympics, FIVB and there are also a few Division diving involved in volleyball, the court also has a coated I volleyball programs that use this flooring. We have the surface of urethane that is UV-baked into the surface. nine millimeter court which is the top-of-the-line model; This provides what Corbett described as the proper so it is great for impact and offsetting long-term, high‘coefficient of friction” that is ideal for volleyball players. impact injuries.” Players get the proper amount of grip to move around JMU is now the fifth Division I volleyball program smoothly on the court but are also able to dive and slide to install Taraflex for its playing surface. Other schools on the court without worrying about floor burns tearing with the court include Nebraska, Clemson, Hawai’i and up their skin. Kentucky with the University of Iowa also installing it Corbett added that there are scientific standards that this fall. measure the coefficient of friction and the Taraflex has “Taraflex is a vinyl floor with met or exceeded them all. 2013 JMU Volleyball Home Schedule two layers of shock absorbing The Dukes unveil the (all games played in Sinclair Gym) cushioning underneath,” Joe new court on Sept. 6-7 as they Corbett, a Sport Market Segment host the first of two home JMU Classic Manager for Gerflor USA said. tournaments this season. JMU Fri., Sept. 6 Wyoming 7:30 p.m. “It’s made specifically to be a welcomes Wyoming, CSU Sat., Sept. 7 CSU Bakersfield 12:30 p.m. sport floor. It’s not a vinyl floor Bakersfield and Presbyterian to Sat., Sept. 7 Presbyterian 7:30 p.m. that someone added cushioning Harrisonburg for the two-day, sixtoo and decided it’s good for match tournament. Their home JMU Invitational sports as well. Gerflor invented opener is on Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 20 Wake Forest 7:30 p.m. this in 1947. It has two layers of against Wyoming while the home Sat., Sept. 21 Campbell 12:30 p.m. cushion to it, which provides schedule includes 13 matches at Sat., Sept. 21 Cleveland State 7:30 p.m. good shock absorption without Sinclair Gymnasium this fall. sinking into the floor.” Fri., Sept. 27 William & Mary* 7 p.m. College of Charleston* 7 p.m. The flooring is manufactured Fri., Oct. 4 Sun., Oct. 6 UNCW* 1 p.m. in Tarare, France and was Fri., Oct. 11 Towson* 7 p.m. shipped over by boat. It arrived Sun., Oct. 13 Delaware* 1 p.m. in Harrisonburg on Aug. 9 and Fri., Nov. 1 Hofstra* 7 p.m. installation took about six days to Sun., Nov. 3 Northeastern* Noon complete. 2013 JMU Football Program - 77