Good Korea Prospects
Whilst sporting heritage dictates that the media spotlight always seems to focus on more traditional sports like Rugby and Rowing, little attention is given to the lesser-known heroes of Oxford. Volleyball superstar Nichola Osborne, a first year Physiologist from University College, is one such example of a world-class athlete in our midst.
Although Nicola's admirable modesty would probably lead her to object to being described as 'world-class', after having recently being selected in the Great Britain squad preparing to travel to Seoul, South Korea, to compete in the World University Games, the praise seems justified.
Not that international competition is new for Nichola, having played for the senior England team, and the Under-18s before that, she has already travelled around Europe representing her country. Seoul, however, will be the biggest tournament she's ever been to and she struggles to hide her nervousness behind the obvious enthusiasm. Although the prospect is "really exciting", the 15-strong squad has yet to be cut down to 12, and the final training session is conviniently timed during her Prelims. Nichola, quietly confident, is untroubled by this, simply stating that she "really hopes [she] gets to go".
The clash between Prelims and the national squad training is indicative of the struggle Nichola has had balancing her obvious love for volleyball and her acadmeic life. With the vast majority of the GB University squad drawn from Loughborough, and many of her friends going there, the premier sporting University in the country, Nichola "wasn't sure [she] wanted to go to Oxford". The temptation was to follow her friends to the national volleyball academy in Loughborough, and the reputation of Oxford made it seem slightly intimidating, but looking back, she is sure it "was the right thing to do". Although she still receives a bit of "friendly banter" for being the only Oxford student in the squad, she is close enough to the capital to play for the club side London Malory who are currently the national champions.
Does the training commitment needed for playing Volleyball at the highest level conflict with the heavy workload that bedevils most of us at Oxford? "I don't do any work anyway" she lets slip as her tutor walks past, Nichola's laid back attitude is a credit to her considering the fact her exams are looming. She cites the calming influence of the other Physiologist in her college in the year above who is a GB Pentathlete, "it encourages me to train" and knowing there is "someone else helps" with the pressure necessarily associated with such impressive sporting achievement.
Players like Nichola and the influx of international students are working to lift the profile of volleyball within Oxford. The woman's team came fourth in the national student cup and the men reached the BUSA finals as well. As Nichola noted Volleyball does live in the shadows somewhat of its more exotic cousin played on sand, "when people think of volleyball, they think of beach volleyball but it gets people interested". Her passion for her sport was clear as she enthused about the virtues of the "tactical, mental and of course physical" sport that is simply "not recognised in England enough". Volleyball is the largest participatory sport for women around the world, and with ambassadors for the game like Nichola, its popularity in Oxford and Britain is set to grow.
Want to play? : www.oxfordvolleyball.net
12th Jun 2003