Below Me takes home crown

NEWPORT, R.I. – For the second-straight year, Salve Regina students athletes were given a chance to blow off some stress before finals with the Second Annual Student Athlete Volleyball Tournament, hosted by the Salve Regina Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Leading the organization efforts were junior executive board members Gina Tortorici (Deer Park, N.Y.) and Brendan Canova (Edina, Minn.). Canova and Tortorici and several of the SAAC members put together a nine-team tournament on reading day for fellow athletes. With the help of junior football player Matthew Keyzer (Wanaque, N.J.), the teams were organized in a double-elimination tournament featuring close to 65 student athletes and administrators.

Coming away with the championship this year was team "Below Me" featuring Tortorici, junior volleyball player Taylor Violet (Tiverton, R.I.) and football players juniors Frank Musco (Montvale, N.J.), Phil Terio (Trumbull, Conn.), Matthew Traynor (Secaucus, N.J.)  and sophomore Brad Kelly (Portsmouth, R.I.). After going undefeated until the championship game, Below Me had to face off against "Our Team is Better Than Your Team," which featured associate athletic director Kelly Scafariello, women’s soccer and softball coach Jessica DePolito, sports information assistant Mary Raskob and senior women’s volleyball player Jill Diffendaffer (Centennial, Colo.). OTiBTYT worked its way through the loser’s bracket before reaching the championship game against Below Me. OTiBTYT handed Below Me its first loss of the tournament before BM came back for a victory in the final game.

Click here for a photo gallery from the tournament.

Student athletes should be on the look out for a similar event in the spring semester hosted by SAAC.