The two-year, $12 million project was finished in March and is primed for the Amarillo College volleyball program’s second season, beginning with their first home match on Friday, Sept. 1.
Athletic Director Mark White, who has been a huge catalyst behind the new facility since day one, says this shows how dedicated AC is to athletics going forward.
“It conveys that we are committed to developing quality programs,” White said. “We know that in order to recruit high quality student-athletes it’s extremely helpful to have state-of-the-art facilities.”
Last fall, while construction was still underway, the Badger volleyball program had the difficult task of practicing at Netplex and playing home games at West Texas A&M on top of the road games during the season. It was a team with a true “road warrior” mentality.
Now, with a true home environment and an expected loyal fanbase, this is something the school and community can really get behind.
“The student-athletes are going to have a big sense of pride in this facility,” White said. “I think it’s going to translate into playing better. Homecourt advantage can be significant in athletics and our Badger volleyball program has a tremendous home to build that in.”
After replacing Amanda Black earlier this year, the 18-year veteran took a look at AC’s potential in the junior college ranks and his new gym and knew this could be something he could sink his teeth into.
“Coming back home was important to me,” Sandel said. “This is the last thing around the Texas Panhandle I haven’t done. I’m just looking forward to coming back and establishing a very solid junior college program. This facility is a great place for volleyball. You can fit 400 to 500 people in here and it will be a rocking place.
“It shows Amarillo College, and the community is invested into athletics. To make this building happen is special. It’s just having a home of your own. That’s so important. We have a locker room, and we’re not traveling for practice. FirstBank Southwest is sponsoring the building, and we have a fantastic weight room. I’m glad to see all Amarillo College has invested.”
Incoming freshman and recent Bushland graduate Rachel Russell is going to AC for the nursing program. But she wasn’t shy to say that seeing what AC is doing in athletics didn’t make her decision just a little easier.
“This facility is so nice,” Russell said. “It was one of the reasons I decided to come to AC. The floor is great. It’s a great volleyball gym and the weight rooms are new. They are big and easy to get our workouts done. It says a lot to AC and the school is showing that sports are important to them. It hasn’t been in recent years, so making this type of commitment with this facility shows how much they care.”
On top of a brand-new volleyball facility with a TeraFlex court that can host an estimated 650 fans, the new structure also comes with an auxiliary basketball gym, and a state-of-the-art two-story weight room for all AC students to use.