Volleyball club hosts benefit tournament

Hauser and the Hope Area Volleyball Club are hosting a tournament this weekend to remember the life of a Bartholomew County player. 

The Casey Cooley tournament started in 2002 after the untimely death of the Columbus North High School player, said Erica Raisor, director of the HAVOC group.

"She played volleyball for years, she played Capitol, which is Circle City volleyball club, and she just loved the sport and the atmosphere of volleyball," Raisor said. "She tragically passed away in a car accident in 2001. Her mom, Lisa Cooley, decided to put a tournament on in her name to honor her because she loved the game so much and loved the camaraderie."

The tournament raises money for the Casey Fund at Columbus North, which provides money to help student athletes and athletics with funding when needed and with scholarships.

Tournament fees and T-shirt sales will go to benefit the Casey Fund, Raisor said. There will also be fundraising elements for Hauser athletics and for local athletes who struggle to pay for off-season volleyball program participation, she said. Eventually, organizers would like to be able to start a fund similar to the Casey Fund for Hope-area players.

HAVOC was started in 2003 by Raisor's father and long-time Hauser volleyball coach, Jeff Case. It is a program to get volleyball players cost-effective playing time. Raisor and Jenna Ortega took over the efforts about three years ago.

The tournament will be today and Sunday at the Hauser main gym, Hope Elementary and the Hauser Fieldhouse.  Today's games will be for 11 and younger, 12 and younger and 14 and younger players. Sunday will be for the 16 & under and 18 & under teams.

Each of the matches are being played as the best 2-out-of-3 games. The first two games will be to 25 points and any third game, would be to 15 points. Teams must win by two points.

Doors open at 7 a.m. Events were scheduled to kick off at 7:20 a.m. with the presentation of the Casey Cooley Ball, a gold ball that teams will sign throughout the day. Games start at 8 a.m.

Tickets are $5 or $3 for elementary students.