By Michael Errigo
Hanging high on the wall of the XFINITY Center Pavilion is a banner of volleyball titles. It stares down at the players during every match, reminding them of the goals they chase and the hopeful fruits of their labor.
A lot of the print on that banner was written in part by Janice Kruger, the Terps' volleyball coach from 1988-2007, who accrued 381 wins in her time here, including five ACC titles in 1990, 1996, 2003, 2004 and 2005. When she retired from coaching in 2008, she was the all-time winningest coach in ACC volleyball history and had won conference coach of the year honors four times. In honor of her passion and commitment, the university established a scholarship in Kruger's name, a tool that would help pave the way for so many volleyball players similar to the rotating cast of young, hopeful athletes who looked to her as a coach, a teacher and a leader.
“My favorite part of coaching was just the players,” said Kruger. “Having the opportunity every day to come into practice or into the office and to direct them as best as I could and help them become the best that they could be.”
The byproducts of Kruger's passion will once again be on display Friday in the heart of the XFINITY Center. But instead of the crisp sets and powerful kills, her work will be represented by the pink hue of the warmups the players wear and the headbands in their hair.
Since retiring from coaching, Kruger has worked for the Side-Out Foundation, the organization behind Friday's Dig Pink match. The event is an annual collaboration aimed at furthering breast cancer awareness and takes place at volleyball games across the country at every level.
“It's all about awareness and understanding awareness – it's not just that you wear pink and you think about breast cancer, it's trying to motivate people to be proactive and take care of themselves, and also to use this as a time to educate themselves,” said Kruger, who serves as the organization's director of strategic initiatives and programs.
Founded in 2004, Side-Out was started by volleyball coach Rick Dunetz, whose mother had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. He told his volleyball team at West Springfield High School in Virginia about her situation, and they used it as inspiration to win their district title for the first time in school history. Since that historic season, Side-Out has used Dig Pink to connect the strength and commitment that are shown by both volleyball players and victims of breast cancer and their loved ones.
“Hopefully we touch somebody somewhere that might do something, either a preventative avenue in regards to breast cancer or to support the funds that we raise to continue to do research,” said Kruger.
Even amidst her busy schedule working to promote Side-Out's cause, Kruger manages to keep up with Terps volleyball by attending their matches when she can and staying in contact with new head coach Steve Aird.
“I have to say that Steve Aird has welcomed me back into the program with open arms and I absolutely love what he's doing there,” said Kruger. “His direction and his leadership are so wonderful and I see the players really responding to his drive and his high expectations. I love the way the program is going right now.”
Kruger says she is still recovering from shoulder surgery earlier this week (“from all those years of hitting balls with my ladies,” she said with a laugh) but she will almost certainly make it back to the gym filled with her memories on Friday night.
“I'm very proud. Sometimes I just have to take a step back and go 'wow,'” Kruger said of her time at Maryland, of the banners on the wall. “When you're in it, you don't think about it a whole lot because you're just always trying to do the best you can for the university and the players. I feel a lot of pride when I walk into that gym.”
To make a donation to the Side-Out Foundation and support Maryland's fundraising effort, click here.
Michael Errigo, a sophomore journalism major at the University of Maryland, is a contributing writer to umterps.com.
