Friday night was Ohio’s (7-11, 3-4 Mid-American Conference) Pink Game for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and although the five-set match fell in favor of Ball State (11-8, 4-4 MAC), it didn’t stop the Bobcats and their fans from showing up decked out in pink gear.
Sporting bright pink jerseys for the match, the exhilarating back-and-forth between both teams ended with Ohio taking the first and fourth sets and Ball State winning sets two, three and five. Energy was a big factor during the game, but even as the Bobcats looked as though they were slowing, the crowd continued to encourage each player.
Ohio coach Geoff Carlston also showed up to Friday’s game in a pink dress shirt with a pink ribbon, the symbol for breast cancer awareness, and expressed the importance of having awareness matches like this one.
“I think it's always good to have the awareness,” he said. “I mean, my father passed away from cancer, and … I don't think there's anyone that's not been impacted (by cancer).”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in 2024 alone, more than 340,000 people have been diagnosed. The goal is not just to raise awareness of the commonality of this form of cancer, but also to educate many on risk factors, research and how to get involved with funding a cure.
Colleges all over the U.S. hold Pink Games for many sports, not just volleyball, and the tradition dates back to the early 2000s. The University of Alabama started its pink matches in 2007 and has continued the tradition ever since.
In Friday night’s crowd, The Convo was decked out in pink streamers and balloons, and fans were given pink rally towels to match the Bobcats’ jerseys. Many younger fans could be seen waving the rally towels with pride at each “Point Ohio.”
Despite the match's outcome, the team and the fans made an effort to show up for the cause. Before the match began, each Ohio player could be seen holding up a sign, each representing someone’s story with breast cancer.
“I think it's an emotional thing for some of our kids, but it's always a good reminder that there's life outside (volleyball),” Carlston said. “There's some pretty heavy stuff … out there outside of it all. So the reality is, we lost in five to a really good team … But there's always my kids and health and all these things, keeping some perspective on time.”
Ohio will return to sporting its green home jerseys Saturday afternoon for the Battle of the Bricks against Miami (7-12, 1-7 MAC), however, the bright pink jerseys will stand in the crowd’s mind as a reminder of something bigger than what was on the court Friday.
“How do you sustain the focus on these things?" Carlston said. "How do we actually make an impact? I'm sure everyone here … (has) been impacted by some form of cancer.”
