Major regional volleyball tournament hits Fort Smith area (Correction)

story and photos by Ruby Dean
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Battle at the Fort 2010 began Saturday (Jan. 30) with round robin play for all teams participating.

Correction: According to James Collins, a tournament organizer, 84 teams registered with bad weather allowing only 37 teams to attend. Teams from Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri came to compete to see who is the best in the 15-18 year old divisions, with five of the 37 teams being Fort Smith teams.

Pool play was Jan. 30, with tournament play starting on Sunday (Jan. 31). The tournament is double elimination with the top team winning the gold. Tournament play for ages 10-14 is scheduled for Feb. 6-7.

Arvest Bank of Fort Smith 1s the presenting sponsor for the event.

Weather will prevent the 2010 Battle at the Fort from being as large as the 2009 event. In 2009, 156 teams (not counting 18 teams from the Fort Smith area) traveled to the Fort Smith/Van Buren area during the weekends of Feb. 7-8, and Feb. 21-22 in 2009. Also, the economic impact of the 2009 event was conservatively estimated at $2.49 million.

The proceeds will benefit the Fort Smith Juniors.  Plans for the proceeds include future scholarships, cost of traveling expenses, and building a facility of their own to use for future tournaments as well as practice.  The tournament is an annual event which is in its thirteenth year with the last 8 years being held at the Convention Center.

Three teams in the tournament are from the Fort Smith area. One of Fort Smith’s team, Pink P.A.C., wanted a reason to play and therefore took on the cause of raising awareness about breast cancer.

P.A.C. stands for playing against cancer. Their uniforms are pink with a pink ribbon. The girls have helped raise money for the Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House which is located in Fort Smith and provides free, non-medical support programs and services to cancer patients and their family members.  Money raised will go towards things such as wigs and shower cards. The shower cards are hung in a shower and teach women how to do self-breast exams. The girls took a tour of the facility and got an up close look at services the Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House provides. 

Pool play was today (Jan. 30) with tournament play starting on Sunday (31st).  The tournament is double elimination with the top team winning the gold.