Volleyball: “invented by men; perfected by women.”
— Anonymous
The University of Minnesota women’s volleyball team (there is no intercollegiate men’s team at the U) has made news on the eve of the start of its season at the end of this month under first-year Coach Keegan Cook. The team announced that it will make its first appearance on national television Sunday, Oct. 29, on Fox TV when it plays at perennial powerhouse Wisconsin — a game likely to attract a lot of viewers because it will immediately follow the Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers game from Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
But as the squad gets prepared for a new season, a new coach, and newfound attention, it will be mourning the death in June of one of the architects of its program, Stephanie Schleuder. The passing of the highly decorated Minnesota athlete and acclaimed women’s volleyball coach rightfully attracted a fair amount of attention in the women’s sports community.
But the accounts of her death at age 73 overlooked one of her most significant achievements: her advocacy on behalf of women.
Schleuder’s death on June 26 provides an opportune occasion to recall what she did, why she did it, and how it expanded the rights of employees, especially women, to speak out about workplace discrimination and other inequities.
Known as Steph, Schleuder’s was born in Minneapolis and was a multiple sports athlete at Richfield High School in the pre-Title IX days before girls’ athletics were played in an...
Kim Se-ui, left, and Kim Soo-hyun / Xportsnews A year after actor Kim Soo-hyun broke down in tears at a high-profile press conference over allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron, the contr...