On Tuesday, October 17th, the Bulldogs went head to head with the Dexter Dreadnaughts in the 8th annual Volley for the Cure. Chelsea was unable to pull out a win, resulting in a 10-2 record for the SEC White Division, with Dexter clinching the SEC White Division title. Dexter defeated Chelsea 3-1.

The first and second sets were 21-25 and 14-25, with Dexter taking both. Chelsea came back strong in the third set with a score of 25-18. Unfortunately for Chelsea, Dexter came out firing on all cylinders and took the win 12-25 in the fourth set. Key players for Chelsea included Madeline Kennedy with 14 kills and 9 digs, Peyton Vandegrift with 11 kills and 16 digs, Paige Stacy with 6 kills, Alise Hale with 9 digs, and Audrey Phillips with an astounding 33 assists.

Although Chelsea and Dexter are rivals on the court, they work together to defeat breast cancer and increase awareness. Together, Chelsea and Dexter sold over 500 t-shirts at $5.00 each to raise money for the cause. Dexter hosted a fun 3-minute spare change challenge where players were to collect as much change as possible from the audience in 3 minutes. Bake sales and other item sales also contributed to the donations going directly to the Side Out Foundation.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime, and 1 in 1,000 men will develop breast cancer in his lifetime. About 40,610 women in the United States alone are predicted to lose their lives due to breast cancer this year. Thanks to fundraisers and awareness, such as Volley for the Cure, more people have been able to receive advanced treatment and have encountered better technology for detection of the cancer, reducing death rates since 1989. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women of the United States, and as of 2017, it is predicted that 30% of newly-diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers. Because of how common breast cancer is, and how dangerous it is for women and men alike, it is important that we continue to work hard to fundraise, increase awareness, and support those affected to battle breast cancer. What is most important is to remind ourselves that there is hope for a cure, and with things like Volley for the Cure, we are raising hope for those in need of it. Breast cancer is strong, but our will to fight is stronger. Although Chelsea took the loss in this one, this game was a great reminder that sports can bring even the most bitter rivals together for a common cause.