(Posted October 21, 2008)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Juniata College women's volleyball will "dig pink" for its match against Washington & Lee University this Friday, Oct. 24, in support of the fight against breast cancer.

The Eagles will wear special pink jerseys for their match against the Generals, as part of "Dig Pink Night" on the first night of Juniata's Wid Guisler Invitational.

In addition, there will be several fundraising activities in conjunction with the game.

A serving contest will take place between the second and third sets, with contestants having the opportunity to win a free pizza if their serve can hit a pizza box. A 50/50 raffle, a "silent auction", and concession stand featuring pink cotton candy will take place throughout the game, in addition to informational tables for breast cancer education.

There will be no admission charge for the match, but fans are encouraged to make a donation. All proceeds raised during the evening will go to the Side-Out Foundation, which raises money for breast cancer research through volleyball-related activities. The Side-Out Foundation's funds are directed to targeted therapies and molecular profiling.

Fans are asked to wear pink apparel to Friday night's game. Special "Dig Pink" t-shirts will be on sale for $5 throughout the evening.

The event is being organized by members of the Juniata College women's volleyball team, led by sophomore setter Steph Strauss (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills), sophomore middle hitter Lauren Cline (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson), and sophomore middle hitter Kristin Noetzel (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Regional).

Support for the event was provided by Asics, which donated the pink jerseys; the Juniata College Health and Wellness Center, which will staff some of the activities during the game; J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital in Huntingdon, which provided educational materials; and numerous local businesses who donated gift certificates to be used as prizes during the event. D.C. Goodman & Sons and New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. both donated funds to cover the cost of the t-shirts, as well as other costs associated with the event.

The Juniata College women's volleyball team has been directly impacted by cancer in recent years. The mother of senior outside hitter Amber Thomas (Ephrata, Pa./Conestoga Valley), the 2007 AVCA Division III Player of the Year, died from breast cancer during the spring of her freshman year. Former outside hitter Erin Dodson (Altoona, Pa./Altoona), who would have graduated last May, was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer during her freshman season, and has had several surgical procedures with radiation and chemotherapy to combat the disease.

"Our Juniata family has in fact been impacted by cancer in recent years so this event has special relevance," said Juniata head coach Larry Bock. "Our team, coaches, parents and alumni hope that the college and local communities will support this effort by packing Memorial Gym in pink on Friday."

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.