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Jessica Stoltz will take a stand for her grandmother when the Northmont High School volleyball team plays Vandalia Butler.

The two rival schools will put aside their respective school colors and wear pink Oct. 2. The Butler Student Activity Center will be pretty in pink as the schools will participate in "Volleyball for the Cure," a statewide campaign to raise money for breast cancer research ("800 teams vs. breast cancer").

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Photos

Jessica Stoltz, a senior and volleyball player at Northmont High School, holds a pink volleyball while wearing a pink Volley for the Cure '07 shirt. Seniors and members of the volleyball team, also wearing the shirt are Amanda Beaver, Andrea Serena (left), Sarah McCormick, Meghan Winchester and Kasey Roeser. The team plays Vandalia Butler on Oct. 2 and will wear the shirts to raise money for breast cancer research. Stoltz's grandmother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.Click to enlarge

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The match will be played with a custom-made pink-and-white volleyball. Players will don pink jerseys and ribbons. Officials will use pink whistles and don pink shirts. There will be pink tape on the floor.

Many matches will be held in conjunction with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).

For you, Grandma

This is a cause close to Stoltz's heart. She was hit with the frightening news on her loved one two weeks ago. The match with the Aviators will get personal.

"My grandma discovered that she had breast cancer and will need surgery later this month," Stoltz said. "It's scary. That's why this match carries extra meaning for me. The match is not all about our big rivalry with Butler, but it's more about raising awareness. It'll be awesome playing in a gym full of pink."

The two neighboring communities have rallied behind the worthy cause. The teams have been working behind the scenes, selling more than 1,300 pink T-shirts. The pink-clad students will get in free; adults will pay $4. There will be a reserved section at all the games for breast cancer survivors.

The two teams are bidding to "pink-out" the SAC, making it the largest crowd to ever see at volleyball match at Butler. It is reminiscent of the efforts by Major League Baseball, where players wield pink bats for games on Mother's Day.

"We're going to pack the SAC with pink," said Butler volleyball coach Stacie Whetstone "A lot of teachers in the district have been affected by this disease. Husbands and families are also affected during the treatment. Helping out can be a life-changing experience. We're hoping to raise $10,000."

The funds generated will be used locally.

More than a game

Said Northmont senior captain Kasey Raeser: "We're intense rivals in competition and we'll leave it all on the floor that night because we don't want to let the (breast cancer) victims down. The beauty of this is we're working together off the court to make this a success. We're fortunate that we're healthy."

Through the sponsorship of the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association, the OHSAA, the Susan G. Koman Foundation and Molten USA, Inc., games are planned throughout the state.

"It's a disease that has touched so many women around the world," said Alter coach Tina Jasinowski.

"One in eight women will develop breast cancer. That's pretty staggering. All the teams in the GGCL (Girls Greater Cincinnati League) are aboard and will have Volleyball For The Cure" matches."

Now you know

Every three minutes a U.S. woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. It's unknown how many women experience problems that go undetected due to the lack of knowledge or limited financial resources to undergo treatment or testing. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women.

In 2006 seniors Sarah Mcgrath (Sycamore) and Carolyn Gagliardi (Loveland) initiated the "Volleyball For A Cure." The Loveland at Sycamore match drew 1,100 fans and raised $5,000. Normally the match would draw 60-80 fans.

Breast cancer will take an estimated 40,000 lives in 2007.

Women have a 1-in-8 chance of developing invasive breast cancer. Women should have a professional exam every three years starting at the age of 20 and annually after the age of 40.

Funds raised will go to research, education, screening and treatment.

More info: www.ohsvca.org

Volleyball for the Cure games

C-J at Alter, Sept. 4

Fairmont at Lebanon, Sept. 13

Edgewood at Talawanda, Sept. 13

Trotwood-Madison at Wayne, Sept. 22

Beavercreek at Springboro, Sept. 25

Hillsboro at Clinton-Massie, Sept. 25

Tri-Village at Tri-County North, Sept. 25

Preble Shawnee at Twin Valley South, Oct. 1

Kings at Wilmington, Oct. 2

Northmont at Butler, Oct. 2

Carlisle at Waynesville, Oct. 3

Carroll at Fenwick, Oct. 4

Fairmont at Centerville, Oct. 4

Talawanda at Eaton, Oct. 8

Dixie vs. Brookville, Oct. 9 (venue TBA)

Preble Shawnee at Northridge, Oct. 11