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In The News - U.S. Naval Academy

 

HIGHLY COMPETITVE TEAMS REQUIRE HIGH PERFORMANCE
VOLEYBALL FLOOR AT U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

ATLANTA , GA , FEBRUARY 8, 2005 - The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD added to its recent renovation of Macdonough Hall with the installation of a new volleyball gym floor. In 2002, an $8.5 million, three-year-long renovation project transformed Macdonough Hall into one of the country's premier sports training centers. However, the in-place plastic tile volleyball gym floor was not up to the standards of the rest of the state-of-the-art facility. In early 2004, approximately 10,000 square feet of Taraflex Sports Performance by Gerflor was installed in the main volleyball gym for the games and practices of the "Mids," the Naval Academy 's Varsity Women's Volleyball Team.

"I think it is a great playing surface," said Women's Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Mike Schwob. "I just think when you're pursuing a ball or jumping off that floor it's important to have a floor that plays well for our game."

"We've been very happy with it," Schwob said. "The players and coaches who have come through the Naval Academy for games have also enjoyed it. It's a very forgiving surface."

His approval of the Taraflex courts extends beyond performance to appearance. The focal point of the new Maple Design and Blue floor is a painted 15-foot long Academy mascot, a charging goat named Bill XXXI. The sides of the two courts are bordered by "Navy Volleyball." It's unlikely visiting teams will forget whom they are playing.

"The biggest thing is the appearance when you come into the gym," said Schwob, who took note of Taraflex floors at various national competitions. "It looks like a volleyball gym and I think the court is why."

The Mids finished their 2004 season tied for third place in the Patriot League but lost the November semifinal tournament round. They ended the season with a 21-9 record.

The Academy and the installer, Warthan Associates of Virginia, faced a challenge with the installation on the building's third "deck" or level. Hurricane Isabel in 2003 had disabled the building's elevator and the new floor was needed for volleyball practices. Macdonough Hall was not designed to accommodate a lift indoors to move the heavy rolls of flooring. Removal and replacement of windows in the decades-old building would have been difficult. The solution came from the water polo team whose members carried the 20 rolls of flooring up to the third floor in one day.

"With the installation of Taraflex, the Navy's midshipmen now have a volleyball floor that lives up to the demands of their game," said Stephane Leudet, Gerflor national sales manager.

Additional uses of the gym include the men's volleyball club, physical education classes and boxing program. The gym's folding bleachers are installed on Taraflex Surface.

The Naval Academy is the undergraduate college of the Naval Service. It trains young men and women to be effective naval and marine officers in the Navy or Marine Corps.

Taraflex Sports Performance is the premiere volleyball floor, giving players a shock absorption rate of 42%. Taraflex Sports Performance's triple layer design is 9.1 millimeters (3/8") thick and available in 17 colors including Maple and Oak designs. Taraflex Surface is 2.1 millimeters (3/32") thick and available in 13 colors including Maple and Oak designs.

All Taraflex synthetic floors are designed for safety and comfort. Their multi-layered construction includes 100% pure vinyl, reinforced fiberglass mesh and closed-cell foam backing to provide shock absorption, help fight fatigue and deliver consistent ball bounce. Product treatments ensure easy maintenance; stain resistance and prevention of mold and bacteria growth. The Taraflex Sports Flooring line includes Taraflex Sport M, Taraflex Sport 3D, Taraflex Sport Performance, Taraflex Sport Plus, Taraflex Leisure, Taraflex Surface, Taraflex ActionSport 45, Taraflex Track, Taraflex Tennis and Taraflex Bateco. Taraflex floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations.

 

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