Study of technology and volleyball both require perseverance and discipline. BUT gives students the opportunity to excel in both.

Brno University of Technology (BUT) prides itself not only on science and research, but also on its strong sporting spirit. One of the most traditional sports at BUT has since the beginning been volleyball since the beginning, with teams regularly winning awards and ranking among the elite in the university league. In an interview, Václav Kundera from the Centre of Sports Activities (CESA) explained how volleyball works at BUT, why students want to represent their university, what role technology plays, and how others can get involved.

Sport has had a firm place at BUT since the beginning of the 20th century, when it served primarily as compensation for hours spent at drawing boards. Today, the university boasts a modern sports complex and the interest of students and staff in the wide range of sports activities on offer continues to grow. Another unique feature is the Sports Technology study program, which prepares experts to work as technologists in professional sports clubs at home and abroad.

Volleyball as the flagship sport of BUT

Volleyball has been one of the most important sports at BUT since its inception. It has a long tradition here and can be played by students of all levels, from recreational players to representatives who win medals in university competitions wearing BUT kits. According to Václav Kundera, coach of the Brno University of Technology teams from CESA, volleyball is not only currently the most successful team sport at BUT, but also a great opportunity for players and fans to support the university's brand.

Both the men's and women's teams are performing excellently, helping to raise the university's profile in the sporting arena. "Our teams want to represent BUT, they are proud of it and consider it an honor. When they take the court, they carry the name of the university with them, they stand behind the BUT team and fight for its brand," he emphasizes.

The enthusiasm and motivation of the players under the BUT banner are bearing fruit. This year, the men's team won bronze in the University Volleyball League, in 2024 they took second place at the European University Games, and in 2023 they even won gold medals in the University Volleyball League and won the Czech Academic Championship. The women's team won the World InterUniversities Championships in Barcelona in 2022.

According to Václav Kundera, the success lies primarily in the mentality of the players, who always enter matches with a clear goal of winning. "We always go into a match wanting to win, regardless of who we're up against. This is even true in competitions we have no experience in, such as last year's European Cup. We arrived there and had no idea what to expect. But the players were so pumped up and determined that it turned out to be a great performance. And it is this enthusiasm that drives us forward."

Getting into the teams is a real challenge due to the high level of competition. "Players must have at least second or third league experience to even have a chance. At the beginning, a larger group is selected, and then a smaller group is chosen depending on whether it's a league, tournament, or international competition," explains Kundera, adding that there is also a lot of interest among girls, where the quality is also high. "Compared to Masaryk University and other schools that have humanities or sports-oriented faculties, where there are logically more girls, it's a little more complicated, but even so, I think we have a really strong team."

University sports attract talent, but studies come first

Both teams meet once a week, and training is mainly focused on team building. The players work on their technique and fitness in their own clubs and need to play together with the university team. "The training sessions are mainly about maintaining a good team spirit and atmosphere, which I think accounts for at least fifty percent of our current success," says Kundera.

According to him, sporting success is also crucial for applicants looking for a university with good sports facilities. "Especially in recent years, when we have had really great success in volleyball at the university level, I have noticed that students are coming to us because of sports. The university can say: we have beautiful sports facilities, great teams, and the opportunity to play here. There are more construction faculties in the country, but only here do you have this opportunity. I think that's very attractive to athletes. They can get a similar education anywhere, but the sports support and opportunities here are significantly better than at most schools.”

Volleyball and other team sports at BUT can also help students with their education. Teams bring together people from different faculties and years who can share experiences, collaborate on projects, or help each other with math. Kundera believes that studying should always come first. "I always tell my students when they say, 'Coach, I can't play, we have school or we're going somewhere with the school.' That's why they're here – to study, not to play volleyball."

According to Kundera, the ability to cope with demanding studies alongside training, matches, and work shows why successful athletes tend to be excellent students and employees. "Academically, they are on the same level as their classmates, but they also manage to train, represent their country, and often work on top of that, which is admirable."

Sports technology and volleyball go hand in hand at BUT

The study of technology and sports are often closely linked at BUT. Research and teaching are also reflected in volleyball, as evidenced by the upcoming collaboration with the Volejbal Brno extraliga team. "They approached us with the idea of collaborating on measuring their players and evaluating training methods. Sports technology has a wide range of applications in volleyball – there are various analyses of movement, movement phasing, bounce measurement, spike speed, or you can examine the position of the limbs and spine, which is necessary in volleyball as a partially one-sided sport. Then, of course, there is the general monitoring of percentage changes in the performance of individual players and so on," explains Kundera.

According to him, the use of sports technology in professional sports is a huge topic and a great opportunity for the university and its graduates. "At present, it is still a matter for wealthy sports or wealthy individual clubs, but in football, for example, it is already relatively common for a club to have its own technologist. Our students have the opportunity to experience working in clubs. They gain a lot of practical experience and often work with the equipment. And there are already results: among our graduates, we have, for example, a technologist who works at SK Slavia Prague," Kundera says with pride.

He himself has experienced a little bit of everything in the field of sports at BUT. In the course Measurement in Sports at CESA, he introduces students to kinesiological methods, working with equipment, and its use in various sports. In addition to coaching university volleyball and basketball teams, he also teaches physical education to regular BUT students, including fencing, gymnastics, indoor rowing, and volleyball.

Volleyball is available at several levels at BUT, and beginners are welcome to join. "Since the pandemic, a lot of people who have never played volleyball before have started coming," says Kundera, adding that with complete beginners, it is always necessary to go back to the basics. "When they don't know how to play, the ball just flies between them and they often don't know what to do with it. It's a bit different from working with more advanced players, but I enjoy it. The gymnasiums are full and people are coming, which is great."

Sport as a tool for personal growth and shared experiences

Working with students fulfills Kundera, and he would like to bring sports closer to those who have negative experiences from physical education in their childhood. According to him, sports at the university offer a chance to rediscover a relationship with exercise. "It hurts me terribly when I hear such stories as a physical education teacher. Physical education should be about showing people who may not have been as lucky as me to play sports what exercise can give them, that they will experience many things, make friends, and if they are at least a little good at it, maybe even see the world."

Despite the time commitment, he enjoys coaching teams and has high hopes for the upcoming volleyball season. "The players are really fun, and I enjoy the training sessions. Sometimes I go for a beer with them after training, where I get feedback and find out how they perceive the university, which is very important to me. It's time-consuming, but luckily my wife is also an athlete and understands that it's part of my job, which I really enjoy," says Kundera.

He would like to see more fans from among BUT students and employees at both volleyball teams' matches. "Come cheer us on, you'll get flags and you can shout as loud as you want. We'd be very happy if you came to support us," he concludes with a smile.

Current information about matches and team events can be found on the BUT volleyball team's Instagram profile @VUT_volejbal. Follow when and where they will play and come support them in university colors right from the stands!

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