PENSACOLA, Fla. - West Florida volleyball (10-5, 5-0 GSC) prepares to host its 17th annual Pack It Pink match on Friday, October 11 at 6 pm against West Alabama at UWF Field House. 
 
The Pack It Pink event is a cause near and dear to Coach Melissa Wolter's heart, as she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, just after the start of that year's volleyball season. Six months after she received her final treatments in 2007, the program began the tradition to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Wolter has been cancer-free since then, dedicating herself to providing support to others in the Pensacola area fighting the disease. 
 
The match is sponsored by Baptist Medical Oncology Center and the Pensacola Breast Cancer Association. Admission to the match is free, as donations to these foundations dedicated to the fight against breast cancer will be accepted in lieu of tickets. The team is also raising funds for the organizations through an online auction that can be accessed here. The online auction will close and transition to a silent auction in the Field House lobby at 4 pm on Friday, which will continue through the match and conclude 10 minutes after the final point. At that point, all items will go home with the final bidder. Gifts include volleyballs signed by the players, pink game-worn jerseys, baked goods, hotel stays, gift baskets from area businesses, going to lunch with Wolter or athletic director Dave Scott, private coaching sessions for youth players, and free rounds of golf at area courses.
 
Survivors and their families as well as family members of those who have lost a relative to cancer are invited to a reception from 4:30-6 in the Argonaut Athletic Club. Refreshments will be provided. 
 
Continuing a beloved tradition, the team and cheerleaders will participate in a pregame ceremonial walk that will honor both breast cancer survivors and those who have lost their lives to the disease. Anyone who wishes to participate in the walk in honor of someone who lost their battle to cancer or as a survivor should meet by the home bench five minutes before the start of the game. 
 
Additionally, UWF will continue its tradition of honoring a survivor by naming them the team's guest coach for the match. This year's guest coach is Ann Dziadon. 
 
About Ann
At 62 years of age, Dziadon is a 16-year breast cancer survivor. Happily married to Greg Dziadon for 40 years and mother to Tim, Matt and Daniel, Ann was an avid gymnast. She took up the sport after first moving to Florida as an eight-year-old. After graduating from H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Fla., she attended the University of Alabama on a full gymnastics scholarship, where she was a part of longtime head coach Sarah Patterson's first recruiting class in the latter's eventual 35 seasons building the program into what it is today. Ann competed there for four years, where she won All-SEC honors, served as a captain in her junior and senior seasons and was a member of the first Alabama gymnastics team to qualify for Nationals, where they placed fourth in 1983.
 
After graduating from Alabama, where she met her future husband, she and Greg moved to Gainesville, Fla., where she coached at Brown's Gymnastics. From there, they moved to Pensacola, where Greg had a job at UWF in Student Affairs. She then began work at UWF with the Florida Engineering Electronic Delivery System before moving to the Office of Undergraduate Studies, where she worked for Dr. Gary Howard. She would go on to serve as the University Registrar for 19 years. She currently works as Executive Coordinator for the Florida Small Business Development Center State Office, hosted by UWF. 
 
Over the years, she has been active in the organization Making Strides Against Breast Cancer by the American Cancer Society. She has helped raise over $5000 for breast cancer awareness, support, services and research. An active member of the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in downtown Pensacola, Ann enjoys reading, yoga, downtown living, college football, walking her dog and spending time with family and friends. 
 
Previewing the Week for the Argonauts
In their first week in the top spot in the GSC after their road win on Saturday over then-No. 1 Alabama Huntsville, the Argos (10-5, 5-0 GSC) kick off their week with another road match at Auburn Montgomery (4-10, 1-4 GSC) on Wednesday, October 9 at 6 pm. The Blue and Green will look to exact revenge on the Warhawks after losing in Montgomery last season 3-2 for their lone GSC loss of 2023 and their first loss in the teams' 12-match history. AUM is led by first-year head coach Craig Case after Flavia Siqueria, who led the Warhawks last season to a program-best 24 wins and their first ranked finish in the NCAA DII South Regional rankings, took the head coaching job at DI Georgia State. 
 
On Friday, the Argos will celebrate their 17th annual Pack It Pink event with a match against West Alabama (1-14, 0-6 GSC). UWF leads the all-time series with the Tigers 39-4, not having lost to UWA since 2009 in Livingston, Ala., and not having lost to UWA in Pensacola since 2005. The Tigers are led by third-year head coach John Schmidt.
 
UWF wraps up its week on Saturday, October 12, at noon against Mississippi College (7-6, 5-1 GSC). Saturday is the last day of Homecoming Week at UWF, and in advance of the Argonauts' homecoming football game against Delta State at 4 p.m., fans can present their pre-purchased football tickets at the door to the Field House to receive free admission to the Mississippi College match. 
 
The Choctaws, sitting behind UWF and UAH at No. 3 in the GSC, are coached by former UWF graduate assistant coach Bentley Odom, who came to Clinton, Miss., this past offseason after spending a year as assistant coach West Texas A&M and guiding the Buffs to a national runner-up finish. The alma mater of current UWF graduate assistant Sloane FitzHenry, the Choctaws boast senior outside hitter Lydia Paulette, a 2023 First Team All-GSC honoree and eight-time GSC Player of the Week winner who is well on her way to becoming the program's all-time leader in kills and points.  
 
For more information, please visit GoArgos.com or follow the program at @UWFVolleyball on Facebook, X and Instagram.