They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but sometimes you just can’t help it.
When American exchange student Parker Vangellow wandered through campus on his first day wearing his varsity volleyball shirt, someone took notice.
Bondy Chase Cole spotted the t-shirt straight away and invited Vangellow to the Bond beach volleyball court.
One training session later and only one week into his Bond experience, the New Yorker, who is studying a Bachelor of Business, is set to represent the blue and gold at UniSport Nationals on the Gold Coast next week.
“It was so cool how nice everyone was to me and how quickly they invited me to play,” Vangellow said.
“I can’t wait to meet more members of the team and I’m excited to compete.
“My experience on the Gold Coast so far has been amazing! I've surfed twice, played a ton of beach volleyball, went on a hike, and even caught a lizard which gave me a nice bite on the hand.”
Back in the US, Vangellow plays volleyball for Bentley University and helped his team finish third in the national tournament last year. He’s also played his fair share of beach volleyball over the past four years.
The newly formed partnership of Vangellow and Cole will play together in the men’s doubles beach volleyball tournament against other university students from across the country.
“I’ve heard there are some competitive teams at UniSport Nationals who have done well in the past few years,” Vangellow said.
“But that doesn't matter much to me. I'm confident that Chase and I will do well.”
Vangellow isn’t the only Bondy far from home who is donning the Bull Sharks uniform at the national competition. German exchange student Tina Henkel will also be joining the beach volleyball squad.
“I'm really excited about competing next week and getting to represent Bond University,” Henkel said.
“I think it's a great opportunity as an international student to be part of such a big sport event here on the Gold Coast!”