Hamming and Pasion discuss volleyball, nicknames

Recently, Daily Princetonian senior writer Sofia Mata-Leclerc sat down for a chat with a pair of middle hitters from the men's volleyball team, sophomore Evan Pasion and junior Brian Hamming.

Daily Princetonian: How is the season going so far?

Evan Pasion: It's been a disappointing start. We've only won one game in our league, but hopefully we can come back. We've just been getting used to league play and getting the kinks out, so I think we'll be okay.

DP: How did you get in to volleyball?

Brian Hamming: My mom made me play. When I was a freshman in high school, basketball was my sport, and I played like nine months out of the year, but in the spring, my mom pretty much didn't want me to be around the house all the time, so she told me I should try another sport. It just became my first love.

EP: For me, it was kind of the same thing. I used to play basketball all the time, and when I got into high school I wanted to play either one. I went with volleyball and ended up liking it more than basketball and started playing club and just got really into it. Basically I just ended up liking the volleyball guys more than the basketball guys.

DP: So how are they different?

EP: The volleyball guys were always more laid back in high school. We always had more fun together, and volleyball is a little more team-oriented.

BH: Yeah, I would say that volleyball is really a lifestyle; it's not only just a sport. Like you can relate to a volleyball player from anywhere in the country.

DP: So what's the volleyball player lifestyle?

BH: You're looking at it. Long hair. West Coast. Laid back. Play hard, work hard.

DP: Do the guys give you a hard time because you're from the Midwest?

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BH: Oh yeah. I would say the coach gives me the hardest time. I'm constantly being referred to as a Midwest Chuck, which is basically a bad volleyball player. It gets pretty ugly. One time someone asked me seriously if I could see across Lake Michigan. It's like 110 miles long!

DP: What did you answer?

BH: I just stared at him.

DP: Evan, what do you think about the West Coast producing some of the top volleyball players?

EP: Clearly the top players are from the West Coast. You get the occasional fluke like Hammer and Mark. But basically on our team, anything you can find to make fun of someone for — you just use it.

DP: What's the craziest thing you've seen someone do or say to get into someone else's head.

BH: Nothing is sacred . . . girls, parents, sisters . . .

DP: I noticed that you called Brian "Hammer" — where did the nickname come from?

BH: Most of them come from Jason Liljestrom ['04]. He was really good with nicknames, so between him and Coach everyone on the team has one. Mine comes from my last name. Evan's is Hot Hands.

DP: Why is that?

EP: The first practice, someone tried to distract me by saying "hot hands," and then they just kept saying it every practice afterward.

BH: Yeah, he dishes out . . . smooth sets.

EP: It's a setting term. Our coach would call it flowing the nectar.

DP: Evan, I hear they also call you "Swan" — where did that come from?

EP: I think it came from the degeneration of my last name. It went from Pasion to Pasión to Paswan — basically any name you can get from Pasion. I think from Paswan it went to Swan — it'll probably change again.

DP: Any words of advice?

BH: Whatever you do, don't ever say "spike." It's hitting — passing, setting, hitting.

EP: That's how you know someone doesn't play volleyball.

DP: But I've read quotes about some of you saying: "Bump, set, spike, chicks, brews."

EP: That's a reference to volleyball in the '90s.

BH: Yeah, it's a quote from our team movie, "Sideout." It's pretty much the only volleyball movie ever made, so we don't have much to choose from.

DP: What's the weirdest thing you've seen at a volleyball game?

BH: We had a streaker at our first game this season.

DP: What did the other team say?

BH: They had just gotten blown out so they were in a really intense huddle, but I think the best reaction came from our trainer, Natalie. This is her first year, and this was 20 minutes into her first game. She had been working on my shoulder, and she asked, "Does this sort of thing always happen?"