There were pink accents everywhere in Mitchell Hall on Wednesday.

T-shirts, socks, wristbands, balloons, even game programs. The splashes of bright color represented the annual "Dig for the Cure" promotion, which helps raise money for breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

It is a cause that now has deep meaning for the UW-La Crosse volleyball team, which faced

UW-Oshkosh amid the sea of pink.

Eagles coach Sheila Perkins found out during a checkup on July 31 that she had a one-centimeter wide cancerous tumor in her upper right abdomen. The tumor was removed during surgery on Aug. 31, and no other tumors were found.

Perkins will visit her doctor today to finalize her course of treatment.

"The first week was tough," Perkins said. "Right now, I'm fine, I'm pretty much back."

UW-L junior libero Melannie Tate said the team tried to give Perkins a boost with an upset of the NCAA Division III No. 1-ranked Titans. That didn't happen, but Tate was proud of how hard the young Eagles played in a 25-10, 25-15, 25-16 loss.

"We knew coming in how good Oshkosh is, but we really wanted to play well for her," Tate said. "You could tell how much adrenaline we had. We wanted to win so bad."

Perkins, 56, said there is no history of cancer in her family. She still kept up with annual breast cancer screenings, and credits that for early detection of her tumor.

"If I hadn't had the screening, I wouldn't have known, and I would have been in serious trouble," Perkins said. "That's why awareness is so important."

For Perkins, the timing of first finding out about the tumor, and then the surgery, couldn't have been more mentally and physically demanding.

"When I was diagnosed on July 31, it was 19 days away from when the team was going to report," Perkins said. "Then, it was a two-pronged thing. I really needed to take care of myself, but with the team coming in, I had to do what I needed to do for them."

Perkins said the support from her players and assistant coaches has been superb. Technically, Perkins is in recovery mode from her surgery, so she can't participate physically in practices.

No serving, no setting in drills, no major exertion.

"I can still yell," she said.

Even with those doctor-imposed limitations, Perkins looks forward to the routine of daily practices.

"It's normalcy, and that's really important," Perkins said. "It's relaxing to be in the gym, or the classroom, it keeps you sane."

Perkins' support system starts right outside her office door, across a narrow corridor in Mitchell Hall. UW-L women's soccer coach Sara Burton was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in May 2007.

Burton, who watched the end of Wednesday's match, has been cancer-free for two years. Now, she's doing what she can to help Perkins through a tough time.

"We faced very different situations, but there are always points you can relate on," Burton said. "The commonality is that we were both diagnosed early and have good prognoses."

Perkins is in her 16th season at UW-La Crosse and 21st in college volleyball, with a resume that includes 473 total wins. At UW-L, she's put together 14 straight 20-win seasons, including four national tournament appearances in the last six years.

As a teacher and coach, Perkins can't help but see the lessons in fighting cancer and guiding young students and athletes.

"The parallels are that if you choose to do something, it has to be at your best level," Perkins said. "You try to get better every single day. My doctors have done absolutely everything for me, and that's all I ask of my kids, too."