Image credit: Stella Contreras
According to CBS News Minnesota, boys volleyball is the fastest growing boys sport in the country, and Minnesota has recently become a major contributor to the rise in participation. As of May 9th, 2023, Minnesota has officially become the 25th state to sanction the sport for the high school league, per Kare 11 News. The idea was pioneered by the former University of Minnesota head girls volleyball coach, Hugh McCutcheon, as well as Walt Weaver, the MN Boys High School Volleyball Association Director and Northern Lights Club Coach. The sport will officially begin during the 2024-2025 school year. However, what everyone will want to know is will boys volleyball be a possibility for AHA students, and are students even interested in joining the sport?
Dan Keller, the assistant athletic director at AHA said the most prominent concern he has would be the consistent interest level and involvement of the student body. In order for AHA to commit to the MSHSL, Keller said there needs to be a “sustainable number of students in varying grades.” Joining the league wouldn’t just be a pick-and-choose when you participate activity; there would have to be a consistent number of players in order for it to function. Another complicating factor would be the other spring sports like baseball, golf, tennis, track, and lacrosse. Students would have to choose which sport they would like to participate in, which could be an additional limitation to the involvement. Keller stated that, “Holy Angels starting boys volleyball as a club team that practices and scrimmages against other school[s] before being introduced as a full MSHSL recognized varsity program, seems to be a more likely potential depending on the commitment of students and logistics from school administration.”
Boys at AHA have expressed their interest in participating. Shailin Patel ’25 said, “I would definitely join and many of my friends would, but it depends on what season.” Patel explained how many of his friends already participate in a recreational volleyball team, The Pearl Park Puffins. Other students expressed their concern about it interfering with other sports, but the majority said that they would choose volleyball if it became an option. Overall, it seems the male student body at AHA is in support of a boys volleyball team.