Club Volleyball Begins

Some people know volleyball as a fall sport during high school but many athletes play volleyball all year round. Girls from around the country play club volleyball: players try out for a select team based on their age group to play with girls that they may or may not know. The teams vary in age groups from 10U up to 18U. Some of the local clubs in Washington County include Desoto Domination, Mineral Area, and Natural Disasters. As a member of a club team, I have learned a lot about volleyball by playing with new players and different rules. 

Waking up at 8:00 AM every Saturday is tough. I know I have trouble wanting to get up and play volleyball until 4:00 PM. As the girls walk in, they get their temperatures taken and are released to the gym. When the girls are not up to play, they are either taking a break or they are reffing. Officiating the games allows the players to learn more about the sport. It helps them understand the types of calls that are made and other sanctions. The main referee positions are up referee, down referee, line judge, score keeper, and bookkeeper. 

As an up/1st referee they mostly call ball handling and court faults, which they signal by blowing the whistle and showing the call with their hands. A down/2nd  referee takes care of substitutions and net violations. They also signal that by a whistle and hand signals. The next position is line judge. They watch the line for if a ball is in or out. They signal that by using a flag and pointing it up for out and down for in. The scorekeeper flips a card whenever the team wins a point, and the bookkeeper keeps track of everything that happens on the court.

At PHS, multiple girls play on teams and travel to many different areas to play in these tournaments, and COVID-19 precautions make it harder for these girls to play their sport. 

Sophomore Kadence Sadler is on a team called NDSP 16. Her team has 8 girls and they travel all over the area to  play in these tournaments. Sadler said,” I hate having to wear a mask, but as long as I get to play volleyball I’m happy.” With all the new restrictions because of COVID, many girls and teams have chosen not to participate in tournaments and qualifiers. 

Sadler also said, “I’m glad they are still having all these tournaments even though this pandemic is happening.” Sadler was also shocked that they were still having their national qualifiers in Kansas City, MO at the beginning of April.  

At most tournaments the restrictions are very strict. The players are required to wear a mask while playing at all times and so are the coaches. Freshman Paige West said, “I hate playing in the tournaments with a mask, but it’s worth it because I love volleyball.” The parents also have to wear a mask while sitting in the stands while the number of spectators are limited.   

Although the club volleyball season has been challenging, there are still teams out there doing their best to keep it going. With COVID it’s hard but the girls are working to overcome this pandemic and hope that it won’t ruin their season.