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MSHSL considers boys volleyball
Boy’s volleyball has the potential to become a fully sanctioned Minnesota State High School League sport if approved by a vote on Tuesday.
CHASKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Chaska-Chanhassen Stormhawks volleyball team has started from the bottom this spring, recruiting 20 players to practice before 6 a.m. on schooldays and late on Sunday nights.
Boys’ volleyball is not currently a Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) sanctioned sport, so the Stormhawks struggle to get use of facilities, drive themselves to all events, and pay much higher fees.
Now, the team hopes the high school league will reward its passion, by sanctioning boys’ volleyball as an official varsity sport.
"These guys are really excited to play the game. We have to kick them out of the gym at the end of every practice, so they just want to keep playing," Stormhawks assistant coach Joe Wilson told FOX 9. "They want to be recognized as a legitimate sport in the state of Minnesota."
"It’s super important not just for me, but for the upcoming younger kids," Stormhawks captain Brady Busch added.
The change could come as soon as Tuesday morning, when the league’s representative assembly votes. Fans of boys’ volleyball have been pushing for the change for years; but one year ago they fell just one vote short. At the time, people against the incorporation of boys’ volleyball cited Title IX concerns, thin budgets, and a lack of facility space.
In the meantime, the Minnesota Boys Volleyball Association has provided some opportunities, and now reports nearly 2,000 across 72 club teams
If approved as a MSHSL sport, each school district will then decide for itself whether or not to add a boys’ volleyball team.
"I’d be over joyed if it did come through and it all came together," Stormhawks captain Seth Vang said. "And if I didn’t, you know, maybe there’s always next year."