Gallery • 5 Photos

Jumping up, Leonard Meseberg (10) attempts to block the ball being spiked at him. Braden Whitney (12) was right next to him in case of a tip to the side.

   This past year, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) introduced boys’ volleyball as an emerging sport for high schools. Many students were excited to hear about this and were excited about the opportunity to play. Though many have played at different clubs in the area, others have never played. They started practices over the Winter, but the official season was not until the Spring. Many of their practices in Winter were early in the morning before school. In several Instagram posts by Coach Naveed Nizam, the boys were nicknamed the “Breakfast Club” due to how early they were in the gym. They did not stop working.

   Though the sports are very similar, there are a few key differences between boys’ and girls’ volleyball at the current moment. For one, boys’ volleyball has a net much higher than girls’. A standard high school boys’ volleyball net is eight feet, while a standard girls’ net is seven feet two inches. Another major difference is in the uniforms. Girls’ volleyball is known for having very tight uniforms and spandex shorts. Boys’ volleyball is very different; they have loose-fitting shorts and shirts. Some schools do not have uniforms for their teams yet and are having their players wear the uniforms of other sports such as soccer.

   Though they are only starting out their season, the boys have already played three games. During their DAC-O-Rama on Mar. 11, they played both Valparaiso and Michigan City. Though they lost both of those games, they fought and took both teams to three sets in their best-of-three games. The team also traveled to Bishop Noll on Mar. 16, and both varsity and JV came out with a win. This was the first win for a boys’ volleyball team at Lake Central ever.