Boys volleyball is starting up. After only a few weeks practicing together, the teams are starting quickly with three games this week.

Varsity head coach Chelsea Peresie has been working hard to push the team into competition form and get them into the winning mindset.

The team has a lot to prove this year considering the young roster. Sophomores are the dominating class on these rosters.

To some coaches this may appear to be an extra challenge, but Peresie sees it as an opportunity. She acknowledges that this class is one of the strongest classes she has gotten to train.

“We knew that when they entered the gym as freshmen and they continue to lead with focus and grit,” Peresie said.

She gives some of the credit to the NC feeder team, WILD. Founded five years ago, WILD has allowed Peresie to have access to training her athletes from a young age.

“[The current sophomore class] simply started when they were younger and have had more time to be in our gym,” Peresie said.

In addition to having a lot to prove because of the young roster, the team is heading into the season unranked for the first time in three years.

However, rather than allowing this to impact their mindsets, the team is using it as motivation.

“[We are] focusing on closing the gap and getting back in the mix throughout this season,” Peresie said.

Peresie believes that by the end of March the team will have found their rhythm in order to compete and push their way back into the top 10.

A recent development, boys volleyball becoming an IHSAA-sanctioned sport has proven to be exciting and a relief on the load of work put on the coaches. Because of this, the number of schools competing has almost doubled.

Athletic director Andy Elkins and assistant athletic director Azjah Bass have been working to provide additional support and organization to the program.

As the pool of athletes grows, the sport becomes more competitive. Many of these athletes have taken up club volleyball in order to have a higher chance to make the team, especially in the more competitive programs.

Although they played without much support for many years, boys volleyball has developed into a highly competitive and popular sport. Through the hard work and consistency of coaches like Peresie the sport has become what it is today.