Every fall sports season, Grand Ledge High School’s three volleyball teams draw in large crowds to the gymnasium with their skill and ability. Besides Buff & Tuff, an annual one-night event where men get to play volleyball at GL, however, men’s volleyball is non-existent at Grand Ledge. This year, however, things may change with Grand Ledge’s newest club: Men’s Volleyball. Although this is the club’s first year, it is already wildly successful and the bleachers are packed at each session.
    “In our first three sessions, we have regularly had a number of students in the high 30’s or low 40’s,” senior Tyler McCready said. “It’s not even just one grade, we get all grades of high schoolers, even some middle schoolers.”
    Despite being nearly 40 members strong already, the club is easily staying coordinated and directed every Wednesday night. The members range in different age groups; middle schoolers to high schoolers have their chance to show off their skills on the court.
    “Every practice for a warm up we play King of the Court, and if you win you stay, but if you lose you go back in line.” McCready said. “We have also been working on our technique, especially on how to receive the ball and spike it.”
    King of the Court is a game where teams of three students go on the court and play one rally of volleyball, rotating teams over and over every time a rally is lost. Even though a lot of students have been participating in the club every single Wednesday, students in the club still feel like there is a lot of room for improvement. After all, the club has only had a presence at GL for one month.
    “Right now, we are entirely athleticism and no technique,” Luke Huisken, a junior, said. “For a lot of our club members, this is their first actual opportunity to participate on a volleyball team, so this is an entirely new experience for them.”
    Despite the need for improvement, many of the members are hopeful for the outcome of the club. Especially now that the club has consistently attracted large groups of students who return each and every week.
    “We have a lot of great kids this year,” Huisken said. “I think we’ll be able to have our dream team by this spring, and we might even be able to compete against other teams.”
    Currently, the men’s volleyball club meets on Wednesday evenings from 8m to 9 pm in the gymnasium, although it occasionally runs longer. As of now the club meets once a week, but there is hope for more days of practice in the near future. Athletes are excited for how successful the club has been, and are hopeful for their overarching plan: to be able to have a competitive team by spring 2020.