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- ACTSports launched a boys volleyball program this spring due to increased demand and logistical feasibility.
- While girls volleyball is popular in area high schools, boys volleyball is less common, prompting ACTSports to foster its growth.
- Experienced coaches provided fundamental training, focusing on serving, passing, and setting, leading to significant player improvement.
ACTSports is hoping to grow the sport of boys volleyball in the area. The Christian-based youth sports organization, located in Augusta County just outside of Staunton, offers flag football, soccer, baseball and girls volleyball, but this spring it added boys volleyball.
Tracy Sherrill, the director of ACTSports, said families had been asking about volleyball for boys in recent years. It was something ACTSports wanted to add, but it was a matter of finding court time and coaches. The organization employed a full-time administrative position this year, something that helped ACTSports add a new sport to its offerings.
“It was just the right fit as far as the logistics,” Sherrill said.
Volleyball has been popular in area high schools for years, but only for girls. While the Virginia High School League does sponsor boys volleyball, it’s mostly in larger public schools. According to the Virginia High School League’s page, the organization sponsored two state championships for boys — one for classes 1-4 and one for 5-6.
In Virginia, where boys volleyball, like the girls game, is a fall sport, nearly 30 schools added the sport this past fall when Fairfax County began offering boys volleyball as a varsity-level sport. Before that many of the schools in that Northern Virginia county played boys volleyball as a club sport.
According to statistics from the National Federation of High Schools, boys high school volleyball across the country grew by 7,968 participants in the 2023-24 academic year. It jumped by 10,800 participants the year before that.
Yet, in the Shenandoah Valley, and specifically in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County, schools only offer girls volleyball. Sherrill hopes that ACTSports can play some role in changing that. It starts, she said, with getting boys interested in playing.
Boys volleyball began small this year, something Sherrill said ACTSports does with most of its new programs.
“You start small and you do it well and then you have something people want to be part of,” she said.
This year the organization had nine players sign up. They would like to grow that next year. It’s open to those in grades six through 12. For those interested in playing next spring, visit ACTSports website or its Facebook page for more information.
The group also added a co-ed volleyball program for younger children, second through fourth graders.
“Hopefully we can start exposing volleyball to guys a little younger,” Sherrill said.
Tiffany Eimers and Jenny Turner coached the older boys this spring. Eimers played at American University and has coached at the college level, including Mary Baldwin University. Turner played at Mary Washington and coached in Rockingham County.
Eimers said everyone wants to hit when they start playing volleyball, but the coaches began with the basics — serving and passing — for the athletes this spring.
“Lots of young men have a natural ability to set,” Eimers said. “We had a couple of setters on our team and then we worked into hitting.”
To begin the season, players struggled to get serves over the net, and when they did it was difficult to keep a rally going. In about a month she saw remarkable improvement in their play.
“It would be wonderful if it could grow and flourish,” Eimers said of boys volleyball. “It really is the ultimate team sport. Everybody has to contribute in order for it to work.”
— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at [email protected] and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
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