Why boys volleyball has become a huge sport at Jefferson
Boys volleyball is a relatively small community. Only eight Rockford-area schools have teams. Only 16 states had boys volleyball as an official sport until six more picked it up last year. It's the second-smallest NCAA sport with 29 Division I teams, ahead of only water polo.
But it is huge at Jefferson.
Jefferson’s gym is packed every day with 43 players at three different levels (varsity, JV and freshman).
And that is only half the players who tried out for the team in early March.
More: The Cofield kids: Bracius family carries on mom's athletic tradition at Rockford school
“We took three days of three-hour tryouts,” coach Nicole Miller said of trying to sift through 85 potential players. “We tried to give them as much time as we possibly could. We even brought a handful back for a fourth day for a final evaluation because we wanted to keep as many as possible.”
Jefferson hasn't had a full six-man golf team in years. It was the only school in NIC-10 history to not field a girls basketball team six years ago.
But the J-Hawks are swimming in volleyball players.
“That’s wild,” 6-foot-8 senior middle blocker Matthew Ekberg said. “Think about it: For swimming, we had six guys. Total. For the golf team, five guys tried out. We have eight times the number for two sports in one sport. That’s crazy. It’s a cool experience to be a part of.”
Jefferson has finished in the top three of the NIC-10 all six years volleyball has been an official league sport. And the J-Hawks have long been popular, with an average of 55 players trying out in recent years. But even veteran J-Hawks weren’t prepared for this year’s turnout.
“When I first walked into the gym, there were so many people here, it amazed me,” senior four-year starter Jayden Chanthayod said. “All these people want to come out and play for this school. My school."
Chanthayod hopes the players who didn't make the cut will work on their games and try again next year. There could be more room for then. Miller tried to put together a fourth team this year, adding one on the freshman/sophomore level, but couldn’t find opponents to play.
“We were a little overwhelmed this year,” Miller said, “but if our registration numbers look like that again next year, hopefully we will be able to get ahead of it. I would love to have this whole place filled with volleyball guys. We have five courts. If we could fill them with that many levels, it would be amazing.”
Jefferson actively keeps trying to grow the sport even more. Miller has installed a “Bring a Buddy” program, where varsity players brought in a new recruit.
The success of the J-Hawks is also playing a role in the high number of tryouts.
Jefferson had 90 players try out for boys soccer after Fernando Mercado coached them to their first-ever regional title in 2021. And the school supports its winners, sending the volleyball team on its first overnight trip to a tournament near St. Louis this year.
Athletic director Darrin Sisk also credits the stability of the coaching staff, many of whom have been with the program all 12 years, including four seasons before it became a NIC-10 sport.
"They have a willingness to teach anyone who is interested and hold open gyms," Sisk said. "They do a lot to promote the program."
It is a program that is quickly becoming king at Jefferson.
“It’s great watching all these underclassmen look up to us and want to be like us,” senior setter Andy Nava said. “That’s what pushed me to get better at the game and keep doing this.”
“I know we have a small sport,” Chanthayod said. “I have family in different states that don’t have boys teams there. I am grateful just to have a team. I love the sport.
“If we can keep growing it, then people younger than me can spread it around even more and everybody can start playing it.”
Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa City.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Jefferson boys volleyball became one of the most popular NIC-10 sports
