The boys volleyball club has started up for its second year at Central with coaches Ariel Gass and Jackson Jordan helping to make it possible.
Gass started the club after seeing interest at orientation while running a table for girls’ volleyball. While there aren’t enough players to do matches against other teams, the club mainly runs drills and perfects techniques.
“Competition wise, we don’t necessarily have teams that we compete against so what I’m really focusing on is skills,” Gass said.
For example, the team started out with some basics last week such as setting, serving, passing and working on keeping the ball under control. “There are some serious hits, some serious digs, and it’s a ton of fun. It’s super-fast-paced, and I think anyone would be able to enjoy it,” Jordan said.
In Nebraska, boys’ volleyball is not a school sanctioned sport. As of May 2025, it is in 36 other states. Boys volleyball not being school sanctioned in Nebraska has numerous downsides including lack of competition and certain resources, but the biggest for this team is the dedication.
“They don’t think it’s as big of a deal. So, it’s not as likely that people might come out for it,” Jordan said.
Despite this, there are some benefits that have come from the lack of state recognition, one of which is how the smaller group of students is easier to coach.
“I’m just kind of getting to know the students that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise academically. So, now I get to see them in a different light, I can nitpick a little bit more and have higher expectations,” Gass said.
For sophomore Tae Nar, one of the players on the team, boys volleyball not being school sanctioned doesn’t impact him all that much anyway.
“There are still other boys I can play outside of school with, and they sometimes join from time to time. It’s still a fun experience,” Nar said.
While boys volleyball has been gaining popularity around the country, there are still many misinterpretations over the sport, especially regarding gender. Volleyball has always been more popular as a girls’ sport, and many still think of it as just that.
“We have the facilities, we have the ability to do it, but no guys are really playing. So, I would like to see it get switched to not such a gender exclusive sport,” Jordan said.
In recent years, this connotation has slowly been erased, so it’s the coaches hope that more students want to join boys’ volleyball in the future.
“I’m interested to see how it grows in the coming years. This being our second season, I want it to start spreading a little more,” Jordan said.
