The landscape of Minnesota sports is changing; boys’ volleyball is now an officially sanctioned varsity sport. This spring, a new mark was made in the books for Mayo High School and the rest of Rochester for volleyball. This comes after years of pushing by players, coaches, and their families to make boys’ volleyball an official sport in Minnesota. Overall, there will be a phenomenal impact on volleyball players now and in future years here in Rochester.

The members of the team have been proud of what they’ve accomplished so far. Jackson Smith, a senior on the team, proclaimed that “this creates a new environment for kids to try,” and that “the volleyball atmosphere is so different from any other sport; that’s what new players will see.” Boys’ volleyball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Minnesota. Until now, if you wanted to try volleyball in a competitive setting, you would’ve had to travel to the Twin Cities to find a team. “Now we can play at home, wear the Mayo uniform, and represent our school,” Tucker Smith added, a sophomore on the team. 

The new Rochester volleyball team is under Coach Fredericks, commonly known as Coach Freddie. “Coach Fredricks has done a lot for the program,” Jackson said. Thanks to the groundwork laid, the team has a good chance to make a push into this inaugural season and the first postseason for the sport.

With the new sport came a full season for the team. “This year we [played] almost double the games compared to last season,” said Tucker. It was a good change for the team, as they played against more competitive players across the state and gained more experience. Although not playing in the Big 9, they faced mostly teams from the metro with some more regional opponents.

“This brings a new sport to Mayo,” said Jackson. This means new fans for the team and possibly the school as volleyball grows in popularity. This also means any students who want to try another sport have that option for spring, or if you already have a sport, this could be a good option for you. Tucker added, “It’s a fast-paced, non-contact team sport that you can be brand new to and still have a lot of fun.”