We all know how much people love volleyball in the Ozarks.
That love is being shared by boys like Rogersville’s Caleb Vogt.
“It kind of gives me a different outlook on how different sports work,” Caleb said.
Caleb started playing club volleyball in November of 2022.
“A lot of my friends played for the 417 team,” Caleb said. “I [didn’t] the year prior but they kind of convinced me this year. They kind of talked me into it. I decided I’d you know, try it out.”
Caleb plays for Coach Logan Beach, who started playing years ago for the love of the game.
“We didn’t have it at all,” Beach said. “As we were growing up we got to play in coed tournaments. We met different people through it, learned to play on our own no one really coached us a lot.”
Beach and his friend started a club volleyball team in Springfield four years ago.
“We just expanded from a team of eight to now we’re at three teams and they’re all like 30 kids,” Beach said.
With an increase in interest, Beach wants to expand into schools.
“We’ve had a lot of kids that have been really excited about doing it on a school level because it’s something they can do that represents their school, themselves, and their families and friends,” Beach said.
There’s already interest in the Ozarks. “The schools that are doing it here are doing it as an unsanctioned sport, like a club like bass fishing and trap and stuff like that,” he added.
There’s no timeline for when MSHSAA could vote for the sport to be sanctioned. Right now there are teams in Rogersville, Nixa, Republic, at Kickapoo and Central, Ozark, and in Branson.
“Apparently the next voting cycle they’re supposed to be voting for it because we’ve had enough schools. We’re at 50 schools for a couple years in a row with St. Louis and Kansas City combined,” Beach said.
For now, it’s yet to be an official Spring sport, but these two are hoping that day comes.
“Getting to represent your town and your family and your friends in your own big stadium at home, nothing’s cooler than that,” Beach said.
