The OSAA is considering offering boys volleyball as a sport. The question is when, and if there are enough bodies to fill a team at schools like Days Creek.
Traditionally a girls sport in Oregon, volleyball for boys would be offered during the spring, when gymnasiums weren’t being used by basketball and girls volleyball teams. That would put boys volleyball during the same season as baseball and track and field at Days Creek. Larger schools offer tennis, golf and lacrosse during the spring.
Days Creek has a strong tradition in volleyball, with four state championships.
Science teacher Ryan Flerlage was a college volleyball player in Minnesota and coaches the middle school girls team.
“I think it’s great,” Flerlage said.
It gives young men another sport to excel in.”
But Flerlage acknowledged that a school Days Creek’s size would struggle to field its own boys team.
“We probably would have to Co-op with other schools,” he said.
Students at Days Creek responded to the news with mild interest.
“I would join but don’t think that many other boys would because it’s during baseball season and baseball is are more manly,” said sophomore Taye Richey.
Junior Keegan Stufflebeam is an all-league baseball player for the Wolves. At 6-foot-5, Stufflebeam would be a prime middle blocker for a boys volleyball team.
“I like baseball more than football so I wish it was during the girls volleyball season,” Stufflebeam said.
Days Creek has produced male volleyball talent. Kasey Dunn graduated in 2011 and went on to play college volleyball. He first played at Santa Monica College and later Lindenwood University.
2023 graduate Landon Kruzic comes from a volleyball family, and played on the middle schoo’s B team, when allowed, in the late 2010s.
¨ I think it would be a good thing,” Kruzic said. “Days Creek volleyball has a good reputation so I think it would be a successful thing. But at the same time it would take kids out of whatever other sport there is in that season.¨
The sport is still in the emerging phase. According to OSAAToday’s Jerry Ulmer, 50 schools need to adopt the sport for it to be considered full-fledged.