Girls volleyball is the most successful athletic program on campus having won a state championship in six of the last seven years. Now, a guy’s volleyball team is trying to get its feet off the ground practicing once a week on under the guidance of parent Kyle Komenda.

“I’m originally from the Phoenix area where boys volleyball is a varsity sport. I was a successful coach back there before deciding to go to law school,” Komenda said. “A lifetime later, I’m ready to help start a new tradition at Lovejoy, one I hope my boys, four and eight years old, will someday be able to enjoy.”

Previous attempts at starting a boys volleyball team on campus have never taken off, but this time, things appear to be going better.

”So far there are about ten of us. We pretty much spend our practices hitting and setting and learning the basics,” junior Justin Kirkpatrick said. “It’s fun learning a somewhat new sport. I have no idea what position I play yet, and I don’t think anyone else really does either. We all get along for the most part, and it’s been pretty fun and not that hard. I don’t know when our season officially starts, but I do know that people are still welcome to join.”

The sand court at The Village of Fairview has attracted students for years, but the start of a club team gives guys the chance for play even more.

“I play beach volleyball a lot, and there were a couple of guys who wanted to play even more, but we didn’t have a chance,” sophomore Taylor Westberg said. “There was word that there was going to be a team so we got excited. We also played in a powder puff tournament and that made us want to form a team even more.”

But despite the excitement of starting a new program, the guys volleyball team is struggling with the reality of being a club program.

“We probably are not going to have enough people to play because a lot of guys have spring football, track, and some are getting jobs so no one is showing up to practice,” Westberg said. “We have a coach who is willing to be flexible but lately not enough people are showing up to form a team.”

Although the number of players is a concern, coach Komenda has a vision for the team.

“My number one goal is to establish a team and boys’ volleyball program that sustains beyond this first season and provides Lovejoy students the opportunity to play boys’ volleyball for decades to come,” Komenda said. “Part and parcel of reaching this goal is having a successful first season on the court and getting off to a strong start.  We’re waiting to see how the final roster develops, but I think we have a really good shot at being in the upper echelon of the league this season. I always say that Lovejoy is the high school volleyball capital of Texas, and we want to extend that into this new boys league.”