Boys volleyball on its way to becoming first OSAA sport in nearly 50 years

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Back in 2023, the OSAA approved boys volleyball as an emerging sport, playing its first OSAA season in the spring of 2024.

A season later, and there are now 70 schools with teams — well past the 50-team threshold the OSAA needs to fully sanction the sport next fall.

“I will probably cry and jump for joy all at the same time,” said Central Catholic head coach Sharlene Alagar if boys volleyball does indeed become a fully-fledged OSAA sport.

That certainly makes sense considering where the Central Catholic boys volleyball program started.

The Rams launched their team in the spring of 2023, before the sport was recognized by the OSAA.

“It was hard. It wasn’t easy. Nobody really cared about volleyball,” said Alagar. “We weren’t really on the radar. We were like a club, kind of on the side doing our thing. We started off using re-used uniforms. We just had to get really scrappy and gritty with it.”

They’ve also had to battle stigmas. For a lot of young men, they’ve only seen volleyball played by girls.

“We have a lot of athletes who are multisport athletes whether they’re track athletes, basketball athletes, football athletes. It’s funny because they start coming to open gyms, and they’ll come to me, and they’ll be like, ‘Coach, this is really humbling.’ And I’ll say, ‘Why?’ And they’ll say, ‘Because volleyball’s a lot harder than I thought,’” said Alagar.

But there’s a reward, especially for the players not just on Central, but on the other 69 schools participating around the state.

“I’m just so proud of everyone who’s grown in the sport, even my rivals that I go against. It’s just so nice to see everyone grow,” said setter Dwight Nguyen.

“If you look at any boys’ volleyball account, we’re reposting other people because we just want to promote the sport. It’s really that community of the sport that makes it so popular,” said middle blocker Henry Ruginis.

That community is hoping that they’ll be the first sport added by the OSAA since softball in 1979.

“All I know is that once I see that state championship banner at the top of our school for the first inaugural season, that’s what I’m looking forward to,” said Ruginis.