FEATURE: Students Form After School Spikeball Club

Spikeball Spikes Students’ Interest, forming after school club

Mallory Thompson

Sophomore Everett Essman gets back on his feet after diving for the ball.

Lilly Wall

After playing his first game of spikeball this summer, sophomore and co-founder Marvin Kapfer was hooked. Spikeball is a game played in teams of two in which the pair has three contacts to hit the 12 inch ball onto a circular net in hopes to prevent the other team from returning the ball.

Transitioning into the school year, Kapfer and co-founder sophomore Connor MacFarland settled on forming a spikeball club. Both founders were looking to create a place to get peers involved and to be a part of something. 

“I’ve met really cool people through spikeball club that I probably wouldn’t have found through just not involving myself,” sophomore Nick Sprecker said.

Additionally for MacFarland, it was a matter of building pre-established friendships.

“A lot of my friends are in spikeball club but I feel like our relationships have been strengthened because of it,” MacFarland said. “People that I never would have said hi to in the halls are becoming people who I can count on.” 

The first meeting was hosted Nov. 2 after school on the soccer field. It consisted of six people, but since then, the club has grown significantly in numbers- reaching a number of 22 members at spikeball’s debut tournament hosted on Nov. 9. 

The tournament consisted of teams of two playing through a winners and consolation bracket organized by Kapfer. 

“It makes me happy because it [the rise in numbers] shows that people are interested, getting out of their comfort zone, doing something after school and meeting new people,” MacFarland said.

Co-founder sophomore Marvin Kapfer prepares to return the ball during spikeball club. (Mallory Thompson)

Moving forward, Kapfer hopes to consistently host tournaments, grow a positive environment and to expand the club as a whole.

“Come see if you like it and stay for a game,” Sprecker said. “You don’t have to be good at spikeball. You don’t even have to know how to play, we’ll teach you. It’s really open and you’re gonna have a fun time.”

If you are interested in joining spikeball club, reach out to [email protected] or Kapfer and MacFarland for more information.