FEATURE: Students Form After School Spikeball Club

Spikeball Spikes Students’ Interest, forming after school club

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

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.