CLEVELAND — St. Ignatius High School’s boys volleyball coach Dominick Adornato has a coaching staff and enough players for a varsity team and a two JV teams, but they’re just a club sport.
The players don’t see it that way.
“Even before high school, these guys have been playing since 6th grade,” Adornato said.
That’s about to change since the Ohio High School Athletic Association recently voted to add boys volleyball as an official interscholastic sport. The team is currently playing in the OHSAA.
The school has the hardware to show it. Adornato said he is an alum of the program, and he’s hoping he can add to the school’s history of sports success.
“It’s always nice to get a bigger trophy,” Adornato said.
Senior Liam Walsh won’t be there when the team becomes certified, but said the program will be in good hands.
“A lot more teams will start joining. It will become a bigger thing,” Walsh said.
Junior Patrick O’Neil will be there and can’t wait to lead the team in its first year as an official sport.
“Volleyball’s kind of referred to as a dominantly feminine sport. The fact that it’s getting sanctioned for boys, I think it’s really gonna help grow the game,” O’Neil said.
The coach and the players treat this game like it’s already a certified sport.
Adornato said there won’t be much of a difference when they play next year.
“The only difference will be that we’re a certified sport,” Adornato said with a laugh.
