OSAA has officially made boys volleyball a sanctioned sport for the upcoming spring season including almost 70 Oregon teams that will compete for the first annual state title. Boys volleyball has been an emerging sport for the past two years and is finally hitting center stage, but will LHS pursue a team?
LHS athletic director John Parke is planning to host open training sessions to gain interest and offer a team in the following 2026-27 season.
“My plan in the spring is to advertise a couple open gyms where we get guys playing just for fun,” said Parke.
Boys volleyball isn’t the only sport that has gained traction in past years. The girls flag football team has been offered at LHS for the past two years. Although flag football is still an emerging sport, meaning it’s not officially recognized activity yet, it’s been a popular addition boasting rosters of 24 on varsity and 20 on JV.
Last year the flag football team was ranked No. 1 in the state and made it to the first round of playoffs, showing that a new sport at LHS can be competitive.
On the other hand, creating a new school sport comes with a hefty price, and with district wide budget cuts and not enough interest, LHS is not ready to pursue a boys volleyball team this upcoming spring season.
“It’s about $30 to $45 thousand minimum for us to put a team together and buy coaches and rest and transportation, and we didn’t budget for that yet,” said Parke.
There is already a bit of student interest, which is promising if LHS will have a team.
“Volleyball is a fun sport,” said junior Heath Outcalt. “I always thought the game is something everyone should be able to play.”
If you’re interested in joining the new LHS boys volleyball team, talk to Parke or look out for an announcement, they need as much support as they can to start running.
