The gym buzzed with excitement as players took their positions, but for senior Sean Fletcher, it was more than just another practice. It was the start of a long-awaited dream.

The RHS boys’ volleyball club has officially started after years of effort from students. With school approval and a group of dedicated players, the team is now training for their first season.

“The dream of having a boys’ volleyball team started long before this season,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said some of the students had been trying to get the club going since freshman year.

“It finally clicked this year with the right approval, the right support, and here we are,” he said.

After a long battle for approval, the team received the green light from teh school administration to secure gym time and officially form a club.

With the paperwork and logistics settled, the team now practices on their home turf to build up their skills of their first league games.

“I’m really glad we got it going, especially for the seniors who have been waiting for this chance for so long,” Fletcher said.

Junior jv player Alex Castañeda described the atmosphere at practice as electric.

“Everyone’s just super pumped,” he said. “No one has had this opportunity before, and to finally have it at our school it’s huge.”

Castañeda said the team not only gets the chance to practice together, but they’re also developing lasting bonds.

“There are so many guys here who I didn’t even know played volleyball, it’s fun to get to know them through the game,” he said.

Senior girl’s varsity volleyball player Sarah Manning said when she heard about the club starting, she reached out to help and now she’s coaching jv.

“It’s been fun so far, though we’ve had a few challenges, weather delays and all, but the players are keeping their spirits up,” Manning said.

Fletcher said that the hardest part wasn’t the practice but securing gym time amidst all the other student-athletes’ schedules.

“It’s tough, but we’ve worked out a system with Coach Miracle, and we’re making it work,” Fletcher said.

The players and coaches said the challenges of creating and building the team are part of what makes this journey so memorable.

Fletcher said if they play in the top four in our district, they’ll make the playoffs, and that’s the goal.

“It’s something we can definitely achieve,” she said.

As Fletcher and team president Joseph prepare to graduate, they are confident the program will continue to grow under strong leadership.

“We’ve built a strong foundation, and I know the future looks bright,” Fletcher said.