During the 2013-2014 school year, a new sport got its start at Notre Dame Academy: Boys Volleyball. Played in the fall, the team began with nearly 20 guys who had no knowledge of volleyball.

Fast forward to 2016:  Notre Dame Boys Volleyball team has grown to 27 players  between the varsity and junior varsity level and, more importantly, “players are coming in with more knowledge about the sport and are excited to be a part of something new at NDA,” said Daniel Winkler, JV Coach for the Boys Volleyball team.

The team consists of seniors Max Liegel, Chris Fineout, Lachlan Johnson, Alex Steber, Jackson Martin, Thomas Shade and juniors Connor Hennigan, Matthew Rader, Reese Johnson, Jacob Larsen, Zach Sengstock, Paul Gapinski, Jackson Strohmeyer and Jon Zacharias.

As far as long-term goals go the team hopes to create “three full field teams in the next few years,” said Winkler and this year they hope to establish themselves as true competitors in the Fox Valley Association which consists of teams Appleton North, Appleton East, Appleton West, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Neenah and Fond du Lac.

The team hopes to do this by “bouncing back from our loss to Appleton West in the first playoff game (of last year) and change the history of men’s volleyball at NDA and be the first team to ever win a regional game,” said Liegel, a senior member and original Boys Volleyball team member.

The team owes its current  growth to the welcoming environment it has created for new members.

“Give it a try, stop by for a practice and if you don’t like it, you’re not obligated to come back again,” said senior volleyball player Fineout.

Luckily for the Boys Volleyball team, most players come back after the first practice, and one of the many reasons might be because “ladies seem to be into guys in a volleyball jersey, so that’s a plus,” said Liegel.

The increase in boys going out for the team has also increased the fan following at Notre Dame, turning it into a fan favorite sport to watch.

“I love it because I can really get my head in the game from the sidelines,” said spectator Jack Gille.

If any players are interested in joining the up and coming boys volleyball team, they should see either Liegel, Larsen or Winkler.

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