South Rowan boys volleyball team.

Staff report

SALISBURY — The high school sports world has seen girls wrestling blossom as a full-fledged NCHSAA sport in recent years, and boys volleyball may not be far behind.

Boys volleyball probably has surpassed girls flag football as the next sport that will be fully sanctioned and will conclude seasons with NCHSAA championships.

Boys volleyball has been around for a while. Sarah Conklin, who holds the title of director of the N.C. Boys Volleyball Association, is credited with getting the male version of the sport started in four Union County middle schools in the 2016-17 school year and there was interest at the high school level, but COVID stalled growth statewide.

Only seven N.C. high school participated in boys volleyball in 2022.

High School OT reports that number improved to 25 in 2023 and 68 in 2024 before mushrooming to 135 — that’s public and private schools — in the spring of 2025.

All the Rowan schools and A.L. Brown joined the boom this spring and had a great time playing local schedules. South Rowan had the best Rowan squad, went undefeated in the regular season and won a playoff game.

About half of the state’s schools in the 4A classification fielded volleyball teams this year.

State championships were conducted at Queens University recently by the N.C. Boys Volleyball Association for 4A and 1A/2A/3A divisions. West Forsyth topped Hough 3-1 for the 4A title, while Triangle Science & Math beat Mount Pleasant 3-1 in the 1A/2A/3A final. Mount Pleasant won an exciting second set, 36-34.

The rules used for the boys are the same as for the girls.

The benefits — being part of a team and playing for something bigger than yourself — are also the same.

Once the sport is sanctioned by the NCHSAA, and there’s not much doubt that it’s going to happen in the next year or two, it’s likely that just about all of the state’s schools will field teams.