By Catherine Garrett | [email protected]

Led by senior outside hitter Gavin Hiller and sophomore setter Austin Shepherd, the Copper Hills High boys volleyball team finished eighth at the Utah Boys Volleyball Association state tournament May 10–11.

“This was my first experience at the state tournament, and it was a great experience,” head coach Earle Fenstermaker said. “There is a special buzz about the state tournament. The boys really improved from the beginning of the season to the end. It was fun to see them get better and show more confidence while playing.”

Senior Landon Ervin led the team in blocks this season, while freshman Porter Jensen recorded the most serving aces.

The 2019 Grizzlies team also included seniors Jaxon Byers, Kiana Gasu and Drew Richards; juniors Parker Fuller and Ellis Schmidt; and freshman Davis McCurdy.

“We really grew as a team and played much more unified by the end of the season,” Fenstermaker said. “This is the hardest working, humble and fun team I have ever had. It was fantastic to spend time with [the boys] and watch them grow.”

The Utah Boys Volleyball Association was created five years ago to grow the sport that had already been competing for more than two decades. The number of teams in Utah continues to climb. This year, there were 70 teams playing in different leagues throughout the state.

“The growth of boys volleyball in the last five years has been incredible,” Fenstermaker said. “I have seen new schools in our league and heard this was the largest state tournament. Also, in the club level, there are more and more clubs adding teams and new clubs popping up.”

Although boys volleyball is not currently sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association, discussions are ongoing as the sport gains more and more momentum.

“Anyone who has ever seen boys play at a competitive level know it is a very different and exciting game to watch, so we are hopeful the culture of boys volleyball will continue to build and become more accepted and supported by our community at large,” UBVA president Jill Davis said.

For more information on the UBVA, visit www.ubva.info or email [email protected].