THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 3: DECEMBER

15 | SPORTS

Sophomores from Georgia and Scarlett Middle School

start first chapter of Huron Men’s Volleyball club
VISH GONDESI with each other and we always
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF complained about it. I was
really frustrated. We did a lot
Shortly after school let out, of research and I emailed a
sophomores Alexander bunch of teachers about it, but
D’Haene and Zubair Abshir it was unfortunate.”
would go to play volleyball for Abshir was one of the
six to seven hours on a small first people D’Haene reached
squash court. It was in one of out to about forming the club.
their neighborhood recreation “I was like this is
centers, which didn’t even perfect since last year I tried
have enough space to serve. to email teachers about it,”
But, it was in those enclosed Abshir said. “It was a crazy
walls, on those weekdays, coincidence since Alex hadn’t
where the two connected over played volleyball before.”
their passion for the sport — Currently, the
which led them to become Michigan High School Athletic
the co-founders of the Huron Association (MHSAA) doesn’t
Men’s Volleyball club. designate men’s volleyball as
For D’Haene, these an official sport. Therefore,
sessions were his first times even with all the emails — to
playing volleyball in Michigan. the athletic director, Huron
He moved from Georgia for teachers and Abshir’s old
the start of his sophomore Scarlett contacts — Abshir and
year. D’Haene received just as many
“I didn’t get to rejections.
participate in any That was until they
clubs or sports,” met Huron teacher, former
D’Haene said. U of M club volleyball player
“In Georgia, they and Huron Women’s Assistant
actually have Volleyball coach Veronica
high school Choe.
volleyball, so I “First of all, whoever’s
kind of thought running it is doing it for free
it was a given right now because it’s not a
that ‘Oh, this club sport yet,” Choe said.
is a game I’m “It’s still just a school activity.
interested in. You have to fight for gym
I might be able time. You’re changing in the
to pick it up and bathroom right before class.
play here to meet The coach has to wake up
new people.’ And early and go to school for free,
then to find out because they just want to do it.
that they didn’t I’m in a position this year to be
have a team able to handle it.”
here I was like, At first, Choe thought
‘Alright, well, D’Haene and Abshir were
let’s see what we “upperclassmen the way they
Sophpomore can do about conducted themselves.”
Alexander that.’”
“I wouldn’t do it
D’Haene has ning of the Huron Men’s Volleyball club has humble begin-
if it wasn’t for Zubair and
his eyes set on P r e v i o u s l y
Alex being so competent
becoming the D ’ H a e n e and so reliable,” Choe said.
“best setter p l a y e d “I’m there as a support
in the state,” s o c c e r , to facilitate practice but
regardless of b a s k e t b a l l whatever it becomes is going
his minimal and ran in to be whatever they want it to
volleyball ex- cross country, become.”
perience. VISH but chose Next, Choe created
GONDESI to pursue posters that attracted school
volleyball interest. D’Haene and Abshir
in high school despite his overcame the issue of gym
minimal experience. time, by electing to hold
Unlike D’Haene, practices in the morning (6:45
Abshir’s sister needed to a.m.-7:45 a.m.) which — while
convince him to start playing a sacrifice — would result in
volleyball. When Abshir committed members.
joined the Scarlett Middle So, when Huron
School boys’ volleyball team, ninth-grade dean Salvador
he instantly enjoyed the first Barrientes sent the news the
practice. However, Abshir club was approved, and they
only played in one game, until would have their first open
COVID-19 ended his season. gym, the group was ecstatic.
“The first thing D’Haene and Abshir
that was on my mind was exchanged texts celebrating.
volleyball and thinking that D’Haene: “Dude this
it’s going to be canceled or it is so exciting. We’re in the
might get canceled,” Abshir home stretch.”
said. “My friends and I were Six hours later Choe
sent the final confirmation
email.
D’Haene: “YO IT’S
GONNA WORK.”
Abshir: “I
KNOWWWW.”
The night before
the first open gym, D’Haene
couldn’t sleep.
“It was the most
exciting feeling in the world,
to see something that I worked
on for this long finally come to
fruition,” D’Haene said. “It’s
not even that I reached the
summit or reached my goal,
it was that I got my foot in
the door. From here, we’re all
looking forward to getting a lot
better and getting to compete.
So basically going from step
zero to step one, it was the
greatest feeling in the world.”
On the first day,
around 14 players showed
up, and there has been a
consistent cast since.
Additionally, to make
the competitive transition,
D’Haene and Abshir organized
certain members of the team
to play in an adult Ann Arbor
Rec and Ed league, regardless
of the fact some games are as
late as around 10 p.m. They
hope this will help realize their
goal of being designated as a
club sport and participating in
the Michigan Boys Volleyball
Conference’s March league,
to demonstrate significant
interest to MHSAA.
“I would love to
see the club be in the spring
league for the high school
teams and I would love for all
of those teams in that league
to band together, and say ‘Hey
MHSAA, you need to make this
Going from the squash courts to the lower gym, the begin-
an actual sport,’” Choe said.
“There’s clearly an interest.
nings. VISH GONDESI
There’s clearly organization.
There’s clearly infrastructure
already set up for us to do this.
You got all these kids who are
pushing for something. Let’s
make it happen.”

Despite previous attempts by Huron alumni, this is the first

time the Huron Men’s Volleyball club has formed officially.
GRAPHIC BY VISH GONDESI