This spring, t volleyball club, led by president Solomon Jun, will start in April at the high school.

The club started when Solomon and his friends Taka Oga and Leo Shinmura started watching a lot of volleyball, and because there was no boys volleyball team in Hopkinton, they decided to start a club of their own.

The club is supervised by the girl’s volleyball assistant coach, Mr. Pacific. “He is very relaxed and sometimes plays with us. He can also teach us more about volleyball,” Jun said.

The club started with around 30 members, almost all in the senior class, but after the club fair at the beginning of Jun’s senior year, the club has grown to include about 100 people throughout all four classes in the high school. “Our goal is to improve our numbers each meeting. We love adding new people and making new friends,” cofounder Taka Oga said.

At the meetings, there are enough people to make about four teams. They split up and play tournament style across two courts.

While the club brings fun and excitement, Jun added it has taught him leadership and teaching skills. “Being the president, I have to coordinate events and make sure everything is going smoothly. Most of our members have never played volleyball before so I’ve learned to teach people the rules. You can’t play with just one person; everyone has to participate to win,” Jun said.

Senior Leo Shinmura is one of the only members of the club with prior experience. About three years ago, Shinmura played on the AAU team SLAM. “It’s great to have Leo with us because he can teach volleyball to younger kids,” Oga said.

Shinmura hopes he can be more committed to the club this year. In the Spring of his junior year, Shinmura participated in Winter Track, which took up his time. “I don’t get much time to play anymore, so being able to play in volleyball club is awesome.”

Jun’s intention is to have fun and keep the club relaxed, but he also hopes it gets more competitive as people improve their skills.

Shinmura has one message for people: join the volleyball club!