Summit boys volleyball eyes another title as sport gains ground around the state

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Summit boys volleyball team continues to build momentum, both on the court and in the state rankings. Now 8-1 on the season after beating Crook County in three sets and sitting as the No. 2 ranked team in Oregon, the Storm are proving once again why they’re a team to beat.

“I’m pretty happy with the win,” said junior Gavin White. “I think we struggled a little bit in the third set, but we were able to bring it back, which is huge. We’ve had a pretty solid season, just one loss outside of league. Other than that, we’ve come together really well as a team and been able to finish off all the games.”

Summit’s dominance is especially impressive considering how young the squad is. The defending state champs feature three juniors and seven sophomores, including standout sophomore Aiden Woods.

“We love it,” said Woods. “We love against Crook County every year. It’s fun to be out here with the same guys I’ve spent the whole year with. It feels like a whole new energy, and we just get to go for it and have a lot of fun.”

Boys volleyball is still considered an emerging sport by the OSAA (Oregon School Activities Association), but its growth has been explosive. When OSAA launched the sport in 2022, only five teams were involved. Now, just three years later, there are 68 teams and nearly 1,000 players competing across the state.

“It’s not something you see a lot, boys playing volleyball,” Woods said. “I like it when we get younger kids are coming in and they watch our games and they’ll come up saying, ‘That was so cool, I want to play volleyball!’ I think that’s awesome! It’s amazing to see.”

Crook County senior Evan Wood says the Cowboys are just as passionate. “When we play with good sportsmanship and pride, it makes it easier for others to jump on board and push for full sanctioning.”

Locally, both Summit and Crook County have built their programs from scratch, with many players having little to no prior experience. Yet the progress has been swift and the ceiling keeps rising.

“This team is so tight off the court, and I think that really translates when we play,” Wood added. “Our coach tells us every day, ‘When you guys are happy, you’re playing well.’ So it’s important for us to be loud and proud out there.”

This year, 4A schools will get their own postseason tournament, and Crook County is hungry for its first title. But for the Storm, the goal remains crystal clear: repeat as champions.

“I think we have the skills,” said White. “I think it’s just all about that teamwork, keeping morale high and just gaining momentum out throughout the tournament. “

“We want to keep improving and win as many times as we can before we graduate,” said Woods.