STUART, Fla. — The South Fork Bulldogs boys volleyball team is making history in its debut season, overcoming an early losing record to mount a three-game winning streak and push for a playoff spot.
"Martin County and South Fork just started boys volleyball for the first time," Ron Jacobs said.
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Jacobs serves as the head coach for the new program. While the school's field house is filled with banners, boys volleyball was previously missing.
"I think it’s cool that we get to bring volleyball here at South Fork for boys, especially because it’s such a girl-dominated sport," Jacobs said.
Bringing the new sport to the Martin County School District came with hurdles. Some athletes had never played before, requiring the team to start with the basics.
"I am known to be a very technical coach, and I came in, and I said this is our goal, this is our end goal," Charles Connelly said.
Connelly is the team's center. The end goal was to challenge the team early in the season with tough competition. They scheduled matches against schools like Wellington, Tradition Prep, and Royal Palm Beach.
The challenging start left the Bulldogs with a 2-8 record, making a playoff appearance in year one seem nearly impossible.
"Mentally, it was a big thing for our whole team changing from volleyball. It’s so dependent on each other, having a good mindset, and moving on. We had to say ok we have the next play. It’s ok that you messed up. We got the next one," Connelly said.
The team is now on a three-game winning streak, positioning the new program as a dark horse to make the playoffs.
"To get two revenge games back to back, it feels pretty good," Logan Wiggins said.
Wiggins is an outside hitter for the Bulldogs. With seven games left in the season, the team is currently fifth in the district.
"Now we’ve really caught up to the fourth in our district, and I think the 4/5 matchup can be really interesting. I think the 4/5 matchup is going to be exciting," Jacobs said.
