Two distinct circles overlap, with their intersection highlighting a shared community.
In the Venn diagram that is club volleyball at ASU, the men's and women's circles fuse together through their shared emphasis on building relationships.
After a brief set of Division III volleyball at the University of Rochester, co-president and senior Zaira Reyes returned home to Arizona following her freshman year. It was a decision originally influenced by the struggle to balance athletics and an engineering course load, but it ultimately led her to find her people.
At a big university like ASU, participating in an extracurricular activity can serve as a way to meet new people. Having built her own friendships through the club volleyball community, this influenced Reyes into pursuing a leadership role for the women's club, eager to facilitate those seeking their own community.
"I wanted to help other people, like freshmen and younger people, find their little friend group," Reyes said.
Creating this cohesive environment was the effort of the women's and men's clubs, culminating in team bonding dinners, tournaments and fundraisers. This spring, the clubs hosted their first grass tournament, which sparked interest in participation, allowing the Sun Devils to promote opportunities with club volleyball.
But for these clubs to coexist, their individuality must be intact first, with the women's club volleyball co-president and senior, Gigi Hurley, emphasizing team unity.
Hurley co-leads an A and B team, with the total number of participants across both teams maxing out at 24 women. These women might be classified under different letters, but Hurley strives to make them feel unified.
"We have an A and a B team, and so (we're) just putting in as much effort as we possibly can to not make it seem like two separate teams, but to make it seem like one big program," Hurley said.
To create "one big program," Hurley encourages her peers to attend open gyms, hosted by the women's or men's clubs. There, regardless of commitment, athletes can be introduced to those who share a passion for volleyball.
Since Hurley joined the club during her freshman year, the most growth she's seen is from its associations with the men's team. The merging of these two groups is a dynamic similar to that of the A and B teams.
With the absence of a Division I men's volleyball program in Tempe, this association between clubs has also proven meaningful on the men's side.
As they compete at the university's highest level for men's volleyball, junior libero Nick Kujalowicz values those he plays alongside and the abundance of support he's received from the women's team.
"The fact that there isn't an NCAA team here means that club volleyball is the most competitive level for men here," Kujalowicz said. "You can tell that when you're playing, everyone has had a great background in volleyball and is really driven."
Kujalowicz serves as the social media manager for the men's team, where he's witnessed the intersection of these Sun Devil club cultures attract athletes. He strives to create excitement for the program by depicting the connections that exist.
Seeing the value in the clubs coming together, Kujalowicz reciprocates support by amplifying his voice in the stands.
"I was screaming my head off for three hours after we were done playing to support our other teams," Kujalowicz said. "So that's just a really awesome feeling to know that the rest of the program is supporting you and your success, and that you can also do that for them and be excited about it."
As Hurley and Reyes prepare to part ways with the program, they hope to leave behind a legacy that goes beyond the court by creating a space where athletes can find their people and thrive with them.
"It warms my heart to see that (community)," Reyes said. "I hope that I leave the club with that, that the future presidents, e-board and people involved continue to promote and welcome people into the club that enjoy volleyball, but also want to make friends."
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Jack McCarthy and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at cjoneil6@asu.edu and follow @cjojournalism on X.
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Char O’Neil is a junior studying sports journalism with a minor in special events management. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also reported for AZPreps365, Blaze Radio and Phoenix College Basketball.
