Hillsdale Roundnet: Serving up the Fun
Written by Erika Kyba
If it’s a sunny afternoon and you’re out on the quad, odds are you’ll find a large group of friends assembled around a roundnet, laughing and talking as they play. Roundnet (also known as Spikeball) is a sort of reverse volleyball: players hit the ball into the aforementioned roundnet, passing it to others on their team, attempting to keep possession of the ball. The sport was created in 1989 and has become wildly popular since.
The Hillsdale Roundnet Club became an official club sport in the fall of 2023, but as Anna Heldt, ’26, explains, there was already a group of friends playing together throughout the semesters beforehand, building a steady Spikeball community. As more students joined the club and members grew in skill, the prestige of the club increased to the point where they began competing in tournaments out of state, and are hoping to compete in more tournaments going forward. According to the club, a group of players will be participating in the Collegiate Series, where they will have the opportunity to compete with schools such as the University of Cincinnati, the University of Michigan, Michigan State, the University of Kentucky, and many others.
A big part of the Roundnet Club’s appeal is the community. “You get all these spontaneous pick-up games,” says Anna, “and there’s a core of people that are always there. You get to know them really well. And you also have people that stop by that aren’t part of the club, so you get to meet them, play a game, and bond over losing or winning. I’ve made quite a few new friends that I wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for roundnet.”
Secretary Alayna Schoepp, ’26, said it was the people that first got her interested in roundnet, explaining the club is a great way to meet new people. “It started as a friend group, and as that grew, changed, and shifted, it became an official club,” says Alayna.
Club president Joe Duncan, ’26, leads the Roundnet Club with the help of Alayna, accountant Josh Mistry, ’26, and vice president Cameron Frye, ’26. Joe says he’s thankful for his classmates who help make the Roundnet Club a success.
“The club will continue to give our members opportunities to participate in competitive Spikeball,” Joe says. “We hope to create a competitive environment for the club where teams compete to represent Hillsdale on the collegiate and professional Spikeball level.”
Roundnet Club meets every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. on the field behind McIntyre dorm, and anyone is welcome to participate in pick-up games. To learn more about pick-up games and practices, students can join the official GroupMe by accessing the following link.
Erika Kyba, ’26, is a prospective English major from Saint Paul, MN. Outside of class, she enjoys reading the classics, watching rom coms, writing fiction, and listening to 80s music.
Published in February 2024