Every Thursday at 6 p.m., the Utah Tech University Spike Ball Club has allowed students to build a greater sense of community while also enjoying the St. George weather.
As spike ball has grown in popularity, it led to the birth of the Spike Ball Club. Led by club President Roman Mendoza, the club gives students from all different skill levels a chance to enjoy playing the game while also building friendships.
“I’ve loved coming to the club,” Joe Valentine, a freshman business major from Smartsville, California, said. ”It’s not super competitive, but it’s still plenty of competitiveness for all levels of spike ball players. So if you want an easy game or a hard game, you can get whatever you want.“
The club meets each Thursday at the North Encampment Mall, where students get the chance to meet new people through the games as they switch up team members throughout the night. While students bring their equipment and set it up, they can quench their thirst with Red Bull energy drinks that the club provides. Many of the members learned about the club from friends as it continues to grow by networking and word of mouth.
“I think students connect better when they’re playing games,” Justice France, a sophomore general studies major from Parachute, Colorado, said. “Spike ball is a team sport and it’s easy to jump in a game with new people. The people there didn’t care how good you are.”
As word has continued to spread about the club, more students have been coming to play the game and socialize. The first night for the club this year had 115 people in attendance and the club is looking to continue to grow.
The growth of the club aligns with the recent surge in popularity; however, the club’s growth comes down to more than that. Students enjoy playing spike ball, but they also enjoy the chance to get to know more of the students on campus while enjoying the sunny weather.
“The club has been awesome,” Robert Curatolo, a sophomore media studies major from Temecula, California, said. “So, it’s been really fun, really competitive.”
Sports have always been a great way for people from all backgrounds to come together, and the same is true for the students who come to the Spike Ball Club. It gives students a common ground they can use to get to know each other and strengthen the community on campus.
Students across the club recommend everyone come to the club, whether they are familiar with spike ball or have never played before. Students expressed that the only factor that mattered to them was the willingness to get out, meet new people while having fun and getting better at the game.
