EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — One year ago, Head Volleyball Coach Bruce Hungerford had a dream for one of his teams games to be played outside on the football field. On Wednesday night, East Grand Rapids athletics made it happens.
Thanks to the hands of 40-50 volunteers, they rented a court from Aquinas College and nets from Grand Rapids Community College to build the first ever outdoor volleyball game in EGR. The Pioneers hosted Hopkins for their first game of the 2024 season and swept the Vikings 3-0.
Senior Ella Taatjes said that this game was so special, not only because of the location, but because of the community involvement.
"It's amazing, especially in front of the big crowd with everyone cheering us on. I was a little nervous at first, but I really enjoyed it," said Ella Taatjes.
This has got to be one of the COOLEST sporting venues of all time. East Grand Rapids hosting their first game of the season vs. Hopkins outside on the football field!! Love this!! pic.twitter.com/UsQtkj38Ig
— Remi Monaghan (@RemiMonaghan) August 21, 2024
It took the staff three tries to perfectly get the court laid out on the field, but they finally got all of the pieces to fit for one of the most iconic events in EGR athletics history.
"The whole day was a lot of work, we had some court issues we had 40-50 people helping out. It was awesome. We all just had to take a step back to look around and see the community show up. The band was amazing, the environment was really, really cool," said Hungerford.
For more scores, highlights, and the latest news on high school sports in West Michigan, go to the FOX 17 Blitz page.
Follow the FOX 17 Blitz on social media: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter)
