High school who have never played volleyball may evoke some comical images of volleyballs sky-rocketing into the ceilings and awkward “floor dives,” and this is exactly what occurred in Pleasant Valley High School’s gym on Dec. 3 during the annual Reverse Powderpuff competition.
Reverse Powderpuff was held to raise money for the state project Plant the Seed. All high school boys were welcome to participate in the event, which Spartan Assembly members say took well over a month to plan.
The event consisted of five boys’ volleyball teams being formed. Teams were made up of boys ranging from grades 9-12. Each team competed in a round-robin style tournament to be in the championship match at the end.
This event is typically held to raise money for the Student Hunger Drive, but this year’s money was raised to fund the state project, Plant the Seed, where the proceeds went to those in need of food. The money was collected through the $5 fee each team member was required to pay.
Sophomore Ramya Subramaniam, a representative member of Pleasant Valley’s student council and the first Vice President Elect for the Iowa Association of Student Councils, helped plan the event over the course of a month. Subramaniam is proud of the efforts and contributions made by Pleasant Valley, and stated, “It’s a great way to get the school involved for a good cause.”
The five teams gathered in the gym with their respective coaches, and waited enthusiastically while the nets were being set up. After a bit of technical difficulties, the student council members powered through, and the games were kicked off.
After all the teams competed for opportunity to play in the championship, it all eventually whittled down to two teams: The White Sharks versus An Unnamed Team.
Senior Porter Cottrell played in the championship match for the White Sharks. He spoke highly of the team coach, Grace Halupnik, saying, “She’s the best coach out there.”
In a close match originally set to 21, the White Sharks won the final game of the tournament with a score of 26-24.
Cottrell had nothing but positive things to say regarding Reverse Powderpuff and his experience in the event. “I had a really good experience and wish we had more activities like it.”
According to Subramaniam, the effort it took to put the activity together certainly paid off.
