By Matt Reider, Guest Writer
For the first time in more than 20 years, the gymnasium at South Lakes High School is hosting practices and games for a Varsity Boys Volleyball team. During the past two decades, male volleyball players in the county played on club teams, often affiliated with their schools, but not officially recognized as a Virginia High School League (VHSL) sport.
According to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, boys volleyball grew by nearly 10,000 players in the 2022-23 school year. Fairfax County teams continued to attract interest and grow, and the Fairfax County school district noticed, adding the boys varsity program to each of its 28 high school athletic programs for the 2024-25 year. The county school budget provides home and away jerseys, team travel to away games, and all the equipment needed to get the program off the ground.
Like all Fairfax County high schools, South Lakes had to rebuild its program quickly. In the spring, interested boys were invited to “green day practices,” where they learned and practiced skills alongside the girls volleyball teams. Practices continued throughout the summer in preparation for fall tryouts.
During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the group discussed the men’s volleyball games online and in-person as they followed Team USA on their route to a bronze medal. At the same time, the school focused on hiring a boy’s volleyball coach who would be ready to build this new program.
Jake Kaplan heard about the coaching position from his family friend and SLHS Girls’ assistant coach Khuong Mulvaney. He is a son of a South Lakes graduate and was raised in nearby Loudoun County. When Kaplan heard that Fairfax County was adding Varsity Boys’ Volleyball, he was “incredibly excited, and knew right away that [he] wanted to be involved somehow.”
“Adding a new sport has been exciting for the school and the kids who are part of the team. This has been in the works at the county level for a couple of years and to be able to get it up and running is exciting,” said Andrew Duggan, South Lakes Activity Director. South Lakes, he added, is “fortunate to have Coach Kaplan on board to lead the program. He is a hard worker who brings knowledge and energy to the program.”
In high school, Kaplan played at the Braddock Road Youth Club in Loudoun, and wore #10 as an outside hitter at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. After college, he returned to the Northern Virginia area to help grow the game. Kaplan coached girls’ volleyball at Heritage High School in Leesburg, and still serves as a coach for The St. James boys club team in Springfield. Jake is joined by assistant coaches from The St. James team – Angelica Nichols and Drew Castleman – who “bring a unique perspective and skill set that match [his] approach in a positive way.”
Kaplan indicated that the tryout process “exceeded [his] expectations.” During the three days of tryouts, about 30 potential players participated. In the end, 17 athletes were selected for the team, including one senior, six juniors, four sophomores, and six freshmen. Several of the student-athletes have club level experience, but the team also includes young players who are newer to the sport. Kaplan plans on involving everyone, noting that “regardless of experience, everyone on the team has a role to play.” He and his team are “super excited to get the regular season underway.”
“It’s been fun to watch the kids in the two matches we have had at home. I’m looking forward to seeing them play some more,” said Duggan, who is always courtside on game nights.
The team has started strong, winning their two first games against Woodson and Fairfax. As a Varsity-level sport, the team practices every school day, and plays one or two games each week, 13 in total, from late August until the end of October. Game schedules for Boys’ and Girls’ Volleyball, and all South Lakes Athletic Teams, can be found on https://southlakesathletics.net/.
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