Students are starting a boys’ volleyball team. Sophomore Daniel Dawson initiated the campaign for a team with friends, inspired by a summer spent playing volleyball with friends and a school assignment.

“In [English class,] we had a project, and we had to bring about change somehow,” Dawson said. “I thought, ‘this is a perfect time.’ Playing volleyball and [having] the project just aligned for me.”

Dawson put up surveys six weeks ago asking students about their thoughts on a boys’ volleyball team. Dawson was surprised by how much support the idea received. 

“I want to create this team for other people because [I believe] people are really going to enjoy it,” Dawson said. “I know [there are] people out there who have been waiting for [a boys’ volleyball team] for years. Some of the responses on [the posted survey] were ‘I’m a senior and I know I’ll never get to play for Hebron, but I’m praying that other kids will.’”

Athletic director Cristie Liles is in support of the boy’s volleyball team as long as it is an internal, on-campus activity. The team is firstly forming as a club, and the Instagram account Texas Boys HS Volleyball has helped the founders through the steps.

“We have everything we need,” Dawson said. “We have the stepping stones, we have everything planned out, we know where we want to go [and] we know what we want to do. Now it’s just a matter of getting it done.”

Young Life leader and 2012 Hebron graduate Joshua Zambrano has been helping with the efforts to create the boys’ volleyball team, and he has played volleyball in a community league. Zambrano plans to step in as coach once the team starts.

“I’ve played volleyball and I’m with Young Life — I’ve been volunteering with LISD since I graduated,” Zambrano said. “I have led other nonprofits that help LISD, so I’m already involved and invested. This will just be another thing. I love volleyball so it’ll be really fun to coach [the team].”

The team hopes to participate in the Texas Boys High School Volleyball’s Preseason Tournament. There is already a group of boys committed to the volleyball team.

“Not everyone can fit into football, basketball and track,” Dawson said. “[Boys’ volleyball] is totally just a whole new idea and possibility. If Hebron really goes the extra mile with this, [we] can bring upon a lot of change, [turning] it from a [school-specific] thing to a district thing then a Texas thing. That’s the whole goal.”