Madisyn Jones put on her volleyball uniform, the first step on a day that could provide a blueprint of how the landscape of high school athletics in Texas might forever be altered.

Jones then ate two tacos, grabbed a canister with water and left her home for the Boerne High School gymnasium.

It was around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and a new volleyball season was soon to commence. Jones, Boerne’s sophomore varsity setter, was tasked along with her teammates to wipe down volleyballs with sanitizer between points at the school’s sub-varsity home matches vs. Comfort.

The chore was a far cry from the expected thrills and intensity of a normal opening-day match, but this wasn’t normal. This was what has become of sports during a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 165,000 and infected more than five million in the United States.

High-fives, hugs and handshakes have been forsaken for masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, temperature checks and social distancing as volleyball on Tuesday became the first high school sport in Texas to play since March, when the UIL, the governing body for extracurricular activities in Texas, canceled the boys basketball state tournament after four games, and the soccer, softball, baseball, golf, tennis and track seasons because of a coronavirus outbreak.

Class 4A-1A schools were allowed to play their first volleyball match on Monday, while 6A and 5A teams are scheduled to start on Sept. 14.

“Last year, I definitely wouldn’t see us now having to be six feet apart and wearing masks, but I’m willing to do anything to keep playing and keep going to school to see my friends,” said Jones, who last season was named one of the nation’s top 59 freshmen by Prep Volleyball, after the Greyhounds’ three-set win vs. Comfort. “It’s definitely hard not being able to high-five your fellow teammate, to help the energy to keep going.”

Then again, such a sacrifice is one that area coaches and athletes appear willing to make if it allowed them to have a season — something that was in doubt the past few months as a surge in COVID-19 cases in Texas forced schools to suspend strength and conditioning training.

Ben Bolt, a 2A school near Corpus Christi, on Monday canceled its volleyball and football seasons due to concerns with COVID-19.

“There’s been a learning curve,” said Poth coach Patti Zenner, who has guided the Pirettes to nine state championships. “The first couple of weeks were definitely different, but we were able to start adapting to cleaning guidelines and social distancing. And honestly, as a coaching staff, we were just loving being able to see our girls and interact with them again. Then we added masks to the mix a few weeks later, which was another adjustment that we had to make, but it did make it a little easier for when we were able to start practice for the season last week.

“It can get frustrating at times if you let it, but we just try to keep reminding ourselves that we’re glad to be back and will do what is necessary to help keep everyone healthy and allow us to continue playing. Obviously, we don’t know what this season will hold for us, and with the fluidity of the situation, things can change quickly and at any time, so we are trying to reinforce and make the most of every opportunity that we have.”

The constant changes and restrictions, though, haven’t been too much of deterrents. Players and coaches have grasped the University Interscholastic League’s “risk mitigation” guidelines, such as limiting crowds at games to 50 percent of the venue’s capacity, putting a stronger focus on social distancing, and thoroughly disinfecting all equipment and facilities.

“Teenagers are pretty resilient,” Fredericksburg coach Jason Roemer said. “They’ve adjusted well. The excitement of being in the gym and playing a game with their friends has made the new protocols bearable. We are excited to put the uniform on, get on a bus and compete again.”

Devine coach Leigh Anne McIver concurs, pointing out the fine line volleyball is straddling between having and not having a season.

“We have been granted a gift from UIL, allowing us to start on time, and we want to be able to take advantage of it and complete our season,” McIver said. “Wearing masks is not ideal and not the most comfortable thing, but we have gotten used to it and know that this is what we have to do in order to have a season. I’m going to be honest; our girls have really bought into the masks, social distancing, sanitizing, etc., since we came back from our shutdown in July. Since then, the girls have had to wear masks the minute they step onto campus until the minute they leave. They wear them the whole time they are in the gym and weight room. If they need to catch their breath, they know they separate from everyone, face a wall, and then they can take their mask off to catch their breath. We have had a couple of scares down here in Devine, and it has really been an eye-opening experience for the girls. They have seen how the close-contact rule could take out almost half our program and put them into quarantine for 14 days if someone tests positive.”

For some area athletes, the safety procedures aren’t new. During the sand volleyball circuit in June and July, players underwent temperature checks and had to sign waivers absolving the tournament and venue of responsibility if they contracted COVID-19.

“It sort of just bring it more to life when you show up and you have to get your temperature taken or signing a waiver saying the club isn’t responsible,” Clemens senior outside hitter Canada Buchanan said. “Knowing the people you are around and everything, you know that they wouldn’t show up because they wouldn’t want to hurt anybody else out here. It is definitely hard because it’s a very small community, so we’re all really close. When it’s like, ‘Oh hey, don’t high-five,’ it’s just a big adjustment trying to get use to not being in contact.”

For Alexis Durish, who played her freshman and sophomore seasons at Reagan before moving to Florida this spring, her biggest obstacle was the lack of interaction that was encouraged by social distancing rules. She had long been taught that shaking an opponent’s hand was good sportsmanship. Now, it was discouraged.

“It’s very different,” said Durish, who is committed to national beach power Florida State and recently teamed with New Braunfels Christian senior and TCU beach commit Hailey Hamlett to win silver in 18U division and with Alamo Heights junior and Arizona State beach pledge Kylie Wickley to take bronze in 16U competition at USA Volleyball Junior Beach national championships in Alabama. “It’s kind of scary because there’s this deadly virus out there.”

Terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1