Girls' volleyball is dunking on basketball — and the 'trend is here to stay'

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our editorial calendar is shifting slightly because of the holiday. So this will be the final post of the week, and then we’ll return to normal on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Before you scarf down a turkey leg and get annoyed by your crazy uncle, I hope you enjoy today’s dispatch on the disparity between girls’ high school volleyball and basketball participation. This is a growing trend worth watching.

Have a safe holiday weekend!

— Kyle

Girls' volleyball is dunking on basketball — and the 'trend is here to stay'

Callaway Wiegandt, a 1,000-point scorer and four-year letterwinner for the girls’ basketball team at Holy Cross High School in Louisville, Kentucky, had Division I offers from Stetson and Jacksonville. But instead, the 5-foot-7 point guard chose to play volleyball at Western Kentucky, a decision that’s emblematic of a widening gulf in girls’ high school sports, where volleyball is eclipsing basketball nationwide. 

“My main decision, once I really got down to the nitty gritty of it, was time constraints,” said Wiegandt, now a senior setter and defensive specialist at Western Kentucky. “I don’t want my entire life to revolve around athletics. There’s importance in having time for hobbies, family and that kind of stuff.” 

The women’s athletics revolution has trickled down to high schools, with record participation across the country, part of a broader surge fueled by new opportunities such as flag football and wrestling. But as girls’ sports surge in popularity, the growing divide between basketball and volleyball stands out. Data from the National Federation of State High School Associations reveals a dramatic divergence over the past 20 years: Girls’ volleyball participation is up 25 percent, while girls’ basketball has decreased by 34 percent. 

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