Boys volleyball fails to win support as official high school sport in Minnesota

A push to make boys volleyball an official high school sport in Minnesota fell one vote short of victory Tuesday.

What happened: The Minnesota State High School League Representative Assembly's 31-17 vote just missed the two-thirds majority needed to approve a proposal to add it as a sanctioned sport.

• It's the third time since 2019 the effort has failed to make it across the finish line.

Driving the push: Supporters say interest in the sport has exploded in recent years. More than 1,400 student athletes play on club teams at dozens of schools across the state. That's up from 400 participants in 2018.

Yes, but: Some school leaders and coaches who attended the meeting voiced concerns about the timing and cost of adding the season, per KSTP.

What they're saying: The MN Boys High School Volleyball Association called the vote "a disservice to Minnesota students and families," noting that more than half of the athletes on current club teams are students of color. Many don't participate in other sanctioned sports.

• "While other states move ahead and make the right decision to sanction this sport, Minnesota will remain static and eventually, be left behind," the group said in a statement.