Little Spikes League wraps up
What started as an effort to introduce younger kids to volleyball is quickly becoming something much bigger in Warren County.
The Little Spikes Youth Volleyball League wrapped up its spring season Sunday at Milner Recreation Center after seeing massive growth in participation and skill development in just its second run. After debuting with a little more than 30 players in the fall, the league nearly doubled this spring with around 70 participants spread across multiple age divisions.
For league organizer Holly Palombo, the growth was impossible to ignore.
“We had a great spring season for Little Spikes,” said Palombo. “We saw growth in both numbers and skill. It was great to see the kids who started with us in the fall continue to improve, and to see the kids who are just getting started grow a love for the game.”
The league was founded to help younger players develop volleyball fundamentals before reaching middle school. Now, after only a few months, organizers believe the impact may already start showing up at the school level.
“Honestly, when we first started this, I thought it might take a few years for us to see the results on a school level for volleyball,” said Palombo. “After today, I think it’s pretty apparent that the middle school is going to see the benefits this season.”
Hall of Fame coach Franklin Fisher, who helped build Warren County volleyball into a consistent winner during his tenure leading the Lady Pioneers, also saw dramatic progress throughout the spring.
“I think it progressed extremely well,” said Fisher. “There was so much improvement. All the matches today were close. It was everything we could hope for.”
Fisher and Palombo, both instrumental in growing volleyball locally over the years, watched the league evolve rapidly this spring. What began with younger players learning fundamentals through simple drills and games has quickly transformed into competitive matches filled with rallies, teamwork and championship moments.
In Sunday’s finales, 8U Team Chelsea finished 6-2 in the regular season before winning the championship. 10U Team Tina went 7-1 and also captured a title, while 12U Team Chelsea finished 5-1 before winning its championship as well.
The league’s expansion this spring also included more boys participating as organizers made Little Spikes co-ed moving forward.
“We had more boys play this spring, and I think that’s definitely the direction volleyball is headed,” said Palombo. “Little Spikes is laying the groundwork for the future of Warren County volleyball for everyone.”
The atmosphere surrounding the league became just as important as the volleyball itself. Parents practiced with their children at home, grandparents packed into Milner Recreation Center to watch games and former players returned to help teach the next generation.
Among those volunteers was Chelsea Cope, who played alongside Palombo on Fisher’s 40-win Lady Pioneer teams in the early 2010s.
“I actually got involved because of my love for volleyball and wanting to give back to a sport that gave me so much growing up,” said Cope. “Seeing these kids come in sometimes shy or unsure, then slowly build confidence each week, has honestly been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever been a part of.”
Cope believes the league is building much more than volleyball players.
“What I love most is that Little Spikes is about so much more than volleyball,” said Cope. “They’re also learning teamwork, encouragement, confidence and how to support one another.
“It’s really special to watch the younger generation fall in love with the same sport that shaped so many of us.”
