You’ve seen Caden Coveney (10) whether you know it or not. It’s impossible to miss the sight of him serving a volleyball every day outside school, before and after the bells, in any type of weather.
Boys volleyball was added to BVSD in 2023. But for Coveney, it’s brand new. The interest actually sparked at an event for swimming, a sport Coveney has been involved in for most of his life.
“For the Monarch High School swim team, there was a meetup, and they put up a volleyball net,” Coveney said. “Some people were playing volleyball, so I tried it out, and I was like, ‘Oh, wait, this is really fun.’”
The sport quickly grew to be a part of his daily routine as it became almost second-nature.
“I saw videos online of professionals,” Coveney said. “I thought it was kind of cool to watch. And then I just started practicing a little bit.”
He also began going to open nets at rec centers, gaining experience with people of all skill levels and continuing to practice wherever and whenever he could.
And that’s where you’ve seen him, serving against the wall outside the theater doors every day, rain or shine. At just the right moment, an opportunity appeared.
When tryouts for boys volleyball started this spring, Coveney was faced with a choice between the swimming community he had always known or taking a risk and starting over with something completely new.
“I definitely had a conflict between swimming and volleyball for a lot of time before tryouts,” he said. “I started playing way worse at tryouts because I was nervous, but eventually I was able to focus.”
His efforts paid off when he made the program. Now, Coveney is already thinking about the next steps for his volleyball career.
“I really want to get a lot better and then try out for the club next year, so I can just work on improving even more,” Coveney said.
His consistency continues right where it all started: outside of school, by the theater doors, practicing his serves over and over again in every moment he can spare.
