Barely six months ago, boys' volleyball looked to be on firmly on track to become the next sport sanctioned by the Minnesota State High School League.

It had two seasons with a club-sport designation to build on. Participation numbers were booming, from 400 in its first year to about 1,400 committed to play in its third season. It appeared to be only a matter of time, and a short time at that, before boys' volleyball would become an official high school sport.

"To go from 400 to 1,400 in three seasons, that's a heckuva a lot of boys interested in volleyball," said Shakopee's Jenny Kilkelly, president of the Minnesota Boys' High School Volleyball Association (MBHSVA).

Kilkelly, association vice president Krista Flemming, Hall of Fame prep volleyball coach Walt Weaver and University of Minnesota women's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon have been the collective driving force behind the push to make boys' volleyball an MSHSL-sanctioned sport.

After years of presenting, promoting and prodding before the MSHSL's various regional administrative committees, by last February 10 of the state's 16 committees had voted to approve the addition of boys' volleyball, Weaver said. All that was needed was for the league's Representative Assembly, which is made up of Region representatives, to give the go-ahead, something that was expected at a planned meeting later that spring.

"We were on the verge," Weaver said. "It's time had come."

And then, just like that, it became another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. Boys' volleyball is held in the spring, when gyms are available. When the MSHSL canceled the 2020 spring athletic season, it took boys' volleyball with it, along with all of the momentum the sport had built to that point.

"For the first time, we had moved to the front of the bus," Weaver said. "We were one step from being sanctioned. There was a lot to be excited about."

Now, Weaver is unsure of the future of boys' volleyball. The interest has barely waned, he said, citing the creation of a summer league that quickly filled up its 160 allotted spots at the Minnesota Select Volleyball Center in Maple Grove.

"The kids went berserk," he crowed.

Questions remain, however, about the MSHSL's willingness to address adding another sport when the league is already dealing with pressing issues caused by the pandemic and budget challenges that are forcing significant changes in generating revenue.

"It's put us right back in the back of the bus," Weaver lamented, adding that he is concerned boys' volleyball isn't a high priority. "We're not a high school sport and with all of the problems and issues the league has, it almost feels embarrassing to ask them. They have so many plates they're trying to keep spinning."

Weaver still believes the sport is on the precipice of sanctioning despite having its profile lowered in the wake of more pressing issues. He said there is no desire to go back "to square one. We've put in a lot of work on this. We have no interest in going back and doing it all over again."

"We asked for [sanctioning for] 2022," he said. "By then, everything will be back to normal. And volleyball costs next to nothing. Gyms are already available. All you need are officials and transportation. And these days, those things are paid for by booster clubs.

"We're optimists. We're still moving forward."