As campus winds down on Monday and Wednesday nights and students retreat from the academic to the residential side of campus, the squeaks of sneakers and the gentle bump of synthetic leather ricochetting from parallel forearms echo from the Carr Health South Gym. Within the four walls of the 25,000-square-foot, 87-year-old gym where thousands of Racers have played intramural sports, coached little league games and hosted various clubs is the home of the Murray State men’s club volleyball team.
Founded on the vision of bringing together peers for friendly competition, the team has grown significantly over the last three years. It is now a conglomerate of former high school players, intramural all-stars and rookies. After being awarded Murray State’s Student Government Association 2025 Organization of the Year Award and traveling to several tournaments during the 2024-25 season, the team has proven its longevity and is continuing its success in the 2025-26 season.
The team can be found tabling at Racer Nation Orientation and club fairs, grabbing dinner on campus, or trying out new hobbies like roller skating. When they are not putting in the physical and technical work on the court, they are building social chemistry that translates to more cohesive competitive play.
“One of the most rewarding parts is seeing all the players build friendships and become family within the club, especially this year,” said senior coach Nellie Morton. “Everybody gets along so well on the court and off the court.”
This season, the team has competed in a scrimmage against Union University and in two tournaments, the first at Tennessee Tech and the most recent at the University of Louisville.
The self-funded team relies on fundraisers, to support their travel and uniforms, including open-to-the-community tournaments and bake sales. The team’s board, which consists of the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and three coaches, communicates with other clubs in the South and Midwest regions to play in their tournaments. The team’s goal is to organize and host a tournament within the next few seasons.
After two years of gathering established talent and newcomers alike to join the team, co-founder and Murray State graduate Quinn Templeton passed the torch to current president and co-founder Randy Rivas Leyva Rojas, a psychology major from Louisville, Kentucky. A former high-school athlete at DeSales High School, Rojas is the club team’s outside hitter and has watched the team grow from four to six guys playing casually to a 14-man roster with two organized practices a week.
As the spring semester approaches, the team is looking for dedicated athletes and will hold a round of tryouts near the beginning of next semester. No experience is needed to try out; in fact, only four current players have high school experience. The only requirements are hustle, commitment and a competitive spirit.
“College is absolutely a new time to just try new things and it’s a place where you figure out who you are and what you like and don’t like,” Rivas said. “So I would say give it a shot. It’s all about welcoming new people and building new skills.”
