The September 25th matchup at Conway Memorial Stadium marked the region’s first outdoor high school volleyball game.

WJ made history on Monday, September 29, 2025, when the Warriors defeated Brunswick High School in four sets at Conway Memorial Stadium. The matchup marked the region’s first outdoor high school volleyball game, played on a temporary court built over the 50-yard line of the field.

“It made me feel grateful cause I was able to get an opportunity that not many other people can have,” said Bridget Romanini, a member of the volleyball team. “Having the opportunity to play in this historical game was awesome. I had so much fun and am glad I was a part of this,” added teammate Avery Piersall.

The idea came from Athletic Director Mr. Denny Ziegler, who was inspired by similar events across the country. “I wanted to do this back when I was at Strongsville. When I came here, I saw the perfect opportunity to make this happen. I originally saw this happen as Nebraska and Wisconsin did this. Then I saw Newark do it in Ohio, so I gave them a call, and from that I was able to call the court company and make it happen,” said Ziegler.

“It was basically one of the neatest experiences of my high school career,” said senior co-captain Emily Martin. “We had to change quickly, but it made us closer as a team.”

Despite challenges from wind, lightning, and slippery conditions caused by evening dew, the Warriors adapted and closed out the final set inside The Dome for a 3-1 victory. “We’ve never played in anything like that,” said junior setter Ava Thompson. “We had to focus on keeping our cool and adjusting to whatever happened next.”

Spectator Theresa Romanini summed up the night: “Being at the first outdoor game was a lot of fun. The energy was electric! You could see on the players’ faces how excited they were to be a part of something that’s never been done before at WJ!”

Ziegler said the success has already inspired interest from other schools. “Since there was so much success this year, I’ve been getting calls from so many different schools asking how this was done. Next year I think we might do a two-day tournament with six to eight different teams with the outdoor court,” he said.