On Wednesday, April 1, Mini-THON and Junior Senate held a volleyball tournament as a collaborative fundraising event. The tournament, held in North Gym from 7-9 p.m., consisted of 12 student teams ranging in size from 6-10 players, and raised a total of $1,495 for Mini-THON’s childhood cancer research cause.
The tournament was held March Madness style, with a bracket allowing teams to compete for the top spot. The winning team received 7Brew gift cards, and there were also raffle prizes, in which visitors could purchase tickets for a chance to win PSU volleyball swag, PYP Studio gift cards, or THON merch.
State High junior and president of Junior Senate, Ryan Stapleton, gave the “why” behind the tournament.
“The volleyball tournament was less about volleyball and more about getting the school community together to support an impactful cause like Mini-THON,” Stapleton said. “This is a new addition–we’ve had ideas in the past about a schoolwide volleyball tournament, but this is the first year that it has come to fruition, and we’re hoping that it becomes an annual event.”
Senior Macie Naberenzy participated in the volleyball tournament with a team of friends and detailed why she decided to partake.
“I thought that it would be fun to get my friends all together, because it’s a good cause and it’s a good way to spend time with friends,” Naberenzy said. “All the money goes to childhood cancer [research], and I think that’s a great way to spend it.”
The tournament started off strong, with athletic director Loren Crispell announcing the goals of the tournament, as well as thanking directors of Mini-THON and Junior Senate for their work creating the event. In addition to Crispell, athletic manager Kelly Aston helped organize the tournament. Rules were passed out to each team, and the gym was alive with players warming up and getting hyped.
The gym was set up with two courts, so four teams were playing at once. Each match was nine minutes long, with a “most points wins” strategy. With around 30 players in action at once and full stands of spectators, the energy was high.
“As my track coach says, there was a lot of ‘competitive aggression,’” Naberenzy said. “There was very good teamwork, and I feel like everyone seemed really excited to play. Everyone wanted to win, but everyone also wanted to be there for the kids.”
At the end of the night, the winning team of the tournament was officially recognized, and prizes were drawn for the raffles.
“From what I saw and heard from people, it sounded like everyone had a great time playing other teams and competing,” Stapleton said. “I’m proud of all the people who helped put work into this, and I think we really have built the groundwork for an event that is going to become a State High tradition.”
Mini-THON’s run isn’t even close to over yet–on April 10, the organization will hold the actual Mini-THON, a 12-hour dance fundraiser, which in 2025, raised over $37,000 for cancer research. This year, they plan to break that record again, so for more information on participating or donating, click here.
