When the weather breaks and the ultraviolet rays skyrocket, it doesn’t take long for spikeball nets to appear on the Quad.

“I’ve gotten more out of spikeball than I ever thought I would,” said Adelaide Novia ‘28, a Spikeball Club member. Novia said she began playing the sport the summer before college and joined the club immediately after arriving on the Lafayette College campus.

Spikeball, originally known as roundnet, was invented in 1989 but has gained popularity in recent years, often spotted in parks and on beaches. Deriving a style of play from volleyball, two to six players, often in teams, “spike” a small yellow ball into a flat net on the ground, earning points if the opposition does not return the ball.

Lafayette’s Spikeball Club, founded in 2021, has grown into one of the more visible communities on campus, drawing members who say the sport has given them far more than just a way to pass the time between classes.

“It’s allowed me to connect with people that I probably wouldn’t have gotten to interact with otherwise,” she said.

One afternoon on the Quad last semester, it started pouring mid-game. Nobody packed up.

“All our clothes were soaked afterward,” Novia said. “Everyone still had an awesome time anyway.”

Professional and college clubs participate in competition at all levels, including the Spikeball Tour Series, broadcast on ESPN.

Gwen Cahill ‘28 found the club through the activities fair her freshman year.

“I was getting yelled at to sign up for it, so I was like, sure,” she said. “From there, I’ve been playing every Wednesday.”

As a freshman, Cahill said she didn’t know many people on campus, but the club quickly filled that gap.

“It’s added not just exercise but community,” she said. “A group of friends I can always hang out with and vibe with. That was just such a welcoming community.”

Beyond play, the club holds dinners after practice, which Cahill said has created some of her favorite memories as a member.

“It’s a time where we can just hang out, get to know each other, do stupid stuff and really just bond as a team and a community,” she said.

Ben Risley ‘26 has also been with the club since his freshman year. He first picked up the sport in middle school, playing with his cross-country team, and came to Lafayette eager for more.

He, too, said he appreciates the community it provides.

“It’s been really special throughout my four years,” he said.

Whether spikeball could one day earn NCAA Division I status is a regularly debated question among the club’s members.

“I think spikeball definitely has the potential to be a DI sport,” Novia said. “There are people who are incredibly good at the sport, and it does take a certain amount of athleticism. I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves.”

Cahill echoed the sentiment.

“It does take a lot of athleticism, hand-eye coordination and just willingness to put your body on the line,” she said. “It could be a pretty fun sport to watch.”

For now, students can watch — or participate — in practice on the Quad or behind Hogg Hall on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m.