Girls Wrestling and Boys Volleyball Achieve Full Recognition by the IHSAA

Girls wrestling and boys volleyball have been officially recognized as fully-fledged sports by the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) board of directors during their annual meeting on Monday. Both sports had previously been approved as emerging sports in 2022, with a plan to achieve full recognition this year.

The growth of girls wrestling has been significant, with participation increasing from less than 300 girls five years ago to 1,444 girls from 177 high schools this winter. On the other hand, it was anticipated that boys volleyball would experience slower growth due to the number of athletes required to form a team. However, there are now 105 schools registered to participate in boys volleyball this spring, which surpasses the threshold of 100 schools across the state’s three districts needed for full recognition.

A previous meeting with athletic directors at Plainfield showed overwhelming support for adding girls wrestling and boys volleyball as recognized sports, with a vote of 62 to 4 in favor. As a developing story, updates will be provided as more information becomes available. For further inquiries, contact Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.