The women’s volleyball league has 13 teams and play on Monday nights. Team names range from High Flyers, Trouble Shooters, Golden Girls, Six Pack, Ghost Busters, Ever Readier, and Have Nots, to name a few.
Sharon Glenz, Paynesville, has played league volleyball for 16 to 17 years. “I find it fun to get out and a great way to get exercise. It also offers a person the chance to meet a wider variety of people than you would on a day-to-day basis,” Glenz said. She added that she has been playing with some of her teammates quite a few years. “Every year we see the level of play improving,” she said. The women who compete on the league range in age from 19 to approximately 50 years old.
Linda Mayer, Paynesville, has been playing volleyball about eight years. “It offers me an evening out, it is fun and a great opportunity for exercise. The younger teams have more volleyball experience than the older ones,” she added.
Each volleyball team plays the best of three in the middle school gym. The games usually start about 7:45 p.m. and last until around 10 p.m.
There are four women’s teams which are sanctioned and eligible to advance to state competition. They are Andy’s, Tammy Swanson, captain; Roadside Tavern, Peggy Stang, captain; Perkins Lumber, Betsy Ford, captain; and the Dog Haus, Linda Meyer, Jill Paul and Jackie Dahl, captains.
In the men’s volleyball league, there are 10 teams. Team names are: Shortstop Bar, Woodticks, KRT, Goat Ropers, Whirly’s, Irving, M&M Lumber I and II, Sportsman’s Den and Frieler Repair.
Dan Binsfeld said he has been playing volleyball with the same teammates for about 12 or 13 years. “It provides us with a night out, we have fun together and it’s a nice league.” Binsfeld said the league has gotten better over the years with more professional rules being enforced in the games.
Binsfeld said each volleyball team averages about six players. The volleyball teams are a mixture of farmers and businessmen, some driving more than 25 miles to play. “Many of us work evenings in the summer months and look forward to playing volleyball with our friends when winter arrives,” Binsfeld added.
The volleyball teams referee their own games. To compete in volleyball, the fee is $35 per team for nine weeks of action plus playoffs. The women’s teams play 18 weeks, about 20 games. The men’s volleyball league competes on Tuesday nights.
On Wednesday night, the men’s basketball league meets in the high school and middle school gyms. There are nine teams in the league. They are: Pacemakers, Beavers, Bandits, Staff Infection, Free Church, Hilltop, Hennens, Bernies and the Wall Bangers.
The men officiate their own games and whoever is not playing, runs the clock. The men play two 20-minute periods. The men’s league ranges in age from 19 to 48 years of age. “Each league is up in numbers this year,” Steve Brisendine, community education director, said. The basketball league plays eight weeks, about 12 games, at $10 per person. The season ends about mid-February with play-offs lasting until mid-March.
Otto Naujokas, Paynesville, played basketball through high school and college and is still playing basketball. “I enjoy the game of basketball. It offers me good exercise and it’s fun. We develop good relationships with our teammates plus it provides us with an opportunity for socialization.” Naujokas said three years ago they didn’t have enough teams to form a league. “More young people are moving into the area and we have a lot of former wrestlers who enjoy playing basketball for recreation,” he added. Hennen’s team is the only team with women on the roster. “We don’t discriminate,” Naujokas said.
Dan Wall, Paynesville, has been playing basketball since he was in grade school, some 25 plus years. “I enjoy the competition and in the winter months it’s the only in-door exercise I get,” he said. “I enjoy the sport and always will.”