EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A year ago, volleyball head coach Bruce Hungerford dreamed of playing one of his team’s games outside on the football field. On Wednesday night, the East Grand Rapids track and field team made that dream come true.

Thanks to the help of 40 to 50 volunteers, they rented a court from Aquinas College and nets from Grand Rapids Community College to host the first outdoor volleyball game in EGR. The Pioneers hosted Hopkins for their first game of the 2024 season and defeated the Vikings 3-0.

Senior Ella Taatjes said this game is special not only because of the venue, but also because of the community involvement.

“It’s incredible, especially in front of so many spectators cheering us on. I was a bit nervous at first, but I had a lot of fun,” said Ella Taatjes.

It took staff three attempts to perfectly prepare the field, but they finally managed to get all the pieces in place for one of the most legendary events in EGR athletics history.

“There was a lot of work going on all day, we had some court matters that we had 40 to 50 people helping us with. It was great. We all just had to step back and look around and see the community show up. The band was great, the atmosphere was really, really cool,” Hungerford said.

For more results, highlights and the latest news on high school sports in West Michigan, visit FOX 17 Flash Page.

Follow FOX 17 Blitz on social media: Facebook- X (formerly Twitter)