CIF Southern Section holding off on decision moving boys volleyball to second season

CIF Southern Section officials will be surveying member schools on the state’s proposal to move boys volleyball to the spring, Rob Wigod, Southern Section Commissioner, said Wednesday.

Among the announcements made by state officials Tuesday was that boys volleyball would move to season two to avoid the loss of a second full season if state, county and local health officials allow for sports to return. The coronavirus pandemic cancelled the boys volleyball season last spring.

A tentative starting date was not announced.

Under the revised CIF plan announced in July, boys volleyball and girls volleyball along with girls and boys cross country and boys and girls water polo were scheduled to be played in December.

But those seasons have been put on hold after the CIF State announcement on Tuesday noting that “full practice and competition start dates are officially on hold,” as officials wait for return to play guidelines from the California Department of Health. Further guidelines are not expected until at least Jan. 1, 2021.

Wigod said surveys will be mailed to Southern Section schools that field boys volleyball teams to determine what season the sport will be played. It typically is played during the spring.

“Next week, we’re going to survey our member schools who play boys volleyball and ask them do they wish to have the schedule they already have prepared (in season one) understanding we wil probably lose some of it on the front end, but try and keep league play and post season play in tact or do they wish to move it to spring and then we would develop a schedule accordingly once the state identified their dates for the regional championships,” Wigod said.

Wigod said if schools opted to play in season one, teams would not compete in state championships since they wouldn’t be held until months later.

(OC Sports Zone will publish a question and answer interview with Wigod on Thursday covering many topics on the future of high school sports)