There’s a new sport picking up major steam on campus this year.

On sunny, warm days this semester, you may notice a group gathered on Griffin Lawn around an ankle-high net on yellow stilts. The group is playing roundnet—sometimes referred to as Spikeball—and although some of the group’s more experienced players have competitive ambitions, they’re mostly looking to have some fun and make new friends.

The core group rendezvouses on Griffin Lawn whenever their schedules and the weather permit, hauling their portable roundnet sets to the field, starting up games as other friends relax under the tree shade nearby.

Spikeball is the company that manufactures the most popular playing set, and according to their website, four million people play it worldwide and over 150 Spikeball tournaments are held yearly.

Up to four players can join at once, two people per team standing adjacent with an opponent across the circular net. Teams hit the small ball, bouncing it off the net, to serve it. The player across the net fields the serve—they can either set it to their teammate or spike it back—and have three touches maximum to make an offensive move. A team scores when their opponent fails to successfully spike the ball to the other team.

Many of the Griffin Lawn frequents became friends through Young Life College, an on-campus ministry. Some of the members started getting together outside of official meetings for casual sessions of roundnet. The outing became a tradition of sorts last spring, and this year, they’re hoping to expand their visibility both on campus and in roundnet competitions around the region, said sophomore Joseph Berger.

“We figured if we love playing it so much and NKU’s campus doesn’t get used that much, why not come on campus, play Spikeball, reel people in and build new friendships,” said Berger.

Some days the group can be seen running up to three games at a time on Griffin Lawn, greeting newcomers, bidding farewells to those who have to run off and milling about in the early-fall air.

The participants are becoming something of a fixture of the greenspace nestled in one of the most populated parts of campus. Signs of their presence are beginning to mark the lawn as trampled, dead grass has formed a ring around their go-to spots to play. Some players even ditch their shoes to fully get into the game.

Patrick Butler, a sophomore and one of the group’s most avid players, stubbed his toe on a sprinkler head not long ago. “My toe was bleeding the other day,” he said with a shrug. “It’s part of the game,” followed Berger.

Registering as a student organization is on the to-do list for the roundnet cohort, with some of the most devoted regulars helming the process. They submitted an application at the start of the semester asking for recognition and expect to cement their status with the university soon, according to senior Alex Aaron.

The group is poised to continue growing, with or without official approval from the university. While NKU’s campus makes a convenient homebase for the crew, their sights are on opening the club up to anyone in the Northern Kentucky area.

They’ve even begun developing outreach initiatives to recruit new players. Berger said he’s been designing yard signs to stake around town to advertise their GroupMe channel where they discuss when they can play, said Berger.

Some of the players with competitive callings traveled to Kentucky’s interior for a tournament in Wilmore hosted by the Kentucky Roundnet Association, accounting for about half of the event’s competitors, according to Butler. Some of the people that tagged along got involved with the rest by walking up and joining a game one day, said Butler.

“NKU’s showout was actually insane,” said Butler. “They actually did amazing, and it was so fun to support them through it… they got third in the tournament,” he said of the newcomers.

The club will hit the road again in October for the Kentucky Roundnet Association’s state championship tournament. A chance for teams to earn a ranking on the league’s website is at stake this time around. About 15 teams—or 30 people—from NKU are expected to compete in the tournament, said Aaron.

While the group is delighted with the growing number of players flocking to Griffin Lawn to play, they hope to eventually hold formal contests at the Intramural Fields. Until then, the lawn serves as a reliable central location prime for drawing in new players.

Anyone is welcome to introduce themselves and join a game, the group’s voluntary spokespeople insisted.

“Making spaces on campus where people don’t just go to class and go home but enjoy community and friendship. Maybe that’s the bigger goal than making a competitive team,” said Aaron.

Sean Hennigan, a sophomore who transferred to NKU this year, said the roundnet pack has accepted him and given him a sense of community at his new school.

“Everyone’s just been so welcoming and loving. And like, I’m literally itching to get out of class and just come over here and play,” he said.

As the colder months loom, the group is keenly aware that the frigid weather could put their gatherings on pause. Berger and Aaron said they’ve been considering indoor spaces they can migrate to for the winter, like the Campus Rec’s basketball and soccer courts or off-campus spaces. If they exist in the shadows for some time, you know where to find them when the warm weather returns.