After COVID-19 axed last year’s Northwest College volleyball camps, the 2021 event more than made up for it.

Between the skills camp and team camp, 250 youth attended the 2021 NWC Volleyball Camps. Held at Cabre Gym, the skills camp ran from July 26-28, while 13 teams competed in a round-robin tournament on July 29 and 30. 

“I thought it went great,” NWC coach Scott Keister said. “To have all of those kids back in the gym and have excitement back in the gym was great.”

Athletes from 40 schools and six states attended the camps. Keister — who ran the camp alongside his 16 current players — admitted that volleyball recruiting can sometimes be tough because “kids get missed unless they’re vocal.” That’s why the impressive turnout thrilled the coach so much. 

“In that regard, it’s awesome,” Keister said. “I got to network with high school coaches about staying in Wyoming.”

Because Northwest is nestled in a rural town of just over 6,000 people, having 250 kids attend the camps was an excellent outreach opportunity for the college and its volleyball program.

“They have a good experience here, then they tell their friends,” Keister said. “It goes a long way for overall marketing of the school.”

The 13 squads that competed in the team camp included Powell High School, Cody High School, other local high schools and NWC recruit teams. Trapper “Red” bested Trapper “Black” in the title game to win the tournament, though Keister said several teams “meshed really well.”