Boy’s Volleyball is one of the least played sports in America. Only 239 colleges of all divisions have the sport, out of around 4,000 colleges. For high schools, only 36 states have boy’s volleyball as an athletic option. Although the number of participants is very low, it is a rapidly growing sport. As a school with boy’s volleyball, Fort Worth Country Day spends every year trying to encourage more players to join and foster more talent from middle to high school. 

Patrick Powers ‘05 joined the coaching staff for the boy’s volleyball program in 2014 and coached his final season in the fall of 2022. Prior to Country Day, he coached some middle school boy’s volleyball at Trinity Valley. The current head coach for FWCD at the time, Missi Kovachev, saw him coach a season and asked him to coach JV for her. After a few years, he took over as head coach when Kovachev left the school. From there, Powers saw the boys’ improvement, dedication, and success increase each season, and all of this helped them to play their best season yet, fall of 2022. They won games against teams they had never beaten before and grew their team culture more than ever. Country Day will miss Powers dearly but knows it will be in good hands.

“I loved my time at FWCD, and I wish my time there was longer. It was a really tough decision to leave. I know that the Boys Volleyball Program is in a great spot with the upcoming underclassmen and the new coach Brandon Lundstrom. He grew up around volleyball and knows the game well. He will take the team to the next level – no doubt,” Powers said.

Brandon Lundstrom was appointed the new boy’s volleyball department head, and coach, around winter break of 2022. Lundstrom attended high school at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, and then went on to TCU just down the road. He ended up playing volleyball for a total of five years and became in charge of recruiting for the girl’s program at Texas Fire, a prominent club in Fort Worth. After four years, he started the very first boy’s program at Fire. 

Lundstrom did not originally plan to coach at FWCD because he didn’t know there was an opening. Luckily, one of his players got him interested. After choosing the school, Lundstrom already knew what his goals were for the season. He wants the boys to improve mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. These three things are very important to him because they make up a great player. 

“I have always wanted to be a division head, and it just so happened that one of my club players goes to Country Day and got me connected. In a way, FWCD chose me,” Lundstrom said.

Athletic Director Leigh Block met with Lundstrom, before Thanksgiving. He talked to Assistant Boy’s Coach Aimee Jenkins, Powers, and gave the rest of the heads of departments the opportunity to meet Lundstrom themselves around winter break. In their private conversation, Block enjoyed hearing about his past experiences and enthusiasm for the game.

“His expertise was very appealing, and not just the fact that he has coached but the level he has coached at. I also liked his energy and enthusiasm because it was almost infectious,” said Block.

Head Girl’s Volleyball Director and Coach, Akia Warrior, was present when all the department heads met Lundstrom, and she also talked to him separately about the upcoming volleyball season. Warrior and Lundstrom plan to run very similar offenses and defenses allowing them to have more opportunities for their teams to practice together, further strengthening the volleyball community at FWCD.

“Training wise I think we will be able to do a lot more because we will be running more similar offense and defensive systems. I also think it helps that because he is young, he is in the same mindset as me with a willingness to learn more and grow as a coach,” said Warrior.

Warrior also likes how close in age the two of them are. This is beneficial because they both have similar training philosophies and knowledge of more modern styles. Warrior also made note of Lundstrom’s coaching experience at the volleyball club Texas Fire where a few of the players here at FWCD have played or worked with him in the past. 

Zach Pakis ‘25 is an outside hitter for the boy’s varsity volleyball team. He has known Lundstrom for a few months through Texas Fire and describes him as a “good guy and a great coach.” One of Pakis’ favorite characteristics about Lundstrom is that he is here for the students.  He likes how Lundstrom is “all in” for the players on his team. Pakis is looking forward to his junior season and being able to learn from the new coach.

“I am most excited for some new drills, a new perspective, and a different viewpoint of coaching,” Pakis said.

The FWCD boy’s volleyball program is very lucky to have Lundstrom as its new head coach.