Clemson University is home to multiple iconic sports venues, including Death Valley, Historic Riggs Field and Littlejohn Coliseum. Yet one predates them all: Bowman Field.
Nestled beneath Tillman Hall’s clock tower, Bowman Field was Clemson’s first sports field. It hosted football, soccer, baseball and track meets until 1915.
More than a century later, Bowman Field now features a different sport.
If you ever pass the field on a nice day, it is dotted with students sitting and reading, others tossing a frisbee or a football and some even setting up a volleyball net right in the center of the lawn. But it is impossible not to notice the groups of people smacking a yellow ball against a circular net.
Several students gather each day independently to play spikeball on Bowman.
The game is most commonly played one-on-one or in two teams of two that hit the ball off a central trampoline net. Points are scored when one team fails to cleanly return the ball off the net to the other team — whether that means the ball hits the ground, the rim or bounces twice on the net.
Although the sport, officially called roundnet, typically lends itself to casual matches between friends, a lively competitive scene can also be found at Clemson.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, Clemson Roundnet meets uncoincidentally on Bowman Field.
“I think Bowman is our quad,” William Blass, club president of Clemson Roundnet, told The Tiger. “It might just be a special place.”
It is a special place and one that plays a vital role for the club.
“People walk by Bowman, new students see us and want to walk up and play Spikeball,” Blass said.
A friendly environment that goes beyond the net awaits those who walk up and play.
“We want everybody to join,” Blass said. “It’s not about Spikeball, it’s about the people that come out, have a good time and build a community.”
Whether you’re a complete beginner or a semi-pro, Clemson Roundnet is the place for you. The club president himself hadn’t even played competitively until after joining the club.
“The only introduction I had with it was playing with my cousin at the beach,” Blass said. “Then I came to college, and that’s that.”
The typical roundnet practice involves friendly intraclub competition, skill development and an “off the net” social activity. At certain times, the club will have a competitive practice to prepare the competition team for upcoming tournaments.
For some members, casual play is a pathway to high-level competition and success. The club competes in several tournaments each semester.
In 2024, Clemson took first place in the College Roundnet National Championship.
On Jan. 31, the club heads to Davenport, Florida, for the American Spikers Pro League Playoffs.
While other tournament details have yet to be determined, the club’s scope extends beyond the sport itself.
This semester, several other events are also on the calendar. Blass and his executives are planning club and social events beyond Spikeball, such as mixers and even a prospective semiformal.
Interested students can find Clemson Roundnet at Bowman Field on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. On any other day, the club’s GroupMe can be reached through its Instagram account.
And if you’re ever short of things to do on a sunny afternoon, grab a friend, head over to Bowman Field and enjoy Clemson’s first great sports field for yourself.
