Born from a missing volleyball net. Built for everyone.

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Our Story

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While vacationing in Sarasota, Florida, our family and our best friends had a tradition of heading to a local park to play volleyball during our annual stays. It was always a great time filled with competition, laughter, and memories with family and friends.

 

In March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we returned to the same spot ready to battle for bragging rights and bring together players of all skill levels for a fun family game. To our surprise, the volleyball net had been removed. With the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we didn't expect anyone would be rushing out to replace it anytime soon. Simply put—we were netless.

 

For a few days, we tried other beach games to stay entertained, but nothing quite captured the excitement we were looking for. Then one day, someone said, "Who needs a net?" We drew lines in the sand and began creating rules on the fly. Those rules seemed to change play by play, guided by our self-appointed "Board of Directors" as we learned what worked and what didn't.

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Our families, along with a few friends from distant places like Toronto, Canada, and Riverside, Illinois (we love those people), helped shape what quickly became known as Bufferball—a name inspired by the buffer zone between the two playing areas. In the beginning, the buffer zone was only 16 feet wide, making the spikes intense and defensive awareness

absolutely necessary if you wanted to protect your face.

 

What immediately stood out was how inclusive the game felt. Height, weight, age, athletic ability, or volleyball experience didn't determine whether someone could spike, dig, serve, or make a game-changing play. Everyone could contribute. We also discovered that strategically hitting the player in the middle and scoring points added a completely new layer of excitement and strategy. Before long, we were playing Bufferball every day for the rest of our vacation—and we never missed the net.

 

When we returned home to Des Moines, Iowa, we continued playing in our backyards and refining both the layout and the rules. Along the way, we introduced the "person in the middle," known as the Stokos, and created the Dyo, the famous two-point play. Both names were chosen in honor of our Greek-Canadian friends from Toronto who helped inspire and develop the game.

 

Everyone we introduced Bufferball to seemed to genuinely enjoy its unique blend of competition and inclusiveness. People who had always wanted to spike a volleyball but felt limited by height or ability suddenly found themselves making incredible plays. While the game can become highly competitive with practice and skill, it also remains accessible to those who simply want to have fun with family and friends.

 

That balance is what makes Bufferball special. Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a casual player, or someone who just wants to join in the fun, there's a place for you on the court.

 

We hope your family and friends enjoy playing Bufferball as much as we've enjoyed creating, developing, and sharing it. And for those who love competition, we hope you'll take the game to new heights, create new strategies, and share your amazing spikes, digs, and unforgettable moments with us along the way.