Behind the scenes with Match Point co-directors

Dr. Adam Kuban, executive producer and producer, wanted to interview his co-directors of the documentary, asking them questions to offer a behind-the-scenes Q&A for interested readers. Jacob Clouse is an undergraduate student in the Department of Telecommunications, and Parker Swartz is a graduate student in the Emerging Media Design & Development program in the Department of Journalism at Ball State University in Indiana. Swartz also played for the Ball State Men’s Volleyball team from 2016-2019 as a middle attacker.

AK: So guys, let’s start with what might be the most important question — Why does this documentary matter?

JC: This documentary matters for many reasons, but the most important one that I see — and the reason I felt such drive for this project — was the sense of providing a voice. Diversity is something that is paramount in our society, and being able to create a platform to give men’s volleyball an ability to show its true colors is what I think means the most. The SIAC, a conference consisting of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), has just added men’s volleyball as an official college sport and is allowing for the diversity of the sport to grow. I think that if we can take these successes and show that via our documentary and campaign, we will see tremendous results from the high-school level all the way up to additional college programs. Being able to tell that story and to help show the sport for what we know it can be is something I take a lot of pride in.

” . . . if Match Point and the First Point Volleyball Foundation aren’t here to spark and fan the flames of that growth, then boys and men all across the country will be missing out on a sport that can truly change their lives.”

Parker Swartz

PS: This documentary’s goal is to give men’s volleyball an opportunity to reach people all over the United States. “Match Point” is so much more than a documentary; it’s a transmedia experience that is reaching people through social media, a podcast, a gaming app and more. The NCAA just announced that men’s volleyball is the fastest-growing men’s sport at the high school and college level. There is so much momentum right now, and if Match Point and the First Point Volleyball Foundation aren’t here to spark and fan the flames of that growth, then boys and men all across the country will be missing out on a sport that can truly change their lives.  

AK: Gotcha. So if I’m reading this blog post before I’ve actually watched the complete documentary, then what would you say to try to convince me to watch it?

JC: We are giving people a never-before-seen look into the nitty-gritty of the sport. From the patriotic aspect of working with Team USA Volleyball and seeing just how passionate USAV is toward growing the game and representing the United States on the national level to the nuances of how it feels to be a black athlete who is expected to play basketball yet loving volleyball and even the true family communal bonds that are built within these teams be young or old. There are so many aspects to this story that provide a chance for ANYONE to relate to, cheer for or even cry to. This is truly a side of volleyball that has never been shown, and I think the honesty you can feel through our interviews and story make it that much more meaningful.

PS: This documentary has an in-depth view of the sport that nobody else can give you. We traveled across the country to work with the US Men’s National Volleyball Team ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The documentary has that unique, national aspect of the sport, but it also shows the sport on a personal, community level. If you don’t know anything about men’s volleyball, if you only watch it during the Olympics, if you love the sport, then this documentary is made to give opportunities and show how the sport is rapidly rising in America.  

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AK: Sounds good. But let’s move forward: What would you identify as your #1 challenge while creating this documentary? And how did you overcome that?

JC: I would have to say our storyline for this one. We had such a wide array of interviews, questions and responses in the sense that we wanted to be able to cover as many storylines as possible that it almost hindered our ability to focus into a storyline. Eventually, after many long nights, Parker and I were able to narrow it down to the problems we wanted to emphasize in the sport, along with the examples we’d use to help show those. In the end, we just knew that no matter how many times it took us going to the drawing board, we were prepared to scrap and start over until we felt the story was right and doing the sport justice.

PS: We interviewed so many people in the men’s volleyball community. It was a challenge narrowing it down to the seven people in the documentary. The challenge then became how do we weave these interviews together to tell a compelling story. Jacob and I spent so many long nights piecing scripts together, debating which parts should stay and go, scrapping sections and starting over. It was difficult and frustrating at times, but anything worth doing is going to be hard, and we embraced that. 

AK: And, of course, all documentaries are meant to impart knowledge or information that the viewer may not have known, but in this case, what did YOU learn from this production experience?

JC: Although I have been well versed in the in’s and out’s of productions and immersive-learning project forms at Ball State, this was my first experience in the documentary style and also my first chance to write and direct a piece aside from smaller short films I have done personally. I have been lucky enough to work on some large-scale sets in the past, and that helped me in making sure we stayed on task, but I think ultimately I learned a lot about myself. Both as a storyteller and as a leader. Being able to get my ideas across to the crew was something I haven’t done in the past in terms of creative direction and the way I wanted things to look for the content. So I think the biggest takeaway from this project for me was being able to get those ideas and designs across to our wonderful crew in ways that both made sense and allowed them to flex their creative muscles so that the outcome was something we’d love.

PS: Besides being a huge fan of cinema, I have had no real film experience. I learned so much about the technical aspects of filmmaking from our amazing production crew. Being an executive producer taught me how much planning and how long a production like this takes. This project has taught me to be open to new opportunities and always be willing to learn more. If you’re passionate about something and you’re willing to work hard, you can accomplish incredible things.

AK: Gonna test your memory here — The best line in the documentary is…? Who said it & what did they say?

JC: For me, it was hands down Ed Wrather, who was a huge part for us in this documentary, and that man has so much wisdom. Every time he talks, it feels like it could be an inspirational quote. The line that stood out to me particularly was, “That’s why I say I don’t coach girls, and I don’t coach guys; I coach athletes.” This line was impactful for me because one of the problems we addressed in the doc was this idea that volleyball has a stereotype around it being a girl’s sport — when it’s the complete opposite. The game has so much teamwork, strategy, athleticism and power that it’d be crazy to label it as a gendered sport either way. Ed sees that the same way and wants to bring light on the fact that gender shouldn’t matter in sports; instead, what matters is the work and the talent that goes into it.

PS: I think the best line came from the US Men’s National Volleyball Team Head Coach John Speraw. John is a passionate leader who has given so much to the game of volleyball with his coaching and development of players, but that wasn’t enough for him. John sees a future for the sport that he is willing into reality with the First Point Volleyball Foundation. When talking about this future and the Olympic teams to come, he says, “I won’t be there. I’m not coaching that team…and when I want to turn on the TV, I want to see us win gold medals.” He truly wants the best for our country, our athletes and kids across the country. 

AK: So here’s your chance to be a momentary teacher: What’s some jargon (or a term specific to the sport) from the documentary that you can identify and define that might help viewers as they watch?

“I think understanding Title IX is one that will help a lot of people better acknowledge some of the limitations that colleges face when it comes to adding men’s volleyball to their schools.”

Jacob Clouse

JC: I think understanding Title IX is one that will help a lot of people better acknowledge some of the limitations that colleges face when it comes to adding men’s volleyball to their schools. The basics of this rule are that for every scholarship that is added into a men’s program at the college level, equal values must be provided to women’s programs as well. So for men’s volleyball to be added at some of these schools and have scholarships — the same schools need to find a way to incorporate new sports/scholarships for women’s programs as well. A good example of this is say a school adds men’s volleyball … then that same school would have to also add women’s beach volleyball or another sport.

PS: I think sanctioning is a critical term to understand. In the documentary, we talk about sanctioning the sport of men’s volleyball in states across the country. Sanctioning is receiving state approval for boys’ volleyball to become an official high school sport. The First Point Volleyball Foundation is leading the charge for sanctioning boys’ volleyball in America, and it is working. Colorado just sanctioned men’s volleyball, and we’re seeing amazing growth because those schools now have a legitimate opportunity to establish programs and teams for kids in their communities. 

AK: And finally — What do you want to happen next? Specifically with the documentary but also with the sport of boys’ and men’s volleyball just in general?

JC: I would love to see this documentary be picked up by some bigger networks so that we can continue to spread the word of the game and help provide a voice so that it is heard more and more. But mostly, I would love to see USAV go into the Tokyo Olympics and perform as well as we know they can so that we can get some added hype into the sport — similar to what we just recently saw with the Women’s World Cup team. After they won, there was a significant increase in media exposure, fandom and players entering the sport, and being able to have people in the sport who kids can look up to will be a large part in helping grow the game.

PS: I love this game. Volleyball has given me so many friends, opportunities and memories that I will cherish for my entire life. I am so lucky to be a former collegiate volleyball player and a current part-time professional player. It would be amazing to see more boys having the opportunity to play in high school, college and professionally in America. I want more kids to have opportunities to be a part of the amazing volleyball community. I hope that this documentary and campaign can be a part of that movement by putting volleyball in front of a national audience to showcase the dynamic and exciting nature of the country’s fastest growing sport!