At five feet five inches, Om Patel makes a truly commendable impact on the Birmingham Community Charter High School boys varsity volleyball.

Volleyball is in his blood as he comes from a family of volleyball players.

Patel has been playing volleyball for five years, starting in the sixth grade.

“All my cousins, uncle and sister played volleyball,” Patel said. “ When we would go somewhere we’d bring a volleyball and start peppering.”

His position on the team is Libero, who’s a key part on defense for the top row. His job is to pass the ball to the setter when the other team serves the ball and diving or getting up balls when the opponent hits the ball. They’re usually the best passer on the team.

Being on varsity hasn’t been a walk in the park for Patel. The workload and competition are a lot tougher since you have more experienced players playing.

“With varsity, it’s harder work,” Patel said. “We usually get out of practice at 5 p.m and train every Tuesday and Thursday.”