The volleyball community is a tight-knit family.

The combination of schedules spanning the nation and young coaches rising to success on campuses throughout the country creates an atmosphere where coaches throughout the sport share ideas, stories and time together long after the days in which they share a state border or conference tournament.

And, like other families, when one of them is met with an unexpected challenge on or off the court, the family is there to help them in the fight.

Keith Schunzel is the head volleyball coach at Kennesaw State. Schunzel and his wife Bri, an assistant on the Owls’ staff, met through Stony Brook head coach Coley Pawlikowski and her now-husband, associate head coach Dan Pawlikowski nearly a decade ago when the couples were rising through the coaching ranks in the Midwest.

“Dan and I met Bri and Keith through volleyball,” said Stony Brook head coach Coley Pawlikowski. “Both had very decorated careers as All-Americans at Ohio University and Ball State, respectively, and we met when they were both in the Chicagoland area. Bri moved to town for a job and reached out to play on my women's team. Keith was coaching just over the Illinois border at Valparaiso in Indiana at the coinciding time and was a staple in the Chicago adult volleyball scene.  

“The volleyball world is a really close-knit family, hence the frequent married couples that coach together, like us and the Schunzels. Through that family, we instantly became close friends with the Schunzels, celebrating and supporting alongside one another at our weddings, job transitions, building our own programs, and as they began their own family.  

“Through tough losses, huge wins, multiple moves across the country, recruiting battles, working camps and attending clinics, our relationship with the Schunzels is truly the epitome of an example of the volleyball community. The strength in that community is pretty powerful, and when members of our family are in a battle like Keith and Bri, they are not battling alone.”

Keith and Bri welcomed their son Griffin into the world in December 2012. This spring, Griffin was diagnosed with All B-Cell Leukemia. Word spread quickly throughout the volleyball community. While the Schunzel family faced this challenge, their volleyball family sprung into action.

Volleyball programs throughout the country – at college, club and other levels – helped get the word out. In September, which was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, teams throughout the nation wore “#SchunzelStrong” shirts in the gold color that signifies awareness during the month. Gold is the color to signify Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and it is also a primary color for Kennesaw State.

“Bri and I continue to be completely speechless that people in the volleyball community, such as our wonderful friends Coley, Dan and the Stony Brook team, are reaching out and helping us in so many different ways,” Keith Schunzel said. “Whether it be thoughts, prayers, cards, gifts from opposing teams, or t-shirts worn showing their support, the outreach has all been overwhelming in the best way possible. It is both humbling and incredibly inspiring that we get to live and work in this amazing volleyball community that we have throughout our country.

“In difficult times like our family and so many others are currently going through, your true friends really do show themselves, and in no way are we surprised at Coley and Dan's constant support because that's the kind of people they are. We thank them for everything they have done for us, and we thank the volleyball community at large who is unlike any other we've ever been a part of for its selflessness and generosity.” 

The Seawolves donned the gold shirts during warmups of September’s Fairfield Invitational, attended by six teams from throughout the eastern half of the country. They wore them again for the home opener against Hofstra Sept. 8, as a raucous crowd at Pritchard Gymnasium got to learn more about the effort to end childhood cancer.

“Our programs have played each other both at Kennesaw State and last year here at Stony Brook,” said Pawlikowski. “Four of our players traveled to Europe this summer with a member of their team.   When we shared their story with our team, their response immediately was the same – ‘what can we do to help?’ The group arranged purchasing shirts as part of a fundraiser through the Kennesaw State community that they have worn on several occasions showing their support.”

Meanwhile, down in Georgia, the Schunzels keep the volleyball family informed of Griffin’s battle on social media and the Schunzels’ GoFundMe page. That page has seen over $22,000 in donations over the past six months as the volleyball community has banded together to help a member of its family.

On the court, Kennesaw State is off to a strong start in 2015. The Owls knocked off Georgia Tech in front of nearly 1,600 people at home in September and look to far exceed their preseason projections in the Atlantic Sun.

At one of those home matches, you may see a little kid practicing his jump serve, dressed in black and gold.

His name is Griffin Schunzel. He’s part of the volleyball family.

To learn more and to help the Schunzels in the battle against childhood cancer, click here.