Wascher, Bippus part of U.S. Men’s Deaf National Volleyball Team
By RICHIE HALL
Imagine going from just starting to play a sport to making a national team in the span of a year.
That’s what happened for Fishers’ Zachary Bippus and Noblesville’s Tyler Wascher. The Indiana School for the Deaf graduates and current Gallaudet University students began playing volleyball in college and progressed quickly enough to earn places on the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Volleyball team and represent their country in the upcoming Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan this November.
Both men had played other sports all throughout high school. Wascher said they “played football, basketball, a lot of us at the Deaf School played a lot of sports. You kind of have a natural athleticism from playing all the sports.”
Zachary Bippus (left, pictured with Gallaudet University coach Ben Campman) and Tyler Wascher (right) played other sports at Indiana School for the Deaf and at Gallaudet before switching to volleyball. (Photos provided)
Wascher, 21 and an incoming junior at Gallaudet, was a football player for the Bison until suffering a concussion. After that, he switched to volleyball and met Ben Campman, who is an assistant coach of the women’s volleyball team and helped organize the men’s volleyball club team. He was named the interim head coach for the men’s team in September 2024 and was an assistant coach on the national team in the summer of 2023.
“In the fall, that’s when things became really serious and I joined the national team after that,” said Wascher.
Bippus, 22 and an incoming senior, had been on the Gallaudet basketball team, but it turned out he had some family connections to volleyball.
“My dad played volleyball on the deaf national team as well,” said Bippus. “I had it in my genes all along, I just didn’t know it.”
In addition to that, Zachary’s aunt Aimee Bippus coached the Indiana School for the Deaf girls volleyball team for several years. During Aimee Bippus’ tenure, ISD won three consecutive sectional titles (2011-12-13) and a regional championship in 2012.
“I touched the ball maybe a few times with my dad,” said Zachary Bippus. “I’d go into practices and mess around a little bit. But I really started last year the same as Ty.”
The two men attended a winter camp in Rochester, N.Y. this past January, joining other players who were already on the team. For those players it was a training camp, but it was a tryout for Bippus and Wascher. They played well at the camp, so they were invited to join the national team.
Wascher called it one of the richest experiences in sports that he had in his entire life.
“When you play for the national team, everyone there is really skilled,” said Wascher. “They influenced me a lot. I had a bond with them and I’m looking forward to playing with them.”
“It was a new experience for me,” said Bippus. “Growing up, I always felt like I was experienced in all the sports I played. With volleyball, there were a lot of new things that I wasn’t used to. There’s that big gap in understanding, so I felt like I get to learn from them every time I’m playing.
“I’m really proud to say from the Rochester camp to the spring training, I really feel like I’ve caught up. I feel like I’m a lot closer in skill. I just want to be the best I can possibly be and I hope to get to continue that experience.”
The Men’s Deaf National team competed in the USA Volleyball Nationals in May. Playing in the Gold bracket, the team finished as silver medalist, which Wascher said is “the best we’ve ever finished.”
“I’m really proud of how the team looked,” said Wascher.
Next up will be the Deaflympics, which take place from Nov. 15 to 26 in Tokyo. This will be the 25th edition of the Summer Deaflympics, an event sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee that began in 1924, with volleyball competition starting in 1969.